what's cooking at home

It's never an easy task to be cooking daily. Grandma isn't in the best of health and she can't stand for extended periods of time. Sometimes we want her to just take a good rest and buy takeout instead. But if given a choice, she'd rather cook. It's sort of like a responsibility she's taken on and she's lost if she doesn't have to cook. She's good at it. And no, not because i'm biased. Food outside never tastes the same when replicated at home. For better or for worse- the taste, that is :)

Braised pork trotters with egg

Perfectly braised pork trotters with tender meat falling off the bones and the flavour infused hardboiled eggs. Chases away the cold rainy nights. 



when leftover rice takes on new life when wok fried



Leftover rice is sometimes my grandmother's biggest bane. She's left to decide whether to fry it up or to just to steam it with the new batch of rice she cooks. It used to just be eggs and rice but these days, she's taken to adding in strips of charsiew that she buys from the market. This is an entire meal all on it's own. But of course, we always have dishes on the side. :)



sea bream smeared with curry powder



That's the taste of home right there. I haven't had curry powder smeared on fish outside before. Not that I've ever come across. Chilli/ sambal yes but curry powder, her secret blend of spices, nope. And rarely a night goes by without fish. :) I've taken to loving both the crispy skin and curry powdered white flaky fish meat within. I used to avoid eating fish because of it's bones and the patterned skin. Psychological.

And yes, there are vegetables as well. Depends what she gets from the market. That's the one dish we finish up without fail every night. For the very reason that vegetables aren't recommended leftovers what with a loss in color and their nutrients. We love our greens. :)

What's home cooked food like at yours?

cocoichibanya-ed!

Guess where? :)

Cocoichibanya! The latest addition of Japanese curry offerings to the Singapore dining scene. 

Japanese curry (カレー, karē^?) is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. Honestly. A survey done in 2005 by S&B Food Inc found that Japanese people eat it an average of 125 times a year!

My love affair with Japanese curry came and left with the $1.99 shop. With curry cubes selling at $1.99, it would always be one of my purchases amongst the random snacks and notebooks I used to buy every time I walk into one of the outlets. The allure of curry cubes was not so much about taste but more about the fragrance of spices to curb cravings when they hit along with the instant cream doria sauce packets. When the chain closed down suddenly, I no longer had the habit of picking up curry cubes. Not even now with Daiso. I suppose that's because Japanese curry is not regarded as a curry in my household. No one really fancies Jap curry. I mean let's be objective about this curry idea at home. If its contender is Grandma's chicken curry then Japanese curry is child's play. :)

My idea of a standard Japanese curry was the exact version Tomoko cooked for us on a -42 degrees winter night in Montreal- onions, carrots, potatoes and chicken cubes cooked in a large pot, served steaming hot with rice. I was terribly impressed that she was able to make curry till I saw the instant curry cubes. It was then that I was terribly... pleased! That meant I could make curry on my own cold winter night. :p

So HELLO cocoichibanya on perfect curry weather days! (Rainy, wet and cold days)

カツチーズカレー

Faithfully waiting in line for an hour for our food. Today was the last day of a 30% discount they were offering on all dishes. I knew I had to have anything with cheese! Technically, since cheese was an add-on, I could've had it with any other curry rice order but that thought didn't occur to me until I overheard a diner making an order for one of their rice sets with cheese. Hunger took over from the time I stood in line till I sat down. Since the only order on the menu that had cheese in the dish was katsu cheese curry... so that, my order shall be.

Less rice of 150g and a $1 discount. Very nicely done! And a Level 2 for spice. I didn't know what to make of a spice level because if you've seen those instant curry cubes, mild and spicy all taste the same to me. But I was pleasantly surprised by a level of actual chilli hot type spiciness for my level 2. I added on some of the spice condiment on the table as well and manually increased the level of spiciness. Suffice to say, I enjoyed my curry. A lot. Ate it all up! And the pickles too. Crunchy sweet. Was a lovely accompaniment to the curry. I saw the waitstaff topping up the pickle containers non-stop for the time that we were there. Seems like everyone else thinks it goes well with curry too! The katsu however, was more batter than actual meat. Perhaps I should've just taken the Omu Kinoko (Creamed mushroom omu rice) instead.

シーフードカレー

Muneerah trying out Japanese curry for the first time. And I'm relieved it did not disappoint. She went for the standard set. No adjustments no frills. The curry taste was the familiar taste of those instant curry cubes that made no difference with mild/ spicy. :) The seafood curry taste had a strong fishy aftertaste that wouldn't go down well if you were not a seafood fan.

Although it took us an hour to secure seats, our orders were served in ten minutes or so. No hungry woman's wrath to deal with in that short amount of time. :) Hmm, anything else with cheese for next time then. A next time yes, there shall be!

To more curry weather days and curry eating nights out.

going jap on a sunday

I can't remember if it was just this year alone that I introduced the family to japanese cuisine. Of course we aren't talking the likes of kaiseki style japanese cuisine nor just sushi because both my parents don't take too well to raw fish or raw food of any kind really.

It started out with dad watching Japan Hour faithfully every sunday on CNA. He looks at the servings of food and prettily plated dishes and go Oiiishii! -just for the heck of it- If I brought those things to the table, he probably wouldn't touch them if they were raw. His idea of japanese food is. Bento Sets. I refuse to go to Japan to just eat bentos. Yes there are nice bentos. But then there's Tsukiji and the most awesome cuts of sashimi. I am NOT missing out on that just because he doesn't eat them.

Well so I was saying. In this year alone, we've started out on ichiban boshi and watami. The latter less well received than the former. Not just on quality and price but also on service. In all these three respects that add up to one's dining experiences.

Guess the odd one out?

The rents are planning for a trip to Japan next year on their own. And we don't think it's a good idea. For all the reasons listed above. Oh the horrors of eating bentos everyday. Or Oden. That's his saving grace. Dad likes sumo style hotpots. :) So dinner was from top left clockwise: unagi tamago don for mum, tori wazen with cheese on the side for dad and nigel's kimchi buta nabe with barely a hint of kimchi and very thinly sliced buta. We're always at the amk hub branch and the faces of the employees haven't seen much of a change. New staff yes but old staff have stayed and they are always chirpy cheerful. Says a lot about staff morale and a good working environment.

Did you guess the odd one out? The spicy salmon sushi! Not just for being the only gunkan sushi but also from Nihon Mura instead. That was lunch for me. Going jap on a Sunday! :)

And what were your food choices on a Sunday?

kopi @ changi terminal 3

In order of taste from left to right: Qiu Lian Braised pork dry ban mian (卤肉干捞面), Mini wok's pork in herbal broth- Set A3, Jin Yu fish soup

Sending Josh for his 3 week Brunei training so we did a late dinner at the airport. Everyone's ordered a soup item :)

Qiu Lian's latest offering was marred only by the braised pork. Fatty cuts of meat and yet they were still not braised for long enough to melt in one's mouth. It wasn't hard separating the fat from the meat since neither was tender. Is this the way braised pork china-style should be? That aside, the noodles were al dente as if eating chinese style fettucine. :) And the braising sauce was a crowning delight.

Mini wok's herbal soup broth was surprisingly tasty and the set comes with a selection of vegetables, some tunghoon, pork slices, sliced mushroom, crabstick and fishmeat items. We liked it that the soup was kept bubbling throughout and was still hot by the end of the meal. 

Jin Yu's fish soup was... to be subjective, the ample slices of fish meat were fresh but the soup, even with the addition of carnation milk was not saved. It lacked flavour. A terribly watered down version.

Fats is fatty no more, digger has no special interest in diggers anymore but pet names they are and pet names they'll stay. If only for me. And even though we fight, we quarrel, we yell and sometimes we absolutely hate each other's guts,

these are my sibs and I'm happy I've got them. :)

Have a safe trip fats and we'll have abalone miso hotpot when you get home!

carrot cake less...

Saturday's brunch from the heartlands- dover market's carrot cake. A delightful mess of terribly imbalanced proportions of eggs (more) and carrot cake (less) and no complaints of course ;) Packed with a fiery punch and complete with a generous serving of chai poh.

missing langkawi

I fell in love with the rays and they were nothing like the ones at Underwater World Singapore. 

We scaled heights (in a van) and took a jump on D'Coconut Resort perched atop Gunung Raya. On the highest peak in Langkawi. 

And this is how we birdwatch. Artificially add inches to aid in our viewing with whatever item happens to be around (road banisters) and stare hard into the horizon. We tried.

Missing the company, missing the island, missing the food and missing some posts. More to follow.

hearty chicken stew

This is heart friendly. Very good for my heart indeed. :)

This is a delish stew of lean chicken, button mushrooms, carrots and potatoes slow cooked over a charcoal stove. That very important piece of kitchen equipment that makes all the difference to many a soup/ stew. 

Bubbling pot of goodness for tired souls after a hard day's work. The gravy is of a soup like consistency and just enough soy sauce to give it a fragrance that still lets you drink. no SLURP it up like a soup. It's a habit even grandma has gotten used to us having so she purposely cooks more gravy for that reason. She never overdoes it though because just that bit more water added will cause all the flavour to dissipate. Or if you have enough self control, you could just drizzle it over your rice. *Caution: Makes you eat more rice than you normally do!

I've grown up enough with it to know that I'll be eating double portions of rice so I stay away. I'll do just fine with my tender carrots and fluffy potatoes. And button mushrooms. And chicken. Oh what a hearty chicken stew! Mmm-hmm.

And just randomly today, i saw the word TRAVEL in my mind's eye and I randomly picked up on this-

TrAvEl- TEA/EAT. a quintessential event on all of my travels. the food makes an impression as much as the place does.

And somehow that brought a smile to my face :)

veggie tales @ graces court cuisine

For godfather's 60th. We went vegan. Chinese style vegan. This was after Jumbo for me. I wasn't half perturbed. My tummy was still full of crabby happiness. For mum however, this was probably her third attempt at an actual vegan set menu. She said she'd rather die than be a cow eating grass. Quotable quote. The first two were the ones at Lantau Island. We actually really loved those. For the fact that vegan just meant lots of veggies. Not mock meats. But today, we were in for a real treat! Or mock treat as it turns out. Hello mockies!

Round 1. deluxe platter. A bunch of fried stuff. I think I like the deep fried yam a lot! And calamari made from bean curds. The cocktail sausages that tasted like the real deal and a crowd pleaser of sesame chicken.

Soup's up. Too much starch but otherwise all my favourite ingredients. Strands of golden mushroom, thinly sliced black mushrooms, bean strips and pumpkin for that lovely rich golden color. Was a rather bland soup that required the usual suspects for a thick soup (庚) pepper, black vinegar and in this case, it needed a dash of soy sauce and chilli padi for that extra boost of flavour.

The lemon chicken's saving grace was the spice crackers. How's that for an awesome side kick! Really. It was just thick cuts of bean/gluten layers? The sickly sweet lemon sauce made it all the worse for taste. No seconds for sure.

Finally, the normal greens. This was an instant hit. Made it feel -less- vegan. If that could be possible in an entirely vegan nine course event. The sweet and sour ham was dampened by the sauce. Literally. Coming with such a rich and vibrant color, artificial colorings must have been used. Liberally. The ham was akin to the one in the sausage. Very real and pretty tasty. The sliced pineapple sandwiched between was a good accompaniment to the salty slices of ham. But the sauce. Oh why the sauce.

We wondered how they were going to serve a 'steamed promfret' and now we know. It deserved a YUM! award for our vegan experience. Tender slices that had a taste resembling fish (yes i know that was the entire point of the dish) and silky rounds of tofu served in a dish of preserved vegetable soup chock full of mushrooms, slices of tomatos and ginger slices. Helps to digest all that oil and gluten from before.

There was a stir fried ee-fu noodles that were badly fried looking like overcooked maggi mee, served lump style. If looks could kill, i was murdered on the spot.

And what was dessert? Yam paste with gingko nut. I had already left- for a wedding I didn't remembered till I received calls. Sigh. That's for another day. Anyway, mum says I didn't miss anything. Which speaks for itself I suppose.

Still preferring the real thing of course. But it was an experience for my family and it wasn't the worst we had prepared ourselves for. We had our favourite dishes. Mostly the actual mushroom broccoli greens and the steamed fish in preserved vegetable soup that was a very special twist on a steamed promfret. :)

Food aside, we're glad to have been part of their celebration. We usually only meet once a year at chinese new year but hey, the occasion came up and our one big family met for the second time in a year. It's always nice to be in the company of friends and family. <3

If you'd like a vegan experience more than just your packet takeout of vegetarian noodles from the hawker centres, I suppose this would be one restaurant that you should try. I don't know about healthy but they had dishes that were a treat to the sight and some actually tasting pretty. umm. -real-.

I'm not a convert but I've learnt to appreciate it that much more. :)

a little piece of heaven

just because :)

jumbo @ dempsey

This was a first in more ways than one. Lunch at jumbo. Cell birthday celebrations at Dempsey. Jansen's promotional treat for the September babies.

We love Jumbo. My family, that is. I probably have a million photos of at least 4 jumbo outlets that we frequent. Alright. Maybe not a million but at least a hundred? Keyword. Frequent. And frequent we did. There was a year when any reason made a good reason for jumbo. It got progressively ridiculous. Oh! It's Josh's graduation. Oh! This month's offer is 50% off the geoduck. Oh! I feel like eating crabs (mum says). *rolls my eyes for all three times and more. For that year alone, we were making calls for reservations monthly. Dad probably clocks twice that amount of visits what with his business clients loving seafood dinners. Especially the iconic chilli crab.

So let's talk crabs. This is what I love and don't particularly fancy all at once about Jumbo. The chilli crab sauce and the crab itself. In that order. I love the generous eggdrop peanut chilli sauce. It's a taste I haven't found replicated as well in any other seafood restaurant. Not that I've tried many since well you know, we LOVE jumbo. Dempsey scored top of the list when it first served the chilli crab in a crock pot that kept the sauce hot for an extended period of time. And the crab? It's well, good but. I've got an issue with my teeth and I wouldn't eat it unless I had to or if i felt like having any. If life gives you chilli crabs (that you don't want to eat)...

Make chilli crab sandwiches! :) Chasing away the monday blues with a little bit of fire and spice for mom and my lil bro. But I digress.

So of course jumbo is more than just crabs. Not the usual fare my family orders but they were all treats for the tummy. Clockwise from top left: Well fried sambal kangkong with no taste of muddiness and a healthy amount of spice. Venison with ginger and spring onions. Tender cuts of meat tasting like a cross between beef for it's red meat taste and chicken for its tenderness. Claypot tofu with a generous serving of assorted seafood aside from just egg beancurd comprising of prawns, fish, squid and scallops amongst the vegetables and tofu. Then there was the crispy roast chicken. Crispy. Check. Roasted. Check. Moist and juicy chicken. Check! I'll take this over KFC anytime.

And all this was Jensen's treat for his promotion on a Band One Grade. It's not a primary school subject we're talking but an appraisal grade in SGX. Well done you! :)

A very happy birthday celebration for the four September babies from my cellgroup, with a Tiramisu from Breadtalk that was a perfectly light ending to an otherwise heavy seafood meal.

That was probably a jumbo sized bill that it totalled up to for all 16 of us. Thanks Jensen. You know we're praying for your future promotions already. ;)

Summer's kiss

When life gives you apples, make salad. No better way to beat the heat than with a cheery cold apple salad. All those ingredients in proportions equal to their font sizes ;)
No other condiments needed. Easy as pie.
Pick up a book and a dessert fork :)
It's like snow white? Without the poison. Without the prince either as it might seem. :p
But simple. Happy. Falling in love with life. :)

Murder at the Datai

Case: Murder of a Female Great Hornbill.

"Twenty years ago at the Datai Bay Resort. The staffs were sitting outside along the pavement waiting for their transport home. They heard the loud crack of the bullet which tore the sky and watched in horror as a female hornbill was shot and hurtled to the ground just a distance away from them. A motorcyclist sped past, stopping only to sweep up the hornbill and went on his way. And this. I promise you. From my heart I promise you, the male hornbill flew back to its position where it perched next to its mate just before it was shot, everyday for four months. Just calling, crying out for her. It was only after a year and 6 months on before it finally moved on and found itself another mate."

If Nature is nothing more than a mystery to you, meet Irshad Mobarak. His physique of an American footballer automatically commands your attention. His ebullience when speaking on the subject of nature, explaining the intricacies of the web of life in which we have a part in, enthralls his audience. He lives up to his namesake. Irshad. Meaning direction, guidance. He speaks the language of the jungle and translates it for anyone who stops long enough to listen. 

We make a stop at the side of the road to take a closer look at the playful dusky langur monkeys and Irshad takes the opportunity to educate us on the medicinal properties of this nondescript invasive plant species that are frequently found at the side of expressways. Even ECP. Yes. East Coast Park Expressway back here in Singapore. Keep a look out for it in future.

Travelling up Gunung Raya was a leisurely ride. I had the luxury of taking the front seat with Shaaban Arshad, an equally knowledgeable team member of Junglewalla. Windows are wound down to allow the cool mountain breeze to refresh the senses and we hear the crystal clear sounds of nature echo all around us on Gunung Raya- the highest peak at 881m on the island of Langkawi.

Initially reserved, I was surprised to see Shaaban suddenly reach out to point to the dusky langur monkeys in the camouflage of the forest. He drives along quietly only for the sole reason of listening intently to the sounds he has well become accustomed to but picking them out for the untrained ears of tourists like me. He gestures towards the sounds of the tree frog and cicadas to share more as he continues driving towards the bottom of the mountain. I wish I had more time in the mountains. 

I lean myself further out of the window hoping to get that much closer to these amazing sights and sounds of nature.

  

Then Irshad has used words to do just that and more. He breathes life into these pages of colorful birds in a well used bird watching book kept in his slingbag. There is a world of difference between reading the guide book and listening to his explanations and anecdotes. Speaking animatedly with expansive body language, I was momentarily amused by his mimic of the red-wattled lapwing "Peeteetitdooweet" and drawn into his bitesized anecdotes of the ways in which this bird fakes injuries to waylay potential predators from their pursuit of its mottled eggs laid at ground level. "This bird deserves an Emmy!"

So does this man who speaks with a genuine love of nature and its kind in hopes to educate in order to protect.

It's pretty obvious which are the birds I actually caught on camera. The drawbacks of a point and shoot. I think we've done pretty well with our birds of prey though. :) 

Langkawi is resplendent with turquoise seas and sandy beaches. About 80% of the island's economy invariably linked to tourism which makes it hard to keep out the increasing destruction man consequentially causes to life. This ecological gem of an island needs more eco-minded people to drive its tourism industry. For the richness of the flora and fauna that attract people to its shores are also the ones being cleared out at an alarming rate for purposes cited as an economic necessity.

For Irshad and his team, they have worked hard to make this statement, "Cleared forests equate to cleared hotel rooms." A simple truth laid bare for many including the relevant authorities to think about. While I have no doubt in the ability of nature to remain resilient to the increasing threats it faces but this allowance to be abused by mankind is but only to a certain extent. I look on as Irshad plucks a leaf from here, crushes another leaf from there. This is the fine balance where he manages an access to nature and its wonders, taking just a little to illustrate and explain it so that people would come to appreciate its inherent value and beauty. Otherwise, how can we protect what we don't understand?

These men are living legends on this mythical island of legends and I leave their nature walk with a fuelled passion to learn more and try to help in ways in which I can live a better life in tandem with nature. And hey, I did better than just finding Tarzan. ;)

I'm starting by paying it forward with this blogpost.

Feel the love, share the knowledge, save the Earth.

chasing away the school blues

Being back at work on Tuesday was not news well received by my physical, mental nor emotional health.

This was a lifesaver. A densely packed carrot cake.

Not with glutinous rice flour but with white radish shreds that were apparent in every bite. Strips of preserved sausages and a handful of dried shrimp, well fried to impart that deliciously savoury taste to the otherwise bland white radish. Topped with a drizzle of sesame oil, sweet sauce and a dash of toasted white sesame seeds.

Hello supplementary classes till 3pm. I fear you not. :) 

Then there was more at home for dinner! Not carrot cake of course.

This is grandma's mushroom chicken rice one pot wonder.

First, smashed knobs of ginger are fried till fragrant in sesame oil.

Then add the chicken to the wok. Dark/ Light Soya sauce to taste. Note: I use mushroom sauce to avoid using too much soya sauce. Stir fry till half cooked.
Add thickly sliced chinese mushrooms and leave to boil till the liquids have almost all been absorbed.
Transfer into rice cooker, mixed well with uncooked rice.
Stir the ingredients with rice once in a while to ensure all grains of rice have been sufficiently coated with gravy. And leave till rice is cooked. The smell. Is enough to whet any appetite.
And I guess what's left is to...

Simply. Enjoy.

Home is where the heart is :)

bitten

Mardi Agro Technology Adventure Park

This is not a slack jaw operation. And probably not the best idea of a fractured jaw recovery celebration but hey, I'm here in Langkawi with thanks to Safra's in2it.sg, Tourism Malaysia and LADA (Langkawi Development Authority). I'll make it good.

What was I thinking coming out to the jungles of Langkawi and behaving like Tarzan and Jane?

"Welcome to the MARDI Agro Technology Park and the million steps that lead to nowhere. I will make it down the flying fox and I will take my personalized aerial view of the jungle and keep an eye out for Tarzan…"

"That's if I keep my eyes opened for the ride." I muse to myself as I hopped up the steps following close behind to our facilitator, John.

Camouflaged by the leaves in this forested area, I spot an orange netted bridge connected to a wooden platform above ground while he helped me with the safety seat harnesses and carabiners.

That's easy.

What they neglected to tell me was that I had to get through the netted Burmah Bridge and two other high rope adventures- the Crazy Step Ladder and Postman's Walk to get to the double line Flying Fox.


Oh the horrors.

(Thanks Darren! photo credits)

Thank goodness for soft-spoken John. He gently encouraged me through all three elements before my trembling legs made it onto the last platform where Bahari stood. The man himself, who built the double line Flying Fox from his experiences from serving in the Melaka army, complete with a motorcycle tyre that serves as a safety stop at the end of the zip line.



Not everyone's a jungle child and that's where ziplines come in. The flying fox takes you on a 200 yard ride from tree to ground at speeds of up to 40km/h.

"Put your legs out in an L-shape when you go down. My son down there. Najimi. He'll make sure you are safe." He assures me as my legs take on a mind of their own to stay put on the platform. I hesitated. Double checked the pronounciation of his son's name and held on for my dear life till I finally removed my feet and took the leap of faith.

Excuse me while I catch my breath and put my heart back to where it almost popped out from its place.

Well. I did it! No Tarzan, unfortunately. No need to see the photos of the most unglamorous Jane in the history remakes of Tarzan either. They just need to know I tried out for the part.

Twice. :)

Six of us went up and six of us came down. Exhilarated. Cue Bachelor Girls interlude "So I walked under a bus. I got hit by a train. And it felt so good. I wanna do it again!" Appropriately inappropriate.

P.S. Planning on going over to Langkawi to try it yourself? Safra's offering a 4D3N package right here. :)

langkawi

just got in from a break. :)

Block 724 Ang Mo Kio Central Market Food Centre

A $9 standard serving set for 2 pax. 

Just to satisfy a girl friend's cravings of kway chap and duck. The stall that I planned on going to at Blk 226H Kebun Baru Market was closed at 4pm so I had to make an emergency call to tell her to head towards AMK Central instead where I remembered that there was a stall selling duck rice that I had eaten previously. Her food item cravings were satisfied but we honestly could have done better. The kway here was the thickest i've ever tried. When kway fails. The meal has failed. *shakes head sorrowfully. The upside is, the duck is still as nice as I remembered. If you're here for duck, take duck rice. No kway. No way.

I wasn't going to leave that place with substandard kway. Neither was I going to let her travel all the way down for nothing. I did what I had to do. I made a beeline for my tasty -and- trusty char kway teow stall for an order with extra vegetables. I carried my plate of char kway teow heaven back to the table bursting with pride. "Try this!" I couldn't stop smiling. As if I was the cook. Well, a girl could dream right? :)

Mmm. Kway the way it should be done. Full of wok hei. It was the difference of heaven and hell for these two types of kways. I know it's unfair to be comparing a plate of lard fried kway teow with kway chap but honestly, this kway was the right way to go. really have to stop it with the puns. They are unintended by the way.

Full bodied taste. Fried slightly wet just the way I like it. Crispy bits of lard, a small offering of blood clams, slices of waxed sausages and the only healthy items of beansprouts and greens. If there's anything worth the extra calories.

This. Is it. :)

What's your dinner going to be tonight?

I just had a green curry craving triggered off. When am I going to satisfy that craving? 

Midautumn night's treats

It was a quiet affair this year. I miss the lanterns that grandpa used to hang all around the trees in his garden. Age does catch up. Especially when one sits around at home daily issuing an open invite for age to ravage the self. 

Still Alice was a book I just read by Lisa Genova. It chronicles the timeline of an English professor diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease. The words that she used to wield power over now lost at the tip of the tongue.

You see an object. You can describe it. You know what it should be called. But the word eludes you. You're somewhere. You know you aren't far from your destination. But you look around and everywhere seems foreign. People pass you by. The fear of being lost takes over and triggers the emergency response in your body.

I imagine my grandparents in these situations. And it worries me. Are they aware of what's happening to them? Do they know how to react? Will they tell us if this happens to them? I try to speak to them more. To be around them more.

That day, sitting in grandma's room on the flat wood planks that she sleeps on, sewing while she was talking on the phone. It brought me back to days when I was still in school. When I came home and refused to bathe, sitting in my pinafore on those planks, sewing bits and pieces of what I knew how to, watching television till it was time for dinner. Where did those days go?

My grandfather washed my socks two weeks ago by hand for me thinking they were dirty. He used to do that for my brothers when they got home from school. Daily, he would wait for them to come home, take their socks to hand wash and wring dry before he set about to cut fruits or squeeze fresh juices for them to have after dinner. Where did all that time go?

I miss those days and I appreciate every single dish grandma puts on the table every week day. Cooking for at least 5 people every night isn't easy yet she manages it day after day. Today she fried up a batch of fried rice chock full of ingredients- fried egg strips, char siew slices and thin strips of hormel luncheon meat. :)

A pot of braised pork packed with fatty trotters and lean meat. Not forgetting a dozen hardboiled eggs, peeled and left to braise in the dark sauce gravy over a charcoal fire. That stove makes all the difference in the world. No fire control needed, no constant hovering over the fire and food that's infused with flavour, left gently boiling till it's ready to be dished out. 

And her chicken curry. I am ashamed that I still have not mastered the recipe. There are a few things in her culinary expertise that has rendered me unable to appreciate any other variations of these items- homemade kaya, rice dumplings and chicken curry. It just never tastes the same anywhere else. I'm not a snob. I just have specialised tastebuds for these items. She buys the different spices and gets these spices ground and mixed by the kilos at a stall in Little India. I love her curry. :)

It's something that's hard to say face to face. But I really appreciate and love you both. Thank you. For everything.

Eating it at where it's at!

Where's your favourite Yu Kee Duck Rice Outlet? I had a hungry mummy so she went ahead and bought this and was sorely upset when we kindly informed her that her $4 dinner order of roast duck and honey barbequed pork is from the same stall that we usually eat back at Bishan. Otherwise, she thought it was good.

Now daddy likes to associate himself with the Teochew Ah Hias. He's definitely on par when talking about pride. :) So he tried out their handmade fish and meatball meepok. Handmade for sure when you look at their balls of various shapes and sizes. Some smaller than others. Some just plain ugly. It's a taste that grows on you. I liked the softness of the fish/meatballs. Some people would rather it be bouncy. To each his own.

And it was a simple decision for me. No need to trawl the food centre. I know exactly what I wanted. 

Eating it where it's at. Bedok Chwee Kueh. :) It's an oily mess and even if it's made with vegetable oil, it's probably not ranking high on the healthier food choices chart. But how can I resist? I'm a kueh everything person. Savoury. That is. We're talking pumpkin, carrot, yam, chwee KUEH. I love them all. But I digress. The chai poh (preserved radish) topping was sweeter than I last remembered. Fragrant with the addition of sesame seeds. The kueh was soft and meltingly tender. A perfect contrast to the crunchy taste bursts of its toppings. Yummydelicious!

Tonight's rendition of the handmade ban mian wasn't what I remembered. It's still got its queues but the soup stock lacked taste. It's been too long since I've been here.

Mummy's made mental notes to try the char kway teow. Daddy's probably going to have the curry noodles. I guess we'll be back here soon enough. :)

What do you recommend at the Bedok Interchange Food Centre?