Baked Herbal Chicken & Golden Fragrance Clams (Kam Heong La La)

My lingering nasal congestion has prone me to make this dish I called Baked Herbal Chicken. Honestly though, I'm not certain what the medicinal value this dish has for nasal congestion, or other illnesses for that matter... unlike the well-known chicken soup for cold. But I figured, some kind of herbs must do good to your body and hence, help fight the germs, right?


This is another dish that Ah Po had make for us. Mom has been kind enough to provide me the recipe. This dish is really easy to prepare, the list of ingredients is minimal (chicken, dried red dates, and dried wolfberries), and yet the outcome is utterly satisfying. It is best serves warm, just like most any other Asian dishes. 

Some people recommends hot and spicy food to help ease congestion. So, I set myself to make some Golden Fragrance Clams, or more commonly known as Kam Heong La La. I was quite excited about this dish, as its success/failure will motivates me to make other more difficult dishes such as Chili Crab in the near future. There was also quite some effort put into this dish: the looking up and mashing up of recipes, going to two stores to get the ingredients I needed -- and yet, I still couldn't find curry leaves and fresh clams, and the long preparation (there is quite a bit of shallot-chopping involved). When the aroma started to fill the air, and the fact that I was able to smell it despite my stuffy nose and nasal sinuses, I knew then that the effort is all worthwhile. It was so tasty! And yes, it did help with decongesting my nasal passages :)


But... in all honesty, it would have been much better had it been cooked with fresh clams. And I was hoping to get the thinner and oblong-shaped clams, instead of the frozen and cockle-shaped clams. (And now that I can't even name these different clams, I wished I had gone to the market more often with Ah Po and pay attention when she's marketing.) I was extremely excited to get some fresh clams initially, so I can soaked them in salt water again and again while they spit out mud again and again. When I was a kid, I like to poke the clams when their shells open up to spit the mud (I thought they were trying to figure out where the hell they are and I was trying to scare them) and Ah Po would tell me "not to kill the la la's" or don't disturb or go do your homework or a combination of those. Don't kill the clams? Are they still alive? Sometimes, the lies or myths that adults tell you when you're a kid to prevent you from doing something, totally mess your head up, as it did to me. As I got older (but none the wiser), I have to spend my time finding out which are truths and which are myths. Otherwise, I could have just played Guitar Hero!

After a little research... 


After savoring the baked herbal chicken, I thought I should do it some justice by looking up its potential benefits...


Lo and behold, little red wolfberry is quite the superhero. The Chinese has used the wolfberry fruits for several thousands of years for the medicinal benefits. Containing several nutrients (such as potassium and zinc, which are beneficial for cold/flu, among others) and phytochemicals -- great antioxidant (also helpful in fighting cold/flu and any inflammations), wolfberries are believed to help protect the kidney and liver, improve vision, strengthen joints, nourish blood and promote longevity.


The red dates are not too far off either. They are noted in Compendium of Materia Medica and have long history, just like the wolfberries. My favorite line on how the red dates are being described, get this: "They are sweet and warm-natured." Warm-natured! Good for cold, yes? They are also rich with vitamin C (yay!). Red dates are believed to invigorate the spleen and stomach, alleviate stress, and nourish blood.


Such enlightenment. Not only do I feel that the germs are being battled right now, but my blood is also being nourished and my entire physiological system replenished! 




Baked Herbal Chicken
1/2 of a chicken, cut into bite sizes
A handful of dried red dates (hong jou), soaked in warm water for 5 - 10 minutes
A handful of dried wolfberries (kei zhi), soaked in warm water for 5 - 10 minutes
A few of ginseng (optional)
Salt


Cover an oven-safe platter with aluminum foil
Place chicken pieces into platter
Rub a little salt all over the chicken pieces
Sprinkle the dried red dates and wolfberries (and ginseng) over the chicken pieces
Then, cover the platter with aluminum foil
Bake in oven for at least 1 hour or until chicken is cooked at 375 F




Golden Fragrance Clams (Kam Heong La La)
2 lbs of clams
3 tbsp of oil
2 tbsp of dried prawns, soaked
2 - 3 curry leaves
8 shallots, chopped
A thumb-sized ginger, julienned
5 chili padi/red jalapeno, chopped
Seasoning:
1 tsp of fermented soy bean paste (tau cheong)
2 tbsp of curry powder
2 tbsp of oyster sauce
2 tsp of soy sauce
2 tsp of sugar
1 tsp of dark soy sauce
Cornstarch and water for thickening (optional)


Heat oil and saute dried prawns until fragrant
Add in curry leaves, shallots, ginger, and chili padi, and stir fry until aromatic
Add in clams and seasoning, and stir fry on high heat until well mixed
Cover with a lid, and cook for about 2 minutes until clams are opened
Thicken with cornstarch and water, and mix well (optional)
Dish up 

Mushroom Chicken

As I've mentioned in one of my previous posting, Ah Po always cooked and packed a lot of food - enough to feed me all week, sometimes more - for me to take with as I'm heading back to the campus towards the end of the weekend. One of my favorite dishes that she would make was mushroom chicken. After many years since I've left Malaysia, and when my mom came to live with me in Minneapolis, Ah Po had told my mom to make this dish for me. So, I've asked my mom for the recipe and cooked it myself.


It was easy to cook, but delicious to taste. It was slightly salty, but with a hint of sweetness. The mushrooms was succulent and the chicken was tender crisp. I do think that adding a splash of fish oil would make it tastier. I'll experiment with that next time!

  




Mushroom Chicken
2 - 3 tbsp oil
2 - 3 cloves of garlic
6 - 8 shitake mushrooms, soaked in warm water for about an hour, destemmed and sliced
1/2 of chicken, cut into bite sizes
Sauce:
3 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp water


Heat oil and brown the garlic
Put in chicken and stir fry until chicken is cooked
Add in mushrooms and stir fry a little, about 5 - 10 minutes
Put in mixture of sauce and lower the heat
Continue to cook for about 20 - 30 minutes
Serve with rice

Plain Porridge for the Weak

As I was fighting the cold over the weekend, I could not think of anything better to feed my appetite other than plain old, good porridge. I can probably say that I have grown up eating porridge. Ah Po probably started feeding me porridge since I was a toddler up till... hmm, the teens? Whenever that was, it must have been the time when my brothers, Sunny and Aaron, got so sick of porridge and refuse to eat them. At which point, Ah Po gradually surrendered to cooking something else ;p


There are many variations of porridge: Teochew porridge, Cantonese porridge, century egg porridge, chicken porridge, fish porridge, and the list goes on and on. The one that I grew up having is just plain porridge, which I would say is similar to Teochew porridge - plain (or no added flavorings such as sesame oil), watery, and the rice grains still whole. However, Ah Po's plain porridge is less watery than the conventional Teochew porridge, and I think that has to do with her Cantonese descendant. Though her side dishes are similar to those of Teochew porridge, namely salted duck eggs, pickled lettuce, salted fish, and pickled bean curd. Since I didn't care much for the selection of side dishes, I was contented with mixing in spoonfuls of Bovril or Marmite into my bowl of porridge.


Unfortunately, I was unable to find Bovril or Marmite (as you can tell, I need to broaden my Asian groceries stores horizon). As such, improvisation is necessary. I picked up some salted duck eggs, Chinese broccoli (kai-lan), and yellow tofu (thought it very appropriate for my condition; "tofu" is Cantonese slang for weak). The Chinese broccoli was boiled and served with oyster sauce - really simple, but delicious! The yellow tofu was pan-fried - again, very simple, but I was very disappointed that I could not find Lingham's Chili Sauce to accompany it with. The simplest was the salted duck egg - I just need to cut it into half. But when I did, I was (again) disappointed as the yolk doesn't look all shiny and orangy. It did taste salty :)


By the way, does salted duck egg has expiration date?

Plain Porridge
1/4 cup of rice
2.5 cups of water


Rinse rice 
Bring water to boil, then continue to boil on high heat for about 15 minutes
(Make sure it doesn't boil over as it starts to foam, reduce heat slightly if necessary)




Boiled Kai-Lan
Water
Oil 
Salt
Oyster sauce
Fried onions


Bring water, with added pinch of salt and drops of oil, to boil
Put kai-lan into boiling water 
When water is boiling again, about 3 - 4 minutes, drain kai-lan
Put some oyster sauce on top of the plate of kai-lan
Sprinkle some fried onions on top of the kai-lan with oyster sauce

Pork Liver Soup... comforting

I was down with a cold and had to leave work early yesterday. As soon as I got home, I took some medicine and crawl into bed. As I was laying down, waiting for the medicine to kick in, I heard my stomach making some growling and gurgling sounds. I was pretty sure I wasn't hungry since I just had my lunch 3 hours ago and a chocolate chip cookie that my co-worker had given me and then snacked on some Pepperidge Farm's cookies...


When I was little, my stomach aches a lot. It happened so often that I almost feel like I would have at least a stomachache a week. Due to the high occurrence, Ah Po would worry sick, naturally (that's how Ah Po is, she worries about everything... with good intentions). When my stomach hurts, she would rub this brownish-colored, Chinese medicinal oil on my belly as she kept mumbling about something. And as she rubs and comforts me, those growling and gurgling sounds would be so profound, it's as if the liquid and solid in my stomach is having a rumble of their own! And then, that makes my grandma worry even more. I'm sure there has been sleepless nights that accompanied my silly stomach debacles!


So, when I was growing up, Ah Po always make pork liver soup specially for me (yes, only for me! since my brothers have no stomach issues). I know that the thought of pork liver itself may have turn off some of your appetite out there. To be frank, I'm not entirely sure what is the medicinal or comforting element in the pork liver soup, except for the fact that Ah Po made that for me growing up and at one point, I didn't need it anymore. But as I made and have some today, I found it very comforting... 


Since we're on the weird food topic, I might as well throw this in the picture: When my brothers and I were little, Ah Po used to make us Pig's Brain Soup! I kid you not. She said it makes us smart - I have not found any fact to prove or disprove this yet, but I think it's a myth. Of course, my brothers and I would find any thinkable excuses to escape. Alas, we would end up sitting in front of the bowl of Pig's Brain Soup, squinting at the floating brain, exchanging looks with each other. I would shut my eyes and down the liquid as fast as I can, and then run away.... for fear that Ah Po might just make me eat the brain too! That last bit was a joke. Thank god, she never make us eat the brain; we just have to finish the soup.


Do you have any unconventional, but comforting food stories to share?

Pork Liver Soup
1/4 lbs pork liver, sliced
2 inches ginger, sliced
2 cups of water
sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

Marinate liver with salt and pepper and a drop or two of sesame oil
Cut ginger thin and long

Put marinated liver and ginger into boiling water. When the liver changes color, it should be done

Bubur Cha Cha

Where do I start about today? I have a nagging sore all over my body all day. Not sure if it's from cooking last weekend or carrying several 288-ish oz of antibac soaps boxes back and forth last night, but the pain is not going away... and a deep tissue or Swedish massage would feel pretty darn good right about... anytime now!


But it is also a good day. My best friend, Reena, got accepted to Kellogg B-school today. And I had my first food tester today (big thanks to Matt for willing and bringing over an awesome bottle of '04 Norman's Barbera). So, despite the aching body, I spent an hour and a half in my kitchen, conjuring up a meal decent for other human being besides myself.


I reenacted the fried mai fun and reheated the leftover curry chicken. For those of you Malaysians, you'll know that curry chicken is even better after being kept overnight. And the fried mai fun this time tasted better than the one I made over the last weekend. Matt happily went back and had a second helping. Improvement feels really good! (Thanks, Mom, for the recipe and instructions.) 

On top of that, I also made bubur cha cha for the first time. It turned out well, I guess, since Matt likes it, which was utterly surprising because it is not a typical American dessert. Though I have to say, the yam that I got was kinda whitish and starchy; not the purplish yam that I was used to in bubur cha cha. Nonetheless, I am happy that it turned out tasty and my guest of honor liked it. 

Dishwashing used to be one of my favorite things to do at the end of the day. Since I started this cooking project and at the end of today, I am just so grateful that I have a dishwasher!




Fried Mai Fun (recipe and instructions from Mom)

mee hoon soak in water till quite soft

oil

garlic - chopped

small red onions - chopped

salt, pepper and little sugar, soya sauce, dark thick soy sauce, little oyster sauce (all together in a bowl with about 1/2 cup of water, stir well)

broussel sprout (ngai choy) or/and choy sam

shrimps, pork or any meat or seafood you want to use

Heat oil, fried garlic, onions till brown in low heat

Put in the meat/seafoods and stir fried a little then pour in the bowl of ingredients (sauces) and let it boil till meat is cooked

Then put in the mee hoon and mix it properly till all the sauces are soaked in the meehoon and put in the ngai choy

And stir it and if the meehoon is still hard then add in a little more water till the meehoon is cooked and tasty then it's done

So, that's how I'm taught to cook... I was hoping for more like 2 tbsp of oil, 2 garlic cloves - chopped, 3 tbsp of soy sauce and 3 tbsp of dark thick soy sauce, etc... But such is the way in my family. You just gotta do it, smack your head on the wall, and learn!

Here's how I did it today:

Fried Mai Fun 

Soak mai fun in tap water for about 30 minutes

Soak 10 mushrooms and hot water for about 45 minutes, then destemmed and sliced

2 garlic cloves - chopped

1/2 of medium red onion - chopped

1/2 lbs of Chinese barbeque pork (char siew)

3 big leaves of Chinese broccoli, cut into about 1 inch

10 prawns, deshelled and deveined (and defrosted)

Sauce (mix them together): 

3 - 4 tbsp of soy sauce

3 - 4 tbsp of dark soy sauce

3 - 4 tbsp of oyster sauce 

3 - 4 tbsp of water

(absolutely forgotten about salt and pepper... I guess I'm not very good at following instructions)

Heat 3 tbsp of oil, fried garlic and onions till brown

Put in mushrooms and stir fry for about 5 minutes

Pour in the bowl of sauces, followed by mai fun, stir fry around some more

Put in Chinese broccoli, char siew, and prawns, and stir fry some more 

Turn off the heat when Chinese broccoli and prawns look cooked

Do a little tasting to make sure it's edible... taste good.... done!

Bubur Cha Cha
300 g sweet potatoes, skinned and cut into small cubes
400 g yam, skinned and cut into small cubes
100 g black eye beans, boiled and drained
500 g grated coconut, squeeze 3 cups of coconut milk (in my case, canned coconut milk)
5 pcs pandan leaves, knotted
2 L water
2 tbsp sago, washed through a sieve (I substituted with tapioca since I couldn't get sago)
sugar and salt to taste


Steam potato cubes and yam cubes separately, till soft. Keep aside.
Discard any floating skin from boiled black eye beans.
Boil 2 L of water. When boiling, add steamed sweet potatoes and yam, beans, sago, and knotted pandan leaves. Lower flame to medium heat. Stir gently.
When sago is clear, add coconut milk, sugar to taste and a pinch of salt.
Bring to gentle boil and turn off the heat.
Serve hot.

Kaya: Attempt #3

Since I wasn't successful the last two times I made kaya, I decided to try it again today. Unfortunately, it still didn't turn out to be like Ah Po's kaya. The texture is better than the last time... but, no cigar. I'm feeling disappointed, but I'm not going to give up. Anyone wants to start tallying or guess when I'll succeed? :)

Fried Mai Fun (Bee Hoon) & Curry Chicken

Sometimes, Ah Po will make fried mai fun on the weekend for brunch. On those days, she will also make some kind of dessert or tong shui, such as ginkgo barley dessert (白果糖水), bubur cha cha, or red bean dessert (红豆水). But I'm not feeling that ambitious today. So, I'll just attempt to fry some mai fun, for the first time. Unfortunately, I can't remember the exact ingredients that Ah Po used in her fried mai fun... well, I guess I just have to wing it.

I vaguely recall that Ah Po's mai fun has shrimp (I'm notorious for scooping most of the shrimps from her entire mai fun and she would yell at me when I get caught!), fish cakes, mushrooms, chicken, some kind of veggie, and bean sprouts, maybe...? I somehow magically forgotten to get the veggie and bean sprouts. Ok ok, I'll be honest. I'm not a great fan of chlorophyll-containing things and decided to not add them in my version of mai fun. Though I have been told that they are very good for you, and therefore you should include them in your mai fun if you're making them.

Since the Vikings are playing their big game against the Cowboys today, I thought I'll make some curry chicken too. Not that their chance of winning has any correlation with curry chicken. It is merely because I'm too restless to just sit in front of the TV the entire game and I needed something to eat during the game. I am sure anyone else watching the game, either at home or a bar, are having buffalo wings, tatter tots, fried cheese curds, and lots of beer. But hey, they probably don't have a cooking project that they're committed to... 

Anyway, when my brothers and I are little, my mom would throw parties on our birthdays. At these parties, fried mai fun and curry chicken are pretty standard items on the food list among other things. Ah Po's curry chicken though, is legendary. I'm not exaggerating, I swear. Family friends would request for Ah Po to make curry chicken for their parties! I don't know her secret, but I'm pretty sure it's quite involved. When she makes curry chicken, she would sneak across the street to some neighbor's lawn with a knife and cut off a few curry leaves. When she walks back to our house,

me (low voice): did you steal neighbor's curry leaves again?

Ah Po: ... (put her index finger to her lips, shyly smile, then wave her hand as if shooing me away, and then continue to walk back to her kitchen)

Oh, my grandma. So mischievous, but kinda cute. Actually, she only "steals" sometimes; other times, she's conscientious enough to buy some curry leaves. I love her!

My curry chicken has no curry leaves and is really easy to make. Reason being, I used pre- made curry paste that I bought from the market at Section 17, PJ (that's the reason why my luggage were over the weight limits). Whenever I go back to Malaysia, Ah Po will order my brother, Sunny, to go and get dozens of these curry paste packets for me to take back to the States. I'm so spoiled, I know. I have made curry chicken many times. They are pretty good, but just not as tasty as Ah Po's.

The Vikings won 34-3 and heading to take on the Saints next Sunday at New Orleans.

Curry Chicken (per instructions on the curry paste package)

1 packet of chicken curry paste (I used half) - from market at Section 17, PJ

1 chicken, cut into bite sizes

2 - 3 potatoes, cut into bite sizes

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup water

Mix and heat up chicken curry paste in oil

Put in chicken and mix with paste, until chicken is cooked (about 10 - 15 minutes)

Add potatoes and continue to cook for about 5 - 10 minutes

Add coconut milk and water

When mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until gravy thickens

Chicken Ham Choy Soup

I always think soup is the easiest thing to make; just put everything in the pot and let it simmer... Though I remember Ah Po put a lot of attention to soups. I used to hear her say that soup is good and flavorful when there is sufficient "fire" (meaning slowly boiled over heat... something like that). I always like Ah Po's ham choy (salted Chinese cabbage) soup.


On this cold, winter night, I figured soup would be comforting and so decided to make ham choy soup. The ingredients were easily obtained here and the preparation was simple, per the cookbook. As the ham choy's smell lingered the air, I realized something is missing and instantly knew it. Ah Po always throw in dried mussels in her ham choy soup. And to think of it, her version might have used duck, instead of chicken, for more aroma and flavor.


My ham choy soup did turn out well, though on a slightly sweeter taste than I had wished for or used to. Either I had some really sweet carrots, or I'm just missing the dried mussels.


Mom, you wanna send me some dried mussels?  :)

PS: As I'm typing out the recipe, I realized that I have completely forgotten about the chicken cube and soy sauce (no wonder it's not salty enough for my taste). Funny thing is, as I was serving the soup, I said to myself "Ah Po put soy sauce in everything, haha... and I didn't use it for the soup!" Shame on me this time...




Chicken Ham Choy Soup
300 g salted Chinese cabbage (ham choy)
1.3 kg chicken, clean and remove fat, cut into 8 portions
2 tomatoes, cut into quarters
2 large Bombay onions, cut into 6 parts
1 carrot, cut anyway you wish
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 pc soft tofu, cut into 12 parts
1 pc chicken cube
4 tblsp light soy sauce
pinch of salt and sugar
3 L water, first boil
1 L boiled water, additional boil


Wash ham choy, peel off each leaf and cut into 3 - 4 sections.
Put all the ingredients, except tofu and tomatoes, into a pot with 3 L of water and bring to boil. Then, simmer for 2 hours and 30 minutes or until water is reduced to half its original amount.
Add the extra 1 L of water, tomatoes and tofu, and boil for another 45 minutes.
Add a pinch of sugar and salt (and MSG, if you want) to taste. Serve hot.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

After all the kaya-stirring, I need dinner. Why not cook something? I'm already all pscyed-up anyway. Hmm... hainanese chicken rice :)


Ah Po always make hainanese chicken rice on Chinese New Year, along with her other mouth-watering dishes such as Pork Stomach Soup. Figured I'll start practicing and perhaps come CNY, I can conjure up her famous CNY dinner here.


The making of hainanese chicken rice is simple enough, according to the recipe provided my best friend, Reena. The sauce is not the same though. Can't put my fingers on what Ah Po used to make the sauce... note to self: ask Mom. The chicken turned out ok. Of course, not as tasty as Ah Po's. And obviously, I need some practice on the chopping too.


For now, I'm happy I'm not hungry.

Recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/saras-secrets/hainanese-chicken-rice-recipe/index.html

Hainanese chicken rice is a dish of Chinese origin most commonly associated with Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine. So-called due to its roots in Hainan cuisine and its adoption by the Hainanese overseas population in the Southeast Asia.
The Ipoh chicken rice is normally served with bean sprouts. This is a very popular version of the rice and a lot of others have slowly followed suit. The chicken rice dish can also be further accompanied with a simple pork meatball soup. In addition to that, various hawkers also sell a variety of chicken innards - gizzard, liver, intestines - which area also equally popular for chicken rice lovers.
In Malacca, the chicken is served with rice balls rather than a bowl of rice, commonly known as Chicken rice balls. The rice is shaped into golf ball-sized orbs and served alongside with chopped chicken. This dish is eaten the same way as regular version, making sure to get a portion of chicken, some rice, and the soy and chili condiment into each mouthful. Older chefs argue that the rice was originally shaped into balls because it needed to be kept warm from time it was cooked (often earlier in the day) until mealtime. The rice balls when stored in wooden containers, apparently stayed warm for a longer time. The other theory is that the rice balls were more portable and were easier for labourers working on plantations to transport from home. Today, rice balls are appreciated more as a novelty than anything else.
Chicken rice in Malaysia is available in Chinese coffee shops as well as roadside stalls and restaurants. Most chicken rice vendors in the country also offer an alternative of roasted chicken instead of the regular, steamed one. Other variations include a BBQ version and also a honey-roasted choice.
- Wikipedia

Kaya

Kaya - first on the list. Growing up, Ah Po always made kaya for home. She'll made it in her yellow-with-green-trimming double boiler with charcoal-fueled flame. I'll start licking them when she was letting them cool, before putting into a glass jar. We'll eat it on bread. It's so smooth and yummylicious, I can eat it on its own, all day!


My first attempt - complete failure! Perhaps I didn't beat the eggs and sugar well enough. Or perhaps there was gunk in the coconut milk. The first batch went into the drain. How hard can this be... Honestly, I picked kaya first also because it appeared to be the simplest according to the cookbook. Not giving up yet. Started attempt number two. This time, I made sure to beat the eggs and sugar really good, and to sieve the coconut milk. And continuously stirring the mixture while heating. Ugh... the stirring! I don't recall Ah Po stirring the whole time! I guess I took things for granted too much. As the aroma of pandan leaves fills the kitchen, it brings me back to when Ah Po is making kaya. Totally worth it!


The taste is ok. The texture, not so good. Ah Po's kaya is always so smooth (it must be her love). Mine turned out to be not so smooth. And less brownish than Ah Po's. Did she use brown sugar? Well, practice shall make it perfect. I still have some pandan leaves :)

Kaya
270 g eggs
250 g sugar
300 ml thick coconut milk
2 pandan leaves, washed and knotted


Beat eggs and sugar, for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Transfer beaten mixture into a pot and stir over low heat. Put in pandan leaves and continue to stir until all the sugar is melted.
Meanwhile, bring water in the outer pot of double boiler to a boil.
Strain the egg and sugar mixture into the inner pot of the double boiler and add coconut milk and pandan leaves.
Continue to stir, while the double boiler is still on the boil for about 20 minutes until the kaya attains a thick smooth consistency.


(Use of double boiler can be improvise (which I did), but be cautious that the kaya does not burn.)

Kaya is a coconut egg jam made from coconut milk and egg, flavored by pandan leaves and sweetened with sugar. Kaya is sweet and creamy, typically spread on toast to make kaya toast.
- Wikipedia

The quest for pandan leaves...

It all started for Grandma, or more fondly addressed as Ah Po. Her name is Chow Sow Gan, and she is the best grandma in the world, ever. She is loving, caring, kind, and generous, and on top of that, she is a great cook. Growing up, I remember Dad lecturing me about spending time in the kitchen with Ah Po to learn cooking. But, not surpising, I'd spent my time playing softball or being involved in other extra-curricular activities at school instead, thinking "I can learn cooking anytime. Besides, why cook myself when Ah Po is so much better!" As I left home and went to college, Ah Po would always inquire my return during the weekends, in which case, she would prepare whole lot of my favourite dishes. And when I'm heading back to campus, she would cooked and packed tons of food, enough for the whole week, for me to take with. When I moved 10,000 miles away from home, she still does the same for me, though the frequency is significantly lessen due to the distance that separated us.

In May of last year, fate had her faced with a stroke, and then another a month later. Because of that, she lost her liberty in speech and mobility, and some of her memory. 


Being the selfish grandkid that I am, I am not ready to let her go and am still hoping for her recovery. Aside from playing mah jong, her passion is food. She loves to eat and she showers her love to her grandkids through her cooking. And hence, this project is dedicated to my beloved Ah Po, in hopes that one day she can taste the food I cook for her. The goal of this project is for me to cook 80 dishes by September 8th of this year (and for those who knows me, you will realize that this is almost an impossible mission!) Why 80 dishes and the September 8th deadline? Because Ah Po is turning 80 on September 8th of 2010. 


A few years ago when I was back home in Malaysia, I had specifically requested that Ah Po made me her delicious kaya for me to take with to US, which she unfailingly did. It is therefore appropriate for me to launch this project with kaya as the first thing to make. And hence, my quest for pandan leaves in the city of Minneapolis. 


I was extremely psyched when I found them today! Yes - they are frozen. I had to laugh because when Ah Po made her kaya, she would just go to our lawn and cut off a couple of the leaves from the plant. I was going about town and googling for Asian groceries stores online! Nonetheless, I found them. And oh, may I take this opportunity to thank some great friends who had offered to ship them to me all the way from Malaysia - with your support, I know I can make this project successful!


Let's get started!