MCO 3.0 - Day 21 (EMCO Day 10)

 31 May 2021     Day 21 of Movement Control Order 3.0

                           Day 10 of Enhanced Movement Control Order

        Help! My mouth is on fire! To douse this fire, hubby had to make me a glass of honey lemon juice.

        How did the fire start? Looking at the lemongrass and bunga kantan that hubby had bought from the Zombie Farm, I did not want to let them go to waste so I searched online for a recipe to try. I was captivated by 3HungryTummies' recipe. This Ayam Masak Kuah Bunga Kantan, supposedly a Nyonya recipe, calls for lemongrass, bunga kantan, garlic, shallots, ginger, galangal, red chillies, dried chillies, belacan and tamarind concentrate to be blended together. I didn't have galangal in my pantry so I opted not to have that. From the recipe, I reckoned that the dried chillies would be spicy enough so I omitted the red chillies. Little did I know that I would still be fanning myself like a crazed woman, sniffing like a drug addict and sweating like I was in a sauna.

Ayam Masak Kuah Bunga Kantan

        Before hubby started tucking in, I cautioned him that it would be a super fiery dish. But he snorted as he always boasted of a high tolerance of spicy food. At the end of the meal, he assented that it was indeed punishingly hot!

Hot, hot, super hot dish!

Fortunately, there was this simple Stir-fried French Beans to balance out.

        To be fair, it was an incredibly tasty and aromatic dish. It's definitely worthy to be repeated, but with far less dried chillies!

Celebrating A Woman Extraordinaire

       

My glamorous yet down-to-earth cousin

        She would have turned 63 today. I never missed wishing her Happy Birthday, even when I was travelling abroad. It thrilled me to hear from her, and she would always reply my messages in spite of how busy she was in the past. But last year was the first time that my birthday greeting went unanswered.

        She had a fall at home earlier that month and her health took a downward turn following that. We were still keeping in contact during her hospitalisation and she was sharing with me her latest photos. But soon after her discharge, she could no longer respond to my messages, although they had been viewed.

        She left us two months later, on 1 July 2020, after battling cancer valiantly for 13 years. She had shown such strength and positivity all these years. Even in her difficult times, she was the constant rock that her family could turn to. When I had my own health scare earlier this year, in my darkest moments, I reached for the phone to confide in her, to hear her comforting voice and to be infused with her courage. And then I remember she's no longer here with us.

        She was my role model, although I never told her that. I had always admired her efficiency, her determination, her genuine heart, her kind soul, her selflessness, her devotion to her parents, her bubbly personality, her zeal for life, her flair for fashion and the generosity extended to everyone. 

        She always had time for everybody despite leading an extremely busy life as the Country CEO of Ramsay Sime Darby Healthcare. When my parents left a shy, barely eighteen me to further my studies in KL, she promised them that she would take good care of me. True to her word, she did. On the weekends that I didn't make the four-hour journey back to Ipoh (yes, those were the pre-North South Highway days), she would pick me up from my hostel and I would spend a blissful weekend at her house. She treated me like a younger sister and took me shopping; it was with her that I dined at places like Victoria Station and Haagen-Dazs, and went on weekend trips to Malacca and her holiday home in Bukit Tinggi.

        She had a great love for food although she herself was rarely in the kitchen. She didn't have to, as her mother is the great chef in the family and her own daughter has a successful cafe. In spite of being accustomed to lavish eateries, she never turned up her nose at smaller establishments. As long as the food's good, she'd be there. Sometimes when she was back in Ipoh on foodie day trips, she'd seek my recommendation on places to get simple hawker fare like beef balls and turnip cakes. And she'd often invite me to join her on such food sojourns.

        She was never one to rest on her laurels but had voracious ambitions and dreams. She told me that I should set up my own tuition centre one day. However, I have to disappoint her in this aspect as I just dream of an early retirement and a simple life. She had once offered my hubby a position in Subang Jaya Medical Centre, but like me, he's content to remain in government service. In her final years, she succeeded in building her dream home, with the entire top floor turned into her extensive bedroom suite. And she comfortably breathed her last in her dream home.

        She may be gone, but she will always be in my heart. I love you, and miss you so much, Pek Yim 姐姐. Happy Birthday to you in heaven!

This was our last photo together.

MCO 3.0 - Day 21 (EMCO Day 09)

 30 May 2021     Day 21 of Movement Control Order 3.0

                          Day 09 of Enhanced Movement Control Order

        It was a relaxing Sunday, alternating between online marking of students' essays and shopping. Yes, with the impending complete lockdown, the best way to obtain necessities is to hide in the house and let the fingers do the talking. I'm quite a late bloomer where online shopping, e-wallet and online banking are concerned. I resisted the new trend due to security concerns but with the Covid-19 virus hovering around us, wrecking havoc in our usual activities and tenaciously dodging all attempts to wipe it out, I had to give in. And now I'm hooked on the use of e-wallet, online shopping and online banking.

        Hubby, of course, was the brave online shopping pioneer in our family.  I reckon Shopee should award him some commission for his loyalty and free advertising work. In fact, he has bought so many things from Shopee and chastises me when I do not patronise Shopee but opt to get my stuff through other platforms.

        I do have to thank Shopee for a portion of tonight's dinner. Hubby had swooped down on a good deal so we had fried chicken from the genial Colonel Sanders. And for greens, I stir-fried some Hong Kong nai pak with lots of ginger strips and beaten egg.

        And oh yes, Irene the Barber is back in business! 😛

        

MCO 3.0 - Day 20 (EMCO Day 08)

 29 May 2021     Day 20 of Movement Control Order 3.0

                           Day 08 of Enhanced Movement Control Order

        Horror of horrors! Just after breaching the 8000 mark yesterday, the figure of new Covid-19 infections in the country surged to 9,020 today! Just two months ago, on 29 March, we had 941 new cases and I was thinking to myself, "Since the Covid-19 cases are on a downward trend, how nice it would be if the Covid-19 isolation rooms can be turned back into first class wards, then I don't have to spend my post-surgery nights in the open ward!" 

        What happened between March and now, Malaysia???

        I took a look at my well-stocked freezer and pulled out the first Freezermate that caught my eye. Grouper fillets winked at me so I decided to turn them into Assam Pedas Fish. As my Ketua Rumah presented me with his weekly wet market haul this morning, I had my choice of vegetables to pick. There were okras to be added into the Assam Pedas Fish, as well as mint leaves. I had tomatoes and bunga kantan in my kitchen, both of which my good friend, Lee, had helped me to buy during the week. Hubby had also come home from work on Friday with lemongrass from the Zombie Farm. 

Assam Pedas Fish

        Our new toy from Shopee had arrived, so to test it out, we had Fried Eggs too.

Eggs Extravaganza

A new toy that cost a mere RM25.90

MCO 3.0 - Day 19 (EMCO Day 07)

 28 May 2021     Day 19 of Movement Control Order 3.0

                           Day 07 of Enhanced Movement Control Order

        Word has just been received that Malaysia will go under a complete lockdown from 1 to 14 June. Apart from essential economic and service sectors, all other sectors will not be allowed to operate. This total lockdown follows a further rise in new Covid-19 cases. We have now breached the 8,000 mark, with 8,290 new infections today!

        For dinner, we had Marion's Adults' Version of General Tso's Chicken. She calls it Adults' Version because vodka is used in the marinade, and that was what first attracted me to this recipe. This meat dish was paired with Salted Vegetables Soup, which hubby likes.

Marion's Adults' Version of General Tso's Chicken

Salted Vegetables Soup with lots of ginger, tomato and meatballs

MCO 3.0 - Day 18 (EMCO Day 06)

 27 May 2021     Day 18 of Movement Control Order 3.0

                             Day 06 of Enhanced Movement Control Order

        Let's talk crab!

        Remembering that I had some crabmeat left in the freezer, I decided to make Mr. Crabie the focus of tonight's dinner. With Mr. Crabie, I made some crab cakes, with some red chillies added to suit hubby's tastebuds. I even had my crab cakes with a few dollops of Marion's Coconut Sriracha. Hubby thought the crab cakes were flavourful on their own so he gave the dip a miss. 

Hello, Crab Cakes! Bye bye, Mr. Crabie!

Mushroom Beans Spare Ribs Soup

        Unfortunately, tonight's post continues to use black font, which means another record high figure of new Covid-19 infections today. Looking at the 7,857 new cases, it seems like light years away when we once boasted of mere double digit new cases each day and single digit new cases appeared to be within reach.

MCO 3.0 - Day 17 (EMCO Day 05)

 26 May 2021     Day 17 of Movement Control Order 3.0

                           Day 05 of Enhanced Movement Control Order

        After surpassing the 7,000 mark yesterday, today's figure of new Covid-19 cases rose further. Can anyone still remain unaffected, as cool as a cucumber, wave this off as something that hits other people but will not touch him? Some friends are already in panic mode, praying fervently that the vaccination process can be accelerated, willing to clutch at any straw. Who can blame them? With 7,478 new infections and a record high of 63 fatalities today, it can render even the usually rational people to shake like a leaf.

        Hubby must have been quite happy with today's dinner as he waxed lyrical of the prawns, scallops and pasta whilst editing the photos that he took. For this blog, I am solely in charge of the words, while he usually helps with the pictures. But today, he talked about "dancing scallops" and "shy prawns", and requested that I include these poetic descriptions in the blog. 😝

Pumpkin Soup is served with Prawns and Scallops Spaghettini

It would have been ideal to have cherry tomatoes instead of their bigger counterparts, some fresh parsley and perhaps some larger scallops, but in these dangerous times, I don't think it's wise to make a trip to the supermarket just to get these. I made do with what's available in the kitchen.

I'm so tired I can only see my comfortable bed now, but hubby sees "dancing scallops" and "shy prawns" on this bed of pasta.

MCO 3.0 - Day 16 (EMCO Day 04)

 25 May 2021     Day 16 of Movement Control Order 3.0

                             Day 04 of Enhanced Movement Control Order

        When our Health Director-General, Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah called on Malaysians to prepare for the worst in his official Twitter account, it reminded me of what doctors usually tell the relatives of a patient who have little chances of surviving. Dr. Noor Hisham's rather morbid urge, which can hopefully stir stubborn Malaysians from their slumber and do their part in helping to break the chain of infection, came about because our country is facing an exponential trend in the Covid-19 graph. And true enough, it has been announced that we have another 7289 new Covid-19 cases today. It doesn't take much to imagine what our battered Malaysian healthcare system is grappling with, having to face so many new cases every day!

        Hubby had another tiring day at work, and I'm so glad that I did not just dig out from the freezer one of those easy-peasy ready-to-eat meals like Ah Khay's braised pork belly with yam. In spite of being tired myself after 8 periods of online classes and an entire afternoon wasted trying in vain to key in the reports of the online classes, I cooked hubby's favourite Stir-fried Roast Pork (爆烧肉) and a simple Hairy Gourd Soup. When hubby tucked into the meal with gusto and proclaimed, "Oooh! This is nice!", the labour was all worth it.

MCO 3.0 - Day 15 (EMCO Day 03)

 24 May 2021     Day 15 of Movement Control Order 3.0

                          Day 03 of Enhanced Movement Control Order

        Despite being tired after a busy day, I managed to cook a simple meal that delighted an equally exhausted hubby. It was also a hectic day at work for him, with many cases for him to settle, including a case of hysteria.

        Using Marion's Honey Soy Garlic marinade, I made meatballs. First, I softened some breadcrumbs with chicken stock. Then I added minced garlic, finely cut spring onions, a tablespoon of the honey soy garlic marinade, a pinch of sea salt and a swirl of sesame oil to the minced pork. The breadcrumbs joined the minced pork and everything was given a good mix. Marion cautioned against over-mixing though as it would toughen the balls.

        I pan-fried the meatballs and put them aside. Using the same wokpan, I fried some julienned ginger before adding the honey soy garlic marinade mixed with some water. As we find the marinade a tad too sweet, I balanced things by adding some chilli flakes. When the sauce had thickened a little, I lowered the meatballs back into the wokpan, gave them a good toss in the sauce, and let them simmer away for a while. And there it was : Honey Soy Garlic Meatballs.

        Hubby was equally pleased with the other dish : Stir-fried Japanese Leek with Prawns. I made a mental note to buy a bigger bundle of the leek the next time round.

Dinner is served!

MCO 3.0 - Day 14 (EMCO Day 02)

 23 May 2021     Day 14 of Movement Control Order 3.0

                          Day 02 of Enhanced Movement Control Order

        With 6,976 new cases today, Malaysia's battle with Covid-19 has reached new worrying heights. It also means that the country's healthcare system, which is already struggling at a critical stage, continues to be pelted and scourged. The frontliners, who have been putting their own lives at risk, are worn out and stretched beyond their limits. Where is the light at the end of the tunnel?

        We will not see the light unless and until all Malaysians banish their complacency, indifference and selfishness, and make a concerted effort to adhere strictly to the standard operating procedures. There are urges for new measures like double-masking and self-imposed lockdowns. So I shall start adopting both (the former when I really need to step out of the house to obtain and deliver food). There was something I needed to get from the pharmacy today, but in the end, I decided to shop for it online instead. And of course, when my parcel arrives, I will disinfect it thoroughly before opening it up.

        For today's dinner, I was able to take a backseat. Hubby decided to take the helm. After I finished ironing hubby's shirts, I assisted the chef.

Chef Derrick's "naked" fried rice, fried crispy anchovies waiting to complement it

Chef Derrick's Nasi Goreng Kampung

Sweet Corn Egg Drop Soup

        Whilst getting my dose of Vitamin C from oranges and grapes after dinner, my eyes fell on Scamper the dog. It has been more than a year since his "surgery". Not only have we not recovered from Covid-19; on the other hand, the situation has taken a turn for the worse, with ICUs bed occupancy at critical levels nationwide, rising mortality rates, spread of virus mutations and increased numbers of younger people succumbing to the virus. In March 2020, when we first locked ourselves away, I gave dirty Scamper a much-needed bath. And the poor fella's seams burst. Seeing his wifey so heartbroken, Dr. Derrick worked his magic. And Scamper became as good as new!

A forlorn Scamper 😢

Surgeon at work

Scamper barks in appreciation for being given a new lease of life!

MCO 3.0 - Day 13 (EMCO Day 01)

 22 May 2021     Day 13 of Movement Control Order 3.0

                           Day 01 of Enhanced Movement Control Order

        The 14-day EMCO in Ipoh takes effect today but there were no barbed wires in sight. It was reported in the news that the city centre was literally a "ghost town" as there were very few vehicles on the road. After all the panic buying and hoarding for the past 2 days, the market was quiet today and there were fresh food supplies aplenty. My Ketua Rumah ventured out to the Canning Garden wet market for our usual weekly shopping and now my freezer is well-stocked.

        Delighted to have a wide array of protein supplies to choose from, I decided to braise chicken with oyster mushrooms and cook angled luffa with prawns. A simple yet tasty dinner.

Dinner for 2 : Braised Chicken with Oyster Mushrooms and Stir-fried Angled Luffa with Prawns

Always a joy to see a well-stocked freezer 

MCO 3.0 - Day 12

 21 May 2021     Day 12 of Movement Control Order 3.0

        Although today's new Covid-19 cases nationwide dipped a little (6,493, compared to yesterday's 6,806), new cases in Perak had risen to 382. Yesterday's announcement of the implementation of EMCO starting tomorrow, exacerbated by hardly any details of what it entails, threw Ipoh folk into panic buying. 

Someone's Facebook post that went viral last night

        To celebrate the end of a hectic week of virtual lessons, I steamed a fat slice of cod and made Stuffed Bittergourd. Hubby handled his long beans.

Steamed Cod

Stuffed Bittergourd

Stir-fried Long Beans with Minced Pork

MCO 3.0 - Day 11

 20 May 2021     Day 11 of Movement Control Order 3.0

        Oh, no! Another black-font post. Yesterday's figure of 6,075 new Covid-19 cases was already high enough to send shudders around the country. Today, we again pecah rekod, albeit in a very negative sense. The day's new record of 6,806 new cases is definitely nothing to be proud about. It is the culmination of Malaysians' complacency, lackadaisical attitude, greed, selfishness, irresponsibility, inability to follow orders and sheer stupidity!

        News has just been received that EMCO (Enhanced Movement Control Order) will be imposed on the Hulu Kinta locality, which covers Ipoh, Lahat, Chemor and Tanjung Rambutan, from 22 May to 4 June. What's in the name???Going by what areas under EMCO had to endure in previous periods, we shall await the erection of the barbed wires and food, drinks plus sanitary products to be distributed. 

        What's in the name, really? My blog posts will be renamed to EMCO in 2 days' time???

        So in this penultimate post of MCO 3.0, let me share tonight's dinner : Baked Sticky Pork Belly with Green Apple (recipe adapted from Marion Grasby), Lotus Root Soup with Peanuts and Spare Ribs, leftovers of yesterday's Fried Turmeric Grouper Slices and fluffy basmati rice cooked in my 20 cm Chiffon Pink Le Creuset Round Dutch Oven.

Dinner on Day 11 of Movement Control Order 3.0

Baked Sticky Pork Belly with Green Apple

MCO 3.0 - Day 10

19 May 2021     Day 10 of Movement Control Order 3.0

        This post uses black font to mourn the fact that Malaysia has recorded 6,075 new Covid-19 cases, which is the highest daily figure in the country since the pandemic began. All Malaysians really need to fight tooth and nail to win this war!

        As I started to cook, I ran out of gas again. As it was too late to call for a new tank to be delivered, once again, it was my trusty Tefal induction cooker to the rescue! I had to quickly change my menu. The lotus root was lined up for action but had to give up its spot in the queue. With only one induction cooker, boiling soup would take up too much time, and dinner might only be served at 9 p.m.! Hmm...perhaps it's time to dispose of the unreliable and unused gas cooker in the dry kitchen to make way for a new induction hob.

        The Hong Kong nai pak found themselves drafted into action. There was nary a protest; they were only too proud to be able to serve. Together with the grouper slices which had joined forces with the turmeric, they marched from the induction cooker to the dining table, ready for battle. And there were cannonballs available for the war too!

Fried Grouper Slices marinated with turmeric

Marion's Coconut Sriricha was the perfect dip for the fish

Stir-fried Hong Kong nai pak with ginger strips and beaten egg

Siew Mai cannonballs from Ah Keong, my favourite hawker

MCO 3.0 - Day 09

 18 May 2021     Day 9 of Movement Control Order 3.0

        It has been another super hectic day, exacerbated by the news that one of my online classes has been picked to be observed by someone from the education department this week. So I spent the entire afternoon fine-tuning the material that I had prepared for that lesson.

        Therefore, I am mighty glad that tonight's dinner was a cheat affair. The other day, hubby had bought a tub of braised pork belly with yam from Ah Khay, the vegetable seller. Ah yes, Ah Khay is a Jack of all trades (or should it be Ah Khay of all goods?). Apart from vegetables, you can obtain fruits, dried provisions, frozen pau, assorted nuts, frozen dumplings, marinated chicken chop, chiffon cake and tubs of braised pork belly from him. It is a breeze to just pop it into the steamer for 15 minutes or so...indeed a lifesaver on busy weekdays!

Braised Pork Belly with Yam

Stir-fried French Beans

Otak-otak, also from Ah Khay, also a lifesaver at times albeit nowhere as nice as the ones my ex-colleague makes

MCO 3.0 - Day 08

 17 May 2021     Day 8 of Movement Control Order 3.0

     I'd been facing the laptop and smartphone screens from morning till afternoon, with a break in the evening (to nip out to the nearby supermarket, then to exercise, cook and have dinner), and after this, screen time resumes. So I'm going to keep this blog post short.

     Dinner was a simple affair of egg and meat patties with spinach soup. I usually add slivers of century egg to my spinach soup but the supermarket had run out of that. So I just beat an egg and swirled it in. What an eggy affair tonight's dinner was! And surprisingly, hubby enjoyed it. I suppose we were both too tired to have anything elaborate. A mere homely meal was sufficient.

Egg and meat patties

Spinach Egg Drop Soup

MCO 3.0 - Day 07

 16 May 2021     Day 7 of Movement Control Order 3.0

        Tonight's meat dish is not from any blogger's or chef's recipe. However, it has stood the test of time. And whenever I cook this dish, hubby is all smiles. I learned to cook this dish from my mother, and I remember I used to love it too whenever she made this. She doesn't cook this nowadays but up to a few years back, I used to cook an extra portion for my dad. Unfortunately, he's now getting on in his years and the meat's too tough for him to handle. I've made extra portions, which will come in handy whilst juggling between my brunch and my virtual classes these two weeks.

Braised Spare Ribs with Black Beans and Taucu

Stir-fried Angled Luffa with Prawns

MCO 3.0 - Day 06

 15 May 2021     Day 6 of Movement Control Order 3.0

        Ah Quen, the fishmonger, had some fresh medium-sized prawns today. With these delightful crustaceans, I decided to cook Marion's Southern Thai Tamarind Prawns, which were immensely enjoyed by hubby when I made them during the last MCO. (https://irenechanal.blogspot.com/2020/12/mco-20-day-30.html) 

I remember how 10 out of the 14 prawns had disappeared in the blink of an eye the last round, so I was glad I had a bigger catch this time.

Such beauties...thanks to Marion Grasby again

Steamed Brinjals with Fried Shallots

Fried lor bak

MCO 3.0 - Day 05

 14 May 2021     Day 5 of Movement Control Order 3.0

        Trout has often been dismissed as lower grade compared to salmon and should only be considered when you can't get your hands on the other highly-sought after oily fish. But this is not true.

        Norwegian fjord trout is smaller than salmon so it has shorter fibres in its meat, resulting in a firmer flesh. The Japanese, particularly, favour the trout because of its stronger red colour. A notable difference between these two similar fishes is that trout is a freshwater fish while salmon is a saltwater fish. So trout is generally found in rivers, lakes and streams.

        Both possess high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower overall cholesterol and reduce inflammation throughout the body. A comparison of a 100-gram serving of both fishes reveals : salmon contains 150 calories compared to 120 calories in trout, there's 22 grams of protein in salmon while trout has 2 grams less, and 3 grams of saturated fat is found in salmon while trout has 2 grams. Salmon has higher levels of vitamin D while trout has higher concentrations of B vitamins.

        For us, we love both. We just grab what's available and especially which looks fresher.

Baked Trout with Fresh Rosemary and Lemon Juice

        For tonight's dinner, we had Baked Trout with Fresh Rosemary and Lemon Juice (recipe courtesy of Elinluv's Tidbits Corner), Marion's Tomato Egg Drop Soup and Bittergourd Omelette.

A closer view of the tantalising trout

Marion's Tomato Egg Drop Soup

Bittergourd Omelette