The Artisan

S.C. bought 2 very nice boxes of chocolates for me, and asked l.t. to bring them back to Singapore. Irony was, when I was happily savouring the sweet treats, she was down with a nasty bout of chicken pox in London. I haven't gotten the depressing and potentially scarring pox yet, and I was praying tight my vaccination (some more than 12 years ago) might still be keeping the nasty virus at bay. "Probably not..." friends told me the vaccination doesn't last more than 10 years, and if Wikipedia is a reliable good source (protection of no more than 5 years), I should have lost the immunity for at least 7 years by now! Huh... I should stop procrastination and get ready for further immunization.

Well, s.c., if you are reading this, I am hoping you feel better and all the herbal teas you mom prepared has helped. Look on the bright side, now you are likely to have lifelong immunity. No risk of getting it during pregnancy, which can cause serious problems for babies... :(

Okie, let's talk about something less itch-inducing...




I have finished the whole box of L'artisan du chocolat (the one in camel brown square box). A big YUUUUMMMMMMM... each little piece has a different flavour. Though I can't make out the flavours of more than half of them (in some cases, I was very greedy and ate them a little too quickly.. heh), I love them all. The texture is great; the ganache is smooth and melt in the mouth. Those with nuts and seeds were very finely crushed (but not powdery) and form a velvety paste with good "口感“. (how do I translate that?) The chocolate taste lingered a long time after the eating, which is real nice...



I really like it that they were all simple rectangular blocks (not to mention it's really bite size, so I really didn't need to share with anyone... haha), and the many flavours distinguished in very simple subtle ways. They were neat, pretty and uniformly irregular enough, to evoke a certain sense of "handmadeness" with skill and professionism. Many chocolatiers have different moulds for different flavours, and I personally find most moulds too elaborate and the finish too "sleek" and polished. Personal choice really! I am a sucker for great packaging and presentation, but what really matters is the taste...

What would very absolutely enticing, is the inclusion of a little flavour booklet that would fit in the box, featuring all the flavours like what they did on their online flavour catalogue. Guess there are just too many flavours... ^_^

I won't act like a connoisseur because I am really not one, but I hope to recommend to whoever might have a similar box to taste their chocolates at room temperature. I tasted a few pieces before putting the box in the fridge, and they melt almost instantly in the mouth, and the flavour very distinct. After refrigerating them (I really have to, because it's an average of 28 degree celsius all day here), and eating them straight from the fridge, it (of course) took a long time to melt in the mouth, and I was very tempted (and some cases succumbed) to chew them before they started to melt, which I find didn't do justice to getting full utility from these delightful treats. Subsequently, I ate them only after resting them for a while (after refrigeration) at room temperature, and I enjoyed them a lot more.

I dedicate this entry to dear s.c.. Though it's a trifle too late to wish you something like "speedy recovery"(hahaha... and I'm sure you feel better already), just want to let you know that little box is absolutely treasure-ful! Thanks madame!

Ribbons Galore...

It's wonderful to receive presents, and more so to be presented with a prettily wrapped one. Since Christmas last year and my wedding recently, I have accumulated a vast collection of ribbons and textured papers (as I handmake all the wedding favors/cards etc.). It gives great satisfaction to tie a perfect bow, and I can't seem to get enough of it. After the invitations, I used ribbons for wedding favors, and after I am done with favors, I designed another post-wedding album which uses ribbons too. To make things slightly worse, I have a weakness for double faced ribbons which often cost up to twice as much as single faced ribbons. In lay man terms, double faced ribbons have same texture on both sides. I find them a whole lot more "intergral" and "ribbony". But as a friend has described, she feels this fetish is a mere extension of my sometimes-senseless pursuit of perfectionism. Erm.... I can almost agree with her on that...

But as the months passed, the fascination grew. I didn't buy them what I needed, I bought everything I fancied, and I bought them in bulk from manufacturers and distributors. (some really great stuff are only available from rare collections from hard-to-find distributors, and I can't bear to get just a few yards since I travelled such a distance). It's scary how much there is now. I have a dedicated drawer to ribbons. I probably have enough supplies for gift wrapping for the next 50 years; friends and folks can probably bring their gifts over for the next 50 years too, and I bet I will still have a surplus.

As with all things in a series or collection, it brings great joy to photograph, and a neat challenge for ribbons because I wanted to capture the textures accurately. I started off photographing some for auctioning on ebay. Then it became more of a hobby. I waited for early mornings and late afternoons, which seem to work well for me (gives very good daylighting) given my resources (my apartment cum studio/camera etc.). Here are some pictures.