Pulut Tatai

As I was making this kueh, I think of mum. She was the one who was making this for the family and back then, I never learnt it from her. I thought it was too difficult to bother. She took a lesson from Lim Bian Yam. It's the best Pulut Tatai! Mum used to pick out the normal rice from the glutinous rice - and that is a real turn off. Now I buy the glutinous rice from Hadyai - unadulterated. And I found out that it's not that difficult after all.

The Bunga Telang, (Blue Pea Flower [Clitoria flower].... yap, no kidding,  to make the blue colour.

Soaking half the glutinous rice in the blue colour overnight.

Ready to steam.

All done!

The yummy Pulut Tatai or Pulut Tai Tai, served with homemade kaya. 

Jiu Hoo Char

I never had the need to cook Jiu Hoo Char, there's always my mum and sisters-i-l. But then I thought, to be a more authenticated aculturated nyonya (a term I just learned) I must be able to cook this dish. After a whole morning of cutting, cutting cutting and here it is - my first Jiu Hoo Char... ta.da..  The taste-tester - KS verdict - not bad... he asked for 2nds.  Actually not bad lah - but since this is homecooked and not commercial, must be more 'ho liau' . So tomorrow, I'm going to add more mushrooms and dried cuttlefish. 

If mum sees the way I cut the veges, she'll be turning in her grave!

Tau Chneow soup

I used to have this soup as a child, still living with my parents. I so love this soup. But after marriage, never had it for all the years because it's not in the menu at my in-laws . And now that I'm chief cook in my home, I will be cooking this soup, and my DH will have to learn to like it! :)

Mum's legacy - Chilli Condiment

Yea! Success! Even though I've been having this for as long as I can remember, I've never attempted to make it myself. Mum's been preparing it. Now that she has left us, I made this for the first time. One of my favourite chilli condiment which goes very well with 'pak cham kai', but I prepared it to go with the steamboat we had for CNY reunion dinner, without Mum for the first time in our lives.

Chapter 2 - Visit in October 2011

Lunch at Padang Brown

The best Kerabu Bee Hoon, with the right amount of shallots, dried prawns, kerisek, cilantro - kau soui, kau kiam, kau liau. It's really good! You need to go early - stall open at 1.30 p.m. Sometimes it's sold out by 3.00p.m.

Yong Tau Foo, Penang style - a very popular stall at Padang Brown.

Get these egg tarts, ' tan tart'  fresh & hot from the oven. They're really good.

Finale

One for the road, Roti Chanai, Fettes Park.

Then lunch at Yee Heong, Campbell Street. One of our favourite restaurant.

Chicken wings marinated in Chinese wine, and deep fried. Very 'phang'

Brinjal with sambal

'Hung tou cha sang meen'

The shop's special tofu .

And then on the way to airport , it was ban chang kueh again, also Mary's favourite.

Just as I heave a sigh of relief, thinking I will be taking a break from all this eating, I got an email from Suan Gaik, a friend also from Melbourne, that she'll arriving on Friday. OH No!!! HELLLLP..!

Apom Berkuah

How timely, for Alan to get to eat this Apom Berkuah also known as apom bokwa. This is specially made by a certain Datin sold at RM10 for 10 pcs and all proceeds go to charity. But she is not so charitable with the recipe. She's NOT sharing it. Nevertheless, it's the best !