My Food Biography (Part 2)

This is a continuation from My Food Biography (Part 1).

6) Ipoh Curry Mee

Curry Mee

One of the foods I sorely missed during my Uni days in Penang was the Ipoh Curry Mee. Penang was all good. I was away from home, and only my rules applied for everything in my life, food including. Yet I missed everything from Ipoh, especially the food (despite Penang always being referred to as the country's food haven :D. No offence, but I diagree). I grew up in a house, which was located opposite a Chinese noodle stall. So, on the mornings when we didn't get our Chee Cheong Fun, my brother and I crossed over to get our Curry Mee, and sometimes Dry Curry Mee. As a family, we also often went out for a good bowl of Curry noodles on Saturday nights at the hawker stalls in First Garden. The prawn (sometimes crab) base soup, with a light consistency was heavy in flavour. I missed that simplicity and familiarity when I was in Penang. When I am home these days, I never leave without my serving of a good Curry Mee.

7) McDonalds :)

Fast Foods and Health Insurance

It was a happy meal whenever I ate at the McDonalds. I spent many months thriving on Big Macs and Double Cheeseburgers and sundaes during Uni days in Penang. My partner in crime was Lived-Legna (LL) because our other friends did not 'approve' of our food choice. So, LL and I usually hung out together, and secretly made our way to the one restaurant, located at the Sg. Dua entrance. I loved McD because I ate plenty of it when I was in my teens, thanks to dad, who used to get those free coupons from his work place then. So it's familiar food. At that point, Nasi Kandar Penang did not appeal to me much as it did with my friends. In any case, I could afford to have greasy burgers and fries everyday because I swam at least 3 hours daily. Without fail.

8) Chicken Varuval


Not Gran's but Check It Out

My late grandma was a major influence in my life. A big part of what I am today is due to her. Growing up with Gran has taught me many things including cooking. I followed her from the market to the kicthen as a young girl, but when she became ill, it was my turn to take over the kitchen. So I did the marketing and cooked under her supervision, and one of the most cooked dish was the Chicken Varuval, which is dry-fried chicken with lots of gorgeous Indian spices. I knew I did it well, because I liked it myself, and I found myself picking on it everytime I walked into the kitchen. Others loved it too. I don't eat chicken anymore, but I still cook the dish for others. It reminds of my time with dear Gran at our old kitchen, during a period when life was simpler.

9) Foie Gras

Foie Gras

So when I joined the work force, my lifestyle took a different turn. Dining and drinking was a big part of it, thus moving from one culinary adventure to another became a way of life. I remember my first Foie Gras, from a restaurant (that is no longer around) in Bangsar, during a wine and food tasting. Goose liver, it translated on the menu. I looked at the 2'x2' buttery lump, and thought 'how do I do this?'. I didn't do innards. At least not on its own. But I dug in after a bit, and smiled to myself after a bite. I loved how it melted away on the palate, releasing with it all the fatty goodness. It was blissful. Of course, some time later, I learnt about force-feeding of ducks and geese for the sinful livers, and it wasn't a bliss anymore after that.

10) Smoothies and Food Replacements


Health Smooties and Food Replacements

With the champagne life, comes a need for careful eating, dieting and calorie-counting. Exercise alone isn't enough. Obviously the input is more than the output. So I learn about low calorie diets, and health smoothies to maintain my lifestyle when it comes to food. To quit eating isnt't an option because it is one of the simple joys of life, and, I am not going for the Kate Moss look. So I still celebrate food by balancing it out with health smoothies and food replacements, depending on how my schedule is. I try to eat healthy by reading more on nutritions, and talking to personal trainers. It works out okay, but the pattern breaks whenever I'm on a holiday, or when there are reasons for a celebration. That's alright. What's life without food :)