Connie's collection - 'Simply simple recipes'

HOME BREW RAISIN WINE

You need one 3000 ml glass bottle with cover.

Ingredients

(A)Water 2000 ml
and Brown sugar 500 gm
(B)Raisin 350 gm ( can use blackcurrant raisin)
(C)Yeast biscuits 3 (big)


NB: Observe sterility as follows:-
Scald the glass bottle and the cover with slightly cool down boiling water.
Cover the bottle and leave aside.

Method

Boil (A) over medium fire. When it is boiling, pour in (B), cover and bring to boil again.
Off the fire and let it cool down. Best to boil in the late evening, leave overnight, then brew the next morning.
Brewing: Scald a ladle and scoop the mixture into the prepared glass bottle. Smash (C) and sprinkle into the mixture. Cover it and tighten lightly. When fermentation takes place the raisins will float. Stir the top every 2-3 days with a scalded teaspoon. ( DON’T stir the bottom up – it will turn very milky.) Brew for 30 days. Put a tag on the bottle to remind you of the harvest date.
Harvest: Utensils - ladle, strainer, and jug to be scalded with boiling water.
Don’t disturb the mixture. Put strainer over the jug. Scoop the raisin out onto the strainer with the ladle. Don’t disturb the bottom. Gently pour out the liquid, stop immediately when reaches the milky part. Discard the milky part. Don’t press the raisin, let the liquid drip for a while and discard it.
You will get 2 litres of clear raisin wine.


DRUNK CHICKEN SOUP or RAISIN WINE CHICKEN SOUP

Ingredients:

Sesame oil or cooking oil 2 tblsp
Ginger 100 gm (cut to 2 mm thickness slices )
Kampong chicken ½ bird ( 800 gm) chop to about 15 pieces
Light soya sauce 2 tsp
Mok Yi (Black fungi) a handful, soak for 1 hour and wash clean
Water 250 ml
Salt 1 tsp
Sugar 2 tblsp
Ajinomoto a pinch
Raisin wine 250 ml

Method:

Heat oil or sesame oil in a clay pot. Stir fry ginger slices till fragrant. Add in chicken and stir fry for a while. Next add light soya sauce and mok yi and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Pour in water, add in salt, cover and cook for 15 – 20 minutes.
Then pour in raisin wine, sugar and ajinomoto to enhance the taste.
Reduce to slow fire, bring to boil. Off the fire and the soup is ready.
Serve it hot !

Connie's collection - 'Simply simple recipes'

QUEUE NYUK ( YAM STEAM WITH BELLY PORK)

Ingredients: (for 10 persons)

Yam ( taro ) 600 g
Belly pork 600 g

Marinate ingredients:

Shallot (onion) 6 ,thumb size ( minced )
Garlic 5 cloves (minced )
Lam Yee ( red fermented yam cubes) 2 cubes
Sugar 2 tblsp
Cooking wine 1 tblsp
Salt 1 ¼ tsp
Light soya sauce 10 ml
Oyster sauce 10 ml
Black (thick) soya sauce 10 ml
5 spice powder 1 tsp
Ajinomoto ,MSG, (optional) a pinch

Method:

Cut yam into slab-shape pieces ( 5 cm x 5 cm x 1 ½ cm)
Deep fry in oil to seal skin. ( do not over fried ) Remove some of the oil
but leave a portion for frying pork.
Bathe the chunk of meat with a little bit of light soya sauce. Dab dry and fry in the oil till
Skin is slightly dark brown. Leave to cool down, then cut to slabs (cross-section) approximately same size as the yam slabs.
Fry the minced shallot and garlic with 2 tblsp oil till fragrant and brown.
Smash the Lam Yee ( red fermented yam ) then add all other marinate ingredients, mix well to make a smooth paste.
Put in the pork piece, mix well and marinate for 2 – 3 hours.
Arrange yam and pork alternately in a bowl with the pork skin side facing down. Pour all remaining marinate over the pork and yam. Sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar over surface.
Steam in pressure cooker for 35 minutes. ( Normal steaming in pot or frying pan may take 90 mins) Ready for steaming

To serve – put a plate over the queue nyuk bowl, then place your thumbs on top of the plate and other fingers at the bottom of the bowl, quickly but carefully, turn over. So, now it is bottom up – Beautiful !

After steaming

Over-turned and ready to serve

ST. PAUL THE HERMIT FEAST DAY AT PAPAN - 16TH JANUARY 2011

The shrine of St. Paul the Hermit is situated on top of a hillock at the end of Papan town. It was established more than 20 years ago by some shepherds who pray to St. Paul the Hermit for safety and protection of their livestock from harm. From a very simple start of a shed it has gradually developed to a decent concrete building with awning shed plus electricity and water supply. The shrine was built next to an abandoned water reservoir. The working committee deserves compliments for their untiring efforts to develop the shrine.
Annually, at the month-end of January, a feast is organised without fail. This year the feast was held on 16th January 2011. Few hundreds of faithful devotees from around gathered for mass and prayers. Fr. Robin Andrews, parish priest of Batu Gajah St. Joseph’s Church , celebrated mass. After mass, the devotees carried the statue of St. Paul the Hermit and went in procession around the reservoir. Finally, it was time for feast. All enjoyed themselves with a hot and spicy lunch of rice with curry chicken, curry mutton, vegetables, etc. The delicious lunch attracted also many devotees of another kind. They too had a good fill of free food. Hope to meet again next year.

Eucharistic celebration

Procession

It is feast time.

Really delicious !

CONNIE’ S COLLECTION – Simply Simple Recipes

Mushroom with Belly Pork – for 3 persons.

Ingredients

A. Mushroom 50 g ( soak overnight with ½ tsp of sugar in water )
B. Belly pork 200 g
C. Star anise 1 small star
D. Cinnamon bark 1 inch (chop-stick size)
E. Garlic 2 cloves
F. Salt ½ tsp
G. Sugar ¼ tsp
H. Water 150 cc
I. Oil 20 – 30 cc
J. Roasted pork / bone 1 piece ( 2 finger size) to enhance flavour
K. Oyster sauce 1 dessert spoon
L. Mix vegetable ( carrot, cauliflower, sweet peas.)
M. Thick black sauce 1 tsp
N.Corn flour 2 tsp

Method

Put (A – J ) in a clay pot. Bring to boil. Reduce to slow fire. Stirring every 10 minutes
to avoid burnt. Simmer for 45 mins. Put in oyster sauce. If too dry – add a bit of water.
Put in mix veg. and mix well. Cover and bring to boil. Add in thick black sauce.
Put in corn flour-water mixture, a little at a time , just enough to thicken the gravy. Dish out and
Serve. Enjoy with rice !

A COOL CLEAR CHRISTMAS FOR THE GRANDS

The top floor balcony of our 2 1/2 storey house has not been much utilized except for occasional viewing of Kledang Hill and fireworks in Ipoh. We thought of converting it into a play-room for the grands. For a start, we bought a SNAPSET swimming pool of diameter 6 feet and depth 1 foot. For this Christmas the grands had a good time playing water toys and enjoyed splashing cool water in the pool under the clear blue sky.

Only Gabriel and Julian were enjoying themselves.

(Justin was sleeping, Rosalie was too small to go in the pool)

Connie's collection - 'no secret recipes'

NASI LEMAK - OR

Sambal for nasi lemak – for 15 servings

Ingredients

Oil 250 cc ( 1 cup)
A. Small onions – 4 (sliced)
B. Dried chilly paste – 100 gm
C. Big onions – 3 ( cut coarsely)
D. Ikan bilis – ½ bowl ( chopped and blend)
E. Assam keping (gelugor) - 5 pieces ( soak in 150 cc water and blend)
F. Water -3/4 cups
Salt - 1 tsp
Sugar - 3 tblsp
Ajinomoto – ½ tsp
Belachan - to taste

Method

Heat the oil in pan.
Fry A till fragrant. Put in B and fry till oil comes up, then pour in C and stir for a while.
Put in D, stir and let mixture simmers for a while. Then add in E and F.
Add salt and sugar to suit taste. Lastly, add Ajinomoto and belachan .

Serve sambal with nasi lemak.

Nasi lemak – for 4 persons

Ingredients

Rice - 2 cups
Water - 3 cups
(use same cup for measuring rice and water)
Coconut milk - 100 gm
Small onions - 2
Ginger - 3 slices
Pandan leaves - 2 blades
Salt - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Ajinomoto - a pinch

Method

When rice is bubbling in rice cooker, stir and mix well.

Serve when rice is still warm with sambal, cucumber, hard boiled egg or fried egg,
fried ikan bilis, fried peanuts and fried salted fish (optional).

Ingredients

Sambal

Enjoy !

LITTLE SISTERS WITH BIG HEARTS FOR THE POORS

10th Dec 2010
A visit to the Holy Family Home for the Elderly, better known as Little Sisters of the Poors, at Lorong Batu Lanchang, Penang. We visited the Home with the sole intention of meeting Fr. Decroix, the parish priest of St. Joseph’s Church Batu Gajah from 1992 – 2002. SJC was his last parish before retiring at 80. He stayed in Stella Maris till August 2010.
Fr. Decroix still looks fit except that he carries a walking stick to stabilize his steps at difficult situations. His ability to express his plan for the coming years showed that he is mentally alert. We thought he should be comfortable here but from our conversation we understood that this was not his wish. He would prefer to remain at Stella Maris to enjoy his writing and solitude. Unfortunately, he was perceived as old and be treated as old. Jokingly, he told Connie ‘ don’t get old’ and Connie replied to him ‘don’t get older’.

The new home, rebuilt and reopened in October 2009, looks like a resort hotel. Besides food and lodging, the residents are provided full health care and recreation facilities, enabling them to enjoy life until the moment God calls them home. Even though they are near death every minute of their lives is worth living because the Little Sisters are caring for them with big hearts.

Seated: Fr. Decroix, Standing: Connie and Christopher. Taken at the Dining Hall

The main entrance to the reception and dining hall.

Panorama of the Home