Tuesday, December 8, 2009

A Love Affair

The idea of having this blog is actually to feature my culinary skill and the food that I would like to present as 'my dinner tonight'. Having said that, it just occurred to me, (how strange now, when come to think of it), I was once, the laziest girl to be seen in the kitchen! I'd find excuses  to escape  helping out  for every meal . I  always thought that cooking was never my forte. Couldn't blame myself...as a little girl and through my teenage days, I was not an 'eater'! I hated many food. I was very picky about almost everything there was on my plate. As a result, I grew up to be a skinny girl ... Heheh, but not anymore! Now that I eat like there's no tomorrow.



My love affair with cooking came about when I was sixteen or so. Even though I hated the kitchen, I still loved watching my mother in action, deftly cooking for her big family. I knew what went into this pot of curry and into the next. There were no measurements needed and I could tell they were all delicious dishes one could ask for!

Well, fast forward, I found myself itching to start my own experimental kitchen. I was by then, quite good a cook from very simple dishes to the elaborate ones.  My mission then, was to start baking. In retrospect, I couldn't help but remember the time when my two elder sisters and I chanced upon an old recipe book belonged to our mother, well, during her hey-days. The best recipe was definitely my mum's "kek Nanas". Hehe...note the spelling! So, armed with the book, my sisters planned to bake one. I was only allowed to watch... they were mean! Heheh!  Kak Lina, was the one responsible for converting all measurements into metric system. Some sensible instruction was re-constructed... hehe...what with a 'senduk' of this, 'buang balik 2 sudu besar' of that.... to our amusement! But the best part would be, the whole book was written in 'jawi'...and we had a ball of time reading it the Pendekar Bujang Lapok's style!! "....hmmm....al kurma kuk...al bulan puasa tukk..tompok tompok taik unta!...al kisah...taibb..sultan firaun...taibb..mane firaun pakai sultan, bodoh!!!" ... It sure was hilarious! Anyway, the kek nenas turned out very good. Soon it became my late sister, kak nyah's, trademark and most sought after at her many parties. I somehow lost the recipe and kak Lina's version is not quite to my liking!



My real baking test came a month after I became the blushing bride. Immediately after office, I got home lugging the ingredients and utensils for baking. Not to mention cookbooks that I could get hold of, be it straight from the bookstore or placing my orders through Reader's Digest. I was over-zealous. But my attempt on a chocolate cake turned out disastrously unleavened! My other half made fun out of it by naming it the 'I Dream of Genie' cake. Don't ask me why.. Slighted by his remarks, I turned to play the "not tonight honey,...I have got a headache" game, for a newly-wed, at that! Goodness! (Blush, blush! hiks!)

I can now say and am proud to say that my ever moist chocolate cakes, carrot cakes and sinfully rich fruit cakes had all landed on the bigwig banquet tables..hiks again!

Isn't cooking my forte? Go figure!

14 comments:

Fadhil said...

Bila agaknya kita semua dapat merasa carrot cake Puan Lili yang sungguh sedap itu...

Kalau tak dapat rasa pun, at least tengok gambarnya dlm blog ini pun jadilah :-)

My mom's recipe book is also written in Jawi. I asked my son to transcribe to Rumi and type them into the computer (he was at home waiting for SPM results at the time). He tried to type in one recipe but then gave up... bukan takleh baca Jawi, tapi letih nak memahami style bahasa lama..

Unknown said...

..dan bila agaknya pakmat dapat rasa fruit cake that's sinfully rich..dapat tengok gambar dan resipenyer sekali jadi ler..

Lili said...

Oldstock,

Alahai, itulah pasalnye! Every time the cake is done, and has been wiped clean to the last morsel, baru teringat nak ambil gambar! Tapi tengok gambar jer tak boleh nak kata sedap, ye tak, Tuan Oldstock?

Really? Memang pun bahasa lama kalau baca balik mahu tergelak guling-guling. Boleh sukat tepung guna senduk lepas tu, suruh buang pulak dua sudu sebab nak ganti dengan tepung kastad? I find that hilarious!

Lili said...

Pakmat, bisa diatur! Hehe, I know you love to cook and bake. Your apple crumble must be a hit too! As for the rich fruitcake, I'll try someday make a fresh batch and post the recipe here. Last Raya, tak sempat buat.

Baking is the best therapy that cheers me up when I am in the lousiest of mood, you know... Hehe!

CS said...

Salam Lili..
Wahh.. I see the 'rich and FAMOUS' r visiting your 'kitchen'. Those are also 'buddies' of mine (hehe, I perahsan-tan nih) namely Anne, (Uncle)Lee n Oldstock.

I am here after having commented something on your cousin's blog (Wan); a subject which is 'dear' to our hearts :-(

I came to your kitchen from Gullible Gumption .. siketam yang dah majuk tu; and talking about ketam .. I am a Cancerian too. *wink* Let's shake claws, haha.

Lili said...

Salam Somuffins!

So...you're the famous muffins maker! Hehe...just kidding! Welcome to my humble abode... no kitchen just yet. I cook like every day but selalu tak sempat ambil gambar!

Yes, I'm reaching for your claws... let's shake! Cheers!

I noticed you at LG's blog. She's my 'buddy' too...ke, I ferasan! Tapi kat sana LG kenal I by another name...macamne tu? hehe! And she's a crab like us... (am I bias or what??)

Thanks for dropping by... come over any time for coffee, tea or me! :)

CS said...

Lili, YES U R BIAS .... LIKE ME, harharhar... ooops (maaf gelak terkuat tu).

You did notice me at LG's? Tulah kerja I, merayap jer.. ketamlah katakhaan.

BTW, have you forgotten? Bukan LG aje yg sama cam kita, her hubby pun.

Lili said...

Somuffins... I pulak ketam suka memerap kat umah seniri...ferasan ler katakhaannn!!!*gelak tahap mengekik dah ni* ;)
Takdelah...I pun merayap gak dari rumah ke rumah sampai ke rumah John H yang femes pasal citer rekaan dia tu!

Friends said I'm bias b'cos, the only M'sian singer I like is M.Nasir who happens to be a Cancerian. When I said I like Kaer, they said it's b'cos Kaer is a "Wan"!... now, where do I go from here?

CS said...

Lili, in 'real life', I memang memerap kat rumah. I only go out to do some errands (yg wajib) n maybe visiting my kerabat (yg bukan berdarah kuning, haha).

I was into (can I use that word?) M.Nasir a few yrs ago. Setahun I dengar the same keset (no joke); pastu I lupakan segala2nya. I ada tulis dlm blog bila I terserempak dgn DIA hari tu, hehe.

When is your bday? Mine a few days b4 HIS, ehem. I pun bias gak.. si Ringo Starr tu pun jadi 'kawan' I just bcos he is a Cancerian (walhal I sker siPol kacang pol tu, kah3).

Talking abt Kaer, u ada kena mengena dgn his father's side ke? I 'know' him since he was a boy cos his mum is my sister's BFF.

Pls tell your friends, memang patut pun you minat kat Kaer tu NOT because he is a 'wan' BUT because his mum is also a Cancerian. Haha.. u mesti terhibur dgn pendedahan ni, tul tak?

Ngeh3.. I dah buat abode you like mine. Amphun!

Lili said...

CS, I percaya... orang macam kita ni kalo dah jumpa kat blog orang lain confirmed takde life punya gang! muahaha! So, nak jawab you I kena buat camni...

1)Eh, Kaer has no blood ties whatsoever
except for 'saudara se Islam'. Cool!:)

2)M. Nasir pulak, I dengo lagu dia kat sini jer..on9! Hubby pantang betul kalo I melangut tengok kat tv tak kelip mata!! Dia kata, 'tah hape2 lagu m.nasir ni!' (Sabor aje!)

3)My birthday: July 6th sehari selepas LG! Ntah2 ke, yours could be somewhere near mine... eee...!

CS said...

Lili, wpun u tak tanya, I kasik tau nonetheless.. Bday my good friend since school is on 6th juga. My fmly ada 5 ketam. 3 ketam r my sisters, 2nd, 8th and 18th. Mine is b4 yours (masih nak sorok2 lagi, haha)

Fadhil said...

Amboi, amboi, amboi! Bila orang ketam bersembang, orang lain lalu pun tak nampak.

Ala Cik Som, bagitau je la bila bestday tu :-)

Lili said...

Oldstock... I've been doing some CSI job and found out Cik Som's birthday is on 2nd July... kalau 1st July boleh dia share dengan the late Princess Diana!

hehe..kelakor ler pulak bila baca comment kat sini!

CS said...

Oldstock hi .. (there..) I have hinted when is my b'day .. "2nd, 8th and 18th. Mine is b4 yours".

Pat on a shoulder for Lili ;-)
(Kak Pah n Jeton Sameon both on 2nd)