We're almost halfway through our fasting month and I find it hard to eat heathily. No, I am far from being on a diet (something that never in my short life occurs and hope to never will be), trying to lose weight. But I never fail to try and ensure we get pieces of fruits and veges every breaking-fast time. Fruits and veges will always be on our groceries list. Fish once a week is a must. And because he doesn't like to freeze fish for more than 48 hours, we usually get fish on the day we go to the market and cook them for dinner that night, or brunch the next day.
Menu for fast-breaking this week:
- Nigella's Vietnamese chicken and mint salad with leftover seafood from Scampi.
- Lontong (yummy! Had a good chat with Makcha this morning and she suggested this. Which reminds me to ask her how to make my all-time childhood food favourite, laksam!)
- Lasagne (to finish off our mince from last week's buy)
- Mee goreng mamak (had learnt to make this rather successfully from cravings last week)
Yes, the menu doesn't add up to 7 days and that's because we often dine out or get invited somewhere, somehow. For the few weeks of fasting month, we get invited to parties, get togethers or gigs almost every week/weekend hence giving us free food.
The weekend after my bday, we had a belated bday/coffee party (no, not at the village, thankfully, but at Raelene's instead). That itself had left us with assorted cakes and goodies. Then, it was Tareeq's iftar the following weekend. Then a Moon lantern festival. Then this week of course a quiet bday dinner at Scampi's just the both of us. And supposedly going to Kate's gig at the barton tomorrow but we passed. We'll go to the other one next weekend.
Oh yes, I got these on my bday so I chose 2 recipes from each to make him his bday dinner. He had insisted a no-fuss bday celebration (he didn't want me slaving alone in the kitchen and even said he'll come home early from work to help me cook), and only requested a roast chicken. Which is perfect for me since it's so easy to make, and to be honest, I'm sick of eating red meat (I prefer a softer and lighter version such as chicken or fish rather lamb or beef and he always said my tummy cannot handle digesting them, oh whatever!) and also giving me more time baking a cake! No birthday should pass by without a cake, at least in my life and family, and I intend and determine to continue that tradition to my future generation. And I love, L.O.V.E the time I had by myself, working quietly in the kitchen, making food with love and care even if it means taking up the whole day. That is therapeutic, to me. However, I don't fancy stuffing my chicken and like Ainsley, I prefer my stuffing to be outside my chicken simply for its crunchy outer and soft inner at bite, rather than a mushy stuffing all over from being in the chicken. And his recipe had both of us LOVING our stuffing =)
It took me a while to decide what cake shall I bake for his bday. Something manly. Dark. Mysterious, almost. Intense. And surprising. Until Nigella's creation came up with a rusty, crater-look cake, rich with dark bitter-sweet chocolate which to me resembles the manly side (and of course, the man he is), with a thick creamy cloud of cream which also to me, resembles us. She even named it Chocolate Cloud Cake. I recommend this one to all male species. He also made her bitter orange ice-cream the night before using tangelo and limes which turned out to be the creamiest homemade ice-cream I've ever had. Almost like Bulla. *yum*
So those were our menu on his bday. Oh and of course not to forget roast vegetables and tangelos. While tonight, I made reservation at Scampi's (again) for a quiet bday dinner for him for two. Watching the 'magic hour' run by to indicate it's time for iftar (I'm liking the name), we had our seafood platter for two including lobster, bug, oysters, smoked salmons, prawns, squids, octopus, scallops, fish, and salads with 4 different dressings. The seafood were all fresh and my oh my so yummy, well worth the price. Of course, coffee and desserts later on. I was so full that we had to pack the rest of the food, no matter how slow or long we sit at the table.
One of the advantages of living with Chinese, so far I found to be learning making many things from scratch. I am big fan of making things from scratch. Leave me killing, hunting, butchering my own animal, if I may (this is a HUGE influence from Papa whom hunts almost every night when we were younger, bringing back sorts of animals from the wild. His most favourite past time apart from golf). But no, I did not learn hunting from the Chinese. My dear housemate, Lufee taught me how to make soy bean milk from scratch. A big fan of soy bean milk, we have been making them fresh almost everyday now. If it permits me to get bamboos and huge woks, I'd be making lemang and dodol for raya in my backyard by now. Note to self: learn how to weave 'ketupat' from Papa successfully (trust me, I've been tryin for years). Yes, in our family, sadly, only Papa knows how to. He has been trying to teach me numerous times but I still can't seem to get the hang of it.
To be honest, I don't quite fancy thick, fancy-like, talk-of-the-town recipe books. I prefer recipe magazines with "what's on season" section, tips, hints and guides to cooking and I like the surprise I get of what they're offering each month. I find some of Ainsley's ingredients comes from tubes or canned 'something' rather than fresh or homemade version. Same goes with Donna Hay, Kylie Kwong and Jamie Oliver. Sometimes. This frustrates and annoy the hell out of me. I used to spend hours in book stores browsing well-named chefs recipe books to find them using caramel from tubes, or canned custards. Yes, it is easier, quick, and sometimes even cheap. But I prefer the old way. The things is, everyone is rushing and after recipes that are quick and easy to make. If I am after for something quick and easy, I'd rather eat out. I think my views here are hugely influenced by Mama. I remember back in those days whenever I bake a cake, muffin or brownies from those easy steps boxes, she wouldn't even touch it. She doesn't even go down the aisles at the supermarket. So if you're baking something out of the box, no matter how good you think it tastes, don't mention how you make it. She is a very busy woman being the manager of a rather huge company, not to mention running her own small business all together. Somehow when it comes to baking and cooking, she prefers it homemade with love. This is what I admire most of her. However, with realization now, of my massive ignorance about cooking (also with her great lack of confidence of me.. hey, gimme a break, i'm learning aren't i? =) she stocks and fills my kitchen with countless 'perencahs' from the simple call of fried rice, to variety of rendangs. I am ashamed of myself.
I like the old fashion way. I am even traditional in the sense of buying groceries. Meat at the butcher, fish at the fish monger, fruits n vegs at the stalls. Even buying mushrooms at the mushroom stall. I like the french way. It's the quality and taste that you're after. So you'll feel more satisfied and crave lesser. I like Nigella's idea of using full-fat milk and dollops of double cream, shamelessly. No, I will not allow myself be exposed and influenced by the fast, quick version of cooking. I'd rather have Indo-mee.
Speaking of which, we went Tea Tree Plaza the other day. Spent countless hours just browsing on things we'd like to have when we move out. I can't wait to have a place of our own. He, too. There were days where we sat in front of our lappies just browsing through apartments/houses. I would like to be able to cook and invite my friends over at any time of the day without thinking of others, have my own space without worrying about others, clean and arrange my things my own way, have our own privacy, have lots of cooking equipments in the kitchen, buy decoratives, have some quiet weekends just the two of us experimenting new recipes in the kitchen, be able to celebrate with some of our friends over at any time possible. Can't wait!
Did I tell you we went to the Royal Adelaide Show? Yes, we did. It's his first time, since the show only comes once a year. I had a blast getting showbags.
So I'm done sorting out my visa and its applications. I've some tests to take in November and posting some documents to relevant people. Geez, these people are sometimes asking the weirdest of questions. Tomorrow I need to sort out some documents before posting them off.
*i miss spending time in the kitchen on weekends together*
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