Memories of Grandma's Kitchen

Eversince I started working regular office-hour days, I've been reflecting a lot on my childhood. Not so much of the song and games, but more of the kind of experience I had with food.

I was lucky, growing up. My mom's an only child and my grandparents stayed with us. Grandpa used to be a hawker and grandma stayed home to look after us kids while my parents worked. Grandma was a great cook. I didn't know it then, though. I only realised it when I was pregnant with my first child and had insatiable cravings for her sambal chilli. The kind you ate with nasi lemak. Mum tried and tried, but it never tastes the same.

Back to Grandma. She used to make desserts every afternoon, ranging from sweet to savoury. Meals were always different, and we were never bored. Practically everything was homemade, including noodles sometimes. I used to sit in the kitchen with grandma and watch her prepare the necessary for cooking. Cooking was another matter. Everything had to be done the traditional way to preserve the essence and taste of the dish. One important aspect Grandma taught me about cooking was never to stinge on ingredients.

Now, many years on, with 2 kids of my own, it pains me to see that often my kids often eat the same food. There isn't much variety simply because there is no time for variety. At least, that was the excuse I gave to myself. Hubby and I made the decision to move in with my parents so that my dad could help watch over the children as the helper looked after them. Mum's still working and I'm a full-time working mum. I used to work shifts, and the rotating shifts tire me out so much that I seldom cooked. I'd rather bring the kids out, and sometimes, we end up at McDonalds. That's the only fast-food joint my son likes. Other than that, my mum would be the one cooking at home as I watch the kids when we come home from work.

But, as soon as I accepted the opportunity to switch to regular hours, I made a promise to myself that I'd try to cook as much as I could for the family. I want the children to have the same kinds of memories of their mum's kitchen as I have of Grandma's.

Now, I salute all you stay-at-home mums for being able to juggle kids, chores and cooking. I'm a terrible juggler. But I'm still learning. So, how nice it was that as my hands were itching to cook, the country declared a long public holiday for everyone.

Thus, I cooked.

Don't get me wrong. The food turned out great. It's not like i can't cook. But it was more of me taking sometimes 4 hours to whip up a dish that could actually just take 30 minutes to be ready. Blame it on procrastination.

BUT, this time round, I broke my record. 2 dishes, and a dessert in 2 hours! That was yesterday.

Today, I woke up and succumbed to my craving for something with honey.

What did i end up whipping up?

Rice Bubble Cake - Kiwi-style!

Stay tuned for the recipe.