This book marks the end of my literary journey through the harsh terrains of North Korea. The next time I touch on anything dictatorial (or communistic, for a better choice of words), it’s got to be more visual than this – and more physical; I still hope for a day when I could finally travel to this supposedly ‘pariah’ nation, to witness all that is (left) of this autocratic regime.
The Connoisseur’s Guide To Meat (By Jennie Milsom)
This book was a gift from a friend… well, sort of. Just by looking at the cover, one would not be too wrong about it being a very traditionally English and European-based cookbook. And it is, indeed, given the wide range of strange looking tools (or what they identify as kitchen utensils) used in their kitchens. My assumption is: one has got to have a copiously-spaced kitchen to be able to own and keep all of these utensils at home!
Asian Stir-Fried Brinjals
A brinjal is a type of plant in many disguises, simply because it can also be called an eggplant (English/American), an aubergine (European), a melongene or a guinea squash. Asians usually identify them as brinjals, which in turn usually refers to the longer, slimmer breed.
Milk And Cheese Plait Bun With A Local Twist
Plain but flavourful, this delicacy is much favoured by many Asians within the region – a common breed found in many neighbourhood bakeries and supermarkets. Here’s my very own version of the heartland favourite – golden little buns sprinkled with copious servings of cheddar cheese!
The Photographer’s Eye (By Michael Freeman)
This book was a souvenir from a photography course that I took up several years ago, while I was still a teacher. I cannot remember much of the course – aperture size, white balance etc – but I do remember feeling very happy about receiving this book as part of the course materials.