Explaining my absence...

Where has the time gone?!! I just realised today that I haven't made a single post for the whole month of June and now it's already July! My cousin sent me a text message this morning to ask if I was alright as my blog hadn't been updated in a while. What a sweetie!

To anyone else that may have wondered, I'm doing fine. Work has been busy and it IS the World Cup season that only comes around once every four years. Add to that the fact that I haven't been in the mood to write, means this blog has taken a bit of a backseat for the past month.

Anyway, rest assured that I am still keeping on with this blog and have a few posts still waiting to be written up and published. The home cooking is still going strong but I have to admit it's getting a tad more difficult always trying something new.




Since the World Cup is on, The Lovely Wife doesn't get to watch much TV as both the kids and I monopolise the set for all the matches, repeats, highlights, football news, matches, highlights - you get the picture. My son and daughter watch the highlights so often that they can repeat some of the commentaries even before the commentator says it!

Last week, during the afternoon while my son was at football practice and my daughter was upstairs playing, The Lovely Wife and I sat down to watch Julie and Julia.



Unlike my American readers, I had never heard of Julia Child until I learnt who she was through the Daring Bakers Challenge of making French Bread. Doing the challenge made me read up all about Julia and for those of you that still don't know who she is, you can get a quick synopsis from the link above.

I had heard about the movie Julie & Julia but had never ever gone over to Julie Powell's blog - she has quite a few now. How I wish that my blog could become famous like Julie Powell's The Julie/Julia Project. There have been a few other blogs that have spawned off into cookbooks but this is the only blog I know off that has evolved into a book and a movie and made the author famous and I would suppose rich. Maybe there is still hope for this blog...

Anyway, the movie was pretty good fun and The Lovely Wife got to learn about Julia Child - with some additional commentary from me as there were certain parts that weren't all that clear unless you had some background info on Julia Child and Paul Child (like how they were suspected of being spies).

I thought Meryl Streep did a great job although I felt her accent and speach patterns were a bit too exaggerated. I could never figure out why Julia Child spoke that way either! Nonetheless, a pretty decent movie and the food shots all rather marvellous!

So that was a little treat for The Lovely Wife. Football is off for a while but it resumes again tomorrow with the Quarter Finals. I've got my hopes pinned on Brazil although I quite fancy the Germans too. Dont want the Argies to win and neither do I really want Spain or Paraguay. It would be great if Ghana got into the Semi's but I dont see them getting any further than that. Rounding off the lot is Holland and it would be good to see them win - only trouble is that they would have to beat Brazil to do that and I would prefer Brazil to Holland any day.

Ahhh...the joys of The FIFA World Cup!!

Passing of a Grand Old Lady

My Paternal Grandmother passed away on the 29th March 2010. She was 103. Some say 102 as she completed 102 years last November. It doesn't really matter though. 102 or 103 she had a remarkable life. To put it in cricket terms, she had an Outstanding Innings! When I think about it, she actually lived through two World Wars and that by itself is pretty amazing.



From the time she turned 90, each year we we would often think that it would be the last birthday we would celebrate or the last christmas we spent together or the last easter but she kept soldiering on. And on and on and on.

Back in November, 2007, I had the honour of baking the cake for her 100th Birthday and I'm glad I had the chance to do that. Since then she has had bouts of illness and been hospitalised but she always seemed to come out stronger than before.

The time has come to pass though that there will be no more Christmases or Easters or even simple visits to my grandmother's house. She has gone and in many ways I am thankful that she has moved on to a better place.

This is my small tribute to you Grandma - a post on my blog in rememberance of you. Thank you for all these years of love, advice and guidance. Thanks for all the fun times in your house where the family would all gather over the years. Thanks for the good food that you always managed to whip up and the recipes that have been passed on down the generations. Thanks for the brass ornaments that used to sit in the 'holes in the wall' that you gave Michael on one of his visits. Thanks for everything and most importantly, thanks for all the memories!

God Bless you Grandma and may you Rest In Peace...

A New Year... a new blog banner....

Happy New Year everyone. It's hard to believe a decade of the new millenium has already gone by. When I was in the 20th Century, I could hardly imagine how people lived in the 1900's, 1910's, 1920's, 1930's...

I knew that the great depression happened in the 30s, WW2 happened in the 40's, I was born in the 60s and then came the 70's, 80's and 90's. My own kids will be old and grey by the time the year 2060 comes around and I will off course be long gone - or maybe a ripe old 90 something! 2060 will be the '60s to my children and I wonder how much more advanced we will be by then.

Anyway, life goes on and we get older day by day. Live well, live happily and be thankful for all that we have. That is what I have learnt and what I will try and practice this year.

With the coming of the new year, I make a little cosmetic change to my blog with a simpler and brighter banner. There will probably be more changes as time goes on but then again, maybe not. Who knows.

I'm going to try and blog more regularly this year and catch up on all the old photos that haven't been posted yet. Try being the operative word - no promises! I'm not going to start of the year with making promises that I can't keep. Matter of fact, I'm going to keep to that train of thought and just keep trying - day by day, taking one day at a time without making promises. At least not promises that I cant keep!

So blessed New Year Everyone and I raise a glass to you and yours in the hope that nothing but Peace, Love and All things good come your way. Above all, May the Blessings of God fill your lives in every way.

Ich bin ein Deutschlander

In November 1989, I was in my final year of University and stuck right in the midst of final exams. My university years saw the development of my political ideaology and the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9th 1989 was an event that was so significant. Never, ever did I think the Berlin Wall would fall. That event was the catalyst that brought about the end of communism in many parts of the world - especially Europe. The fall of the Berlin Wall led to the unification of Germany in October 1990.

I have visited Germany and in fact spent some time there on work. I used to go for two week stints practically twice a year from 1992 to 1996. I had the pleasure of visiting Munich (or Munchen as the Germans call it) and Hanover with brief visits to neighbouring cities like Mittenwald, Celle and even Dachau. Dachau used to be a Concentration Camp and visiting it was an experience that will not be easily forgotten. I really enjoyed Germany with its incredible history, culture, food and of course the Beer!


20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, it is sad to see that many other walls have not fallen. These walls may not be physical walls but rather invisible or virtual walls. The walls of Racism, Sexism, Inequality, Corruption and many others still exist but I believe that these walls will all come crumbling down one day.

The fall of the Berlin Wall taught me that nothing is impossible. It also made me a firm believer in the Power of the People. It showed me that no matter how strong a regime may be, how corrupt things may be, how difficult a situation may be, it is the will of the people that will finally come through. It may take a long time but change can only happen if the people will it. And once the people will it, change will come. History has shown us this not just in the Fall of The Wall but in the destruction of Apartheid in South Africa, the removal of many regimes in many parts of the world, the First Black President of the USA, the loss of the 2/3 majority of the Governing party in Malaysia's Parliament in March 2008 and many others.

These are all events that I never thought I would live to see but it has happened. And it has happened because of the Power of the People.

I celebrate the Fall of the Wall not just for the freedom it gave to the people of Germany but for what it symbolises to the rest of the world. In this age of globalisation and with the world becoming smaller through the use of technology and communications, we need to focus on our similarities and put aside our differences. We need to recognise that we are all one people no matter what our culture, our nationality or our religions.

With my frequent trips to Germany, I learnt a little Deutsche and also learnt the German National Anthem - Das Deutschlandlied (The Song of Germany). The original Anthem was 3 verses long and started off with Deutschland, Deutschland über alles, (Germany, Germany above All).

From what I was told, this phrase was not looked upon favourably after the second world war. Currently only the last stanza of the original anthem is sung. The first line goes Unity and justice and freedom
and although it is meant for the German Fatherland, I believe that today it is applicable as a call for Unity, Justice and Freedom EVERYWHERE in the world.

That is why, in commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, I join ranks with the people of Germany and declare that in the spirit of Brotherhood, Ich bin ein Deutcshlander - I am a German. in further commemoration of the Fall of the Berlin Wall and in the hope and trust that all other walls will eventually fall, I reproduce the German National Anthem...

Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit Für das deutsche Vaterland! Danach lasst uns alle streben Brüderlich mit Herz und Hand! Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit Sind des Glückes Unterpfand; |: Blüh' im Glanze dieses Glückes, Blühe, deutsches Vaterland. :|

Unity and justice and freedom For the German fatherland! For these let us all strive Brotherly with heart and hand! Unity and justice and freedom Are the pledge of fortune; |: Flourish in this fortune's blessing, Flourish, German fatherland. :|

Can you tell me how to get...

How to get to Sesame Street?!!



Did you know that Sesame Street is 40 years old? I didn't till I saw the google doodle (The modified google logo used to celebrate various occasions) that featured Sesame Street as celebrating its 40th Anniversary.

I grew up on Sesame Street but I never realised that I am older than Sesame Street. That would explain why all the characters, the human ones that is, haven't really aged all that much. Well, they have aged but havent we all...

I have always been especially fond of Sesame Street. So much so that I insisted that my own two kids watched Sesame Street rather than Barney (that infuriating purple dinosaur). In fact, Barney was banned from my home. I never liked the fact that Barney was a "dinosaur from our imagination" whereas I felt that Sesame Street was more real. Okay, so maybe I'm stretching it a bit to say that Oscar the Grouch, Elmo and Big Bird are real but they were meant to be real - rather than from your imagination. If you get what I mean...

Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, Elmo, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster,The Count, Grover and a whole host of other Monsters, Bob McGrath and the other human actors (whose names I cant remember) all became a part of our lives.

I loved the songs from Sesame Street. I love the lessons of life. I loved how they addressed issues that kids would know and would feel. I loved how it could always bring a tear to my eye or make my heart light with laughter. I loved how it always made me feel good about myself. And I love how after 40 years, it still has that same effect.

Thank you Sesame Street for the wonderful times you gave my kids. Thank you even more for the wonderful times you gave me. I hope that Sesame Street continues to live on and perhaps, just maybe, the children of my children will enjoy and grow up on Sesame Street too...in the meantime, lets celebrate 40 years, (yes Count 40 years!) of Sesame Street and lets sing along. I know you know the song...!

Sunny day - Sweepin’ the clouds away,
On my way to where the air is sweet.
Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street.

Come and play, everything’s A-OK
Friendly neighbors there that’s where we meet
Can you tell me how to get
How to get to Sesame Street

It’s a magic carpet ride. Every door will open wide.
Happy people like you. Happy people who.

Like a beautiful sunny day sweepin’ the clouds away
On my way to where the air is sweet
Can you tell me how to get,
How to get to Sesame street, how to get to Sesame Street, How to get to . .

100,000 hits and counting!

I was waiting and counting... counting and waiting. But when it actually happened, I didn't realise it.

Yes! A few days ago my blog reached a 100,000 hits. Thats One Hundred Thousand times that this blog has been viewed. I would never have thought that possible and I have to admit it is all quite exciting.

Exciting as it may be, I also realise that there are a lot (and I mean A LOT) of blogs that reach a thousand hits a DAY maybe even 10 thousand a day. I dream that one day that may happen to this blog too but in the meantime, I'm just really happy to have reached this milestone.

All bloggers will know that it isn't easy keeping a blog, especially keeping the content fun and exciting. I know that I have slowed down a bit in my postings but sometimes life just gets in the way. I'm trying to catch up on some of the older posts that I have planned and I'm going to try and keep this blog going.

Thanks to all of you that have visited this blog, left comments, motivated and kept it interesting for me to continue posting. It's always fun to receive comments and even more fun when someone out there becomes a friend - and there are a lot of you out there that have become good friends albeit cyber friends!

Thanks for all the support!!

Today my Blog is Black

Today, the 31st of August, is Merdeka Day (Independence Day). As a Nation, we are 52 years old having obtained Independence from the British back in 1957.

52 years as a Nation means we are relatively young but there is a rot that has been allowed to set and fester and as a Loyal Citizen of this country, Malaysia, I need to know that I have at least tried to make a change for the better.

I love my country and I am proud to be a Malaysian. Because that is what I am. I am not Malay, not Chinese nor Indian nor Others - the way the Government has been classifying Malaysians of diverse background all these years. I refuse to be classified by my ethnic background. I was BORN in Malaysia and that makes me MALAYSIAN.

There have been many injustices and wrongs propagated over the years but I have always put that down to 'growing pains' and 'teething problems' and rationalised that forms of corruption and injustice happen Everywhere and Anywhere in this world.

However, just on Friday, I was sickened. Sickened that such a thing could
happen and even more sickened to see that the powers that be LET this happen.

i firmly beleive that all religions point to the same God. I prefer to look at the similarities in all religions rather than the differences. So if anyone insults or demeans, ANY religion, I take offence.

This is what happened on Friday. A religion was insulted and all those that profess that religion, by default, were also insulted. Is this not seditious? Is this not more serious than what Karpal is alleged to have said or what RPK is alleged to have said? Do acts like this not threaten the very fabric of society? Is this not a
mockery of 1Malaysia? Is this not a mockery of this nation that we all love and claim as our own?

I was even more distressed to learn about the inaction. According to some reports, police were at the 'scene of the crime' but they did nothing. Our PM has called for action but thus far there has only been talk. When a certain MP was alleged to have made statements about another religion, she was picked up under the ISA (Internal Security Act). I am totally against the ISA and do not want anyone, anytime to be
picked up under the ISA, but the silence and inaction this time is really troubling. This is definitely a case of Double Standards.

What is more troubling is the question of WHO is behind this. Is it truly a protest by a few unhappy citizens or is it something that has been orchestrated to cause unrest. The fact that this happens during the holy month of Ramadan is even more cause for concern.

I worry for my country more than I have ever worried about it before. It appears that we have not progressed in 52 years of independence but rather that we have regressed. I am disturbed that people can make such racial statements, such
provocative statements and even threats and still be allowed to get away with it. While some others are arrested and charged for stating facts.

I pray for change to come. I pray for strength to face these challenges. I pray for respect and understanding from my fellow Malaysians. We have to unite and not let a few radicals cause unrest in this beloved nation of ours. The darkness must one day turn to brightness...

I am disturbed that the voice of the people is not being fully listened to. I am disturbed that the mass media does not report fairly and without fear or favour. I am disturbed by so many more things. There is so much more to say, so much that can be done but I believe an SMS that is making its rounds sums it up pretty damn well. It goes like this...

It's your country. You deserve health, not H1N1 deaths.
Blue Sky, not yearly haze.
Safety, not police violence
Prosperity, not corruption
Freedom, Not ISA
Truth, not Utusan Malaysia
Justice, not Kangaroo Courts
Democracy, not coups
Love, not racism
Stop taking the wrongs lying down
Stop your silence
It's your country.
You have a say.
Your say is BLACK
Wear Black this Merdeka.

This is part of my say. I will wear BLACK this Merdeka and likewise, my Blog will wear BLACK too.

This is not the only thing I do, have done or will continue to do to try and make a difference. Happy Merdeka, Malaysia and I pray there will be many more - but with most of the wrongs finally righted and Power FULLY restored to the RAKYAT (people).

As the banner on the top of this blog reads, I remain, as always,

ANAK BANGSA MALAYSIA.

My connection is bust...

I've come to realise just how hooked we are to the Internet these days...

Not so long ago, I was extremely happy with my dial-up connection. Then I moved to Broadband and although the service wasn't all that great, it was still a damned sight faster than dial-up.

Just yesterday morning, my son was on the computer, happily playing some game. The connection was fine. Later in the evening, just before going out for dinner, I tried to gain access to the internet but realised that the PPP light on my modem wasn't working. I called Streamyx - my ISP provider.

As usual, they treated me like a techno-moron, someone that wouldn't have done any troubleshooting on my end before calling in to get help. Of course I had tried everything on my end first and called them only when I figured there was something wrong on their end.

I guess procedure is still procedure though coz the call centre guy said he'd have to reset my connection and then send a new signal down or something like that so please try again after 15 minutes. I didn't have 20 minutes so I tried it again this morning. What do you know - it STILL didnt work.

I called up again and this time they kept me waiting for a good 20 minutes while they tried to troubleshoot before they told me they would have to raise a trouble ticket and let their technical team look at it.

I'm currently posting this using my mobile phone as a modem. While I am amazed that I CAN actually use my mobile phone as a modem, I am not terribly impressed with the connection speed. Its also possible because I have an unlimited data package with my mobile service provider so cost wise, it shouldnt make a difference - I hope anyway!!

Maybe it's also time I thought about changing broadband service providers. Although this thought has crossed my mind before, currently my existing provider is the best there is - in my location anyway. Let's see how quick they fix my problem before I decide...

Maybe it's also time I tried to be less dependent on the Internet as well...

Got my grubby hands on some Maple Syrup!

Now that my PC is cured of its virus (fingers still crossed) I'm trying to catch up on my posts. I've also realised, and I've said this before, that I have a whole backlog of posts that haven't seen the lightsaber of cyberspace (sorry, just trying to play on 'light of day' - not funny, I know!) So anyway...

Both my son and daughter love the Pancakes that The Lovely Wife makes for them. My son, however, is more of the pancake lover than my daughter is. Since Maple Syrup is so darned expensive here, we usually use maple flavoured pancake syrup or just some honey. So when my brother had to go on a business trip to Canada in December last this year, I asked him if he could get us a bit of Maple Syrup and he didnt disappoint! Apparently Canada makes 80% of the worlds Maple Syrup, so its good that we got the Canadian variety.




Funnily enough, I had quite forgotten about the pictures I had taken of the Maple Syrup bottle and of my son enjoying the original stuff. It came back to me in a flash when I saw that my good friend Val had posted about Maple Syrup with some rather interesting information on how it is produced.

Since I had already procrastinated long enough in posting about our own bottle of Maple Syrup, I decided I'd better do it before the pictures became too out of date!



Suffice to say, the original Maple Syrup tastes a whole lot better that Maple Flavoured syrup. My son really enjoyed the Maple Syrup as did all of us. I just wish the darned stuff was cheaper so that we could partake of it more often...

A Virus... A bad, bad Virus!

I haven't been very regular with my posting of late and that is due to a number of reasons. I've been extra busy at work, I've been extra busy at home and most importantly, I was hit by a very bad virus. Not me actually but this PC!

It was one of those viruses that was hidden deep down in the system. The anti virus programs that I installed said the infected files were in 'globalroot/systemroot' - don't ask me, even though I am pretty IT savvy, I couldn't find where these files were located. Apparently these are known as Rootkit Trojans as they hide themselves in the System or Root and can't be found with a simple search.

I tried downloading Malware and Spybot (other detection software) but after downloading, the programs just refused to run. Research on the web showed that the virus would prevent these programs from running and a way out was to change the filename of these detection software.

Wouldn't you know, that fixed the problem of the programs not running!! It was finally able to detect the Trojans and remove them (hopefully for good!) As I finish up this post, my PC is undergoing a full scan which thus far seems to show positive results!

With that, I hope to get back to more regular postings! See you soon.

Goodbye 2008...with some soul searching

Can you believe it's already the last day of 2008? I certainly can't. The years seem to go so much quicker nowadays. I'm not sure if that's such a good thing. I'm getting older quicker and the kids are growing up fast too. I'm not sure it that's a good thing either...

There's a lot to be thankful for, not just this past year but all the years gone by. I contemplated listing down some of the things that I am thankful for and some of the things I Should be thankful for. I decided against it simply because I think I should be thankful for everything that I have, even if I still haven't learnt to be as thankful nor as grateful as I should be for what I have.

Sounds like a riddle or a tongue twister, I know. Really though, all I am trying to say is that even though I may not have everything that I want, (e.g a million dollars in my bank account, a shiny, black sports car, a private jet, a pilot's licence to fly my private jet, etc, etc...), I think I have everything I NEED and in fact much more than I actually need. And so I am grateful and thankful that I am not wanting for anything that I really need.

Most importantly, I am thankful for The Lovely Wife, the wonderful kids, the loving family I have and my friends who have all helped shape who I am. I am thankful for the new friends I have made through blogging who continue to inspire me and help in shaping this blog and enriching my life.

I'm not one for New Years Resolutions but if I had to, I would simply resolve to try and be a better person, a person that realises that happiness is what you make out of life and that material possessions or material goods are not important. Easy to say but when our lives are so focused on what we have and with material comforts, it can get difficult.

So with that in mind, here's wishing You and Yours a Blessed 2009 filled with Peace, Happiness and above all, Love.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

BloggerAid - let's make a difference

One of the things I love about blogging is the people you meet. I have met so many wonderful people through Food Blogging and made some great friends. It doesnt matter that we have never met in person, we have become a part of each other's lives and we look forward to their posts, leaving comments on their blogs and receiving comments too.

You realise after a while that some of these friends are extra special. They go the extra mile and try to make things right in the world. This is what my friends Giz and Psychgrad of Equal Opportunity Kitchen,
Val of More than Burnt Toast
and Ivy of Kopiaste have done. They've created a network of bloggers to try and help alleviate world hunger. This network is called BloggerAid, and has a tagline of Bloggers Uniting to Aid in the Alleviation of Hunger.

In a nutshell, this is what BloggerAid is about:

We are a growing group of international food bloggers determined to make a difference in aid of world famine. The love of food and community that brings us together drives the compassion of its members to reach out to our world to help those less fortunate than we are. Banded by a mission of helping to make a change in a world where starvation affects such a profound number of people, we will raise money and awareness for the hungry in communities both at home and abroad.

Indeed a very noble cause and I am so very honoured that they asked me to join this group. This post is long overdue but today, I start to wear my BloggerAid badge with pride...

Explanation for the silence...

It's been a week since my last post and I've been meaning to get some writing done but just haven't had the time. I DO have a good excuse though. We've had an old friend staying with us this past week and that simply meant I had more important things to do!

I'm trying to catch up on my writing and realise I have a whole bunch of stuff that I never got round to posting - so I need to regroup and reorganise my pictures and posts. So please bear with me.

I've also been working on my Daring Baker's post where Bond makes a return once again! So look out for that this Saturday!

100th Post and the history of my cooking

Can you believe this is my 100th post? I certainly can't. When I started this blog on the 19th December 2006, I really didn't know where I was heading with it nor what I wanted to do with this blog.

Now, not only have I written 100 posts, but I've made so many friends from all around the world. Not only that, but I've joined the Daring Bakers and I'm also a contributor to The Daily Tiffin. Who would have thought huh? Certainly not me!

So, in commemoration of my 100th post, I thought I'd give you all an insight into how I started my cooking adventure and how it has turned into a love affair with food and the kitchen.


My first foray into the world of cooking started at a very young age. Coming from a family of three boys, we all had to help out with household chores and also in the kitchen.

I used to particularly enjoy helping Mum make desserts and I would often operate the cake mixer while she supervised and added all the ingredients. My favourite part, of course, was licking the bowl clean! It was definitely Mum that started me off on my love for cooking. I remember getting a Children's cooking book by Betty Crocker from Mom and Dad - a book that I still have!

Mum and Dad used to throw dinner parties ever so often and there was this once when Mum asked if I would like to help make the dessert since she was busy with other things. I jumped at the chance and diligently followed Mum’s recipe for a Chilled Cheese Cake. The recipe was handwritten in this Green Diary that served as a repository for her personal collection of recipes (she still has this green diary!). The cheesecake turned out pretty well and was a hit at the dinner.

This became my signature dessert for many years. During my university days, I would often make this dessert to try and impress the girls!

My years spent overseas as a university student saw me experimenting with different styles of cooking and using different ingredients. As eating out was often expensive, and few and far between, I would often try to replicate something I had tasted at a restaurant – on a trial and error basis. That is how I learnt to perfect my dishes. I seldom used cookbooks and on the oft occasion that I did, it was merely to get an idea of what should go into the dish – I never followed the recipe exactly.

Although Mum was the very first to instil my love for cooking, it has been the Lovely Wife, Angelina, who has challenged me and spurred me on to increase my repertoire of dishes – particularly my desserts!

I first tried to entice her (as with all the other girls!) with my Chilled Cheese Cake and although she liked it, she admitted to liking the Baked variety better and in fact, favoured a cheese cake sold in a particular Coffee franchise (Starbucks? Coffee Bean? San Francisco Coffee? I’m not telling!). I had to admit that the Cheese Cake there was really very good and since I had never made a Baked Cheese Cake before, my experimentation with Baked Cheese Cakes started.

The two of us also enjoy eating out a fair bit and Angelina would often ‘challenge’ me to make a dish that she had enjoyed at some restaurant or cafe somewhere. Thus far I have not disappointed too greatly!!

When my children came along, I insisted that I would bake their birthday cakes. The problem however, was that I really didn’t have any experience in decorating cakes – a must for a child’s birthday cake. I learnt quickly however and I also learnt that all things are possible where love is involved. To this day, my pride and joy is the ‘Elephant Cake’ I baked and decorated for my son’s Third birthday. As my wife often says – “that cake was made with 20% skill and 80% love!” Proof that with a lot of dedication, anything is possible!


I don’t claim to be a master chef. I don’t even think I could call myself a chef! I have had no professional training whatsoever. I am simply a man who enjoys good food and who enjoys cooking. I believe that anyone can cook. All it takes is a little willingness, a little experimentation and a lot of self-belief. A little love helps a lot too!

If there were any advice I could offer, it would simply be this:
Never follow recipes exactly. Each of us has different tastes and you should modify your recipes to suit these tastes. Omit ingredients that you dislike and substitute or add in those that you like. You really can’t go wrong. The only time you should be more strict about following recipes exactly is for cakes and desserts. Slight alterations in cake and dessert recipes can drastically change the way they turn out – and can be the difference between success and failure! However, having said that, it does not mean you can’t experiment. Most of my desserts have been perfected and fine tuned after a lot of experimentation, trial and error – and in some cases of abject failure, straight into the garbage bin!

I take great joy now in cooking and preparing desserts for my wife and kids. The greatest compliment I can receive nowadays is from my children. There have been times that we have gone out for a meal at some restaurant and my children remark on the way home - "I think Daddy's food is better... Also Mummy's." Yeah, my kids the politicians and diplomats, even at this young age!

There was this once when I gave my Son and Daughter $5 each to spend on anything they wanted. My son bought himself a Hot Wheels car from a pharmacy while my daughter (she was about 2+ at the time) couldn't figure out what she wanted. We walked along the row of shops till we came to a cake shop. She stood at the large glass windows and I knelt down and asked her if she wanted a cake. She nodded her head and so I opened the door to let her in as my wife followed her. My son, who until then had been busy studying his new car, suddenly darted into the shop and yelled out.

"Sarah! Sarah! Don't buy the cakes here. The cakes here are lousy! Daddy's cakes are much, much nicer."

True story and it brings tears to my eyes knowing my children think so highly off me. They are definitely the impetus for me to continue to improve and increase my knowledge in the world of cooking.

It's really been a lot of fun sharing my cooking with all of you out in the blogspere and even more fun making new friends. I hope to someday meet some of you that are frequent visitors to this blog and I'm looking forward to having a lot more fun with this blog!

2008 already....

Eeek! It's 2008 already. As a matter of fact, the fireworks just went off and its just past 12am on the 1st of January 2008 as I write this. Happy New Year everyone!

Now just where has the year gone?

New Year's Eve was spent with the Lovely Wife and kids. Both of us cooked up a nice meal and the kids helped too. What better way to welcome in the New Year than with the family!

In the next few posts, I will continue with my Christmas Traditions and then post on what we had for dinner tonight!

In the meantime, many thanks to all of you that have stayed with me the past year. It has truly been a wonderful experience getting to know all of you and I have enjoyed maintaing this food blog tremendously.

So in the spirit of New Year, join me in raising a glass and toasting yourselves and everyone dear and close to you.

Have a Happy and Blessed Year ahead!

10,000 and counting!

Woo Hoo!!
This blog has reached 10,000 hits. Who would have thought?
Okay, so 10,000 is really not such a big number if you compare it to the Amazon.com and Martha Stewart or other famous websites/blogs.

But that's exaclty the point. I'm not famous and to me, 10,000 hits in just under a year is pretty special. So I hope you keep coming to visit, and I hope I can sustain your interest as well!

So thank you to everybody for your support thus far!!