ABC Soup

Ingredients

Meat, 250g - be it chicken ( breast, drumstick, quarter or whole ), or pork ( knuckle, spare ribs, belly, etc ), but not beef.

Potato, x 3  – peel, and cut into chunks

Tomato, x 2  – cut into chunks

Onion, x 2  – cut into chunks

Pepper and salt to taste

Method :

Put all ingredients into a pot half-filled with H₂O, simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve hot.

( That’s super easy !!! )

Now, the difficult part is to figure out the meaning &/@ origin of the name.    

Why is it called ABC Soup?   

It is definitely not because of  the ingredients resembling the alphabets.  

Or in anywhere related to the Alphabet pasta. 

Or is it acronym of Air Batu Campur ?   Ali Beng Chandran ? Certainly not !
All Boleh Campur  perhaps ?

Is it because it is easy to prepare, as easy as A-B-C ?

A question remain unanswered.

Well, why don’t try it yourself sometime and chew it over?

Ongrizinal Stir-fried Rice Vermicelli 王子の炒米粉

Ingredients :

Rice vermicelli x 1 package

Fish cake x 1 package

Carrot x 1 piece

Choy sum  x 2 stalks

Sarawak smoked prawn x 100g

Dried shitake mushroom x 5 pieces

Lean pork meat x 100g

Light soy sauce x 10 teaspoon

Charsiew sauce x 2 teaspoon

Onion x 1 piece

Garlic x 5 cloves

Pepper powder

Method :

First soak the rice vermicelli, Sarawak smoked prawn, and dried shitake mushroom in cold water till they softened. 

Pound the Sarawak smoked prawn.

Slice the shitake mushroom, fishcake, and onion.

Clean and cut the choy sum to about 3-4cm length.

Julienne the carrot.

Mince the lean pork meat and onion.

Mix the charsiew sauce with half glass of water.

Using a big wok, heat the garlic in cooking oil till fragrant.   

Add in the pounded Sarawak dried prawn, stir till fragrant.

Add in all the minced meat, carrot, shitake mushroom, and fishcake...  stir-fry till cooked.

Lastly, put in all rice vermicelli, stir-in the charsiew sauce, light soy sauce and pepper powder as well... add additional water when necessary.

When the rice vermicelli is almost cooked, add in the onion and choy sum.  keep stirring till the choy sum is cooked.

鱼头米 FishHead Vermicelli

鱼头米粉、简称鱼头米，顾名思义，是以炸鱼头为主料的米粉料理，汤中亦加入鲜奶。鱼、粉、奶，缺一不可。。。。。

国豪说鱼头米是客家人的料理。他自小沙登长大，鱼头米到处都卖。Connie 就只一句:“是咩？！哈哈”。

一个好吃的鱼头米，汤必够鲜甜、鱼不腥。汤中带鲜奶、米酒，香香浓浓的。说来简单，却不容易找到。

鱼头米的汤头，是以鱼骨长时间熬煮。一般用的是石斑鱼、草鱼、三文鱼、鲭鱼等。鱼头先切块炸脆。不过一条鱼有几多鱼头，大家头知肚明，多出来的鱼骨拿来添数也无不可。鱼肉就拿来做鱼滑。鱼的一身都进了锅，不枉此生了！

鱼骨、鱼肉、鱼滑选一。亦可不加奶，不过无奶鱼头米有点美中不足。个人口味，无奶！无奈！米粉则以细米粉为主，也有人选用粗粉、伊面、面线等。酌料是豆腐、酸菜、番茄、姜片、炸葱等...

绍兴酒 Shaoxing Rice Wine

绍兴酒主要是指产自中国浙江省绍兴市的黄酒，属于酿造酒的一种。

概述

绍兴酒以精白糯米加上鉴湖水酿造，酒精浓度在14～18度左右，常作为调味料使用或直接饮用。

按其酿造方式可分为元红酒、加饭酒、善酿酒及封缸酒（绍兴地区又称为“香雪酒”）。

陈年绍兴黄酒俗称老酒。

饮用绍兴黄酒前，先将酒灌入酒瓮，加入一些蜡及竹叶等，用荷叶和油纸包住瓮口，然后用黏土密封瓮口，置于甑中，然后用80～90℃的温度煮酒来杀菌，最后过滤沉淀物。煮酒可以使绍兴黄酒风味更佳，并可以防止酒酸败。

功能

保健功能：具有和血、行气、行神、驱寒、壮筋骨等诸多保健功能。常饮用能使人精神旺盛，体力充沛。据《本草纲目》记载，可与许多名贵中药泡制成疗效显著的经酒。有固本增元，祛除病痛的功效。

　　

营养功能：营养丰富，内含２１种氨基酸，好多种蛋白质、糖类和维生素。

　　

调味功能：可去腥、增香，使菜肴更加鲜美。

原料

糯米（最上等的精白糯米）

麦麴：用小麦做的麴，含有根黴。

酒药：用粳米和柳蓼作为酵母和乳酸菌的种子。

鉴湖水

浆水（糯米用鉴湖水浸米16-26天後，在蒸煮前一天，在米层中抽取出来的水）

元紅酒（作为善酿酒和封缸酒原料，主要用于增加酒精浓度，减少糖分被酵母消化，增加风味）

黄酒酒糟蒸馏而成的“糟烧”，香雪酒用。

分類

绍兴酒按含糖量可分為5種，下列是绍兴酒的分類和代表性品種。

含糖量	黄酒类型	典型紹興酒
( g/100mL )		名称	酿造时间	备注
0.5以下	乾型黄酒	元紅酒	1～2年	橙黄至深褐色
0.5～3.0	半乾型黄酒	加飯酒	3年以上	花雕酒
3.0～10.0	半甜型黄酒	善酿酒		口感醇厚
10.0～20.0	甜型黄酒	香雪酒		鲜甜醇厚
20	濃甜型黄酒			蜜甜醇厚

元红酒

元红酒是绍兴酒酿造的基础方式，其方法为将酒母加入浆水以及蒸熟的糯米进行酿造。（攤飯酒这个称呼，是因为须将蒸熟的糯米进行摊开，待凉了以后再进行酿造）10天之内的进行第一发酵，用较小的瓮进行发酵，3个月内需进行一二次发酵，发酵后进行酿造。酿造后的酒精浓度在16～17度左右。以后需进行过滤，然后装瓶。古代，酿造好以后装瓶的瓮均漆成红色，所以叫元红酒。

加饭酒

加饭酒与元红酒酿造方式一样，差别在于，加饭酒在酿造时需在增加糯米和麦麹的量，所以叫加饭酒。加饭酒至少需要三年才能熟成，酿造出来的酒精度数在18～19度左右。

在古时绍兴有个风俗，一旦那户人家生了个女儿，就要在出生后的第1个月那天（俗称满月），将亲友送的糯米进行酿造，并封瓶放到地底下埋藏。等到女儿出嫁时在将这酒挖掘出来饮用。而生儿子也是这样做。所以这种酒就有了“女儿红”或叫“状元红”。而加饭酒又称花雕，其原因在于瓶身刻有花卉图案，故名花雕。这个风俗最早诞生于公元4世纪初。

善酿酒

善酿酒酿造时用的不是鉴湖水，而是用三年陈年的元红酒代替水进行酿造。这样的制造方式提高了酒精的浓度，让酒中的糖分提高，从而使酒的风味增加，是绍兴酒中的珍品，但由于糖分较高，不宜长期保存。

香雪酒（封缸酒）

香雪酒也是以元红酒代替鉴湖水所酿制而成的，与善酿酒不同的香雪酒用的是以黄酒酒糟蒸馏而成的“糟烧”作为原料，酿造时不加入麦麴让其颜色变深，而以白色的酒药取代，所以酿造出来的酒粕色白如雪，香雪酒名称由此而来。其酒精度数达20度。

Cari Makan @ Sg Lembing

吉仔汁

叉烧·林明阿定柴香烧肉

 烧肉·林明阿定柴香烧肉

 茄汁面

 山水豆腐·凤姐面档

椰饼·林明民香饼家

加央饼·林明民兴饼家

Cari Makan @ Pahang

Keropok lekor & Otak-otak @ Kemaman

烤面包&白咖啡·Kemaman Kopitiam @ Kuantan

咖喱面·海燕茶室 @ Teluk Cempedak, Kuantan

生虾面·益记酒家 @ Karak

面包煎蛋 French Toast

面包煎蛋，是Connie 说的，我才知道是French Toast，香港人称法兰西多士。

做法很简单。面包沾了蛋汁煎熟即可。在香港，通常佐以牛油、花生酱、果酱等。

Kaya - a Step by Step Pictorial Guide

Ingredient:

sugar 70g

egg  2

flour 2ｇ

santan 25ｇ

pandan leaves / pandan extract

using a mortal, pound the pandan leaves till they are totally smashed…

mix the crushed pandan leaves with a bit of water,

with a  clean cloth, strain the pandan extract….

( to avoid the troublesome, use pandan extract )

mix the sugar with egg, santan, and flour…

using a double steamer, cook the mixture…

keep stirring the mixture until its cook.

allow to cool before storing the kaya in fridge.

Kueh vs Kuih

‘粿’ in Hokkien pronounce as ‘kùeh’, in Hakka ‘gó’, in FooChow ‘go’.   Kueh is a broad term which may include that would be called cakes, cookies, dumplings, pudding, biscuit, or pastries in English, and are usually made from mainly rice flour, glutinous rice flour or glutinous rice.  Kuehs are often steamed than baked, mostly sweet, some savoury.

Examples of kuehs include : ô kùeh ( yam cake 芋粿/糕 ),  ang ku kùeh ( red tortoise cake红龟粿 ), chai kùeh ( chives cake 菜粿 ),  chuzǘ kùeh ( cassava cake 木薯粿/糕 ),  dï kùeh ( sweet cake 甜粿 aka 年糕 ), gáo têng kùeh ( nine layer cake 九层粿/糕 ), yìu chàr kùeh ( deep fried cake 油炸粿 ) etc.

In some instances, the Chinese word粿 ‘kueh’ seems to be interchangeable with糕 ‘cake’.  But not all cakes can be labeled kuehs.

Western cakes, strictly speaking, are of mainly of wheat flour, and were baked.

Not to be confuse with Malay word ‘kuih’, ( plural kuih-muih ).  Malay’s kuih are usually made of either rice flour, wheat flour, tapioca, glutinous rice or glutinous flour.  The most common flavouring indredients are grated coconut, coconut milk, pandan leaves, and gula Melaka.   Kuihs can be steam, boiled, baked, deep-fried, and even grilled.

There are undeniably some inter-cultural influences in Malay’s kuih and Chinese kueh, there are still some distinct and blurry features set them apart.

Examples of Malay kuih are : bingka ubi, cucur, ketupat, kuih talam, seri muka, kuih pelita, lepek pisang, onde-onde, pisang goreng, etc

红龟粿 Ang Ku Kueh

Ang ku kueh is 红龟粿 in Chinese Hokkien dialect, meaning ‘red tortoise cake’.  It is made of glutinous rice flour, with vary fillings, ranging from the favorite red bean paste and lotus seed paste to the less popular green bean paste, peanut, crated coconut, to exotic taste of durian and many more.

Ang ku kueh, as the name suggested, is red in colour.  Yet, ‘ang’ doesn’t mean ‘red’ in everyone’s eyes.  ( serious colour blind duh ! ) Some like it yellow, pink, blue, purple, white, and whatever food colourings can offer. 

To make ang ku kueh, first the filling is wrap in a dough made of glutinous rice flour.  Then, the filled-dough is put in a special-made wood mould.  ( There are plastic-made mould too  ! )  The quantity of the dough-filing should be just enough to fill the mould.   The dough will be nicely shaped into a tortoise-like feature, with a big Chinese character ‘寿’, which means ‘longevity’, in the center. 

Tortoise signify longevity in Chinese.  The character ‘寿’ clearly imply that.  Just in case someone thinks its not a tortoise.  That’s how it get its name in the first place : red tortoise cake !

The dough is then put on a piece of cut banana leaf.  Ang ku kueh is meant to be steam.  Nobody deep fry or bake it so far.  So, after steam it for a while in a steamer, the dough turns slimy and sticky.  It need to be brushed with some edible oil to prevent them from sticking together.

Ang ku kuehs are prepared for CNYs, and as an offering the Chinese deities.  They are also important during birthday celebration of the elderly , and newborn baby’s first month celebration.

Yet, now one need not to wait for special occasion to enjoy ang ku kuehs.  It is now available year round, sold in stalls on the street, in both morning and night markets,  and even in shopping malls.

CNY : Kuih Kapit

Kuih Kapit is another traditional Malay kuih somehow managed to find its way into Chinese homes.   In our home, it is called “kuis’pit”, a derivative from the word ‘kuih kapit’, I guess.

I have never participated in the making of kuih kapit, but I’ve heard the story and the process for so many times, ( thanks to my mother )  that I can visualize the process, as though I've already mastered the kuis’pit making .

The main ingredient of kuih kapit are of course flour, sugar, and eggs.   Most of the times, coconut milk is added to make it more fragrant.

The ingredients are mixed into a watery batter.  Then, the batter is pour onto the scissor-like round metal plate, and kapit.  ( kapit in Malay means ‘clamp’, thus the name kuih kapit ).  After heated over charcoal for a while, the metal plate is open and the cooked-round-thin-layer batter is remove and double-fold into a quarter or rolled into a cylinder.    The folding or rolling must be done in a jiffy, while its still hot and soft.  Once its cool, it will hardened, and its impossible to shape it anymore.

Every year, one or two weeks before CNY, Grandma from Matu will send us a tin of rolled kuih kapit.  The kuih need to be stored in an air-tight container.  The most easily available one are metal tin used to store biscuits.  (  Those tins are almost obsolete now )

We used to suck MILO or milk, using a cylinder kuih kapit, as though it is a straw.  Of course, it will softened and shatter soon after in contact with liquid.  So, we will need 4-5 kuis’pit to finish a cup of MILO.  

CNY : 鸡蛋糕 Bahulu

Bahulu is a traditional Malay cake made of mainly sugar, flour and eggs.  It is normally made during festive season, but now its easily available in the market.  

Although Wikipedia says that it’s a Malay delicacy, I remember fondly as a child, my Grandma in Julau made this kuih for CNY.  It is called 鸡蛋糕 ( literally means ‘egg cake’) in Hokkien dialect.  We the cousins will help her with the chores.  It was fun as we can play with fire. 

Those days, the batter was cooked in a special metal mold over charcoal.  It was indeed a dangerous task.  Fire and kids are dynamite combinations.  That’s why, I remembered still being supervised by Uncle Yii 小叔.

The shape of the cake varies, depending on the mould.   Some butter is first applied on the mould, then the batter is pour in the mould...  The mould is then covered for a few minute with a plate with heated charcoal.   Normally, a fine stick is use to stick into the cake to check if its cooked.