Sek Fan Lo! : Taste of Memories

第三章：我用我的厨艺，紧紧拴住你的心 87

吃饭咯！：回忆的味道 “一生一世一双人” 如果从今年算起的话，我爷爷大概已经过世十八年 了。在我记忆里，婆婆总会早起煮爷爷最爱的菜肴，咖喱 鸡、卤肉等。但爷爷最爱的，还是婆婆的炒鱿鱼。 炒鱿鱼这道菜在我们家是很常见的菜色，不是逢年过 节（比如新年，清明节，鬼节还是冬至，或者是祭祖）的时 候才会有的一道菜。但每当我们要祭拜爷爷的时候，婆婆总 不会遗漏掉这道菜。可能对别人而言，这是一道简单的料 理，但对我来说，这是婆婆对爷爷无尽的爱。 我选择分享这道料理是因为在华人社会里长大的我 们，很少会开口对对方说“我爱你”。而我婆婆表达爱的方式 是，她每天为我们煮的一桌饭菜。希望在将来的某一天，我 也能像婆婆一样，把这道菜传承下去。 提供者： Brandon Choy Fatt Meng 88

炒鱿鱼 第三章：我用我的厨艺，紧紧拴住你的心 材料： 萝卜 80克 糖 1茶匙 油 3汤匙 包菜 150克 胡椒粉 适量 猪腩 200克 蒜 3瓣，切末 洋葱 1粒 干鱿鱼碎 60克 沙葛 400克 干香菇 3朵，浸温水 盐 1-1/2 茶匙 步骤： 1. 先把凉薯和胡萝卜的皮剥干净然后将凉薯，胡萝卜，包菜，蘑菇和红 葱头切丝。 2. 把猪腩煮熟，然后切丝之后放到一旁。 3. 先把锅预热然后倒入油和蒜，把蒜爆香后，再把干鱿鱼倒入锅里炒一 炒。 4. 加入蔬菜和肉。炒至蔬菜变软。 5. 加入盐，糖和胡椒调味。 6. 把新鲜的生菜，甜酱和辣椒酱做为配菜，热腾腾的一道菜就可以上桌 啦！ 89

吃饭咯！：回忆的味道 90

第四章 我的朋友和那些暖暖 的美食

吃饭咯！：回忆的味道 “朋友聚会就是要火锅啊～” 我是一个蛮会交朋友的人，所以我会有很多群朋友 啦。比如说我的家乡的朋友、大学同科系的朋友（因为我是 中学毕业之后就来雪兰莪读大学）。因为读书，我也有在这 里租房子，所以我还认识了我的室友，还有我的一些其他科 系的朋友。因为有时候我会参加我学校那种CSC的活动（课 外活动）， 我也在那边认识了蛮多朋友。 我会选择介绍这道料理，首先是因为在读书的时候不 管是跟我的室友、我同科系的朋友、还是不同科系的朋友， 我们每次要出去吃东西还是聚会，都不知道要吃什么。我们 可能会先上网搜附近有什么好吃的，或者是有没有那种“网 红美食”。然后我们就会，用剪刀石头布来决定。 可是有时 候剪刀石头布的结果出来之后，那个赢了的人决定吃的东西 又不是我们多数人想要吃的东西。再加上我们出去吃的时间 有时候又遇上塞车时间或者放工时间，就没有人想要开车。 所以最后我们的决定就是，吃火锅咯。 因为火锅方便嘛，我们大家也不用去需要迁就谁的口 味。毕竟我们每个人的口味都不一样。所以我们选择火锅的 话，那些火锅的料我们就可以选择。自己想要吃什么就点什 么、买什么。就算我们有不喜欢吃的食物我们也不会觉得有 92

冲突，还是吵架之类的。比如我身边的朋友，有些是不喜欢 第四章：我的朋友和那些暖暖的美食 吃菜的。我相信你们身边都会有这样的朋友的对不对？也有 些人喜欢的口味不一样。好像有些人喜欢吃辣的，有些人口 味比较清淡就不怎么吃辣。火锅就很方便了，你可以选鸳鸯 锅，然后点自己喜欢的汤底，吃火锅的时候我们也可以自己 调喜欢的酱料。 所以我为什么会觉得火锅是聚会的首选呢？一方面是 因为我的朋友不是在忙工作，就是还在读书忙着做功课、考 试，都会很难约。火锅它的氛围就是很轻松很热闹的，我们 可以慢慢吃，一边吃一边小喝，也可以一边聊天，一边跟朋 友互相抱怨那些课业事情或者是埋怨老板之类的，总之就是 可以把我们平时不能说的事情都说完出来，很轻松。 我觉得这样的聚会也可以增进我们之间的友情。因为 大家都很难约，而且再加上疫情的关系，差不多这两、三年 很难会面对面交流到。这几年通常都是通过电话银幕或者是 互联网远距离联系对方，我觉得很没有感情。去年防疫政策 比较开放了之后，我和我的朋友在12月的时候有约出来一起 去玩。 我们毕业之后差不多两年没有聚在一起了，好不容 易可以约到人都到齐，我们就决定去马六甲旅行。两天一 夜。 其实马六甲也有很多美食。可是因为疫情的关系，我 们都不想开开心心的出去玩，然后就很伤心的回去各自的家 乡。 所以我们就租民宿，然后选择自己弄火锅。也是因为 火锅比较简单，准备那些火锅料然后准备一点小酒，就可以 开始聊聊天，有更多的时间跟大家相处。我们可以一边吃， 93

吃饭咯！：回忆的味道 一边像以前这样子打打闹闹、互相开玩笑。那时候我们也有 准备交换礼物的环节，因为我们去玩的日子蛮接近圣诞节 的。我们在准备火锅的过程中也是一边准备，一边拍拍照、 做些傻事这样子。那时候真的很快乐，当时的我们好像抛离 了我们生活中的苦，只剩下生活中的甜， 感觉很轻松。 我觉得友情也是需要要靠美食维持的。我不知道你有 没有听过这样子的一句话：不管是爱情友情还是亲情，只要 你在生活当中和对方没有了分享欲，你们的亲密度就不会很 高了。假如你今天用美食来维持，比如说今天你在面子书看 到那种“网红美食”，你分享给你的朋友。当你朋友收到这个 分享的时候，他们就会给你回应。然后下次他们看到什么美 食，他们就会很自然的又分享回给你。这样的话就会有一个 来往，你们的友情就会维持得更久。而且美食这个东西，不 用说它用多昂贵的材料，就算是它只有简简单单的材料，只 要它是好吃的，你们一起吃的时候你们都会很开心。开心是 最重要的，毕竟上班的人很辛苦，读书的人压力也不小。 提供者：陈韵菁 94

鸳鸯火锅 第四章：我的朋友和那些暖暖的美食 我平时跟朋友准备火锅的时候会先去附近的超市，买火锅汤底 包。什么牌子都可以， 只要是有辣的跟清淡的就行。就算我们当 中有朋友不喜欢吃菜，我们还是会买几样菜的，哈哈哈。 材料： 面 冬粉 芝士香肠 鸡蛋 芝士海鲜豆腐 玲玲卷 五花肉片 爆桨丸 鱼丸 虾滑 肉丸 鱼滑 菜 金针菇 步骤： 1. 依照汤包的指示煮汤底。 2. 滚了之后就可以把自己想吃的料放进去。 3. 煮熟了之后就可以和朋友们开吃啦！ 95

吃饭咯！：回忆的味道 96

“我的童军伙伴、我的朋友” 第四章：我的朋友和那些暖暖的美食 第一次参加童军的原始烹饪比赛，在懵懵懂懂的十四 岁和好朋友一起拿下第一个烹饪比赛的亚军。我还清楚地记 得那一天比赛的奖品是两个棉花糖，哈哈哈。当时的这个比 赛是由东甲县第四十三童军团举办。我们是在童军团的微信 群里了解到这个活动的。因为之前就喜欢团体活动，有冒险 精神，也从未尝试过参加这类型的比赛，所以就迈出了第一 步，参加了校外的比赛。我们之所以会选择番茄意大利面参 加比赛，是因为我和我的队友都特别喜欢吃意大利面。 为了这个比赛，我们还在空旷的篮球场练习生火，那 也是我们第一次独立生起火来。那时候开始就特别喜欢童军 活动的气氛。虽然这是一场比赛，但大家都像一个大家庭， 互相帮助，互相分享彼此的烹饪成品。还记得我们在比赛的 时候意外生不起火，学长学姐们都过来指导，大家也都特别 友善，我也在那场活动认识了很多新朋友。也许就是这种氛 围让普通的番茄意大利面增添了特别的味道。因为是原始烹 饪比赛，我们还亲手准备了一些竹筒，削成竹枝来串烤肉。 那天天气特别炎热，学长们还买来了冰镇西瓜，和大家一起 分享。一群人一起坐在一圈吃西瓜的日子成为了我永远难忘 的美好回忆。时过五年，依然庆幸当初加入童军团，深刻感 受到团结，同甘共苦，共同进退的团队感情。 感谢那些年 97

吃饭咯！：回忆的味道 晒过的太阳和流过的汗水，让我收获了特别真挚的伙伴。 提供者：Lam Zi Yuan 98

番茄意大利面+烤肉串 第四章：我的朋友和那些暖暖的美食 番茄意大利面： 烤肉串： 意大利面 鸡肉块 蕃茄酱 胡椒粉 糖 蚝油 盐 酱油 蒜 盐 洋葱 牛油 香肠 蜜糖 步骤： 1. 先用胡椒粉，蚝油，酱油和盐腌制烤肉串备用。 2. 意大利面煮熟，捞起备用。 3. 起锅烧油，爆炒蒜和洋葱。 4. 加入香肠翻炒，拿起来备用。 5. 番茄酱加水和糖炒热。 6. 加入备用的意大利面和香肠配料，翻炒。 7. 撒上胡椒粉，意大利面制作完成~ 8. 腌制好的烤肉串刷上牛油和蜜糖，立在火堆旁烤熟。 9. 完成！ 99

吃饭咯！：回忆的味道 100

“想把家的味道分享给朋友” 第四章：我的朋友和那些暖暖的美食 2020年，突如其来的疫情，很多人被困在了离家乡遥 远的城市无法回家。有个朋友告诉我，他很想念在家里，早 上起床有妈妈准备好的三文治早餐。虽然简单，但会感觉很 温馨。在朋友的生日那天我做了简单的三文治给他和他的同 事们，大家吃了都很开心，不断说有在家吃早餐的感觉，还 有个实习生不断的感谢我，说很想妈妈，很感谢我让他吃到 了妈妈味道的料理。 其实那个时候的我也很迷失自己，因为疫情还没开始 工作就被炒鱿鱼了… 而这件事情变成了我的灵感。看着他 们开心的样子，我想让更多被困在城市想念家的人可以感受 到这个感觉。我开始把我做的三文治放在网上宣传、卖。我 在脸书专页里做的很多宣传都得到很多人的喜爱。尝试了我 做的三文治的客人也都很喜欢，很开心地反馈说吃到妈妈的 料理味道了。这让我更有动力，不再迷失方向，努力做到更 好。 现在已经是经营三文治生意的第二年，虽然现在或许 不是每个客人都在找家里的味道了，但很快乐起初可以给许 多怀念妈妈的早餐的朋友们带来温馨和快乐。 提供者：Candice Yap Sin Mun 101

吃饭咯！：回忆的味道 晴天三明治 材料： 面包 两片 鸡蛋 一粒 鸡肉片 一片 芝士片 一片 生菜 适量 番茄片 适量 步骤： 1. 烤两片面包。 2. 煎一粒鸡蛋 和 一片鸡肉片。 3. 把少许生菜和一片番茄放在烤好的面包上。 4. 把煎好的鸡蛋再放在上面后再放鸡肉片。 5. 放一片芝士后把另一片面包放上。 6. 切半后就可以吃啦！ 102

第四章：我的朋友和那些暖暖的美食 103

吃饭咯！：回忆的味道 “在冷冷的人群中绽放的友情” 以前初二的时候是个特别惹人讨厌的体质，不懂怎么 和人社交，导致我和班上大多数同学都是不熟的，并且和同 座的关系极差。我是个很在乎他人想法的人，但表面上又没 表现出来，一般人都会觉得我可能不在意，但我心里受伤的 很。 记得那时候年尾班旅，我可能是个傻子，明明和多数同学 不是很好还去，也可能我那时候还很重感情，觉得和同学相 处的机会太少了，想和大家一起玩。第一天到马六甲，大家 要分房睡，就有人问谁要和我一间房，我是真的没想到我 人缘可以这么差，一个要和我同一间房的都没有。我可能还 小，当下觉得很受伤，就算过了这么多年想回去还是会有点 心疼。但，那时候他站出来了，说没关系我和你一间吧。一 瞬间，说实话我有点懵，没想到还有人愿意和我一起。 我们之后去了A-Famosa（法摩沙堡），不是住酒 店，是租了那种别墅的屋子大家一起睡。忘了说了，我是个 素食者，平时旅店的话有提供早餐我还能吃，但租别墅，想 当然我就没得吃了。下午大家在游乐园里玩水，也是没人陪 我，一个人玩游乐园的感觉，我可是体会过的。直到晚上全 部人回去了我都不知道。坐着A-Famosa里面的小型公共 104

巴士，我自己回到别墅，同学们正开开心心吃着火锅、烤 第四章：我的朋友和那些暖暖的美食 肉。别墅那边刚好有个游泳池，还有些男生在里面玩水，有 些在跳水，女生就在旁边看。而我，拖着疲惫饥饿的身躯， 脸上漠然的样子和热闹的场景形成了鲜明的对比。 然而讨好型人格可能就是这样，我想着做点东西让大 家喜欢我。等我洗好澡出来，大家吃的都差不多了，我看着 满屋子乱糟糟的厨余，满桌肮脏的碗筷，心里想着我的机会 来了。赶忙帮大家收拾屋子、整理桌子厨房、刷碗碟。我作 为胎里素，完全没碰过肉类的人，那一晚上是我第一次清理 肉骨头、捡虾壳。这本来也没什么，然而，当时的我，午餐 晚餐都还没吃，游乐园里没有我能吃的食物，晚餐大家吃的 也不是我能吃的。 说真的，作为素食者，这本来就是我自己的问题，毕 竟不是没准备食物，只是我不能吃罢了，我并不真的在意。 我在厨房整理的时候，胃隐隐作疼，手里是碗，耳边是大家 的欢呼声，心里一瞬间真的很恨这样的自己，惹人讨厌。 我眼泪都出来了，有个人拍拍我的背，我赶忙假装眼 睛被洗碗的水喷到擦了一下。他没说什么拿起刷了洗碗剂的 碗冲水。我们一起洗碗、擦桌子、扫地、擦地。做完之后， 他问我吃素的今天吃了什么，我假装不在意说没吃，没关系 不饿。他吃惊得很：“你没有吃啊？哪里可以哦，还是我弄 105

吃饭咯！：回忆的味道 点面包给你？很快的，你等一下。” 话刚落就拿起一个锅就 拿起一个锅煮鸡蛋，煮熟了拿出来，切成小粒，蛋黄压碎， 加一点美乃滋。虽然我是个蛋奶素，但这是我第一次吃鸡蛋 美乃滋。还是在我心灵有点被伤害到的时候，一个人做给我 吃的。 我想，那一年的我很不幸遇到了讨厌我的人，但也很幸 运，遇到了心中有爱的人。之后的几年，我再也没去过班 旅，除了孤单一人的感觉太深刻，同时也是想要保留这段美 好并且暖心的记忆。 提供者：柔恩 106

鸡蛋美乃滋三文治 第四章：我的朋友和那些暖暖的美食 材料： 面包 水煮蛋 美乃滋 步骤： 1. 水煮蛋白切小粒，蛋黄压碎。 2. 加上适量的美乃滋拌匀。 3. 把鸡蛋美乃滋涂在面包上。 107

吃饭咯！：回忆的味道 Sek Fan Lo! : Taste of Memories English version 108

Chapter 1 How Fortunate to Have You, Grandma

Sek Fan Lo! : Taste of Memories “I'm going to eat it, not matter how spicy it is.” My grandma can be considered as a house wife. Since I was young, she was good at making all types of kuihs. With her getting older, she starts to forget things. Nowadays, if I ask her that I want to eat some kuih, my mom will tell me that grandma had forgotten how to do it, the types of kuih she still remembers now is very limited. From what I can remember, the kuih she hasn’t forgotten yet is Mang Kuang Kuih. I wasn’t good at eating spicy food since young, and my grandma used to say that I’m “not a Malaysian”. But it’s different when it comes to Mang Kuang Kuih, because you can either steam or fry it, and it tastes really good after frying. When I was young, I think it was around 3pm, there was a Taiwan television show that I would watch every day. If grandma made Mang Kuang Kuih, I would ask her, or she would ask me whether I want to eat. I would tell her that how many I want, and she would fry it for me. To me, when watching that TV show, I can only enjoy the show while having the kuih she made. No matter how spicy the kuih is, even if I’m not good at eating spicy food, I can still finish her 110

kuih, even if I have to drink a lot of water. Chapter 1 : How Fortunate to Have You, Grandma I was raised by my grandma. She would always ask me, “Wanna eat Mang Kuang Kuih or not?” and she would fry it for me. Sometimes, I would have it for my breakfast, like 4 or 5 pieces of kuih. During tea-time, like what I men- tioned just now, having it while watching TV programs, just like eating popcorn while watching a movie. My grandma would make a lot of kuihs at once, and keep them in ice- cream boxes or the transparent type of plastic boxes, then putting them into the refrigerator. So if anyone wants to eat it, they can take it out and fry it. There’s no need to defrost, because we put it at the bottom part of the refrigerator, and it won’t spoil easily as well. There was once I asked grand- ma,”can you make non-spicy ones?” and she really did make non spicy ones for me, even though she complained, “Who eats non-spicy Mang Kuang Kuih?” Nowadays, I can handle both, spicy and non spicy. Due to my studies, my dad bought a new house, and I moved to stay with my parents. Now whenever grandma makes Mang Kuang Kuih, my mom would bring a few box- es of them back and put them in the refrigerator, because my mom will have it as breakfast, or whenever we want 111

Sek Fan Lo! : Taste of Memories to eat, just simply fry it. I can say that my whole family likes to eat this kuih a lot. After I grew up, there was a period of time when I was a vegetarian, but since there were baby shrimps in the kuih, I requested to grandma, “can you make Mang Kuang Kuih without baby shrimps? The shrimps won’t affect the taste of the kuih either way.” But grandma said the baby shrimps made the kuih smells good. I couldn’t change the decisions she made anyway, so when I eat the kuih, I will pick the baby shrimps out. There was a time that I went for a healthier diet, and became more picky on the food I consume. During that time, when my mom asks if I want to eat, I won’t eat a lot, unlike eating a lot in the past. After some time, I realized that I haven’t been eating her kuih lately, and started thinking: if I don’t eat it now, will I still have a chance to eat it in the future? Also due to my grandma’s current condition, it would be harder for me to get to eat it in the future. After having those thoughts, I will still eat, at least the kuihs she made. I personally feel that it’s hard for me to make her kuih, but everytime when I see my mother learning how to do it, I would want to capture those moments. So when I was doing my university doc- umentary project, I wanted to document grandma and my mother making kuih together. I wanted to preserve those 112

moments, so that’s why I recorded and put the moment of Chapter 1 : How Fortunate to Have You, Grandma them making the kuih into my documentary. When I see my mom learning how to make the kuih from her, I was thinking that she might be thinking that grandma is slowly forget- ting how to make kuihs, that’s why she started to learn the steps, tips and techniques of making the kuih, just in case if my grandma totally forgets about it, my mom can still recreate that taste. Contributor: Kok Jia Yi 113

Sek Fan Lo! : Taste of Memories Grandma’s Mang Kuang Kuih Based on what I’ve observed when doing my documentary project. First, my mom will “steal” other people’s banana leaves, cut it with a knife, then bring it back to wash. After washing, cut the leaves into pieces, the banana leaves are for putting the kuih on top of them. The best part of Mang Kuang Kuih is no matter if it’s spicy or non spicy, it’s still very delicious. So you can actually adjust the taste based on your preference. Dough: Filling: Potato starch 300g Mang Kuang Chilli sauce (for non- Sticky rice flour 300g Dried shrimp spicy, use pepper Flour 1 to 2 tbp Garlic instead) Salt right amount Shallot Salt Boiling water right Celery Oil right amount amount Recipe: Dough: 1. After mixing and stirring the ingredients well, pour the boiling water on it to cook the dough, mix it until it’s smooth. 2. Separate out small pieces from the dough, roll it using a roller, until it becomes flat. Preparing the fillings: 1. Peel and cut the Mang Kuang into small pieces. 2. Cut the celery into small pieces as well. 3. Soak the dried shrimp until it turns soft, then mince it. 4. Chop the shallots and garlic into small pieces. 114

Frying the fillings: Chapter 1 : How Fortunate to Have You, Grandma 1. Heat up the oil in the pan, then add in and saute the dried shrimps. 2. Add in the shallots and garlic. 3. Then, add in and fry the Mang Kuang and celery. (For spicy eaters, add in the chilli sauce made by dried chillis) (For non-spicy eaters, add in slight amount of pepper) 4. Add in salt to adjust the flavour. Combining & mixing up: 1. Put the fillings into the flatten dough, cover it up, then place it onto the banana leaf pieces. 2. After steaming it for 10 minutes, the Mang Kuang Kuih is ready to be served. 115

Sek Fan Lo! : Taste of Memories “The food I've been looking forward to every weekend!” Probably to many, chicken rice is just something normal or even just a basic street food. But this delicacy is not only a memory to my childhood but more of a memory between me and my grandmother. A food that is too ordinary, but I will never get the same taste back... I still remember that when I was a child, I looked forward to the weekend the most. Because these two days are most likely to have a special dinner cooked by grandma. Maybe it’s curry, maybe it’s green bean rice, but what I’m most looking forward to is grandma’s chicken rice. Grandma’s chicken rice, in my eyes, is incomparable to any delicacies around the world. Why do I like grandma’s chicken rice so much? I don’t have a special answer for that, but I look forward to it every time. If I had to give a reason, then I believe there is only one reason, which is the day the chicken rice is cooked, relatives who are usually working away will come back. Then, in that lively atmosphere, eating chicken rice makes it feel especially delicious. Chicken rice should be a food that all children love, and it is also a highly acceptable food. It is the only food in our family that no one 116

is picky about. Grandma’s chicken rice is also my uncle’s Chapter 1 : How Fortunate to Have You, Grandma favourite food. Whenever my uncle comes back, there must be chicken rice. And when grandma cooks it, it must be a particularly large portion. I will always remember everyone eating chicken rice with their satisfied expressions and grandma’s smug smile. Eat chicken rice and feel the lively atmosphere of home. Since I was in the sixth grade, my grandmother’s health started deteriorating, and her physical condition was getting worse. I have never eaten my grandmother’s chicken rice again. At that time, what I said to my grandmother every day was, “Grandma, take good care of yourself, keep your body healthy, I want to eat the chicken rice you cooked, and a lot of your other food.” She thought she could carry on after the operation had passed, but she still can’t. In my first year of high school, my grandmother left us and I will never see her again. I still vaguely remember that whenever my grandmother was chopping chicken, my aunt and I would always stand by and be like how the Chinese say “a little mouse” by stealing chicken to eat! We always ate grandma’s cooked chicken one step ahead of everyone else. Grandma is always very helpless, so she can only tell us to pay attention and not finish the chicken, leaving some 117

Sek Fan Lo! : Taste of Memories for the others to eat later. These pictures are my only memories now. Now every time I go to my grandmother’s house, I don’t see the back of someone who has been busy in the kitchen. The back of someone who is busy preparing food after food will only stay in my mind, but these memories are gradually blurring. It’s a pity that I didn’t have a mobile phone and couldn’t take pictures to record these memories. Although I can’t eat grandma’s chicken rice now, I have my mother’s chicken rice. Although the taste is different from my memory, it is still delicious because it is my mother’s love. Grandma’s chicken rice is a dish that we all have been especially fond of. I believe the secret to delicious food is that grandma poured her love into the preparation and cooking. Everyone is not only eating chicken rice but also enjoying the love of grandma. I am very fortunate that my grandmother existed in my childhood so my childhood is full of all kinds of delicacies and good memories. Contributor： Kang Tian Wei 118

Grandma’s Chicken Rice Chapter 1 : How Fortunate to Have You, Grandma It’s actually not too complicated to cook. But grandma had to get up early and go to the market to buy fresh chicken and other needed ingredients. When I got home, my grandmother had to clean up the chicken to remove any unclean feathers. This step is always the most troublesome because it tests eyesight. When I was a child, I was always standing on the edge watching my grandmother, holding a clip and slowly picking out the remaining chicken feathers. My grandmother, who was wearing presbyopic glasses and standing in the wash basin to clean up the chicken, had gradually become blurred in my memory. After cleaning up, grandmother started to steam the chicken. The steamed chicken comes with chicken soup, which is the essence of boiled chicken rice and will be used to make a special sauce. Grandma would serve up the chicken soup and start preparing the rice. Chicken rice is not just made by using chicken soup, but also pandan leaves. These two ingredients are the most important for delicious chicken rice. As for the special sauce, there has never been any special name, but when I was a child, I always called it “Dark Sauce”. That sauce is the soul of chicken rice, without that sauce, there will always be something missing. Everyone eats it with rice or just dipped the chicken in, but no one can resist the sauce. That sauce is the secret that can make me eat an extra bowl or two of rice! 119

Sek Fan Lo! : Taste of Memories Chicken： Chicken Rice: Sauce: Salt Ginger slice Ginger Chicken Garlic Garlic Garlic Chicken stock Sesame oil Ginger Sesame oil Chicken stock Pandan leaf Pandan leaf Oyster sauce Rice Dark soy sauce Recipe: Light soy sauce Water Chicken: 1. After cleaning, sprinkle salt on the chicken’s stomach, and put garlic, ginger and pandan leaves into the stomach of the chicken. Then steam it for about 30 to 45 minutes. Chicken rice: 1. Fry ginger slices and garlic cloves with sesame oil until fragrant, then add to rice. Chicken broth and pandan leaves must also be added. Then cook it in a rice cooker just like you would normally cook it. Sauce: 1. Saute minced ginger and minced garlic with sesame oil until fra- grant, then add chicken stock, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce and light soy sauce, then add water,wait for the sauce to boil and it will thicken. 120

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Sek Fan Lo! : Taste of Memories “Don't cry, it hurts seeing you cry.” I lived at my grandmother’s house when I was a kid. My parents worked in Singapore, because I didn’t want to go to Singapore with them, so I stayed at my grandmother’s house. My grandmother has taken care of me since childhood. She drove me to my kindergarten when I was young, cooked three meals for me, and even cooked me supper when I was hungry in the middle of the night. My grandmother’s peanut soup is my favourite. I still remember one time when I was in a bad mood and didn’t want to go to kindergarten, but my grandmother insisted for me to go. When I reached the kindergarten, I tore up the paper on the wall while crying. The teacher saw the situation and called my grandmother to pick me up and go home. She even apologised to the teacher because of me when she came over. When she got home, she didn’t even scold me, but said to me, “Don’t cry, I’ll make peanut soup for you later in the evening.” She knew that I liked the peanut soup she made, and I used to drink it when I was in a bad mood. Her peanut soup will make me happy. She never stopped cooking for me although the process was 122

troublesome. My eldest uncle also lived at my grandmother’s Chapter 1 : How Fortunate to Have You, Grandma house, and he was very fierce. One night when I didn’t want to go to bed, my grandmother went to talk to my uncle and asked him to tell me to go to bed. My uncle took out a cane and beat me until I cried loudly. Later, when he left the room, I was still crying. Grandma looked sad seeing me cry so she cried with me, and said “Oh, don’t cry, I also feel bad when you cry. I’ll make peanut soup for you tomorrow, don’t cry.” At this time, I slowly stopped crying. Every time I wanted to drink peanut soup, I would annoy my grandma that I wanted to drink it. Then at dinner time the next day, peanut soup would appear on the table, and I was very satisfied. Until one day when I was eleven, I drank peanut soup that was tasteless. I thought it was weird and asked my grandma why the peanut soup was tasteless. She replied, “Oh, I forgot to add salt. I’m getting old, and I forget things I was supposed to do.” At the time, I didn’t care about this answer. It wasn’t until afterwards that incidents of forgetting to put salt became more frequent, and she kept making jokes about herself getting old, getting dementia, etc., and I started to think that it wasn’t funny at all. She kept saying that she would forget me if the situation got worse. I wanted to cry whenever I heard her saying that. 123

Sek Fan Lo! : Taste of Memories In the days that followed, my grandmother seldom made peanut soup. I don’t know when it started, but I felt that my grandma became a little annoying. Her annoying me gave me the idea of m​​ oving to Singapore to live with my parents. It has been a few months since I moved to Singapore. When I first moved there, my grandmother called me almost every day. I felt very annoyed and didn’t answer the phone. My mother also told me that my grandmother called and told her that she missed me very much. I called her from once a week to once a month. One day after that, I found that I started to miss my grandmother. I was suddenly afraid that my grandmother would forget me as she said before. I would love to drink her boiled peanut soup again. Although it is sold in many places here, it does not have the same taste as how she made it. I made a sudden call to my grandmother and said to her, “Grandma, I miss you and want to drink the peanut soup you make”. Contributor: Apricot 124

The Peanut Soup That Makes Chapter 1 : How Fortunate to Have You, Grandma Me Happy Ingredients: Garlic Pork ribs Peanuts Salt Green Onion Recipe: 1. Blanch pork ribs and peanuts in water first. 2. Put two to three cloves of garlic, pork ribs and peanuts in boiling water. 3. Boil for about one to two hours, and season with salt. 4. Garnish with some chopped green onion before serving. 125

Sek Fan Lo! : Taste of Memories “It’s irreplaceable, it’s a memory that belongs to us.” Steam Minced Pork brings a unique memory to me, it’s within me and my grandma, and it’s irreplaceable. The name of the dish itself was named by my mom and grandma. It was easy to make - simply spread the minced pork onto the metal plate, season it with radish, soy sauce and a little sesame oil, and the dish is completed. According to my grandma, while they were still young, they almost had Steam Minced Pork as their main dish for their everyday meal. She, with her siblings, came from a poor family, and they couldn’t afford the rather expensive fish meat, so they could only go for the cheaper pork meat. My mom and grandma used to cook this dish often so that all of us were able to fill our stomachs. When I heard this story, I couldn’t help feeling sorry for my grandma. It was hard for me to imagine how she got to where she is today. I feel that we are really blessed as her grandchildren. We are gifted with so many things and don’t even need to worry about our life. There are many choices of food nowadays such as fast food, Chinese food, 126

Western food and so on. How could people in the past have Chapter 1 : How Fortunate to Have You, Grandma these, they had to find a way to live at that time. As long as it is food that is edible, it becomes the backbone of their survival. Another reason why I choose to share this recipe is that the taste is reminiscent of my hometown. I have never been able to find this specific taste in any restaurant outside. Especially now that I am studying at Cyberjaya Multimedia University, the taste in my memory can only be made by my Grandmother. I still remember the indescribable happiness when I tried this dish for the first time before I came to Cyberjaya. It seems like a simple dish, but it is enough for me to eat with a bowl of rice without even needing other side dishes. My grandmother is always worried that we won’t be able to eat enough, so she will cook a large portion and tell us to eat more. I believe everyone’s grandmother acts like this too. They are always worried that their grandchildren will not be full, hahaha. I think the best food is when you eat the food cooked by the person you love the most and eat it with her. I don’t think there is anything that makes me happier than this. Looking at my pictures, I think this is the greatest happiness I had with my grandmother, and it is what she wants to see. Contributor: Heah Chian Thong 127

Sek Fan Lo! : Taste of Memories Steam Minced Pork This minced pork reminds me of the memories and a mother’s selfless love for her child. It is not only a dish but also the most precious memory in my grandmother’s life. I want to share this feeling and story with you. Ingredients: Minced pork Dried radish Soy sauce Sesame oil Recipe: 1. Spread the minced meat on the iron bowl, and then top with dried radish. 2. Drizzle with soy sauce and a little sesame oil. 3. Steam for 15 minutes and serve. 128

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Sek Fan Lo! : Taste of Memories “I want to spend more time with grandma” This fish maw soup is a dish that my grandma cooked every Chinese New Year. When I was a child, I didn’t like the taste of fish maw, so I didn’t drink it. I don’t know when I started drinking this fish maw soup and liked it very much. Grandma used to have a strong body, so she would cook by herself. But now it’s my mom or her other daughters-in-law who help cook with my grandma’s recipe. Still, I can taste the difference. My mother said it was because my grandmother’s house used charcoal fire to cook the soup. Maybe so, but I think what I drink is the taste of my hometown. Every time I go back during the Chinese New Year, my favourite thing to do is to sit next to my grandmother and tell her that the soup is delicious and I like it very much. She always smiled and said to me, “Then drink more.” I understood that I didn’t have much time to spend with my grandma. So I want to tell her every year that this 130

soup is delicious. Chapter 1 : How Fortunate to Have You, Grandma Contributor: Gan Yi Teng 131

Sek Fan Lo! : Taste of Memories “It doesn't matter if you don't remember, I wil help you remember.” I miss my grandma’s cooking. You may wonder… Why do I miss it and not visit her to taste it again? That’s because my grandma was struck by severe dementia, accompanied by depression and is now bedridden. She is no longer capable of cooking, or even remembering a single thing. Grandma was a fishmonger. She sells fresh seafood in the Pasar Awam in Gopeng. She is extremely frugal and she saves a lot of money, just to be generous and loving to spend it all on her child and her grandchildren. I remember vaguely in my childhood that she smelled like fish all the time, and would bring me candy shopping whenever I visited her at her fish stall in that wet market. “Take whatever you like, Shun Yi! Grandma belanja you ya! You’ve been obedient, let me treat you… Don’t worry, your dad won’t dare to scold you, because I’m here to back you up!” my grandma would cheekily tell me as she asked me to point out whichever candy I wanted. Usually, I would end up with two big plastic bags of candy and a bag of mackerel fish in my hand to bring to her house. 132

I watched her clean the fish like a pro, and since Chapter 1 : How Fortunate to Have You, Grandma she was a fishmonger, she could get the freshest fish. As I sat right outside the kitchen while feasting on the bunch of candies, I would quietly observe how she cooked her own signature homemade Yong Tau Foo. Preparing the fish paste is an extremely tedious job. She had to mince the flesh carefully, while slowly picking out the hair-like bones, just to be sure the dish is safe for us kids and no one is at risk of choking up a bone. Her efforts in cooking this dish for us was an exact representation of how she loved us, and how caring she was. Growing up, I was always inspired by how resilient, persistent and dedicated she was. Especially how she was able to raise four kids by herself, as my Grandpa was unfaithful and jobless, her persistence and strength made her a feminist before the world knows of a feminist. She was almost a single mother when my dad was just a kid… and held so much suffering within. Her strength and grit stood through the hardest times and she could finally enjoy her life after retirement, for a short while… Now that she has lost almost all of her memories, while at the same time losing her ability to talk, walk, and take care of herself… I miss her cooking. I miss the Grandma who always told me to be strong, persistent and not to 133

Sek Fan Lo! : Taste of Memories worry about my Dad scolding me for the candies she bought. I miss the Grandma who made this homemade Yong Tau Foo from scratch and memorised every piece of it. Though I wish that she would remember everything and be happy as we used to be, I could only commemorate her love through this dish. This is not just a homemade Yong Tau Foo, this is Grandma’s love and dedication. Contributor: Bux Shun Yi 134

Grandma’s Signature Yong Chapter 1 : How Fortunate to Have You, Grandma Tau Foo Deep-fried Yong Tau Foo is placed on a large plate and drizzled with a sweet sauce. Tau Foo Sweet Sauce boils with a texture that is usually a brown dipping sauce as thick as coconut milk. If you don’t want to prepare a sweet sauce, you can also serve it with Thai chilli sauce or Kampung Koh chilli sauce. Eat with your family and enjoy it together! Filling: Ingredients you want Sweet sauce: to fill into the fish Fish Maw Meat maw Meat: Oyster sauce 3 tbp Mackerel Soy sauce 3 tbp Salt Chilli Sugar 2 tbp Cornflour 1 tbp Bitter gourd Pepper 0.5tsp Eggplant Salt a little bit Tofu Water 5 tbp Recipe: Tofu Meat: 1. Prepare fresh mackerel, remove the main backbone and scoop out fish with the back of a knife/thin spoon. 2. Carefully pick out fish bones. Once the fish is completely clear and boneless, start mincing. 3. Add a little salt and about 1 tsp cornflour, and keep stirring. (The amount of cornflour can be adjusted based on the amount of mackerel meat.) Once the dough is formed, this is your tofu meat! Keep it in the refrigerator and take it out when you need it. 135

Sek Fan Lo! : Taste of Memories Yong Tau Foo: 1. Prepare tofu, chilli, bitter gourd, eggplant, tofu and other ingredi- ents you want to fill with the fish sauce. 2. Cut the eggplant into 1 inch thick slices and make a slit in the mid- dle. 3. Take out the fish paste and fill the ingredients in step 4 with an ap- propriate amount of fish paste. (Usually just a spoonful of fish gelatin meat) Put the ingredients on the plate to prevent them from sticking together. 4. Heat oil in a wok (about 3-5cm deep). Heat the oil to medium-high heat. (Or stick wooden chopsticks in the oil, there will be air bubbles around the chopsticks) Fry the filling until golden on both sides and let cool on a wire rack. Sweet Sauce: 1. Mix oyster sauce, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, sugar, and half a teaspoon of pepper powder well, pour into a pot and heat until slightly bubbled. 2. Add starch water to thicken and cook until desired consistency. 136