Ginkgo Dreams

Festival of the Trees #28

You are hereby reminded that the next Festival of the Trees will be hosted by Jade Blackwater of Arboreality. You may send your submissions via email to jadeblackwater [at] brainripples [dot] com, or via the Blog Carnival submission form.

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Preparing Ginkgo Nuts for Desserts

Stanley at Wery Nice offers the following method for preparing ginkgo nuts for desserts:

You can use the canned version (in water), or those still in shell purchased in the supermarkets or the dried food stalls (干粮) stalls found in China Town, and in Singapore, Waterloo Street Market (四马路), Hong Lim or any branches of the Chinese medicine stalls in most shopping centers（like 福华 or 正中平）. You have to de-shell it by knocking it with something hard (eg stone pestle) to crack the shell, and then peel off the brown skin (boiling it lightly helps to remove it easily). If you use canned version, drain away the water.

Put the nuts in pot, and cover it with just enough water to cover all the nuts. Add in lots of raw sugar (or white sugar, but I prefer the raw sugar), about half the amount of the nuts in volume (approximately, the exact amount is not very crucial, as we just need it to be extremely sweet to allow the nut to absorb). Leave it to boil for 15-20 mins. Cover and leave it for at least 12 hours (prepare this the night before you need it the next day). Scoop out and drain off the sugar solution. Set aside to be added into your desserts like 清汤，腐竹糖水，莲子糖水。

Do not pour away the sugar solution; it can be re-used to sweeten the desserts that you will be cooking anyway.

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Ginkgo Sundays: House and Garden

Green Ginko Vine Wallpaper from USA Wallpaper.

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The Consent

Late in November, on a single night Not even near to freezing, the ginkgo trees That stand along the walk drop all their leaves In one consent, and neither to rain nor to wind But as though to time alone: the golden and green Leaves litter the lawn today, that yesterday Had spread aloft their fluttering fans of light. What signal from the stars? What senses took it in? What in those wooden motives so decided To strike their leaves, to down their leaves, Rebellion or surrender? and if this Can happen thus, what race shall be exempt? What use to learn the lessons taught by time, If a star at any time may tell us: Now.

Howard Nemerov, The Western Approaches: Poems 1973-75

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Ginkgo Sundays: House and Garden

Table lamp by Quail Hollow Studios.

(And it’s good to be back!)

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May 22, 1980

The people’s challenge to the government was reflexive. They fought to survive. Nevertheless, the historic implication of their resistance was significant. For the first time since the peasant rebellion of 1894, the people had seized a region and were ready to forge a new order on their own. Slowly, the people of Kwangju began to realize the significance of the liberation they had won. Everywhere, people talked about what they had done during the uprising and what they should do now. Kŭmnam Avenue was already clean early that morning. All the debris was cleared and carted away by commandeered military trucks. Tow trucks pulled the burnt husks of vehicles off the streets. Only the ginkgo trees lining the avenue showed the scars of battle: the clouds of tear gas had defoliated the trees.

Lee Jai-eui, Kwangju Diary: Beyond Death, Beyond the Darkness of the Age, page 101

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Festival of the Trees #24

Wrenaissance Reflections hosts next month’s Festival of the Trees. Entries are due by May 29 and may be submitted at jlblum [at] Wrenaissance [dot] com with “Festival of the Trees” in the subject line. Alternatively, you can use the online submission form.

Ginkgo Dreams

Festival of the Trees #28

Preparing Ginkgo Nuts for Desserts

Ginkgo Sundays: House and Garden

The Consent

Ginkgo Sundays: House and Garden

May 22, 1980

Festival of the Trees #24

Ginkgo Fridays: Paper

Table basse Ginkgo

Ginkgo Sundays: House and Garden