The location...
An unassuming town,
Where Dad grew up in,
Take a walk around,
And I'll surely bump into kin.
The kopitiam...
At a corner it stands,
A little dark, somewhat dreary,
But it meets the demands,
Of the hungry and the weary.
The order...
“Cham Ping, please!”
My voice is loud and clear,
In fluent Cantonese,
So that the old man could hear.
The “Cham”...
Frothy and icy,
Golden highlights in brown,
Smooth tea and coffee,
Blended perfection in which I willingly drown.
And now....
The son is now the master,
The old man not to be seen,
With a heart beating much faster,
I wait, far from serene.
The Lament...
Alas! Alas! “Cham” it was not
But coffee in bad disguise,
No more to be tasted, no more begot,
The golden hue that filled my eyes.
No more to be savoured
In relish and in glee,
The drink that I favoured,
Oh woe is to me...
Alas! Alas!
Footnote : Since my Dad's hometown fix is not available anymore, please...please let me know if you know of some kopitiam with fantastic "Cham" on offer. An appeal from the heart...
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Lasagne – Some Assembly Required...
Made my first lasagne yesterday. A vegetarian masterpiece. Was feeling a little cocky that it would be a piece of cake since I got rave reviews for my recent forays into cooking pasta dishes. Of course, it helps if the reviewers are under threat of death for any bad comments. So, there I was, all pumped up and full of confidence. I survived my lasagne making experience, humbled. I’m sharing my lessons learnt so that my fellow lasagne makers can churn out perfect pastas in the future.
1. Do NOT be over ambitious.
Sure, it would impress your diners if each lasagne layer consisted of different fillings. But you know how much cooking you have to do??? A five layer lasagne with different fillings will require you to cook 5 small dishes, excluding the pasta preparation and lasagne baking itself. Once you put everything together, the taste is going to be all mashed up anyway...So rule of thumb is 1 or at most 2 kinds of fillings.
2. Start early.
You need time to cook the filling, do the pasta and bake the lasagne. Lasagne also requires some assembly and if the lasagne pasta sheets do not fit nicely into your baking tin, be prepared to draw up an engineering plan and get ready for some knife wielding antics. Unless you don’t mind a Frankenstein version of course. And you could always finish a lasagne earlier and heat it up for later. Since I did not think I would encounter so many issues during the process, by the time my sister came over for dinner, the lasagne was far from ready. So, I had to deal with a hungry demanding blood relation, who was clamouring for food while still trying to put the darn pasta together.....
3. Lasagne pasta sheets are NOT like other pasta.
Do NOT put too many sheets together into the boiling water at one time. They STICK together and do not cook evenly. I learnt my lesson well when I had to abandon a whole pot of half cooked, stuck clumps of lasagne sheets. The trick is to only do small batches of 3-4 sheets each time.
4. Always READ instructions thoroughly.
The disaster with my failed first batch could have been avoided if I read through the recipe properly. The instructions were loud and clear but because I was too hasty, I overlooked it.
5. Do NOT use too much flour in the sauce.
By the time I was ready to assemble the lasagne, my béchamel sauce was like hardening cement. I couldn’t even spread it out onto the pasta because it was too clumpy and sticky. It was definitely a case of too much flour which thickened the sauce too much.
6. Do NOT over-estimate the number lasagne sheets you need.
It is not in my nature to reveal how darn stupid I was (or am!) but for the greater good, I am about to reveal something which would not reflect very kindly on my intelligence. I initially calculated 16 pasta sheets for a 5 layer lasagne in a 9x9 baking tin. How did I come up with that number? Aha! This was where my brilliant mind pondered over the question and came up with this foolproof solution. I used the dried pasta sheets and placed it into the tin to see how many pieces I would need to make one layer. I even visualized what I would need to fill up the small hole that appeared which the dried sheets couldn’t cover. When my first batch of 16 lasagne sheets failed (please refer to Lesson 3), and I realized I need to cook it in small batches of 3-4 sheets at a time...I nearly threw in the towel then....Each batch would have taken 15-20 minutes to cook. For 16 sheets, it would take me forever!! Luckily for me, I had some assistance from a very very concerned person who, like my sister, was also waiting for his dinner. With his help, we managed to do the next batch of 3-4 sheets successfully. And surprise! Surprise! Once the sheets are cooked, they actually expand much bigger!!! Whaddya know??? I only needed 2 sheets for each layer. By using some odds and ends from the failed 1st batch, I didn’t have to cook anymore batches after that. So the moral of the story is – brilliant people can make mistakes too....
So there you have it. I am glad that the lasagne turned out pretty decent in the end. At least my reviewers (who were under threat of death for bad comments) thought so :-).
1. Do NOT be over ambitious.
Sure, it would impress your diners if each lasagne layer consisted of different fillings. But you know how much cooking you have to do??? A five layer lasagne with different fillings will require you to cook 5 small dishes, excluding the pasta preparation and lasagne baking itself. Once you put everything together, the taste is going to be all mashed up anyway...So rule of thumb is 1 or at most 2 kinds of fillings.
You need time to cook the filling, do the pasta and bake the lasagne. Lasagne also requires some assembly and if the lasagne pasta sheets do not fit nicely into your baking tin, be prepared to draw up an engineering plan and get ready for some knife wielding antics. Unless you don’t mind a Frankenstein version of course. And you could always finish a lasagne earlier and heat it up for later. Since I did not think I would encounter so many issues during the process, by the time my sister came over for dinner, the lasagne was far from ready. So, I had to deal with a hungry demanding blood relation, who was clamouring for food while still trying to put the darn pasta together.....
3. Lasagne pasta sheets are NOT like other pasta.
Do NOT put too many sheets together into the boiling water at one time. They STICK together and do not cook evenly. I learnt my lesson well when I had to abandon a whole pot of half cooked, stuck clumps of lasagne sheets. The trick is to only do small batches of 3-4 sheets each time.
4. Always READ instructions thoroughly.
The disaster with my failed first batch could have been avoided if I read through the recipe properly. The instructions were loud and clear but because I was too hasty, I overlooked it.
5. Do NOT use too much flour in the sauce.
By the time I was ready to assemble the lasagne, my béchamel sauce was like hardening cement. I couldn’t even spread it out onto the pasta because it was too clumpy and sticky. It was definitely a case of too much flour which thickened the sauce too much.
6. Do NOT over-estimate the number lasagne sheets you need.
It is not in my nature to reveal how darn stupid I was (or am!) but for the greater good, I am about to reveal something which would not reflect very kindly on my intelligence. I initially calculated 16 pasta sheets for a 5 layer lasagne in a 9x9 baking tin. How did I come up with that number? Aha! This was where my brilliant mind pondered over the question and came up with this foolproof solution. I used the dried pasta sheets and placed it into the tin to see how many pieces I would need to make one layer. I even visualized what I would need to fill up the small hole that appeared which the dried sheets couldn’t cover. When my first batch of 16 lasagne sheets failed (please refer to Lesson 3), and I realized I need to cook it in small batches of 3-4 sheets at a time...I nearly threw in the towel then....Each batch would have taken 15-20 minutes to cook. For 16 sheets, it would take me forever!! Luckily for me, I had some assistance from a very very concerned person who, like my sister, was also waiting for his dinner. With his help, we managed to do the next batch of 3-4 sheets successfully. And surprise! Surprise! Once the sheets are cooked, they actually expand much bigger!!! Whaddya know??? I only needed 2 sheets for each layer. By using some odds and ends from the failed 1st batch, I didn’t have to cook anymore batches after that. So the moral of the story is – brilliant people can make mistakes too....
Friday, January 15, 2010
Back on the Saddle Again...
Sigh, sigh and sigh again. This is it guys. My 10-month break is officially over. The questing activity needs funds and short of selling blood to the blood bank, that just means one thing. I had to go back to work. Same old line of work. Same old boss even. My work clothes have been hanging in my closet welcoming moths. Now I’ve hauled them out and dusted them down. Even my cheap PVC handbags were rotting already. Of course, all sorts of other insecurities have started playing in my mind. Do I still remember my stuff? Can I still confidently execute my role? Heck, can I even stay awake at work for the minimum 8 hours?? Fuuuuuuuuuuu-aaaaaahhhhhh..... (only Cantonese opera fans will get this one). How can I even begin to express this deep reluctance in my soul???
The greatest underlying fear though is that I will get sucked back into my old lifestyle without making any progress on my quest....work, work, work on week days, then rest on the weekends and get enough energy to work, work, work again the following week. I guess I should be happy with a stable source of income. But would I be truly happy? Would I find purpose in what I am doing? Since I’d be spending a huge period of my productive adult life engaged in this activity called work, it is only natural for me to want to do something I’d enjoy. It doesn’t have to be a world peace campaign to make it worth my while. Sadly though, I realized that I have no other skills whatsoever that could contribute towards my economic well-being. Let’s run through some career options which I had already scratched off the list....
The greatest underlying fear though is that I will get sucked back into my old lifestyle without making any progress on my quest....work, work, work on week days, then rest on the weekends and get enough energy to work, work, work again the following week. I guess I should be happy with a stable source of income. But would I be truly happy? Would I find purpose in what I am doing? Since I’d be spending a huge period of my productive adult life engaged in this activity called work, it is only natural for me to want to do something I’d enjoy. It doesn’t have to be a world peace campaign to make it worth my while. Sadly though, I realized that I have no other skills whatsoever that could contribute towards my economic well-being. Let’s run through some career options which I had already scratched off the list....
- Ballet dancer – First of all, I would have had to spend an extra 2 hours before each dance performance trying to put my tights on right. Second of all, that career went down the drain when I was around 7 or 8 when I stopped going for ballet classes. I figured that I probably don’t want to risk not being able to walk for the rest of my life if I try to do the splits now.
- Tai chi master – I did the moves right but I still couldn’t light up the bulb with my internal energy.
- Pianist – It was excruciating practising scales and I could only correctly describe what Andante and Allegro meant in theory. My voice wobbled during oral exams and my fingers refused to dance lightly over the keys....Enough said.
- Squash player – Alas, flat feet and a wonky toe joint eliminates this option. Not to mention my questionable forehand, aversion to exertion and a slight deficiency of sportsmanship....
- Chef – I could pull this off. All I’d have to do is to project the right image and personality and get my own cooking show. Pulling a Gordon Ramsay probably wouldn’t work in Malaysia – besides, I’d have to learn how to swear in three languages or more to cater for the multi-ethnic audience. Channelling Nigela Lawson is also out – not voluptuous enough and my boob size doesn’t quite make the cut. Even if it did, I’d be pixelated on TV. Perhaps the cool, hip Jaimie Oliver personality may work. But then I’d have to get some cool hip friends for me to invite over for dinner at the end of the show.....that could be a problem. Still mulling over this one....
- Food critic – if I couldn’t resolve the Chef personality issue, this could be an alternative. I just need to brush up on my epicurean dictionary and thesaurus. Can’t just declare “Too salty” or “Too sweet” just like that. Will need to be able to construct sentences like “Sublime flavour of sea salt underlying the sweetness of musky truffle...” Or something to that effect. The negative aspect here obviously is the effect eating all that food is going to have on my already ample waistline.
- Travel host/ guide – Love, love, love to travel. Definitely one of my identified passions. The challenge is how make money and not have to get stuck with a bunch of fussy tourists whom I have to wait on hand and foot...
- Er-hu musician – I suspect I may be an unpolished diamond. With the right guidance and enough practice, I could be making an album soon. Now, I just got to learn how to make those “I am totally immersed in the music” kind of expression when I play, then it’s “Eat your heart out Vanessa Mae”!.
- Millionaire – all it takes is the right big sweep ticket bought at the right place at the right time....
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Poetry 101...
My sister recently surrendered to me a 1957 edition of the Senior Anthology of Poetry for Schools in South East Asia. I said surrendered because she loved collecting old books. So, it was probably with some reluctance that she handed it over. She reminded me that we used to have a book of poetry with the exact same title for Literature class during our secondary school days. I had to pause for a while to recall whether there was such a book. I believe my mind must have suppressed those memories of Literature class as a sort of protective mechanism. Yes, it is all coming back to me now....
Flashback to the times when we sat in class, hunched in nervous anxiety behind our newer editions of Senior Anthology of Poetry. Our teacher, Mrs. Peters, a commando disguised in a sari and hair bun, would have been reading aloud a selected poem. Her clear voice would waft to our ears, bringing words of great (and mostly dead) poets, words hoping to get understood and appreciated....And our teenage minds would be vacuous vessels, unable to comprehend. After the reading finished, she would cast her penetrating eye around the classroom. And we would huddle in dread, trying desperately to look invisible. After zooming in on the sacrificial lamb, she would boom “You, Ah Moi, what do you think the poet is trying to convey?” (Note : in an attempt to protect the identities of the traumatised victims from Literature class, I have used anonymous identities here).
We all empathised with Ah Moi but those were the times where Darwin’s Survival of the Fittest theory kicks in strong and self preservation takes priority above friendship and loyalty (just so you know, apparently the term Survival of the Fittest was coined by another guy called Herbert Spencer, not Darwin lah!). So, we cast encouraging glances to Ah Moi, hoping she would bluster up enough sense to appease Mrs. Peters. Of course, it is also in the name of self preservation that we were putting our money on Ah Moi to save the day. Can’t have Mrs. Peters pick on Minachi next, can we? Alas, we were but vacuous minded teens and intelligent replies were few and far in between. On good days, Mrs. Peters would just raise her eyes to heaven and wonder how she ended up there. On others, we will get a verbal lashing from a very frustrated Mrs. Peters and a 100 line poem to memorise and recite at the next class. And explain what the poet was trying to convey of course. Those were the days....boy, am I glad that’s over!
Poetry took a back seat after secondary school. Reading became centered on popular novels and works of fiction. Chick-lit, fantasy, humour, crime fiction....I guess I have a tiny artsy vein in my body in that I still read some classics once in a while. But that was it. Poetry did not feature much, if at all. However on a recent day, at an MPH warehouse sale, I came across a gorgeously illustrated book of children’s poetry. It was a good bargain at the price. And in hard cover too. So, I bought it. As I flipped through the pages, I began to enjoy it. There were no heavy duty verses or complicated phrases. Just simple words constructed in a beautiful form. Hallelujah, I could actually understand it! I didn’t even have to refer to a dictionary (yet). The light dawned on me. Stupid education system! They should have stuck to children’s poetry, not the Senior Anthology of Poetry!! OK, half kidding on that one.
Poetry can be enjoyed if given a chance. No need to get into the deep stuff if they seem too complicated (especially after a hard day at the office, the brain doesn’t want to be going into overtime!). I guess the trick is to pick ones you can understand and appreciate. Poets have amazing talent and imagination to be able to put together phrases that roll off the tongue with such lyricism. There are a lot of stories to be found in poetry and poems. They can be solemn, sad, happy, nonsensical.... even nursery rhymes and limericks are a fun variation. I have a long way to go towards real poetry appreciation but hey, it’s never too late to start. It’s all about expanding your horizons. I may be sticking to children’s stuff for a while though. I thought I’d share a few with you every now and then whenever I come across any that I liked.
To start off, here are two selections... enjoy! (from “A Family of Poems” compiled by Caroline Kennedy).
Careless Willie
Willie with a thirst for gore
Nailed his sister to the door
Mother said with humor quaint
“Careful, Willie, don’t scratch the paint!
Anonymous
ME
As long as I live
I shall always be
My Self – and no other,
Just me.
Like a tree.
Willow, elder,
Aspen, thorn,
Or cypress forlorn.
Like a flower,
For its hour –
Primrose, or pink,
Or a violet –
Sunned by the sun,
And with dewdrops wet.
Always just me.
Walter de la Mare
Flashback to the times when we sat in class, hunched in nervous anxiety behind our newer editions of Senior Anthology of Poetry. Our teacher, Mrs. Peters, a commando disguised in a sari and hair bun, would have been reading aloud a selected poem. Her clear voice would waft to our ears, bringing words of great (and mostly dead) poets, words hoping to get understood and appreciated....And our teenage minds would be vacuous vessels, unable to comprehend. After the reading finished, she would cast her penetrating eye around the classroom. And we would huddle in dread, trying desperately to look invisible. After zooming in on the sacrificial lamb, she would boom “You, Ah Moi, what do you think the poet is trying to convey?” (Note : in an attempt to protect the identities of the traumatised victims from Literature class, I have used anonymous identities here).
We all empathised with Ah Moi but those were the times where Darwin’s Survival of the Fittest theory kicks in strong and self preservation takes priority above friendship and loyalty (just so you know, apparently the term Survival of the Fittest was coined by another guy called Herbert Spencer, not Darwin lah!). So, we cast encouraging glances to Ah Moi, hoping she would bluster up enough sense to appease Mrs. Peters. Of course, it is also in the name of self preservation that we were putting our money on Ah Moi to save the day. Can’t have Mrs. Peters pick on Minachi next, can we? Alas, we were but vacuous minded teens and intelligent replies were few and far in between. On good days, Mrs. Peters would just raise her eyes to heaven and wonder how she ended up there. On others, we will get a verbal lashing from a very frustrated Mrs. Peters and a 100 line poem to memorise and recite at the next class. And explain what the poet was trying to convey of course. Those were the days....boy, am I glad that’s over!
Poetry took a back seat after secondary school. Reading became centered on popular novels and works of fiction. Chick-lit, fantasy, humour, crime fiction....I guess I have a tiny artsy vein in my body in that I still read some classics once in a while. But that was it. Poetry did not feature much, if at all. However on a recent day, at an MPH warehouse sale, I came across a gorgeously illustrated book of children’s poetry. It was a good bargain at the price. And in hard cover too. So, I bought it. As I flipped through the pages, I began to enjoy it. There were no heavy duty verses or complicated phrases. Just simple words constructed in a beautiful form. Hallelujah, I could actually understand it! I didn’t even have to refer to a dictionary (yet). The light dawned on me. Stupid education system! They should have stuck to children’s poetry, not the Senior Anthology of Poetry!! OK, half kidding on that one.
Poetry can be enjoyed if given a chance. No need to get into the deep stuff if they seem too complicated (especially after a hard day at the office, the brain doesn’t want to be going into overtime!). I guess the trick is to pick ones you can understand and appreciate. Poets have amazing talent and imagination to be able to put together phrases that roll off the tongue with such lyricism. There are a lot of stories to be found in poetry and poems. They can be solemn, sad, happy, nonsensical.... even nursery rhymes and limericks are a fun variation. I have a long way to go towards real poetry appreciation but hey, it’s never too late to start. It’s all about expanding your horizons. I may be sticking to children’s stuff for a while though. I thought I’d share a few with you every now and then whenever I come across any that I liked.
To start off, here are two selections... enjoy! (from “A Family of Poems” compiled by Caroline Kennedy).
Careless Willie
Willie with a thirst for gore
Nailed his sister to the door
Mother said with humor quaint
“Careful, Willie, don’t scratch the paint!
Anonymous
ME
As long as I live
I shall always be
My Self – and no other,
Just me.
Like a tree.
Willow, elder,
Aspen, thorn,
Or cypress forlorn.
Like a flower,
For its hour –
Primrose, or pink,
Or a violet –
Sunned by the sun,
And with dewdrops wet.
Always just me.
Walter de la Mare
Sunday, January 3, 2010
All About The Quest...
Ever heard of “cham”? I’m referring to the drink. If you’re Malaysian, you should know which drink I mean. For the benefit of those not in the know, “cham” is basically a beverage which combines two mighty brews into one. “Cham” is the happy union of the “oomph” (instant rejuvenation!) of coffee and the aaaaah” (blissful sigh...) of tea. Get the sound effects? Good. They are crucial in conveying the feeling that this beverage invokes. The word “Cham” is Cantonese in origin. It also means “mix”, “combine”, “join”,.....you get the idea.
Well, I am on a quest for the perfect cup of “Cham”. Both literally and figuratively. Let me explain. A good cup of “Cham” is darn hard to come by. There are a couple of criteria which you could easily use to ascertain the potential of any cup of “Cham” served to you.
How does this quest for “Cham” also apply to me figuratively? Trudging the usual walk of life would mean going to school, graduating, getting a job, starting a family, growing old... Well, I was about halfway on this walk (in other words, mid-life crisis) and I started to question – is this it? I’ve had some progress in my career. Family ties and friendships are generally in a good state. Health and fitness is not great but I get by (i.e. no heart attack yet). Yet, I was feeling restless and unfulfilled. I had a lot to be grateful for but there I was, mulling about in a layer of discontent. Sigh. Ever had one of those days?
To cut a long story short, I quit my job and took time off to chill out and travel. It’s been 10 months now. The break has been great but I’m still working at shaking off the blues. Should I go back to work and just pick up where I left off? The bank account is screaming “Yes!”. But has anything changed yet? After a bit of soul searching, I’ve decided that like a perfect cup of “Cham”, I want my life to be the right blend and balance of the right “ingredients”. So far, I’ve narrowed down the remedy to three factors. I hope that finding the perfect blend of this trio will let me live a darn good life.
So, my friend, I hope you will join me on this quest and we can figure out things together. After all, what is a knight without a sidekick?
Well, I am on a quest for the perfect cup of “Cham”. Both literally and figuratively. Let me explain. A good cup of “Cham” is darn hard to come by. There are a couple of criteria which you could easily use to ascertain the potential of any cup of “Cham” served to you.
- Colour - Too dark and you can probably expect it to taste like coffee. Too light means too much tea. It’s got to be in that warm brown tea-ish with a dash of coffee colour zone for it to even hold a hint of promise
- Aroma – Whiff of coffee with a subtle note of tea. Sounds like a perfume ad, huh? In short, it shouldn’t smell too strongly of either brew.
- Texture – Thick and smooth, no question about it. This is usually achieved with the right dosage of condensed milk and/or evaporated milk and/or sugar. Too much, and all you get is a milky mess.
To cut a long story short, I quit my job and took time off to chill out and travel. It’s been 10 months now. The break has been great but I’m still working at shaking off the blues. Should I go back to work and just pick up where I left off? The bank account is screaming “Yes!”. But has anything changed yet? After a bit of soul searching, I’ve decided that like a perfect cup of “Cham”, I want my life to be the right blend and balance of the right “ingredients”. So far, I’ve narrowed down the remedy to three factors. I hope that finding the perfect blend of this trio will let me live a darn good life.
- Purpose. This is a huge huge missing piece in my quest but I am determined to find my life’s purpose one day.
- Passion. Even saying the word out loud makes me feel all energized and vibrant already (somehow an image of a matador in a bull ring keeps popping up in my mind as I write this...weird). I love variety in everything – books, music, food, activities, etc. Sadly, this also means I am sorely lacking in passion for anything specific. Passion will be crucial in helping attain purpose.
- Pleasure. Remember Zombieland’s rule #32 ? Enjoy the little things...(great movie by the way – go watch it!) While life certainly has its distasteful moments, at the end of the day...I hope to sit back with a grin and say “It’s been an awesome ride!”
So, my friend, I hope you will join me on this quest and we can figure out things together. After all, what is a knight without a sidekick?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
