A Charity Contribution

Recently I have done a charity contribution for the local Chinese Church .  I have baked four different types of bread loafs and buns..  I am pretty proud of myself..A simple bread recipe I have invented; they were made of high protein flour, yeast, water, salt, shredded carrot,chopped nuts and spring onion; other herbs and spices.  All these were baked in a conventional oven.  All bread and buns were baked in rotation.  Please check them out..

Altogether I have used :

6 kg high protein flour

7 loafs of 18 x 8 cm

75 buns

Baked from 9 pm - 3 am

From start to the end, including cleaning..All by myself!

Carrot bread loafs and buns

ready to be baked

Herbs and Spices Buns



still in the oven

So much bread!!!

Packed and ready to go to the charity..

I know for sure, we have made more than 340 MYR  just for these bread..Well Done!!

Phuket Island [3]

There is a night market at a walking distant from our hotel..We took about a good twenty minutes to walk.  It was hot, sweaty and dusty. The atmosphere was noisy and festive, quite clean and neat to my surprise; and yet colourful. 

  

Fancy any Thai Spicy Food?? There were so much to choose from...

Ready To Go

Some deep fried Thai food

Thai Mushrooms

Thai Grill

Thai Sandwich

The Evening's Highlight : Deep fried Insects

The crunchy deep fried insects, anyone??

The colourful home baked cupcakes. They certainly look better than mine

I know they are seafood, on the left is a crab and the right..anyone??

A huge promotion of Thai Boxing

A hotel called Tiger Hotel

Below, we stayed on the fifth floor, and were told that the tsunami came without warning and swept everything away; to above the height of the fifth floor..

I have taken this picture, within the distance you can see the sea.

I couldn't imagine it and do not wish to..

On the right hand, tip of the white square corner building is the ocean..

After nine years, I think the Thai government has done a pretty good job!

Phuket Island [1]

C with her family have planned a trip to the Phuket Island for their last school vacation break and have asked me whether I would tagged along..I have never been to Phuket all my life, even though currently I am living 'so near' .. and on top of it, as Air Asia had such affordable offer, and excitingly I said yes..why not??

I must confessed, even just a few days before the departure, I was in this forbier of not going, trying desperately to find a solution of finding a replacement.  Then looking at the conditions of the ticket I have bought was not possible..I just wanted to call off the trip, giving the excuse I couldn't go..

 

Last year, I had the similar reaction when visiting Saigon - Vietnam with my son..The thought of going to Vietnam just wasn't my cup of tea..The Vietnam War..  I thought the left over 'war zones', what is there to see..?? The devastated country, faces of these poor soul, the handicaps, the tanks, the massive graves..Just couldn't bear the thoughts..

 

You see, I had the opportunity of visiting the refugee camp in Kuala Lumpur during the 1970's while working with the UNHCR..My job was to send the refugees to the countries of acceptance.. I was very lucky then, especially I didn't have any problems of qualified the visitation of the Refugee Camp. 

  

Finally the day came.  I was chauffeured driven with one of my colleagues..  Remember, this is a restricted zone.  Not everybody nor anyone was allowed to enter a refugee camp. 

 

The Vietnamese in the Refugee Camp were so happy to see me. I remembered I was introduced to  the person in charged.  I wondered sometimes that brought back the memory was it because I was a woman, an outsider, looked like them; approachable and have no problem connecting with them..They were and wanted so desperate to tell and inform me what was happening. Without any hesitation, a woman took my hand and lead me to her bunk bed- sitting together with many others, being surrounded with men, women, children of all ages.. The conversation started without any introductions.  They told and shown  me their lives as boat-people..It was all in Vietnamese language, some Chinese dialects, it was all jumbled up..there was the body language..

 

Trying to have a conversation was the very difficult..There were tears..a woman was holding my hands while crying..and another one was trying to tell me to help her..telling me she has lost her home and family..

 

The experiences of the above had certainly make a great impact of my life.  What is it to be a refugee and what is life in the refugee camp. You simply cannot imagine the tremendous pain they bear, physical and mentally..they have gone through..there is no words one can describe..

 

Eventually, after a long persuasion, I agreed to visit Vietnam with my son! 

I could not imagine nor frankly speaking what to expect of Phuket..The devastation, the fear and sorrowful of visiting Phuket left , me speechless..

I need to visit Phuket for myself.. after 9 years..there was and still is so much about the tragic of tsunami.  Mind you, there is the Tsunami movie 'The Impoosible' is currently available.

With open hearted, the trip was for 3 days and 2 nights... 

With sun, sand and tom yam [Thai famous spicy food..], it was alright..

I have taken some photos of  'Life in Phuket after Tsunami'. 

Apparently, life goes on.  Nobody seems to talk about it unless spoken and asked to.. It is sad and tragic; but I am glad I went.

After having checked in the hotel, immediately we booked in a round Phuket Island tour which took us totally about 3 hours.




Our first stop from the beautiful sight of Phuket Island from Karon Bay







At the Karon Beach, there was this  'parrot' awaiting for some pictures taken with.

The Magnificent Buddhist Temple at Chalong Bay. 

At Chalong Bay in Phuket, one of the magnificent attractions is the Wat Chalong (Buddhist temple at Chalong). All Buddha figures are covered in gold.  The temple is opened from 9am to 5pm.  Before entering the temple, you need to remove your shoes or sandals. Please do not wear expensive footwear, you will risk of being stolen. And not to forget, when entering a Buddhist Templar, no matter where it would be, especially for the ladies, with due respect, remember, do not expose yourself too much. Usually at the entrance of the temples, there is always a female door guard, where she will be distributing a shawl to cover yourself before entering.

But, over all an advice to the ladies, no matter where you are, travelling in the South East Asia countries, I would strongly recommend ladies cover yourself with short sleeves and round collar; and no mini mini skirt or shorts..

We were told not to touched the Buddha, but allow to photograph

  











 

Phuket Island [2]

The next day, we booked a speed boat trip to the famous Phi Phi Island.   This is a whole day trip from 8am to 5pm.  We were picked up from our hotel to the Rassade Harbour which took us about an hour. 

A map taken from Phuket ferry.com



At Rassada Harbour waiting to be boarded

 

Sightseeing at Maya Bay

 

 

 

Sightseeing at Viking Cave

On this day, we couldn't get any closer due to the last night's stormy weather.

At Monkey Bay



Tourist feed bread to the monkey

There were hundreds of tourist arrived almost at the same time

At the Coral Bay
 

A set lunch menu is served at this restaurant

At Coral Beach we were here for about two hours.  You can enjoy snorkelling, swimming and even sun bathing..



 

Malay Wedding

MG and her English husband K were invited to a Malay Wedding recently by their neighbour, and I was asked whether I would be interested to join them.  Yes I would love to and this is the second time I am attending a Malay Wedding.

 

It was only a walking distance from MG's house to the Wedding, on our way, we could hear the drumming noise..it sounded very authentic and welcoming..As we were approcahing the house, I  have to take the opportunity to take pictures prior entering to the house, otherwise I would miss it. 

 

The Malay wedding is a entire different story. As you can see, this is a different arrangement comparing with the Chinese and the Westerns wedding's decoration. 

 

There were already so packed with people. I have heard that the whole Malay neighbourhood was invited..I saw a bus parked not to far away from the house.. So colourful with a lot of decoration and needless to say: lots of yummy delicious Malay food that I would not miss it for the world. 

 

For further understanding regarding the Malay Wedding and the Malay Wedding Food, please refer to the following link http://malayweddingservices.com/malay-wedding/  and the Malay Wedding Food, please read this blog:  http://www.wedresearch.net/2012/12/malay-wedding-food.html

 

 

 

Today I attended a Malay Wedding. At the entrance. It was already packed with well wishes friends, family and relatives. 

 

 

 

 

Look at the yummy food..

Can't get enough of them..





The food in the centre of the table.  They are the typical Malay Wedding dishes are served.  The dishes were Fruit Archar, Fresh Fruits of Watermelon and Oranges, Fried Fish, Mutton Rendang, Fried Chicken and Potato Curry..and naturlig they were served together with Nasi Miyak  uhm..so so delicious..

 

On my plate, I had Nasi Miyak, Mutton Rendang and never in my life have tested such delicious Fruit Archar/ Archar Buah..Well, I have tried to be modest of my serving, but it WAS difficult..



The dessert table consisted of different delicious home made Malay Kueh, Cakes and Jelly..



 So sad, I have to skip these, no room for dessert..after three servings of the above..

Sydney renowned Chef Christine Manfield

 

I was shocked and saddened when I learned from the Australian Hospitality Magazine recently, [http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au]  that Sydney renowned celebrity Chef Christine Manfield is closing down her Sydney's Universal Restaurant in the suburb of Darlinghurst.

picture from the hospitality magazine

I came to know Christine Manfield while at a book store in Sydney some years ago.  She is a colourful, vibrant and  a brilliant Chef I have ever met known.  This big colourful and unusual hard cover caught my attention that I just needed to own this book for myself.

I would loveeeee to attend Christine Manfield cooking classes at the Sydney Fish Market and while living in the Northern Beaches, she had classes at FoodStuff Mona Vale.  I seemed to have missed her classes..it was either I was late knowing about it, the class was full or even I was on waiting list!!!

 

 

Stir - Christine Manfield's cook book is real, wholesome, explosive of Asian local spices and flavoursome; well explained and easy to follow with many of my favourite and basic Asian recipes for example making Laksa Paste, Pickle and Jams, Satay and Curry Pastes.. .

 

Going through her hard covered book with the most beautiful lively pictures, it was as if I  could smell and taste her food..and I was literally droolllling.. tried to swollen my saliva at the book store ..And how could I not..

 

Moreover, I have never in my entire life reading such an experienced, well written and so authentic Asian recipe book which is so well covered by a Caucasian Female Chef [beside Niel Perry]..She has the most incredible knowledge of Oriental herbs and spices.

 

However, this is so good and so easy as I have tested this recipe many times and this is one of my favourites.. Sorrry for not having the picture of the dish. The Christine Mansfield's way 

 

 

Jumbo Prawns with Green Coconut Curry 

Serve 4

 

Ingredients:

 

250ml coconut cream

1 tablespoon Green Curry Paste

2 teaspoon fish sauce

200ml fish stock

16 raw jumbo prawns, shelled

1 cup Thai basil leaves, washed

150g small spinach leaves, washed

 

 Method:

 

1.  Heat coconut cream to simmering point, stir in green curry paste and fish sauce.

2.  Cook sauce for  10 minutes, add stock and bring to boil.

3.  Simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and, if necessary, adjust seasoning. 

4.  Add prawns to sauce and simmer on low heat for 3 - 4 minute, just long enough so prawns  changed colour without overcooked and tightening.

5.  Stir in basil and spinach leaves till they are wilted, served with stem rice. If you cannot find the small spinach leaves, try shreded iceberg salad..uhmmm.