Dr. Lee Su Kim's book launch "Kebaya Tales"

Last Saturday, I attended my dear friend Dr. Lee’s launch event for her new book “Kebaya Tales” which was held here in Kuala Lumpur at the Textile Museum.

Dr. Lee Su Kim's new book "Kebaya Tales"

It was a great event and we were entertained and enlightened by a kebaya fashion show that showcased several young beautiful nyonya ladies in attractive and colorful kebayas. According to Dr. Lee, the nyonyas and babas of Malaysia and Singapore are a unique ethnic group which originated 700 years ago when Chinese traders arrived in Malacca, the center of the Malacca Sultanate. As the "babas" (male) did not bring their women folk along with them, they intermarried with the local women. If you would like to know more about this interesting and unique culture, I recommend you read Dr. Lee’s book “Kebaya Tales”. She has also authored 8 other very interesting books. Here is the link to her website if you would like to check out her other books. www.leesukim.net. I also recommend that you read the book "Nyonya in Texas" and I can almost guarantee you will not want to put it down until you finish it. I finished the book the day I started it! When I read it the second time, I still got the chuckles! Dr. Lee is an engaging observer and recorder of the experiences she has had in her life. In her new book, she gives us insight into this culture group through fascinating fictional stories reflecting her actual experiences and her research into Peranakan culture.

After the formal launching of the book, attended and assisted by local dignitaries, we were treated to the kebaya fashion show, which was truly "eye candy" for all who were present.

The Nyonya Kebaya is a beautiful, translucent, figure-hugging embroidered blouse worn with a batik sarong by nyonyas. A nyonya kebaya is not only intricate in design, they are extremely colorful. As the embroidery are hand made, I view it as work of art. It is indeed a traditional costume that is timeless. It is an attire suitable for all occasions and they make the lady look elegant, feminine, alluring, sensual and glamorous. Furthermore, it is fashionable for all ages. However, an authentic nyonya kebaya tends to come with a price tag that is not within the budget of many people. One set of kebaya (blouse and sarong) will cost at least RM700.00 (US$250.00) and above depending on how much embroidery is involved.

Lovely Nyonyas in a row

Aren't they beautiful?

Look at the intricate embroidery on the kebaya blouses - LOVELY!

Look at the embroidery in the blouses... fabulous!

Look at these lovely sarongs, which feature the Batik designs that are traditional in Southeast Asia but are world renowned for colorful inventiveness.

I love Nyonya food, and one dish that is so simple to make yet extremely delicious, is for Birthday occasions. It is called simply Nyonya Birthday Mee and most Malaysians are familiar with this popular dish. Noodles are normally served at birthday celebrations because they are considered a symbol for longevity, the association being the obvious - long noodles, long life. Today was a test run of this dish for me as I've not made it before. I am happy to report that the outcome was great (as certified by Stitch). My mum's birthday is around the corner, I think I will make this again on her birthday and surprise her.

Larglely adapted from Vivien Quahe-Seah’s Cookbook titled “Food for Thought”

Nyonya Birthday Mee (Fried Noodles), and a fruit/chili side salad, Nyonya Style

Serves 2

Main Ingredients:

10 medium prawns with shell removed and reserved

1.5 cloves garlic, pounded

1 1/2 tsp tau cheo, (fermented soya bean sauce) pounded

1 ½ lbs Shanghai noodles, (or your favorite egg noodle) boiled to al dente, drained and soaked in a cool bath

2 cups taugay (bean sprouts)

20 medium size tua tow (clams)

2 ozs chye sim, (choy sum), washed and cut into bite size pieces

Make 1 ½ cups stock from prawn shells - Simmer prawn shells in 2 cups of water with a bit of salt until reduced by 1/2 cup.

Ingredients for Seasoning:

A dash of white ground pepper

A dash of sugar

Ingredients for Garnishing:

1 egg

1/2 cup shredded cucumber without skin and seed vein removed

4 medium shallots, diced

2 stalks coriander parsley

1 fresh red chilli

Method for Preparing Garnish:

Beat eggs and fry in wok with a little oil, swirling the wok to make egg into a thin omelette. Shred the omelette finely. Fry sliced shallots in oil till golden brown and drain oil completely. Wash parsley and pluck into sprigs. Wash and slice red chillies finely.

Method for frying noodles:

Heat oil in wok and fry garlic and tau cheo till fragrant. Add prawns and fry till cooked. Add stalk of chye sim (choy sum) and fry for 2 mins followed by the leaves stir fry till half cooked . Add tua tow (clams), ½ cup stock and tua tow have opened up. Add in taugay (bean sprout), noodle and balance of stock and fry till cooked. Add ground white pepper and sugar. Mix well and add garnishing and serve hot.

Note: We recommend serving the noodles with sambal belacan (buh lah chan), pineapple, and cucumber salad.

Sambal Belacan Pineapple and Cucumber Salad

Sambal Belacan 

Nyonya pineapple & cucumber salad

Ingredients:

(A)

30g toasted belacan crumbled (belacan is a shrimp paste available in most Asian markets)

250g fresh red chillies, washed and diced

12 shallots

1 head (bulb) garlic

(B)

1 tbs sugar

2 tbs lime juice

(C)

1 tsp oil

salt to taste

(D)

½ cucumber, diced without the center

¼ pineapple diced

Method for making sambal belacan:

Put A in blender and pulse till mixture is slightly course. Add B and mix well. Heat oil and add mixture. Stir fry till fragrant and the color of chili mixture turns darker red. Add salt to taste

Method for making the salad:

Toss D with 2 tbs of sambal belacan until well mixed and let it sit in the fridge for 1 hour before serving.

Note: store the balance of the sambal belacan in the fridge for use later.

Frosted Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie

Posted by Quay Lo:

There are many recipes for a peanut butter brownie on the internet and I won’t claim that this one is the best. However, this recipe is a very quick and easy approach that yields a delicious result and it is one that we guessed at as we went along. We were challenged to come up with a worthy dessert recently, but were given very short notice. We had little time on our hands to prepare. This is the result of starting with a boxed brownie mix and ending with a far richer and more interesting dessert.

The box recipe called for adding 2 eggs, ¼ cup water, and ½ cup vegetable oil. Stir all, bake at 350°F (175°C) for 40 minutes, and joila!...a very quick pan of brownies. This would yield, according to the instructions on the box, the “fudgy” version of the branded mix. There was also a cake-like version that called for 3 eggs, instead of two. Here is our version:

You will need:

A medium mixing bowl, a food processor or blender, a small bowl, a mixing fork, a measuring tablespoon, a rubber spatula, and an 8 inch by 8 inch baking pan, slightly oiled. For the frosting you will need a whisk, and a “bain marie” or a 1 quart sauce pan, and a metal bowl that fits in the mouth of the sauce pan such that an inch of water in the pan does not touch the bowl.

Ingredients:

One box of your favorite brownie mix

¾ cup smooth peanut butter 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1 egg 2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil 1 cup water

(for the topping see below)

Instructions for the brownies:

Set oven to 350°F (175°C)

Slightly oil an 8” by 8” baking pan and set aside. Place dry mix and walnuts in a medium mixing bowl.

Into a food processor add:

¾ cup smooth peanut butter

2-4 tablespoons cooking oil (or peanut oil if you have it)

Pulse until well mixed (using the third and fourth tablespoon of oil if needed) Remove contents to the mixing bowl that already holds the dry mix from the box.

In a small bowl, stir one egg with a fork and add to the mix.

From a cup of water, start by adding 3 tablespoons of the water to the mix and stir, adding spoonfuls of water as needed until the mix is well blended, (but not so liquid as to be pourable) Avoid using a whisk or an electric mixer. Instead use a mixing fork and avoid adding any air to the mix by a using a slower, more deliberate motion.

Using a spatula, transfer the contents of the mixing bowl to the oiled 8” by 8” baking pan, spreading evenly across the pan.

Bake at 350° F (175°C) for 35 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to completely cool.

Ingredients and instructions for the frosting:

In a one quart sauce pan add 1 inch of water. Select a metal mixing bowl that fits on top of the sauce pan without touching the water below. At medium high heat, boil the water.

When the water is boiling place the metal bowl on top and add:

2 ounces (60 grams) of dark chocolate, broken into pieces

2 tablespoons of chili oil (this really punches up the frosting. Don't worry, it won't be a spice burn.)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon of thick cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 heaping tablespoons of icing (powdered) sugar

Whisk ingredients together until the chocolate is melted and the ingredients well blended.

Remove the metal bowl and whisk briskly for 30 more seconds, incorporating air. Cover and set aside until completely cooled.

Notes: This should yield a shiny, thin frosting that spreads easily and should cover the baked brownie mix with a frosting that is approximately 1/4 inch (.75 cm) thick. If you want more adjust accordingly. Pictured is a 1/2 recipe version as we prefer less frosting.

We plated this with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and a maraschino cherry, and used some of the cherry syrup to splash around for color.

Cornbread, Sage Stuffing by Quay Lo and Quay Po

This dish was product of a joint effort from Quay Lo and Quay Po.

At its heart, this is southern (U.S.) style cornbread stuffing. Yet it starts with a classic mirepoix and just gets better from there, depending on your flair and your taste on the day you make it. It may be too late for this Christmas, how about keeping it for the next?

You will need a frying pan, a two quart covered casserole or a large loaf pan, a large mixing bowl and a baking pan for cornbread.

Cornbread:

Ingredients:

(A)

1 C corn meal

1 C plain flour

¼ C sugar

1 tbs baking powder

1 tsp salt

(B)

1/3 C vegetable oil

1 egg

1 C milk

Method:

Preheat oven to 200C or 400F. Grease 8 inches square pan. Combine (A).  Add (B). Pour blend into prepared pan.  Bake for 20 – 25 mins.

Stuffing:

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups (approx 340 grams) onions finely diced

¾ cups (170 grams) celery finely diced

¾ cups (170 grams) carrots finely diced

3 tablespoons (42 grams) butter

½ cup fresh sage, finely chopped

½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

3 tablespoons (50 grams) freshly chopped thyme

3 cups (450 grams) cornbread, broken into pieces

8 slices white sandwich bread, toasted to lightly brown, in an oven and allowed to dry. Break into crumbs (don’t just allow bread to air dry. Toasting is added caramelization for your recipe.)

¾ cup chopped chestnuts

1 cup (approx 130 grams) dried cranberries

1 large egg slightly beaten

1 cup chicken stock

Method:

After the cornbread and bread crumbs are made it is time to prepare the mirepoix. So called the “holy trinity” of French cooking, it is nothing more than a mix of the carrots, celery, and onion, sweated in the frying pan on medium-low heat, with the butter. Avoid browning the butter or the vegetables. By now, your kitchen will have all those wonderful smells of the mirepoix and you will understand why so many great French dishes start out this way.

In a large bowl add bread crumbs and corn bread crumbs, and toss together.

Add the parsley, sage, and thyme as well as the chestnuts and cranberries, tossing all until well distributed.

Add the mirepoix mixture with all of the butter and toss again.

Salt and pepper to taste

Add the egg until well distributed.

Just a bit at a time, add the chicken stock, just until the mixture can easily be shaped with a spoon into a ball.

Slightly oil the casserole and gently spoon and press the stuffing mixture into the dish.

Bake covered for 35 minutes

Note: I like to use loaf pans and double the recipe. I freeze the second loaf taking care to seal tightly with plastic wrap, and again with a layer of aluminum foil. May be kept in your freezer for up to six months and is wonderful to have on hand to accompany roasted chicken, pork chops, or ham.

I laughed out loud. Read and I promise you will too.

I want to go "off topic" with something that still makes me laugh when I read it and I thought you might enjoy it too. My Quay lo travels extensively due to his business and the note below is what he wrote in an email to his daughter, who had shared an article on airport security with us one morning. The article was about the growing inconvenience and hassle of security checks when we travel, and highlighted the emerging use of revealing xray equipment. Stitch is specifically responding to his daughter's statement that she just grins and bears it because it is far better than no security.

My Quay Lo wrote:

*** You know, that is exactly how I survive the ordeal. I just keep telling myself that it is one of the signs of the time. If I rant, I rant to myself. Other then that, I just “bend over”, and occasionally say things like, “enjoy yourself?” or “could I get a copy of the picture?” to make it more lighthearted. I once had a female air security person, who had visions that she was Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry. She seemed intent on stripping me piece by piece. First it was remove the shoes. Then it was take out the wallet. Then it was remove the jacket. Then it was remove the belt…at which point I said “Hey, are we playing strip poker??!! Bcuz, I don’t have any cards”. The guy behind me laughed out loud but “Dirty Harriett” kept in character and only scowled. So I shut up and consoled myself that at least I gave one guy a laugh.

One of my regrets is that travel has become so tedious and wearying. Seats are smaller as my ass grows bigger. Leg room is shorter as my knees get stiffer. Meals are rarely a notch above animal feed. Toilets are barely large enough for me to stand up straight in. Passengers are ruder than ever before. Every time I schedule another flight I tend to want to say to myself “crap…another airport, another crappy airline, another hotel that will find 1,000 ways to irritate me”, and I remember how it used be a that each trip I took was preceded with a sense of excitement and adventure. Sometimes with these thoughts, I fall into one of those internalized curmudgeon rants about the “good old days” and "ain't it awful". Usually I jatr myself out of this reverie, realizing that isn’t really true, so I try to catch myself. The fact is that every face I see represents a new opportunity to learn something, and a new opportunity to make a friend. Not long ago I sat next to an Arabic businessman and we had one of the most congenial conversations two people could have. I have had, in my life, a thousand experiences like that. I once was behind a pregnant woman who fell backwards while climbing the stairs to the plane entry. (some problem with the gateway had forced the airline to bus us to the plane and enter this way). I caught her and managed to get her back on her feet. She was so gracious in her thanks that I felt good. But as I reached the plane’s hatch, the flight attendant said “great catch, sir”. The crew then went on during the flight to give me very attentive service. It made my day.

There are still great things out there to experience. And great places to discover. You can’t have these experiences sitting at home, I know that. So I think contemplating a trip becomes a question of overcoming inertia.”

Congrats, my dear, for overcoming yours, though that has always been a skill for you. You are one of those bubbly people that just see pleasure and adventure in everything. That makes me very proud and I hope it will always be that way for you.

Love, Dad ***

When my Quay Lo returns from his travel, he is always glad that he is home. Even a simple sandwich, his usual request after a long return flight and it is late in the day, will make him very happy.

Ham Sandwich

Ingredients:

3-4 slices of shaved ham

2 pcs whole meal bread

3 slices of plum tomato

1 pc of Romanian lettuce

1 tbs mayonnaise, 
1/2 tbs Dijon mustard,
and a dash of black pepper

some corn chips

Method:

Assemble all the above, Simple enough?

Blueberry cream cheese tart

The holidays were a blur of time this year, at least partially owing to the fact that we spent a lot of time in the kitchen where time seems to pass so quickly. So we are still catching up on posting some of the recipes that starred on our table this year. This post is for the blueberry and vanilla cream cheese tart that is very simple. I did not make this, Quay Lo did.

You will need two medium sized mixing bowls, measuring cups & spoons, a blending fork, a 12 inch tart pan or, optionally, 4-5 individual shallow ramekins, very lightly buttered.

Optional: A food processor and electric mixer

Ingredients

Crust: (note: your favorite graham crust will do very well here, while we prefer the following sweetened crust for this tart)

1/2 cup (63 g) powdered sugar 

1 1/2 cups (188 g) all-purpose flour 

3/4 cup (170 g) butter, softened 

Filling:

6 ounces (170 g) cream cheese, at room temperature 

1 cup (126 g) powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream 

1/4 cup (56 g) castor sugar 

1 can blueberry pie filling

Directions

Crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

Combine powdered sugar, flour, and butter in a food processor, or combine in a mixing bowl with a blending fork until mixture is crumbly and less than pea sized and can easily be pressed into a ball between your hands. Roll out dough for an un-greased 12-inch tart pan or, cut dough ball into 4 equal parts and simply press each piece into individual, shallow, five inch ramekins, slightly buttered. Take care to press into indentations.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until lightly browned, using pie weights or dried beans to fill the crust, to prevent it from buckling. Allow to completely cool on a rack and remove the weights.

Filling:

In a large mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese with the powdered sugar using a fork or a mixer until thoroughly blended. Clean the mixer utensils for next step.

In a separate bowl, add the heavy cream and the caster sugar. Beat until soft peaks form.

Using a rubber spatula fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.

Spoon this mixture into the cooled pie shell and top it with blueberry pie filling or blueberry preserves. Refrigerate until well chilled and firmed. Serve with a sprig of mint leaf, thinly sliced strawberries if available, sliced maraschino cherries, or a dollop of whipped cream on top.

Chinese Rojak - A sweet memory with Mum

After so much of rich food from Christmas and New Year celebrations, it is a delight to have something light! ROJAK!

Rojak is just tossed salad of various fruits with belacan (prawn paste) dark sauce.  Different ethnic groups have different versions of "Rojak". The Chinese "Rojak" are mixture of cut up pineapple, cucumbers, guava, unripe papaya, green mangoes, bean sprouts and “youtiao” (dough fritters), and toss them with a sauce made of chilli, tamarind, lime and lime peel, and a prawn paste topped with lots of roasted ground peanuts is my favorite. The Malay version is about the same except that it contains tempeh (a patty made from cooked, fermented soya beans) and tahu goreng (fried bean curd). With Indian rojak, you usually choose which specific ingredients they would like.  These ingredients might include boiled diced potatoes, hard- boiled eggs, fried bean curd, vadai (fried dough with a chilli or prawn embedded in it) and fried squid, all served with a sweet chilli sauce.

Rojak has its origins in Indonesia where it is called ‘rujak’. A popular dish in east Java is rujak cingur which is similar to the Malay version of Singapore rojak except that it has a distinctive ingredient, cartilage from the nose of an ox (cingur). I have not had an Indonesian version of "Rojak" before.


I must share this sweet memory about me and Mum with you. When I was like 5 or 6 years old, we used to go to a place called "Old Town" in our hometown Ipoh to eat this heavenly dish.  We went there at least once a week until we moved to Kuala Lumpur when I was 9 years old but then whenever we return to visit our relatives in Ipoh, we never fail to pop by this rojak stall to have a big plate of it.    


This rojak stall had the most simplest set up. The tables and chairs were made up of wooden palettes. The rojak is truly special. The fruits and sauce were served separately. The sauce was divine and so far I have not tasted any that is even near after the old man passed away.  Everyone in my hometown knew about this rojak stall. People from abroad knew about it too. Yes, it was that famous!  It was also the most expensive rojak in Ipoh but no one complains because it was the best Chinese Rojak ever! 

Large adapted from Singapore Local Favorites:

Ingredients :

100g pineapple (rind removed)

100g yam bean (peeled)

100g green mangoes

100g young papaya

100g cucumber

50g bean curd puffs

50g dough fritters

1 tsp red ginger plant bud (bunga siantan - shredded)

150g roasted peanuts (ground)

50g bean sprouts (scalded)

Sauce:

4 tbsp prawn paste

1.5 tbsp lime juice

1/2 tbsp lime rind

5 tbsp sugar

some fresh chilies (ground finely)

Method :

Cut pineapple, yam bean, cucumber, green mangoes, young papaya, guava, bean curd puffs and dough fritters into pieces. Mix red ginger plant bud,  3/4 of the ground peanuts and all Sauce ingredients in large bowl. Add pineapple, yam bean, cucumber, green mangoes, young papaya, bean curd puffs and bean sprouts. Toss and mix well till ingredients are well-coated with sauce. Transfer to serving dish. Top with dough fritters and remaining ground peanuts and serve.

Red ginger plant bud is one of the "must have" in this Chinese-style rojak.  It adds a heavenly flavor to the dish. This is available at most wet markets.  One tip though, do not be stingy on ground peanuts because it is necessary to make this dish really tasty.

Rojak is a Malay word and what is means it "a mixture" or "a melting pot". It is also a popular salad of all kinds of local fruits unique to Malaysia and Singapore. ENJOY!

Pork & Duck Terrine with cranberries & hazel nuts - featured in Group Recipies (12/25/10)

If you are a regular reader, you already know that my hubby loves to cook and most of the western cuisine recipes are from him. He has been the main cook for our Christmas dinners the past several years but due to his back problem this year, he has to leave the cooking to me. However, he just could not stay away from the kitchen. While I was out doing some last minute Christmas shopping, he sneaked into the kitchen and cooked. When I returned home, I could smell the fragrance of food even before I opened our main door. Know what? He made this wonderful dish and he told me he thinks it is worth it even if his back hurts because of all the standing during the cooking. This is truly a dish filled with passion and I am sure this will 'WOW' our guests when served.

Pork and Duck Terrine with Liver

Before baking

Putting a heavy brick on top of the terrine to slough off some of the fat and make the terrine more dense

After baking

After it is removed from the loaf pan

Ingredients:

2 deboned duck breasts , about 300g/10oz each, skin on

200 g (approx 8 ounces) sliced bacon (can use pancetta)

700 g (approx 1 ½ pounds) pork shoulder, cubed

120 ml (1/2 cup) milk

3 shallot , roughly chopped

5 slices of day old bread

2-3 whole cloves

200 g pork, duck or chicken livers, roughly chopped

6 black peppercorns

2 teaspoons coriander seed

2 cloves of garlic

Generous pinch of ground cinnamon

1/2 cup Cognac

2 eggs, lightly beaten

75 g shelled nuts (chestnuts, pecans, walnuts, pistachios)

75 g (1/2 cup) dried cranberries

Method:

1. Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Put the duck breasts and skin in a shallow dish, then place in the hot oven for 20 minutes. Discard the shriveled bit of skin that remains, then pour the duck fat into a bowl to cool. Roughly chop the cooked duck meat and place in a large mixing bowl.

2. Roughly chop the pork, three slices of bacon, and liver to a coarse texture and mix with the chopped duck in the bowl.

3. Tear up the bread and soak in the milk for 5 minutes. 
Squeeze the milk out of the bread and put in a food processor with the shallots and garlic. Pulse the processor to get a coarse texture, then add to the bowl.

4. Grind the peppercorns, coriander seeds and cloves to a coarse powder (pestle and mortar works just fine). Stir in the cinnamon. Add the spices to the meat along with 4 tbsp reserved duck fat, the Cognac, the eggs, and 2 tsp salt. Mix together very thoroughly – the best way is to use your hands.

5. Lightly grease a 1-litre loaf pan. Line the pan with the bacon (or pancetta), slightly overlapping the slices and leaving enough overhanging the edges to cover the top.

6. Press half the mixture into the pan leaving a slight indentation down the middle. Scatter the pistachios and cranberries over all, then cover with the remaining meat mixture. Fold over the bacon strip and augment with more so as to cover the entire loaf. Cover the dish tightly with foil, then place all into a roasting tin. Pour boiling water into the tin to come halfway up the sides of the dish.

7. Bake for 2 hrs, remove foil, then bake for 15 minutes more to brown the top. When completely cooled, remove from pan and wrap in fresh foil and chill. For the best flavor, let the terrine chill in the fridge for at least 2 days before eating. The flavors will mature and blend.