Excuses, excuses

Well.

It would be remiss of me not to mention my absence. But this time, I have a rather good excuse, which, you'll be happy to hear, can only be used once.

I went and got married! Yup, the boy and I are officially hitched!

It came from 6 months of frantic planning, countless trips to the North East of England, coordination between people in 4 countries, kind, patient parents and a hefty chunk of change.

But was it worth it?

HELL YEAH!!

Highlights included:

The absolutely incredibly gorgeous, 14 degrees weather. Yep. You heard right, 14 degrees in the North East in FEBRUARY, ladies and gentlemen. Which means yes, God was on our side!

Our wonderful family and friends who helped us pull it all off and the incredible amount of air miles our friends put in to join us. We were truly honored.

The old London double decker we rented, complete with uniformed conductor, to drive guests to and from the church.

The response of the boy when the Vicar asked him when he knew why brides wore white.... I'll never live that one down.

The Northumbrian piper when we walked in and the Ceiligh band which kicked off the evening.

The candy buffet which featured candy and treats from Hong Kong, Canada and the United Kingdom (my personal favorites were the Coffee Crisps, Black Jacks and of course dark sugar embedded sour plums!).

The dance coordinated by my fantabulous sister-in-law... a shock to many, including the boy, when the bridesmaids and I sauntered to the dance floor in a "choreographed" cheesy dance to... wait for it.... "Play that Funky Music White Boy".

My four dresses... and of course my snow cape! Hey, it went from 9am to 2am, a girl's got to have some fun!

Now, for those of you who are here for the food!! I'm sad to report it wasn't all that...

Dinner homemade tomato soup served with warm rolls (which were so good my Uncle had 4!!), Oven baked Loin of Cheviot Lam flavoured with Rosemary and served with a Redcurrant Jus and finished with Pear flavoured Bavarois topped with Glazed Pears and edged with Raspberry Coulis. I didn't get a chance to take any photos but Aaron, my Matron of Honour's husband, who was a STAR the whole day, thought of Sui Mai and snapped this one. Thank you!

Although I didn't get near it, I was told that the evening buffet of roast beef and pork with all the accompaniments (gravy, applesauce, mustard, etc.) was outstanding. And for those who worried about my veg head friends, they were catered for with veggie burgers. Prompting of course my father to ask what that "weird burger" was after the wedding.

There is so much more to say and people to thank but I will do that on another medium. However, I did want to publicly thank everyone who was there, people who sent their well wishes and those of you who were there with me in spirit.

Thank you for the cards, the gifts and your support. It is more than I could ever have hoped for.

Ol' Skool

Someone asked me the other day why I didn't update my blog.

I was quite surprised, truth be told because I thought I did quite a good job of updating the blog at least once a week (I try for twice but often we eat at home and my cooking just isn't blog - worthy... I promise. I wouldn't hold out on something good, would I?). And I said as much:

"I'm quite surprised."

At which they said, no, no... they meant the look of my blog. I apparently still have an "old school" style blog. In that I use the blogger picture tool to put pics right and left all along my posts and don't use Pictobrowser or other things.

Hmmm.... I thought about it for a bit. And while I have to admit that one of the reasons is that I'm technically a bit behind the crowd (I was always the chubby girl struggling to keep up with the rest of my running group in PE), but also I found that my favorite blogs to read are those that have the pictures IN MY FACE!

I love that Robyn posts pictures throughout her blog so that I can read and see what she's talking about at the same time and I find that often I don't .... scroll through the PictoBrowser (sorry!). Maybe its laziness or maybe I just like instant gratification (chocolate, NOW!).

Perhaps I will change when I get my new logo from Spicy Icecream.... but likely not really.

So to all my readers (all 5 of you), sorry but I think I will remain "Ol' Skool" and maybe even become retro one day. One can only hope.

(picture included is a T-shirt I got for Christmas from my favorite veg heads... I am using it as a cheap ploy to hold your attention. At least I didn't use SEX... oops, I guess I did now.... darn.)

Pan, Kettle, Black

I don't know how many of you remember my dilemna with the cast iron pan but lately, I have been incredibly fortunate to leap at an offer from Umami for another, bigger cast iron pan, seasoned by her wonderfully patient Gigi.

I received it just last week and have been told its gone through three rounds of seasoning.

The boy came home and saw it, compared it to my old pan and asked whether Umami was feeling sorry for him for having to eat off a greasy spoon cafe pan and so offered a pre-seasoned one.

I was a bit annoyed. Until we did a comparison.

I'm almost reluctant to post these pictures as I'm cringing from shame but here's my pan...

And here is my lovely new pan.

Words fail me.

Lucky ducky

I admit it. I am very lucky I have the boy.


Because of the boy, I got to fulfill my dream of living in Paris. And that's not the only reason I adore him. He was also raised right. By that I mean he thanks me for EVERY SINGLE meal I cook him. And this includes lunches which I rarely pack for him, and breakfasts on those rare occasions I wake up before the sun.

But yesterday he went grocery shopping at my request.

And forgot my list. Uh Oh....



He came back with this.




Apparently "for Sui Mai" but for him....and to impress my father.




Other things in the shopping basket: Ostrich steaks;












Kumatos (some new type of dark tomatoes that ripen from the inside, sweet and crisp);





and of course, he always gets overly enthusiastic in the fish section (ending up with 3 pieces of fish we need to eat within the next day!) and conveniently forgot that we had enough cheese to feed a small army when he hit up the cheese selection.

The boy's attempts to sabotage my diet is transparent.

And when he asked me if I needed him to go to the shops this week, I smiled widely and thanked him.

"Thank you but no."

A Fowl Attempt

I met Umami the other day at Atelier Maitre Albert for a roast chicken lunch. She had been craving roast chicken and having done her research on Figaro, was determined to try the best roast chickens in Paris.




We had an interesting discussing during lunch. The two dishes I never, ever order in restaurants is pasta and chicken. I always think that pasta is one of those dishes that unless its dead cheap or has something special, then ts one of those dishes you can make pretty well at home. As for chicken, it always seems dry to me when I eat it outside. And, surprisingly, roast chicken is one of the few dishes I pull off surprisingly well. Probably due to the ease of preparation.




However, always eager to share Umami's latest food obsessions, I tried the chicken. It was good ... very good ... but I still didn't think it was worth paying the 18 euro (a la carte) for. I don't think my home roasted chicken fared much worse. And had more of the crispy skin that I so love.





I don't often do recipes here and I'm not sure I want to start now but I thought that I'd share my seasoning and some of the tricks and tips I use. As you read through, you'll notice that my emphasis is on the crispy skin...




Chicken Seasoning


- handful of sea salt
- poultry seasoning (I use Schwartz's from Montreal) - this is optional, I leave it out sometimes and increase the other ingredients - about a third of the sea salt
- honey - generous tablespoon or two
- juice of a lemon
- a few drops of olive oil (flavored is fine)


Adjust all amounts according to side of the bird. I typically use approximately half a cup for a 3-4 pound bird


1. Mix until its a thick paste



2. Take a handful and smear, spread or dollop under the skin of the bird. I like to throw in a handful and massage all over so its spread under the skin. Use approximately half of the seasoning under the skin.


3. Take half of the remaining and spread on the outside of the bird and the other half on the inside cavity of the bird.


4. Shove cloves of garlic, the lemon halves, onions, shallots, celery, whatever you have inside the cavity of the bird.



This recipe is very very flexible so use whatever you have on hand. Rosemary or chili are also great additions. And yes, I have read that seasoning on the outside doesn't penetrate the bird. That's true but then I get lovely seasoned skin on the outside, which I think is still very enjoyable.



And again, yes, I know that the chicken has enough oil so there is no need for more oil but I like putting a bit of oil on as I believe it enhances the crispiness of the skin.


And as for all the onions, garlic and celery inside, you may or may not wish to eat it or add to your gravy but I think because it all steams inside the bird, it enhances the flavor.


The honey helps with the caramelization of the bird and makes it a nice toasty brown color and gives it a subtle sweetness I love it with the chicken.




Tricks and Tips:


- For a tender breast (of chicken): Roast breast side up as there's no 'weight' on the breast so the meat is more tender


- For a juicier breast (I prefer juicy): Roast breast side down so that the fat and juices run down and give it a constant basting


- Start the bird off in a very hot high temperature oven and let roast for approximately 20 minutes until slightly browned at top then turn oven temperature down to roast for the remaining time. There are various opinions about this. Some find that it "seals" in the juices, much like browning, whereas others feel that there is no difference. I like doing it this way as it makes the skin crispier.


- Once finished cooking, take out of the oven and let sit for 15 minutes to let the juices settle before carving. Sneak the wing tips and chicken bum as the 'delice du chef'.




A roast chicken is very popular with the boy and I. It's democratic eating. Breast for the boy, big drumstick and both chicken wings for me. A chicken oyster each when dissecting the remainder of the bird after the meal and the carcass saved for soup while the leftovers go into a chicken salad the next day.




Atelier Maitre Albert
1 rue Maitre Albert, 75005
Metro: Maubert
Tel: 01 56 81 30 01

Pickles and eggs

I was intrigued when my favorite veg-head (and soon to be bro in law) brought out a huge jar of pickled eggs during the Christmas season. Of course I had to try... if only to show the leafy ones that I was "down wit it".

Eggs and vinegar in my mind immediately screams, TUMMY ACHE.

However, seeing as the nut roast they procured at the festive table was nothing short of scarf worthy, I thought this must be a good thing. Besides. I enjoy eating sulphurous black duck eggs with sugar, don't I?

Well the egg white tasted mostly of pickle and the egg yolk nothing more than just yolky. What I found interesting was when the green one told me that you can make your own with nothing more than boiled eggs and vinegar.

Hmmmm....INteresting.

Of course I needed to experiment. And, in an effort at one-upmanship, I had to do something different. And so this is where beets come in.

Having an almost empty jar of pickles, I polished off the pickles, added some vinegar to the remaining pickle juice, heated it all up and poured it over some peeled pickled eggs and diced beets.

Two days letter, I tasted one of them. Not quite pickle-y enough but a pretty and interesting shade of pink which contrasted nicely with the white and yellow of the egg.

Would definitely make a pretty addition to a Salad Nicoise.

(proper recipes can be found here)

Galette de Roi

T'is the season for Galettes des Roi, flaky pastries traditionally filled with either marzipan or frangipani. These King Cakes, associated with the festival of Epiphany in the Christmas season are on sale until the end of January and are a favorite of the boy's. Anything with frangipani or marzipan and the boy gets that glazed expression in his eyes....

In any case, having been invited to the lovely Umami's house for a day of majong and hotpot, we brought one from our favorite local bakery...the one with the impossibly thin apple tarts. Of course, knowing that Umami had a hankering for the apple tarts, we bought one of those as well.
Unexpectedly but happily, I won the coveted 'feve' or trinket, which was hidden inside, thus got to wear the crown for the rest of the dinner.


Having not had enough of the Galette de Roi, the boy went and bought a mini sized one from one of his favorite bakery shops, Malineau. The boy even had the gall to say that he bought it for my sake. For comparison reasons.

This one was very very flaky and buttery, and to my taste, a bit *too* flaky and dry. (and yes, in my world there is such thing as too flaky). I preferred the one from the local bakery which had texture and lovely layers to bite through to get to the rich frangipani.


And yes, we did end up buying a third one. From the local bakery to take to the boy's grandparents in Sunderland.... his grandfather ended up almost eating the feve!

Umami and I, in a fit of time indulgence, traveled all the way to the 13th arrondissement to find Pain et Passion, which was recently rated in the Figaro for having the best Galette de Roi. Although we only had a small individual one, the boy and I agreed for having been the worst of the three, all dry and heavy.

My advice is to buy your Galette de Roi from a local bakery from whom you buy your pies.

For a wonderful round up of Galettes, see Umami's latest post!

I'm a Winner!!!

Not to boast or anything, but I won, I won, I won!!!

And I won the prize I wanted too!!!

I've always, always wanted my very own logo and now I'll get one courtesy of Spicy Icecream.

I simply can't wait and I am grateful to Lisa for donating the gift.

A big thanks to everyone who also participated in Chez Pim's Menu for Hope.

Participate next year and you too can be a winner ... just by donating!

Cough-fee

For Christmas I got a great many lovely things, one of which was a packet of chocolate based food items. Do my future in-laws know me or what??

One of the items kept tempting me.... a chocolate marshmallow coffee from Cocoa & Co. Blasphemous to coffee drinkers I know but if you had to sleep in the room where this little sack sat, all innocent except for the lovely fragrant scent of rich dark coffee and chocolate, I dare you to refuse its mating call.

I was good though, I waited until I got home to try it out with my somewhat leaky Bodum press. And of course, to complete the slightly trashy picture, I decided to drink it out of my fancy Krispy Kreme travel mug. I'm all klass.

And how was it?

Tasty, not too 'marshmallow-y', the scent was mainly what reminded you of the chocolate marshmallow, the taste was thankfully more coffee.

In the box were also some interesting handmade chocolate bars, including a Strawberry Black Pepper one I hope to review once I get rid of this dratted *COUGH*

Hippy New Year

This is going to be a problem.

I got myself into trouble, you see, over the holiday season.

I received a dress for the wedding and it was too big. No problem, took it to a local seamstress to take in. In a fit of ambitious headiness, I told to the seamstress during the fitting:

"Please make it very snug, I plan to lose a bit of weight"

Um. She kindly pinned it tightly. Very tightly. Let's just say the rolls, they were aplenty. The seamstress asked if it was too tight.

As my future Mother-in-Law was standing patiently nearby, having driven me across villages to make my appointment, I couldn't lose face. I also couldn't breathe.

"No, I'm sure it'll be fine", I said.

In my head, I was going "WHERE did those rolls come from? I don't really look like that do I? I have 5 weeks, what am I going to do?"

As to where those rolls came from, let's review shall we?

Over the last 10 days, I have had:

Homemade Almond Cherry Rocky Road (which I made myself, thank you very much!);

<------Fried Fish with no chips but a hunka fried haggis... do NOT recommend unless you're trying to kill yourself;

Cream tea with multiple cakes------->

<--------------------Haggis;

and my first pickled egg. ------------>

Also countless cups of tea, ginger biscuits, fig rolls, cakes, puddings (all with custard of course), chocolates received for Christmas, and old fashioned sweets to keep us going while opening presents.

Luckily the boy was very good with Christmas presents this year. Besides particularly beautiful photographs he had put on canvas, I also received a red iPod nano, complete with...

Yup, you guessed it, the Nike + set....

Let's hope that if my rolls don't give me a fright enough to start exercising, than the music will get me moving.

So here's hoping you have a Happy New Year, regardless of the state of your own hips.

Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and share some of my recent loves:

Chocolate: Jean-Charles Rochoux, hands down... especially the fresh fruit bars available only on Saturdays and also, he's a lovely, friendly man

Wine: Still partial to the Chinon we bought from Monsieur Sourdais, particularly Les Cornuelles 2003 from the year of the 'canicule' (heat wave).

Bread: Pain au Levain from Au 140

Cheese: Please don't make me choose............

Meat: Filet de Sanglier, available at the Christmas fair at La Défense and at Place Saint Suplice. Delicious, more-ish, perfect texture wild boar.... soo good.... and so unfair of the stall seller not to give me a contact where I can get more. All I know is that they are at the Christmas fair, at the Salon de Agriculture and at the Bastille market for 1 month during May. GO GET IT NOW!!! So delicious.............

Restaurant: Still Biche au Bois

Best skincare discovery: Patyka Huile Absolue

Book I most enjoyed reading: Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid - Bill Bryson

Book which haunted me the most: We Need to Talk about Kevin - Lionel Shriver

Site which makes me almost wet myself laughing: Elf Yourself - you have got to try this!

Sorry this isn't a comprehensive list. I'll have to try harder.... yep, there's a New Year's resolution right there!

I do wish you all the very best Holiday Season with much overindulgence, laughter and of course, food.

Happy Christmas.

F-odd: Haribo Zanzigliss

In the interests of fairness, seeing as I had written about the popular Bassett's Licorice Allsorts, I felt compelled to pick up the French offering, Haribo Zanzigliss.

First off. What the hell is Zanzigliss??? I wiki-ed it, I googled it, I can only conclude that its a stupid name.

Secondly. Why is there a English Queen's Guard on the front with these crazy licorice pieces trying to make him laugh. So the packaging begins by making fun of the English and tourists. Alright, I have no problem with that. And there's also a little icon with a weight with its arms (weights have arms? This one does!) on its hips, looking very proud that it weighs 300g.

Now we get to the inside. From the outset we can see it's a much, much heavier licorice to whateverthehellitis ratio, unlike the Allsorts, which were dominated by colored coconut *shudder*.

On closer inspection, we find an assortment of licorice wheels, licorice twigs, fondant-type flavored filled licorice as well as the sandwich of licorice. However, I also found these:

I know what you're thinking. WHAT THE *(insert epitaph of preference)* are THOSE???

Come on. Couldn't you guess?? A pointy hat, slanty eyes and a frowny moustache. It's a Chinese of course! Wow, Haribo has gone international! Wonderful!! I bet all Asians, myself included, feel wonderful at being part of a truly international bag of Zanzigliss.

But wait.......... there's more!

Hang on...... what's this?

Curly haired, big nosed thick lipped figurehead.... are there any stereotypes we haven't covered?

I'm not even going to go there.

Also, don't let us forget the mock Lucky Luke type character, which I believe, represents the West.

I don't know what the Haribo people were smoking when designing these type of things but I can't wait to find out what other crazy things they have going on in their fun packs. I've never picked up much beyond the Goldbears and cola bottles which I enjoy.

Can I just ask, who IS is the target market for these things? White supremacists?

Oh! I almost forgot to say how they taste... too distracted by the weirdness. The fondant is pretty gritty and awful but the licorice itself is fine I guess.

Oh and in case you want to know where to buy these, I picked them up at Toys R Us, you know, the place where you buy toys of learning and fun for kids.

Those crazy Europeans!

All Sorts of Coconut

As I shamefully admitted previously, I have succumbed to the lure of licorice. And although my former boss stopped short of pointing and saying "Ha Ha!" like Nelson from the Simpsons, I did figuratively get deservedly mocked in an email.

So, what do the famous Bassetts Allsorts taste like?

Well, in one word, coconut.

Nope, I have no idea why either.

Apparently, the story was that Allsorts came about when a salesman clumsily spilled his tray of samples and so all the flavors got mixed in a somewhat serendipitous accident. Formal story can be found here.

Now yes, although I am a beginner to licorice, I may not understand some of the subtleties.

Number 1 - Why SALTY licorice? No idea.

Number 2 - Why COCONUT licorice? No idea

Licorice in and of itself tasted quite benign with the coconut being the dominant flavor. In fact I strongly disliked the coconut and much preferred the little aniseed flavored gum drops covered in non pareils as well as the little licorice bits and of course, the adorable little Bertie, whom I ate before I could take a picture. Unfortunately these pieces were very few in my bag, which was instead taken over by the play-doh looking colored coconut.

Quite honestly, I thought they looked like fake candy used for decorations. Which, in my opinion, was probably all they were good for.

Hairy crabs

Today's lesson is not about some kind of STD, thank you very much! We're a food blog so obviously we're going to talk about the hairy crabs you can eat..... um, hang on a minute ... I meant the shellfish once again.

So anyhow, back to the eating.

While I was back in Hong Kong (yes, I'm now back in the city of light), I was lucky to be there during the delicious hairy crab season. A delicacy enjoyed by my whole family... although I'm not sure my brother is so dexterous with the extraction of crab meat from its hairy claws. But yes, it is much loved by many and thanks to my Aunt and the absolutely charming Cha Xiu Bao, I got to eat them with much enjoyment.

I only had a total of 5 crabs during my 6 week holiday back in my homeland but they were memorable... not least because my Mom exclaimed her enthusiasm loudly in the middle of a popular spa that she "loved the males due to the sticky white stuff!". I shushed her immediately and lead her immediately to a quiet corner, admonishing her to refer to the CRAB please least they think her a woman of the street.

Anyhow, back to the crab. I was lucky enough to have all males, which made for lots of yumminess. You can tell the male in the picture I have on the left, which has a pointy middle bit. A female will have a rounded bit.


First though, we received them as per above, all splayed out and ugly, then we had to dissect it. Everyone has a different way of doing so. My aunt likes to rip off all the legs first and put that to one side, then rip off the shell and attack the insides.

Personally, I prefer to peel out the middle bit and ripped that off, then turned it over to rip off its shell then rip off the two, hairy claws. Then we have to remove it's 'heart' (not sure if its really its heart but it is inedible), its gills and all the tiny inedible parts.

Just look at that ooey gooey stuff and all that roe! Doesn't it make you want to attack it?

What I do after this is take a tiny spoon and eat everything from the top, then pour a tiny bit of the dark vinegar in its shell to dip the crab flesh in later.

Then, being careful to not let any roe spill, I crack it in half, eat all the roe then slowly start eating everything else. Very delicious and fun to eat (in my mind at least). I always wish I could eat more to my heart's content but given its high price as well as its high cholesterol content, it might be best to limit myself.

I'm very slow and messy at eating hairy crabs so it takes me approximately an hour to eat one. And apparently I really, REALLY shouldn't be allowed to eat this in public. The mess, the sucking and and the concentration makes me the worst dining partner ever. All I can say is thank you Cha Xiu Bao and others for still actually speaking to me. I hope that I'm not struck off the invitee list next time!

Saga au Allsorts

I read this and am still crying over it. Too funny

http://allsortssrsbzns.livejournal.com/

Of course I just *had* to go out and get my own bag of Cadbury Bassett Allsorts... you know, for research purposes!

Review to come...

*By the way, yes, I'm horrified that I've suddenly discovered a taste for licorice after much mocking of my former boss for bringing in salty licorice after his holidays...

Menu for Hope

Chez Pim is once again hosting Menu for Hope, a fundraising event in support of the UN World Food Programme. Gifts and prizes are offered by bloggers around the world to be bid on and won by donors. A much much better explanation is available here.

Its a great cause and it is so heartwarming to see the generosity of all the bloggers around the world. There are some great prizes *cough*Susan...elbulli*cough* by some wonderful bloggers, including of course, Umami!

Last year I was lucky enough to win a lovely set of books by Chubby Hubby and I fully intend on bidding again this year!

So, in between shopping for those elusive perfect Christmas presents, do some good, spoil yourself a little and get bidding!

Oh, and good luck!

Happy Holidays!

F-odd: Huh?

I was at the market the other day when I came across these:

I thought they were pickling cukes,

or baby courgettes...

I finally asked the stall owner.

They turned out to be stoneless, baby cocktail avocados.

Who knew?

They were slightly sweeter yet more bitter than normal avocados. Meant to be peeled and sliced into coins to sprinkle over salads.

I love finding foods I've never seen before! One of the many joys of having time on your hands to explore.

F-odd: Bland Chips

Spotted this can of Pringles in Sogo.

I think perhaps their Marketing people need to do some work rather than depend on the Japanese-English dictionary.

F-odd:Sweet and Sour

One of my favorite things to take on planes and rides are preserved sour plums. I get travel sickness quite easily and these help with the nausea.


While I realize these are not exactly the kind of 'treat' Western peeps usually eat, nor the younger generation (ahem, myself included, of course), I do believe that people are trying to make them less mouth puckering and more pleasant for the youths of today.



One of the incarnations that is popular is using the plums embedded in hardened (maltose). While I enjoy these separately, I find that together they just seem a bit wrong.


Which is why I was reluctant to try the black sugar and plum one that my Mom bought from Sogo's Taiwan specialty food exhibition.


Black sugar is very popular at the moment and treasured for its health properties (hehe, any excuse to eat sugar).


So, how did it taste? Surprisingly delicious! The dark, slightly burnt taste of the earth sugar went very well with the sour, tart and slightly medicinal quality of the preserved plum.


I went back the very next day and picked up the last pack. I'm afraid you lot in HK will have to get yours on your next trip to Taiwan!

F-odd: Crashed juice

My Mom pulled a carton out of the fridge the other day and poured herself a drink.


I didn't think much of it until I heard a somewhat disgusting squelching noise coming out of the carton.


I turned around to find her squeezing what looked like congealed juice out of the carton. In alarm, I told her not to drink what I thought was rotten, conjealed juice.



Laughing, my Mom handed me the carton. It was:


------------>


A half jelly, half juice type drink which my Mom had grown very fond of.




I tried a glass.



It was flavored with that distinctive musky Japanese Kyoho grape juice. Not as sweet as jello and soft yet not too mushy so with enough interest to hold a child's attention to keep them quiet for a few minutes. Or in this case, my Mom's.

Malay Pit Stop - Part 2

The next day, we were jet lagged and didn't set forth from our hotel until the afternoon. As we didn't have too much time before we had to prepare to go to the wedding banquet, the boy and I went to to check out a recommended chain restaurant, Madam Kwan's, in the nearby Suria KLCC shopping centre.

Madam Kwan's was introduced to me as being a kind of upscale hawker stall food which was done very well. We ordered one of their signature dishes, Nasi Lemak, and then the Assam Laksa, which I remembered liking as a child.

The Nasi Lemak was good, with crispy skinned chicken and decent rice. To me, it tasted just a touch too plain. Especially when compared to the Assam Laksa...


All I can say is that my mouth is literally WATERING while typing this. I LOVE Assam Laksa. I can even place it as one my favorite things to eat in Asia. It is sooooo umami, so delicious that I ended up eating 4 bowls of it in 2 days. I even insisted on downing a bowl even though we were late for the airport. It is so freaking good. Pungent, spicy, sour and slightly sweet, it is the kind of food that makes one reel their head back and go, "woah...." before putting one's head down and slurping the entire bowl, unashamedly tilting the bowl back to get the last drops of soup.


I don't know if anyone knows how to make this but if you ever do, and invite me over, I will love you forever. FOREVER.


I don't recall if the boy ate any of it but I think that if he tried, he may have lifelong teeth marks on his fingers.


To finish off, we had to have the cendol, shaved ice with lots of beans and jellied bits with gorgeous dark, almost burnt sugar to sweeten the deal.


Then it was off to the wedding that evening to see the lovely bride and groom seal the deal.


The next day, I was determined to down more than my fair share of Assam Laksa. Being a little worried that I wouldn't find a comparably delicious bowl, I had a bowl at Madam Kwan's to start me off.... just in case!!


Luckily I found a mini-bowl elsewhere, which had a lighter colored gravy but was just as delicious, redolent of fresh herbs and bolstered by the meatiness of the fish.

My first introduction to Rojak was a bit... well, let's just say I didn't like it. Which for me, is a shock as I like almost EVERYTHING (except Turkish delight. Ick) . Not being one to shy away from foods, I was determined to try it at least twice more to ensure that I don't like it. My parents' rule was try to try it at least 3 times before making a decision of whether or not you like the food. I have adhered to it ever since.

The first time I tried it was at a little Indian Kopi Tan, or Coffee Stand. They had Rojak noodles, so the boy and I ordered a bowl to try. While it wasn't the best thing I ate, it was quite decent and the eggs went especially well with the slightly fishy and nutty sauce. A kind of bent twist on peanut noodles served in mall food courts that the West seem to the like and the East seem to gag at.

Then we tried a plate of traditional Rojak with fruits at quick drink stop at a mall restaurant. This one was more fishy than nutty although crushed peanuts were sprinkled on top. I can't say that I liked it but I didn't dislike it. It seem a little bit "wrong" and that's even to me, who enjoy sweet mixed with savory and especially fruits in savory dishes.

All in all, the boy and I agreed, we wished we had more stomach space to fit in all the delicious looking food we wanted to eat. At the end we were defeated. But Malaysian food seem to be very big and bold in flavor, the absolute opposite of that of English food. Rather than a friendly tap on the shoulder, it was more of a get up and smack you in the face food. While I enjoy subtleties of some of the more quiet food flavors, I also love food that yells. And Malay food definitely yells.

Sorry, no addresses for most but here's Madam Kwan's.

Madam Kwan's

- 65 & 65-1, Jin Telawi Tiga,

Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2284 2297

- Lot. 420/421, Level 4, Suria KLCC,

Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 5088 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2026 2297

- Lot. F-052, First Floor, Mid Valley Megamall,

Mid Valley City, 59200, Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2287 2297/98

Malay Pit Stop - Day 1

The boy and I made a quick pit stop to Kuala Lumpur to attend the wedding of two wonderful people.

Armed with a map and a list from the boy's colleague, we were hungry and ready to eat.

First thing the boy ate? The first thing he saw, which made his heart sing and his stomach growl... Durian milkshake. Absolutely sure that he'd get a stomach ache after having traveled 3 countries in as many days and drinking the incredibly pungent fruit mixed with milk and ice drink on an empty stomach, I scanned the road for a bathroom. Amazingly, the boy just smiled after having downed the drink in what seemed like a split second and asked what we were eating next.

Lucky for us, there was a sidewalk vendor doing brisk business just down the road with a mouthwatering array of foodstuffs to be sold in a cone of rice. Of course we couldn't resist and over loaded our cone of nasi lemak (coconut rice) with lovely tangles of vegetables, smattering of spicy, perfectly cooked beans, beef rendang, crunchy ikan bilis (the little fried fishes), topped with a fried egg (the boy's oddly Cantonese inclination). This was surprisingly filling and we wandered around the city, slightly confused and suffering from a bit of food coma combined with the humid heat. In a moment of weakness, I am ashamed that we succumbed to the lure of an evil American coffee chain's lure of cold drinks and air conditioning for a bit of a rest.

Of course, we couldn't stay put for long. We had things to eat, after all! We went in pursuit of what the boy's colleague termed "a legend". Soong Kee, apparently famed for their beef balls, which we found deliciously springy yet tender with a good bite, accompanied with lovely slightly meaty and mushroomy lard slicked noodles.

We slurped them down happily, accompanied by a bowl of their beef stomach in soup. AHHHH....

Then, after pursuing some of the tat at the market in Chinatown, we went to the "food court" on one of the side streets where we were able to consume delicious char kway teow with lots of wok's breath, slightly charred, chewy and deliciously moreish. Sadly we were both too full to eat anything else and shamefully only ordered one plate to share between us. We just could not seem to consume anything else.

Of course that was before we came across the little stand selling all manners of cakes. We picked three to take home with us to accompany our tea. After all, couldn't very well not have dessert now could we?

The top piece looked a little like a thick hotcake with a browned top. Only slightly sweet and not too soft, it was perfect with tea. The lower 'brick' on the lower left made of dark brown sugar, was all texture, with what looked like a dense sponge and was wonderfully chewy and flavorful with a warm sugar taste. The coconut with tapioca on the right was warm when be bought it and soft and melting but a little too sweet and gooey for me. I tend to like my desserts to be either liquid or solids but not mushy goo. However, lucky for me, the boy will eat anything with coconut.

Shockingly all this food was just on day 1!!

Box O' Pies

An actual conversation between me and my friend, sometimes contributing member, the Krispy Kreme Korrespondent.....

Krispy Kreme Korrespondent (i.e. the alternative KKK): oh i bought you a box of chicken pies

Krispy Kreme Korrespondent: from that pie shop

Sui Mai says: a box of chicken pies??

Sui Mai says: who do you think I am?

Sui Mai says: homer simpson?

Krispy Kreme Korrespondent: yeah but i forgot about your carbs thing

Krispy Kreme Korrespondent: so no worries ill eat them

I am now seriously worried. #1. Did she seriously think I could eat a whole BOX of pies?? #2. Is she now going to eat a whole BOX of pies by herself?

Yeah, about the carb thing... trying to avoid some of it in an effort to maintain a bigger bust to belly ratio. It's a constant battle I tell ya!

I'm smarter than you

I'm still here, I'm still in Hong Kong!!!

And still eating excessive amounts of food... Unfortunately due to a hiccup with my service provider (*coughpccwcough*), I have been struggling with some odd hours in which I can get online. Anyhow, back now.

Thought I'd start off with a quick Muji post. Muji, much loved by many for their practical, simple designs. Muji, much loved by me for their quirky and odd-ly named and manufactured products such as 100% Peas and Cheese and Cod snacks. I love the fact that I can find Muji in Paris but I bitterly mourn the fact they don't carry snacks.

This time it was an innocuous piece of "black charcoal cake", formally named:

In any case, my Mom is very fond of their Baumkuchen, multi-layered cake. However, peering closely through the packet, I was convinced it was all a con and there wasn't any layers, just a lump of cake. My Mom bet me there were layers.

I was sure I was right. After all, I had my contacts on so had the eyesight of a, um... thirty-something year old. While she, on the other hand, buys mobile phones based on the size of the numbers on the screen. Besides, I was university educated, very..um..well read (comic books, to be sure) and unemployed while she is the manager of two offices, in Hong Kong and in China, raised two seemingly normal children but incredibly gullible, as evidenced by many odd purchases throughout the years, conned by fast talking salespeople.

So, here is the evidence.

I was wrong.

BUT, I said, I bet you can't eat the layers separated!

I hadn't even finished the sentence when my Mom pulled apart the layers, wrapped it around her finger and stuffed it in my mouth.

So, the conclusion is, Mom's always right. No matter how gullible they appear. As evidenced by her immediate purchase of a broken bit of wire the sales lady convinced her was a miracle hair tool.

Oh and the cake? Very nice! Not much sesame flavor, lightly sweetened and wonderful with a cup of tea.

Busy, busy...

*chomp, chomp*

*sluuurp*

*burp*

Sorry, just got back to Hong Kong, am too busy eating to blog.

Off to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow!

Hope to check out a few fabulous recs from friends.... to work up your salivary glands for what I'm going to consume, check out the fab blog EatingAsia. Not recommended viewing on an empty stomach....

An Ode to Cherries

I love cherries. Fresh cherries that is. And ONLY fresh cherries. Nothing except fresh cherries.



I loathe anything else cherry flavored, maraschino cherries (the only person I know who likes them is my Grandmother), cherries marinated in brandy, anything that has cherry in its name except for fresh cherries. Not that I tasted any. A friend brought over a pineapple and maraschino cherry concoction once for a birthday. To her outrage, I refused to try. Despite the fact that I will willingly put pig's snout, lamb brains and chicken butt, I refused the single vivid red, toxic looking cherry.


Yes, shame on me. I was scarred a long, long time ago by something called "fluoride treatment". Shout out to all those who went to school in the 80's. Cherry flavored fluoride treatment. Trust me, I did all I could not to vomit and the ungrateful dental assistant still had the gall to be angry about all the red spit which decorated the front of her pristine white shift.


In any case, I decided after that that I did not like anything cherry except for fresh, crunchy cherries.


A point of view I admitted to Umami, a lover of all things cherry. Well, not ALL things cherry but lets just say the girl loves her Griottes. Cherry jam, cherries macerated in liquor, the girl has got a thing for them.


"Ewww", I thought sadly, "We don't have the same tastes at all!"


Well, as it turns out (as in most cases), she's right and I'm wrong.


First of all it was Susan, mistress of all things yummy, who encouraged me to try Berthillon's cherry sorbet, which I have since become hooked on.


Then it was Jaden's Persian Sour Cherry Saffron rice, which so freaking delicious I gave myself a bellyache eating the whole thing in two days.


Then it was my beloved dish at Louis Philippe, duck breast with cherries and stewed apples.


So now, when offered a cherry at a food fair, I will no longer turn up my nose and instead, guided by food gurus Susan and Umami, I will be brave, take my stomach with both hands (trust me, it takes both hands to carry that thing), and open my mouth.


As my Dad always used to chant at my picky brother, "Never try, never know"