Food with Love

Food definately should be made with love. It should be a slow and steady process, not rushed and carefully paying attention to every stir of the ladel and wearing a smile on one's heart as an apron. Because that is were your food should land. In your love one's heart and not just their stomach.

Itu pesanan penaja from my mom *wink*


My Mom is on the left

She told me this when I was just a teenage girl. Being the eldest and the only girl in the family, this was the very first piece of advice she gave when it comes to preparing food for the family.


My Mom and me (1 years old)

My mom admited she cannot cook when she was young only because her older sister my Mak Yah cooks better. Mom told me, she learnt to cook from one of our maids, Kak Lik.


My Mom is on the left, next to her is Kak Lik

Suprisingly....between the age of 5 to 11, our family had gone tru 5 maids. Back then mana ada idon maid, all were local maids. But I notice my mom still did the cooking.


One to babysit...One to Cook...My Nanny Diaries


Mom cooking in Kluang

Mak Yah ran a canteen at the school my dad was serving as the principal.


Dad in Kluang

I used to remember those days when I came back from school...I would rush off to her canteen and devour all the delicious delicacies she had such as lontong and soto.


Mom and Mak Yah

So remembering Mama and Mak Yah today, I decided to make an effort to make something for my brother and SIL who will be coming over for a visit (knowing I'm not too well) and something to please the palates of DH...(slowly she goes...not to stress myself so much since I still need to take care of this back)

DH made mental notes for me about the food he likes when we first got married :

- Kari jangan bubuh gula (my parents dont use Ajinomoto..we put a bit of sugar...so how?)
- Kari takde santan (erk???)
- I dont like taucu (isey...I love Ikan Masak Taucu..)
- Sayur goreng kering..takde kuah (gulp!)
- Everything does not need to be cook with kicap (i'm jawa and johorian...everything NEEDS to be cook with kicap LOL)
- I dont like melayu laksa

So..melayu laksa...



Before I got married, I thought laksa is just LAKSA....not much difference. There is Laksa and there is LAKSA JOHOR LOL.

But being married to DH...like I mentioned, I took notes...and YES I took MENTAL NOTES that the laksa he likes is not the melayu laksa..



That's how I met MR PENANG ASSAM LAKSA. We got to know each other, flirt for a bit and with every date, I knew a little bit more of what he's made of.

I even found out one very important ingredient that gives MR PENANG ASSAM LAKSA that unique taste - Pineapple

You must have pineapple. Divide into two. One part is for garnishing. Another part is blended in a food processor and added to the gravy.

I google around and notice not many Assam Laksa recipe tell you this.

I got the rest correct, even added a few secrect ingredients of my own. (if I tell you it wont be a secret will it LOL)

So all it took was just one ingredient to perfect my art of making laksa to DH's approval - the cop mohor that comes in the statment of "HEAVEN la yang"


So here is my food for my loved one - my sexy Moto Moto DH who loves PENANG ASSAM LAKSA

And my brother Faiz and SIL Gee (who hails from Penang as well) especially since they came to visit me with some good old fashion loving.





Sila...sila...