Gastronomical adventures

Talking to Iryan has a weight enhancing effect.

Why?

Case in point. Yesterday.

Chitty chatting with him on MSN. Sudden reference to santan. Made me think of kaya.

Aiyoh this is UK la, where can just run to any grocery store and buy a jar of Ka Yun kaya? Or Gardenia's Auntie Rosie's kaya for the matter?

Damn mengidam.

So fine. Since the exam just finished, and I didn't have any *pressing* assignments to do, I thought, hrm, might as well make myself, rather than be tortured by the cravings. Posted a message on Yahoo Messanger, asking my coursemates whether any of them had kaya. No one replied. So asked if anyone is going to Asda. Nampaknye tidak. Then a few minutes later found out that Sally was already at Asda. So pesan her to buy: 12 eggs, 1 can creamed coconut (thats santan for the uninitiated), castor sugar and curly fries.

[note: curly fries has nothing to do with making kaya, yeah? In case you were wondering. I just like 'em]

Then Linda suddenly messaged me: "you nak santan ke? mai la"
[do you want some santan? come on over!]

Whoopedee doo.

Skipped happily over to get santan from her. We had small talk on santan in general, where to get santan and how to make kaya. Got into a bit of a debate as to whether or not to put flour in. But me being the skema person that I am, don't really like to modify recipes that I've never tried.

Usaha sulung aku weii!

Few minutes later Sally called and I went over to get my groceries. Can you believe that 12 eggs, one bag of curly fries and 500g castor sugar can cost RM17.50?!

[note to self: stop bloody converting]

Immediately went to work on the kaya. Did everything the recipe told me to. And stirred. Constantly. Parked myself in front of the stove for 3 whole hours. Damn hot weii... I sweated despite the cold spring wind outside. Prolly because I didn't have a double boiler and had to hold a small pot over a a bigger pot of water with one hand and use the other hand to continiously stir the mixture come hell or high water.

But in the end, it was worth it.

Every curse inducing moment, every bead of perspiration, aching hands and all.

I HAVE KAYA!!!

It wasn't as smooth as I would like it, it turned out rather thick. But at least it didn't turn out to be a lumpy mesh. And most importantly, it tasted like kaya despite no pandan leaves.

Gave some to Linda and gang and some more to Sally and gang. Also stayed for dinner at their place since Amir was cooking sup bunjut although I already had dinner with Shin Yee. Also put some on ritz crackers for Leli, who wasn't feeling too well then. Poor thing.

Owh, Amir's soup was balm for the Malaysian food craving soul.

Whoopedee doo. I can cook!! Not bad for someone with only 3 months experience in cooking, right? Hell, I remember trying to boil water and setting off the fire alarm in the process. And the time when I tried to cook rice without any water.

I've come a long way from there.

And I've learnt so many things that I would never have had I not came abroad to study.

For one thing, I've become a lot more independant. I'm not sure if I'm becoming more responsible. I probably am. I no longer rely on others to wake me up to go to class. Or wait for people to cook for me or peel my apples and cut them into bite sizes for my convenience. I clean up after using the kitchen (okay, sometimes I forget, but Shin Yee is a long suffering housemate, many thanks to her!). My oh my, I'm growing up!

PLUS...

Actually knowing how to cook is gonna do wonders for my dating CV!

*wink*