Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Dotter Turns Two

I remember the conversation as if it were yesterday. You see, I have always had this "tradition" of bringing a kid with me to the coffee shop for breakfast on Friday mornings. First, it was dotter no 1, until she went to kindy. Then it was boy no 1, (kid no 2), who used to lift his bowl of half boil egg and go "cheers". Then he went of to kindy. Then it was boy no 2, (kid no 3), the chubby little lad, who whacked adult portions... and I really felt the "pinch" knowing that the following year, (2006), when baby boy went to kindy, I'll have no more coffee shop babies left. ...that is until one morning, when wife told me, "looks like you'll have your coffee shop baby afterall".

9 months later, baby girl was born, and a few weeks ago, she turned TWO. (years). Where have the years gone? I still feel sprightly as a spring chicken on heat, and can stay up late at parties and dinners, (except when I'm pumped on antibiotics), .... I don't look a day older from the day girl no 1 was born... I just look 10 years older, granted, ... but as that charming song says, "Fairtytales, can come true, it can happen to you, when you're young at heart".....

Of all my kids, she is the most "shy", and doesn't take to strangers (as in strangers to her, but friends to me) unlike the first 3, who chat with you like they've known you all their lives. (which of course, is true in the case of some of my friends). However, she is a feisty little one, and certainly demands her fair share of attention.

For her birthday, after a maniacal month of March which had the birthdays of my MIL, my dad and son #1, we thought we'd have a quite dinner at home with the extended family of uncles and aunts, cousins and grandparents.
Steamed pomfret chinese style, with lots of ginger and shallots. Very fresh. I think pomfret is my favourite fish, all types, white, black, tou tai, and gold. And cooked all ways, steamed, deep fried, assam.

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Our own version of KFC, which of course, in my opinion, tastes far better. Is it my imagination, or has KFC (chicken rice and their models aside) deteriorated over the years? The chicken to me taste manufactured.

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The usual fare of the crispy skin siu yoke from the Village Grocer. We used to be die hard Mr Ho's roast pork fans, and it IS probably still very good, it's just that the Village Grocer, being within walking distance from my office, is a more convenient location.

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A new discovery, that one of the family cooks, from my sister's household, can make lor mai kai. I recall Precious Pea had also made these in bulk before. Anyway, this homemade glutinous rice thingie was superb. Lots of quality ingredients, such as premium chinese sausage, mushroom, etc. I must learn this dish and procreate it in future dinners.


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Our signature home made Lam Mee. A gorgeous pork broth, with noodles, water convulvulus, (kangkong), bean sprouts, and big prawns. With the sambal belacan, this dish sometimes form a staple for dinner.

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There was other stuff too, which I forgot to shoot, like the Ju Hu Char, (Lettuce Wrapped With Some turnip filling), curry chicken, etc.

And finally, the burfday cake. It was a durian sponge cake.

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I think the durian filling wasn't overpowering enough. I like my durians STRONG, whether they be in cake, or otherwise. I don't see how to make this commercially viable, as there was already 400gms of pure durian flesh in there, and still tasted a bit weak to me.

I wonder if 20 years from now, I'll be blogging about my kids' weddings.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

"I must learn this dish and procreate it in future dinners."

And how does one procreate a fragrant bowl of lor mai kai? Might I suggest immaculate conception? Less messy, I hear.

And if we only knew the trials and travails of poor KFC chicken rice models... :P

fatboybakes said...

ooops, i must be mixing in the gutter too long. i meant RECREATE, RE-CREATE.
what trials and travails?

Precious Pea said...

Poor KFC is trying to woo back its customer by using lengjai model. And i think it works cos after seeing the ad, i had KFC for dinner the next day! Haha!

Loh Mai Kai..AHHA! How come i didn't think of that! I know what to serve to guests now.

Oh yah..HAPPY BIRTHDAY to your youngest angel!

Anonymous said...

Wahh.. you really doing your part to increase the population from 33.334% to 40%, eh? Good on you! ;)

With your fine serving spoons and distinguished pocket watch, you must strike quite an illustrious figure esp with your 4 kids all lined up in a row.. :D

Were you trying to make Gumby ah? Can't wait to see your version of a wedding cake! :D

KFC is crap here. The chicken tastes fine, quite good actually, but the mix of 11 herbs and spices seem to have some herbs and spices missing. Crispy but tasteless.

Spot said...

Oh dear...poor cookie monster. :)

Bake With Yen only got tartura unsalted. Snowdrop doesn't like using that...says it's too oily. We generally use Anchor.

HairyBerry said...

wah, such a heart-warming post. suddenly, that beautiful "daughter" song from john mayer comes to mind. 2 boys, 2 girls..put it into chinese characters and you'll get "hoe, hoe" or "good, good". awww....

and is that sesame street's cookie monster on the cake???

daphne said...

Happy belated birthday to your 'dotter' . May I add that looked like a fine dinner as well.

Looking forward to the "how i feel as my daughter walks down the aisle" post =) that is going to be one mighty feast!

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

so sweet lar...can picture all of it happening..1st boy that still remember my name..2nd boy that looks abit like the younger me (you better save up for more half boiled eggs)..

looks like u got a couple more years with ur 2nd dotter b4 u ned to consider looking for another dotter to accompany u to brekkie.

Simon Seow said...

I like this "Is it my imagination, or has KFC (chicken rice and their models aside) deteriorated over the years?"

When it comes to fast food, KFC is never on my list nowadays. The Nasi Ayam Satu model sure is not deteriorating. LOL.

sc said...

awwww..that's really sweet.. somehow this post (and your prediction in 20 years time) reminds me of the song butterfly kisses..

Anonymous said...

Cookie monster looks a bit penyet hor. I like the half eaten cookie on it, though. The heart decorations on the cake are pretty...bet you got your firstborn to decorate it for you. I love your No.4. If I recall correctly, she wasn't shy around me. Para 1 and Pic 6 both brought tears to my eyes, but for different reasons.

fatboybakes said...

LL, yalar, dont laugh at my deco...however in this instance, i used ready made sugar paste, and added blue coloring to it, which was liquid, and made the sugarpaste very soft. so cookie, literally evolved into that shape from a much more streamlined shape....prophetic of life in general i guess. laugh some more la... i shall be sending some curses your way during your next culinary attempt.
why would para 1 bring tears to your eyes?

sc, i know, that song always tugs at my heartstrings.

simon, i know, the ONLY reason i MIGHT step into a KFC now is really to taste this chicken rice made famous by you know who. (but you know who doesnt last very late at parties one ler... 9.30 oridi bedtime)

nipples, what other dotter? aiyo, after this one goes to kindy, i'll be looking for hot chicks to accompany me for breakfast liao. i say this since wife doesnt read this blog anyway...so i'm safe.

daphne, aiyo, i think by then, blogging might be passe la. but i can imagine the scene. already picked out her wedding march, which ironically, unbeknownst to her, is one of her pieces that she herself can play really well on the piano.

nickhkl, sssh, all that mattered was that baby girl knew it was cookie monster, and keeps asking to see the picture. that alone is armor against the mockery flung my way by that nefarious lemongrass character.

spot, tartura is a creamery butter, and all creamery butters, like golden churn, etc, seem to be a bit more oily. but i've used it and generally i cant tell the end difference. in fact, quite fragrant leh...the price of anchor is staggering aint it!!!! its doubled since we started baking. btw, please invite me to be your blog reader.... tried to get on, but failed, and snowies last post is a year ago.

kat, i wasnt consciously doing my part to increase any population...these dam roman catholic contraception methods just dont work. (the "rhythm method", konon)...

precious pea, yalor, some more your lohmai kai looks damn good.

Anonymous said...

No photo of birthday girl ? She must be really cute. Durian cake looks really yummy..

Rarebeet said...

awwww... You make me miss my father. Sigh. Its great how you have these rituals with your children. Happy belated!

p.s/ am a sucker for lo mai fahn. simply cannot resist!

Anonymous said...

Para 1 brought tears to my eyes for good reasons la (I'm not always a nefarious character okay). Very touching to hear about coffee shop babies. *sob* (that's a tear, not an acronym for something else.)

fatboybakes said...

benelemongrass, hmmph, so uncharacteristically sentimental one?

paps, do you know my dad knew your dad? yar, i remember ur dad passed away very prematurely. sigh.

min, wife tak bagi tarok children's pics on blog. thanks to some ppl's comments like, "wah, you not scared ah, put chewdren's pics on blog".

UnkaLeong said...

Hahaha...Excuse me, bedtime is 10.30 most days. Please tell her Uncle Leong wishes her a Happy Belated B'day.

Argus Lou said...

Love the burfday smurfday cake you decorated. Although I don't like durian flavour, I like the blue guy sittin' in the middle with a half-eaten cookie. (Cookie Monster ke?) So cute.