Looking forward

Last Friday marked the last day of work at my old firm (one of the Big 4, though I won’t say which). To be honest, I don’t feel anything as I have not been working for the past 2 weeks. Going back on Friday was simply to return the company’s laptop and other stuff, as well as to complete the exit interview. I declined the farewell lunch my colleagues suggested as I was never particularly close with them (don’t get me wrong, they are really nice people). Perhaps due to the long period of non-working, I unconciously felt that I have already left the firm. In a way, I am grateful for the opportunities that the firm has given me, for I won’t be able to get such a great (new) job if it weren’t for where I am before. Still, I can’t help but feel disappointed with the firm. Oh well, since its over, there is no point talking about it. Looking forward to having a better work life balance. Meeting new people. Enjoying challenges at the new place. Most importantly, more time for baking!

My beloved oven is still down so I can’t get any baking done. Just to share with you a simple tea that us asians like to brew to combat the hot weather. Chrysanthemum is a type of flower that can be boiled to make a tea and purported to help in the recovery of influenza due to its cooling properties. In terms of TCM (traditional chinese medicine), chrysanthemum tea is also used to treat blurring vision and dizziness. The tea has a subtle floral scent and is deep yellow in color. Rock sugar is added toweeten the tea, making it a great and refreshing drink in summer. Chrysanthemum is fairly common and you should be able to find it at your nearest asian supermarket, or the asian section of your grocery.

Chrysanthemum Tea

1 package of chrysanthemum

Rock sugar, as desired (depending on how sweet you want)

1. Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Add in the chrysanthemum and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Add rock sugar. Stir occasionally and continue to simmer until all the rock sugar is dissolved. Sift out the flowers before drinking. Can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

 

 

端午节 (Dragon Boat Festival)

端午节 (Duan Wu Jie) also known as Dragon Boat Festival, falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the chinese calendar. This festival originated from the Warring States period, where a poet called Qu Yuan committed suicide. Qu Yuan served at high offices during the Zhou Dynasty. As the emporer decided to ally with the powerful state of Qin, Qu Yuan was accused of treason and banished. 28 years later, when the state of Qin conquered the Chu capital, Qu Yuan commited suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River.  To prevent the fishes from eating his body, the local people threw food into the river and paddled out on boats to scare the fish away. This was said to be the origin of 粽子(rice dumpling) and 龙舟(dragon boat racing). (Information from Wikipedia)   

Traditionally, rice dumplings are filled with pork, chinese mushrooms, chestnuts and salted egg yolks. This tradition has evolved in the recent years. Many restuarants now introduced rice dumplings with various fillings like roasted duck, cuttlefish and seafood. For those with money to spare, there are also rice dumplings filled with expensive abalone and birds nest. Dessert dumplings with chocolate fillings are also available for those with a sweet tooth. It takes certain skills to be able to wrap the rice dumpling in bamboo leaves without them spilling out during cooking. After the rice dumpling is wrapped, they are tied and boiled in water. The rice dumplings in the pictures are painstakingly wrapped by my mom. I haven’t quite gotten the hang of it, and I doubt I will ever be as good as her!

Celebrating Winter Solstice Festival (冬至)

Today is the celebration of  Dong Zhi (冬至), also known as Winter Solstice Festival. ‘Dong Zhi’ essentially means the arrival of winter and is one of the most important festival celebrated for us chinese. According to Wikipedia, the origins can be traced back to the philosophy of yin and young and the balance and harmony of cosmos. Considered to be the thanksgiving of the east, it is also a time for families to get together. 

During Dong Zhi, we eat Tang Yuan which is also known as glutinous rice balls. These rice balls are often cooked in sweet syrup. The word ’tang yuan’ is very similar to the pronounciation of ‘tuan yuan’, which means reunion. This auspicious meaning symbolises the reunion of families which is what this festival is about.  The reason why some of the rice balls are pink is because on this day, we will also pay our respects to our ancestors. Pink is considered a more auspicious color as compared to white. Normally, we will cook up a feast, which will be used to pay respects to our ancestors before gathering together and have a good meal.