Winter Food and Winter Reads.

In the dreariness of winter, my idea of bliss is a comforting snack or two to go with a steaming mug of tea as I make my way through a book.  Or else, the discovery of some exciting new winter food launch.  So far this winter, I've had more luck with the foods than the books in the satisfaction stakes.

The hits look a little something like this.

Macarons from Zumbo, or Zumborons as they're called on Instagram.

Buttermilk scones from Paddy the Baker's stall at the Bondi Junction Village Market.

A comforting plate of sushi hand rolls after a stressful morning.  I've been brown bagging practically all my lunches this year so this plate of sushi was both a break from routine and a blast from the past when sushi was practically all I ate for lunch when I wasn't at work.

The clever people at John West have just released some special edition fiery flavoured tunas. My favourite is Sriracha.

I'm reassured by the fact that they've used the word special rather than limited on the label.  But I'm not taking any chances and have stocked up on a half dozen cans of sriracha tuna just in case.

Moving on from my stomach...  I've had a disappointing run of Kindle downloads this month.  Both novels were by authors whose work I normally love.

www.ew.com

First up, 'China Rich Girlfriend' - Kevin Kwan's sequel to 'Crazy Rich Asians'.  I've linked to a Washington Post review that is glowing and that I had hoped would inspire me to put in the hard yards and persist with reading 'China Rich Girlfriend' but it's not working so far.  'China' continues the romance of Rachel and Nicholas as they navigate the complexities of Chinese high society across Europe, the US and South East Asia.  Kwan has a good eye for the eccentricities and ostentation of the super rich but I just couldn't empathise with any of his characters this time around.  Rachel and Nicholas are good people who yearn for a simpler life than what Nicholas' family wealth and social position will ever give them and the impossibly perfect society ladies just seemed to be word pictures of the Instafabulous women who have both social media and the society pages of Vogue and Tatler wrapped around their impeccably manicured little fingers.

Have you read 'China Rich Girlfriend' to the very end?  Motivate me please.  Does character empathy and curiosity ever kick in?

I did finish Holly Madison's 'The Vegas Diaries', her follow up memoir to 'Down the Rabbit Hole'.  In her second book, Holly writes about her life after walking away from The Mansion's gates and how she came to define herself professionally in Las Vegas.  It was a time of her life where she was no longer being told what to do with her life and how to do it.  Holly's growing self confidence and sense of self worth are apparent in this novel and while it wasn't as exciting or as sensationalist as 'Down the Rabbit Hole', it was reassuring to know that Holly's Vegas years have put her well on the way to a life full of happiness and purpose.

What foods are you loving this winter?

Any good reads you'd like to share?