Quay Po Cooks: lemongrass prawns

Showing posts with label lemongrass prawns. Show all posts

Friday, March 22, 2013

Moments

Recently, Nick made a musical video called “The Departure” introducing himself as a solo artist. A question that is often asked of him is “What inspires you?” People seem fascinated with the creative process. He answers “moments”.

Please click on picture to see the video

I agree with him. “Moments” inspire me too. First let me say what I mean by a "moment". After all, a moment can be any part of any day by its purest definition. For this discussion I use the word to suggest something special that occurs in a short space of time, something that is memorable, and usually in a good way or at least a compelling way. I love to reminisce about those good moments and, like many of us, I even conspire to try to make special moments. Anyone who has tried to do this will know that it isn't always successful and it seems that the very best and most memorable moments are ones that simply happen spontaneously. That doesn't stop us from trying though, does it? One "moment" that I decided to try to make was a surprise party that I threw for Nick on his 21^st birthday...

....and the speech that I made that evening.

Good evening everyone. My hope is that this a happy occasion for all of you, and I hope you will enjoy the good food, drinks, and the fellowship of your freinds on this occassion. Having said that I have to confess feeling a small note of sadness. That is because we are here to acknowledge and celebrate our son's 21st birthday. Of course that is a happy occassion and it is our practice to celebrate these milestones. Still, I have to acknowledge a slight tinge of regret in me to see my son come into manhood. Mothers know that when their sons move into their adulthood, the little boy is left behind, only to be recalled in our memories. No one can stop time, least of all me. But I will always cherish each and every memory of Nick's life and look foward as it continues to unfold.

Nick, we want you to know that your Dad and I couldn't be more proud of you. Of course it hasn't been all even sailing. Life does not deal out only pleasant, happy moments, but we have had our share of those and more. You have achieved many accomplishments and they are a credit to yourself, your drive, and your creativity. And of course, to the fine parenting skills of your capable parents. Ahem! So whatever lies ahead for you, we know you'll take to it with determination and you'll do well.

You know, the best 21st birthday present, in my mind, is to see your family and friends together and celebrating with you and I hope you're enjoying every bit of this moment.
The part of being a parent I value the most is the feeling of being comfortable together with you. There's no need to impress, exaggerate or get complicated. That means a lot to me and I value that ease we have together. Nick, you've never asked for much or caused us a lot of anguish. You're a friend to anyone and everyone, and you've grown up to becomee someone that is a pleasure to be with. I love that about you.

So I would like, on behalf of us all here, to wish you joy and happiness. So everyone, please raise your glasses to our very special son.

Ladies and Gentlemen: to Nick and Happy 21st Birthday!”

I did not cook or bake back then but if it were now, my gift for him will not be a party at a pub but one at home. And one dish I would cook for him for sure is this one that he loves.

Lemongrass prawns

Largely inspired by Chef Janny of Proud Janny Restaurant

Ingredients:

1 tbs oil

20 pics medium prawns, deveined with shell on

3 stalks of lemon grass, finely cut

3 to 5 red chilli padi, finely cut

1 tsp minced garlic
salt to taste

1 cup of evaporated milk or coconut milk

10 pcs curry leaves
parsley for garnish

Method:

Heat oil in pan on high heat. Saute garlic till fragrant and add lemongrass, curry leaves and chilli padi till lemongrass is soft. Add in evaporated milk or coconut milk and reduce heat to medium. Add in the prawns and let it cooked till the shells turn bright red. Scoop out the prawns on the serving plate and continue to let the sauce simmer to reduce to slightly thicker. Pour sauce over the prawns and serve immediately.

A LITTLE ABOUT THIS QUAY PO

Before I was married to my "Quay Lo" (Guaylo) husband, I did not know how to bake or cook. Subsequently I learned some baking and cooking Western cuisine from him, and providing his food for him launched an interest in cooking in general. Many of my Chinese friends and family told me that "Quay" is the wrong spelling for devil in Cantonese. The right spelling should be "Kwai" or "Guay". Well, somehow I like the spelling "Quay" better although I have to agree that it does not sound very Cantonese. Try asking a Westerner to pronounce "Kwai" and you will probably hear "Quay" haha. Whether is "Quay" or "Kwai" or "Guay, just know the devil woman is me when you see Quay Po Cooks. My hubby said if people pronounce "Quay" as "Key" is even better because I am the key to his heart. LOL!

Only now, have I started to learn the traditional Cantonese cuisine of my Mum. She cooks fabulously and all her specialties are divine. These two interests, my husband's Western food, and my mother's traditional food, prompted me to document them so they will not be lost.

Here, I wish to share my cooking and baking experience with my readers. I also hope to inspire those who do not know how to cook or bake to do so because, trust me, if I can, you can too.

Something I'd like to mention is that I find that many people are rather unwilling to share their recipes. However, for me, I think differently. I think good recipes should be shared thus allowing as many people to enjoy it as possible. Unless those recipes are for doing business, I don't see why we want to keep them all to ourselves. So if you are generous in sharing your recipes, you are welcome to share on my blog. Send the recipes to me and better still with pictures of the final products and I will be very happy to post them them with credits to you of course.

Our cuisine is a deeply embedded part of our culture. When two cultures come together under the same roof the results in the kitchen can sometimes be comedic, sometimes confrontational, but more often it is a journey full of surprises and discovery. There is joy in our food. If we think upon this, it is intuitively obvious. This blog is a journey of joy and sharing, reflecting what the French like to call "joie de vivre" (joy of living). No one could be more different from one another then my husband and my mother. Yet one thing they share in common is knowing intuitively that food, cooking, and sharing can be avenues of joy in life itself. So herein, help yourself, to a little joy and , if you like it, share it with your own family and friends. Joy is something that should be shared.