So there's an infusion as per usual in terms of inspiration for this blog, Blue's amazing food pieces for one which all of you MUST read. Random mumblings that passed like a blur a couple of days ago with Yomama which I honestly can't remember in their entirety. My close friend who we shall name Peaches for the sake of simply giving her a suitable nickname and my mother's incessant monologue in my mind that determinedly tells me since I was twelve, "Mary Ann, you must learn how to cook. Take a part of me with you or else I'll haunt you for the rest of your life."
She chuckles, "Well on second thought, I'll probably rest in my grave once you get a man - I don't want to see any of that." This is when I'm sixteen with a wink that makes me cringe.
"But you're so mala'as! Saya sakit hati." (But you're so lazy that it hurts my heart.)
Well first off mother, I'm offended that you think you're going to die really young. Seriously you should know that you'll have a long life judging on the sole fact that grandpa and grandma lived to be over 100+ years while still smoking cigarettes every morning. And secondly, you're right - thank goodness that I work otherwise I would be quite the couch potato. And third, I'm offended that you think you'll get a heart attack because of me.
Needless to say, I'm pretty content in where my food abilities are now in future present but there's always more to learn. It was Peaches sudden idea that she make a mini-portfolio of some of my food because she thinks, in her words, that my food is very "plateable and drool worthingly flirts with the camera." I just like to stick with the fact that she just wants to practice her photography and leave it at that.
Being mixed, I cook a huge selection of different foods and thanks to my sheltered upbringing - had the to live by the sole rule of knowing how to cook in order to create a good family ambiance for myself in my future. Because as my mother always says, "Home is where the heart is and the heart always needs food to thrive." Good point, mom, good point.
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Yes, mother I'll wear something like this for my wedding dress - I get it.
I admit sometimes I don't understand my mother due to her growing up being much different than mine but we inspire each other in different ways. Indonesian cuisine is now my favorite food to cook and I make her enjoy life by taking her out shopping every now and then; and forcing her to watch The Walking Dead so we can have something to talk about later on. The theories she comes up with I tell you...
Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world, with over 30 different languages and over 17,000 islands. Each island has it's own cuisine (as well as influences, such as Dutch, Chinese, Indian and Arabian) which makes it so hard for myself to topple and even touch the surface but I love the challenge. From refined dishes to spices, Indonesia offers one of the most diverse varieties of flavours of any nation. This includes famous classics such as Sambals, Sate Bakar, Rendang, Gule and much more. Main stays include the subtle flavours of lime, lemon grass, tumeric root, ginger and garlic. Add to that the special accents of red chilies and green chilies. Coconut also holds a huge station as most used ingredient.
So here goes nothing, photos are taken by Peaches - but you'll instantly be able to tell which ones are mine. They're horribly shot.
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Selamat Makanan! (Good eating!)
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This is Beef Lumpia (Spring Roll) with a sweet red chili vinaigrette sauce.
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Lemper Ayam - a traditional steamed sushi-like sticky rice with cooked coconut chicken and lime inside wrapped in banana leaf.
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Sayap Ayam Bakar - BBQ chicken wings with garlic sauce and shallots.
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Rendang - If someone asked me for the most authentic dish from Indonesia; it would be this one. Rendang is a staple dish throughout most of the country and takes hours to make. Requires a lot of patience and slow cooking. It's basically tenderized coconut beef cubes in a rich sauce of grounded spices, ginger, galangal, turmeric leaves, shallots, garlic, cinnamon, lemongrass and chillis. It actually tastes better with time because of it's antimicrobial factors, yes, sounds weird but if made properly it can last four weeks and still taste like a mouthful of badass.
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Kari Ayam - A rich full flavoured style of Indonesian Curry Chicken, garnished with crispy fried onions on top. It's out of this plate deliciousness.
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Mie Goreng - Chicken and Shrimp Fried Noodles sided with Acar (Indonesian Colesaw - not to be mistaken as the pickled Pakistani/Indian stuff), Kurpuk (Shrimp Flavoured Chips) and an egg on top. Also tastes good with scallops and calamari.
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Ayam Goreng Ibu Sari - A family special from my grandmother that's been passed down, don't let the dry outside fool you - it's packed with tender softness that is Fried Ginger Chicken.
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Daging Masak Jahe - A crispy rendition of Ginger Beef. I usually add sesame seeds at the end for an added contrast but I didn't have any that day.
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Nasi Lemak - This may just look like regular white rice to you but it's coated in coconut milk with a dash of salt. Simple but tastes like heaven.
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Nasi Kuning - A savory yellow rice that is only lightly curried. The turmeric is what makes the color.
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And onto my horrible camera work, for an artist I can be pretty dumb on the angles and lighting sometimes. Please forgive me.
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Pangsit Goreng - Minced chicken and shrimp wontons with carrots, green onions and a good dash of black pepper. The sauce is homemade peanut sauce made with baked and grounded peanuts with garlic and a good bit of vinegar.
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Singkong Goreng - Fried Cassava, lightly spiced with garlic, salt, red pepper and a pinch of paprika. Cassava is a root that almost tastes like a mix of soft fries and sweet potato when fried. When pounded it becomes a chewy extract called tapioca. Like the round balls found in Bubble Tea for example.
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Soto Ayam - A coconut curry chicken soup with lime, bean sprouts, boiled egg, lime leaves, green chilies and a lot more tastefully awesome stuff. I actually took this one recently. Photo is dedicated to Blue. If I could teleport stuff through my microwave; you know I would.
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Sambal Goreng Tempeh - Fried spicy Tempeh. Tempeh is a soybean cake that is filled with protein and is usually used as a replacement for meat in a vegetarian diet. It can be a bit bitter to some but with the chili paste sauce, it's not that recognizable.
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Ayam Masak Kecap - A saucy chicken that uses a form and technique of caramelizing sweet soy sauce to get a thick richness and flavor with lime. Brown palm sugar is a nice secret touch to this recipe.
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Udang Mantega - A delightful garlic, butter shrimp dish. I usually dislike shrimp but it's absolutely lovely here. It's a must to have red peppers and green peppers for the traditional inspiration.
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Sambal Goreng Cumi - Also known as Sotong, this dish is an extremely spicy helping of squid with an assortments of grounded chillis turned into a paste that is then transferred to help create the main sauce for this recipe. Zing! Straight to your brain.
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Kue Lapis Legit - I originally wanted to make a whole section for desserts but I was tired. Pronounced Kwe Lapiece Lageet - I like to replace Lageet with Legit; because that's what it totally is. I may be a sweet tooth but I do like a mild flavour more than the outright sweetness that is simply white sugar. This cake is a multilayered hazelnut and cinnamon cake. There are two techniques for making this cake: both of which are extremely time consuming. Each layer takes about an hour to make and can be peeled off once the product is finished, though it SHOULD be eaten like any normal cake. The first technique is the usual baking process. The second is steaming where you are continuously pouring one layer at a time, steaming it for an hour and then pouring another layer over the other until the process is finished. It takes a full day to make this as there are usually 13 - 17 layers each. And I know somebody wanted dessert, so *wink* that's for you buddy.
And so ends my sharing, hopefully some of you have already licked your electronic devices or computers - otherwise I'm doing something wrong. Meikmati! (Enjoy!)
Assassinita, Mary Ann or simply Nita for short is your average Canadian lady incognito who loves hockey, traveling and a good laugh. With a playful personality and capricious hobbies, it's not hard to keep this one satisfied. But watch out for the blade, the bloodlust can make even the sweetest go mental...