First of all, I've decided on my pet project for this year. Other than study/learn/write/travel/become a better human being. And this pet project is to learn how to cook gnocchi. Perfect gnocchi, that is. I've tried to make it before, and it always ends up being rubbery, messy, and not terribly good.
I made a batch this morning with a new recipe. It took at least 2 hours. It wasn't rubbery, but it was messy, and the potatoes weren't mashed nearly enough to have smooth dough. It also wasn't light enough. I also had to use three times the amount of flour in the recipe, because England has such a damp climate. Oh well. I still have at least 8 months to finish mastering this recipe, and I seem to have plenty of people willing to taste test.
I've slowly started changing certain habits of mine to adapt to living in England. For example, I now leave early to go places, because it takes forever to get anywhere. I've gotten used to living with 12 other people. I clean now, which I know my parents will be very proud of me for. But the biggest thing that has changed is probably my level of tea consumption.
Black tea at breakfast, mint tea when I'm feeling off, lemon tea in the afternoon, apple tea after going out in the cold... I drink at least a cup of tea a day. It's very nice to be able to sip a hot beverage and just look out the windows. I wonder if coffee drinkers feel this way about coffee. Tea has very little caffeine, especially compared to coffee, but it's a wonderful, meditative way to take a break. I always loved drinking hot chocolate, but this is different. It's much less sweet, thinner, and has more depth in flavor. It's the perfect accompaniment to watching a movie, reading a book, talking with a flatmate, or putting water on to boil while making gnocchi. Basically, a cup of tea makes any moment better. And that is a valuable lesson learned.
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