Food meme around the world

This food meme came all the way from Norway by Oslo Foodie. Speechless! I have someone from Norway reading my blog! Thanks! Here goes my very local, very ethnic Malaysian version.

What is your first memory of baking/cooking on your own?
When I was 10 years old, I deep fry my own banana-fritters. We lived in this little village surrounded by banana and coconut trees. We call it cucur kodok which means toad fritter. It does look like a toad! Mashed banana mixed with flour, sugar and dessicated coconut. Make into a ball and fried.

I also remembered skinning monitor lizard caught in the forest and deep fry it with tumeric. I had also skinned paddy frog and cooked porridge with it too. Does that make me such an exotic cook or what?

Who had the most influence on your cooking?
I must say that cooking is in my genes. My father came from Hainan Island in China. Hainaneses are mostly good cooks and they ended up as cooks during the colonial time when Malaya was under British rule. Amongst my siblings, I cook the most delicious food. Ok, ok, self praise is no praise. But I seriously have not admired anyone with cooking skills, except my ownself. Oh ya, the mother of one ex-boyfriend. She DID influence me, too bad I did not end up as her daughter-in-law, or is it lucky?

Do you have an old photo as “evidence” of an early exposure to the culinary world and would you like to share it?
Oh yes, I used to cook a complete Chinese sit-down dinner comprising 10-12 dishes. I was only 20 yrs old, all scrawny and nerdy. So, I may not want to reveal the food because of the cook. Hahaha, truth is I am too lazy to dig out the old photos which I need to either scan or take a macro shot. I may do it later, who knows….

Mageiricophobia – do you suffer from any cooking phobia, a dish that makes your palms sweat?
Well, I don’t think I will want to try cooking anything that I am not good in. For e.g. you won’t see me making souffle. And I just threw a batch of scones into the dustbin few days ago. I was being adventurous. The recipe called for baking powder and I substituted with bicarbonate of soda.

My son told me, “Mummy, why your scones make my mouth hot?” True enough, it tasted bitter. So maybe making scones again may make my palms sweat.

What would be your most valued or used kitchen gadgets and/or what was the biggest let down?
For baking, it is just a cheap hand mixer which costs maybe about USD25. For the daily Chinese cooking, a chopper – sharp and mean looking one. Can be doubled-up as a weapon in gang fights. LOL!

Name some funny or weird food combinations/dishes you really like – and probably no one else!
I can’t think of any. But then, anything we Malaysians eat may be weird to the Westerners. So, yeah, everything I eat is funny. For e.g. century egg.

centegg

What are the three eatables or dishes you simply don’t want to live without?

1) Chinese home brewed soup, cook with love and tender loving care
fishmawsoup
2) Spaghetti vongole with dried chili flakes
3) Yellow curry made with just tumeric, birdeye chillies and coconut milk
masaklemak
can I add one more, please?
4) Steaks – medium rare, please

Any question you missed in this meme, that you would have loved to answer? Well then, feel free to add one!

Three quickies:

Your favorite ice-cream… : Baskin Robbin Green Tea

You will probably never eat… : Worms or anything looking like it, dead or alive

Your own signature dish… : I have too many, my dear. Feel free to browse through this site under recipe and you will find them.

Who do you want most to cook you dinner? : Frankly, I am not into culinary stuff. I cook because I can cook but I never really venture into knowing who is a famous chef and stuff like that. However, I never had a man to cook me a complete dinner. So, probably any man who can cook well, cook me a meal would be nice. Pssst…without my husband’s presence. Hahaha. It has to be the whole works of appetizer, soup, salad, main course, sorbet, dessert, wine, candle-light…..Gahhh…I had been reading too many romance novels.

I am to pass to three persons. Seriously, I don’t know that many food blogs. So here goes,
Japan – fish fish, of course! Don’t run, fish fish. You are the first few persons who visited my blog. If you can’t cook, you just say, pass! Hahaha.

Malaysia – Babe-in-the-city

Boo_licious at masak-masak.

I hope I have entertained you, OsloFoodie with my silly thoughts. And Boo and Babe, spread it out please? ‘Cos I know both of you have more links to food blogs than me.

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7 thoughts on “Food meme around the world

    lynnee

    (June 24, 2005 - 7:30 pm)

    mmmm… baskin robbins green tea oso my fave leh.

    😀

    OsloFoodie

    (June 25, 2005 - 3:12 am)

    Lilian, my instincts were right in inviting you to do this meme, i knew I’d have incredible stories from you (I can tell from your cooking!). That story with the lizard is one thing, it’s just so exotic for me. I have tasted century eggs, I had to go pass the smell (like durian), only then I noticed the unique taste especially when the richness is cut by some ginger compote. The yellow curry above is enough to make me drool, I just know that is a very deliciosu dish, I really love spicy food! I appreciate both western and eastern cooking as you can see from my blog. Keep up the good work here, I also think there’s something special in the way you angled your photos. And thanks for playing…

    fish fish

    (June 25, 2005 - 6:08 pm)

    Duh~ 5xmom… -_-” Now I have to dig my brain for writing it then. Give me a few more days ok? Will post it up then. *muak*

    Btw, enjoyed ur story. Hmmm… I wonder how would mine sound. 😛

    Mr Kiasi

    (June 25, 2005 - 11:48 pm)

    Wah…. bloggers from Europe also came here. Nvm, mine also got Iranian blogger also.

    boo_licious

    (June 26, 2005 - 7:59 pm)

    lilian, thanks for nominating me. Er, but I wonder what I will write?

    […] I had made century egg salad before.  And here’s a pic of  century egg with lorbak (related post). […]

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