Moments of being Grace

I just love, love, loveeee Asam pedas fish! Sour and spicy - just so appetizing!! Maybe my photo here doesn’t do much justice for the taste…but trust me that it tasted perfectly good. Seriously…….!!! Well, try it out yourself if you do not believe me.

Overall, it’s an easy dish but preparing the spice paste can be a pain. All thanks to the Singaporean drama – Little Nyonya, I began to be very enthusiastic to cook Peranakan dishes. When I decided to cook this dish, I thought…”Why not use the stone mortar to pound the spices….just to be more Nyonya like” Big mistake! I was tearing, sweating….and after a minute, I took out the blender. *viola* Spice paste in 30seconds!

Here’s the recipe (taken from RasaMalaysia) – with a minor tweak

Ingredients

• 1 pomfret (1/2 pound to 1 pound)
• 10 small okras /ladies’ fingers
• 1 tomato (cut into wedges)
• 1 teaspoon of fish curry powder/turmeric powder
• 2 sprigs of daun kesum (Vietnamese mint/Vietnames coriander)
• 5 tablespoons of cooking oil (I only used 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tablespoon of palm sugar/sugar
• Salt to taste

Spice Paste

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 stalk of lemon grass (white part only)
• 4 shallots
• 8 – 10 dried chillies (I used
• 1/2 tablespoon of belacan (prawn paste)

Tamarind Juice

• 1 1/4 cup of water
• Tamarind pulp (size of a small ping pong ball or more)

Method

1. Pound the spice paste with mortar and pestle or grind them in a food processor. Set aside.
2. Soak the tamarind pulp in warm water for 15 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind pulp constantly to extract the flavor into the water. Drain the pulp and save the tamarind juice.
3. Heat oil and fry the spice paste for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
4. Add the tamarind juice, fish curry powder/turmeric powder and bring to boil.
5. Add the tomato wedges and okras and bring to boil.
6. Add the fish, salt, and palm sugar/sugar.
7. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked.
8. Serve hot.

There you go, the fantastic Asam Pedas fish!

I have been trying out some recipes lately and this is one simple dish I love! Got this recipe off DeliciousAsianFood. This the recipe with a little changes:

Ingredients

• Chicken breast, cut into small chunks (enough for 2 pax)
• 7 cm or more ginger (set aside a few slices for frying whilst the rest are juiced)
• 5 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• Spring onions (cut into 6cm long)
• Corn starch (make 1/2 cup - this is to thicken the sauce before serving)
• Olive oil

Seasoning

• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon light soya sauce
• 1 teaspoons chinese cooking wine

Method

1. Marinade chicken pieces with ginger juice (blend the ginger and only take the juice) for 3 hours.
2. Heat oil in wok. Dust chicken pieces with some corn flour and deep fry the chicken pieces till golden brown. Remove fried chicken and set aside.
3. Remove excess oil from wok leaving a few drops of oil. Add ginger slices and saute till aromatic. Add garlic and continue to saute till garlic starts to brown. Add about 3 tablespoons of ginger juice and seasoning. Bring sauce to boil.
4. Add a little bit of corn starch to thicken the sauce (if it is runny), return the fried chicken pieces and add spring onions to coat them all.
5. Dish up and serve hot with white rice.

My sister’s SPM result was released last Thursday and she scored 10As. Oh yes, my sister is a smart girl At the moment, she’s taking Korean lessons in ICLS (KL Plaza) and will be finishing the beginner level this week. Being a Korean freak, I guess it would be best if to treat her a Korean. So, after her Korean class, we walked over to Wisma Equity (Wisma MNI Twins) which is just along Jalan Pinang for a Korean lunch. According to my sister, Han Kook Kwan means ‘Korean building’.

Situated on the 4th floor of Wisma Equity (Tower 2), Han Kook Kwan seems to be a little quiet even though it was lunch hour. We were first greeted by a Korean lady at the cashier and was brought to a nice table near the window. One could see the Petronas Towers from the restaurant but the direct view from the restaurant was not that pleasing as it was a construction site right next to KLCC Convention Centre.

The restaurant was a perfect place for a quiet meal. Sis and I were just so hungry that we quickly ordered our food. The prices for set meals are similar to a the set meals in a Japanese restaurant.

If you plan to order the Korean BBQ, just understand that it will not look like the photos in the menu (big time con case)! I ordered this BBQ chicken that costs RM42 and was waiting impatiently for a big plate of chicken but what we got what a small plate of BBQ chicken which tasted like satay chicken!!! RM42 for satay chicken. Definitely not worth it! The above photo displays the available dishes for Korean BBQ. Anyway, check out the dishes we ordered.

Bibimbap (mixed rice) - RM22

Kim Chi soup and rice - RM20

Ban Chan (small dishes, came without ordering)

The ‘expensive’ BBQ chicken

All the extra dishes

As for drinks, we had Soju with lemon. Sister was uber excited when she saw Soju listed in their menu. Apparently, Soju is a popular beverage in Korea.

She insisted on drinking Soju because it appears in all Korean series and movies. So, yea…..we had Soju with lemon for RM30! The taste? Let’s just say I still have half a bottle of it, sitting in my fridge now. Nobody wants to drink it at all because it’s a little too strong for my liking. Bitter! No more second time experience for me.

The bill came up to RM131.10 (inclusive of gov and service tax). Quite expensive in my opinion but it was worth it. Sister was happy and we had fun there. Overall the taste was quite good but just a little disappointed with the BBQ chicken. I expected something more. Oh, we were served fruits too…foc.

I would personally recommend this place for a Korean meal but if you’re looking for Korean BBQ, perhaps Han Kook Kwan is not the place.

A new theme! ThePrince was so bored he offered to update the wordpress version I have. Hence, the new theme It’s better in my opinion. Just like before, simple and nice. Also added some other stuff - nothing big tho.

Oh….a picture of myself which is blurred! Haha! That is something! I was comtemplating the whole time, what should I blog, how should I blog….all because readers indentity will always be a question. In short, should my identity be anonymous?

Guess I’ve decided but lets see if I’ll change my mind again.

“Ich möchte eine Karriere und nicht einen Job. Sie verstehen?!”

I was more than happy when I knew that my holiday will be in two different locations. First, we flew to Stockholm, Sweden and then, to New York. After NY, we went back to Stockholm before returning to KL (bah!). I have been missing Stockholm ever since I returned home. Let me tell you why.

1. Swedish are generous! When I arrived, it was a few days before Christmas. There was this huge box at the baggage carousel and lots of goodies in it. FOC!! So, as typical Malaysians…..mom, sis and I were pretty excited - FREE!! We waited for others to take before I gathered my guts to get one box of cereal (the biggest box..).

2. I was staying in a fantastic hotel! Free breakfast buffet, amazing room, friendly staff, free internet, etc etc.

3. A small mall is situated just beside the hotel! H&M is there too. Also the supermarket! So, when we’re hungry, we would just walk over to get roasted chicken or pork for tea time.

4. Compared to other European countries (Germany, Austria, France..), Swedish television broadcasts lots of English channels. Btw, FOC pay tee-vee. That’s because of my dad. He gets the privilege, so we get it too

5. Helpful locals. Don’t afraid to ask if you don’t know the way.

6. It was snowing in Stockholm! But only for a while. Boo-hoo.

7. Most Swedish people speaks English. Communication isn’t a problem for us. No chicken and duck kind of communication.

8. Swedish girls are sooooo pretty. Guys are not bad looking too. Not forgetting that they are quite friendly.

9. It’s a clean town with little narrow streets. Beautiful.

10. It’s a free country. Nobody gives you stares just because we’re a different colour. I mean, you will feel comfortable there.

Now….for every good, there’s definitely the bad. As for Stockholm, it was a little too quiet for me. Definitely not a busy town. I personally, need a bit more action. Haha! It’s also way too cold there even with proper winter clothing. I’d say that it’s the coldest holiday as the wind was crazyyyyy. One needs to keep going into stores for warmth.

Another thing which really bugged me about Stockholm is the toilet charges. Whooping 10 Kroners….that’s like RM5 per visit! Yeap, the price of the premium toilet in The Gardens. But this ain’t premium or for any VIP or VVIP. Be it McDonalds, shopping malls or any public toilet (except airport and hotel - locked)…prepare 10 Kroners per visit for one person!

The golden question is…..”Will I visit Stockholm again?” This will be very difficult to answer. Dispite wanting to go back there again, I think I would keep it in the KIV list. The world has so much more to offer and I want to see it all - if possible

Stockholm is a little dull but…if you like peace, less action and the cold weather, this is the place for you!

Here it is. My domain expired and I was hesistating to renew as I expected the renewal fees to be expensive. Luckily, MalaysiaHoster gave me a great deal. So, voila…it’s up and running again!

Actually, I wanted to close this blog because of many reasons. There were also times I felt like blogging so much. I’m still blogging half heartedly. LOL. Anyway, since my blog is up and so many others are doing this tag, I guess I’ll do it too. I’m not a big fan of tags but if you can’t beat them, join them!

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you.

*****

1. I love pulling insects’ wings. Sadistic. I know

2. Blue is my so-called favourite colour but I ensure my wardrobe has a great balance of colours.

3. I do not have a car, a microwave, a washing machine  or even rice cooker in my home.

4. I’d prefer cooking over washing and never ironing. Any man willing to iron for me? Please send your CV over

5. I’m reading To Kill a Mocking Bird. *gasp*

6. Games are never my cup of tea. In fact, I can never understand guys who are so much into it.

7. I am stucked at number 7. Damn. Um……my Malay language used to be better than my English?

8. My passion for cosmetics is long gone.

9. I traveled around the world but never before within Malaysia until 2008. Went to Langkawi.

10. Never been to a beach until Langkawi.

11. I love spicy food! Tak pedas tak boley jalan!

12. If I have to choose an ice cream flavour, it would be mint with chocolate chips.

13. I prefer coffee (with milk and sugar) over tea.

14. I am an extremist.

15. My favourite season would be winter, with THICK snow.

16. I was a great fan of Sailormoon and remembered how I cried for a Sailormoon toy at a mall, forcing dad to withdraw money to buy it for me. ><

17. I like Europe compared to US.

18. My purse is filled with receipts.

19. Celebrating special days is a must for me. (eg: Birthday, etc)

20. I think KLIA is one of the best looking airport in the world.

21. I never had short hair in the whole 22 years of my life. Only when I was 6, I think.

22. My mom used to sew identical clothing for my sis and I when we were younger.

23. I dislike cheese, hotdogs and oranges.

24. I speak horrendous Mandarin.

25. I find excitement in blocking the tiny holes where the ants go to in order to reach their nest. Yea, another sadistic behavior of mine.

Oh yea, 25 random stuffs. =) Anything which you don’t know yet?

In New York’s subway…

“Where are you from?”
“Malaysia!”

*puzzled look*

“It’s near Singapore”
“Ahhhhh!! Malaysiaaaa!!”

*silence*

“Is tai chi in Malaysia?”

I just couldn’t stop laughing after that! LOL!

Hey peeps…

So much to say….yet, I am not telling! LOL! Anyway, this is a very random post (again)…..specially for those who are nosy interested to know about my well being. Besides falling into the drain and being a very frequent visitor to the doctor, nothing much happened. Oh yea, I cycled into the drain. Got myself two scars to remember for life. There goes my ambition to be a stewardess! I was cycling at a very high speed and *bang* I was in the drain. I’m just very thankful for I did not have any major injuries but my left hand’s movement was quite restricted.

After the whole drama, I left for Langkawi with my friends. What bad luck I had! I went to Langkawi with fever and came home looking tanned - very tanned! I have these weird spots on my arms too. Don’t know why. Perhaps it’s the alcohol? Mmmsss… Anyway, I was on medication during the first few days of the trip and also after the trip. Had sore throat and mom was getting worried as we are going for a holiday soon.

It’s our annual holiday =) If you have been following my blog, last year I went to Nagoya. Nope, you can’t find the post on it. All deleted! This year, it’s Stockholm and New York. Christmas will be spent in New York while I’ll be in Stockholm on my birthday and New Year. Cool? Mmm…I guess it is, when you have no one to celebrate with back home. *looking pathetic* It’s just me, being a drama queen! =P But hey, I’ll be experiencing snow (I hope) and winter in 2 days time. *jumps for joy*

So, I’ll be on a holiday soon and guess what, I just returned from the clinic. More medication - AGAIN! I’m having some alergy reaction and the bruises which have recovered are extremely itchy now. *scratches* Now I have red patches on my leg. Good that it’s winter, so my legs won’t be exposed for others to see. HAHA!

When I’m back for my holiday, it will be the CNY preparation. Btw, Christmas in kinda dead in KL? Is it me or there’s just no Christmas spirit. Sadness. When I was shopping in Sg. Wang yesterday, there were shops playing CNY songs. All along it was dong-dong-chiang dong-dong-chiang! Hopefully, Christmas will be better in the other part of the world.

Tomorrow it’s the Winter Solstice festival. Hence, it’s time to have those little glutinous rice balls. Will be helping mom to roll the balls. Heh….so, happy Winter Solstice festival to all out there. Oh btw, if you need more details on Winter Solstice…..um, wiki it okay. Haha!

Toodles!

This has been something that I have been thinking about for quite some time. Finally, I was proven to be wrong. All these while, I thought that maturity comes along with age. Okay…maybe it’s just me? But I really thought that age IS the best indicator for maturity as one will be able to judge and handle situations well enough due to the many experiences in life. I have once read – Age is a high price to maturity. Doesn’t that mean that one will be matured as he/ she gets older? Or…did I understand it wrongly?

From time to time, as I observe people who are very much older than me…I realized that my hypothesis is wrong. The recent incident which occurred slapped a fact into me, to finally understand that age is not an indicator for maturity – never is!

It is pretty disappointing to accept that fact especially when you have very high expectations. No, I’m not trying to sound matured here but I think I’ve seen enough to understand the fact above. It really does not matter how well you fare in exams, or how successful you are in your career. Because there are times when it comes to other topics in life, one fails to manage it the right way.

I think it’s similar to being a parent. Parents sometimes act immaturely with the thought that it’s the best decision without considering the child’s feelings. Why? Most parents think that they make the best decision just because they are much older. Mmm…I guess it falls back to – egoism.

Oh well! It happens everywhere right? In my case, what happened definitely made me change my perspectives in life. I learned the hard way but it’s okay. Life goes on….in fact, it begins to be much more interesting!

“Experience is the best teacher.“