Human psychology and lunch

Saturday, June 02, 2007

I love to cook with local materials and ingredients. I am one who believe strongly in : "In Romes do as the Romans". Having lived outside of my birthplace for many years, I have acquired the philosophy and skill to cook like the locals do.

When I lived in Australia for many years, I hardly go to the Asian stores. I cooked and ate a lot of local products. The area I lived had a lot of immigrants such as Italians, Greeks, and Labonese. There are a lot of stores that sold mediterranean products. As times gone by, I started to acquired the love for mediterranean dishes. I love olive, fetta cheese, and all kind of food that I can find in Sydney market. I remembered I used to cook a lot of lamb chop because lamb was so cheap then in Sydney. I used to grill or bake lamb with mint. It was one of the easiest and cheapest food you could have. I remembered a short stint in K.L, a male friend took me to a very expensive restaurant @ Ampang road in K.L. He probably wanted to impress me , he ordered one of the most expensive dishes, lamb with mint sauce. When I looked at the price of the dish, I did not have the heart to tell me ,' A so-chai, don't be stupid lah, don't spend that kind of $, lets eat something local lah.' However, I have learned not to rub man ego long time ago, so I let him ordered the lamb. I of course lied the biggest lie, told him it's the best lamb I had ever ate in my life. Yes, girls can lie through their teeth.

I am one who don't believe in cooking food that required ingredients from oversea. To me now oversea is Malaysia, so I won't cook as much curry, laksa, sambah Belachan, TomYan etc...than say when I was in Malaysian or Brunei. I found it more practical to cook food that I can find ingredients locally. Of course, I do cook Malaysian food now and then, more so when I have guests over for dinner or for our Indonesian / Malaysian fellowship meals.

I found it ironic that a lot of Asians go to a great length to show off that they are Westernized. They go to a 'high class' Western Restaurant, just to have steak and roti ; or even more ironic to Victorian station to have some Spaghetti and roti. Why eat steaks with knife when you have so many tasty nice delicious Asian food ? And the other ironic thing which I don't understand is when when they live oversea, they will go high and low looking for Yeo Hap Seng soya sauce ? You tell me Why ? I don't understand.

I have an opposite mind set, when I live in US, I eat steak, potatoes and cheese. When I lived in Malaysia, I ate Kuching Laksa, Belachan Bee Hoon and drink Puak :)-. I don't need to show off that I am Westernized lah because I am not. I still pick my nose at public, ha ha ha ha.

Today I cook quiche again. This is one of the easiest dish you could ever cook.

Pie crest , left over pork, frozen spinach, onion, eggs/milk, and today I added pepperroni !















Quiche with a side salad with fetta cheese

9 comments:

CRIZ LAI said...

Wow...good food again. I do missed quiche. Nowadays, some of the burger stalls even serve burger with side dishes too.

Sometimes, I felt that some people tends to overspend on food in high class places. Well, when someone has been long away from their birth place, they would love to savour all the local food rather than to consume food that they got bored with back in their new home.

I just wonder why it never struck them in the first place. As for me, I would always ask for their opinion before I even book a place for meals. I have visitor from many countries before, some of them have migrated for more than 10 years.

They prefer Char Koay Teow, etc. Even an Australian friend of mine enjoyed taking durians. And I thought Ang Moh hates durians. I was surprised too.

Well I must say lots of Westerners are very adventurous with food, not like our Asian counterparts.

JamyTan said...

U know Criz, I am a very down to earth person, I am least pretentious. A lot of people don't like my too straight forward attitude but that is tough !

I personally think craving for food from homeland is natural and it is good to cook now and then. And going to high end restaurant is ok if you want some food that are not offer in the hawker stalls but to go there to 'tien hong' is another thing :)

U know I cannot stand people who said one things and do another. Like saying they are so patrotic but stay in Dubai to earn $ all their lives ? Apa ini ?

I remembered before I left for US to meet my then internet bf, I was having lunch with some of my gfs in Brunei. As usual after lunch, I picked up a tooth pick, cleaned my teeth and picked my ear with the other end of the tooth pick. One of my gfs screamed at me , 'Aiya, Why u so 'bo quan' , when u go visit John, make sure u don't pick yr teeth, your ear with tooth pick, he sure will run away.'.

I said, 'Aiya, why so mafan u people, if he likes me, he has to like the real me, not the me who is superficial'.

Thanks for commenting. I am so very touch by your Mr T entry.

CRIZ LAI said...

Gosh...I think I'm crazy to swap comments at this time of the day. It's 4.19am here :P

P/s: Thanks anyway for your support :)

JamyTan said...

Yes, I saw the time and wonder what is this guy not sleeping ? still on the net ?

Wuching said...

aiya, i miss malaysian food everyday wei!

Blur Mommy said...

Ooooo... I love quiche. Must go make it soon. I love all food, Italian, Malaysian, Mexican etc.. depending on my stomach's mood!! : )

Bee Ean said...

Jamy,

In Malaysia we go to eat western food once a while for a change, also to try other kind of cuisine. But if you ask me to eat western food everyday in Malaysia, no way!!

Here in France, I'm craving for Malaysian food especially noodles. I can eat French food everyday, now I start to like their different kind of cheeses, but still I just can't have the 100% switch.

JamyTan said...

BE,
U don't have to switch 100%. Just do 2 days Malaysian and some days local meals.
I do Asian meal sometimes , easy ones. Eg.
1.steam (egg+minced meat)
2.steam chicken + lemon glass + ginger
3.Boil (soya sauce + honey/sugar + five spice + garlic + chic + Chinese mushroom) + add on boiled hard egg
4. stir fly (Lup chiong (chinese sausage) + eggs )

Like these I do but I won't do anything that need a lot of chop chop Chinese spice / sambah etc...

Unknown said...

Living overseas, I'm like Bee - I crave Malaysian food. I tend to cook rice everyday...or at least once every 2 days - I can't go without my rice!