Home Cooked

Most of us do not appreciate many things when we were young and we take most things for granted especially simple things. We like to eat out because the food outside seemed more interesting. Chicken rice, laksa, char kway teow, mee rebus, satay bee hoon, etc. 

It is when you are working after many years that you realised the home cooked is always the best! You can get tired over hawker fare not matter how delicious. Talking about hawker, I have learned from some hawkers that come September they are going to upgrade the market and food centre at Tanjong Pagar which means the place will be closed for some nine months or more.

This can only mean one thing - the older folks will probably give up and not return. Some may have already resettled elsewhere or found a job some where since they have to do something for nine months. When a spanking new place comes out, rental would have increased and so will your food cost more and commercial food will take over. Sigh. Moreover, my favourite fruit stall where I get all my supplies all these years because they have the best fruits in the land may be gone. Double sigh!

I think eventually I will have to learn to cook and add it to become one of my many hobbies. Perhaps to learn from mum how to make pork chop or meatball doused with potato gravy. 

Curry stingray.

Or "Lor Bak" (braised pork).

This is sinfully delicious when simmered in braised dark gravy.

Also the peppery dark sauce fried meatball. I will then give each a name and call it Food Talk.

And mum is a magician in creating many types of chili for different food. Maybe instead of just eating, I must learn and experiment with food and pick up from various masters, use my own philosophy and imagination and do to food what Bruce Lee has done for martial arts and bring to the world "Kung Food!" It could be a calling.

Once, I had dinner at a hip and modern joint at a park and I ordered their special chicken noodle. It was pretty good except that they actually used "two-minute fast-to-cook" noodle and a few half portion of braised dark sauce chicken wings. If I remember correctly, it cost $10. So I got wifey to do the same and not only did it taste better, it was at a fraction of the cost.

We will occasionally toy with western style food as well.

Or do a simple but nevertheless sumptuous steamboat.

This is not difficult and is healthy. You just need a good soup stock and quality ingredients like beef (shabu-shabu style). Shabu shabu is Japanese hotpot where thinly sliced meat is used. Almost paper thin sliced beef can do wonders.

Do the same for your pork if some of you do not take beef or have both which is even better.

I was brought up learning the qualities of the Threadfin fish. It was the dearest fish in the old days before salmon and cod fish were introduced into our diet. In fact, it is still dearer than salmon. If a kg of salmon is worth $24 in the market today then the threadfin per kg will will cost some damage of $35.

Very good fish meat to have in your hotpot. It will make you brainy. Look at the quality of the fish meat! Increase your IQ today! But even brainy fish like brainy humans get caught in the net. You will need more than IQ which everybody has. What we truly need more is EQ!

Fresh, succulent and crunchy prawns are always a plus.

Many more other types of seafood or meat can be added but I reserve the best for last. Using the same pot of soup stock, throw in the amount of rice required, add a couple of eggs, cover it up for several minutes to let it simmer and bingo! The most delicious steamboat porridge you can find is there.

These days, more people can whip up curry because they sell a ready mix. Just add you other ingredients like chicken and potato. It's like cheating or playing golf using super help equipment.

 

Still it is better than nothing. It is a necessity.

Or simply braised chicken.












 



Just pour everything onto your rice, noodle or vermicelli. You should do that with your curry too.

And you live to fight another day and live happily ever after.