CrazeeEat

Vegetarian Recipes to try out

2011-11-07T00:02:00.001+08:00

Every year, around this time.. i am sad that animals are not only bred in close, torturous confines only to be cut up for food but animals r still used for religious sacrifice.

As a former vegan, vegetarian and pescaterian, i am torn between my current meat-craving lifestyle and the need to abstain from meat, in personal protest against animal cruelty. Hopefully, i can one day soon find the strength to carry on what i started (but side tracked) many years ago. Old habits die hard. I was a total meat eater & meat lover until age 21 when i began to eat and appreciate veggies.

One reason i failed to stay on my vegetarian track was the diffculty in getting healthy (not oily and free from mock meat) food from the shops. Now with my new place and better equipped kitchen, i am looking forward to slowly converting back to the veggie lifestyle, or at least pescaterian (no land animals but will eat seafood ) for inner peace and in homage of animals slaughtered everyday in painful ways.

These r some yummy veggie dishes that i hope to cook & enjoy. Many thanks to the blog owner & writer where these recipes are found.

This is a popular north Indian dish. Potatoes and peas with spicy gravy makes a great main dish.
Recipe will serve 3 to 4.
Ingredients

3 medium boiled potatoes
3/4 cup frozen green peas
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1/8 teaspoon asafetida (hing)
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 minced green chili
2 tablespoons coriander (dhania)
1 teaspoon fennel seed powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon paprika (dagi mirch)
1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
1 teaspoon mango powder amchoor
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
2 medium tomatoes sliced
About 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (hara dhania)

See video for how to cook this dish.
http://www.veglov.com/2011/05/aloo-mattar-potatoes-and-green-peas.html

Another great Italian dish

Spicy Tomato Soup with Wilted Greens

3:31 PM Vegetarian

http://www.veglov.com/2011/05/spicy-tomato-soup-with-wilted-greens.html

EATING

2011-07-23T14:42:00.002+08:00

EATING is not only for sustenance. In our 'affluent' modern society, many of us need not worry much about satisfying our physical hunger. I say 'affluent' because there is so much food around. No need to hunt for our food. Even the lesser income, can easily get cheap food (although not nutritious) like instant noodles, plain nasi lemak, roti canai, etc. ironically, these are the same food the higher income people also look forward to eating!!

We eat for other reasons:

emotional link to the past, nostalgia.. That is why all the modern day kopitiams (coffeeshops) sprouting up have decor that reminds us of pre-Merdeka (50's) days.
emotional need for comfort.. After a long, hard day at work, doesn't that calorie-laden teh tarik or mocha latte taste extremely satisfying? What about going home to enjoy mom's rendang and other home-cooked dishes. You binge on that sumptious Macadamian cheesecake from Delicious :)
emotional need for compensation.. We pamper ourselves in many ways because we feel (as the L'oreal ad says) - You're worth it! We grow up feeling that in return for working hard, we should get some monetary & material reward. So, although we crave for the simple makcik's nasi lemak by the roadside, we order nasi lemak at up-market restaurants, for many, many times the price, but we feel it's worth it - because it comes with the ambience, service and feeling of achieving/arriving.
emotional need for acceptance.. To many, eating in a group is more enjoyable. So one Sunday morning, you drive your car with your family in a convoy to the 'best' bah kut teh shop in Klang, or seafood in Kuala Selangor. There is camaderie and stories to tell of that adventure! You belong, you have friends, you feel secure, it satisfy our human need for bonding, for being in a society! More so, if you're the one who knows the best places to eat....the' leader'

Some eat to heal (physical and emotional wound) ....

Some eat to forget (drowning your sorrows, yet it creates a vicious cycle when the body naturally reacts to over-eating & creates further depression)...

Some are addicted to the stimulants within (caffeine, drug, additives) ...

Some eat out of habit. Put food infront of them, eventhough we arecurrently discussing the dangereous of over-eating, pop goes the food down the shute. Same goes when watching TV/movies at the cinema..

The result.. VERY UNHEALTHY EATING PATTERNS which unfortunately tends to replicate to your next generation, your children..

EAING HABITS start from very young - whether good or bad, children can 'see' with eyes more intuitive than the average adults. They absorb our habits, our tradition, our way of coping with unplesant situations. That child who sits there quitely (u think he is being passive) is absorbing & processing & developing future coping mechanisms to handle their future life. Even an active child learns - table manners, eating habits.

Eating also creates an environment for psychological warfare! Refusing to eat, throwing tantrums r ways they test their 'power' over the adults.. unchecked, it continues to adolescents, the most tumulous time for a person, where we r beginning to mould/find our identity. Time of confusion. And bombarded with the persuasive media, we get sucked into superficial 'happiness' solutions. Think KFC & McD advertisements promoting happy families, BF/GF relationships, grandparent-parent-child bonding...

Parents HAVE TO TAKE CONTROL of what goes into their kids!

Note :
Notice that EATING TO STAY HEALTHY is not even in the list (my list) of why people eat.. Actually, it's there.. #20 on the list (* sarcasm attempt *)

2011-05-14T21:33:00.002+08:00

Wow, it's been almost 2 years since my last post... OMG..I have been that busy! So what brings me back to this site. It used to be my fave blog when I was not swarmed with my other duties.

Well, i was toying with the idea of making a cake for a friend's birthday. Since the last post, there's been many challenges & changes to my life. I have stopped baking (temporarily) because I now live with 2 large dogs in the house. One sheds fur very frequently and i am paranoid that it will end up in my cake batter and icing.

MANGO/GLUTINOUS RICE birthday cake
On the topic of birthday cakes - i am remembering all the strange cakes I've make and had in the last two years. First was of course the Mango & glutinous rice pseudo-cake (sitebar on the right).

AGAR-AGAR birthday cake
Another was made by my friend when I was in the 'vegan' stage of my life. How to make a cake with no eggs, no dairy products. So, i hinted making another pseudo-cake. This time using what we call "agar-agar', something similar to jelly but firmer and with more bite.

PRINCE WILLIAM'S groom cake vs BATIK cake

http://www.sprinklebakes.com/2011/04/prince-williams-grooms-cake.html

Now back to the present - I accidentally googled and found Prince William's Groom cake, which is again a non-bake, chocolate & McVites biscuit concoction. It seems that its on of the Queen's favourite tea cakes.

Strange... it looks just like what we here in Malaysia (Sarawak, specifically) call "Batik cake" because the slice looks a piece of traditional batik cloth, where the cloth is immersed in a thin layer of wax, dried and crushed to give that crackled look. Then dyed with dark brown dye that seeps through the cracks. Remove the dye and you have plain white fabric with brown crackled lines.

http://cornercafe.wordpress.com/2008/11/22/kek-batik/

With sincere apologies to both site owners, I've lifted off one photo from each site to illustrate the similarity. Both use biscuits. Malaysians like the Marie biscuit, the Brits, McVities :

Delicious Vegetarian at Chayo Cafe & Yoga Studio

2009-11-02T22:57:00.007+08:00

Can't wait to try this cafe opened by 2 yoga practitioners, an American guru & her Singaporean hubby!

If you, like me, are craving for tasty vegetarian snacks, food and herbal teas, head on over to Chayo in Kelana Mall (opp. Giant Hypermarket, Kelana Jaya)

Indulge in Western, Indian and Local delights in a relaxed cafe atmosphere.

Clockwise from top left: Throat Comfort Yogi Tea; Marble Cake; Tofu Scramble with Toast; Bombay Toast

Opens daily from 9am -9pm.

50-2 Kelana Mall
Jalan SS6/14 Kelana Jaya
47301 Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-78062035

Got this tip from Hui Hsien from
http://www.klyoga.com/2009/11/02/chayo-cafe-studio/

http://www.klyoga.com/2009/11/02/delicious-vegetarian-at-chayo/

Clay cooking pots & its variations - TAGINE

2009-10-15T00:57:00.003+08:00

TAGINE - Moroccan

This is not commonly found in Malaysia as Moroccan food is not widely available. Recently a Moroccan restaurant named The Medina was reviewed in the local paper & my friend, a lover of Moroccan food as he lived there before, was excited to try it out & give his reviews. He ordered lamb with honey & peeled whole almonds tagine. The meat was soft & easily fell off the bone, but the almonds were still hard. The vegetable coucous was delicious. We topped it of with the 'must have' Moroccan tea, served in a small silver teapot & two pint sized glass cups. Aromatic & slightly sweet.

A potter friend has made these utilitarian vessels - TAGINE, used to slow-cook meat or vegetables. It takes approximately 1/2 hour to cook chicken & 1-2 hours for other meats.

What is tagine & what can it be used to cook? http://www.tagines.com/whats_cooking2.cfm

A new tagine should be cured & seasoned before use. This will strengthen the tagine and insure addition of a distinct flavor to the dish :

The new tagine needs to be first submerged in water for at least 1 hour.
Rub the inside of the base and lid with olive oil.
Put into a cold oven and set temperature at 350 F and leave for 1.5 to 2 hours.

For more on the care of tagine & FAQ http://www.tagines.com/tagine_care.cfm

Red Durian

2009-05-30T22:10:00.004+08:00

Last year, I wrote about red bananas & red oranges. Now I found out from a fellow blogger that there are red durians...

http://mount-kinabalu-borneo.com/blog/the-story-of-red-durian-seeds.html

Vegetarian Fast Food Centre - affordable & near KLCC !

2009-05-17T14:06:00.018+08:00

"Please do not drop any grains of rice, while filling up your plate"
"Take only your portion. Do not waste food. Treasure your blessings!"

"Save the environment, cherish your resources - bring your own lunch box for take-away"

The food :
... there's the usual oily Chinese Vegetarian 'chap-fan' (mixed rice) with fake deep fried goose, fake barbeque pork, etc

... various noodle dishes (soup & kon-loh)

... fresh passion fruit drinks, cut fruits, leng-cha

... vegetarian dumplings (pau)

and best of all,

... healthy salads & noodles (raw veg. & less oil)

<--Eat -in (free soup & plain water) Shredded raw red cabbage, green sprouts, yellow pumpkin , white cabbage, beetroot, carrot, seaweed & sesame seeds on top of blanched noodles (carrot noodles, wholemeal, etc). With tomato bolognaise or Chinese mushroom sauce. All this, for RM 3.80 !!

<--Takeaway with own lunch box

"Vegetarian Fast Food Centre is promoting kindness and compassion towards beings by not only refraining from killing and also protecting all beings. ... we shall provide free breakfast.... "

And where can you find this place?

Get down at Ampang Park LRT & walk pass Nikko Hotel, pass the MCA building towards Celcom/The Zon. Enter the cafeteria through the side entrance of the temple.

Or get down at KLCC LRT & walk up Jln Ampang, pass Pelita Nasi Kandar, Chef Choi's going towards the newly renovated Chinese Temple (opposite Corus Hotel)

Open to anyone..

The vegetarian's viewpoint ...

Finding Time to Cook

2009-02-08T10:40:00.004+08:00

Friends always ask me when do I have time to cook / bake / roast... as I am normally out of the house by 9am & back after 10pm.

There are 3 reasons why & when I cook.

I am inspired!! .. after watching Rachel Ray, Martha Stewart, Queer Eye... No matter what time it is, if I have the ingredients on hand, I will cook up a storm.... sometimes into the wee hours, trying hard not to wake up the neighbours.
When someone really wants to eat my cooking!! .. I find pleasure in cooking for others.. Its a 'labour of love' (even if it means hours of washing up). In my school days, we would offer our house for parties, as long as everyone chips in the food bill. I once baked some muffins for the trainers at my gym. One guy was appreciative and commented that usually there's not much healthy food to eat where the gym's located. That prompted me make to a series of simple meals for them over a few weeks... spaghetti, salads, sandwiches... It's nice to see people enjoying food. During the recent CNY reunion dinner, I cooked, cleaned, washed from 8am to 3 am the next day - felt like a marathon, but it was great. Not complaining... already planning next year's dinner menu :)
Waste not, want not!! .. As usual, when there is a celebration or festive occassion, we tend to over stock our ingredients. Better more food, than not enough, right? So what do we with the 'extras'? With a little creativity, we will not waste food. We can still get nutritious, tasty meals out of the extras. For example, we over estimated & cooked too much rice. We had rice coming out of both refrigerators at home! So, I took some and added boiled water & some cubed pumpkin and a little salt. Boil until the rice grains breaks slightly & the pumpkin is soft. Great with yesterday's dinner, reheated. When re-heated the veggies tend to be a little soft & the sauce thickens, even dries up & taste is more intense... but that goes well with the pumpkin 'porridge' ;)

There's always time to cook. It just requires :

a little PLANNING : Stock up regularly used dry ingredients but keep track of its expiry period. That's why I usually don't pour out the ingredients into nicely labelled containers (as recommended by many chefs). It's straight from the pack - because the cooking, shelf life, nutrition details are all there. It saves time. But if I have to, I will snip of the important details from the pack & paste it on the container.
a little ORGANISING : If I am going to bake tonite, I will call ahead & ask my mom to take out the butter & eggs, so that they are at room temperature by the time I reach home. If I want to make sandwiches or salad for lunch at work, I will slice up the ingredients the nite before. When I return from the market, I'll wash, dry & store the salad leaves in small, tight containers (enough for 1 meal). This will keep fresh for many days & in the morning you can just pop one of it into your lunch bag and assemble the sandwich at work.
a little CREATIVITY : Create your recipe based on what you have in the kitchen. Be inspired by what you have to work with! Experiment, but keeping in mind the main cooking/baking principles. Dont' be a perfectionist. Cooking should not be a chore, ie. following exactly by the book (except for certain recipes, especially cakes).
a little COMPROMISE : Use as little utensils & cutlery as possible. Less washing, more time to enjoy the meal. Substitute some ingredients; use canned, pre-cooked (eg. boil a whole pack of chick peas and freeze in small packs, freeze extra soup or stock in small containers), quick-cooking (eg. 2-min pasta instead of regular pasta, instant oats instead of cooking oats).

Eating out, as everyone agrees, has lots of oil (cheap oil, oil that has been re-used over & over - each time this happens the bad cholestrol level rises... you get the idea) and artificial flavouring & colouring. Yes, this makes it look, smell & taste delicious, but only because our tongue is desensitized, constantly being bombarded with chemicals! White sugar does that to you. Wonder why you keep having to add more sugar to make your drink taste good? Try this - go off sugary drinks for a few weeks. Then take a sip of packet drink. Yuck, its too sweet!!

I know, sometimes, it's not possible to cook everyday. If 'ta pau' (take-away) is the order of the day, at least try to combine it with some homemade salad or quick stir fry (in EVOO - Rachel Ray's short form for extra virgin olive oil - the good oil).

For more tips & ideas, http://www.rwood.com/Articles/Finding_Time_to_Cook.htm

CNY Reunion Dinner 2009

2009-02-02T00:50:00.001+08:00

Nyonya 4 Seasons is inspired by the 4 Seasons starter dish served at Chinese restaurants. Originally, it is meant to represent Summer, Spring, Autumn & Winter, but since it's always sunny (or rainy) in Malaysia, I think the 4 seasons here would more appropriately represent Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Puasa, Deepavali and Christmas dishes... ha ha ha.. (we do LOVE our food!)

But for my Nyonya 4 Seasons, I decided to play on the word 'season' and change it to 'SEASONING' . In Nyonya cooking, there's a variety of tastes ranging from sweet, salty, sour, spicy to a flavourful mix of spices & mix of Chinese & Malay ingredients.

(from left to right)
1. Popiah skin & Joo Hu Char Bundle - used one of the 7 dishes cooked for the CNY prayers the day before (previous post). Made from chicken meat strips (traditionally, strips of partially cooked streaky pork is used) stir-fried with shredded turnip (sengkuang) & carrot & dried cuttlefish (joo hu) strips. On a square piece of popiah skin, place a small piece of lettuce, topped with a teaspoon of Joo Hoo Char. Gather & tie with a spring onion (lightly blanched). Put a spot of sambal belacan.

BTW.. The traditional way to eat Joo Hu Char is to take a lettuce leaf, top with a spoon of joo hu char and a dollop of sambal belachan and roll it up & pop into the mouth (much like California roll). Popiah is eaten wrapped, ie. a round popiah skin is spread with a little chilli paste & sweet sauce, lined with a lettuce leaf and topped with cooked shredded turnip & french beans , chopped egg omelette & beadcurd (tau kwa) and commercially fried crispy onions. Tightly roll one end, tuck in both sides and roll again. Then cut into large slices & serve immediately (Popiah 'basah'/wet). To get popiah 'goreng'/fried, make the filling by stir-frying some dried prawns with shredded turnip & carrots only.

2. Deep fried Yam & Sweet Potato Roll in Nori (seaweed,..yeah, I know that's not a typical Nyonya ingredient but the roll was inspired by the Penang favourite "loh bak" :) Saw this in the Flavours, food magazine. The recipe called for a mix of minced pork & chicken but I decided on a vegetarian version using steamed sweet potato & yam, mashed together & flavoured with vegetable stock & white pepper powder. Add a little cornflour to bind and a little plain flour to stiffen the paste. Similar to making a sushi roll, place a sheet of plastic (or cling wrap) on a bamboo mat (you can use your bamboo place mat). Line with a long sheet of nori and spread with a thin layer of paste. Roll one edge and use the bamboo mat to compact the roll by pressing on it. The bamboo allows you to achieve an even roll. Continue to roll it and compress, until the end of the nori. Neaten the sides. Stir some flour & water into a thin batter and coat the roll, just before deep frying. Once fried, slice the roll at an angle and you can see the dark nori swirl which looks like the clouds in the Chinese mythology!

Confession: I did not put flour in the paste & so it became very soft. Did not notice it until I fried & sliced it.. too late. What to do?? I cut the fried rolls into 1/2" rounds and deep fried it again in batter, just before serving.. Phew! it turned out ok & no one was the wiser ;)

3. Kerabu Salted Egg - Do this a little earlier by mixing thinly sliced onions (or shallots) & chilli padi (a green but very hot, mini chilli) with the juice of calamansi (limau kasturi) and a little sugar and refrigerate. Remove the black coating and wash the salted egg (telur asin). Place in water enough to cover the egg in a pan and slowly bring to boil. This will ensure that the egg does not crack. To cut the egg into equal halves, look at the dark impression of the yolk on the egg before cutting through the egg shell. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the egg & half it again. Just before serving, lightly mix the eggs with the onions & juice.

4. Penang Acar - This dish should be made a few days earlier so that the flavours can permeate. Cut cucumber (remove seed), carrot & long beans into 1" strips. Can also add 1" sections of french beans (split half way). Blanch the vegetables and drain into a large glass or ceramic bowl (don't use metal). Add a some vinegar (cuka) and leave for 20 min. Pour away vinegar & soak in water. Grind serai (lemongrass), lengkuas (young galangal), red chillie, garlic & lots of onions. Fry in oil till fragrant. Add turmeric powder & assam jawa juice. Add the drained vegetables and fry together with whole, peeled shallots, young ginger strips & sliced garlic, red chilli (de-seed, split & cut into 1" pieces). Add pounded groundnuts (buy from cake supply shops) & toasted sesame seeds. Add sugar & salt. Cool & keep in a dry bottle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Reunion Dinner was scheduled for 8pm sharp. We invited 2 families to join us. One group arrived @5.30pm, in the midst of my preparations... But luckily mom had already anticipated, so we had snacks ready :

Snack : Curry Chicken Feet (mom's recipe) -- my cousin's favourite. They had it while waiting for the rest of the relatives to arrive. Also ready were the Joo Hu Char and beef curry. They used these as filling for the popiah skin.. ha ha.. innovative eating!

6.30pm -- Table all laid out with grandma's crockery, the 'batik bowls & saucers" and bamboo chopsticks & paper napkin. Time to take a bath & get dressed. I had my 'Ox' year RED t-shirt. BTW the dress code was shades of red or gold!

At 5 mins to 8pm, the other group arrived. Yee Sang was laid out with the help of my young cousins. Drinks were passed around and everyone gathered to "LOH SANG"!!

MENU A 6-course Chinese Reunion Dinner

#1 COMING TOGETHER : Veggie Yee Sang with Drumstick Mushroom
#2 JOY & FAMILY : Nyonya Four Season(ing)
#3 NEW BEGINNING : Spicy Bamboo Shoots with Chicken (mom cooked the chicken)
#4 ABUNDANCE : 8 Jewels Veggie Bowl
#5 LONGEVITY : Yin/Yang Noodles -- Carrot Noodles Stir-fried & Udon Clear Seaweed soup
#6 HEALTH & PROSPERITY : Longan in Iced Soya milk & Pumpkin Pancake - 'Golden Purse'

And extra treat : A sandwich cake with cream cheese topping from cousin, Nana -- yummy!

A surprise for the nite : I gave each one a Pumpkin Pancake folded into the shape of a purse. They bit into it and ha ha... found a gold chocolate $1 coin... FOR GOOD LUCK!!

Chinese New Year Celebration, Malaysian style!

2009-01-30T23:25:00.011+08:00

CNY traditions differ slightly among the Chinese ethnic groups whose forefathers came from different parts of China and between the north, central & southern parts & east coast of Malaysian peninsula; east coast & East Malaysia.

In the north (Penang & Kedah), "kueh kapit", a delicately thin cookie folded in quarters, also known as 'love letters' is a must on CNY. When I moved to Johor, visitors to my CNY open house would bring oranges (ie. tangerine from China). We, not knowing the local custom, were happy to receive it and kept them. It was some time before we found out that we were suppose to give oranges back (not necessarily the same ones) to them as they leave as a symbol of giving them wealth & luck. Our visitors must have thought us rude... sorry.. Oranges are called 'kum' in most Chinese dialects and sound like the word 'gold'.

Another 'new' custom we learned was the "Loh Sang" of the "Yee Sang". We never had it in the north.

Nowadays, this dish is becoming very popular, probably due to 2 factors : a money-spinner (the ingredients are mainly veggie - fresh & pickled but restaurants charge a bomb as it's a once a year treat. RM30-40 per dish) and it's a social thing - a convenient reason to gather around for some annual catching-up & celebration.

Yee Sang is a mostly veggie dish, except for the slivers of raw fish & blanched jellyfish strips or pacific clams. At reunion dinners or gatherings within the 15-day CNY celebration, people would stand around a plate of yee sang & use their chopsticks to mix the ingredients, pulling & tossing it as high as possible, shouting hopes of health & prosperity.

There are prayers for ancestors on the day (lunch time) before CNY which usually consists of fruits & CNY sweets; red candles & joss sticks. However, the Hokkiens, are more particular. We have to cook 7 bowls of traditional delicacies & 'sin-lay' (offering) of cooked, whole (with feet & head intact) chicken, duck & roast pig. Other dishes can be added but served on plates instead. Bowls of rice, complete with appropriate cutlery, tea & wine cups are laid out around the table for our 'heavenly' guests.

On the day before this feast, mom would pray with joss sticks to 'invite' these guests. On the day, how do we know if the 'guests' have arrived? Mom will pray & drop 2 large (50 sen) coins. If the coin face shows one head & one tail, it means 'yes', they are here. Each member of the household will pray & burn joss sticks to 'welcome' them. After an hour or so, mom will check by tossing the coins again. One head, one tail again signifies 'yes', we are done & going back. Prayer paper money are burnt to offer 'them' some farewell 'presents'.

Cupcakes...are not just for eating!

2008-12-18T12:38:00.001+08:00

Cupcakes are the rage at the moment.
It has inspired not only bakers, but graphic designers too. Nowadays, cupcakes come in many guises.

Like the one above. It's actually soap!! I chanced upon it in this blog.
http://www.creategirl.blogspot.com/

Cupcakes are also used in product launches & themed parties or as souvenirs. Cuppacakes, one of the divisions of +Wondermilk Sdn. Bhd., a design company has created these beauties...

What sets them apart from many other cupcake makers is the subtle use & combination of colours, because these guys are graduates from the prestigious University of the Arts London, Central St Martins College of Art and London College of Printing.
http://www.ilovewondermilk.com/zenphoto/index.php?p=search

Many a time other bakers tend to over use food colouring and you get gaudy, fake looking cupcake toppings!

However, what makes a GOOD cupcake ? LOOK or TASTE? It's debatable.

A passionate baker friend who spent hours experimenting with various frosting & cupcake batter flavours, says that the frosting (topping/icing) must compliment the cupcake. You cannot just put any frosting on any cupcakes, even though they look beautiful. After all the cupcake is to be eaten!!

I guess, it depends on the FUNCTION of the CUPCAKE. If it's for publicity or as souvenirs, then the look matters. There must be attention to detail. It must be beautifully crafted and packaged!

However, for the cake connoisseur, it should TASTE heavenly!

Perut Ikan - 2 versions

2008-11-15T23:14:00.008+08:00

You either love it or find it yukky!! Why? This dish is traditionally made from fish stomach preserved in salt for many months! But it is a 'family project' kind of dish.

My earliest recollection of this dish is the coming together of all the women folk (aunts & their daughters) at my grandma's large kitchen. The ingredients comprise a long list of vegetables and a mix of fresh spices.

But this dish starts long before the cutting & the cooking. Each time we clean a medium to large fish, mom saves the stomach after splitting it open & cleaning out its contents. She puts it in a glass bottle & adds salt to preserve it.

Once we have enough saved, we need to look for another important ingredient, the 'daun kaduk' (a fragrant, minty leaf that is often mistaken for betel leaf/daun sireh). The problem is that it is not usually sold in wet markets or supermarkets. It's usually a weed like creeper found on the roadside or grown as decorative foliage due to its shiny, deep green, heart-shaped leaf. Many people I spoke to do not know that it can be eaten. However, the Thais use it as a base for the 'Otak-otak' (spicy steamed fish & egg concoction) or in 'Mieng Kum' (appetiser). My Indian friend's mother says it can be mixed with beaten egg & fried as an omelette. One recipe shows it shredded & mixed in Nasi Ulam (rice & raw leaves salad) by the Kelantanese.

On the morning of the big 'cook', aunt's & their daughters will start the cutting the various vegetables. Long beans, eggplant (terung) & pineapple are cut into 1" long pieces.

The daun kaduk leaves are stacked with the large leaves at the bottom. Then rolled up and finely sliced. Sweet basil, daun cekuk & daun limau purut (all fragrant leaves) and bunga kantan (ginger flower) are often slotted in between the daun kaduk, just before it is rolled up & sliced.

The finely sliced leaves are rinsed in tap water a few times to remove the strong, bitter , minty taste. This is a kind of rite of passage as the initiation of daughters are based on her skill in slicing the leaves as fine as possible.

Tumeric (kunyit), lengkuas (galangal), red chillies, onion & garlic are pounded together into a paste using a stone mortar.

A large pot is filled half-way with water is brought to boil. Stir in the pounded paste. Add a slice (1"x 1") of belachan (prawn paste) & a bowl of assam jawa (tamarind seeds mixed in a little water & squeezed to extract out its juice) is added. Also add some tumeric powder for an appetising colour. Once it re-boils, add the 1" vegetables, squid or prawns, fish eggs & preserved fish stomach (rinse it a few times to remove the salt, first). Simmer a bit & lastly, add the daun kaduk. Adjust the taste - it should be quite sour, a bit fishy, slightly sweet, salty.

For us kids (at that time-lah) who don't really like vegetables, we were constantly stirring the pot trying to get at the limited fish stomach pieces. How does it taste? Tangy, rubbery with a distinct smell & taste. A bit like pig's stripe (Oh! that used to be my all time favourite - gross, huh?).

Sounds like a lot of hard work? There's the short-cut version! And it's vegan (no fish stomach !).

Cut vegetables as above. Add 1" carrots & sliced fried taukua (beancurd). Boil the water & cook the pounded paste but leave out the belachan & seafood. For flavour, I found this vegetable cube stock made from mushroom & seaweed. (Only Rm3)

Final product looks like this ! Serve with rice.

Making baked SEITAN ?

2008-10-13T00:19:00.007+08:00

'Seitan, often referred to as "wheat meat" because of its similarity in texture to the real thing, is made with wheat gluten, and -- though tofu is still king -- it is gaining popularity with veggies and vegans across the country.' says http://makemethod.vox.com/library/post/baked-seitan.html

Looks like our mock meat -- but without additives & colouring.

Best is -- you can make it yourself & season it with different ingredients to give variety. At least, you know what goes inside those 'meat'. Then you can use it as filling for sandwiches, burgers or eaten as is! Looks like Ma Ling's luncheon meat (a Chinese favourite)

BAKED SEITAN
What you'll need . . .
1-1/2 cup wheat gluten (try Justlife or Ecogreen in PJ- organic & health food stores )
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons pepper
2 cloves garlic
2 large basil leaves, chopped
3/4 cup cold water
4 teaspoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons vegetable broth

-->-->

Method . . .
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Put all dry ingredients (as well as basil and garlic) in a large bowl and mix together.
In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients (make sure to add the tomato paste last and then whisk it into the mixture).
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix with your hand -- until you can knead it like dough.
Knead until fully incorporated.
Roll into a log shape and wrap in 2 layers of aluminum foil -- twisting the ends to seal.
Bake for 90 minutes.

2008-10-12T23:59:00.004+08:00

Tired of the usual Bolognaise (tomato based) sauce for your spaghetti? Love alfredo sauce but find it too creamy & calorie laden?

Try this : Vegan Alfredo Sauce which has no cream but is still 'creamy' & healthier!

VEGAN ALFREDO SAUCE (for those who like it hot, hot, hot)

What you'll need . . .
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion chopped in big chunks
4 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 cup water
2`teaspoons spicy brown mustard
1/2 cup walnuts (raw)
2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons paprika
1 cup nutritional yeast -- check with organic, health grocery shops
salt (to taste)
fresh black pepper (to taste)

Method . . .
Heat the olive oil in the skillet, add onions and saute 5 minutes until slightly softened.
Add garlic, saute 2 more minutes.
Transfer to the blender, add all the other ingredients and blend.
It turns out smooth -- and I'd suggest adding a bit more soy milk to make it thinner. Ours turned out really thick . . . and, well, extremely filling! Almost too much so . . .

*This amount should be enough for 4 servings of pasta

Found this recipe at http://makemethod.vox.com/library/post/vegan-alfredo-sauce.html

Lots more recipes in this blog !!

Check it out.

KETUPAT - a Hari Raya must have!!

2008-10-03T18:32:00.020+08:00

In the north (Alor Star) each time Hari Raya Puasa celebration comes around we will be looking forward to rendang and ketupat pulut with black-eye beans (or referred to ketupat daun palas, in Kelantan). It's triangular in shape.

For years, I never knew there were other types of ketupat. So, when we moved to JB (Johor Bahru) and was invited to my classmate's open house, I was surprised to see the square ketupat made from white rice encased in woven leaves instead. The triangular ketupat was no where to be seen.

The square ketupat has been an icon in Raya decorations & cards. Weaving the ketupat casing takes much practice. I have yet to master it. Then upon observing the ketupat casing, I made another discovery. The base of ketupats from Johor differ from the standard square ketupat. Its base is wider!

Pak Zawi, a Kelantan blogger has taken the trouble to blog about my favourite ketupat, ie. ketupat daun palas (ketupat pulut).

Here's the abridged version: (for details - http://mohdzawi.blogspot.com/2008/09/ketupat-daun-palas.html

"Pokok palas (licuala triphylla) grows in the wild in Kelantan. To those who don't use the leaves for making ketupat, the plant is a weed. It is only for such occasions as Raya that the demand for the leaves increases. Then you will see people selling them in the market.

The unopened shoot in the shape of a sword is the part required. Once it is opened the leaves become useless. "

TMO (the making of) - Daun palas ketupat

1. The first step is opening the leaves to make the casings. A casing is the leaf being folded into a triangular shell before it is filled with the steamed glutinous rice.

2. The end a single leaf is trimmed at the tip with a sharp knife so that the end will be straight and not serrated.

One hand is used to hold the tip of the leaf while the thumb of the other hand is used to flatten the many ribs on the leaf. The process is repeated until the whole leaf is comparatively flat. It is quite a task as the leaf tend to close up again just like a concertina. When it is able to hold the flat shape, the first fold can be made.

3. Followed by more foldings. Care must be taken not to flatten the casing as the folding may result in ugly creases. When the end of the leaf is near, the last fold will be a loop that will secure the leaf from opening up.

4. Making the last loop (above) is important before tightening up (below)

5. The picture below shows the correctly made casing (left) and the wrong last loop (right) which we call 'caping'.

It is ok if you dont get it right as it will hold just as well only that it is not right by the traditional way. Anyway this can be corrected later at the time of filling up.

For the Recipe : http://mohdzawi.blogspot.com/2008/09/ketupat-daun-palas.html

Beehoon Sup Kambing, WITHOUT the Kambing (lamb)

2008-10-03T14:45:00.008+08:00

Sup kambing/ayam (lamb/chicken) & sup tulang (bones-usually beef), made the Malay style is characterised by a myriad of spices, namely kulit kayu manis (cinnamon), bunga lawang (star anise), buah pelaga (cardamon) & bunga cengkih (cloves). These are grounded into a paste in a certain proportion. But nowadays you can buy it grounded & prepacked (in small packets, if its to try out) : the variants include rempah sup tulang & perencah sup (Adabi brand).

But cooking with lamb or beef is high in cholesterol & the soup is usually full of animal (saturated) fat. Chicken has less flavour but also less fat. Normally, a chicken cube (packet seasoning) is added to add more taste artificially!

Why not try my version:

Ingredients:

SPICES:
1" (2cm) stick of kayu manis (cinnamon)
2 buah pelaga (cardamon)
3 bunga cengkih (cloves)
2 parts of bunga lawang (star anise- break off 2 'petals' only)

1 large red onion (coarsely chopped)
1 teaspoon of grated (old) ginger
1 clove of garlic (chopped)

1 small potato (peeled & cut angularly)
1 small carrot (peeled & cut angularly)
3 tablespoons of black eye beans
1 firm tomato (not too ripe - quartered)

1 tablespoon of perencah sup (ground pre-pack spice)
3 sprigs of daun sup (local celery leaves- coarsely chopped )
Fried onion/shallots

1/4 packet of beehoon (dried, fine rice noodle) - Boil some water in a pot. Turn off fire. Soak the boohoon in the boiled water until soft. Turn it gently to ensure all strands are evenly blanched. Do not leave it unattended or soak too long. Just a few minutes. Drain in a colander or just dish out (shake off excess water) into a bowl.

Cili padi sauce - for extra spicyness & kick, you can make this simple sauce. Grind or pound 5 green cili padi with 1 clove of peeled garlic. Squeeze some lime (limau kesturi - calamansi) and add 2 tablespoons of dark soya sauce.

Method:
In a large pot, heat aprox. 2 tablespoons of oil & fry spices for a few minutes. Add onions, garlic & grated ginger. Fry till fragrant. Add 4 cups of boiled water. Bring to boil. Add in potatoes, carrot, beans & perencah sup. Wait for it to boil again. Then lower the fire to simmer & cook until potatoes & beans are soft. The beans will add some body to the soup.

Add tomatoes and bring to boil again. Add salt, pepper & a little sugar to taste. Make it a bit saltier & spicier, if you want to serve with beehoon (fine rice noodle).

You can serve it as a soup or on a bowl of fine rice noodles. Garnish with daun sup & fried shallots. Top with 1/2 teaspoon of cili padi sauce for extra spicyness.

EATING OUT, vegan style..

2008-09-01T21:58:00.013+08:00

1. Identify what you can eat at non-vegan stalls near your office, your home & shopping haunts. Make a mental note of what to order & what to tell the waiter to leave out & frequent places that are 'vegan' friendly.

The mamak stall near my apartment is very attentive to their customer's needs & wants. When I told them that I wanted vegetarian (not many lay persons are familiar with the term 'vegan') fried noodles, they said okay but they will leave out the 'sambal' (chilli paste) and use sliced chilli instead & no egg.

Try asking for your roti canai with a twist : instead of Roti Telur, ask the mamak to make Roti Sayur! Just stretch out the roti and sprinkle with sliced cabbage, sawi (mustard leaves) & carrot strips. Fold in and fry on a griddle as usual. Serve with dhall curry (leave out the sambal ikan bilis, though).

When I asked the 'wantan' mee (egg noodles) man, he immediately knew what to do -- 'chai' mee he shouted to his wife (the cook). Curious, I waited. It came as egg noodles tossed in dark soya sauce, with only a few blanched mustard leaves on top! (and charged RM1.50, instead of RM3.50 for the usual meat version)

If you like 'yong tau foo' (sorry no English translation), my suggestion is just to order chee cheong fun & deep fried foo chok (beancurd pieces). To lessen the oil content get the seller to soak the foo chuk for a longer time (til its soft) to remove residual oil (learned this from a Japanese cookbook). Go easy on the dark sauce which is very sweet.

My current fad is to go for 'steamboat-on-a-stick' or 'lok-lok' or satay celup, a local favourite eating past-time. The customers stand around an opened concept van. There are rows & rows of skewered seafood/fish/meat balls in all variants. The only choice I have is kangkung (veg) wrapped into tight balls & skewed on a bamboo stick & skewered foo chuk (deep fried beancurd pieces). I can also have the Japanese beancurd stuffed with shredded cucumber. Sometimes, there may be mushrooms, too. All these are dipped into a boiling pot of water & eaten with a choice of 3 sauces - a dark sweet sauce, satay peanut sauce and sour/spicy sauce. The sour/spicy sauce is the healthiest, I guess.

A new innovation is a hot pot of dark looking oil (sitting quietly) for you to deep fry your choice. BEWARE that you do not accidentally drip water (from the ice used to keep the food fresh) into the pot!! I almost did. Did not realise the pot of oil. So watch out!

For dinner at the Malay stall, don't order noodle soup because their soup base is either beef or chicken stock. You can only have stir fry noodles which is rather oily. Make sure to ask if they put eggs in it. Best alternative, order stir-fry 'sayur campur' (mixed veggie) but remember to tell them no chicken, beef or seafood which is usually added in tiny strips.

2. Bring 'backup' food / snack eg. a muesli bar or dry fruits/nuts or vegan biscuits in a small container wherever you go. I sometimes have to wait an hour for my bus & often get hungry. So, I usually spread some jam or peanut butter on a wholemeal slice of bread & bring it along. A packet of soya milk(Yeo's less sugar) from 7-eleven if you don't have time to 'tah-pau' (pack a snack). This prevents you from following your 'nose' & succumbing to your desires.

3. Check 'vegetarian' restaurant/stalls for nutritional value. At many Chinese vegetarian (chai) places (restaurants or road-side stalls), to make up for the absence of tasty meat, they tend to add more artificial flavouring & tons of oil to make the food look good & appetising. Many try to mimic real meat, thus we have 'chai' meat. Also notice that in 'chai' shops, they do not use onion or garlic, only ginger. I always find it strange that in Cantonese dialect, 'choy' means vegetable, but vegetarian shops are called 'Chai' shops instead. Can anyone enlighten me on that?

Indian vegetarian shops serve lassi (yogurt), paneer (cheese), tairu (buttermilk) & have milk in some of their dishes & desserts (eg. payasam). Some dishes are oily / deep fried (eg. bahji, puri, vadai).

As far as I know, I have never met a Muslim vegetarian! But they do eat lots of raw herbs & veggie (called 'ulam') but topped with sambal belachan (made with prawn paste). This is a 'kampung' (village) style food. On the east coast, they have nasi kerabu & nasi ulam. This is rice salad with raw veggie & sambal & 'budu' (another kind of seafood paste). They also have deep fried taukua (soya beancurd) & tempeh. Some types of sambal do not have shrimp paste. So choose carefully. Good as topping for the 'ulam'. Beware the 'air assam' dressing for grill fish. It sometimes has belacan in it.

4. Get food delivered for lunch. This eliminates the stress of looking for nutritious, organic vegan food and possible relapse into meat eating. Very important, especially in the first two weeks of conversion. Try the organic, vegetarian fare @ Green Meadow Cafe. It has a 31-day menu of various palatable & nutritiously caliberated meals by their in-house nutritionist. This includes charcoal brown rice with a variety of dishes & salads/pickles; brown rice dumpling ('chang'); spaghetti; nasi ulam; briyani; porridge, california roll. The only setback is the price, RM200 for 14 days.

HAPPY MERDEKA... LOVE OUR COUNTRY, LOVE OUR FOOD

2008-08-31T12:53:00.009+08:00

Malaysians LOVE food, ... no... LOVE to EAT! We'll travel miles & miles away from home just to saviour a popular dish recommended by fellow food-fan. The Chinese Hokkien's greeting of a friend or neighbour - "Chiak pah a-bo-eh? - Have you eaten until full, already?(finished your meal, had your lunch? ... to that effect lah!). "Ho chiak!", "Jalan-jalan - Cari Makan" & "Cooking with Chef Wan" are popular local TV productions. This does not include the numerous 'travel & eat' shows from Taiwan, Korea & all over China & Hong Kong.

We are Malaysians (although we call ourselves Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka, Teochew, Kelantanese, Kedahans, Sabahans, Nyonya, Malays, Ceylonese, Indian, Chindian (Chinese+Indian mixed parentage), Mamak (Indian Muslim), Sikh, Hindus, Buddhists, vegetarians, 'Mat Salleh celup' (locals who try to act Caucasian/European), etc.. etc..

BUT we can still SIT DOWN and enjoy our OPEN HOUSE BUFFET!
Yeh! Malaysia BOLEH!

HAPPY 51th MERDEKA (INDEPENDENCE DAY) today :)

Fool-proof cake - as easy a 1-2-3-4 !

2008-08-30T13:46:00.000+08:00

Afraid of baking? Cake always sinking in the middle? This recipe from Rachel Ray's website is suppose to be FOOL-PROOF, a no brainer... Do try & let me know, ya?

1-2-3-4 Cake

You only need these --

1 cup margarine or butter
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
4 eggs
1 cup any clear soda
Additional butter and flour, for greasing the cake pan

http://www.rachaelray.com/heirloom.php?heirloom_id=55

Bumble Bee & Beehive cakes

2008-08-30T13:34:00.000+08:00

Got to check out these cuuuute cake pans !

http://www.rachaelray.com/article.php?article_id=206&section=kids

Penang Assam LAKSA

2008-08-24T18:12:00.020+08:00

Laksa is basically a spicy, noodle dish with soup. It comes in many forms & variations, depending on the area it originates from or the ethnic background of the people. The soup is usually made with fish, with a few exceptions. Fish meat is mixed into the soup to make it thick.

In the north, the Penang Chinese have the famous sour, spicy & fishy Assam Laksa (recipe is given below - traditional & vegan) using white, soft, translucent rice noodles (lai fun).

The Thais have a similar type of noodle and sold fresh in small coils. When we were staying in Alor Setar (almost near the Thai border), my dad will buy back these noodles on his regular visits the the border towns. Mom & all of use will be waiting patiently with a pot of the fiery, aromatic soup!

Note: Quite some time ago, there was a scare when some people & children died after consuming the noodles. It was traced to the over-use of boric asid in the making of this noodle. There were also rumours of unscruplous vendors adding toilet paper & chicken feed were added for extra flavour & bulk & of course, make a high profit! This prompted one organic cafe/shop to advertise their Assam Laksa as made from REAL FISH!

The Malays have a thicker, soup made of fish & the white rice noodle is stiffer and breaks easily. Cashew nut leaves (young shoots) were chopped & used as garnish.

The Kelatanese (in the east coast) have Laksan (not sure how that is -- will let you know after my trip to Kota Bahru, capital of Kelantan this Sept). Possibly a cross between assam laksa but with santan (coconut milk), influenced by the Thais.

The Chinese laksa (mainly in the central area) is santan, red curry-based with yellow noodles, with cockles & curry chicken. The most different of the rest.

In the south (Johor), spaghetti is used and it has a fish-based soup & vegetable topping is eaten RAW (!), including taugeh (mung bean sprouts). This gives a unique taste, quite an acquired taste. They have a special way to cut the cucumber, in thin circular strips. Needs some skill & lots of practice to master it!

Alternatively, you could check out Laksa Shack, a home-grown franchise, for its many types of laksa.

ASSAM LAKSA
500 gm Lai Fun (translucent, fresh white rice noodle) or dried thick beehoon (soaked until soft). Boil a pot of water. Blanch the noodles only a few minutes (longer if dried noodles used). Do not over cook. Its ok if under-cooked, as the hot soup later will continue to cook it when you pour it over the noodles. Strain & set aside.

Spicy soup :
1. Grind these into a fairly fine paste (grounded paste):
4 large red onions - cut into cubes
10 dried red chillies - soak in water until soft
3 stalks serai/lemongrass - sliced coarsely only first 6-8cm part
1 inch fresh kunyit/tumeric - sliced coarsely
1 inch fresh ginger (young/old) - sliced coarsely
A small piece of belacan (2cm x 2cm x 1cm)

2. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add :
grounded paste

2 stalks of daun kesom / 'chen hom' in Hokkien (leaves & stalk)

5 stalks of daun pudina /'poh hoh' in Hokkien / mint (leaves & stalk)

2 pieces of assam keping

1 tbsp assam jawa extreme (Adabi)

or 1/2 fist-sized assam jawa (original) mixed in a 1/2 cup water & squeezed to release the sticky paste & remove seeds

leftover serai stalks, bunga kantan stalks, pineapple 'hard spine' for added flavour

3. Let boil. Then simmer for 1o minutes. Add :
8 small ikan kembong/fish - cleaned & gutted

Bring to boil again. Cook for 5 mins. Then remove the fish onto a plate. Carefully separate fish from its bones. Keep half of the amount as garnish and pour the rest back into the soup. Cook for another 10 mins.

4. Taste & adjust seasoning - salt. Add a little sugar if the soup is too sour or wait until you add 'Har ko' (slightly sweet shrimp paste) when serving.

Garnish/topping :
1 stalk Bunga Kantan (flower part only - finely sliced
1 piece of pineapple (remove hard spine for soup, slice into strips)
1 pc red chillie - sliced
3 pc small green chillie padi (extra spicy)
2 pcs limau kasturi / calamansi or lime - halved
1 large onion - sliced finely
20 slices of cucumber - cut into strips
A handful of mint leaves (stalks removed)
A can of 'har ko' - dark, thick shrimp paste ('hea koh' in Hokkien) .. see the blue can in the pix -->

Serving :

Heat up the soup. Half-fill deep bowls with rice noodles. Arrange in this order - mint leaves, cucumber strips, pineapple strips, bunga kantan, chillies & top with some cooked fish. Dip a dry spoon into the 'har ko' and scoop a little and place in the bowl. Lastly, pour hot soup over it & serve. If it's not sour enough, squeeze half a limau kasturi (remove pips).

MY VEGAN version

Serves one vegan 8-)

In a small pot, boil 2 cups water. Put in a few pieces of konbu (thick Japanese seaweed - RM2 /pkt @Jusco) or seaweed paste (from vegetarian grocers) & simmer until konbu is soft. Lightly break or cut a piece of hard tofu into smaller pieces. Add to the soup. Add 2 tablespoons of freshly ground chillie paste (as above, but leave out the belacan). Add assam (or juice of 1 limau kasturi) & let it simmer. Add a little soya sauce and sugar. Adjust to taste. It can be a light strong, because once poured into the bowl, the noodles will dilute the taste.

Assemble the ingredients as above & pour the soup over it. Much of the taste & aroma comes from the herbs & chillie paste and garnishes. Konbu (thick seaweed) gives it a bit fishy flavour. For a more fishy taste, serve with a teaspoon of Biosoft seaweed (from Taiwan) -->

SLURP UP! :P

Going ORGANIC ... Justlife

2008-08-22T16:40:00.008+08:00

I came to know of justlife through the Climate Change event @ Bukit Jalil recently. I've always been sceptical of these 'organic' kind of shops -- Expensive! .. comes to mind. This view is shared by many, .. but I always remind myself - in order to accept or reject a concept/idea, we should study it, give it a chance for we may learn a thing or two. Either way, we will benefit from the knowledge gained, regardless of whether we decide to follow the path to an organic way of life or NOT!

Having read their magazine, checked out their website, seen their commitment in organizing the Climate Change event,.. maybe there is some thing more to this....

No GMO, fair price to farmers, respect for nature, .. See, read for yourself ... and you decide ...
http://www.justlifeshop.com/pages/about_us.html

BIRTHDAY MEE!

2008-08-18T13:00:00.011+08:00

This is a Hokkein / Nyonya / Peranakan noodle dish traditionally served on one's birthday. The yellow noodle strands have to be carefully cooked so that it remains long. The 'Birthday girl/boy' will have to slurp & eat it without breaking the strands=sign of longevity (long life)!!

The dish is purposely colourful to symbolise happiness & rosy future. Egg omelettes are tinged red & yellow& cut in thin strips. The sauce is in two parts: a thick gravy & a clear soup.

Over the years, we have made some slight changes to the ingredients to suit current tastes & religious preferences. No problem - if we have Muslim relatives & friends over, then we will substitute the pork for 'halal' chicken (ie. chicken, slaughtered according to Muslim rites). But for vegans like me, well ... any ideas ?

Some ingredients are also hard to find. There is one delicacy which is integral to the dish but rarely found. You'd probably find it only in Pulau Pangkor or Penang's Chowrasta (main) market. It is called the 'Pea Hu' (literally translated - flat fish). There is a legend behind the physical characteristic of the fish, which has both eyes on one side of the fish (a bit like the sting-ray but no long tail) but I'm not too sure about it. My mom says it is very tasty and the bones are used to boil the clear soup, whereas the flesh is added into the thick gravy.

Hope some readers can give me some info. or one day I'll have to do a 'pilgrimage' back to Penang just to find this fish! ha ha..

Please excuse the approximation of ingredients. Its like in the old days, where the matriarch 'chefs' will just grab a fistful or rice bowl full of ingredients.

Thick Gravy
1 medium piece - Streaky pork with skin ('sam chan bak') or chicken meat (if you don't eat pork)
10 small/medium size- Prawns de-vein by partly slicing the back of each prawn & removing the dark greenish vein. This will make the prawn roll into a ball when cooked.
1/2 bowl - Crab meat / squids (optional)
1 packet Fish ball & Fish cake (optional)
1-2 tablespoons of Cornflour mixed with 1/2 cup water
Prawn stock made from washed, discarded prawn head & shell boiled in water (to add more flavour!)

Clear Soup
200 gm Pork / chicken bones - washed
1 small Turnip - cut into large chunks

Body of the dish
300 gm Taugeh/mung bean sprouts (50 sen)
1 small bunch of Kucai/flat-leaved chives (50 sen)
500 gm Yellow fresh noodle (mee)

Garnish
Chopped garlic in oil ('ken phang', in Hokkien)
Red egg omelette
Red chilli strips, chopped spring onions, coriander leaves, or Chinese celery leaves
Sambal belacan

Making the clear soup = In a large pot, bring to boil a half pot of water. Add the pork bones & turnip. Boil till turnips are slightly soft. Cook fishball for a few minutes, until it floats. Remove & set aside. Season soup with some white pepper & salt.

Making the thick gravy & garlic oil = Put streaky pork whole piece in the clear soup until just cooked (don't over cook or it will be tough). Slice into strips (across the grain). Set aside. In a large wok, heat some oil on slow heat to lightly fry chopped garlic for making 'ken phang'. Once the garlic is slightly brown, turn off the heat. The oil will continue to brown the garlic. (If done correctly, it should turn a golden brown & crispy. When it is cooled, you can keep it in a bottle and use as flavoured oil in any soupy dish). Remove part of the garlic oil.

Turn on the heat. Pan fry the fish cake and remove. Slice it when cooled.

Then use the remaining oil to fry the prawns, then add streaky pork. Spoon 2 scoops of clear soup into the wok. Add a dash of dark soy sauce & light soy sauce to make the gravy brown. Add crab meat & squid. Add prawn stock. When boiling, slowly stir in the cornflour mixture, stirring continuously until the gravy thickens. Don't pour all the cornflour mixture, if the gravy is already thick.

To make the body = Heat another half pot of water to boil. Add taugeh (bean sprouts / mung bean sprouts) & kucai (chives). Stir 1 min & remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add in the yellow noodles carefully so the strands are intact. Cook for 2 mins while lightly separating the strands. Drain & set aside in a large bowl.

To make the sambal belacan : (can be made a few days ahead but store in a dry jar & refrigerate)
1 small 1" piece of toasted belacan (or Maggi belachan powder)
4 long red chillies (with or without seeds - more seeds, hotter it will be)
A dash of Salt, sugar, Ajinomoto
3-4 Limau kesturi (calamansi / lime) - cut into 1/2 & remove seeds

Lots of people are afraid to pound the chillies as it tends to splatter! So, use a towel to dry the red chillies. Line the area with newspaper. Break/cut chillies into 1" pieces. Start by lightly pounding to flatten the chillies. Then pound section by section at the edge of the chillie pieces not straight into the centre which will send the seeds & bits & pieces flying. Try and get the chillies shiny side up so the juicy parts will be facing down. Use one hand to steady the stone bowl. Use the other hand to pound with even pressure and partly use a grinding motion.

Once chillies are quite fine, add the toasted belacan or dry belacan powder and continue to grind/pound until well blended. Scoop into a dish/glass bottle & squeeze the limes. Adjust to taste. Belacan is usually salty. Just add a little sugar or Ajinomoto to bring out the taste (yeah, that's traditionally the seasoning used).

How to toast belacan (processed prawn paste) ? - You can do this a day before. Heat a small dry pan (non-stick if possible) on low fire and toast one side of a thin slice of belachan. Then turn over. Take care that it does not burn. When almost dry, turn off fire. Break into small pieces and let the latent heat of the pan dry/toast the bits. Let cool. Reminder: the smell IS, according to each other's opinion-either 'heavenly' or 'stinky'.

To make : Red egg omelette slices

Beat two eggs with 2 half-egg shells of water (traditional measurement). Add a little salt & a drop of red cochineal food colouring. Be careful. To avoid over-colouring, use a toothpick to trnasfer the colour. Heat a small non-stick pan. Add a ladle of egg mixture, swirl into a smooth thin crepe-like omelette. The thinner the highly skilled your are! Roll it and remove into the cutting board. Slice as fine as possible. The pink omelette below was done in haste, hence is not fine enough!

Serving:

In a deep bowl, line with a little taugeh & kucai. Top with some yellow noodles. This should fill half the bowl. Spoon on the thick gravy & its meat/seafood. Garnish with red eggs, fish ball/cake slices, leaves - coriander/celery/spring onions & red chillie strips. Top it with a fews scoops of clear, hot soup and sambal belacan on the side.

Then, DIG IN!!

For Lui Cha lovers!

2008-08-17T17:50:00.011+08:00

I'm intrigued by this Hakka dish (originally vegetarian). A search on the net shows that I'm not the only one.. here, pls allow me to gather all Ho Po Lui Cha sites, blogs, recipes together so we Lui Cha lovers can unite... ha. ha. UNITY through FOOD!

EatingAsia
http://eatingasia.typepad.com/eatingasia/2006/02/green_tea_soup_.html?cid=126752744#comment-126752744 (the story)

The WeekEnd Chef
http://www.theweekendchef.com.my/2005/08/22/hor-por-lui-cha/ (the recipe)

Across the causeway...
http://sg.88db.com/sg/Services/Post_Detail.page/food_entertainment/hawker_food/?PostID=206795 (where to eat it in Singapore)

Lei Cha on Wikipedia..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lei_cha (the whole story)

Also known as Thunder Tea Rice @SS2 shop
http://masak-masak.blogspot.com/2007/01/lui-cha-or-thunder-tea-rice-restoran.html

Kuali, The Star
http://kuali.com/recipes/viewrecipe.asp?r=1022 (recipe)

Lui Cha is the food of the hillside monks.. must have 7 greens, eaten only in Aug/Sep
http://www.fh2o.kuchingkayak.com/2006/07/of-lui-cha-and-vegetarian-hillside.html

Btw, how do you eat it? What's the traditional way... I read somewhere that you pour the soup into the rice & veggie !! I prefer to eat them separately... lots of chewing required, though....ha ha. Also eaten with rice crispies (mai peng) instead of white rice.

My favourite is the one in the coffeeshop across the road from Spectrum Shopping Mall, Bandar Baru Ampang (opposite end to Hong Leong Bank).

If you love chocolate...

2008-08-17T17:35:00.003+08:00

Have spent almost the whole day on the net, updating my various blogs & I found this post about chocolate for chocolate lovers. He is one of the Weekend Chef...

http://www.theweekendchef.com.my/2006/08/11/dark-temptations/

Eggless Fudgy Brownies - my way!

2008-08-17T02:19:00.010+08:00

Contrary to popular perception, being a vegan does not limit my food choices, but opens up a whole new culinary experience & taste. Having to bake without eggs or butter requires one to be creative & slightly innovative!

I'm always into new food adventures! Sometime ago, I picked up a book published by the Vegan Society of Australia which inspired me to create my 'eggless' fudgy brownies. The book gave suggestions on how to substitute eggs with other ingredients - guess what they are! -- banana, icing sugar, cashew nuts, protein powder, etc.

So, I ventured to create my own version of the brownies shown in the book. Actually, I forgot to bring the book home -- so, 'necessity' being the mother of invention, I devised my own recipe based on logic, feel, look, taste & smell (will explain as I go along).

LOGIC - I started by blending a few minutes (pulsing - ie. push the on button only for a few seconds, off it, & repeat until you get the consistency you want):

100 gm dates (remember to check for seeds/pitts or you are going to break your blade!)
1 small (11cm) banana (peeled, of course!)
30 gm raw cashew nuts
3 tablespoons protein powder (whey & soya based)
50 gm icing sugar (its a mix of refined sugar & corn flour)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (Van Houten, is dark & good) dissolved in 1/2 cup of warm water

LOOK - It should come out slightly thick & gooey. Its okay if the cashews or dates are a bit coarse.

Heat up your oven to 180 degrees.

Pour mixture into a large bowl. Sift parts of 100 gm of self-raising flour and slowly fold in the mixture. Alternate with tablespoons of olive oil (total 5 tablespoons) and mix well.

FEEL - If the mixture feels heavy, slowly add a little boiled water & lightly stir. Do not over mix or your brownie will be too dense. It should be shiny & smooth & not too thick.

Line a long 8"x5" cake tin with baking paper slightly oiled. Spoon mixture into the tin. Lightly tap the pan on the table to remove large bubbles in the mixture. Top with pieces of dates & cashew halves.

SMELL - Bake for 20-30 mins. @20 mins or when the cashews look slightly browned, open the oven door & stick a skewer into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, stop the oven. If not, continue for another5 mins. You should also have a fragrant smell when it's cooked. Too strong a smell means the cocoa is burnt.

When cooked, remove and let it sit for 10 mins. Then remove to a wired rack until its cooled.

Why be a vegan?

2008-08-13T14:30:00.011+08:00

Why, you may ask...

According to http://www.vegetarianvegan.com/

Most vegetarians claim that they became a vegetarian for one of three main reasons.

The first reason, which most vegetarians claim, is that they have serious ethical problems with eating meat. Most disagree with how chickens are debeaked, forced to live in small cages, and are then slaughtered when they do not produce eggs fast enough.

Most vegetarians also disagree with the crowded and stressful environments that animals are forced into; and the hormone-laden daily feed used to make them grow faster and produce more.

People who become vegetarians for this purpose often draw ethical boundaries in different spots, depending on their indept personal beliefs. For instance, some staunch vegans will refuse to consume yeast, wear wool, or even eat certain vegetables, such as carrots, that require killing the plant to harvest.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, some vegetarians, sometimes referred to as pseudo-vegetarians, will actually eat fish and chicken on a regular basis.

The second reason vegetarians claim for not eating meat is that it conflicts with their dietary preferences. Some of these vegetarians simply do not like the texture and taste of meat, others do not eat it because it is high in cholesterol and often contains very high concentrations of hormones and preservatives.

The third and smallest group of vegetarians cite some environmental reasons for not consuming meat. They complain that the consumption of meat causes farmers to continually deforest the land to create grazing land for their cattle.

My say ?... check out http://crazeefit.blogspot.com/

http://vegetarian.bhanot.net/

Vegan vs Vegetarian

2008-08-13T02:47:00.004+08:00

With all new interests comes new knowledge. I hope you, my readers will take the time to inform yourselves so that if you have a objection to this way of life, it is an informed opposition!

VEGETARIAN: Vegetarian is a blanket term used to describe a person who does not consume meat, poultry, fish, or seafood. This grouping includes vegans and the various sub- categories of vegetarian; however, it generally implies someone who has less dietary restrictions than a vegan.

SEMI-VEGETARIAN: The term semi-vegetarian is usually used to describe someone who is a vegetarian who consumes dairy products, eggs, chicken, and fish, but does not consume other animal flesh.

OVO-LACTO-VEGETARIAN: Ovo-lacto vegetarians are vegetarians who do not consume meat, poultry, fish, and seafood, but do consume eggs and milk. This is the largest group of vegetarians.

OVO-VEGETARIAN: Ovo-vegetarian is a term used to describe someone who would be a vegan if they did not consume eggs.

LACTO-VEGETARIAN: Lacto-vegetarian is a term used to describe someone who would be a vegan if they did not consume milk.

VEGAN: Vegan is the strictest sub-category of vegetarians. Vegans do not consume any animal products or by-products. Some go as far as not even consuming honey and yeast. Others do not wear any clothing made from animal products.

Ratatouille Spaghetti (my way.. :))

2008-08-13T01:00:00.005+08:00

FOR VEGANS : You have a choice of veggie such as eggplant, lightly steamed pumpkin, boiled potatoes, corn kernels, peas.

1. Boil a large pot of water & cook a bunch of spaghetti until al dente (just cooked, still stiff to the bite), stirring occasionally. You can drain it out or turn off the fire & leave it to soak, if you prefer it softer. I find soaking is better for this recipe.

2. Cut one long purple eggplant (terung, aubergine) into 2cm rounds approx. with skin & put into a pot or wok. Drizzle with olive oil & let it coat & seep into the eggplant slices. Switch on the burner & lightly pan fry both sides until almost cooked. If you want spicy, add a few dried chillies & saute until dry or crispy.

FOR NON-VEGANS : Throw in some prawns or squid rounds at this point. Don't put too much seasoning or salt as seafood may will produce a salty gravy.

3. Add in 1 coarsely chopped red, large onion & fry till soft. Throw in 1 chopped tomato, 5 cm of thinly sliced celery and stir fry. Add a tablespoon of tomato paste/puree, if you have. If not, add more tomatoes! Sprinkle some sugar (whenever you have tomato - Chef Wan's tip).

If you want more flavour, sprinkle some mushroom seasoning powder (get it from vegetarian grocery shop). If you have an orange (especially the horribly sour ones), peel & chop into cubes and add in for a tangy flavour.

4. When cooked pour in the drained spaghetti and toss. For flavour, you can drizzle some light soya sauce (or Japanese shoyu - the citrus type is good) or sprinkle fine salt & lots of freshly ground pepper. Turn off the flame if it dries too quickly. Pour a little of the spaghetti water to make it moist & a bit sticky. Easier for the sauce/flavour to stick to the spaghetti (Tip from Jaimie Oliver, the Naked Chef) .

FOR NON-VEGANS : You can stir in a dollop of butter or dash of your favourite cheese.

5. Serve on a bed of yau mak (baby romaine or any salad leaves). Top with coarsely chopped coriander leaves.

Vegetarian Food Pyramid

2008-08-12T00:59:00.006+08:00

Vegetarian Food Pyramid

* Fats, oils, sugar & salt : Use sparingly. Use fats or oils low in saturated, or hydrogenated fat, or Trans-fats.

* Milk, Yogurt Cheese : 2-3 servings daily
- 1 cup milk;- 1 cup/8 ounces yogurt;- 1.5 ounces natural cheese;- 2 ounces processed cheese.-

*Dry Beans, Nuts, Seeds, Eggs and Meat Substitutes : 2-3 servings daily
- soy milk 1 cup;- cooked dry beans or peas, 1/2 cup;- 1 egg or 2 egg whites;- nuts/seeds 2 Tbsp;- tofu or tempeh - 1/4 cup;- peanut butter - 2 Tbsp.

*Vegetables : 3-5 servings daily
- 1/2 cup cooked/raw vegetables;- 1 cup leafy raw vegetables;- 1/2 cup cooked peas/beans/legumes;- 3/4 cup vegetable juice.

*Fruits : 2-4 servings daily
- 1 medium apple, banana, orange;- 1/2 grapefruit;- melon wedge;- 3/4 cup fruit juice;- 1/2 cup chopped fruit;- 1/4 cup dried fruit;

*Breads, grains : 6-11 servings daily
- 1 slice bread;- 1/2 hamburger bun or English muffin;- 1 small roll, muffin, or biscuit;- 5-6 small crackers;- 1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice, pasta, noodles;- 1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal.

CLIMATE CHANGE Initiatives

2008-08-11T01:40:00.014+08:00

Trying to find the place...

RM5 Entrance Ticket (redeemable when making purchases)
Project A - Plant a tree

Project B - Earth Saving Diet

Project C - Recover Ozone Layer (eg. garbage enzyme)
Project D - Green a Desert

And..... Project E - Share a Movie (ie. Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth)

Shop at JustLife bazaar. Pay RM9.90 for a cloth bag to carry your purchases. Return the bag to any of JustLife's outlet and get a complete refund.
(GREAT IDEA !!)

Also available- healthy & delicious organic by various outlets. I had the tofu pouch from Green Meadows, RM5.00 for 2. They have home/office delivery service too! Gonna check it out.... its at SS2, PJ.

Pledging to be a Vegetarist (vegan activist)

2008-08-11T00:29:00.012+08:00

I hardly ate vegetables (except cucumbers in the nasi lemak & preserved kiam chye) throughout my growing-up years, preferring to gorge on all parts of the chicken, lamb, beef, pork (even the brains which was considered a delicacy), wild boar, pigeon and even hare (rabbit)!

Eating has always been an adventure in my family. We would return from our trips across the border (ie. Singapore) with packets of frozen foodstuff & cans of exotic-sounding food and started opening it up to see what was inside. As Singapore is very cosmopolitan, we get all kinds of food.

I also ate all kinds of fish, abalones (when it was still affordable), top-shell, lobster, crabs, shellfish of all shapes & sizes, squid, sea cucumber, jelly fish and yes, shark's fin!

When I turned twenty one, I was working & eating out. I began to appreciate stir-fried veggie Chinese style, then progressed to the Malay ulam (raw vegetables from the villages) & salads from the buffet line. But meat has remained my main favourite.

Along the way, I have many times attempted to go vegan but meat addiction was strong & I lack the resolve. There was much mis-understanding about vegans, or vegetarians. To make matters more complicated, in Chinese vegetarian cooking, they do not use garlic or onion but have mock meat, colouring, taste enhancers & lots of oil to make it tasty & appetising!

When I began my fitness training two years ago, I made a resolve to not eat large animals, ie. beef & lamb (but I was still attached to pork) and I have so far been able to stick to it (except a few times when I did not realise the soup or gravy was beef-based until latter).

For the past month, I have cut out chicken & pork. But it was not easy, not because of my addiction to it, but difficulty in finding vegetarian food that's not laden with saturated oil! I alternated between Indian Brahmin vegetarian & Malay fish/seafood/ulam & Chinese vegetarian & home made salads. It was an up-hill struggle trying to find healthy vegetarian food.

An accidental turn at the Taman Tun (Jln Burhanuddin Helmi) junction one day took my gym friend & I to an organic health food restaurant cum grocer called Eco Green for breakfast. And at the counter, I picked up the Climate Change initiative, an event organised by Justlife organic food shop at Stadium Putra in Bukit Jalil on Aug 9 & 10.

And this is where I learned the benefits & more importantly the DIRE EFFECTS of meat eating to the environment! I was never a fan of organic food. And as usual, with ignorance one usually makes wrong evaluations. Before we putdown a movement as pure sensationalism or commercialism, we should find out more information about it...

Red Banana Muffins (no refined sugar added)

2008-07-20T10:15:00.007+08:00

At last, after experimenting with different combinations of ingredients & in different amounts(sometimes edible, sometimes good enough only as paperweight, ha ha...), I finally found a combination I like. Hope you like it too and try it out!

The aim of my 'experiment' was to make muffins with NO refined sugar or artificial flavour added. The sweetness & flavour would have to come from natural sources. I chose to use the red (Jamaican) bananas as it has a strong, distinct taste and suitable for cooking.

Sweetness comes from the ripe banana and lots of raisins. I was surprised to find that many teenagers don't like black raisins. They say that it reminds them of cockcroach droppings! So, I would suggest using golden raisins (not so sweet, though) or other dried fruits. However, I suspect tropical dried fruits like mango, pineapple, Chinese plums, guava, winter melon, etc. are all candied (ie. processed/coated/dried with sugar & other artificial additives & colouring). So, choose wisely!

If you don't have bananas, you could substitute with peeled, chopped yellow apples (NZ Golden Delicious).

This time, I used chapatti (atta) flour instead of imported wholemeal flour because it's easier to find at supermarkets, finer texture and more economical, mixed with an equal portion of plain white flour. For added fiber & nutrition, I added organic hulled millet & organic omega mix (raw sunflower kernels, pumpkin seeds, flax seed & sesame seed) from the health stores.

RED BANANA MUFFINS
1 cup plain flour
1 cup chapatti (atta/wholemeal) flour
2 tablespoon millet
2 tablespoon Omega mix (raw seeds)
1 teaspoon double action baking soda
100gm raisins (black or golden)

Mix the above dry ingredients in a large bowl by hand. Switch on the oven.

50g butter or equivalent dairy spread
2 small eggs lightly beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large red ripe banana, mashed with a fork
some plain boiled water

If your butter is cold, place it into the flour mixture & use a large spoon to cut it into smaller pieces and mash it while combining with the flour. It will be easier if the butter is soft. That's why, whenever I decide to do baking, the first thing I take out of the fridge is the butter & eggs (to leave at room temperature). Then only would I start looking for suitable recipes & assemble my tools & ingredients.

When the mixture is evenly combined, add the eggs a little at a time, constantly stirring & blending. Add the mashed bananas next and olive oil. Mix until you get the right consistency.

What type of consistency? Not too hard but not too watery. Scoop a large tablespoon and tilt the spoon. If it glides slowly down, its ok!. If it drips down too easily (too much banana or egg), add a little flour or millet/seeds. If it still sticks to the spoon and look lumpy, add some milk or water bit by bit. Mix evenly using the 'folding' method, ie. Stir the mixture with your spoon in a wide circle (either clockwise/anti-clockwise) twisting the spoon slightly to turn over the mixture. When you reach the start of your circle, draw down your spoon horizontally and repeat the who action until it's blended well. You could also imagine making a large figure '8' in the mixture. But don't over mix or else you will deflate your muffin!

Sccop a table spoon of the mixture into paper cups. Use plain white /unbleached ones, not the fancy coloured or golds/silver on the outside & white inside. Sometime ago, I did that and the colour leached into the muffin (eek!) and gold/silver turned an odd shade!

It should fill only half or 3/4 of the cup. Top each muffin with a sprinkle of seeds and bake in a heated oven for 25-30 mins of until the top is slightly brown & seeds are lightly toasted (must switch on the oven earlier so that it is the correct temperature, before you put in the muffin)

Makes 12. Needs one large bowl, one spoon, one 6-pc muffin tray, one cup for measurement.

Have fun trying it!
Do let me know your variations to my recipe, if any!

Any healthy recipes to share??

Vuelve La Vida - "Back to Life" recipe

2008-07-03T00:42:00.006+08:00

Venezuelan Week is in Malaysia (3rd time)!

Organised by the Venezuelan Embassy, it encompasses culture, dance, rituals & FOOD!

Ah! - if you want to try authentic Venezuelan cuisine, check out the Eastin Hotel where Chef Edgar Leal (celebrity chef from Cacao Restaurant, South Florida) & wife Mariana (pastries chef) will whip up sumptuous dishes during the promotion week.

They were on the Breakfast Show @NTV 7 (Malaysian local terrestrial channel) to share a popular appetiser (sold around the beaches) aptly called:

Back to Life - Vuelve LaVida (hope I got the spelling right)!
http://www.ntv7.com.my/Shows/Episodes.aspx?MasterID=4&ShowID=2&MenuID=2&TemplateID=1&SubMenuID=1&VideoID=9757&EpID=9068#anchorVid

Boil the seafood for 2 min in salted water:
100g Shrimps
100g Mussel
100g Scallop
100g Squid /calamari

Drain the seafood & mix in a bowl together with:
a few stalks of Cilantro - chopped
1 big onion - julienne
1 big red pepper - julienne (cut into thin strips)
2 tbsp scallion/spring onion - chopped
4 cloves garlic - minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
5g black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup White vinegar
1 tbsp Worchester sauce
Pinch of salt
Water

Rest the mix in the fridge for 1 day to let the flavours blend.

Serve in cocktail glasses to bring you back to life!!

More about the Venezuelan Week - http://crazeepatches.blogspot.com/

Oranges.. & art

2008-07-02T18:08:00.006+08:00

Great way to use orange & pomelo peel?

Wanna see more? http://crazeepatches.blogspot.com/

Red, red, red.... beyond the ordinary!

2008-07-01T18:50:00.008+08:00

Ever tried --- Red Bananas ? Also known as Jamaican bananas. I showed many of my friends and everyone thought the inside would be red too! Great for baking & cooking, but I just love to eat it as is, slightly unripe.. Made some banana wholemeal muffins.

Sorry-lah... inside is just like an ordinary banana.

Some banana trivia :

Did you know that bananas can be peeled & frozen in a plastic bag up to 6 mths!
Bananas don't grow on trees... check out this site for more info....
http://www.produceoasis.com/Items_folder/Fruits/RedBanana.html
http://www.dole.eu/Products/FreshFruit/RedBananas/tabid/103/Default.aspx

Nutrition : 1 medium banana = 126 g = 110 calories - Low Fat, Sodium-free, Source of fiber and potassium, Source of vitamin C & B6, Cholesterol-free.

What about red oranges ? These are called Blood Oranges, pigmented orange or Moro orange, from the California. The juice is purplish red.. but not very sweet..

Nutrition : 1 medium orange = 154 g = 80 calories

http://www.produceoasis.com/Items_folder/Fruits/BloodOrange.html

Next is Red Pears! This is a bit more common. Juicy!

And what about this Red Man ?
Guess what -- it is a knife stand for your collection of knives. Perfect gift for someone who has just been dumped by their ex!!

OR .. Maybe you can send this to someone you HATE! ha..ha.. only joking because you won't be laughing if he turns up dead the next day and YOU WILL be the first suspect!!

Nasi Briyani.. a Malaysian favourite lunch/dinner fare

2008-07-01T01:02:00.001+08:00

Nasi Briyani is made from Basmathi (long-grain) rice and a lot of Indian spices, onion and ghee. There are many versions but it is either cooked together with large chicken parts eg. Briyani Gam from Johor; or the savoury rice is cooked separately and served with chicken curry or fried chicken. The dish can be very rich & calorie-laden due to the high content of fat (ghee). To balance the richness of this dish, it is normally served with cucumber-pineapple-onion-green chilli-lime juice salad (Kachumbar) or vegetable acar (pickled cucumber-carrot-onion cooked in chilli paste).

Sam Cheong, a food writer from the Star (local newspaper) was introduced to 'the best briyani in Kuala Lumpur' recently. For the record, here's the extract of the story..

"He (the foodie) emailed me a couple of times, insisting that the best nasi briyani in the city could be found at (Lorong Bandar 13) and wanted to meet up to discuss more about food.

... Lorong Bandar 13 is located off Lebuh Pasar Besar. This is the heart of Kuala Lumpur's financial district and the most distinguishable institutions that you will find here are the moneychangers.

And, it will not be difficult to locate the nasi briyani stalls because they are located off Lebuh Pudu. The first thing you will notice is a fruit stall and then you will quickly recognise the makan places that are neatly lined up in a row.

There are at least a dozen food stalls in this narrow lane that leads to Central Market. I found it amazing that three nasi briyani stalls were squeezed into one location...."

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/6/19/central/21400287&sec=central

Foods from Kelantan

2008-06-08T04:53:00.005+08:00

Its late, and I'm tired, but I just got to post this link. It shows all the wonderful food found in Kelantan. It was posted by a retiree who's blog is meant to record the uniqueness of Kelantan and the everchanging landscape of Kota Bharu, its capital for the benefit of his children & his children's children and beyond.

Through his pictures & narration, we get a clearer picture of life in Kelantan, the "Cradle of Malay Crafts". Sadly, to many of us in the western side of Malaysia, the East Coast is quite foreign. I hope to one day, in the near future, visit this unique place!

Enjoy! and be Informed!
http://mohdzawi.blogspot.com/2008/01/foods-of-kelantan-part-1.html

Fish Feel Pain too!

2008-05-12T18:47:00.005+08:00

When I was much younger, a group of us went to the jetty to fish. It was my first time. We didn't use any bait (because we, girls were squimish about worms, ee!). We didn't have to. The fishes (especially the little young ones) were gullible enough. All we needed to do was lower the fishing line with a fish hook attached. The young fishes were very inquisitive and would crowd around the hook. All we had to do was wait for one of them to open their mouth and we would jerk the hook up and very often we would hook on to their upper lip and pull this little innocent creature up. They would be jumping (in PAIN ...) and we would be jumping with JOY at our achievement!! A five-footer human, catching a 3-inch fish -- such an accomplishment!!

I tell this story in shame. My only defense is "we were young", "we were having fun", "we didn't know any better"...

DO fishes feel pain? Read ...

http://www.fishinghurts.com/f-salmon.asp?c=1511&gclid=CMfm4uDjoJMCFQM2egodOnR6rA

Japanese Udon (on a budget)

2008-04-27T12:53:00.020+08:00

JAPANESE HOME-COOKING - simple & healthier & artistic - a feast for the taste buds & eyes. As I always say, REAL eating should be an experience of all the senses (even if its just lunch in front of the TV!). --- Mindful eating (let's leave this for a latter post)

I am very much inspired by the book-Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat-Delicious slimming and anti-ageing secrets (Naomi Moriyama). It has easy to follow economical recipes, strategies, arguments for Japanese home cooking as opposed to Western-style eating.

Japanese cooking ingredients can be pricey. Just take a glance at the various soy-sauces for sushi, gyoza, soba, udon & shabu-shabu. It's usually above RM10. And what if you use it once only - the rest will be in your pantry until the expiry date! If you look at the ingredients that make up the sauce, they are almost the same, in varying amounts - salt, sugar, soya sauce, mirin & bonito. Noodles are also costly - buckwheat soba, cha soba (even more).. Luckily, demand for Japanese noodles in Malaysia is sustainable, so there is now a factory in JB that produces udon, tofu & fresh soba..etc.

I was at the Jaya Grocer @Jaya33 yesterday and picked up a small packet of fresh udon for RM1.90. So for today's lunch, I cooked up my version of :

UDON in SOUP
1 small pkt fresh udon
3 stalks baby choy sum/sawi (mustard leaves)
1 egg
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
a sprinkle of chilli flakes (from Domino's pizza)

For soup:
3 tablespoon light soy sauce (less salty, the better)
1 tablespoon mirin or Chinese cooking wine (ShaoXing)
1 cup hot water
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1/2 pkt (3gm pkt) Bonito fish flakes (from Isetan, KLCC)

In a small pot, boil some water. Add udon & cook for a few minutes. Turn off the heat. Use a tong to transfer the noodles on to a soup plate. Turn on the heat again & blanch choy sum. Pour away the water(drain) and arrange vegetables beside the udon.

Use the same pot to simmer the soup ingredients. Adjust to taste. Pour onto the udon. Wash the pot & wipe it dry. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil (not too hot). Add some chopped garlic & fry till slightly brown. Break an egg over it. Keep low heat. Gently break the yolk. Turn over. Cook until egg is just done. Don't over cook. Spoon onto the udon. Sprinkle chilli flakes & remaining packet of bonito flakes.

Easy washing up: 1 pot, 1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, 1 pair of tongs, 1 soup plate.

P.S. You would have noticed that the parts of a Japanese dish are cooked separately, then assembled decoratively in a bowl or plate. This, I believe is the philosophy of Japanese cooking (which may be applied to all forms of cooking). Every ingredient has its importance, has its role to play. By spending time to blanch, fry, boil each ingredient separately, one can reflect on LIFE with its various 'tastes' (happy, sweet, bitter, salty...). We all have to go through it but in the end it comes together to make a delicious 'meal' - a life well lived, well spent! Do not forget the spices, the condiments of life - just a dash of fun, a dash of adventure, a handful of experience, a bunch of optimism & enthutiasm; and a tinge of sadness, to remind us how precious life is!! Be MINDFUL of what you do in life, choose wisely each day, each action you take, each word you speak ... Do not be tempted to throw all the ingredients into the soup and hope for the best!

Sakae Salad

2008-04-20T20:36:00.007+08:00

Sakae Sushi is a chain of Japanese restaurants in Klang Valley. Its philosophy, as stated in its menu - to provide good and economical food to its patrons. According to its story, the couple who founded the restaurant are fond of Japanese food but because of its usually high price, his wife used to do mental sums, adding up the bill and had to think carefully not to order beyond her budget. This, of course took much of the enjoyment out of the dining experience.

But don't be mistaken, cheap doesn't mean styrofoam plates and plastic chairs. The restaurant that I visited recently is in Subang Parade (G27A, Grd flr) was trendy and high-tech, with computer monitors and mouse at each table for placing your orders. The waitress that attended to me was young but very efficient and energetic.

Always looking for healthy food choices, I ordered the chawan mushi (steamed egg @ Rm1.90) , sushi (@RM 3.90 per plate) and Sakae Salad (RM8.90).

The Sakae Salad is somewhat like our Chinese Yee Sang. It came with delectable portions of jellyfish, seaweed, finely shredded cabbage and some crispy bits and crunchy bits, topped with 3 rolls of salmon in the center. And served in a beautiful ceramic black speckled bowl. Only the thick lemon sauce is a bit rich. I made the mistake of pouring half of it into the salad before mixing it. The jellyfish was already saucy and only needed a bit of the lemon sauce.

Egg toast cups

2008-04-20T20:20:00.003+08:00

Tired of the usual breakfast of eggs on toast? Try this : Trim crust off a slice of wholemeal bread. Butter on the under-side and press it into a muffin pan or small metal bowl. Spoon some cooked spinach and chopped ham onto the bread. Then break a a small egg into it. Sprinkle a bit of chopped onions, ground black pepper and soy sauce and bake in 180 degrees for 20 mins.

Waste not, want not!

2008-04-08T16:37:00.005+08:00

A recent article in the papers alerted us to the VERY possible shortage of food in the world -- translating to higher food prices!

Strangely, one of the reasons being the increasing use of 'bio-fuel' as the alternative to petroleum as fuel to run cars, which by itself should be a GOOD THING (to quote Martha Stewart) -- you know, ... more eco-friendly, less dependency on petroleum.. thus reducing world's demand on the limited (less wars, less invasion...) oil resource. But production of 'bio-fuel', an potentially lucrative industry is depriving the world of its much needed food source (oil palm, corn), thus jacking up the price of these staple foods. Many poorer countries may not be able to afford it, unable to feed their population.

IRONICALLY, when one part of the world is worried about food shortage, we (I, specifically, Malaysians, in general) have been worried about over-consumption of food! (getting FAT, OBESE) ... Buffet lines, open houses, wedding dinners, 24-hour eateries, Ramadan (fasting month) spread....

And talking about buffets & hotel dinners : WHAT HAPPENS to un-finished food..?? I ask this every year to the hotel sales reps when organising our company dinner? Can we 'ta-pau' (pack & take home) the leftovers? NO! "We have to throw them away... company policy.. health guidelines...", they say. Anyone who has attended a wedding dinner can attest to the huge amount of food served (it is expected - any less will get complains from the guests) and groom who pays for it will attest to the huge $ tag!!

Although, in all fairness, smaller restaurants will usually arrange for extra food to packed & distributed to guests.

THEN, there are people who simply don't eat leftovers!! Not even if it's the previous meal. They simply throw the un-eaten food after every meal!

AND, what about those picky people who 'play' with their food or just 'dig a hole' in their lunch (eat a bit) and leave the rest on the plate because just because it is not to their liking or it has turned cold.

AND.. those who just cannot refuse FREE (or free-flowing like in a buffet) food... they must pile their plate with everything their 'eye' desires and then abandon it once they are full... Just because they paid for it, they must take as much as possible...

One NOT SO HEALTHY, but..... YUMMY treat!!

2008-03-30T11:41:00.009+08:00

If you go to the roadside 'goreng pisang' (banana fritters) stall, you get the usual deep fried sliced bananas, sweet potatoes & yam. I came across this stall in Pandan Indah (in front of the former Fajar Dept store, now The Store).

Guess what this is !!

"KREPEK DAUN BAYAM " (Spinach Leaf Fritters)

Take note, though... you don't always get it at the stall because they operate alternate weeks ('time share' with another vendor). I got it on the Nike event Sat (22 Mar 2008). They will also not fry this during the 'cempedak' season, ie. when they fry cempedak, they can't fry the spinach -- something to do with a difference in temperature!!

More durian cakes! (2)

2008-03-22T09:30:00.012+08:00

Durian, an acquired taste! As mentioned before I don't eat durians but I was attracted to this little shop "HAPPY MEAL", near Petaling Street, by the sheer smell of its durian butter cake! Its at the traffic light junction where you can find the large Popular Book shop, Hotel Malaya, flower boutique (wholesale).

It had freshly baked cakes & tarts (I saw them mixing the batter & baking it, right behind the cashier). .... I got carried away and bought durian butter cake, banana butter cake, plain butter cake (all@ RM1 per slice- worth it); durian tart, almond tart (@RM 2.50- a bit pricey there); durian cream puff (@RM2.40 per pack of 6 pcs), pineapple tart, chocolate cake slice and mixed bean tart.
My friends loved it, especially the durian butter cake & durian cream puff.. It had REAL DURIAN pieces inside, not just the bottled 'essence/flavour'! Only one problem... I wanted to buy some for the Arts & Crafts Guild AGM mentioned in the Crazeepatches craft blog. http://crazeepatches.blogspot.com/

I went at 11.30am .. the durian cakes where not ready.... I hanged around until 12.00noon... it was not baked yet... maybe 12.30, they said! Well, I had to go to work, ... so no cakes :(

I went @12.00 noon a couple of days later... again they said.. may be later in the afternoon... My friend went in the afternoon and .... Oh! it's all sold out!! Apparently, they only bake one large square of the cake a day!!

So, durian lovers and butter cake lovers... Try your luck when you are nearby, around lunchtime! It's a hit with the tourists too! One American backpacker I spoke to bought a slice of banana butter cake. When I recommended to him the durian cake, he said has tried durians & liked it, but wanted to try the banana cake (or maybe his GF didn't like durian). However, minutes later, they were back.. to try the durian butter cake !!! One more plus for tourism !!

How to cut a pineapple, "Malaysian Style"

2008-03-14T01:21:00.019+08:00

The pineapple, with all its spiky, rough & tough exterior actually masks a delicious, juicy interior for all who venture to try it!

But how do you get at the flesh inside?? How do you cut it??

One way --- is to hold it by its crown (you may need to use an oven glove/dish towel, to avoid cuts from its spiky leaves) and just slice thickly the outer skin. Then you have the 'eyes'. You could slice until the eyes are gone, but so is the flesh!! Nothing much left to eat, then!!

We (my mom, fruit sellers,...), normally will slice diagonally and remove a few 'eye' at a time. keep turning the pineapple around in one hand. This keeps as much as the flesh intact and makes a lovely design once you finish!!

You can cut it into rounds or lengthwise. If lengthwise, you can slice off the hard stem.

Martha's way : I saw on Martha Stewart's Show a 'strange' way (to us Malaysians-lah!) of removing the eye's. She just digs out the eyes using a small melon-baller (you know, the one used to scoop watermelon flesh into small balls). Left unsightly holes in the pineapple... However, slice the pineapple into thin (as thin as possible) round slices and BAKE IT (yes!) until its dry & crispy and... Voila! you have lovely delicate pineapple flowers. She used it to top small cupcakes using the Hummingbird recipe (a banana & pineapple cake).

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/dried-pineapple-flowers?lnc=5a79cf380e1dd010VgnVCM1000005b09a00aRCRD&rsc=recipecontent_food

Caesar's Birthday Cake

2008-03-02T00:43:00.011+08:00

Happy Birthday !!

Caesar is two years old!

This is his cake --->

... a tulip shaped, peanut butter carrot cake !!

See him enjoy his cake at http://petcrazee.blogspot.com/

One-pot Lunch - Chinese Drunken Chicken (I did it my way...)

2008-02-17T19:43:00.019+08:00

Looking through my piles of recipes for a chicken dish, I realised that all the recipes require tons of added oil, spices, sauces, marinades, etc... which got me thinking - "How then do we get to taste the real chicken?" Many people complain that the chickens nowadays have no taste. So they drench it with sauce, coat it, fry it,... I say STOP!!

Too much and your taste buds will be over-powered. So you need even more, to feel the taste. (Think, added calories, preservatives, cavities). That's probably why, some people automatically pour chillie sauce or soy sauce onto anything they eat. They say it tastes better. I say, "They may just as well eat just the sauce!

CONCEPT : Let's go back to the basics. This is inspired by watching Martha Stewart cook. She often just sprinkles a pinch of salt & pepper to bring out the natural flavour of her the ingredients in her dishes. So for lunch today, I took a quarter chicken (breast & wing part). Trimmed the fat, removed all skin from the neck area, leaving only some skin near the wings. I rubbed some salt & pepper into the chicken and left it while I prepare the ingredients - a few slices of ginger, 6 kei chee (gooseberres) and washed a bunch of baby spinach (don't cut it, leave it long - it's only about 6-8"). I like to add some canned mushroom (I used scallop mushrooms, this time) and some Chinese cooking wine (Shao Hsing Hua Tiao Chiew).

SLOW COOKING : I placed the chicken, skin-side down, in the pot and added a quarter cup of boiled water, kei chee, mushrooms and a tablespoon of cooking wine. Placed the pot on an electric cooker (steamboat pot/ ricecooker / slow cooker) and closed the lid. Slowly cook (simmer) it until the chicken breast (thickest part) is cooked and it will be tender. By cooking slowly with just a little water and a closed lid, it will be more of a steaming process and the chicken will retain much of its flavour!

ADD CARBS : We've got protein from the chicken, sweetness from kei chee, subtle flavour from ginger & wine - so to balance it off, drop a bunch of baby spinach whole into the pot. Cover it and 'steam' it for a few minutes and your DONE! All in ONE POT!

ADD-ON #1 : No patience to wait for the SLOW-COOKING? (watched pot, never boils, they say!).... WELL, ME TOO - So, while waiting, I cut some purple brinjal (eggplant) lengthwise and scored it to better absorb the olive oil. Arrange it in one layer on a 'seasoned' non-stick pan, drizzle some olive oil on each piece and heat the pan on a slow fire. Turn over when one side is slightly grilled. It's done, once the pieces become soft. Be careful not to burn it!

ADD-ON #2 : I had some pineapple paste leftover (from making pineapple tarts) and some milk, so what can I do with them? First thought - pancake?? But that takes time .... (lazy Sunday, lah!) so I created my own "Pineapple Baked Sandwich" !

Make the batter : In to a large bowl, sift 1 cup plain flour with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (or just use 1 cup self-raising flour) + 1 cup wholemeal flour (for added fibre and texture) + 1 pinch of salt + 1 pinch of cinnamon powder (if you have). Pour bit by bit, 1 small packet of low fat milk into the centre and slowly stir from the inside out, to get a smooth paste or else it will be lumpy! Break 1 egg into the mixture and stir. Add 25g of butter (melted) and stir. Finally add 10 coarsely pounded/chopped almonds (or any nuts you like).

Prepare baking pan : I used to line pans with tracing paper but I learned an easier way (when I ran out of tracing paper, one day!). Take a paper napkin to wipe the leftover melted butter and use it to grease the baking pan (a 5"x 8" pan). Sprinkle some flour onto the pan and tap it on its sides to spread a thin layer all around. You can pour the excess flour into the batter.

Baking it : Pour half of the batter and bake for 10 mins (180 degrees). Take it out and spread a layer of pineapple paste. Then, pour the balance of the batter and continue to bake another 15-20 mins or until you can smell it! Insert a toothpick into the centre and it it comes out clean, it's done! Take it out and leave for 10 mins to cool and keep its shape. Then use a butter knife to loosen the sides. Place a wire rack over it and invert. Leave to cool completely.

Notes:
Seasoned Pan : After spoiling so many non-stick pans, I finally managed to 'season' a small frying pan which I use solely for omelettes and pan frying. It's been some time ago, so I've forgotten how I managed to 'season' the pan but generally, we should oil a new 'non-stick' pan and leave a layer of oil (don't wash it off!) for sometime. NOW, I remember!! - After cooking an egg omelette in a lot of oil, I covered the pan and forgot about it for a few days! When I poured away the oil, there was a nice smooth layer surrounding the pan. So I heated it and managed to fry another omelette, this time with considerably less oil. So, after that I washed the pan but with only a little diluted detergent, so that it is still slightly oiled. I always cover it when not used.
Pineapple paste: You can buy ready made pineapple paste from the Baking specialty store (or supermarket) or make your own - it's easy but time consuming (stirring)! Grate 3 ripe pineapples, add 2 sticks of cinnamon (kayu manis) and stir in a pot over a slow fire. When almost dry, stir in 2 tablespoons of honey (I like the Cameron Highland Wild Honey) and some golden syrup (if you have) and 1 tablespoon (or according to taste) of brown sugar. Makes two rice bowls. It can be frozen in small containers, for later use.

Sift or whisk? : Sifting flour can be extremely messy!! I tried many type of sieves and finally found one convenient to use. Now, according to Martha Stewart, we can use a whisk instead! Why do we need to sift the flour ?? For making cakes, it is necessary, so that the cake will be light. Sifting dry ingredients together also helps to evenly mix the ingredients. BTW, a whisk can also be used in place of an electric beater to cream butter & sugar together for butter cakes.

25gm of butter : Don't you hate it when the recipe say's XX gm and you have to lug out the weighing scale just to measure one ingredient? Well, some sticks of butter have markings on the back of its wrapper in 50gm sections. That'll help!

Melted butter : How do you melt butter or chocolate ? Traditional way would be to stir it over another pan of hot water - messy! I just put the butter (or choc) in a small metal bowl and put it on top of any heat source - eg. on top of the oven, inside the oven (only a few minutes - must take care) or JUST found this out today ! -> place the little bowl on the cover of the SLOW-COOKING chicken in the pot. This will heat up the metal bowl and the butter within.

Brickfields food adventure

2008-02-17T19:13:00.013+08:00

During the Chinese New Year, I decided to take a stroll along Brickfields and I stumbled upon a place which sells 'puttu atta' and 'puttu ragi'.

Well, most of us are familiar with 'puttu mayam' - those strings of beehoon-like snack served with coconut shavings and brown sugar.

Well, there's also 'puttu bambu (bamboo)' where the powdery white rice mix is steamed with a few raisins in bamboo sections and 'puttu piring' where the mix is steamed in slightly flat metal plates with dark brown sugar inside.

Now, there's 'puttu atta' where the mix is wholemeal and 'puttu ragi' has a darker mix made of ragi (not sure what that is). Communication with the staff was difficult, punctuated with lots of head shaking and smiling.

However, they were nice enough to let me take some photos. One even offered to pose for me!! Guess they are used to 'tourists' (ha, ha)!

Notice the unique steaming 'towers' too! The mix is stuffed into the long towers and placed over the base in the stove.

Mud cakes vs Chinese New Year cookies

2008-02-09T11:48:00.004+08:00

It's a sobering thought! At this time, when everyone (in Malaysia) is worried about eating too much CNY cookies & goodies during their 'Open House' visits, there are people in this "modern-day, high technology" world who literally have to EAT cookies made out of MUD! Sadder to learn that they have no choice but to feed this to their children too!! The 'cookies' are made from yellowish dirt, salt & vegetable shortening.

Do read this article and REMEMBER to be GRATEFUL that WE CAN CHOOSE WHAT TO EAT, unlike some:

Poor Haitians Resort to Eating Dirt
By JONATHAN M. KATZ – Jan 29, 2008
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — It was lunchtime in one of Haiti's worst slums, and Charlene Dumas was eating mud. With food prices rising, Haiti's poorest can't afford even a daily plate of rice, and some take desperate measures to fill their bellies. Charlene, 16 with a 1-month-old son, has come to rely on a traditional Haitian remedy for hunger pangs: cookies made of dried yellow dirt from the country's central plateau.
(excerpt from)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hcJ474CjaJGOUznskl4ZgTHdpxUAD8UFQVR00

Fancy any durian pastries ? (1)

2008-02-02T10:11:00.004+08:00

Just saw this in the Star online video section.

http://videos.thestar.com.my/default.aspx?vid=876 76

Do try this out and let me know... I don't like durians, so no way am I trying this. But to those durian 'fans' it should be a real treat !!

For some peace & quiet, to contemplate your meal!

2008-01-26T05:06:00.008+08:00

My favourite spots are :

EDEN CAFE @ Amcorp Mall
- sit in the long padded bench, inside, furthest away from the counter.
I once seeked refuge from the hustle & bustle of the Sunday Flea Market and ducked into this cafe which serves a fairly decent ciabatta (type of Italian bread) Cajun chicken sandwich. I had chamomile tea, which is said to be soothing. Note: No more ciabatta sandwich. Now - Beef salami on Focaccia (Italian bread made with olive oil & oregano herb)

Service was friendly and non-obtrusive. I could feel comfortable enough to take out my book for a short read. There were only a few customers. Since the sandwich was to come with potato chips, I casually asked the male waiter if I could change it for some fresh veggie and he obliged with an understanding smile. Thumbs up for service! The female waiter politely commented that she liked my purse (it had an unusual feature) and the lady in the next table also noticed it, so there was some light conversation before I left, feeling refreshed & happy!! :))

TARBUSH @ Ampang Point
A Lebanese / Middle Eastern restaurant which started as a kiosk in the same mall. Its was very popular. A few years later, it expanded into a restaurant (and another in Bkt Bintang, I think). I had falafel sandwich which is chickpea (kacang kuda) patties deep fried and wrapped in the Arabic flat bread stuffed with salad leaves and a touch of hummus (blended chickpea paste). Served with some onion pickles, and French fries which I declined and the cook gave me a weird stare!

I also tried the 'Wara Ainab' which is flavoured rice wrapped in pickled wines leaves and steamed. Makes a good appetiser! I once saw it being made on TV during one of those Ramadan cooking shows. To compliment the meal, I ordered the Arabic tea, which is hot black tea poured into a cup with some mint leaves in it. A nice refreshing taste! I once had it with some honey at another restaurant.

It's quite a good place to hang out too. They have an interesting a decor : dark 3-D mural of Arabic pots and jars lining the whole beige wall, and two wooden camels in attendance! Service is average but obliging. I (being a bit finicky... not my usual self, I hope) asked for the menu a few times - wanted to try out the authentic dishes. Btw, a little tip : tabouleh is a parsley-based salad. You know, the type of parsley (dark green, small leaves) they use to garnish Western dishes. It has a strong taste and some (like myself) find it unpalatable!

ONAGI Japanese Restaurant (next to Hock Choon supermarket, opposite The Amp Walk & Sucasa)
The chef & owner formerly worked at Kampachi (THE Japanese restaurant most famous for its buffet-you have to book months in advance.. I was told some years ago) for more 10 years. Whenever I visit Japanese restaurants, I almost always order Saba Shioyaki and I have practically tasted the best & the worst of the lot. Onagi serves the best Saba Shioyaki I've ever had. The fish was fresh, and grilled to perfection - succulent inside & crisp on the outside, sealing in the juices. The portion was ample and the price was reasonable.

Although the waiters were young & inexperienced, the senior person at the counter was attentive. He recommended a potato salad to go with the fish but I felt the portion may be too filling, so he gave me a 'half' portion and charged half the price of that in the menu! Quite surprising. I've heard of half portions but never heard of any restaurants in KL implementing it. .. (maybe got to get out more... ha ha). ...The chilled potato salad was delicious, by the way.

Indian Vegetarian - by Brahmin chefs

2008-01-26T04:42:00.004+08:00

TRY THIS !

Bajji (Indian snack ala 'tempura')
Slices of potato, onion, bread, carrot coated in a red batter & deep fried.

Vegetable Kofta
An assortment of vegetables topped with a thick creamy gravy and a few cashew nuts. Not spicy at all.

There's a story behind how I ended up with both. Being a bit of a glutton, to accompany the one tosai I ordered, I thought I'd try a side dish picked randomly from the menu - the Vegetable Kofta. The waiter informed the guys in the kitchen. There was some talk & movement in & out of the kitchen. After sometime, he came back & said that they couldn't make it because the cook was away. He recommended the bajji instead but it was deep fried, so I was hesitant but finally gave in as he was quite persuasive.

So, I tried the bajji, which was crispy but way too oily. I took only 1 1/2 of the 4 piece set and packed the rest. Then to my surprise, the kofta appeared! Apparently, the cook came back and saw the order. So I tasted a bit of it- it was good - and packed the rest.

That reminds me - On an earlier visit, when I ordered Teh 'O' kurang manis (tea with no milk and less sugar), but I got teh halia 'O' (ginger tea with no milk) instead! Such, an adventure eating here - you never know what you'll get! Maybe that's why I keep going back there, ha.ha...

Set Lunch
They also have set lunches served in large metal trays lined with banana leaves. A mountain of white rice comes in a small oval platter placed in the centre of the tray, surrounded by 5 small cups of curried veg., 1 cup rasam (sour soup), 1 cup buttermilk, 1 cup payasam (sago & milk dessert), 2 small deep-fried salted dry chillies & 1 piece of pappadam.

As I was cutting down on carbo, I had to ask them to reduce the enormous rice portion, twice. It was still quite a lot but I gave up trying to lessen it. The guys just could not believe it and I didn't want to be a difficult customer.

Lunch is served only from 12 noon. So, I can only have the set lunch on weekends or public holidays. Tosai & snacks like bajji, samosa and vadai are available throughout the day. There's also supposedly a healthier version of the (rice) tosai - 'atta tosai', made of wholemeal flour like in a chappati. But it was quite a letdown as the atta tosai turned out to be a rubbery pancake.

Shop : Bakti Woodlands, Jalan Leboh Ampang (opposite BSN)

Low carb (no-starch) meal : My weekend dinner

2008-01-26T02:54:00.004+08:00

Menu : OVEN-ROASTED FISH & GREEN SALAD WITH BALSAMIC DRESSING

PREPARING THE FISH
In the rectagular oven pan, marinate the fish (two fish tails) with a little salt & kunyit (tumeric) powder & curry powder for at least an hour. You can grate some ginger into the marinate, too- making it less fishy. Grating is much easier than cutting & pounding it. (Learned that from Jamie Oliver, the Naked Chef).

Roll the fish slices in a teaspoon of olive oil, if you like (olive oil is considered the 'good' oil). Makes the skin crispier when roasted.

Then arrange the slices top of a layer of sliced big onions & tomato. This is my way of preventing the fish from sticking to the roasting pan (easier to wash, la!) . Some people use aluminium foil but then again I think it is quite wasteful and some have health concerns about the aluminium in it. BTW, I once bought a pack of aluminium foil and opened it. It smelled funny and upon inspection, suffice to say that it was not clean. I suspect the pack left was opened for sometime & someone later re-sealed & sold it! Buyer beware..

Arrange some slices onions on top of the fish too. Then when roasted, it will be crispier and sweet! I roast the fish in my small oven for around 20-30 min on 180 degrees. How do you know if its done? My unconventional way is to use the 'Nose' test. If a delicious smell comes from the oven, then most probably it's cooked! However, if you smell something burning -- oh-oh!

Alternatively, you can also use an oven-toaster but for smaller fish slices. Small ovens, I believe are more energy efficient if you are roasting only 2 slices of fish!

PREPARING THE SALAD
I don't like to use the iceberg lettuce (a common salad veg.) as it practically has no taste. A better tasting veg. would be the baby Romaine (as in the photo), commonly known as 'Yau Mak'. After washing, you must remove as much water from the leaves as possible. There are many ways to do this, the conventional & the wacky!. The normal way would be to just flick each leaf to remove the water (make sure no one's standing beside you, though :)) or you can dab it with a clean kitchen towel (now, don't waste by using paper towels!). Or you can follow, Mr. Bean and put into a sock, hold one end and spin it. There's actually a gadget (which Martha Stewart uses) called the salad spinner.

I just put them in a plastic container, hold the lid over it with a slight gap, then turn the container upside-down and shake the leaves inside. The little gap will allow excess water to flow out! Close the lid tightly and it can keep fresh & crispy for many days.

Tear each leave into 2-3 parts and place in a bowl. For dressing, I just drizzle a little extra virgin oil and some balsamic vinegar and toss. Add a sprinkle of fine salt & black pepper. The black pepper should be freshly ground to have that nice peppery aroma but after having used & broken 2 pepper grinders, I resorted to pounding a bunch of black peppercorns in a mortar and storing it in a small container.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER
Once the fish is cooked, put it on one side of a large dinner plate, add the salad on the side and scoop the onions & tomatoes which should be a well-cooked and juicy & spicy, on to the salad. If it is hot, it will slightly blanch the salad leaves, which is fine if you don't really like raw veg.

Use a knife & fork, and you will have a quick, elegant dinner to enjoy which has protein (fish), carbohydrate & nutrients (veg., onion & tomato) and some fish oil & olive oil.

If you are having one of those 'dinner in front of the TV' nights, then break up the fish and put on top of a plate of salad, top with the onion/tomato gravy. Sprinkle a bit of black pepper to perk up the dish. Then you can eat with one hand while glueing your eyes to the TV!

Washing up : 1 oven tray, 1 bowl, 1 dinner plate, 1 grater, 1 fork & 1 knife.

P.S. Oops, just realised that my salad (on the plate) is made with 'Butterhead' salad leaves instead. Tastes great too and not too expensive.