Japanese Koinobori (Carp Streamer), Boys Festival (Tengo no Sekku)

My youngest son was so excited when I hang these Japanese Koinobori (carp streamer) at our house. He loves to see these carp shaped wind sock fluttering when the wind blows. Traditionally. Koinobori are put up to celebrate Japanese Boys Festival (Tengo no Sekku) (端午の節句) (Modern, Children's Day) on 5th May in Japan and most households there would start putting them up as early as April. As for me, I am even earlier.......now is only March! LOL!

The carps are put up in honour of sons in the family, hoping that they will grow up to be strong and healthy. Carp is known to be energetic and strong in fighting swift currents. Anyway, they have large black carp to represent the father and red (second biggest) for the mother. Mmmm, I wonder if there is any for daughters?

KOINOBORI SONG LYRICS
屋根より高い鯉幟
大きい真鯉はお父さん
小さい緋鯉は子供たち
面白そうに泳いでる
Romanised (Yane yori takai koinobori
Ookii magoi wa otoosan
Chiisai higoi wa kodomo tachi
Omoshirosoo ni oyoideru)
English Translation (Carp windsocks are above the roof.
The biggest carp is the father,
The smaller carp are children,
They're enjoying swimming in the sky)


Here is a cute boy singing the Koinobori song

Chinese New Year 2011 and 2012 - Mom

It was 2 days before 2011 Chinese New Year, my mom was diagnosed with cerebral bone spur (very painful symtoms) and was temporarily bedridden. She has already bought all the ingredients to cook for our family reunion dinner. I know that this dinner is very important to her and she would very much like our family to enjoy her cooking. Although I can whip up the same dishes, my cooking is not up to her standard. The only dish that she managed to prepare was the lobak (Five spice meat roll). Anyway, I have to take over her kitchen and cooked up the festival dish below.

Clockwise from the top : Lobak, Curry Chicken, Fried Mix Vegetable, Tau Eu Bak (Dark soya sauce Pork Belly), Pork Stomach soup, lobak again, Accar (Nyonya Spicy Sweet Mix Salad) and Jiu Hu Char (Fried Turnips with Dry Squid strips, Not in photo). My mom says the dishes are ok but I think my Accar was a little lack of flavours.....got to work on the recipe! LOL!

Pre Reunion Dinner Meal - Tau Cheo Fish for mom to eat with rice......

Pre Reunion Dinner Meal - Crispy Butter Cereal chiken for the children.

Morning breakfast- My signature Fried Mee (Yellow Noodles)......

My sister has already bought all the ingredients to cook Penang Assam Laksa, so we cooked it on the 1st Day of New Year....yum yum!

Year after year, ever since my mom married my dad, she never fails to pay respect to our ancestors in the form of food offering. Last year was the only year she was not able to do so. My dad, wife, kids and me took over her role and set up this simple altar in the house. I want my kids to remember their ancestors, pay respect to them and also learn about Chinese Tradition.

You can see my youngest son doing his lion dance routine while we were busy praying. LOL! Look at all his toys that he left at my dad's house in the box next to our old fridge. My mom's wheelchair is next to the fridge.....my son would push it near to my mom's bed everynight. He will also place the walking stick next to my mom at night before going to bed. Never ask him why he did that...........

I was very busy the last six months and didn't blog much because I was getting my house ready to bring my mom and dad to stay with me, so that they can have proper home cooked meal and care. My mom has been caring and cooking for my siblings and me for far too many years. I guess it is time for us to do the reverse. In my house, most of the time my kids would be around to accompany them too.

For this year (2012) Chinese New Year Celebration, mom told me that she and my sister had bought some of the ingredients from the wet market. I was still wondering how she managed to go there, walking so slowly with her walking stick???

Anyway, I have prepared some of the dishes upfront and would be bringing them back home!

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR

 CHERISH EVERY MOMENT YOU SPENT WITH YOUR LOVED ONES DURING THIS FESTIVE SEASON!

Pai Thnee Kong on the 9th Day of Chinese New Year (Jade Emperor of Heaven Prayers)

The prayers altar, decorated sugar cane and my home made mi ku (tortoise bun). I decided to make these mi ku when I couldn't get soft tortoise buns in Kuala Lumpur like those from Penang. Having grown up in a Chinese Baba and Nyonya (Straits born) family, I always looked forward to the 9th day of Chinese New Year. As a young lad growing up in Butterworth, I have many fond memories of the days we made offerings and prayers to The Jade Emperor of Heaven (Pai Thnee Kong). I really missed the taste of my grandma and mom’s home made bee koh (glutinous rice with coconut milk), huat kuih (rice flour cake with Toddy which is palm wine made from coconut flowers), ang ku (a type of nyonya kuih, glutinous rice flour with green beans filling) and mi ku (steamed tortoise buns). During that time, celebrating the 9th day of Chinese New Year was a grand family affair and it involves every family members. Everyone in our neighbourhood would be praying as well and I had a great time playing fireworks with my childhood friends. After the prayers, my mom would be chopping away the whole roast pig to share with our neighbours and we would have feast of roast pork meat as late supper (or maybe early breakfast because the prayers would only start at midnight). Ahhhhh, the good old days! Now, since my mom and dad are already in their eighties, I am taking over the reign from them in offering prayers to the Jade Emperor of Heaven and carry on this colourful family tradition. Before the prayers start, I drove my kids around my neighbourhood to show them how others celebrate this festival. Some houses are packed with guest and relatives; just like having a midnight party! LOL! My kids and wife helped out in preparing food and paraphernalia for the prayers. All of them, especially my daughter was every excited to participate in the prayers. As the clock struck twelve midnight, I woke up my little 3 year old boy so that he can join in to pray as well. He was equally excited as well to see the prayers altar and the decorated sugar cane which is a must have for the Hokkiens. Ok, got to go now…..to enjoy my roast pork with mi ku! LOL!

Hungry Ghost Festival and the Chinese Forever Vibrant Economy

My youngest son waiting for me to take him to see the Kotai. He is all dressed up, donning his Michael Jackson hat while holding a microphone and his favourite MJ cds. He kept on insisting of going up the stage to sing MJ most popular song, Beat It! ha ha ha ha!

The Yue Lan (Hungry Ghost) committee in my area organized their 5th hungry ghost festival recently. I can see there number of participants growing tremendously from year to year. My kids would wait for me to reach home everyday to take them to see the Chinese Opera show and also Kotai (live concert). My daughter loves to help out in folding gold and silver paper money, while my youngest son took the opportunity to run around all over the festival wide areas. Everyday the hired cook would prepare tasty mixed ingredients porridge , fried bihun and nice tong sui (Dessert). I see this festival as a time for the people in my community to get together and work hand in hand to make it a success. It is time to remember the dead too; Buddhist nuns are hired to chant for the soul of the dead. The hungry ghost festival is a part of our colourful Chinese culture which I believe should be carried on to the next generation to come. The Chinese spent generously whenever there is such festival. Some of the money collected is donated to the Chinese School in my area. With the large amount of cash spent on food and prayer, no wonder the Chinese economy is always vibrant. You need money in the economical system in order to make it move healthily. The is why no matter where in the world the Chinese community settle down, you can see businesses booming in that area!

Oppps, kotai singer too sexy......censored! ha ha ha!, Actually the lights were too bright!

The Chinese Opera show starts after the Kotai singing finishes!

Lots of offering on the final day of prayers. Yummy roast pork! Had a feast after the final sent off!

Final sent off Tau Sui Yeh (God of Hades). An excavator is used to cover the road with sand (Selangor sand! ha ha ha) before all the paper prayers material are burnt. I was carrying the horse! LOL!

Ngaku (Arrowheads, Duck Potato, Wapato Saggitaria Latifolia) Plant – Nice Chinese New Year Decoration

Before Chinese New Year and After Chinese New Year!

I planted three leftovers ngaku bulbs in the pot where I kept my little Bettas (Siamese fighting fish, Trey Khem) offspring before Chinese New Year. They really grow very fast! Take a look at the picture I took yesterday and the one before Chinese New Year. The arrow head shaped Ngaku (Arrowheads, Duck Potato, Wapato Saggitaria Latifolia) leaves that pointed sky ward looks very green and majestic. Ngaku grows very well if you put it in a pot with stones and flood it with water. I love to watch my little betta fishes (Trey Khem) swimming and playing around the ngaku roots. They seem to enjoy swimming around it very much! So, Ngaku not only makes nice crispy chips when deep fried or as vital ingredients for many Chinese New Year recipes but also as an attractive decorative plants for our house!

Capsicum Ring Ngah Ku Chicken to Welcome the Year of the Golden Tiger (Peteformation Festive Dish Recipe)

When first I thought about making capsicum rings, I was actually imagining about a tiger leaping through a ring over to a New Year, towards prosperity and good health! So, if you strike 4D or Toto after eating this dish, don’t forget to ‘belanja’ (treat) me, ok? Ha ha ha! Capsicum or Chilli Pepper (Bell Pepper, Paprika, Solanaceae family) has nice aroma if it is deep fried, roasted or barbecued. I thought that it would be nice and presentable if I use pan fried capsicum rings to decorate a Chicken Ngah Ku (Arrowheads, Saggitaria Saggitifolia) dish. Ngah Ku gave the dish a little crunchiness and I also used deep fried shark meat salted fish to give it an extra flavour. You can add some cashew nuts and dried chilli to spice up the dish a little. However, since my little toddler would be eating it for dinner, I did not add in these two ingredients.

Ingredients
Capsicum, 1 large, cut into rings; keep the top part for decoration
Chicken Meat, 300 gms, cut into cubes
Ngah Ku (arrowheads), 3 bulbs, cut into small cubes
Garlic, 5 cloves, chopped finely
Onions, 1 pc, cut into four
White Pepper, a dash
Oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon
Salted fish, 2 pcs, deep fried, break into small pieces
Cashew nuts, ½ cup (optional)
Sesame oil, 1 teaspoon
Corn flour, 2 teaspoons mixed with a little water
Salt to taste

Heat up pan and put in a little vegetable oil. Fry the capsicum rings until they are slightly burned. Arrange the capsicum rings in the serving plate. Use the remaining oil to sautéed garlic and onions. Add in the chicken and stir fry until it is cooked. Put in the ngah ku, white pepper, oyster sauce, salted fish, cashew nuts, sesame oil and salt to taste. Fry until all the ingredients are well mixed. Pour the corn flour water mixture to hold all the ingredients together so that it is easier to hold them together in the capsicum rings. I used some finely chopped carrots to garnish the dish. WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR

KEONG HEE HUAT CHAI!

Check out my Quickie Baked Cheese Thyme Tofu at http://veganformation.blogspot.com/2010/02/quickie-baked-vegan-tofu-with-cheese.html

Steamed Waxed Duck (Lap Ngap Pei) with Ngaku (Arrowhead, Saggitaria Saggittifolia) & Tofu Recipe – A Festive Dish for Chinese New Year

The dry food stuff vendor whose stall I frequent in the Kepong Baru market recommended that I try the lap ngap (waxed duck) that he has in stock. He happily sold one waxed duck thigh with drumsticks intact at RM4.70 to me. Yup, you can get good bargain for the food stuff in this wonderful and busy wet market. I also bought some Ngaku (Arrowheads) to cook with the waxed duck. The Waxed duck which is imported from China is rather tough and very salty. It is cured in salt and dried in the open for weeks, exposing to the cold and dry China’s winter breeze. To get rid of the salt, you can wash it thoroughly in water or just soak it for a short while. I cut out the meat into small pieces so that it will be easier for my kids to eat it. The Chinese like to cook ngaku with waxed duck because it will absorb all the salt and flavour of the duck resulting in a crunchy savoury potato like ngaku. Ingredients Waxed duck thigh (Lup Ngap Pei), 1 pc Ngaku, 3 pcs, remove skins and cut each of it into four Old Ginger, 1”x2”, cut into slices Soft Tofu, 5 to six pieces Arrange all the ingredients in a steaming tray. Steam in high heat for 30 minutes or longer if you want he duck meat to be tenderer. Another way is to put the whole steaming tray on top of rice that is almost cooked (this is energy savings way, LOL). You can garnish it with fresh spring onions before serving. Taste good with white rice or porridge! Happy Chinese New Year Everyone!

A Simple Christmas Dinner of Roast Chicken

I am a little late in posting this due to my busy year end schedule. My family had a simple Xmas dinner last year when my sister came to my house last year. I didn’t cook many types of food that day. We had Rosemary Roast Chicken, Potato with Thyme, Birthday Mee (noodle) and a few types of salads. I managed to find a rather large size chicken in place of the turkey. The chicken weight is 2.4kg which is about the size of a small turkey. Anyway it is easier to roast a chicken than a turkey and the meat is tenderer too. It was a fun small family gathering, how I wish my mom, dad and all my other family members were here too. But then, Chinese New Year is not very far away, so I will get to meet everyone when I go back to my hometown. Next round would be Steamboat dinner! LOL! Here are the pictures of the food. Roast chicken and potato with thyme Various type of greens for salad and Chinese Birthday Noodles

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri

I would like to wish all my Muslim friends a Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri. This is a pantun by peteformation for you! Dodol sungguh enak rasanya Rendang daging dengan santan kelapa Berhati-hati memandu di lebuhraya Sampai ke kampung dijemput sanak saudara Beras lemang dalam buluh sungguh padat Dengan kuah sate sedap dimakan Malam Raya menjamu ketupat Keesokan hari bermaaf-maafan Kek Raya manis rasanya Kuih bahulu dibakar di ketuhar Selepas Raya,berpusu-pusu pulang ke bandaraya Jumpa lagi minggu depan di Kuala Lumpur Raya decorations at Giant Kota Damansara, Suria KLCC and Sunway Pyramid

Lai Lai ah, Mari Mari, RM10 for 3 Moon cakes

I couldn’t believe what I heard when the moon cake vendor in Kepong Baru wet market told me that the moon cakes on display are RM10 for 3 pieces! He was displaying plenty of moon cakes at his stall and I actually felt pity for him because there weren’t any customer there buying his moon cakes. I asked him suspiciously, “Leng mou (Nice or not)?”. They looked ok to me, so I bought three and paid RM10 for all of them. The flavours I bought were Pure Lotus Paste, Durian Mung Beans Paste and Ping Pei Lotus Paste. I was surprised that moon cakes at this price taste good and are almost compatible with the expensive brand. The branded moon cakes are very expensive and I think they are over priced! My kids love the taste and they ate most of it. I like the durian flavoured mung bean paste, the aroma is just nice, not too strong. Well, I guess for this price they cannot afford to put too much durian in it. The ping pei pure lotus is a little soft because I left it out at room temperature. It was ok after I put it in the fridge. Not too bad, the lotus paste is quite smooth and nice. I going back there this weekend to buy some more!

WISHING YOU A HAPPY YEAR OF THE OX

WISHING YOU A HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

Enjoy this explosive Chinese 24 Festival Drums performance recorded in Power Centre Petaling Jaya.

2009 Countdown New Year Party and Fireworks Display at Desa Parkcity

Desa Parkcity, on new year eve night..................The large crowd ushering the New Year! Desa Parkcity was packed with people when I arrived there 15 minutes before the countdown begins. The ‘Bomba’ (Firemen) were already on standby, getting ready for the fireworks display. I managed to find a parking space quite far away from the waterfront commercial centre. The guards cordoned off a big area in the park where all the fireworks display system have been set up. As, I was walking towards the commercial area with my little daughter, I can clearly hear the music being played and there was a party on in the commercial centre! We found a good spot just across the ground where all the fireworks are set up, but we realized later that we were actually very near too it and the sound of the fireworks were very loud indeed. After waiting for around five minutes the countdown begins. Here is a short video I took on the countdown and the fireworks display. Not a good shot, because I was too near the fireworks set up area!

Here are some random photos I took. What a nice New Year 2009 Party at Desa Parkcity!

Cute models in nice dresses and mask!

Live Band ! Man on stilts.............................................................Air filled playground for children! Games counter.....................................................................Fire Eating Stunts! Unfortunately, after the party, some irresponsible people littered the nice park with loads of rubbish and snow foams on the rock! What a shame!

Happy New Year 2009! No Underwear Party Still On?

HAPPY New Year 2009!

Wish you all the best!

It was reported in the local newspaper that a ’no underwear' New Year Party is being organised by a group of people to be held at a remote resort in Johor Bahru............

How To Make Mua Chee from Leftover Tong Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls)

Tang Yuan before I turned them in to Mua Chee. My Tang Yuan Mua Chee, yummy! I have some leftover Tong Yuan that have already absorbed most of the sugar syrup and are a little bit soggy. Since I have in hand some salted peanuts that I bought last week, I decided to make mua chee (a glutinous rice dessert with roasted peanuts, see my post on mua chee, http://peteformation.blogspot.com/2008/12/penang-kek-lok-si-temple-and-dinner-at.html) out of them. First, I pound the salted peanuts finely. Then I added some sugar to the peanuts. I removed all the sugar syrup from the Tang Yuan by placing them on a sieve. After that, I sprinkled the grounded peanut and sugar over the Tang Yuan. Tang Yuan has the same texture as mua chee, so it tastes like the original mua chee when mixed with grounded peanut. The salted peanut gave my Tang Yuan Mua Chee a little bit extra taste! Love every bits of it!

My Daughter’s Halloween Jack O Lantern

After my daughter read Kikey’s blog Life in the United States , Clefff’s blog Cleffairy and Lz blog I'm still learning on Halloween, she asked me whether she can have her own Halloween decoration. I thought of buying a pumpkin for her to carve, but the ones I saw at the market are quite small. So, I made this Jack O Lantern cutout from a cardboard and let her paint it. We hanged it at near our night light and this is how it looks like. Happy Belated Halloween! Jack O Lantern near our night light................................and this is how it looks like at night!

Happy Deepavali

Wishing all my Hindu friends a Happy Deepavali.

Kolam at The Curve