Mel_at_Wok Episode 7 Onde Onde

For this mother's day, i have decided to make my mum's favourite dessert - Onde Onde. This is one of the few receipes that I remembered learning from my late grandma. It was a fondly experience for me, as i made those Onde Onde, i remembered my late grandma. Anyway, making Onde Onde is not as easy as i thought it would be. Obviously, when i presented the end products to my mum, she was very happy. And that certainly make all the effort worth the while. And certainly, i am going for another attempt to make it perfect.


Tips from Episode 7:
1. Lay the plate/hands with some flour. At least the onde onde will not stick together
2. Do not cook the onde onde for too long. Else it will become too big

Mel_@_Wok Episode 6 Nonya Rice Dumpling

Just a few more weeks to go for the dragon boat festival. On this ocassion, i always remember my late grandma whom will always get herself busy with our favourite rice dumplings, this is esp my mother's favourite.

So, this year - i have decided to make my mum happy by picking up some skills in making the rice dumpling. Really no joke - i took up some crash course in the community centre together with my best friend -KL.

It was such a fun experience. Learning to wrap and secure the rice dumpling together with a group of aunties was really hilarious. Anyway, i am determined to make Mel's very first rice dumpling esp for mum.

Since i have a day off today (due to the GE) i have decided to rent my mum's kitchen to do my rice dumpling. With many thanks to my best friend's tip and my parents' help here and there. I have made my first dumpling - It was a lot of sweat, hard labour and hard work. And i sure have learnt to appreciate how much work and love my grandma has put in to make sure that we get to savour those BIG rice dumplings. Certainly, i have got a great sense of achievement when i see how my family members finished up all the dumplings - it is definitely worth the effort. And a lesson learnt for myself too - when there is a will, there is a way :)

Tips from Episode 6:
1. It is certainly much easier to use two strings to tie the rice dumplings
2. The pandan leaves really do wonder to the fragance of the rice as well as boiling the rice dumpling
3. Butchers do not sell pork on monday. Hehehe

My childhood taste bud

I wanted to make a list of those childhood foods that i love. Some of which you might be able to identify them right away if you are born in my era (around the 70/80s) And it is a pity that you might not be able to find them any more. Anyway, remembering the good old days, it was filled with fun and fondly memories.

1. Satu Dua Tiga : I am not sure if this is the official term for it. Basically, it is a Malay delicacy, vermicelli with coconut and brown sugar, typically wrapped in coconut leaves. And the best way to eat it is with your bare "clean" hands. I hardly see them around anymore.

2. A & W: I still remembered my dad always drive me to this BIG outlet in Kallang, with the drive thro' take-order at the carpark. The concept is really cool and fun. I always look forward to that. Nevertheless, the Root Beer Float and the Hot Dog is still my number one favourite.

3. Dinosaur Eggs: Just in case you are wondering, me and my brothers always love to buy them from the mama store, and i remembered they called it dinosaur eggs because they really looks like minature dinosuar eggs but it is just a silly sweet

4. KaKa Snack: I cannot remember if they are spelt this way. This is my favourite snack and i esp like the coconut flavour. I remembered i had a deep cut on my forehead but the kaka snack is able to entice me to forgot about the pain of 4 stitches (my dad brought me those snack on his way home and so happen that i had a fall, but instead of crying for help, i cry to grab the kaka snacks - my dad really salute me and i salute him back for knowing her daughter the best)

5. 叮噹糖: Whenever the hawker went ting dang, i will beg my mother to give me fifty cents to buy this ting-dang sweet. And i always feel so amazed at how the uncle can cut the sweets by a mere metal bar without short changing the size of each piece of the sweets. No Quality Check somemore. :)

6. Fruit Gums: My mum favourite sweets. It is the only sweets that my mother allows me to have. I don understand why...but it is also the kind of sweets that i hate cos the gum always get struck in btw my teeth.

7. Magnolia Milk: I hate to drink milk, but this is some thing that no kids of my age then would miss. Every week - thurs, the school will always distribute milk in class. It is not FOC. It is like a form of prestige to me, even though i dun like Milk, i will beg my dad to allow me to subcribe to the programme every year without fail. (Thanks dad). And i always like to admire those fanciful packed milk, supposedly award winning pictoral. And i hate the banana and apricot flavour and always can't wait to trade off those with my classmate for Kaka snack in return

8. Satay Fish: My eldest brother all time favourite snack. This is not those satay fish that you will get from hawker centre. This is the one type of snack that is so neatly pack and shape like a fan. And best of all, it is 5 cents each stick with at least 5 piece of fish on it. No more or no less.

9. Ice Bag: This is the culprit that always land me in hot soup. I always get a cough and a scold from my mum after having them. But this is one of the things that a kid of my age then would ring a bell. And this take a lot of practise and techniques to savour the syrup bit by bit while enduring the icing pain of holding onto the ice bag. Only one word to describe - SHIOK

10. Kacang Butay: This is a MUST when watching movies in the cinema. And it is how amazing the hawker can wrap the kacang into neatly cone shaped. It is very igneous, so that you can hold on to the cone as you watch the movies. I esp love the peanuts coated with sugar.

So much so of childhood - this page is dedictated to people out there of my age group. Hope it brings back some nostalgic feel in you as you read thro' this page of mine. Oh yes, if you have any contribution, please feel free to add some comments. I would love to know which snacks/sweets or delicacies i have accidentally missed out :)