November 19, 2009

Safe Journey to Blogger All3

I promised All3 a dinner before she goes off to Cambodia. And I kept the promise last night.

All3 is a sprightly girl from Kelantan Terengganu (Hakka born but not Hakka speaking) and serves the education department as a Special Education teacher. Besides that she teaches Sunday School and helps with the Girls Brigade. I am very impressed and amazed by her personality as a Quiet Christian. She also plays the guitar and has been our "in-house" cell group musician for the last five years. How time passes quickly!!

She loves food as she comes from a family which values food and good cooking (her mum makes the best and biggest bak chang I have ever eaten!). And naturally amongst us Yummy food is a good conversation topic .

Several factors helped me decide to go all out for a homecooked meal for All3: several of my young teacher Foochow friends have been having a most challenging and hardworking year and they would be going home after this weekend. Elaine(a banker) is to be married and probably move to Sibu soon. And another girl who is Cantonese is transferred to Sipidan!! And it is the end of the year.

And because I would be having not just Foochow guests for the meal/makan I would have to consider cooking some kind of fusion food. What would be my choice of menu for such a variety of guests? What would give them something memorable and yet would be fairly easy for me  who do not have  so much time on hand? And on top of it all I would be doing all the cooking singlehandedly in about two hours?

Marketing is not a chore at all when you go with a friend.  Thus "shopping" with another retired friend  has become a nice mid week excursion. Furthermore my learning space has widened into the wet market and the vendors are very interested in "teaching " me!! (Another posting later)

Here are photos of my friends who came for this special home cooked meal. All ladies. And our dress code for the evening - t-shirts for a light hearted nice 'n' easy evening.






Very warm and affectionate gesture. Pearly putting a slice of meat into my mouth. Young people should do this more often!!This is a rare but very spontaneous photo. "This is really tender and tasty!"

Group photo - I usually say "Come to my table and I will lay out  a feast for you.."

This is my "Roots Soup" Red  Spring Onions(from my garden) Carrots and Potatoes and Bombay Onions. Notice the red colouring from the red onions. European Influence? It has meat stock.

This is my Foochow Style Deep Fried Belly Pork (marinated with fermented bean curd for 24 hours before frying)

This is the Blue Glutinous Rice served with Freshly grated coconut with gula melaka (Nyonya dish)







Nyonya fried grated coconut with gula melaka which goes with the blue rice. It turned out to be just a little brown and not black. I am afraid the gula melaka sold in the Miri Supermarkets do not give the "black" colour of the West Malaysian gula melaka. Or may be I have to caramalise some sugar before I add the gula melaka. I shall experiment on this for a while.

(A lovely photo of Pulut Tai Tai - Borrowed this from Cooking Momster)


Braised Mustard Greens (Xiao Wine will make it very green) - no garnishing for this dish...

Indian influence - Patcharee / Pajeri Mango (Mangoes from my garden)



Thai influence - Mango Salad (Sweet Mangoes from my garden)

It was a joyous thing - to cook for friends and to have friends come over( to cut and slice and mix just before dinner)....and of course the washing up afterwards. Elaine was working in her bank until 8:15 but we still had plenty of food for her when she arrived.

Iban influence - "Mock" Pansoh Manok. Chicken cooked in Bamboo recipe.

I was worried that the blue would not blend in nicely with the reds and the orange of the mangoes! But any way the colour scheme was alright and I used my pyrex glassware for the food. I put the greens on a antique plate with brown designs to brighten up the monotony. The table cloth was light yellow.

But at the end of the makan I was glad All3 and the rest had a good time - and we all wish All3 a good journey to Cambodia - Journey Blessings! And take lots of photos!






17 comments:

wenn said...

wow..all so delicious..

Jay said...

all those food look soo delicious.. esp the pansoh.

Ensurai said...

Hi Wenn
thanks for the lovely compliements. All foods do not contain any form of taste enhancements.

Ensurai said...

Yes Jay...the pansoh has bunga kechala (kentang) or torch ginger and lemon grass...and naturally a lot of ginger to bring out the sweetness of chicken...

cheers.

Ah Ngao said...

waa...nyamai asai! opening a restaurant or eatery ever crossed your mind? i think you can easily do so with your cullinary kung fu lah.

Ensurai said...

Hi Ah Ngao

Nyamai -- thanks. Nope. I think it is a thing for young and strong people to kick start a restaurant.

But then it is indeed nice of you to suggest...and for me to have a nice dream. I like the way you say...culinary kung fu....

Po the Panda makes good noodles...and tomorrow I am going to learn to make pao...smile...just learning all the time...

cheers..

Lee said...

Hi Sarawakiana, women like you hard to find today....can cook up a storm at a moments notice. No, not a storm, a Tsunami, ha ha.
And your dishes sure to bring out loud, discreet burpings, ha ha.
I bet everybody had double, triple helpings too.
Have fun and keep well, Lee.

all3 said...

Thank you so much for the wonderful food and super duper fellowship we had. Short yet sweet. Correction, I'm from Terengganu..hehe..the land of no more turtles.
Thank you so much for all the wishes.

Unto God be all the glories!

I am thankful...

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

cooking Foochow food for a hakka girl??? LOL you will be cooking for me (1/2 hakka, now married to a hakka.)

The best Foochow food is KAM MA MEE and KUNG PIAH. That's what all Foochows living abroad reminisce for,.

My sis who married a Foochow says, impt to have a deep fried egg. ( Remember the big wedding feast at HOCK CHU LAU)

Ensurai said...

Dear Uncle Lee
Sarawak is a land full of women who can cook better than I...and they would be too happy to wear tight sarongs and high slitted cheong sams for the correct occasions.

We are just happy to give joy to others with food and fellowship.

Well ...blurpings and many helpings are good signs of happiness and good health.

Thanks for your good wishes.

Ensurai said...

Dear All3

Godspeed...and have a safe journey...May miracles happen too.

Ensurai said...

Dear Ann
Yes - Hakkas have high standards and now many people are looking for authentic Hakka food here.

Foochow cuisine of Hock Chu Lou is famous but may be only in Sarawak...the Bean Curd soup and the Taiping Egg Soup (deep fried hard boiled eggs).

I am still not good at making kampua mee ( noodles ok but the sauce is difficult ...)

Happiness is a feast on the family table prepared by loving hands and big hearts....


Cheers....

Anonymous said...

Hi Cikgu
Holidays are here! I am sure you are going to cook cook cook cook.
Didn't get my transfer...but I am ok...The chicken looks wonderful...... I will make the pajeri too with my mother.

See you in Miri soon.

K

Ensurai said...

Uncle Lee...sorry I was thinking of slurping and burping...and came out with the word blurping!!

Errors errors!! oooops.

Ensurai said...

K
Happy hols to you...and I am sure you are going somewhere for your hols?

Many of my friends are going to Korea . However they have booked ahead and now the winter is too cold. They are going anyway...

Here's an advert : T and A (Dynasty Hotel) can make the arrangements. See Shila.

Bengbeng said...

i have trying to remember the name of the blue rice n gula melaka coconut thingy

Ensurai said...

Bengbeng

Isn't it kuih tai tai?

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