Totally missed April... and homemade Laksa Sarawak!

Hey look who's back from the brink of unplanned hiatus and blogging self-exile?

*INSERT GRINCH-OF-APRIL-PAST GRIN*

I know. I almost missed March. And now I have completely missed April! It's unheard of. Broken promises to constantly write. Or make an appearance. But you know... like Spiderman whispered to Gwen Stacy about broken promises: "Yeah but those are the best kinds."

Anyway. A month is too long to stay away. I know some of you don't miss me at all, and some don't even know I exist, but that's the beauty of it all. It's not about reading, it's always about writing.

It has been a few eventful months, and I predict (correctly I hope) the upcoming ones are going to be more swamped and frenzied, but no less exciting. It's always more happening at the beginning of the year, peaking at the middle and anti-climaxing by the third quarter, and reclining to a more steady and relaxing pace by year end.

So before I bore you with more nothingness... here's some tough love on your diet list: LAKSA SARAWAK! I'm not the expert here, however I can say to you that it's relatively easy to make, once you get a hold of the key ingredient: Laksa Sarawak paste.
 
Note: This serves two (for my tiny household lah)

Ingredients:

- 1 packet of Sarawak Laksa Paste (of any brands you prefer, mine is Haji Manan)

- 1 packet of rice vermicelli or bihun (some like to substitute with yellow noodle)-blanch in hot water
- 500 medium sized fresh tiger prawns (you can opt for shrimp too) - blanch in boiling water
- 1 pcs chicken thigh/drumstick (boiled for fresh stock; meat are shredded into strips)
- 2 eggs (optional) - mixed together, fried, and cut into strips
- 5 limes (cut in halves)
- Parsley leaves (or you can also opt for coriander leaves) - chopped
- A handful of beans sprout - blanch 2 secs in hot water to leave it just crisp enough
- 1 tsb Prawn paste (for the sambal)
- 1 small packet of instant coconut milk (the liquid type is more convenient)
- Chili (optional)
- 5 cups water to boil
- Salt to taste

Methods (mine actually):
1. Soak the bihun in hot water until tender. (some may prefer blanch in boiling water, but I find if I do that, the vermicelli will lose a lot of its texture). Put aside.
2. Boil the chicken meat in a pot maybe half an hour, to cook the chicken and to make fresh chicken stock. Then take out the chicken and put aside to cool. Once cool, use fork to shred the meat into strips. (I normally just chop instead of shred if it's just for 2 person, less work and looks better on presentation. Hehe)
3. Using the fresh chicken stock in the pot, keep water to boil. Add in the laksa paste and coconut milk. Add in salt for flavors (although the paste might already have salt.) Slow down the fire and bring the laksa soup to boil.
4. Beat the eggs in a bowl until just slightly puffy. The fry until golden. Once it's cool, cut into strips and put aside.
5. Boil another pot of water to blanch the prawn and beans sprout. 
6. Mix the prawn paste with chilli and 2 lime juice to make the sambal.
Hope I didn't miss anything. And now to serve it...
7. Divide the bihun in two servings. Arrange nicely the chicken meat, beans sprout, prawns, and egg strips on top of the bihun.
8. The pour the laksa sarawak soup on the arrangement in the bowl, just enough to half-drown them (so-called lah). Sprinkle the parsley leaves on top.
9. Serve with the sambal belacan and lime.

TADAAA!!!

 See how big the prawn is? The ones they serve you at laksa stalls are too small lah. :D

Easy to do right? Note: There are many brands out there available in supermarket or most grocery stores. I've experimented with some and found that I like this one better (Haji Manan's).

So there you have it! My version of homemade LAKSA! Have a merry-fantastic May!!

The Beginning of All Things Good...

My first post for the New Year! And I am like 14 days late! So random.

There are a few posts on the way prior to this one being written, but they are still in the draft list. And some more stories I said I'd write about, but hey, first thing first...

ALL HAIL 2014!

And ya, if you noticed, I attempted to give this blog a makeover. A bit overdue. But I hope it will stay awhile until I can do some more proper revamping work. Whatever it is, there will always be coffee somewhere in this space. :)

Anyway, I promise to write more soon. There are soooooo many things to put into words I hardly know where to begin! The wedding tips, the honeymoon cum Bali trip, the moving house, the whole interlada about being called a new wife cum daytime career woman etc ... it's a lot to digest but it's an adventure of a lifetime that is much better in reality than just coffee-induced daydream. And here I am, can hardly believe I just said that. Haha.

Hope I still have my writing muse, so hold that thought. :) Meanwhile, here's a visual of our first meal cooked and ate at our new home, by yours truly. Never going to be a world renowned chef ever, but I promise I can fix a decent meal. Like my mother. Hopefully.

Herbal chicken, kangkung in oyster sauce (water spinach) & salted fish...

Till then, hope you all have a good month and a good year!! :)

Bits and pieces and Selamat Hari Raya ...

Hey. Heavy and pointless stuff aside, here are snatches of things going on in between my torrid and sometimes placid life:

• Haze is back, smoggier than ever. Before you complain that the whole forest burning is choking the life out of you, look down at your plate and be thankful for the kampung rice that you love so much.

• Independence Day and Raya falls on the same week, so prolonged holidays. Two weeks ago I was involved in the Kembara Merdeka Ramadhan 2011, organised by our sister department, the Information Dept Ministry. It stretched for 14 days with a convoy of 6 cars starting from Kuching and ended in Weston Tow, Sipitang. Fun, the trip was although I was in it for 5 days only, rounding up my turns from Sibu to Miri. The trip was fun, relaxing in a way, and made me realised how fortunate I am to be born and raised in Sarawak, the biggest multi-ethnic State in Malaysia. 

Vanity shot @ Daro ferry point. With my ex-boss from Info Dept.

• Double celebration means longer public holidays of course. Looking forward to clear traffics, less road bully, and more road racing! What 80kmph? We go by 120!

• Watched The Bridesmaids two nights ago. A hilarious and pathetic adventure of a 30-plus attractive lady, single, broke, jobless and who was uncannily picked to head the Bridesmaids squad -- a colourful mix of friends -- by her soon-to-wed bestfriend. I would've chucked it because it sounded kind of too familiar, but then we're not feeling sorry for ourselves, are we? All the single ladies, watch this and see if you don't laugh and cry at the same time.  Didn't know a broken tail-light can be a hard-to-ignore pickup line, hey. 

 Google Pix

• Tried my hand at Italian food, and with a smashing success I might add! Beef bacon with egg and chilli cheese pasta... Seriously fun to do, quick and not over the top. Perhaps the only thing missing is the Italian -- picturing the Godfather himself coming over for dinner. Sigh. Thank you Wilson Chin for the idea. 

 Tada! Bella italia!

• And ... Thank God for FB, now I can save my phone credit and just send the Raya greeting via walls and messages, since most everyone I know is connected one way or another. Amazing how much money and time you save. Did I miss out anyone? Sorry I'm a cheapskate, but so what. That's what technology is for right? Utilise and conquer! Good stalking tool too, that. 

So here's wishing everyone celebrating the Raya: 

SELAMAT HARI RAYA,

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

and 

SELAMAT HARI MERDEKA!

So you think you can cook ...

Oh come on... I so can!

How difficult is it? This thing has been around since before I was conceived. And besides, it did say "'Fast to cook, good to eat", right? I'm a career woman, I dont really have time to go over cookbook details. Excuses.

For lack of things to share, here I go being so lame: How about you join me for a bowl of Mee Maggi goodness, with extra chilli?And for the record, I don't normally like my Maggi with greens or other alien stuffs, but once in a meal-while, it doesn't hurt to add in whatever's handy in the fridge. Improvised - it's fun!

Mee Maggi - Chicken Flavor for that soupy moment

When the noodle is almost tender, add in greens and mushroom ...

Doctor-recommended extra virgin olive oil for the glistening finish ...

Squash chillies inside the bowl. That's how my dad likes to do his, fresh ...

 Pour in the bowl, mix in the chillies, and we're good to go! Ready the iced ribena too.

Easy, right? Life is beautiful.

*sigh in contenment*