Malay Traditional Kuih - Kuih Lompang

I consider myself blessed to be staying in Malaysia. It has a mix of ethnicity and a diverse culture. Kuih is no stranger to any Malaysian and we have a vast array of it coming mainly from the Malays, the Nyonyas, the Chinese and some from the Indians. The word kuih represents primarily sweet cakes but at times, also include savouries such as pulut panggang, kuih cara lauk and cucur badak. Although diverse, it is made primarily of flour, rice flour, pandan leaf, coconut, sugar and palm sugar. The stark difference with western cakes is that there is normally no use of leavening agent and the texture is more often chewy than fluffy.

Chinese Dumpling Soup (Sui Kow) 水餃

This dish really needs no introduction. I bet every Chinese (and many non Chinese) around the world knows what this is. In fact, it is so popular that it has become part of the Chinese culture. Go to any Chinese restaurants overseas and most likely you would find something like this in the menu.

Asian-Inspired Canape

Hey, it is the festive season. Why not serve up something different to your party guests? In this second instalment, I am introducing something different. Who would have imagined canape could be Asian? Well, make it the talk of your guests with these Asian inspired recipes! The fact is I got inspiration from the nearby kuih (malay dessert) stall! Isn't it charming?

Easy Party Canapes

I love everything small and dainty. It is no wonder that I adore canapes. Remember what they said about good things coming in small packages? This is exactly that. These bite-sized goodies are absolutely pleasing to the eyes and simply delicious.

My basic requirements for easy party canape are simple. Use ingredients that are easily available with minimal cooking. It also has to be time-saving with minimal wastage (very important to me). I am not a fan of skewering multiple components. Imagine you are organising a party and have million and one things to take care of. You do not want to spend hours poking at your food. I am also not a fan of cutting odd shapes that leaves two third of the ingredients to the trash.

Winter Solstice Festival 冬至

As a Christian, Christmas is huge. Christmas is where we celebrate the birth of our beloved Jesus Christ, our Lord God and our Saviour. Even in a muslim country like Malaysia, Christmas is celebrated with much splendour and merryment amongst the non-muslims on every 25th of the year. Unbeknownst to many, there is another day of celebration, a few days prior, that is also of much importance to the Chinese....

Fudgy Chocolate Crinkle Cookie

Christmas without chocolate crinkle cookies is not complete. There is something about this wrinkly cookie that reminds you of Christmas. Maybe it is the whitish coat that looks similar to snow. The colour is surprisingly festive in its signature black and white.

Not-the-best-ever but Delectable Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who owns the best ever chocolate chips cookies recipe?

It seems that almost every chocolate chip cookies recipe that I searched has this "best-ever" tag on in. I am flabbergasted. Which one is actually THE best ever then? Most of the time I'm not convinced. I guess it does jazz up their blog a little. Before I get myself into hot soup, I have to reiterate that those recipes are not bad at all, just not best ever.

Asian Style Roast Chicken for Christmas?

I have never roasted a whole chicken before. Since, it is almost Christmas, I thought it would be good to practice roasting a chicken. I know, I know, traditionally a turkey is used. But turkey is just too huge for our small family of non-turkey eating members. Besides, Turkey Inn  does not come cheap in this part of the world. So, practicality outbeats tradition. Chicken is god given. It is so much easier to prepare, especially in its small size.


Now, let's just talk about my roast chicken. It is not your usual western roast chicken with simple ingredients like salt, pepper and thyme. Somehow, living in this part of the world, everything gets more complicated, even the marinade. If you look at the marinade, its primarily ingredients are easily obtainable here. Yes, quite a few things are added I'd admit, but the result is awesome! You can actually smell the roasting chicken half a mile away (metaphorically saying of course!). But it does smell strongly good, that I guarantee. Aesthetically, I feel it is still lacking but I'll let you be the judge.

How to treat a burn or scald without medication

Have you ever burned yourself while cooking? It is quite common for one to have superficial burns when cooking. If you always carry Burnol with you, then it's fine. What happened if you don't have any medications and it hurts like no tomorrow? Some of you might already know of an effective way to treat a burn but for those who do not, please read on......

Stir-Fry Caramelised Roasted Pork Belly (Siew Yuk) 焦糖炒燒肉

So what do you do with leftover siew yuk or roasted pork belly that is left in the fridge? The skin is not crispy anymore. It is dry and tough. Here is one dish that might pique your interest. Give your leftover siew yuk a makeover and elevate it to a gorgeous tasting dish. It is amazing what a little bit of effort can totally transform the taste of this dish.

Crunchy and Light Butter Cookies

Christmas is around the corner. I was thinking of baking some cookies as gifts for my son's playmates in church. So I randomly googled for an original Danish butter cookies recipe. I stumbled upon this site with lengthy explanation on how to make this simple five-ingredient cookie, together with the dos and don'ts meticulously listed. And I told myself, this is it. How else would a normal person knows so much about just butter cookies?

Creative Christmas

Can't believe it is already December! I know this is cliche but I have to say this again...How time flies! I am already starting to feel festive. A tad early, but I reckon good feelings are more than welcome anytime of the year.

Before I know Christ, Christmas was just another holiday where you go out to party and binge. But everything is different now. Christmas means celebrating the birth of Christ, be it in church or other places. Somehow, Christmas carols makes perfect sense now. And I am looking forward to it every year.

In the spirit of Christmas, there are going to be a lot of giving involved this year. I have already bought a huge bag of presents to be given away. In addition to that, this Christmas I have gone creative. I am also going to bake and cook for this Christmas. So, don't be peeved if this month's recipes are all Christmassy. I am sure you will like to know one or two of these just in case you might want to DIY your own dinner or party. I would love to hear some reviews from you. After all, Christmas is about sharing, opinions included!

I know it is a wee bit early but I am wishing everyone happy preparation for Christmas. Meanwhile, I will be getting back to my figgy pudding...♩ ♫ ♪...