Dried Pineapple Flowers

June 3, 2021

Dried Pineapple Flowers. A recipe with one ingredient — pineapple, slow-roasted in the oven. Delicious with morning oats, as a snack or top on frosted cakes.

Japanese Fruit Jellies

March 20, 2021

Agar-agar is the powder I used to gelatinize these beauties. Also known as Kanten/寒天 — this is a favourite treat from dessert shops in Japan and Taiwan.

Apple Rum Galette

September 20, 2020

Happy Fall everyone. It has been quiet over here this summer. A good kind of online quiet while my offline life was filled with time in nature, cliff jumping, sitting by the beach, and away from the screen as much as possible. I hope it was one as energizing and glorious for you as it was for me. Some warm, bright memories to store up for the coming months.

If you have been following along on social media — you will have noticed my switch from light, airy photography to dark and rich imagery. It is a direction that has taken me by surprise but something I feel very connected to. For me — a new way of seeing, shaping light, and appreciating details to capture in everyday life. After shooting mostly artificial light for the past year— it feels like I am coming full circle working with natural light again. On a personal level, I feel I am finally embracing the light of dark winters in Canada while absorbing classical inspiration from artists in the Dutch golden era. I have pulled out my music sheets and classic music in the studio is now a thing. It is a personal process, not without emotion, but one that comes with a sense of peace.

Now, let's talk about apple pies. I love how timeless this recipe is, never failing to reappear this time every year. I did not grow up eating apple pies, so this is a new tradition I am setting for myself. I had the best fruit cake in Australia last Christmas with my boyfriend’s family, and finally made use of the rum I bought on that trip. Inspired by Australian fruit cake — rum will be added to all of my fruit desserts now.

This recipe is adapted from an apple bourbon galette recipe from food52, using flaky pie dough from Cannelle Et Vanille’s cookbook. The apples were picked from Willow View Farm with my family last week, it made a world's difference using fresh apples. Jonagolds are my new favourite eating and cooking apple. I have some Korean pears and plums from the garden that I am looking forward to baking with this recipe.

Ladybirds, always landing in the perfect time and place.

Dusted these with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and basil flowers.

Apple Rum Galette

Serves 6, makes one large galette or 2-3 small ones

Ingredients

1/2 flaky pie dough
1/3 cup rum
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup dark brown sugar ( I used 1/4 for a less sweet version)
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 large or 4 medium apples, cored and sliced into pieces
1 egg, beaten, for finishing
Turbinado sugar, for finishing
Basil leaves, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

In a small saucepot, bring the rum to a boil over medium heat. Cook until the liquor is reduced to 2 tablespoons, then stir in the butter until it’s melted.
In a small bowl, whisk the brown sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon to combine. Stir this into the rum-butter mixture and let cool completely.
Cut the apples into four outer pieces, leaving the core intact. Carefully slice each piece into thin slices, doing your best to keep sections together while you slice. This will make your apples easier to fan
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a round shape around 1/4 inches thick. Trim the edges if you need to. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.
Starting around the edges — fan the apples out and place them over the dough, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of uncovered dough all around the edge.
Fold the sides of the dough over the apples. Overlapping the folds and pinching at the edges to ensure they are secure.
Carefully spoon the bourbon-sugar mixture over the apples evenly. Apply egg wash over the edges of the dough and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Bake the galette until the crust is golden brown and the apples are toasted and tender. Around 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool before slicing and serve with ice cream. Garnish with basil leaves if you like. The galette keeps for2-3 a few days though best enjoyed fresh, a light toast for leftovers in the convection oven helps.

Roasted Korean Pears With Ginger Recipe

January 4, 2019

One of my new year goals for 2019 is to write more — and what better subject to write about than food? Asian culture is a culture that revolves heavily around food. The making, the eating, the sharing. Oftentimes revolved around gossip, singing, or maybe a game of mahjong for the uncles and aunties. It is something I am really excited to share.

These pears were grown by Papa Hsin in his yard in Canada. As Asian parents go, I didn’t grow up knowing my dad as he spent a lot of time working. As a child, sometimes the only interaction we will have is when he signed my report cards every week (a moment where I will tremble slightly, even though I have always been a top student). But food — will forever be a way Asian parents show love. A catch-up session with Papa Hsin will always start with him pulling out fruit, steamed buns or something he made from his bag and handing it over with a smile. I think it is his peace offering for all the smiles he didn't give me when he signed my report cards.

Similar to me, my dad grew up in many places. One of my favorite subjects to ask him about is the time when he lived in Saudi Arabia and worked as a martial arts trainer for the police force. The stories of endless deserts, lizard hunting with bearded men, drinking camel milk and getting lost in sandstorms. Terrorism, female rights. They were the stories that teleported me to faraway places and planted in me a seed for travel and social justice. In fact — one of my career goals as a high school student was to become a journalist and cover stories of war and in the Middle East. Of course, that didn’t end up happening and today, both of us settled in Canada where I work as a photographer and him as a retired officer. I like to think that we are both finding our peace and place here. Him in his garden, hosting dinners with Chinese neighbors and me in the kitchen, behind the camera, or off backpacking to another exciting location.

Food to me will always be magic. It is the art of creating something from simple and good ingredients. Food is a vehicle for stories, culture, and tradition. A delicious reminder that we are cared for and thought of.

So here to the new year, I hope it will be one filled with stories and meals shared over tables with conversations that are long and good.