it must hv been more than two years since i last baked bread. even after i got my kitchenaid more than a year ago, i haven't started on using the dough hook yet. i wished i had used it sooner to knead dough coz it was such a breeze to do so. kitchenaid has been my best kitchen investment so far, followed by the immersion hand blender :p those two really made my life alot easier. and so, i came across this from donna hay magazine and the recipe looked real enticing. the thought of dipping the flatbread in olive oil & balsamic vinegar got me drooling. moreover, the recipe looked simple enough to follow (not that i'm intimidated by complicated recipes heh), just that i don't wanna spend time proofing the dough for 2 hours. this one only requires 30 mins of proofing.

i brought these to a dinner party last week and my friend, who reads my blog, has been bugging me to bring her an ispahan. since i was still very much tied up with orders and i didn't hv any raspberries on hand, i decided to make her some ispahan cupcakes instead. its been eons since i made my last cupcake and i wouldn't otherwise hv bothered if it wasn't for this particular flavor. i'm so over cupcakes anyway, and i can't stand swirls anymore coz they're so passe.

my breakfast for today - eggs benedict with hollandaise sauce on ham & toast + pineapple juice. not my first in making poached eggs but in hollandaise sauce. and maybe you already grew tired of me saying this, but my 1st attempt in making hollandaise sauce was so awesome i just couldn't believe it. previously i had been putting it off coz i always felt it was very tedious, especially after coming across this recipe. sure, its gordon ramsay's but i just wanted something simple and to boil 500ml vinegar until it reduces by half + complicated steps thereafter isn't my idea of simple. so i turned to one of my trusted sites, epicurious and settled for this instead.

i bought a box of arborio rice quite sometime ago and its been staring at me everyday since. was feeling kinda apprehensive about it since i've never made risotto before. but the ones i had outside were so good i just have make it at home.

i was totally intrigued by the coffee & chicory macarons that helen of tartelette made and toyed with the idea of doing the same too. of late i find myself being very fascinated with brush stroke patterns on plates/food etc. my first "encounter" was at 7atenine, where almost all the dishes were swiped with squid ink. then when i bought johnny iuzzini's dessert fourplay, i was even more amazed at the fluid gels on the plated desserts. i vowed to do the same. and my first attempt is with these macarons. since i was doing my macaron orders, i thought no harm making an additional batch to try out :p seriously, i think they look MUCH better than piped lines & flowers. piping is so passé. i wish i hv a dehydrator so i can make my own dehydrated fruits and then grind them into powders. a sprinkle of raspberry/strawberry powder on macarons will look darn cool too.

trying out my new glossy black acrylic board for photography. i don't think the glossy effect looks very obvious, need to try out a few more times using different subjects. and while the layering for this doesn't look very neat and the green looks kinda unappetizing, its actually a very scrummy dessert! i'm having 3 macaron orders this weekend so i just wanted to make something quick & easy. this must be one of the easiest verrines to make. no need to wait for anything to set!

recipe from here and i simply replaced the coffee & liqueur with 1 cup boiling water + macha powder + sugar (to taste).