Thougts on food & cooking

That’s my trusted cook book – one that’s been with me for the past 11 years or so. The recipes in that book are the ones I have tried and tested and it’s a combination of recipes from family, friends, cookbooks and recipes I found online. It has cakes and other savory dishes much to the dismay of my mom. She insisted on me separating the cakes from the savory dishes so thus that’s what I am in the process of doing. On top of my trusted recipe book I have scraps of paper and files of recipes collected over the year. I now have a folder for all things cakes, cookies, muffins and all that and a sub folder for desserts.

I have only until recently taken pictures of the food I have made. Its fun sharing – its like a world cultural exchange of food recipes friendship experience and what not. The food in our family consists mainly of local Malay dishes, Chinese dishes, Arabic or Mediterranean cooking, Indian some Italian though my mother is not a big fan of pasta. She has to have her food spicy – its understandable though. The dishes are a mix of every racial group in Singapore. I just love the diversity and the diffrent flavors that comes out of all the diffrent dishes from diffrent cultures.

All my aunties are great cooks and so is my mom and grandmother. I think I am really fortunate to be around a lot of great cooks. Each of them have their own individual styles and I think the experience I gather from them is profound a little of everyone in my cooking. My mom is more of the baker in the household cause she makes cakes for a living – cakes for all occasions, dessert cakes – what can I say she makes all things cakes. I am still slowly learning that from her because personally I think cooking is a little easier than baking. I think the best part was that even my granddad can cook and he loved to learn new recipes – great thing is that he has passed on the recipes to his daughters or else my generation would have gotten to chance to savor his cooking. Another male in my moms family who can cook is my uncle – he makes a mean lobster yumm yummm …. And sea food pasta …

Its 11pm and im getting hungry thinking of all the food lol As I am writing this blog I recall the yummy food that I use to have as kid. One of my favorite is ‘sotong hitam’ translated as ‘black squid’. It may sound bad but trust me its sooo yummy …. The main ingredients are onion paste, chillie paste and salt and water. When the squid is cooked the ink comes out and when combined with the onion and chillie paste the taste is oooooooooo so yummy …. Hence that’s why its called sotong hitam sotong meaning squid and hitam black .. Its one thing reading about it another to try it..

Another dish I miss is ‘tepung pelita’.. it’s a wonderful desert made in small banana leaf boats. My grandmother makes a delectable ‘tepung pelita.’.. I remember her making them when she could still remember id sit and help her staple the banana leaf boats together .. Tepung means flower and pelita means lamp why its called that I have no idea but maybe in earlier days they put little lamps on small boats and guide out to sea or something. Any ideas anyone? Anyways the dessert in question is actually a double layer dessert with a top layer of coconut milk and corn flour the bottom layer is made out of pandan leaves ,glutinous, flour,sugar. It’s a delicious base and I have always preferred the bottom to the top. When my grandmother made them I would scrap the top layer and eat only the bottom … yummm its so good I can almost feel it on my tongue … If anyone was wondering what pandan leaves were here it is

And here is a picture of the tepung pelita ….

I think ill try this recipe sometime .. I trust my mom knows how to make it.. I think I am on a mission to collect recipes from my family members so that the future generation can have a taste of what was eaten in our family while we were growing up. I think its important to remember and preserve that part of us, the food traditionals and what nots …

Anyways I sent my cupcakes on its way to my family on Tuesday and I had great reviews .. So the verdict is in and they liked it .. I am happy all that hard work paid off …

So that’s it for tonight .. going to watch some tv .. nites all ..