chayohome2020

“Stretching the Turkey” lesson

For some reason, turkey isn’t everyone’s favourite meat, especially in South East Asia. It might be because you need an oven to bake it in, and not every household has a big oven or an oven. Most of the time, when turkey is served at home (in South East Asia) it would be bought alreadyContinue reading ““Stretching the Turkey” lesson”

The Curry in a Hurry Lesson

At my first attempt at cooking curry, I learnt that I couldn’t cook curry in a hurry. It all started when I found what looked like a bar of soap with the words “coconut cream” and a curry recipe on it in a grocery store in London. It seemed like the solution to what doContinue reading “The Curry in a Hurry Lesson”

Cooking and the Web

The Internet has changed the way we learn. There is no doubt about it. There are people who have learnt to swim before entering the sea. I knew someone who loved to swim. She would be the first person swimming in the sea when we went to the beach. The amazing thing is that sheContinue reading “Cooking and the Web”

The Priceless Gift

I started my first job during the time that there was “car-pooling” to work. It meant that if there were four people in a car, there wasn’t a need to pay the toll to get into the CBD area (Central Business District). The lady who gave me a lift to work everyday lived in myContinue reading “The Priceless Gift”

Home Protection: Monkey-Proofing

I never imagined that “home safety and protection” could include protection from monkeys. Although, come to think of it, when I was a child, I had a shock when the neighbours called out to us from their fence to tell us that there was an intruder in our garden – an iguana! It was hugeContinue reading “Home Protection: Monkey-Proofing”

The Peking Duck Lesson

Cooking requires a lot of planning and organising, but once you are organised, cooking isn’t a so daunting, even if you have to do it everyday with a full-time job. There was a time when I would go to the wet market on Sundays in the morning, and then cook the meat dishes for theContinue reading “The Peking Duck Lesson”

Sweet Memories of Pumpkins and Rubies

The good news for dessert-lovers is that Thai desserts are inexpensive to make. The not-so-good news is that they take a long time to make. I guess you can’t have your cake and eat it. I made Thai red ruby dessert (Tub Tim Grob) for the first time many years ago, and was surprised atContinue reading “Sweet Memories of Pumpkins and Rubies”

If you can read, you can cook

“If you can read, you can cook.” Zita. Zita is someone I met many years ago, who was a competent cook and a walking encyclopedia. She had a book, which I found very useful, on diet therapy for people with chronic conditions. It explained a number of common chronic conditions and why people with thoseContinue reading “If you can read, you can cook”

Chicken Bits with a Bite

If you are health conscious and avoid fried food, once in a while it’s good to have a “healthy diet cheat day”. It might not be so good for the health, but certainly good for the heart to have something that brings cheer. I came across a video of Mama Noi’s Kitchen on YouTube, showingContinue reading “Chicken Bits with a Bite”

Leftovers Makeovers

Trifle can mean “a thing of little value of importance” or it can mean “a cold dessert of sponge cake and fruit covered with layers of custard, jelly and cream”. There is art in recycling dessert. I always think of trifle when I think of recycling cake, mainly because I love jelly. But if youContinue reading “Leftovers Makeovers”