My professional menu had two petit fours: Tropical Dream and Chocolate Dream. This summer, a third joined them — Midsummer Dream, built entirely around fig leaves. A half-sphere of fig leaf custard mousse sits on a fig leaf pistachio sablé, finished with toasted coconut, chopped pistachios, and a white chocolate pearl. I'm documenting the whole process here, including the white chocolate mousse that completely failed before I found the version that finally worked.

Milky Blue Caramello by Mariage Frères arrived in the middle of a Texas winter — a tea built from aroma rather than sweetness, layered with cocoa shells and milky caramel notes. This essay explores how tea can work like perfume, carrying memory and comfort, and how it connects to Taiwanese milk oolongs, quiet rituals, and the deep human need for warmth.