Malay Heritage Sweets

Kuih apam is steamed cakes, made in a variety of colors.

Pasar tani means farmer’s market in Malay.

One can always find a big variety of fresh ingredients and food at such an event, which is held throughout Malaysia.

The last pasar tani that I visited was in Larkin, in the state of Johore.

In line with my interest, I was mostly drawn towards the traditional or heritage food.

One was the circular-shaped sweet snack called deram deram. It is made from rice flour and palm sugar which gives it the rich caramel color. There is an art to frying deram deram. The oil has to be at just the right temperature for the rings to be slightly crispy on the outside, while maintaining a soft texture on the inside.

Another favorite is kuih apam, which is steamed cakes. They are usually eaten for breakfast.

I remember my grandmother used to bring home these cakes from her early morning rounds at the Geylang Market. The cakes come in different colors, and as a child, I was attracted to the brighter ones, and would try to grab the pink one for myself.

Kuih apam is often served with grated coconut. As an adult, I realize that much of the enjoyment of this sweet is in the simultaneous play of contrast and complement. The pristine white of the grated coconut contrasts with the bright colors. A pinch of salt is usually added to the coconut, and this little bit of salty tang brings out the sweetness of the cakes.

Deram deram is a popular traditional sweet snack.

There is an art to frying deram deram.

Peanuts are universally popular snacks.

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A Sweet Tooth = Nice People

I came across an interesting study which indicates that people with a sweet tooth are nicer people.

Researchers from North Dakota State University and Gettysburg College reported in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology that people with a sweet tooth tend to be more agreeable and also more willing to help others.

Well, I sat down and thought about all the people I know known for their sweet tooth, and I think there might be some truth in this correlation.

But then again, I might be a tad biased as in our family we have had three generations of folks with a sweet tooth, and needing a dessert or a touch of sweet to end lunch or dinner.

And I am one of them. Sometimes, fruit can do the job, but definitely not all the time. We need a real dessert made with sugar and everything nice that comes with it. It could be something simple like a piece of chocolate or something more elaborate like the traditional Malay cakes.

One of my Mother’s favorites was ice cream with canned fruit cocktail. This dessert reminds me of the 70s, and sometimes, I serve it with vanilla ice cream for a bit of retro fun.

I like the traditional Malay name for dessert pencuci mulut, which is translated to mean something to cleanse the palate. It sounds courtly, and also makes it sound as if dessert has a beneficial function!

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Favorite Festive Fare

Putu kacang….packed with flavor and memories for me.

A galore of cookies and cakes. That is how Eid, or Hari Raya, as it is known in Malay, is celebrated in Singapore and Malaysia.

Each home welcomes guests with about eight or so varieties of these, to enjoy to one’s heart’s content. There are both modern and traditional cookies, or which I prefer to call heritage cookies. My preference runs to the latter, and one of my favorites is putu kacang.

This is a no-bake sweet, with green bean flour and sugar as the main ingredients. The ingredients are mixed, dampened with a little water, then packed tightly into wooden molds specially-designed for putu kacang.

Then the molds are turned over, tapped or knocked lightly so that the molded pieces will drop from the mold. They are then placed in a tray to be sun-dried or baked by a hot, tropical sun.

I used to help my grandmother make this cookie in my childhood home. The molds she owned had interesting designs, and my imagination was really taken by the ones shaped like a rooster. I couldn’t wait for them to dry so that I could savor the tiny roosters.

Sometimes, to make our anticipation easier, my grandmother would give us the task of keeping an eye on the cookies drying on a table in the backyard, just in case the family cat decided to let its curiosity get the better of it, and jump onto the table.

Today, as most residents in Singapore live in high-rise apartments, there is less home-made putu kacang available, and we buy them in Malaysia.

Making this cookie was one of the highlights of Hari Raya preparations in my kampung or childhood home. I just loved the whole process of making them, the contrast of the textures, and the fresh, creamy taste. And I still do – I guess some things never change.

 

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The Slender King of the Trees

In the tropics, the coconut tree has often been called “king of the trees”. The tree, known in Malay as pokok kelapa, not only provides shade, but also has different uses at different stages of its growth.

People of the tropics know that the juice of the young coconut makes a refreshing drink. It also has a medicinal use. When given to a child afflicted with chicken pox, it is  believed to lessen the ‘heatiness’ of the body.

When the coconut ripens, the flesh is grated, mixed with water, and squeezed to obtain its milk called santan in Malay. Santan is to the Malay cook what soy sauce is to his Chinese counterpart.  It is a base for cooking different types of curries and gravies, as well as for desserts, usually sweetened with palm sugar.

After the coconut gratings were squuezed for santan, we fed them to the family hens.

- excepted from my book Kampung Memories, a semi-memoir of childhood memories and Malay culture.

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My Food Deception

I never thought that I would actually reach out for dark chocolate.

Sometimes, self-deception can be good for you. I mean, for small things. Like food that is supposed to be good for us.

We’ve all been encouraged to eat healthy. And something that is good for us is antioxidant, a substance or nutrient that can protect body cells from the damaging effects of oxidation. Besides fruit and vegetables, experts say that dark chocolate is a good source of antioxidants.

It used to be that dark chocolate comes mainly in bars, with a taste that’s not really inspiring. But in the recent years, our favorite chocolates are also available in dark chocolate version. And they taste pretty good, too.

So now, when I reach out for that bar of Reese’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, or a box of Dark Chocolate Raisinets, I tell myself that I’m doing something good for my health.

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Teatime

 

A splash of color,

Comforting, warm

With my tea.

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Citrus Art

We’ve just gone through the peak months for some orange varieties in California. I’ve enjoyed a variety of the fruit including the delectable tangelo. But, of course, the ones that I enjoy the most are the home-grown ones gifted by neighbors and friends.

My orange tress have started to bloom, and I just love the exquisite scent of the orang blossom flowers. I think it’s becoming one of my favorite fragrances.

I’m also captivated by the vintage labels and advertising of the Californian citrus industry: a colorful window into the state’s history. It is interesting to learn that it began in the late 19^th century with the arrival of the railroad in Southern California. Farmers were then able to ship their produce throughout the country. To identify and advertise their produce, colorful crate labels were created and attached to the wooden crates.

The era of crate labels ended in the 1950s when growers started to use cardboard boxes.

Here are some that were displayed in an exhibition in Los Angeles.

Read more about the history of citrus in Orange County, California at: http://buildingbridgesworld.wordpress.com/2010/04/13/musings-in-april-citrus-county/

For a pic of the orange harvest from my garden, please see: http://buildingbridgesworld.wordpress.com/2011/03/19/citrus-harvest/

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Love Among the Salt and Pepper

A collection of salt and pepper sets displayed at the Los Angeles County Fair.

Sometimes, one find love in the strangest places.

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Minty Cocoa

A cup of cocoa does wonders to warm up a cold wintry evening.

I like my cocoa with a touch of mint flavor, and two brands that I have tried are Ghirardelli Chocolate Peppermint Hot Cocoa and Land O Lakes Mint & Chocolate Hot Cocoa.

I like both, but, for me, Land O Lake has the edge with its right combination of minty and creamy flavors.

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Cooking Among the Clutter

Cooking in a cluttered kitchen can be quite stressful.

There is always the temptation to buy more kitchen tools and gadgets.

In this season of eating and cooking, the kitchen can be quite a mess.

It might take quite a bit of effort to clean the kitchen up after all the cooking and preparation, but the reward is worth it. I think a clean uncluttered kitchen adds a lot to the enjoyment of our home.

Of course, it’s not that easy to maintain a clutter-free kitchen. There is a kind of “natural” tendency to fill up empty counter space with kitchen appliances, gadgets as well as boxes of food or soda bottles whenever there is no more space in the cabinets to store them.

I recall a report about the practical impact that a cluttered kitchen can have on people. According to the report, one of the main reasons that people give for not cooking, and buying prepared food instead, is that a cluttered or messy kitchen puts them off from cooking.

Well, that could well mean that they are spending more on their food bill, and that’s not a productive strategy in today’s economy.

There are lots of articles giving tips on how to declutter the kitchen. But the first step is probably the hardest: deciding and discarding things that we no longer use or need. Hm.., I wonder if we use the word “edit” instead of “discard”, would that make it more psychologically palatable to clear some of the clutter.

In addition, we are constantly bombarded by television commercials and images of products that promise to make us a better cook or make our lives easier. The more recent ads include the meatloaf pan that drains the fat so that you will have a perfect, non-soggy meatloaf. There was also an ad for a vertical cabinet organizer that enables you to store your spice bottles using less space, and puts them in easy reach.

I admit I was quite tempted to order it, as my spice bottles are all mixed up in the cabinet. I have been telling myself that I should separate the spices bottles into one section for savory dishes, and another for baking or sweets. But I have yet to do that.

Well, I have not succumbed to ordering the organizer yet. But I have to say that these commercials are well-made, at least for the purpose of making you want their products. Another item that we may or may not use after purchasing; a potential permanent resident on the kitchen counter.

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