chayohome2020

Panic-Cooking and Plum Sauce Pork

A friend, who is a young working mother of two, asked: “How do you think I should start? Should I just cook on and off to gain confidence, or should I actually start by planning proper meals for a whole week?” That is a hard question to answer, given that she is a working mumContinue reading “Panic-Cooking and Plum Sauce Pork”

Nature’s Gift @Home – How Does your Garden Grow?

by Andrea Pavee When Covid-19 rolled across the world and wreaked havoc across countries, cultures, and peoples, Governments ostensibly initiated lockdowns to halt (at best), or stem (at least) the raging infections. Malaysia joined that bandwagon and our lockdown, colloquially known as the Movement Control Order (MCO), started on March 18. Little did we knowContinue reading “Nature’s Gift @Home – How Does your Garden Grow?”

A Bunch of Humble Wonders

What are humble wonders? They are the things you don’t give much thought to, but they add a whole load of flavour to your food (and life!). On Monday I found a potted plant by the gate and wondered what it was and what it was doing there. From the smell of the leaves, itContinue reading “A Bunch of Humble Wonders”

End of Season Recipes: Pomelo salad and Basil Leaf Minced Pork

If you are in Singapore and you have just finished celebrating the Lunar New Year, you might have the same problem I had. I bought too many sets of Lo Hei ingredients, without anticipating the restrictions and precautionary measures brought about by Covid 19. “What to do?”, I asked myself. I remembered our family doctorContinue reading “End of Season Recipes: Pomelo salad and Basil Leaf Minced Pork”

Enjoy an Antipasto

An antipasto is a starter or an appetizer that comes before a meal, but it can also be a snack or a light meal in itself. Bruschetta is an antipasto. For those of us who are used to pizza and pasta as main Italian meals in themselves, it may come as a surprise that pastaContinue reading “Enjoy an Antipasto”

Andrea’s Advice: Time to Get your Home Hacks Together!

If you meet Andrea, you will never imagine that once upon a time she was happily living a “life of order in disorder”, as she now describes it. She comes across as an organised and efficient lady who gets things done! When we had a chat about this blog, she got straight to business: “WhenContinue reading “Andrea’s Advice: Time to Get your Home Hacks Together!”

Val’s Amazing Lunch Boxes

What’s amazing about Val’s lunch boxes is that Val cooks the most amazing meals while coping with a demanding job as a nurse during the pandemic. We can imagine healthcare professionals arriving home exhausted with little time to rest before reporting to work again. I had heard a lot about Val’s famous lunch boxes, soContinue reading “Val’s Amazing Lunch Boxes”

P’Pew’s Mum’s Arroy Chicken Recipe

P’Pew is a childhood friend of mine. You might be wondering how to pronounce P’Pew. (The P’ is pronounced as the letter P, so it is “Pee Pew”.) Phi or P’ is the way Thais address an older person in a familiar way. It actually means “elder brother” or “elder sister”. The idea is thatContinue reading “P’Pew’s Mum’s Arroy Chicken Recipe”

A Reason for Every Season

I never really understood the expression “Season’s Greetings” on cards. One would be expected to be more specific about the season. I have been getting photographs from friends in different countries, and they all look the same because there is snow covering gardens and garden furniture. It’s definitely the season of winter. In many countriesContinue reading “A Reason for Every Season”

“The Coconut is Not a Nut” Story

I don’t know if you have heard Ryan Cayabyab’s song “Da Coconut Nut“. It talks about the coconut not being a nut. The coconut is not a nut, it’s a fruit, although there has been lengthy discussions on the issue. But it’s not just a fruit, it’s an amazing fruit. I discovered its amazing propertiesContinue reading ““The Coconut is Not a Nut” Story”