Life, regret?

Funny thing this regret, given a chance we will always go back and have another go at it. It must be coded into our genes to relish in the memory of pain.

Betrayal can only come from a friend

...at the end of the day darling, you've got to trust to learn about betrayal.

Fuad's Bukhari Rice

Thirty years mission accomplished!

I finally am able to make Bukhari Rice almost as good as my father's famous one! 

It all started with a last minute request by my cousin last week, for me to cook dinner for the clan and send it over to Sungai Petani. She was specific, she wanted Bukhari Rice and it has to be with beef, the rest is up to me. I knew I had to make the dish, as my uncle who was unwell really love it. 

Luck has it my regular meat guy closes on Tuesday, and so began the great hunt for beef ribs that took us to 3 markets and 4 butcher shops - apparently Penangites are more into mutton and lambs these days! 

Mama and I, with help from Zz and the two boys made from scratch the Bukhari Rice with beef ribs and briskets, Pan Sheet Grilled Chicken with Gravy, two types of salads and salsa sauce for forty people in under 4 hours. It was really exhausting, but the result was really worth it.

And this time I managed to write down the recipe that has been passed down for many generations verbally, and in 'guesstimate' measurement. Even Mama's versions are hits and misses, most time they don't pass Baba's finicky tastebuds, which can leads to some sulking, but that's another story.

When the whole house started to smell just like when Baba cooks, we knew we have hit jackpot! 

And later when Baba tasted it, I saw in the midst of pride, a moment of sadness in his eyes when he said, "People will not remember me anymore".

I'm glad that it was a success, more so when my Ami Radzi gave me thumbs up and said "Sedap macam selalu" eventhough he was in pain from the cuts and bruises on his face.

Yesterday I recreated the recipe, on my own this time, for 10 people, just for us at home. I'd say I'm almost 80% there. Maybe because I made it with just brisket, hence no deep flavor from rib bones, maybe because I removed most of the oil from the stock, maybe I  added too much orange peel because the orange is too big, maybe because I didn't use the right type of shallots. 

Maybe, mine will never be as good as Baba's, he is after all a legend around here.

Happiness

 "If your happiness only depends on positive happenings, you might not be happy that often, because a lot of shit happens as well. Better to base our happiness on more stable factors, such as the constant beauty of nature, the energy of positive vibes and being a good friend to ourselves and others." 

— Sereno Sky, Lonely Traveller

Nosey Miss Latte

Our little Miss had a little misadventure yesterday. 

We thought the glue traps we set up for the shrew were all very well hidden in the darkest corner under the lowest  cabinet, away from prying whiskers and nosey paws. 

Well apparently we didn't do a very good job, because within minutes of being let out of her 'apartment' Bibik M could hear a commotion out in the living hall. Latte has somehow managed to get one of the trap boards out from the cabinet and have it stuck on her right foot! 

She was struggling to get it off and won't let Bibik M help her, eventually ending up outside my bedroom crying for help while I was in the shower. She finally surrendered to Bibik M who proceed to remove the board from her leg and rub loads of cooking oil to help remove the glue. 

Poor baby was whimpering when Bibik M took her upstairs to me. I applied more oil, let glue 'soak' for another 30 minutes and gave Latte's foot a proper rub with dish washing liquid and gave her a warm bath which she really enjoys and helped her calm down. 

And Bibik M who spoils her worse than I do, waited by her side as she sun bath to dry off fur. 

She appears alright now, just some part of her fur still has some oil residue, hence it looks like she's ungroomed. 

Happy to report that she's back to chewing on our arms and fingers, chasing after her balls as usual, and there's absolutely no problem with her appetite either! 

#sirkitlatte #catsofarariver #shestoosmartforherowngood