Two Weeks of Exciting Reads

I love libraries. Ever since I was a kid, I had been a frequent visitor to the library in Ipoh. Of course, as I moved on to university I fully indulged myself in the offerings of the libraries in campus. 

Upon graduation, I found myself signing up for a membership with the Singapore national library board. And yes, my joy of reading never had to stop :)

Some may wonder why I love libraries so much, in terms of practicality, I think it is very economic. I do not need to spend money on the books nor headache over the logistics part of storage or moving them around when I have to move house.

For this fortnight, I managed to get my hands on several interesting titles which I would like to share: 

1. The Fattest Man in America, Christopher Nicholson

2. Her Fearful Symmetry, Audrey Niffenegger

3. The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger

4. The Independence of Miss Bennett, Colleen McCullough

5. Eternal on the Water, Joseph Monninger

Many people do not appreciate/ understand the way I choose books. It is very simple. The rule of randomness. It makes it more interesting but it does not work for everyone. Hah....

Thunder Tea Rice (Lei Cha)

Now, this dish here called thunder tea rice is a unique dish of the Hakka people. Not everyone will like this dish. Particularly, I feel because of the amount of vegetables in it so for those who are rather selective with vegetables.

Although I am a Hakka, there are a number of different clans and this dish is not one from the clan that I originate from. My first encounter with it was when my relative (who is this "type" of Hakka) invited us to a lunch of homemade thunder tea rice. The dish is arduous to make as each type of vegetable has to be chopped into tiny pieces and cooked separately. Then comes the highlight! The soup that is made of basil, mint and tea leaves that are grounded in a special pot, made traditionally with lines on the surface to help with the grounding process. 

I will not be able to re-create this dish as I doubt the soup is that easy to make. However I relish the mix and crunch of the vegetables, nuts, tofu bits and crispy anchovies together with rice and the soup. It is very healthy and wholesome.