eHomemakers Malaysia

     Salam Merdeka Raya to all readers! May this joyous season bring us the best of everything a festival could offer, especially the food. It is my family's tradition to have a special thematic cake on the table each year. That cake would sit in the middle of the table, untouched and uncut until the third or fourth Raya. I could sometimes see kids drooling over the cake and left our house pretty disappointed for not being served any of it. We had cakes like a log, a house, a book and other shapes and sizes, all made using pound cake recipe. Trying my very best to preserve such tradition, I too would make one special cake that sits on the dining table each Raya. I used the simplest yet the best butter cake recipe for my mosque cake this year. Thanks to Peggy Porschen. You will love it too. Ingredients: 400g butter 400g caster sugar 8 eggs (lightly beaten) 400g self-raising flour 1 teaspoon vanilla essence or butter vanilla Method: Preheat oven t...

         Salam Ramadhan and Happy Fasting to all my Muslim readers. May this month full of barakah and blessings brings joy to everyone regardless of race and faith.       In this holy month, Muslims all over the world fulfil the third pillar of Islam by fasting, which is a challenging means to learning self-restraint and self-control particularly the desire to drink or eat during daytime. The healing power of fasting is tremendous. It purifies, cleanse and detox the body system.       Personally, I would take this chance to rejuvenate my mind and body. However, I find the temptation is far greater than my own diet self-control when it comes to visiting Ramadhan bazars in the evening where the food stalls would normally take up almost all area.       Looking at the variety and array of food makes me wonder how possible can our body sustain the process of cleans...

An all time favourite dish prepared in a breeze....sweet and sour fish, and for today, it's grouper from the market - fresh, shiny and metallic. I would have preferred Asian sea bass because of its chunkier and firmer flesh but it was out of season.  Sweet and sour fish is served at almost any Thai or Chinese restaurant in the East Coast region. It is a dish not too hot and not too fancy for anyone's palate. Whether it's Thai, Chinese or Western sweet and sour dish, the ingredients are almost the same. The good thing about this dish is that you can prepare the sauce way ahead, and reheat it when it's time to pour it over the fish, just in time for lunch or dinner. Simple, yet delicious. For 1 big fish: For the sauce, p reheat 3 tbsp of oil in a pan. Then a dd 3 crushed garlic and  2 shallots finely chopped.  In a processor, blend a cup of water, 1/3 cup vinegar, 2 medium sized tomatoes, 1 tbsp cornflour and a slice of pineapple ( about 20...

Well, here I am at home, my Dad is watching a DVD but I'm bored and..........hungry...... So, I thought, what snack can I fix myself that's both healthy and filling? Well, I have some romaine lettuce : Bingo! Homemade Ceaser Salad! The Dressing : 2 cloves garlic, chopped fine, mixed with light mayo and mustard. Set aside and allow flavors to develop. Then I chopped the romaine lettuce to bite sized pieces, you can also tear the leaves in 2s or 3s. Since there is half a cucumber waiting to be used in the fridge, I chopped them and added them to the lettuce. The Croutons : Cut a slice of day old bread into cubes; sprinkle with olive oil, you may also sprinkle some dried herbs like rosemary and thyme like I did, bake in a toaster oven for 30 minutes or so till crispy. The croutons have to golden brown to be done. When croutons are done, put over salad, sprinkle some real or vegan bacon bits, pour the dressing over and toss! Walla! Homemade Ceaser Salad!!! Bon Appetit...

A favour that was offered to a friend turned out to be a heart-wrenching experience for me. It really made me think and ponder about life and humanity.     The 45-minute journey took me to a shanty wooden house, with missing wooden planks on its wall.      A fairly good wind could blow down such dilapidated structure any minute. After introducing myself, I asked permission to snap some photos for the record. The interior of the house proved how deprived the family’s life has been.      I stepped into the kitchen, hoping to find a fridge to store the milk supply I brought. I was relieved to spot a small fridge, with a surface rust, standing in the corner of the kitchen.      It was a 2-room house – the kitchen and the bedroom (cum living room). The back of the house doubled as En. Emran’s workshop. Being the sole breadwinner of the family, it was pretty difficult for him to make ends meet. ...

It's a hot day! Again, I find myself longing to go to the nearby cafe, Coconut Groove to try their huge and icy Coconut Shake. I've never tried it before and it looks good on the menu. But it'll probably be a bad idea because 1) it's not exactly cheap 2) it comes in this huge jug which frankly to me looks like it could be shared with a family! Not a good idea for a dialysis patient like me; who need to control her fluid intake. Also, as always, I have cravings for a McDonald's Double Cheeseburger, which again is not a good idea because of the cost, the amount of fat I'll be ingesting, not to mention sending my protein and phosphate levels rocketing sky high! Just think : 2 slices of cheese, 2 fatty beef patties, bad idea, not to mention the sodium. And don't even get me started on 'saving' money by ordering the McValue Meal, which adds more fat and sodium in the form of fries, not to mention the sugar-laden soda (soft drink) that comes with ...

     The class we had today was pretty fun. The moment one student realized that she had to peel the onion skin and clean the fish, she looked startled.      Apparently, she had never cleaned a fish before and not planning to do so. She never cooked a meal but because she's getting married in a few months time, she felt like it's time to learn some kitchen skills.       Realizing that look on her face, I quickly reassured her we'll be able to do it in a breeze. With a little frown on her face, she made her way towards the kitchen table.       The other student had a new resolution to fulfill - preparing home-cooked meals, at least once a day - because she finally realized that eating out is such a costly and unhealthy. So now she plans to have healthy, frugal cooking and living. I hope she will.       We cooked 3 dishes - ikan asam pedas, ayam masak merah, Chinese mus...