LEMON GRASS MAMA

AS SALAM,   GETTING READY TO FISH! ONCE IN A WHILE,MY CHILDREN AND I WILL MAKE AN IMPROMPTU OUTING BESIDE OUR USUAL SFF. THIS HAPPENS WHEN MORE THAN HALF OF THE TOTAL CHILDREN I HAVE ARE AROUND ME AND ON NON-WORKING DAY, TOO! SO, THIS SATURDAY EVENING WE ARE OFF TO PULAU INDAH . FISHING! MY ELDEST SON'S GREATEST HOBBY. HE HAS A LOAD COLLECTION OF FISHING RODS, MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY TO GO ON THIS TRIP. AND OFF WE WENT, KILLING 2 BIRDS WITH 1 STONE, PAY A VISIT TO MY BROTHER-IN-LAW WHO HAPPEN TO WORK ONSHORE, ON A WORKING BARGE FOR MACHINERY REPAIRS TO THEIR SHIPS THAT DOES RECLAMATION WORKS OFFSHORE. THIS HAPPEN TO BE A SATURDAY EVENING AND I CALLED MY BRO-IN-LAW WHO FINISHED WORK IN AN HOUR AND IS READY TO ACCOMPANY US FOR THIS FISHY EVENING ON HIS BARGE. OUR FISHING RACE ONLY STARTS AFTER MAGHRIB AND AFTER AN HOUR LATER WE WERE HAPPY WITH OUR CATCH. FOR AMATEURS LIKE US, WELL,WE ARE SATISFIED WITH THE NUMBERS AND STARTS TO PACK UP JUST AFTER MIDNITE.

AS SALAM, TO ME, FOOD AND PLACES TO EAT COMES HAND IN HAND FOR US TO ENJOY AND GIVING GOOD GRADES AS WE MUNCH THROUGH. NOT FORGETTING MOBILE FOOD OPERATORS.THEY ,TOO, GIVE US EXCELLENT MENU TO TASTE. LIKE THE ONE I FOUND MANY YEARS BEFORE AND STILL IS A DEDICATED CUSTOMER. ROJAK KARIM ON WHEELS. YOU WILL USUALLY FIND A LONG QUEUE, A PATIENTLY LONG QUEUE BY THE MOBILE STALL...AND LET ME TELL YOU, ITS WORTH WAITNG. ..AND WHY NOT, WHEN I CAN SIT IN MY CAR, WITH NO DISTRACTION TO STOP ME FROM GIVING THE BEST GRADES OVER AND OVER AGAIN TILL I FINISH MY ROJAK. I CAN ONLY TELL YOU,THE GOOD GRADES COMES FROM THE THICK GRAVY! IT IS SWEET AND SPICY. JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF TASTE! AND NOT TO FORGET THE CRUNCHY KEROPOK AND THE FRESHNESS OF THE CUCUMBER AND OTHERS ! BY THE ROADSIDE, INSIDE MY CAR!   THE THICK GRAVY... ROJAK KARIM BANJIR! 'BANJIR' HAPPENS EVERYDAY!

AS SALAM, I GET TO BE LUCKY TODAY. I MANAGE TO ENJOY LUNCH AT AN ARABIAN FOOD OUTLET. FROM WHAT I SEE, ALL THE TABLES ARE PACKED WITH HUNGRY PEOPLE, AND SOME ARE STANDING IN LONG QUEUES JUST FOR A PLATE OF NASI LEMAK KUKUS JUST ACROSS FROM WHERE I WAS SITTING. I SEEM TO BE SURROUNDED BY FOOD OUTLETS OFFERING DIFFERENT MENUS. AND EVERYONE IS BUSY ENTERTAINING EACH OTHER. MY QUARTER CHICKEN AND BACK TO MY ARABIAN FOOD. I HAD ARABIAN TEA + MINT LEAVES + BUAH PELAGA + CENGKIH. MY MAIN DISH IS QUARTER CHICKEN + SALAD ALA2 ARAB + SOS TOMATO YANG DI BLEND KOT...ANOTHER MAIN DISH IS BERIANI KAMBING. I LIKE THE LOOK OF THE NICELY COOKED RICE.SO...SO INVITING... SEDAP.. TOMATO SAUCE BERIANI KAMBING NOT MANY COLORS BUT TASTE NICE SERVES WITH PLAIN SOUP MINT TEA   BUAH PELAGA + MINT SOMETHING DIFFERENT

SEDAPPP... AS SALAM, IT WAS RAINING CATS AND DOGS THAT LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON. JUST AN HOUR BEFORE, I WAS ABOUT TO SENT MY 2 SONS TO THE GOLF RANGE AND THE SWIMMING POOL. BUT, AS WE REACHED TOWN, IT WAS LIKE, SUDDENLY THE SKY TURN BLACK AND RAIN STARTED POURING PLUS STRONG WIND. SO, MY SONS DECIDED TO GO FOR PLAN B. SFF(SEARCH FOR FOOD). EARLIER ON, WE HAD HEAVY BREAKFAST SO WE SKIPPED LUNCH. SO,ITS A GOOD TIMING PLUS THE COLD WEATHER CONTRIBUTED MORE REASONS TOWARDS AN EMPTY STOMACH! WE FOUND A NOT SO NEW PLACE IN TOWN, THEY SERVES CHICKEN PENYET! ACTUALLY I HAVE BEEN WONDERING ABOUT THIS MENU FOR A LONG TIME. IT STARTED ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO IN MY OWN HOMETOWN, BUT I NEVER GOT AROUND TO TRY UNTIL TODAY. NOT BAD, ADDED WITH GOOD PRESENTATIONS AND TASTE SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN ORIGINALS OF MALAY REMPAH RATUS.....WE ASKED FOR AP, SUP RAWAN AND ASAM PEDAS IKAN TONGKOL, NOT TO FORGET STRAWBERRY & CHOCOLATE DRINKS FOR MY SONS AND THE ELDERS GO FOR SOMETHING SIMPLE LIKE ICE COLD WATE

AS SALAM, THERE'S AN OUTLET IN ONE OF THE SHOPPING MALL IN TOWN THAT SERVES FOOD THAT IS AGREEABLE TO MY SON'S TASTE BUD. I AGREE TO COME ALONG TO AN EARLY BREAKFAST WITH HIM AND IN RETURN HE SHOULD HELP ME  WITH MY SHOPPING CHORES. AS YOU CAN SEE, HE IS HAPPY WITH HIS FOOD ON PAPER AND I AM HAPPY THAT HE IS HAPPILY HELPING ME WITH MY SHOPPING CHORES, SUCH AS WAITING IN A QUEUE AT THE WEIGHING STATION, TAKING PACKS OR CARTONS OF CAN DRINKS, ETC. NASI LEMAK AYAM AND WHILE WATCHING HIM EAT ON PAPER, I CAME ACROSS A WONDERFUL IDEA THAT CAN LESSEN MY WORK IN THE KITCHEN.....HAVE ALL MY KIDS EAT ON PAPER.....EASILY DISPOSE PLATE! NO SHOUTING AMONG THEM AS TO WHOSE TURN TO WASH THE PLATES TODAY???? YESSSS! FUN? YUMMY...!

AS SALAM, MY FRIENDS AND I WERE BORED WITH STAFF FOOD. SO WE DECIDED TO EAT SOMETHING SIMPLE AND EASY TO COOK. JUST LOOK AT THE PICS. WE COOK RICE WITH MEATBALLS, REBUS KERANG AND CICAH WITH CILI KICAP.! KERANG REBUS WITH CILI KICAP LET ME TELL YOU, THIS MENU IS JUST LIKE THERAPY, BREAKING AWAY FROM THE USUALS. MEATBALLS COOKED ON TOP OF RICE WHAT MORE CAN I SAY?

BLACK PEPPER FISH WITH RICE  AS SALAM, RECENTLY WE WENT TO A SEAFOOD RESTAURANT RUN BY A CHINESE MUSLIM. ITS A SIMPLE RESTAURANT THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A RESTAURANT AT ALL BUT THE FOOD IS SO SOOOOOO.....GOOD. CRISPY DUCK WE TRIED THE CRISPY DUCK AND BLACK PEPPER FISH WITH RICE. ABSOLUTELY NO COMPLAINS ! AND I ASSURE YOU THAT MY FAMILY WILL COME BACK TO TRY OTHER MENUS. AND JUICY TOO

AS SALAM, NOW ITS SCHOOLING TIME...YES..YES!..LESS NOISE IN THE HOUSE FROM NOW    ONWARDS (WELL, MAYBE). SO ITS BACK TO OLD ROUTINES, GETTING UP AS EARLY AS YOU CAN, BESIDES BEATING EVERYONE TO THE BATHROOM, ETC, ITS ALSO A REWARD IF WE CAN BEAT TRAFFIC. AND AFTERNOON IS LIKE SO SLOW, WAITING OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL GATE FOR THE KIDS TO FINISH SCHOOL. ONCE INSIDE THE CAR, ITS OFF TO LUNCH. ..........AND LUNCH CAN BE BORING OR EXCITING OR NONE OF THE ABOVE! PICS CAN EXPLAIN... INTERESTING? BORING? BORING -ER? BORING -EST OR NONE OF THE ABOVE?