Tuesday, January 24, 2012

REUNION DINNER 2012

This year, the Chinese New Year's Eve Reunion Dinner was held at my house as my mother in law was not feeling well.

Nothing elaborate or complicated but the usual traditional fare which every household will be having.


I took out the special tableware set for the dinner- used only once a year.
The big bowl ready for the yee-sang.



Steamed Kampong Chicken- steamed for just around 20 minutes with rice wine, salt and pepper. Roasted Pork which was bought very early in the morning.


From front: Stir fry Baby Kailan; Yee Seng at the back.



Sweet Sour Pork, Braised Mushroom with Pig Trotters and Chicken feet, Steamed Pomfret.
Glad that most of the food was finished off except the rice - well it can be kept over the new year, so that we will have a bountiful following year.









Thursday, January 19, 2012

FRIED ASSAM LAKSA

After a week of shifting to the new office and Chinese New Year celebrations, finally got the chance to do some updating here.


In the midst of the Chinese New Year shopping, we went to the Restoran Hakka Marbles in Taman Len Seng for dinner.

This unpretentious restoran is minimal furnished but the place is always full at mealtimes. You have to go early if you do not want to wait more then half hour.

The menu is limited and their signature dish is this Pumpkin Hakka Marbles. ( Hakka Abacus)


The "abacus" are served with a generous helpings of minced meat and wooden fungus. However you can't really taste the pumpkin and they tender to be a bit on the soft side and more chewy. I prefer the original yam version which my sister Jennifer is an expert at making.



The next popular dish is their Fried Pak Gor (Rice cake) Hokkien style. The thick dark soya sauce with bits of the lard is utterly delicious.


Of course when you are there, you got to try their Fried Assam Laksa.



It is hot and spicy and it could pass as a dry version of the Assam Laksa. Very tasty.




This is the view just outside the restoran- you cannot see them but you can hear them alright. The chirping of the birds rises to a crescendo as night falls. The chinese believe that these birds bring luck and business to the place- no wonder the place is "ong" (good luck)!















CHINESE NEW YEAR COOKIES

These are my family favourite selection of Chinese New Year cookies. They are a must every year.






Mandarin oranges - This was a gift from my eldest brother - Taiwanese mandarin oranges -juicy and sweet.



Must have something sweet- sweetened preserved lotus root, lotus seeds, coconut, lime, carrot plus some others which I am not sure- each denoting some good blessings.



My very own creation- Mamakaries- very happy with the cookies this year especially the red cupliners - such a cheerful and festive presentation.



My favourite - Peanut Puffs - to be savoured at leisure after the CNY. Besides the almost empty bottle of Kuen Bangkit- favourite of Esther and Sarah.



Fried Arrowroot crisps with my own peanut cookies behind.



Last but not least of course the meat jerky- bak kua- what is new year without them?

Even with the bad reviews they are still loved by everyone - at least for this time of the year!

















Wednesday, January 18, 2012

GONG HEE FATT CHOY



WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS CHINESE NEW YEAR.

More blogging after the festive break- enjoy yourself.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

ENTER THE DRAGON

Went down to Pavillon to catch the festive mood on Friday evening. The mall was packed, the festive songs were playing and the crowds were jostling and you can feel the merriment in the air. The show stopper was this 600 ft dragon - it is majestic!

Another dragon window display on one of the shoplots. Fantastic !



Outside it was drizzling but the bears are all smiling to welcome you!




Met "Choi Sun" (God of Fortune) and cannot wait to get close for some luck to rub off to me.





The lions are also out -doing brisk business even before the Chinese New Year.
Ater this trip, already warming up to the coming Chinese New Year.
















BANANA LEAF RICE AT RESTORAN KANNA

Last weekend, my daugther Sarah gave me a lunch treat. She took me to Restoran Kanna, Section 17, Petaling Jaya for a banana leaf rice. She and her friends often come here for their lunch as it is nearby her college.



My sister who has lived in around Section 17 after her marriage told me that this restoran has been around for a long time so this must be the 3rd or 4th generation management now.




They even created this alfresco space opposite the restoran. However it started to rain, so everyone moved into the restoran. "Everyone" here happens to be mostly Chinese family out for brunch.


We sat down and waited for a few minutes, trying to catch the attention of the waiters. They seem very busy weaving in and out around us but not catching our eye!

Finally after taking our order, the waiter put down a piece of banana leaf in front of us.


Next, he gave us condiments of vegetables curry, radish with lentils and the cucumber pickles.



I like the way the waiters each know and do their part. Rice was ladled by another waiter and he seems to continue doing that until we told him to stop! Next round came the papadums. Thus complete the basic banana leaf rice.


These tiny buckets holds the gravy/curry for the rice. Fish curry, chicken curry and dhall curry and you can take as much as you- no limits here. There is no overpowering curry powder smell in these gravy and they are not too watery.


This side order of Fried Crispy Sotong and Onions seems to be a favourite as almost table has this. We also ordered their Masala Chicken. Both are very tasty and not too spicy.






I enjoyed the meal very much and I should have folded the leaf towards myself after finishing the meal to let the boss here know that I like the meal and will be back. To do as above would mean that I did not like the meal and will not be back. Guess I will be forgiven by the boss for my ignorance!



After the lunch, Sarah took me to another favourite stall - the rojak stall. Again this stall has been around for a long time.




I guess what makes a good rojak is the sauce. The sauce here is thick and full of peanuts.

The rest of the ingredients are fresh and same as everywhere.


The rojak stall is just opposite the Section 17 Wet market.




















Wednesday, January 11, 2012

New Year New hairdo

Chinese New Year coming, quick get a hairdo to cut away all the bad influences and to welcome the new and good blessing.

Don't know whether there is any truth in that, but that's what I did last weekend.


I had always been longing to have a "babydoll" hairstyle- straight bob with a bang in front. Old fashion maybe but to someone like me who have born with curly hair, it has been impossible to get "straight smooth and silky hair" (you see how we can be so influenced by those advertisements).


Thank for the advance technology, it is now no longer a dream. Rebonding - I know it is nothing new now but this word is magic to my ears, my dreams come true.


At last I can get back my "babydoll" hair style - the one that my Mother designed for us!

After every school holidays just before the new term start, my mother could gather all of us and cut our hair one by one. She donned the cloth around us and could start cutting with the pair of special scissors - not much of hair designing- just below our earlobes and straight around with a bang across our forehead.

I don't know why, but at that time I really hated it. Not so much the hair do, but the process of cutting especially when she started to shave at the end of the hair line at back of the neck. I felt so itchy and the sensation is like someone is walking over my grave! I would be squirming and inched my head away from the shaver- just cannot stand the sensation. After that the back of our neck felt so raw and painful !

Mother was our hairstylist till we reached our Form 5. After that I have tried all sorts of hairstyles even afro hairdo when it was the rage of the 70's together with those bell-bottom pants!


Well the "old" is the "new". At the core of my heart, I always had a tender spot for this hairstyle so I have do it ok.

I sat for almost 4 hours and paid RM180.00 for it. This is my most expensive hair styling cost but I know that there are more expensive hairstyling programme around that can costs hundreds of dollars.



Nobody told me that it is going to be hot (electric tongs were used) and painful (your hair get to be pulled with those tongs from the roots to the tip). I think it is the static electricity caused by the tongs that you feel the prickling sensation.


I am not sure whether this hair style suits me as I have been getting responses like "what happened to your hair?" haha


Is it worthwhile? Definitely yes- I had managed to get one item off the Must-do List for this year.

So, happily welcoming the year of the dragon. Now I must get my new dress to match the hairstyle.

Monday, January 2, 2012

A BLESSED 2012 TO EVERYONE. MAY YOU ALL BE HAPPY AND HEALTHY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.



Yes, I am back from my pineapple tarts making marathon. But I am happy with the accomplishment and thank you everyone for their support.



Meanwhile there is another "marathon" going on in the office. It is confirmed that we will be shifting our office next week, so you can imagine all the packing and upheavals.

And Chinese New Year is coming too- busy, busy.busy.....