Steamed Yam Cake

My Second Aunt makes the best steamed yam cake in the family. She makes it quite often, whenever she can get her hands on yam at the market.

Yummy yam cake

Second Aunt's Yam Cake has got the right texture - neither too hard nor too soft. It's firm and springy, yet it isn't hard to the bite. Aunt normally cuts the yam into little cubes. So as I bite into the cake, there will bits of powdery yam embedded.

What's great about the Yam Cake is the topping. Second Aunt is really generous with the topping, which had lots of shallots, minced dried prawns, and preserved radish. For extra flavour and colouring, Second Aunt added chopped chillies and spring onions too.

I grew up eating my Second Aunt's Yam Cake, so for me, it's the best! I had a huge chunk for lunch today. Forget about plain white rice. Second Aunt's Yam Cake beats white rice anytime! ;))

OPI NLB76

I decided to wear a bold shade of orange-red this time. I'm into orange or tangerine or peach colour now.

OPI NLB6
This is from the South Beach Collection, and this colour is called On Collins Ave. It is one of the colours in the Spring 2009 collection. It looks orange in the dim light, but when in brightness, it is in a very rich shade of red. Love it!

Today, Sammi, the manicurist, disclosed a very important piece of information. She said that nail colours should not be left on for too long as it dries up the nails. The base, the varnish and the top coats all seal the nails tight and they are not able to breathe. So, if left on for more than 3 weeks, we would risk getting dry and brittle nails. Geez, I really did not know that.

Often, I'd leave the colours on because it was darn difficult to clean salon professional nails. I'd rub and rub but the varnish stubbornly stays on. Sammi suggested to buy a better quality remover, or to leave the remover on for some time on the nails before rubbing it out. Okie, guess I'll do just that after 3 weeks.

Looking For Lipsticks

Do you have a favourite lipstick? Well, I do. My favourite lipstick is the Shiseido Maquillage Lasting Climax Rouge RD357. It is released as a part of Shiseido's Spring 2008 collection.

Why do I like it so much?
1. It's a beautiful shade of pink + peach + coral - a really soft and sweet colour.
2. It's glossy and it makes the lips look full and lustrous.
3. The colour is quite neutral and it is an easy wear, no matter what colour my attire is.
4. It feels comfortable on my lips - the texture is very smooth, and it doesn't irritate as it is scentless.
5. The tube is octagonal, and the black casing looks classy and elegant.

Because it is a 2008 collection, this colour is no longer available for purchase. Therefore, the bit that's left is so precious to me. I'd shown the lipstick to my friends. Many of them tell me that it's not a rare colour. True, but it will not be likely to find one with the exact texture and shade.

It's a little embarrassing to show, but this is what's left of my Shiseido lippy.

It's really a pretty pink colour . . .

Really, shopping for a lipstick isn't as easy as one thinks! A few weeks back, I was at Lancome and I could not find one that I liked. Today, I was at MAC and I was recommended funny shades of orange and peach. Lol. They were all nowhere close to what I wanted.

My final stop today was at Kanebo. Its Lunasol range of make-up has just released its Spring 2012 collection inspired by a Japanese rose named "Momoka", a clear pink-coloured rose. And here, I was recommended by the beauty consultant, the Lunasol Full Glamour Lips G shade no. 43 - a colour described as pink red. She helped painted it on my lips, and at least I liked the colour. To enhance the lips, she painted a layer of gloss from the Lunasol Full Glamour Liquid Lips shade no. 19 in soft apricot pink.

And so I bought them. The lipstick cost RM111 and the lip gloss RM104. RM215 for a lipstick and a lip gloss? That's darn expensive. Sigh. I remember that my Shiseido lippy only cost RM89.00 back then. But well, I did like the Lunasol colours. Do you know why?

The Lunasol Full Glamour Lips G No. 43 in Pink Red is a similar shade to my Shiseido lippy. It's just that it isn't as glossy, and so the Lunasol Full Glamour Liquid Lips No. 19 in Soft Apricot Pink helps to give shine and lustre to the lips. I also like the bronze packaging of Lunasol. Some lipsticks just make the lips shrivel uncomfortably, but Lunasol doesn't as it is scentless and tasteless.

Well, I'm actually excited to wear the new lipstick and lip gloss. ;)) Can't wait.

Key Problems

Early this morning, my neighbour, R******* asked for help. She'd dropped her key pouch at the market nearby and could not find it. Her car keys and a bit of money were in there. Because she could not get into her car where her house keys were, she could not get into her house too.

Hmn. I perfectly knew how she felt. I could think of at least 3 incidents last year when I drove home only to realise that I had misplaced my keys. It was not a great feeling at all. But I was luckier than her I suppose. I'd managed to find my keys back each time, the most miraculous time was when I carelessly left my key pouch atop my car and drove off. The whole pouch dropped along the road outside my workplace. It was picked up by someone who passed it to another, but it finally ended up in the hands of my student and she returned it to me 2 days later. I learned an important lesson.

My office keys, however, I always misplace. Lol. I'd left it in the toilet, in the office, in the classrooms and sometimes on my table. I almost always lock myself out and have to rely on my colleague to open the door. Lol. So nowadays, before leaving my office, I have the habit of checking that I have my keys with me. It is indeed very troublesome to get locked out.

Anyway, I tried to smash the lock for R******* this morning, but failed to do so. It was a tough little padlock! My dad tried to prick it open, but of course that was not possible too. We called someone who had a metal cutter, but he was only available after 9.00 a.m. Finally, we looked for the mechanic who stayed opposite and he agreed to help open the lock of her car which she left at the market. That did it, and she could finally enter her house!

It was not her first time, either, getting locked out. She'd gotten the padlock cut so many times that she had lost count. Lol.

Popiah @ Expert Food Court

Fifth Aunt bought these popiah from Expert Food court near Choice Daily, Kuching.

Popiah

This is what it looks like inside

Well, the popiah was rather compact, filled with lots of shredded jicama, carrots and beancurd. A layer of lettuce leaf and peanut sauce lined the side. This is considered a very good quality popiah, judging by its looks. But taste wise, I felt that the popiah lacked that oomph. Grandma, however, liked it a lot. So, I suppose it's really up to the individual.

Guava

Right in the centre of our backyard is a guava tree. This tree is 27 years old already! It bore us a lot of fruits in its prime. I remember one Chinese New Year when we harvested so many, that all visitors who came calling could enjoy fresh guava alongside the usual Chinese New Year fare.

Unfortunately, the main trunk is now diseased, but occasionally, the tree still bears fruits. This time, there is a big fruit hanging low on a branch, waiting for me ;)).

Big guava
It weighed 750g

This tree bears good quality guava fruits. It's crunchy, sweet and a little sour too.

Yum organic guava from the backyard

Guava is a great fruit, and is said to be able to lower the blood sugar level. So members of my family are a big fan. Fifth Aunt is said to eat a number of kilograms a week. I remember a time too when Grandma wanted to have guava daily. Me? I love guava too, and to have a tree that bears yummy fruits (sometimes) right at the back of the house is just wonderful.

Pork Rind Crackling

Cracklings or deep-fried lard

Some people swear by deep-fried lard cubes. I'd seen my housemate using it when stir-frying instant noodles. Instant noodles - the mee goreng variety, deep-fried lard cubes, lots of crunchy beansprouts and some soy sauce. That's one of her favourite ways of eating instant mee goreng. Crunchy deep-fried lard cubes is also an essential ingredient in Stir-fried Hokkien Mee. Other uses, according to Mom, would be to pound them up and then mix them into Hae Bee Hiam, a spicy dried prawn sambal.

At the market this morning, Mom bought ...

Pig fat

This amount sells for RM3.00

The fat was for Mom to make meatballs, actually. She wanted to use up some lean pork that she had stored in the freezer. But lean meat would only make meatballs that were dry and hard. In order to make tastier and juicier meatballs, Mom minced a bit of fat and added them into the ground lean pork mixture.

In the end, there was so much fat left, and Mom was not one to waste anything. So she decided to render the fat into lard. Mom cut the fat into little dices.

 Dices of pig fat

Then she poured them into a hot wok. Before long, lard crept out from the dices of pork fat, leaving the cracklings.

Pour the diced fat into a heated wok


Rendering the fat

She stirred till the cracklings turned a shade of golden brown and drained them away from the melted lard. I asked Mom what she wanted to do with the cracklings. Most probably, she would throw them away. The melted lard, however, Mom stored in a bottle and kept them in the fridge. Melted fat solidifies in the fridge, so it's somewhat like butter. Except that it's paler in colour. Mom would scoop out a teaspoon whenever she cooked kolo mee. It really makes a difference in the taste. That day, I asked Mom for a bit of melted lard to cook this :

Stir-fried vermicelli with cangkuk manis and anchovies
It was really yum ;))

Kimchi @ Korean Products

There is a small community of Koreans in Kuching. According to this article, some of them are students. Some of them are involved in church activities in Kuching as well. My cousin, J**** attended her first Korean language class at a Korean church last Saturday!

To cater to the needs of the growing Korean community, there is a shop at Premier 101 that sells products native to Korea. The name of the shop? Korean Products Sdn. Bhd. ;)) How apt, huh?

I'd been there a couple of times, and I am always very taken in by the foreign merchandise, and the colourful packaging. There is a large variety of items on sale, ranging from toothpaste to instant noodles to ice-cream to sodas to biscuits and snacks. It is always fun to linger in the shop and it is guaranteed that I will purchase something.

One of the things I like to purchase every time is kimchi.

 Kimchi, RM13.80

Open up the lid ...

Kimchi, a staple of every Korean individual, is sold here in 2 sizes. A smaller portion sells for RM6.80. I think the Kimchi here packs a punch. It's peppery, pungent, salty and tangy. In there are white cabbage, radish, spring onions and onions. I think some other herbs or vegetables are used, but they are unfamiliar to me. Maybe Sil can help me out?? Anyway, my favourite vegetable in there would be the radish as it's really crunchy.

Kimchi is really versatile, as a cooking ingredient. And I had intended to cook myself a piping hot pot of Kimchi Jjigae or Kimchi stew. But I never did. Cause no one else at home wanted to eat it. Lol.

"I'd never eaten Kimchi before till now," Mom said. She wasn't accustomed to the taste.

"I think Acar tastes better," Dad said.

Okie. I got it. Lol ;))

Satisfying My Craving For Chocolate

I don't know why but I have a strong craving for chocolate, especially after lunch. ;p

So, when I saw these little packets of Hello Panda, I could not resist. They cost RM1.35 each at the supermarket near my house. There were only 8 biscuits in each 21g packet.

It's essentially a shortbread biscuit that's hollowed out and filled with cream. In this case, it's chocolate cream. On the surface of the biscuit are prints of a cartoon panda doing sports activities. They are really cute and I think they taste great!

According to the website, Hello Panda has been in existence since 1979. Geez, that's a long time. And since it has sustained for such a long time, I am assured that of its taste and quality. My cutesy kiddies, A******** and E** loved them too! ;))

穀物開心棒 Grains Happy Bar

This Taiwanese snack product is made of 12 kinds of natural cereals :

1. Brown rice, 2. Husked lotus, 3. Pearl barley, 4. Black wheat, 5. Rice, 6. Oatmeal, 7. Red beans, 8. Mung beans, 9. Speckled kidney beans, 10. Black soy beans, 11. Black glutinous rice, 12. Corn

Each packet has 16 individually packed biscuit rolls, and it cost me RM5.80 at the supermarket near my house.

Individually wrapped rolls

The biscuit roll

Well, the biscuit was light, crispy and fluffy. It tasted somewhat like rice crisps and coated with savoury seaweed powder. It was good as a quick snack. Most importantly, Grandma liked it. Grandma is already 89 years old. There aren't many things that she can enjoy eating any longer. But the puffy texture of the Happy Bar was acceptable to her. She called it Salty Crispy Biscuit. Lol.

"You will feel extremely happy after eating this," I teased her, alluding to the name of the biscuit roll.

"Nonsense!" Grandma admonished. ;))

But erm, I detected a grammatical error on the label.

Anyway, this product is suitable for vegetarians.

Toasties

I love toasties with hot coffee. I normally have it for tea. Toasties is pretty easy to make. All I needed was bread, and I could basically top it with anything I liked. Absolutely no skills required.

Today's toasties had some chopped onions, tuna, mushroom slices, cherry tomato slices, pineapple chunks, smoked beef slices, and just a bit of cheese.

Toasties a.k.a. Melts

Put everything atop bread slices and pop them in the oven to bake for 10 minutes. Then serve hot with my favourite beverage, usually hot coffee.

Pearl Bean Soup

I don't know what these beans are called. At Isetan, the label says "Mushroom Beans". Hmn ... not sure whether it's called that. It may be called Borlotti or Cranberry beans in English. But locally, it is often referred to as Pearl Beans (抮珠豆). Mom usually cooks the Pearl Beans with Lotus Roots and Spare Ribs in a soup. It's one of my favourite soups.

This morning, at the market, I saw some Pearl Beans. They sold for RM15.00 per kg here. It's considered expensive, but I did not need much to cook soup. I picked a handful of pods, about 200g and they cost RM3.00.

 What a pretty shade of pink

Peas in a pod

Some of the beans are in pretty pink too

Mom scalded the spare ribs and then boiled them with the lotus roots on low fire for an hour. The beans were added last because they softened quite quickly. I think Mom probably boiled the beans for about 15 minutes. Finally, Mom would flavour the soup with salt.

Pearl Beans with Lotus Root and Spare Rib soup

The beans are nutty, creamy and rich in flavour, a contrast with the crunchy lotus root. The soup, of course, is light but umami in taste. It's a great soup to drink from time to time.

我家包点 Home-made Steamed Buns

"I heard that you brought back a lot of 烧饼 shao bing from Kuching," I asked my colleague, V***. He was in Kuching for his interview the other day, and other colleagues had disclosed to me that he bought lots of food back. I was curious where he bought them from.

"Actually, it's 烧卖 shao mai," he replied.

"Where from?" I asked.

"我家包点," he said. Home-made Steamed Buns is the name of the shop in English. The proprietor is his relative. "You must try the shao mai," he insisted.

Hmn. In Kuching, whenever I want to eat shao mai dumplings, I'd head to the Open Air Market and buy from Sin Kwang Heng, which many agree to be selling the best shao mai in Kuching. I'd never tried shao mai from anywhere else! So, this trip home, I'd decided that I should give a Home-made Steamed Buns a try. Lol, I do not even know where the shop is located. I asked Dad, and he said it was at Padungan. Okie. That's nearby.

Today, I had the opportunity to buy some.

Shao Mai

from
Home-made Steamed Buns at Jalan Padungan, Kuching

Well, the dumplings are RM0.60 each, quite large. They were firm and springy, fresh and tasted quite nice. I could taste the mixture of fish and meat paste in the dumplings. Quite 鲜. Compared to Sin Kwang Heng, this one is more savoury. Mom did not think that it was exceptionally yum (She's a loyal fan of Sin Kwang Heng. Lol.) But for a change, I really did not mind eating these ones from 我家包点 Home-made Steamed Buns.

Coconut Shoots Curry

Coconut shoots curry. It sounds illogical. Lol. Did you imagine a coconut holding a rifle and shooting a bowl of curry or something. Well, I meant "coconut palm shoots" cooked in a curry gravy. ;p

Fifth Aunt's Mercedes Benz halted at the front gate early this morning, and she emerged with a bunch of coconuts and a bag of coconut palm shoots. All from her family orchard outskirts of the city.

Fresh young coconut

Coconut shoots（椰心）

This is the heart or the core of the coconut palm. It is known as umbut in Malay and 椰心 in Mandarin. The umbut is harvested from the top of the tree. It is the part of the tree where the fronds develop and emerge. It is considered a delicacy as one has to kill the whole tree in order to harvest it. It has a firm but crunchy texture, and is usually cooked in a curry.

Mom trimmed off the tough bits and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Mom soaked the shoots in water to prevent discolouration.

Coconut shoots in water

Mom got ready her spices - shallots, garlic, turmeric, chilli paste, lemon grass. The spices were all pounded by hand in a stone mortar. She also pounded dried prawns to flavour the curry.

Spices

This is Mom's favourite brand of curry powder.

Then, Mom sauteed the spices and the dried prawns, and added some chopped fresh chicken, and the cononut shoots and then simmered it for a while, and finally added coconut milk.

Yum. It was really appetising, when served hot with steamed rice.

Are You Superstitious : Pomegranate Leaves

I saw a few sprigs of pomegranate leaves on the table this morning, and I thought that Dad was going to a funeral wake or something. Well, apparently not.

It's nearing Qing Ming Festival. Normally, for this occasion, Chinese families would honour their ancestors at the grave site, cleaning and sweeping the tombs. My parents usually clean my grandpa's tomb ahead of the festival. It's quite troublesome as there's no water pipe nearby, and they have to carry lots of water to douse the tomb after all that scrubbing under the hot sun.

Nowadays, however, there are people who offer tomb cleaning services. They even have business cards for ease of contact.

Maria's business card

Since my parents are aging, they decided to hire Maria to wash grandpa's tomb this year. Dad gave her a call last week and told her the designated grave to wash. The damage? RM60.00.

Today, Dad wanted to drive all the way to the Teochew cemetary at Batu Kitang to pay Maria for her services. Hmn, if I remember correctly, I have only been to my grandparents' tomb a few times - perhaps less than five times. So I have a very vague memory of the place, and asked to go with Dad to this morning.

Before we set off, Dad gave me a sprig of pomegranate leaves.

On the way to Grandparents' tombs with my sprig of fresh green pomegranate leaf

"Put in your pocket," he said.

Pomegranate leaves are supposed to ward off evil spirits and bad luck associated with death and places like the cemetary. Some people even wash themselves with water infused with pomegranate leaves as a purifying ritual after going to a funeral wake or a cemetary.

Well, I don't know, but I obediently put the leaves in my bag.

Paternal Grandpa's tomb, all cleaned up for RM60.00

And next to Paternal Grandpa's tomb is ...

Maternal Grandparents' tomb
It was a coincident that they bought the tombs side by side. They did not know it till very much later that they were going to be "neighbours". My maternal grandparents' tomb has not been washed yet this year, but I thought it looked rather clean and well-maintained too.

Well, I've never been around for Qing Ming and will not be around too this year. So, today's trip to the cemetary is for me, a prelude to the festivities. As for the pomegranate leaves, I discarded them when I got home. ;p

Terung Asam

I have a fondness for Terung Asam. This sourish eggplant is rather popular in Sarawak. It is normally cooked in a stew or soup with fish products, i.e. anchovies, salted fish, fresh fish or even with prawns. This variety of eggplant is also commonly known as Terung Dayak or Terung Iban, but for me, it sounds very offensive. I'll just stick to Terung Asam.

Mom and I were at the market this morning, and we bought 2 pieces of Terung Asam. At home, we normally cooked it with fish in a spicy broth. Today, Mom decided to add prawns to the soup too.

RM3.00 for 2 pieces
I love the bright yellow colour. The eggplants were very firm.

Wash and then cut into wedges

Mom got ready the fish & prawns

Then, she prepared the spices - chillies, garlic, shallots, and belacan

Mom sauteed the spices in a wok and then transferred them to a pot. She added in the eggplant and water, and simmered till the eggplant turned soft. After that, the broth was sieved to remove the seeds. Only after that did she put in the seafood to cook in the pot.

Terung Asam Soup

The eggplant has a very distinctive flavour that goes very well with seafood. It is indeed very appetising because it's spicy and sour. I'd eat a big plate of plain rice with just a bowl of soup alone! ;))

Big bowl of soup and steamed rice

Coincidentally, I received this email today about Sarawak's Top 10 Iconic Food Poll.

Here's the ranking :
1. Sarawak Laksa
2. Kolo Mee
3. Ayam Pansuh
4. Midin Belacan
5. Ikan Terubok Masin
6. Umai
7. Kompia
8. Terung Asam Soup
9. Dabai
10. Foochow Kampua

Even Terung Asam made it to no. 8. Isn't it cool?

Making Lor Mai Kai

Today, Mom decided to make instant Lor Mai Kai, and I helped her out.

The ingredients :
Black Chinese mushroom slices seasoned with sugar and sesame oil; sliced Chinese sausages; fresh chunks of chicken thigh meat marinated with light and dark soy, sugar, oyster sauce, five-spice powder, sesame oil, and Shao Tsing wine; barbecued pork slices; and glutinous rice seasoned with five-spice powder, soy sauce and shallot oil.

Place the meats and mushroom at the bottom of a greased bowl

Spoon glutinous rice to cover the ingredients, press firmly

Steam for 30 minutes

Ready to eat

It was really yum, and I enjoyed it lots ;))

It's instant because the glutinous rice has been pre-cooked. In the original recipe, the glutinous rice is washed and seasoned and then steamed together with all the meats for much longer. But instant or not, Mom's instant Lor Mai Kai was yum anyway. ;p