Beautiful inside my Mind

I'm quite excited to be able to choose my own food and prepare it the way I want when I study in Los Angeles. This means less meat and lots of salads and fruits. I'm not trying to lose weight, it's just that those are the things I genuinely like. I'll finally be able to afford 'exotic' greens and fruits that are native to the region. Apparently there's a Farmers' Market really near to my school where I can pick up fresh produce. Yay.

I also hope to find a good bakery and a gourmet cheese shop. What can I say, I love freshly-baked bread of all kinds and one of the best toppings for bread is cheese. I've always been curious to try new kinds of cheese other than the usual mozarella and cheddar. Nothing too pungent though.

On Friday night my family celebrated Fathers' Day with a dinner at Blue Basil, a small restaurant in a shophouse on Scotts Road. As you may guess from the name, herbs feature prominently in their dishes. The herbs are grown on their own premises, and the sight of them reminded me of the time when my own balcony was filled with basil and mint. I don't know if you've ever put a freshly-plucked mint leaf to your nose and inhaled. The clean, refreshing scent is just lovely. Mint is great for salads and, in my opinion, assam laksa. Or you could put a sprig in your tea to freshen it up.

Processed foods now make up a significant portion of our diet. Nothing can beat the taste of fresh food though. Truly, when the ingredients are fresh, little preparation is required for stellar taste. In future, it'd be great if at least the herbs in my dish come from my own backyard.