Wrecking Ball

..it has nothing to do with naked lady here, but I love the statement made by Miley Cyrus in her 'Wrecking Ball'. But in a totally different context. In cooking and trying new recipes.

Hazmadi's plate full of tantalizing durian

I have been trying to get myself to buy durian. Yes, that thorny green smelly king of fruit. And I got that opportunity last fortnight. And within that two weeks period, I have been buying durian every other day. And for the first time, I managed to make my own 'pengat durian'. Of course, it wasn't my recipe in the first place, based on several food bloggers, I came up with my own version of 'pengat durian'. 

Pengat durian still in the pot, weeeeeee....;) awesome!

and since then, I have been wrecking my brain on what to do, how to diversify this magic fruit into edible version that will print a long lasting impression. Not for boasting, but, you know how it feels when you see happy faces of overwhelming feeling after session of food tasting, especially when it's you who cook! And that faces that I'm looking for. So far I haven't met one, hahaha, laugh to me..laugh at me..

So my journey to find a good, great, edible and reliable recipe begin. For quite sometime, I have been  admiring a few food bloggers. Names such as Cik Epal, Azlita Aziz, Mat Gebu, Suzie Saufi & and her rendition,  Rosmarlina dan Fazlinil Irma came probing into my head. But I had to dissipate  Fazlinil Irma from the list since she won't be taking orders anymore, she left for London. Nope, she didn't tell me personally , I got to know from her blog of course, she doesn't even know me and know that I exist  :P..

But the task now is not to order or outsource the delicacy from others to satisfy my cruel intention. This is a challenge for me. My whole life, I have only experienced eating the durian raw, and on few occasions as flavor in ice confection and a few times as 'pengat durian' or as partial flavor in 'bubur kacang hijau'. I have never tasted or buy or even come near any durian crepe! Believe me, I'm great at eating durian but the word 'durian crepe' creeps me. But this desire has been contained long enough that I felt like I'm about to explode. I have to get myself a durian crepe!

A friend, Suhayati-
 bought this, but it was frustrating..the taste I mean.@ Food Court Cheras Downtown @ RM10/4pcs.

To my relieve, actually the crepe was just a basic recipe of 'lempeng'. Most of the bloggers uploaded the simple version of 'lempeng' that use basic ingredients such as milk @ santan, flour (of course), and salt. But I was not satisfied with how the crepe looks like. It's not the recipe, it's me, just me. I'm not good at cooking or baking or anything that has to do with food as end yield. :D

I tried Cik Epal's recipe and end up frustrated with my crepe. It's not her recipe's fault, again, it's just me. And so I went to try kak Ita (Azlita Aziz) recipe and find it quite amusing. I like the texture of the crepe and I like the creamy texture, it's sweet solid and tangy at the same time when bite with durian filling. This is for crepe, I will definitely vote for Azlita Aziz although the ingredients were quite a number compared to Cik Epal's. Duly I should refine Cik Epal's according to my skill, play a lilttle bit with the amount of coconut milk, and the flour. But I guess, I  just don't have the intuition as a good cook. I just dump the recipe aside and try another. But this is a personal view, I didn't say her recipe blogged isn't good, it's just me. She's a popular blogger anyway. I have give you the link to the recipe both from Cik Epal's & Azlita Aziz at the 4th paragraph.

That is the creepy crepe story. As for 'pengat durian', I finally decided that, I will just make a basic one. What I did was, after thorough browsing over the internet and to the extent of asking around, I came up with  a simple solution. What I did was-I freeze my durian soon as I finish peeling it from the thorny skin. About an hour. Then, I put a clean pot on heat and waited until it becomesreally hot. And, into the hot pot I pour in about 400ml instant coconut milk and stir it gently with heat off using a wooden spoon. I had initially smashed two pieces of palm sugar using pestle and this crushed sugar were diluted into the coconut milk immediately soon as the coconut milk were stirred in. When the sugar has been fully dissolved, I put on the heat on low and continue stirring until bubbles can be obviously seen and that's when I pour in the frozen durian flesh into the coconut mixture. Continue stirring and into it goes 2 spoonfuls of vanilla essence. On low heat, with lid on, I let it cook for another 30 minutes. To those sensitive with salt, you can just consume this dish without addition of any salt at all. But to those who favors a salty slight taste, you can add in about a pinch of rock salt to the dish and this will enhance the creamy taste of the coconut milk. You can either enjoy it cold or simply hot. I like it both. I like it to go with crepe or just slice of bread. But overall, I like the recipe from Mat Gebu for his 'serawa durian'. I've tried and it was wonderful. Considering this is my first time preparing the dish, Mat Gebu did a good job with his recipe, it's easy to follow and it yield remarkably great taste dish.

The fate of the 'pengat durian' I brought to office

And finally, my last review for this entry is the Apam inti serunding durian. I just simple babble out the name because it was totally something different. I took this from Azlita Aziz eBook. And I'm loving it! Needless to say much, the recipe itself is easy and for beginners like me, just follow exactly on the measurement quantity of the ingredients and you'll get what you want. It's a very reliable blog. Thumbs up! It's my first time too....

So, readers. There are so many blogs out there for you to read. And you can't, just can't go through each of them. There are hundreds of them, or even thousands of good blogs over the internet about food and these blogs listed here in my review were among a few selected for this specifically durian entry. I love recipes from bloggers but modification were made, of course, to make it my own and not every blog were truly sincere in sharing tips and knowledge. Sometimes, their recipes look good and the images uploaded were damn tantalizing but when tried, we were frustrated. Most of the time, I blame myself when this happen but I learn through time course that, everybody have their own secret or at least in cooking, the way they stir the ingredients, the way they put on the heat and the way they dance their spatula while in the pot or pan definitely a different sway from us. And so I stop blaming the blog and I stop blaming myself for I understand sometimes, it's true, they keep something for themselves too. ;) And again, knowledge are meant to be shared for it will bring you benefit to the grave. Be wise and be kind to others for Allah surely be kind to you..Good Luck in trying recipes obtained online! ;)

Can we really save?....

I was conducting an experiment when I was startled by a scream. It's not that loud but loud enough to encourage me to know more..

Oh, the oil price hike. One of the lab personnel was shouting to her colleagues upon entering the lab "Oi korang minyak nak naik lagi ni, jom gi full tank", and it was greeted by another figure saying "eleh penipu je la, sape tah buat joke kat facebook, da kuar brite kata tipu", ..and there was laughing. I went back to my desk and laptop staring blankly at my Calibur...

On my way back home, there seems to be massive traffic at all pump stations. I don't even care to listen to radio instead tuning in to my Brian Adam's CD. Why Adam's? Simply because that's the first CD my hand reached in the CD box..Reaching home, I laid my back on my bed, and switch-ON my lappie and checking my emails and wwooohhh lot's of updates from facebook status about 'MINYAK NAIK HARGA'. And to my 'happiness', yes, the government made an official statement about increasing the RON95 & diesel price by 20 cents. So, they lie! They lie about promising no increase in oil price this year..What does that mean? Are they munafik? I don't know and I dare not say, let the expert tell...

What I'm going to review here is the salary and all the hike in groceries, diesel, bla bla bla..electricity and water bills. There seems to be an inbalance hike in price. When the diesel were increase by 20 cents per litre, all the teh tarik, nasi lemak and what so ever will be increase by at least 20 cents per cup, per packet, per plates. The profits were doubling by God knows how many times. And it's that a burden for those restaurants to carry the oil price hike but to burden it to consumers. What choice do we have? 

Imagine, a mother of six had to go to work to help the husband in making a day's life. At the end of the day, she finish work at 5.30 pm, went home, on the way, maybe picking up her children from transit house, from nursery or from school and reach home by 7pm. If she's a muslim, she already had to prepare herself and her children for maghrib that tolls up to taking bath, clean herself & the children, preparing for diner and all. How can she cope with her tiredness? When will she has the time to relax, and this is when working wives resort to buying dinner or simply went out for dinner. And yet, her salary do not change, won't be increase just because she has to cope with price increase everywhere. Believe me, some employers even cut down on allowances and bonus for their staffs due to diesel and oil price hike. Go find out yourself..

So what's the relevant and the good idea behind cutting the subsidies on rakyat just because you want to have that noble heart of yours to increase the BR1M??? What's the logic and where is the benefit? So many talks, so many facebook statuses that says the government should cut down the allowances of their officers, on electricity bills, yes, on the car fuel allowance's of their officers and on so many other things rather than cutting the subsidy for rakyat. The once-pay BR1M cannot justify what will be burden on the rakyat's shoulder by increasing the oil & diesel price. Do not and not once do you compare Malaysia to other countries in terms of any price hike. We are looking at the good things to be copied to and looking at the bad things as examples and try to avoid doing it to your rakyat instead. Why must we compare the oil price of other countries that were far an out-cry to ours when we have no effort to compare our public transportation services, our medical services or even the most simple thing, the allocations for newborn babies and expecting parents given by the government to be applied in Malaysia?

Do review the effort of Malaysia government to improve the life of rakyat and compare it to those countries that the minister mentioned have higher oil and diesel price. I've been to European countries, resided at one of the modern Germany state and been traveling around but still Malaysia is far from being 'home' to me..

Is it LOVE at first sight, ...

..Nope, my heart was frozen and my taste buds went awry..

I am not a professional food reviewer and many will condemn me, maybe, after this entry. But I review sincerely and I always believe that good food are meant to be shared and those aren't deserve a chance of improvisation and there will always be a better rendition after comments which were accepted with open heart.

SERAI is a huge name. An exclusive dine-in restaurant and I believe can be afford by only a few of us. 'Can be afford' means, something that is so routine that you can simply subscribe yourself to it daily. At least that's what 'can be afford' meant to me. As for me, SERAI is within my budget but not in my 'affordable' list. Therefore, spending time and resources dining in at Serai took sometime for me to be executed.

I wasn't very well with morning sickness and all a few months ago and my husband took me out for lunch. Nothings seems to be able to make me wanting to eat and he brought me to this outlet in Paradigm. SERAI. Approaching this outlet alone excite me. I have been getting good comments from friends about SERAI but was contemplating ever since due to it's undoubtedly expensive plates. But that day, I walked in with a huge smile into the premise proudly with my husband.

Sirap selasih - served hot

It was close to 12.30pm when we arrived at Paradigm. Lunchtime and people were flocking the food & beverages outlet. It was not hard to get seating at Serai, we let ourselves in without any warm greeting and were greet inside by a petite young lady who then ushered us to a table for two. We were given the menu book each but my eyes was hooked at the pavlova inside the glass counter. I thought to order that later on after my main course.

Hot tea served in tea-pot with sugar & creamer packets

There wasn't many choices in the menu book so I wasn't spoiled. I decided to have Nasi Goreng Serai, sirap selasih served hot and my husband went for fried Kuey Teow and hot tea. We didn't order for appetizer because no appetizer seems to be appetizing enough..

And our verdict ;

Fried Kuey Teow came with one large prawn and diced salad (red cabbage, white cabbage & carrot)

Fried Kuey Teow was flat and too spicy. But the prawn was nicely fried and seasoned. They need salt in their kitchen and I am not sure what type of soy sauce they're using because at least the soy sauce should be effective in giving a slight salty to the noodles but nope, it fail..

Nasi Goreng Kampung style

Nasi Goreng Kampung style came with...

It was ok. Nicely fried rice with lots of kangkung. Unfortunately, the kangkung was a bit hard to chew, it was supposed to be tender, I don't know what happen in the kitchen. But the accompanied fish keropok did a good job together with the acar timun. It was well blended with carrot slice and red onion with the vinegar. Sweet, tangy, salty and a hint of spicy in the acar goes well when you eat it with the fried rice. The keropok was easily chewed and done. To my frustration was the cucumber, it was not fresh, perhaps a yesterday's left over or they bought an old cucumber... :(

Two sticks chicken satay with peanut sauce

Chicken satay  accompanying the fried rice was slightly frustrating. Why? It was not served hot as I expected it to be, it was cold with cold peanut sauce and it tasted like it was yesterday's and just being taken out of the chiller.

Nice fish keropok

 The fish keropok strips did a good job, excellent one. Unfortunately, my order was Fried Rice Kampung style...and not keropok ikan....

Acar was nicely superb

Acar did a good job too.

Overall, I gave 5/10 for their kuey teow and 7/10 for the fried rice. Presentation wise, they were good. But for a food to be glorious, it has to be in a package - presentation for first impression, the taste and the freshness of the ingredients. I really hope Serai could do better. It's not cheap to dine @ Serai so make every diner's dime worth!

I was very frustrated with what been served and I straight away cancel my desire to have their pavlova. I don't want to feel more miserable. Maybe they taste nice but I do not have any regret for not trying.

So, the next time you're in Paradigm, do visit Serai. And let me know of any dish you try there, I would love to know how the other dish fare to you and maybe, I'll walk in to try their pavlova, perhaps! ;)

Till then, spread good things around and a better things will find their way towards you!