The Food Canon

I have been asked a few times:

"What are the easier recipes in the cookbook that one can start with?"

This list is good for new cooks:

Stir Fried Ginger Chicken - p 49
Steamed Egg - p 45
Tow Yew Bak - p 65
Pan Fried Turmeric Mackerel   - p 117
Cold Tofu in Bango Sauce - p 129 (more assembling than cooking)

As for noodle recipes, Ipoh Kai See Hor Fun (p 160) is good for one to start with. You can use the hor fun commonly sold here (some stalls actually call it Ipoh Hor Fun) or use dehydrated pho from NTUC etc.

And there are a whole set of recipes which are only slightly more challenging for new cooks such as the Wok-Cooked Char Siew, Steamed Pork Ribs in plum sauce, Ayam Goreng Halia etc. I also don't think Claypot Chicken Rice is difficult and I have listed an easier version (p 189).

You are likely to cook what you feel like cooking on a given day. Remember that there is nothing like freshly cooked home dishes. Just put a lot of love into it!

I have done a short video which will be helpful as a visual companion to the Char Siew recipe in the book and this blog. Enjoy.

Hi again.

Now that the cook book has been released, it appears that more are cooking now from my Mum's recipes.

It is a good thing that we are not done yet with paper and ink. There is something about that format which is more practical and connects better with the home cook. Good to know, as I had some doubts when the idea of a cookbook was first mooted.

The cookbook is best seen as a companion to this site or the other way round. From here, I can make reference to it. And yes, recipes do not need to be final when printed! There will alway be variations.

The recipes in the cookbook use limited photos due to constraints of space and design choices.  Here is where the blog can complement as photos of the process can be helpful for some recipes.

It has been proofread many time over but *groan*, there are still some typos, most which are minor.

But this addendum is important for the Nasi Lemak Recipe.

At the bottom of page 201, which has been cut off:

"If you do not have a suitable steamer, you can still cook the rice well in an electric rice cooker. Add the thin coconut milk into the water (remember to keep the 1:1 liquid-rice ratio). Include the salt and pandan leaves. When the rice has cooked, switch the cooker to ‘warm’ mode. Add the coconut cream, more pandan leaves and stir gently. Then let it stay in warm mode for another 15 minutes."

Something amazing happened at The Cathedral Cafe last Sunday.

By now, you would know that the book is out.

It is a bit surreal. To see a replicas of myself, rather Matrix-like, with the dreaded pineapple repeating it's thorny appearance many times over. I am just glad that is at the back-cover and that the bowl of Hae Mee is receiving all the limelight and attention.

The book will be launched publicly this Saturday, 11.30 am to 2 pm. If you have been a fan or supporter, please pop by and say hello. The Cathedral Cafe is just next to the City Hall MRT Exit.

You are likely to bump into other food enthusiasts and home cooks, both budding and experienced ones. It will be a jolly good crowd. And I am also hearing rumours that Auntie Curry Puffs may be offered so that you can taste the real thing and not just gaze hungrily at those photos.