The Gardens By The Bay is a large visitor attraction in Singapore, one of the latest attractions to have opened here in 2011. Encapsulating the concept of life as a city in a garden, the attraction consists of altogether seven themed gardens. There are plenty to explore and take in; it is a photographer’s paradise too, given the multifarious variety of botanical flora and fauna.
Tangyuan (汤圆), or glutinous rice ball, is a type of dessert served during many auspicious occasions celebrated by the Chinese, Koreans, Japanese and Vietnamese: the winter solstice (冬至) when daylight is the shortest (i.e. daylight will start to get longer, which means winter is coming to an end); the Yuanxiao Festival (元宵节) to celebrate the first new moon after the Chinese Lunar New Year; other occasions which call for festive celebrations – weddings, birthdays, anniversaries etc. In fact, the word ‘汤圆’ (tangyuan) is a homophone for ‘团圆’, which means reunion and togetherness. This symbolism is further illustrated by the roundness of the balls and the sweetness of the broth. Hence the rounder the balls are the better.
These jam sandwich cookies are delightful to bake for a great Christmas treat at home. Making them is simple; assembling them is fun too. The ruby red colour of the jam peering out of the hole at the center of each cookie – like that of a glittering gem – would beckon to even the most nonchalant guest at a party.
I miss Germany and the UK, especially during the festive season of Christmas: the falling of the flurry snowflakes; the icy (sometimes bitter) coldness with ever plunging temperatures; the piping hot soup and snacks along the streets littered with Christmas lights; the lingering aroma of the warm brew of mulled wine. The cute piggy toys sold at the stalls of the German Christmas markets (Weihnachtsmärkte) are one of the things that I miss the most. In the eyes of the German-speaking lot, these pigs, otherwise known as the Glücksschwein(chen), are THE symbol of luck and prosperity,
I fell in love with the classic Italian pesto sauce seven years ago, very appropriately so in the classical Italian city of Rome, celebrating Christmas day amidst the cold season of winter. Both of us decided to get a bottle of basil pesto sauce to go with our microwaved spaghetti and contented ourselves with a simple bowl of Italian pasta to celebrate the festive season in our little room at the Color Hotel. Wow… it tasted amazing. There and then, I fell head over heels with this sauce.
