Strawberry Preserve

I love strawberry preserve, especially those made with whole strawberries. I like it slightly runny, I've always wanted to make strawberry preserve with fresh strawberry in Cameron Highlands as strawberries that have been brought down to lowland tends to go off too quickly, and you end up throwing away most of them. 

So when we were in Cameron Highlands last weekend, With freshly plucked strawberries from the night market that's meters away from our place, and some sugar plus lemon juice, we immediately made this scrumptious strawberry preserves with loads of whole strawberries.

Strawberry Preserve

1kg strawberries, hulled 
3 cups of sugar
juice of 1 lemon

Directions :

Place two saucers in the freezer.

In a wide bowl, crush half of the strawberries. In a heavy bottomed pan, mix together the crushed and whole strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice.

Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil.

Boil, stirring often, for about 15 minutes, until the mixture looks thick, shiny and darker.

To test if the preserve is ready, put a teaspoonful of the preserve liquid on one of the chilled plates, allow it to cool in the freezer for 3 minutes, then push the mixture with your little finger. If a crinkly skin has formed on the jam and there is no liquid left, then the preserve is set. Otherwise continue to cook for another 5 minutes and repeat the set test until it's ready.

When the preserves is done, skim excess foam from the surface,

If the jam is going to be eaten right away, just place in a dry, clean, oil-free container and refrigerate, otherwise process using your usual canning method.

p/s: Yup, I lugged my cast irons up to Cameron Highlands!

My favorite store on Carnavon Street

My knees go weak, what ever self-restraint I thought I still have remains on the curb of Carnavon Street.

My eyes gets glassy seeing all the colors looks deliciously enticing. Pens, paints, and markers, crayon, watercolors and pencils, if I can't have them all, I must at least have a few, or (when Zz is hovering) just one.

Don't even let me begin on the papers! I get a high running my fingers on the different textures and material, in standard sizes all the way to a giant roll. And the brushes; did you know DaVincci makes sable makeup brushes too?!

Welcome to my Kryptonite, Nanyang Book and Art Supply Store.

Good bye dear Iron Lady

On the last day of Halfest 2017, she visited Athene Spices booth. And for the first time she stayed for quite a bit and then came back to sit and asked me to cook for her. I specially cooked a few dishes for her and she ate them all. As always, she calls me Adik, we joke about our usual topics, weigh loss and politic.

After giving some really great advice on politics, she then said let's not talk politic anymore today, let's talk about you and your business, she keep saying that Athene Spices is really good and should really go places, and she repeatedly asked me how can she help me, reminding me to see her soon so she can take me see a few people.

Before she left to make her round to the other booths, she said, "Adik, jom ikut saya jalan round round, bila lagi kita nak jalan sekali". So I followed her to a few booths, trying out the samples, raving about how delicious the D24 ice cream is.

Before we parted she told me that she wants me to teach her how to make Hyderabadi Biryani and Lamb Mandi like the one in the photo I showed her. I said let's plan something soon. That day I saw glimpses of her I never saw before, I saw beyond the Iron Lady, the politician and the business tycoon I've met and worked with countless of times.

Little did I know that will be the last time I see her.

Early this evening Datuk Wira Dr  Maznah Abdul Hamid passed away at IJN after a short illness.

I will really miss you, Datuk Maznah, thank you for everything, advices, motivation and for being an inspiration. I hope I'll live up to what you are in me.

Innalillahiwainnalillahirajioun.

Alfatihah.

Treasure trove of recipes acquired

Managed to 'kidnap' Khalati Idah home last weekend, and she brought along her treasure trove of recipes in form of three thick handwritten notebooks with recipes collected from all over the world, over a period spanning more than fifty years.

What amazes me more is that each book is complete with index and review of the recipes she's tried. She even has accompaniment suggestions for some recipes! Gems thought long lost forever, those dishes my grandma Zaynab used to cook plus those by others in the extended family who are known to be great cooks are in the books too! You can't imagine how excited I am.

With her help I managed to transcribe about twenty long-wanted recipes that night, the others will be done slowly after this.

I wonder if this is a project that I'd undertake next. The books are all written in the way it was told to her, using old style measurements like kepoi, cupak, tahil and even those 20¢ of this or 10¢ of that (how to translate inflation?) and all in Jawi too, so it's time to brush up on my Jawi. Perhaps Mama would jump onto this project too.

Addendum : Unfortunately, this project will never take off. Apparently certain party are not happy that I wish to  immortalize the memories of our ancestors 😓😥😢

Grilled Lamb with Caramelized Onion Cream

So the other day, we had an all girls night at home and Zz had to camp out at Iris. To make it up to him, the next day I made this Grilled Lamb with Caramelized Onion Cream. Plate made pretty with baby kale, arugula and cherry tomato salad, and edible flowers.

How I made it :

Lamb shoulders marinated with Athene Spices, Tunisian Harrissa and Garlic Salt. Grill using a grill pan, until done to your preference. Remove lamb from pan, set aside in a covered container so that all the juice will be absorbed back into the meat. Add caramelized onion to the pan, deglaze with milk. Stir until sauce thickens. Serve warm, over grilled lamb with fresh greens and cherry tomatoes.