Perhaps you have not read the archives, or my other blog.

Well, ever since first noticing it, I’ve been obsessed (to say it lightly) with the event that takes place amongst some bloggers. Put together by Stephanie at Dispensing Happiness. “Blogging By Mail” matches bloggers from around the globe to send a little something, in this case our most favourite things.

Away on vacation, I couldn’t help but badger our house sitter with my postal inquiries. When suddenly, it was announced. A box from… Wisconsin! I wasn’t sure if it would be it, but I was told it was a brown paper package and we all know what those contain…

Favourite things!!!

Inside there was amazing, gingered dark chocolate, genmai-cha tea, (YUM & gone), spiced cider, gummy bears, beautiful glass coasters, mini-sock monkeys, googly eyes, for all purpose use, a groovy pen and the coolest/weirdest Asian candies that made me very popular!

As I drank my most amazing, favourite tea and savoured my chocolate, I found the little note, so nicely written by Laima on fantasticly, fushia, Nepali rice paper. Using my *new* silver pen, she wrote out, all of her favourites and how they found themselves into the thoughtful box which was found on my doorstep and so carefully placed to wait for my return on my kitchen counter.

I realized then, one of my own favourite things and it’s getting packages in the mail. These packages. Knowing that they were so thoughtfully put together just for me. That a complete stranger shared with me the intimacies of their favourite things and that someone took the effort and had the patients to make it happen. Wow.

You see, there’s this lovely event that takes place amongst some bloggers, so nicely organized by Stephanie at Dispensing Happiness. “Blogging By Mail” matches bloggers from around the globe to send a little something about where they’re from, their common culinary ingredients and their most favourite things. As my package was en route to Amrita in Singapore, Michelle was busy travelling from home to home town to jam pack the parcel she was preparing for lucky, little ol’ me.

Inside there were stuffed olives, beautiful fabric for me use in pictures, gouda, fruit snacks, ginger chews, note cards, Jordan Almonds and the cutest Heinz ketchup bottle, that I’ve always wanted but never had the courage to steal while on vacation in the States.:)

…And the chocolate, chocolate chocolate! As I pulled the items from what seemed to be my bottomless box of complete generosity, I found bars, sauce, biscotti, chocolate pretzels and it perfect breakfast match, coffee!!

As I drank my freshly ground Joe, I flipped through The Chocolate Deck, which Michelle also included!
It’s a deck of chocolate recipes so fantastically photographed by William Meppem and written by a former editor of Gourmet, Lori Longbotham. I was truly inspired by some of the recipes. Some for their beauty, others for their simplicity. Like this one; Bicerin.

Bicerin is described to have been a cafe favourite in Turin, Italy during the nineteenth century. Still enjoyed, it looked good and sounded better, plus with the help of Michelle, I had pretty much all the best ingredients to give my inspiration a go.

BICERIN
(as Adapted From Lori Longbotham)

2 Cups Plain Soy Milk
2 Cups Strongly Brewed, Hot Coffee
3 Ounces Bittersweet or Semisweet Chocolate, finely chopped
3 Tablespoons Sugar, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon Orange Flower Water, optional
or
2 Tablespoons Grand Marnier, optional

Over a medium heat, warm the soy milk to a low simmer and remove just before it begins to boil.
Meanwhile, in a heatproof pitcher, pour the hot coffee over the chopped chocolate and sugar, whisking until smooth.
Whisk the milk and Grand Marnier or orange blossom water, if using.
Taste and adjust sweetness, adding more if necessary.

Serves 4 – 6