In the kitchen with Primitive: pumpkin season.

This was my first year celebrating Halloween since 2005. A combination of living in tropical climates and in the Southern Hemisphere has meant that my Octobers have been spent in warm climes unsuited to spooky atmosphere. So I was happy this year to have the holiday just as we plunged into chilly weather; I was even happier when a small blue truck appeared at our local morning market, loaded with some incredibly beautiful pumpkins.

I picked up a few (along with a handsome squash) in unnatural shades of pale dusty orange and mossy blue-green-- they were so beautiful, that I felt some strong reservations about carving them. Gravity settled the decision for me when the squash toppled over and gashed the perfect incision to start carving an eye. I drew a face, cut the squash open from the bottom, and scooped out the seeds-- and was flashed back to my childhood with the sickly sweet smell of a pumpkin's insides hitting newspaper. I enjoyed the experience enough that I ended up carving a second pumpkin.

The pumpkins that were spared carving are being roasted in batches. I grew up thinking that the only way to eat pumpkin was to start by scooping it out of a squat orange can, but starting from is actually incredibly easy and much tastier. Just cut the pumpkin in half, roast it cut-side down, and then scoop out the flesh once it's gotten soft. We've frozen 1.5 cup portions in plastic bags, so we'll have a November full of orange baked goods spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.

A single pumpkin will produce a surprising amount of flesh, but even if the charms of pumpkin pie and bread wear thin, there are load of other ways to use pumpkin. We made pumpkin sandwich cookies (nutmeg and cinnamon cookies with a filling of cream cheese, sugar and pumpkin), spiced pumpkin muffins, and an incredibly rich pumpkin ice cream. You can also use it in soup, curry, pastas...

And with all of those seeds you scoop out, you can sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds, which make a fantastic snack (especially with some nuts and chocolate chips), a tasty addition to muesli, and a fun topping to sprinkle on pumpkin muffins.

Though I must admit, just carving the thing might be the best way to celebrate the season. Happy Halloween.

things make me happy: paper lantern.

Part of the deal with moving into a Taiwan apartment is that you're tacitly agreeing to be bathed in florescent lighting no matter what room you're in. After almost three weeks of living in an undead glow, we'd had enough. The light in our dining room was the first to come down, and in it's place went a squat lantern of white paper. We have a different lantern waiting to go up in the living room, and plans for lighting changes in the bedrooms and the office. Even with just the one lantern up, I can really say I'm seeing my new home in a whole new light.

Ikea väte hanging lamp.

And on a terribly belated note, I was recently profiled on Girl in Asia's behind the blog feature. Check that out here. Thanks for inviting me to participate, Liz!

On the subject of white.

Here's how that look works on the other side of the Pacific. Shot taken in June in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California. Sunglasses from Bangkok, T-shirt from H&M, shoes and shorts a mystery.

White hot summer, Taipei.

Another reason I was lucky to snag my husband: he agrees that travel is not an excuse to dress down, but a reason to dress up.

White V-neck T-Shirt H&M, White Bangkok sunglasses, Navy Blue H&M shorts, white Muji espadrilles, Rooftop's Life @ Taiwan tote from Eslite.

culturedPRIMITIVE/stockist: Muji Hex Double-Ended Pens.

I love to travel and I love to sketch, but I've never been able to be the kind of traveller who sketches. I think that when I'm exploring a new place, I have an easier time pulling out my camera than pulling out a sketchbook and some pens. But I'm trying to change that. On this trip to Bali I packed a new sketchbook (in the hope that I would feel compelled to fill the clean white pages) and a variety of Muji's Hex Double-Ended Pens. With one end a felt-tip brush and the other a thin pen, I could vary my line without having to dig a different pen out of my bag. And with a variety of nuanced greens and bright tropical hues on offer, I was really able to capture some of my island surrounds.

Sunny in Silverlake.

Silverlake is one of the best Los Angeles neighborhoods for strolling around. There are cafes with amazing coffee, interesting independent shops and vintage outlets, and most importantly, lots and lots of beautiful people dressed amazingly well. It's a great area for people-watching and style spotting. We headed over yesterday for the Farmer's Market, where we picked up some delicious berries and heirloom vegetables, and kept an eye out for stylish locals.

Sometimes, I can't stand how much great style everyone has.

It does help, at least, that one of the best dressed gents out was my husband.

Style Souvenir: Tropical Miami with The Golden Girls.

Bring the style home with you.

I've long been a fan of the Living In feature on Design*Sponge, in which Amy Merrick dissects the style elements of different movies. I'd been curious to adapt a version to Primitive Culture, focusing on style inspiration from different cities, places, and geographically situated movies, books and TV shows-- but I couldn't think of a good starting point. Then last night, while watching The Golden Girls, I started thinking about interior style (that's the gayest sentence I've ever typed), and got a nostalgic craving for the tropical pastels of the late 80s and early 90s. So I began to think about how you could pull a few of the best elements from their style into a Golden Girls inspired lounge.

Set in Miami, the Golden Girls lived in a world of seaside pastels: seashell pink, bamboo green, seafoam blue. With domestic activity focused around their palm-draped lanai, there was an attractively tropical element to their lifestyle. There was also just a slight touch of Grandma-glam bling that really made them fun-- it showed up in their outfits in giant sunglasses and purses, and in their home through dramatic Palm Beach decor, like the banana paper wallpaper and stacked crystal block lamp below.

So slip a flamingo print on the wall, pour yourself a long drink, and relax on a chaise lounge like the girls.

Clockwise from top left: martinique wallpaper, flamingo print by Etsy seller Orange Willow, martini pitcher, macau armchair.

Flamingo print from Etsy seller Chloe Croft London, potted traveller's palm, white coral, Robert Abbey Minerva Eggshell table lamp, Jonathan Adler Lacquer Table Tray, Jonathan Adler Zebra Pillow.

In the kitchen with primitive: a tart for spring.

I never really used to like either pies or tarts, but lately I've been developing an interest in them. Partly, its because they seem more seasonal than any other dessert. Cakes are generally the same throughout the year (aside from some specific holidays), but tarts are so reliant on what's fresh and in season. So last night when my family had a small spring dinner, I had the perfect opportunity to try making a tart fitting the season.

I chose the one featured on the April/May cover of Readymade, a ginger ricotta tart with rhubarb and strawberry jam. I still feel that in many ways I'm just finding my way in the kitchen, so I like making dishes that help familiarize me with new skills or ingredients. This tart was great because it knocked two things off my list: making my own ricotta cheese, and cooking with rhubarb.

I'd been curious to make ricotta because I'd heard it was the easiest cheese to start with. I especially like the idea of making my own cheese in Taiwan, since good cheese in Asia is rare, expensive, and usually imported. I found a recipe at Epicurious, which got an incredible number of reviews saying how easy it was to make, and how delicious the end result was. Making the ricotta would, I think, have been as easy as the reviews said-- had I gone to the somewhat necessary step of making sure we had cheesecloth at home. We didn't. Which had me making a mess of the kitchen just after midnight last night, trying to strain it out through different means. Coffee filters really didn't work at all, but squeezing the liquid through a clean tea-towel sort of did. Anyway, it worked out (mostly, sort of), and I'd love to try making ricotta again (with a cheese-cloth, next time).

But I think this tart would honestly be just as good without making your own ricotta. Buttery flaky crest flavored with ginger, a creamy cheese-cake like filling, and a sour-sweet topping of seasonal fruit. Perfect to celebrate the height of the season.

Anyone else have any favorite spring pies or tarts?

Around town in American Apparel.

After a year of living in South Africa, during which Bordeaux and I each added literally 1 item of clothing to our wardrobes (but wore out all of our older garments), we're both in the process of rebuilding our closets. The good side of this is that we can basically start from scratch, focusing on certain styles and colors. So while in San Francisco, we made a few trips to hit up local-California store American Apparel. Not only is it a fantastic place to stock up on locally and responsibly made style basics fairly inexpensively, but because they make each item in a variety of core colors it makes it really easy to co-ordinate. So re-outfitted, we took to the streets of San Francisco to put our best colors forward.

B in the Mission: Cotton pique tennis shirt in dark purple, Seersucker Robert Kennedy short in white and black.

X at the Golden Gate: Flex Fleece Zip Hoodie in mermaid green

B Downtown: Striped Fleece Zip Hoodie in purple and black (also seen in top photo).

(a little less) chop chop.

One habit we've picked up in adapting to a lifestyle in the East is carrying around our own chopsticks wherever we go. It might feel super-nerdy pulling out a pair of one's own chopsticks, but the wood saved with habitual use is well worth the effort.

Pictured above: Muji Chopsticks with case, 190NT (appx. $6).

Redressed in Taiwan.

After a year of not getting any new clothes in South Africa (where they were too expensive and mainly dull), we quickly got back into shopping upon our return in Asia. In Taiwan, we're playing around with the local nerdy fashion-- a mix of retro preppy and street styles.

Style shopping in Bangkok.

Bangkok can be an ideal destination for shopping, but great style and prices aren't always easy to find. A few extra tips will ensure that you leave Krungthep with a happier suitcase.

Bordeaux, re-styled after a day in Bkk.

1. Check out the malls, even if you never take out your wallet. Bangkok has some of the most incredible shopping malls in the world-- like the elegant and high-end Gaysorn, hip and funky Central World, and classic Siam Paragon. The shops are a mix of international labels, with some local talent thrown in-- check out Greyhound (at Paragon) for offbeat Thai fashions, Thann (flagship store at Gaysorn) for incredible spa products, and Vanilla Industry (across from Siam Centre toward the back of Siam Square) for great lattes and cupcakes. But perhaps the best part of a day spent among these malls is the people watching-- it's a great way to get a sense of Bangkok style.

2. Give MBK a miss: At some point, the MBK shopping mall developed a reputation for being a great place for cheap shopping. Tourists weren't the only ones in on this secret however, and the vendors caught on. The result is that most of the clothing at MBK is aimed solely at tourists, and is not only overpriced, but severely lacking in style-- you'll see about twenty stalls selling an identical selection of tacky Beer Chang t-shirts.

3. Get to the Platinum Fashion Mall, and give yourself some time: The Platinum Fashion Mall is-- for now, anyway-- everything that people expect from MBK. The selection is staggering, and the prices are terribly low. It's a little harder to get to than MBK, being a bit of a walk up from Phloen Chit MRT Station on Phetchaburi Road, but it's worth the effort. But give yourself time to search-- the shops at this massive wholesale shopping mall are incredibly varied, though not all are worth a browse. Among the aisles and aisles of shops, you'll find hip clothes, particularly some great warddrobe basics, like simple cardigans, sunglasses, belts, and t-shirts in solid colors. It takes searching, but the clothes and their prices are worth it-- especially if you buy more than two or three pieces from a vendor, thereby earning a decent wholesale discount.

4. Hit up Chatuchak Market, but be selective: Spending a day at the Chatuchak Weekend Market (also known as the Jatujak Market, or the JJ Market) can easily go one of two ways: it can be a fantastic day of picking up style from hip Thai designers, or it can be a sensory overload of too much stuff that you have no interest in. The trick is knowing the layout of the market. The vast bulk at the centre of the market is of little interest for most shoppers, and many visitors get tripped up by simply heading inward and getting majorly overwhelmed in the process. For hip clothes, focus on the lane running parallel to Kamphangphet Road (the far left side of the market when viewed from the BTS station)-- it's particularly good for funky t-shirts and boutique stalls, with designers like the local Hey Pilgrim!. Later, head to the far opposite corner, where some small cafes are tucked in among artist's galleries.

5. If you can't make JJ, get to Suan Lum: It's not the same experience, and the prices are higher, but the Suan Lum Night Bazaar is certainly convenient. Firstly, it's right in the centre of Bangkok, being right up the stairs from the Lumphini MRT station. Secondly, it's open every night, so you don't have to time your visit to a weekend. Thirdly, the crowds are not as intense as at Chatuchak. So while the shopping may not be as rewarding, it's perhaps a more relaxed spot to pick up some t-shirts and a new pair of sunglasses.

So enjoy the city, bargain well-- and let me know if you find a local designer particularly worth seeking out.

cocktail hour with primitives: The Capetonian.

The Capetonian is my effort at mixing a cocktail that pays homage to one of my favourite cities. I hint at the city through the ingredients (the use of local Brandy) and the colour (a blush of the city's distinctive shade of pink), but it's the drink's character, a mix of sweetly refined and gaudily boozy, that truly evokes the city of Cape Town. Best enjoyed on a warm sunny afternoon in the City Bowl.

The Capetonian

1 1/2 oz Cape Brandy
1 oz Dry Vermouth
3 Dashes Bitters
1 tsp Superfine Sugar
Soda Water
1 Maraschino Cherry, plus juice

Garnish a glass with a Maraschino cherry, and spill in a little of the juice. In a cocktail shaker, stir together the brandy, vermouth, bitters and sugar with several large cubes of ice. Strain into the glass, and add one or two big splashes of soda, swirling through when done.

Baker man.

I am rather lucky to have married a man who can whip up a meringue-peaked layer cake with Amarula glaze and coconut buttercream, as he did for our friend's birthday; I am even luckier that said man can manage to show up to the party looking even better than said cake.

And just like the combination of tropical and refined in the cake, Bordeaux's look has a very Cape Town flavour-- this despite the fact that the individual items in his outfit are all from abroad (the driver's cap is from Urban Outfitters, the t-shirt is from American Apparel, and the shorts were tailored for him in Vietnam).

Cape Town has some incredibly sharply styled residents, and hopefully our year of living here has had some impression on us. Though I'll miss being here in person to check out what Cape Town is wearing, I'll be keeping track on it distantly, though the Style Guide Cape Town. Something of a Cape Sartorialist, this local stylist does a great job of documenting the city's residents' unique sense of style.

*And I'll get a link to Bordeaux's blog entry on that cake once he puts it up on Itinerant Bordeaux.

cocktail hour with primitives: Gin Pahit.

Though our holiday was spent in sweltering Pretoria, we were lucky enough to be able to spend it next to a pool. And since family was involved, cocktail hour started a little earlier than usual. But finding a good drink for pool-side sipping can be difficult, as I'm not generally a fan of sugary sweet drinks where the sting of the alcohol is masked under the flavour of tropical fruit and loads of sugar. I needed a tropical drink with a little more bite, so I opted for a Gin Pahit.

A favourite of the hotel bars and gin-joints of British Malaya (pahit is the Malay word for bitter), the gin pahit is the ideal tropical cocktail: clean and crisp, with a nicely spiced flavour giving it just a hint of the exotic. It's similar to a Pink Gin, but notable for a much higher ratio of bitters, giving it a darker, smokier colour. And perhaps best of all, the drink is remarkably simple-- so you can spend less time preparing it, and more time sipping it by the pool.

Gin Pahit

1/2 oz Angostura Bitters
1 1/2 oz London Dry Gin

Pour the bitters into a glass, and swirl around to coat. Add the gin, stir to a dark rosy colour. Add an ice cube or two, if required. Enjoy.

culturedPRIMITIVE/stockist: Pinotage.

The global guide to stocking your pantry.

One of the pleasures of the Cape lifestyle is that wine is plentiful and affordable. However, while we very much enjoy a regular glass of wine at sundown, we're really not proper wine drinkers. We mostly buy bottles on whim rather than on research, we drink out of whatever glasses are at hand, and on the off chance we buy a bottle that isn't a screw-top, we pull the cork with a well-travelled swiss army knife. But maybe that's why we're so fond of pinotage.

Pinotage is a distinctly South African wine. Not only in its origins (it was first cultivated in Stellenbosch in the 1920s), but in its character as well-- this isn't a delicate wine. It has an earthy smoky flavour flecked with hints of tropical fruit. It's a full-bodied combination that makes it ideal for pairing with heavy meats, game, and spicy flavours. In other words, you can serve it at your braai, and it will actually complement your boerwors.

things make me happy: Living is better with Muji.

We have many reasons for wanting to get back to Asia. The food. The lifestyle. A need for travel. And Muji. Their pared-down clothing and accessories are simple, functional, and so straight-forwardly handsome. I'm browsing the site now in advance, and I wouldn't mind a new Muji bag, or a new Muji notebook (I filled mine up months ago)-- I'd even be totally unhip and get a pair of Muji house-slippers, if I could find them in my size.

I'm thinking it's time for a little more Muji in my life.

culturedPRIMITIVE/stockist: Rooibos.

The global guide to stocking your pantry.

I am generally a coffee drinker, but I do occasionally take tea. In South Africa, that often takes the form of rooibos, a brewed beverage indigenous to the Western Cape. Rooibos is of course known outside of its country of origin; it is perhaps one of the few products with an Afrikaans name to successfully branch into the international market. That name, by the way, translates as 'red bush', an evocative descriptor of the rusty-earth colour the needles take once they have been oxidized. It is available in many brands, in organic loose-leaf or chai flavoured tea bags, and even in an espresso like form, but I rather favour Eleven O'Clock Rooibos for its no frills tea, and its attractively vintage graphics. Outside of South Africa rooibos is mainly sipped by the health crowd (it is high in anti-oxidants and caffeine free) and is generally taken black, but here in the Western Cape we take it in the proper South African way: with a little milk and honey, and preferably, a crunchy buttermilk beskuit on the side.

cocktail hour with primitives: The Popular Cup.

Cape Town's bright, sunny summer days set the perfect mood for a little outdoor entertaining. Unfortunately, Cape Town's wind can kind of ruin that mood-- which is why we had to move our picnic indoors this afternoon. But might as well make the best of the situation, and serve a little summer wine punch for those willing to make the trek inside.

Entertaining with Wines of the Cape, a South African publication from 1959, recommends a 'wine cup' for summer gatherings. 'For cool thirst quenchers and refreshing summer drinks no enterprising hostess could do better than a "wine cup" - usually a well-blended bowl of wine, soda water and fruit with a dash of special flavouring for extra zest and mystery." I'm ignoring that bit about the hostess.

For our picnic on the carpet, we adapted Entertaining's recipe for a 'Popular Party Cup'. It's a refreshing combination of white wine with sherry, with a nice touch of bitterness added by candied orange peel. We used a cheap Chenin Blanc which had a pleasantly grassy flavour with hints of summer fruit. It made for a perfect sunny-day cocktail, not too sweet, and just boozy enough to add a nice soft glow to the afternoon.

The Popular Cup
1 bottle inexpensive white wine (I used a Welmoed Chenin Blanc)
1/2 cup sherry
small slices of candied tangerine slices, can substitute with orange slices or lemon rind
soda water

Mix the bottle of white wine and the sherry in a pitcher, and add the fruit. Leave to chill in the fridge for at least an hour. To serve, put two ice cubes in each glass, scoop in some of the fruit, and pour 1/3 punch to 2/3 soda water.

Travels of a different gentleman.

I'm currently reading Somerset Maugham's The Gentleman in the Parlour, which is really evoking memories of life in Asia, as well as helping me to think about some issues I've been mulling over. Obviously Maugham lived in a very different era-- one in which gin pahits were served for breakfast, and the use of racist slurs was perfectly acceptable in polite conversation (I'm glad we're moving beyond the racism, but I wouldn't mind bringing back the pahits, actually)-- but much of his themes are still relevant for the modern traveller. Particularly, it probes questions of why we choose to leave our homes, why we travel, and we seek homes in distant climes.

I'm really trying to work out why I travel, what I hope to get out of it, and where I hope it leads me. I'll share my conclusions, if I ever happen upon any.

Anyone have any answers? Why do you travel? Can one live their life completely untethered?

Pictured above: Luang Prabang, Laos, one of the most idyllic destinations in Southeast Asia. I don't know if I could ever make Luang Prabang home, but I certainly wouldn't mind going back.