My darling Hubby, as you know, is away. I am therefore given to the temptation to prepare food that he normally wouldn't eat. And there must be quite a bit of such foods because I have been stuffing myself sick.
I also suspect that I am quite relieved to be able to "let down my guard". The problem when you've done some studies, gotten older, richer, well-travelled etc is that you are more or less expected to show all the time that you have evolved. I certainly have my veneer of good manners, good taste, sophistication, culture and what not. But the problem is that somewhere inside I'm still also that simple HDB girl and she is dying so very often to come out and do a jiggy.
Whenever I return home to my HDB flat, I would always ask mom to go to the coffee shop downstairs to get me some basic stuff like lor mai kai and fan choi. I really do get a lot of satisfaction from the little portions of rice/glutinous rice, char siu, hard-boiled egg or marinated chicken. The kind of food that is cheap and which fills up the stomach. And I am not ashamed to say that pretty often, I would be eating it in front of the TV in my favourite position - squatting, as my mom would say, like a trishaw puller.
Yesterday, before I went to the dentist to have my 2 (finally 3) big teeth filled, I've decided to give in to my craving for more comfort food. So I made Lor Mai Fun. I still had some uncooked glutinuous rice left over from Sunday (soaking in water), so I cooked it. Then I sliced 2 Chinese Sausages (not just any sausages, but sausages from Lim Chee Guan in Singapore), 2 shallots and started to fry them in a non-stick pan. When the shallots and sausages were fragrant, I added a little bit of oil to the oil from the sausages and scrambled 2 eggs in it. Finally, I added in the cooked glutinous rice, added salt, pepper, soy sauce, ketchup manis and sesame oil, stir-stir and basta, ze dish's ready. Delicioso!
OK, I could have been more authentic and healthy by steaming the rice and using chicken. But I liked the way the Chinese Sausages leave behind its sweet fragrant oil when cooked, the combination of fried shallots and scrambled eggs. When I had dried shrimp I would fry some and make a version with Chinese mushrooms and chicken, and other times I added in some boiled peanuts as well. In any case, this is no gourmet cooking. But it doesn't matter as long as it makes me happy. And I am happy knowing that when I want to, I can get the gourmet stuff done too.
About my poor teeth, I wish though my parents had been more assiduous with my dental hygiene and care. When I smile, I have a crooked iron smile - because almost all my molars had been filled in ages ago. And we didn't have or couldn't afford white fillings then. Anyway, a few months back, I had my 4 wisdom teeth removed on the same day because I was told that they were causing my normal big teeth to decay. Last week, the dentist confirmed that I had 2 cavities and would need to return to have them filled (minus the kids).
I went back this morning and she found another cavity. Was asked if I would like to have my gums anaesthesized, but I said no as the thought of the injection and the numb lasting 2 hours did not excite me. Besides, like I said, I've already had the bulk of my molars filled ages ago and what those brutal Government dental nurses/doctors put me through then would certainly make any pain that I could have now pale in comparison.
Tomorrow I return to have the fillings polished. I do not know if it's any comfort, but my dentist "complimented" me on my BIG mouth. Said that the procedure would have been almost impossible to carry out if my mouth had been smaller.
I also suspect that I am quite relieved to be able to "let down my guard". The problem when you've done some studies, gotten older, richer, well-travelled etc is that you are more or less expected to show all the time that you have evolved. I certainly have my veneer of good manners, good taste, sophistication, culture and what not. But the problem is that somewhere inside I'm still also that simple HDB girl and she is dying so very often to come out and do a jiggy.
Whenever I return home to my HDB flat, I would always ask mom to go to the coffee shop downstairs to get me some basic stuff like lor mai kai and fan choi. I really do get a lot of satisfaction from the little portions of rice/glutinous rice, char siu, hard-boiled egg or marinated chicken. The kind of food that is cheap and which fills up the stomach. And I am not ashamed to say that pretty often, I would be eating it in front of the TV in my favourite position - squatting, as my mom would say, like a trishaw puller.
Yesterday, before I went to the dentist to have my 2 (finally 3) big teeth filled, I've decided to give in to my craving for more comfort food. So I made Lor Mai Fun. I still had some uncooked glutinuous rice left over from Sunday (soaking in water), so I cooked it. Then I sliced 2 Chinese Sausages (not just any sausages, but sausages from Lim Chee Guan in Singapore), 2 shallots and started to fry them in a non-stick pan. When the shallots and sausages were fragrant, I added a little bit of oil to the oil from the sausages and scrambled 2 eggs in it. Finally, I added in the cooked glutinous rice, added salt, pepper, soy sauce, ketchup manis and sesame oil, stir-stir and basta, ze dish's ready. Delicioso!
OK, I could have been more authentic and healthy by steaming the rice and using chicken. But I liked the way the Chinese Sausages leave behind its sweet fragrant oil when cooked, the combination of fried shallots and scrambled eggs. When I had dried shrimp I would fry some and make a version with Chinese mushrooms and chicken, and other times I added in some boiled peanuts as well. In any case, this is no gourmet cooking. But it doesn't matter as long as it makes me happy. And I am happy knowing that when I want to, I can get the gourmet stuff done too.
About my poor teeth, I wish though my parents had been more assiduous with my dental hygiene and care. When I smile, I have a crooked iron smile - because almost all my molars had been filled in ages ago. And we didn't have or couldn't afford white fillings then. Anyway, a few months back, I had my 4 wisdom teeth removed on the same day because I was told that they were causing my normal big teeth to decay. Last week, the dentist confirmed that I had 2 cavities and would need to return to have them filled (minus the kids).
I went back this morning and she found another cavity. Was asked if I would like to have my gums anaesthesized, but I said no as the thought of the injection and the numb lasting 2 hours did not excite me. Besides, like I said, I've already had the bulk of my molars filled ages ago and what those brutal Government dental nurses/doctors put me through then would certainly make any pain that I could have now pale in comparison.
Tomorrow I return to have the fillings polished. I do not know if it's any comfort, but my dentist "complimented" me on my BIG mouth. Said that the procedure would have been almost impossible to carry out if my mouth had been smaller.
Next week husband's colleagues are coming over, the only booty we asked for is Lim Chee Guan sausages. I wanted some for CNY but knew the crowd would be bad, so this is the reward for waiting. We love it in omelets, fried rice and steamed with loads of sliced finger.
RépondreSupprimeroops i mean ginger!
RépondreSupprimer(grin), I figured that out alright, haha.
RépondreSupprimerActually, now it makes me think about having the ginger fried in sesame oil and making a really fragrant rice...