Standing On the Edge of the Bay

Walking with our feet soaked in the surging low tide, Dule and I immersed ourselves into  the night, as part of the calm ocean waters sweeping gently on to the shore at Cronulla Beach, southern Sydney, made a connection with our inner selves. The air hung thick with heat and humidity. There was muted laughter somewhere, and then once in a while, a liberating shout or fun scream jabbed the silence like in much needed relief. It was way past midnight.  Small groups of people could be seen through their silhouettes, sitting on various nooks and corners of the long sandy stretch hugging a wide bay.  There were even a few midnight swimmers, mainly party revellers and teenage groups, enjoying a dunking cooling time on the water near the shore. What a summery night.  We tried to check out the catch of a fisherman, but he was rather quiet and reserved, so we left him alone.

Back in Dule's place, sitting in the back patio of the family home, even on a rather muggy hot night, was reminiscent of old times I spent with the Subotic brothers.  Father Subotic was friendly and animated in conversation and  the pet, little Gingi, was getting old and frail.  In the car, Dule mentioned this time around about feeling rather strange, returning for a visit after a few years, about Australia, even if this was the land he grew up in.  Maybe Dule had totally embraced his new adopted abode in London, with so varied and different parameters - and the spaciousness of and apparent lack of people in Australia was a shock back to the future.  In London, he commuted by bike, faced more confronting temperatures, came across more people, faced up to more diversions, and generally dealt with more dynamic activity. Dule later said over the phone about going back one day to the old work haunts around Wynyard, Sydney - and that it felt so long ago, just hanging around there.

This evening, I felt rather out of place as well, but in my adopted land.  Maybe it is a passing fad for me. Working hard for most of the day in the office, without much opportunity to dwell on it, I suddenly felt a wave of lack of purpose, an apparent throb of the same nothingness, the same some kind of people ignoring me and the spectre of superficiality of things.   Once back home, to try to shake it off, I went through the motions of keeping busy, even if I was exhausted  with a lack of motivation. I vacuumed, I cooked and I instant messaged people on the mobile, even if it was a Monday night.  I looked for the monitor lizard that had escaped inside my house yesterday morning.   Still,  I could not shake off the realisation that I could not continue like that - going through the motions.  I had to re-inspire myself!

I thought back to that night standing on the edge of Cronulla Bay. It was magical. It brought back memories of a more care free time, even extending back to the heady beach days of Phuket, Koh Samui and Penang. It was a period of acceptance, of no unrealistic expectations, of enjoying the present moment. Holly passed me an article she wrote only last week, of always embracing fully, and without hesitation, of what life has to offer now, even if in a cluttered, imperfect way - no matter what. Even if I have seen and aspired to attain what can be otherwise, but have not. The salt and wind on our faces was not comparable to anything that I come across in the day to day routine.  It reminded me to just take in what was there for us.  And accept with gratitude the still good things that make me happy.

Like when I was pleasantly surprised as to how delicious the satay chicken was at My Lan Restaurant in Wollongong town, and if Dylan had not suggested ordering that , I would not have realised this discovery.  Another recent culinary delight and experience I had was by the river near the Kallang Stadium in Singapore.  Kit and Bee had organised a hearty seafood dinner along what seemed to be a look alike Brisbane River scene.  The evening was rather cool for an equatorial place and the company easy and relaxing, with Tricia and Austin as well.  Then there was the afternoon Alice, Ah Choon and their Mum invited a few of us to their residence for home made traditional recipe noodle soup.  We were just ourselves, unassuming and taking in the love and care of cooking from the heart.

Penang - Char Koay Teow

Char (to fry) koay teow (flat rice noodles) is a phrase that stimulates the palate of many, from travellers and back packers who have savoured this street food delight, to many Asian emigrants in Western countries who once took the dish for granted and now value it with elevated memory and respect. And no better is this choice dish prepared and served than in my birth place of Penang, Malaysia.

Its origins are humble - get the wok going with hot cooking oil and throw in the aromatic ingredients of pounded/chopped garlic, some lard and thin slices of Cantonese sausage (lap cheong). When stage one gets going with fragance , flick in the shelled prawns and cockles. Push simmering previous ingredients to one side and put in the koay teow. Dexterity is required at this stage, with a quick stir frying of the noodles with seasonings of light and dark soy sauce plus chili paste.

Now the piece de resistance - create a central space on the wok before cracking at least  two eggs and unloading the contents.  Smear the cooking runny egg white and yolk with the other ingredients already in the wok.

Stir fry evenly - and finally add the bean sprouts and cut chives. Always take the dish piping hot and freshly cooked.

Above image - duck eggs used to top off a serving at Ah Leng Char Koay Teow, Datuk Keramat Road, Georgetown, Penang Island.

An important aspect of preparing char koay teow is to prepare and assemble all the required ingredients before the stir frying. Always use fresh ingredients. The significance of a slightly charred aroma for this dish is not to be under rated - and this can only be achieved from a well heated wok, which has been continually used before hand.

Singapore - Kaya Toast and Poached Egg Breakfasts

Images above taken at the Ya Kun Cafe, Tiong Bharu Plaza, Singapore.

Kaya Jam Recipe from TIME Publications:

Yield: 4 cups

.10 EGGS

. Half to 1 CUP SUGAR

(depending on how sweet you like it)

. MILK FROM SHREDDED PULP OF one coconut

(squeeze coconut milk out in 2 batches)

. 3 PANDAN LEAVES, TIED IN KNOTS

Crack the eggs in a bow and whisk

them together. Add 1/2 to 1 cup

of sugar and coconut milk and mix

it up well. Transfer mixture to â

glass bowl, add knotted pandan

leaves, then perch that bowl atop

a steaming rack in a wok,

Steam the mixture for 45 to 60

minutes, untouched, untiI the

desired consistency is reached,

When you remove the kaya from

the steamer, stir it, let it cool

and spread it over toasted bread.

The consistency should be smooth

and creamy.

From the book A Tiger In The Kitchen by Cheryl Tan.
Copyright @ 2011 CHERYL LU-LIEN TAN


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Malaysia - Kaya Toast and Poached Egg Breakfasts

Kaya is that bread spread coconut based jam simply made by steaming

a combination of egg and coconut milk flavoured with a few strips of pandanus leaves

and

tempered by sugar to taste. This spread is best put over toast with some butter to awake the senses on a
sleepy morning - and accompanied by a hot cuppa of coffee, Milo or even tea.

In Peninsular Malaysia, the most successful chain of commercial kaya toast outlets belong to the Old Town White Coffee franchise. They also provide a variety of street food favourites ranging from Penang styled char koay teow (wok stir fried flat thin rice noodles), mee goreng (wok stir fried Hokkien noodles in a savoury paste of tomato, chili and bean paste) to curry laksa. Old Town originates from the food city of Ipoh in the northern state of Perak, which used to be rich in tin mining. The classic combination of poached or half boiled eggs and a serving of two pieces of kaya toast has existed for more than a century. Nowadays you can get multi-grained bread and organic free range eggs as available preferences. In addition, you can have wireless internet, free streaming hifi and marble top tables all thrown in as part of the experience. The toasts are available till past midnight in trendy hubs of Malaysian cities and in Singapore.

The teh tarik (pulled tea) - foreground in image above - is also served at Old Town, primarily a cinnamon-flavoured black tea and condensed milk mix that requires a bit of showmanship in its preparation.

A process of repeatedly pouring the prepared combination between two vessels, from a height, cools the initially hot mix to a viable drinking temperature before being served. Think of this as comparable to decantering wine!

When served, you should obtain a nice frothy top and a much improved flavour for the drink.

Images above have been taken at the Sunshine Square outlet on Penang Island.

Below, the Old Town outlet at JB Plaza, Johor Baru.

Singapore - Muthu's Curry

Muthu's Curry can be found in the Serangoon district, Singapore's Little India.

At the entrance, one comes across a floral arrangement made in the style of Tamil Nadu.

The restaurant is already full of diners by the time my group of mates and I arrive for the second session seating.

The place reminds me of an Italian eatery in Australia, except that the fare on offer comes from another place, another time. The spices and condiments, that ruled the Indian ocean trade routes from Arabian ports to South-east Asian villages, have finally culminated in a culinary experience that requires all the senses to fully delve into. The palate is stimulated by the texture and consistency of various curry gravies. The ears are tingled by the wave of social chatter induced by good food. The eyes already anticipate what will go into the stomach, even before any food is partaken. Our nimble fingers exert their dexterity across food enhanced in taste sensations by being served on fresh banana leaf  "plates". The nose lingers with the aroma of things coming out from the earthen ovens. Hmmn, there is even a drinks area like in a pub, where revellers gather to muse on good times, all smiling as they hold their drinks.

Fish head curry (above), originally confined to South-east Asian ports, married south Indian

cooking practices with the Chinese penchant for seafood, plunked down in the heady cosmopolitan times of colonial rule and lingers as one of the most tasty fusion dishes along the Equator. The dish is savoury and spicy, with creamy gravy essential to bathing a carefully chosen succulent fish head of an adequate size.

The okras are only coincidental to the main requirement to suck curry-flushed fish eye balls or fin innards.

My top preferences that evening, apart from the curry fish head, were the eye-catching tandoori chicken (above) and the delectable prawns (below).

The right selection of steamed white rice is critical to accompany such dishes - be they basmati or jasmine rice. That evening, I could have been eating these in Sri Lanka, Chennai, Penang, Malacca or Kucing, but in Singapore it was air-conditioned comfort combined with business efficiency and papadums. We also tackled the naan breads. best to soak up any excess gravy from the various dishes. To provide a balance against the heaty stuff, we were provided with the yogurt-like raita and ice cold honey lemon drinks. Then we continued on with squid and lamb shanks, each with its different and signature taste of curry....