The Help

Assalammualaikum, 

It has been a long time since I last did a book review on my blog. Well, it is actually been too long since I ever updating everything. This is because my laptop is moving so slow and it gets me fade up waiting it to upload pictures, or even to write a sentence! And the reason why I started to write again is because I just bought an Ipad last March. It is so convenient because I can carry it everywhere and most important it has a Blogspot apps. And that explains if you recently noticed I updated my blog quite frequent. 

During my pregnancy, I surrounded myself with pregnancy books and magazines, reading the same thing over and over again (it does help me a bit). But hands-on experience is the one that taught you a lot. Books are as guidelines only. Too much of pregnancy motherhood books, looking at endless babies and fetus diagrams making me sneaking my time off by reading The Help. 

By the title, it may seems like a boring spiritual book or something, well at least that was what I thought. But it is totally not. It changed when I watched the movie with the same title "The Help" on HBO. The movie is based from this book. The word 'HELP' is not a symbolic or intangible, not even an action, it litterally means the help, a helper or a maid by an easier definition. 

Basically, this book is revolved in the era around 1960s whereby the racism was still a main issue in US. This book described how these Black community were being bullied and manipulated. Note, there was no slavery involved. The story took place among the house helpers in the Jackson neighbourhood and stories they shared about their employer. The whites then were looking at these Blacks as disease carriers that every house were required to build an outdoor toilet. Yes, they can't share the toilets, they can't eat in the same restaurant with the whites, they went to cinemas designated for them, different church and so on. 

Then, there come this white writer who is different from the rest who just graduated from college and dream to become a writer in New York. She got an idea to write story from different perspective hence the story from the helpers itself. So, she started gather stories from one helper to another and compiled them all to make this book. It was a challenge as the helpers were all afraid the consequences they may faced by speaking up. So, the writer then changed the name of all characters and writing as anynomous. 

It is a very good book. It is sad, funny and touching at the same time. If you like the movie, you'll be liking this book. If you like the book, you will like the movie. Hahaha. Don't worry, this book uses a simple English, so you no need to carry the dictionary around. Happy reading. I gave this book 4 out of 5. 

                               

   

Daging Dendeng from Diari Mangkuk Tingkat

Assalammualaikum.

I just finished cooking daging dendeng at my MIL's kitchen. Thought of sharing the recipes while waiting for my son to wake up to bathe him and to fry my roti sardin later from that. Talking about being a Mom ey? 

Most of the recipes I've read in the internet on daging dendeng are quite tedious, a lot of ingredients and include many steps. Not until I watched Diari Mangkuk Tingkat when the cook, Ms Ili Sulaiman made this dishes looking so easy but tasted like the original Padang daging dendeng! I love her version better pasal kebanyakan daging dendeng yang aku pernah rasa macam terlalu complicated. They're like identity confused between Daging Masak Hitam dan Daging Rendang. Hahaha. Her recipes are pretty straightforward. I love the show so much. I hope they would air next season soon! There are at least two or three recipes I've tried and have become my favourite since. 

So, here goes daging dendeng recipes. I modified this recipes a bit. Adding extra ingredients.

Bahan Perap Daging

500g daging lembut - daging batang pinang. Hiris nipis-nipis

Serbuk lada hitam

Garam secubit

Goreng daging sehingga garing dan ketepikan. Dalam show #dmt, dia tak tumbuk, tapi aku tumbuk untuk bagi extra lembut. Daging kalau goreng terlebih garing kan keras, pasal tu aku tumbuk. 

                                

                                                        Goreng daging

                                

                                                Daging selepas digoreng

                               

                                                     Daging selepas ditumbuk 

Bahan tumis 1

6 batang cili merah

3 ulas bawang putih

1 biji bawang besar

Cili padi kampung - 20 batang (because I am Minang)

Blend semua bahan dengan sedikit air. Ketepikan. 

                             

Bahan tumis 2

2 batang cili merah

1 biji bawang besar

Tumbuk kedua-dua bahan ni, tak perlu hancur halus. Tumbuk kasar je.

                              

Bahan-bahan lain

1 biji limau nipis (optional)

1 sudu kecil gula

Garam

1 sudu kecil apple cider vinegar (optional)

Cara-cara

1) Panaskan minyak dan tumis bahan tumis yang ditumbuk kasar tadi.

                              

2) Agak-agak dah garing, boleh masukkan bahan tumis blend tadi dan kacau. 

                                

3) Masukkan gula, garam, perahan limau nipis dan apple cider. Teruskan kacau sehingga naik minyak. 

4) Apabila cili sudah garing dan minyak dah naik, boleh masukkan daging. Gaul rata dan tutup api. 

                             

                                           Macam ni rupa terbit minyak tu

Sedia dihidang.....wallah! 

                                

Sumpah sedap. Totally recommended. Thanks Ili Sulaiman for sharing this recipe on your show. 

Bergedil Tuna

Assalammualaikum.

Salam Ramadhan to all, guess it is still not too late to wish kan? I love Ramadhan, I do not why but in this holy month I always find it is fun and excited to cook everything. Mesti nak masak itu ini dengan kuih berbagai-bagai. 

So, last week, on the first weekend of Ramadhan, I made my signature dish Bergedil Tuna. Why I called it signature because my family in law love it and it is also the first dish I gave to my husband when were started to be friends years ago. Like the saying in the movie 100 foot journey, food is memories. It is indeed :) 

I used Tuna instead of our usual minced meat because I do not need to be cooked first and it's easier and can be done in shorter time. Resepi senang dan murah, lepas tu sedap, so nak apa lagi kan?!

                                

Resepi:

4-5 biji kentang - peeled, potong kiub & goreng

Tuna 1 tin - I use Ayam Brand Tuna Pedas (jangan beli yang ada mayonaise pulak)

                                

Daun bawang & Daun sup - hiris halus

Bawang goreng - 1 paket

1 biji telur

Garam

Serbuk lada hitam

Serbuk pati ikan bilis

2 biji telur - untuk celup dan goreng

Cara-cara

1) Kentang yang dah dipotong kiub tadi, goreng dan ketepikan.

                              

2) Lenyek kentang sehingga hancur. To cut down time, I use dry blender or Tupperware manual blender. Senang, mudah, pantas dan confirm hancur. Kalau guna food masher, susah sikit pasal kentang dah goreng ni keras sikit, lambat nak hancur. 

                              

3) Masukkan garam, serbuk lada hitam dan serbuk pati ikan bilis. Gaul. Use your hand is easier. 

                              

4) Masukkan semua bahan lain; tuna, bawang goreng, daun bawang/sup dan telur. Gaul lagi menggunakan tangan sehingga sebati. 

5) Bentukkan adunan menjadi bergedil. Ikut korang lah, ada yang suka besar, ada suka bulat-bulat, ada suka leper-leper. Ketepikan.

As per picture, I made it into small ball shape to accomodate with my MIL's Soto Ayam.

      

     

6) Panaskan minyak dalam kuali dan pecahkan telur 2 biji serta kacau.

7) Celup bergedil tadi ke dalam telur dan goreng. Tak perlu goreng lama sangat, kentang kan dah masak dah.

It is always good to eat this with rice and it's even better to eat it on its own. Happy trying! 

                 

First Weaning

Assalammualaikum.

My baby has turned 6 months old earlier this month and that means it is now the to introduce him to solid!! It's another milestone for my baby's life journey. It is an adventure for Mommy too! I have been so nervous planning on his weaning. I have planned months ahead on the suitable tools and his weaning paraphernalia. These are the list of items I bought (freak Mommy is always enjoy shopping to make sure everything is complete!).

        

1) Food blender

I thought of getting a Beaba babycook as it has both functions; to cook and to blend without having to switch to another equipment. But, as advised by my personal shopper, Kak Onepekjah, she claimed, the baby grows and soon you know, you won't be needing it anymore. Plus, it doesn't come cheap also! I gotta agree on this one because I am learning from my experience whereby I bought a lot of unnecessary newborn stuffs which I only used them for a short time. So, I got my hand on this instead. It's Tommee Tippee blender. It is cheap and convenient. My review is, this thing is handy and light. The downside are, it cannot blend too much of food or else it won't work if the food exceed its capacity. it also unable too blend for a long time or it will be overworked and became hot. It is rather not convenient to me as I usually make a big batch for a week's worth of frozen stock. Sometimes also, it will leak if the food is too watery making the cup slippering and difficult to lock/unlock especially when it doesn't have a handle. I think it will be great if you want to make a rough blend not the fine puree. Maybe it will be more useful when my baby is older and has teeth so I could make his puree thicker. 

          

         

Today I just received my baby bullet blender set as to supplement my existing one. I think this set is kind of worth the money as it only cost RM115 and it has everything like blender, miller, storage cups, spatula and even the recipe book. Great bargain, huh? Little that I knew, if you search on Lazada, they are a lot of great deals for this baby bullet. The cheapest I've ever came across is RM80! 

*update: I have used my baby bullet the other day and there is no turning back! I love it soooooo much. So easy to use. With its big bowl, I could make an entire week of food in one shot! The only downside is that, I found the storage jar is too small for me. Looks like my Tommee Tippee blender going to sit in a box after this..

I was thinking to buy a baby bullet steamer too, unfortunately it is not available in Malaysia. I've read so many good reviews on this steamer as it is small, handy and easy to use. It would be great especially to those who have limited spaces in their kitchen. And, if it's small, it is easy to clean too hahaha. I've checked the price on Amazon, after converted to MYR, it costed RM100+ but the shipping cost is RM800+ making the total cost RM900+!! Gila kepala hotak dia!! I can get a Beaba 2 in 1 steamer+blender with such price! For the time being, I am trying my luck on Ebay Malaysia. 

I've booked a Tefal steamer from Onepekjah but I think it is too big and bulky for making baby food. Maybe I will keep it for our household personal use. 

          

                                         

2) Food Storage

As a working mother, this is another essential items you must have. Since I only be able to make my baby's food during weekend, I need a convenient storage that could fit the freezer. I bought baby cubes from Bebetotz and Tommee Tippee food storage. Note, do not buy this baby cube at Mothercare. The price is RM53 whereby at Bebetotz is only RM29! The Tommee Tippee food storage also I got it cheaper at Fabulous Mom. 

        

I also use Beaba multi-portions silicone for food storage. Beaba is a very famous brand in baby products and most of their stuffs doesn't come cheap. But i bet it's because of the quality. This silicone tray is very easy to use. It's very soft making the process of taking out the food very easy. I bought this via online at the price of RM80. I want to buy in pink and mint colour but they ran out of stocks. 

                                   

3) Cutleries & eating utensils

Once again, I bought Tommee Tippee set for my baby's eating utensils. It is easier to buy in set as it consist a bowl, 2 storage cups, sipping cup and 3 spoons. I think this is a great buy rather than if you have to buy it individually. 

          

4) Bibs

This is very important! When your baby started eating, you'll be prepared for the mess! I am lucky to have my sister in law to provide me the hands-down clothes and bibs. But being an excited first time mother of course I wanted to buy some of new ones too! I got them mostly from Mothercare. For the Tommee Tippee rolls up bib, I have yet to try simply because it stated there starting from 7 months and my baby is only 6 months. Hahaha. But, from the first look, I think it would be great because it required no washing! 

                   

   

                   

5) Recipe Book

Of course you have to have a recipe book! I got one from Annabel Karmel. Every mothers should have known her. She is like a Guru in kids culinary world. She is the baby diet expert. Every recipe is easy to make and have the explanation on its content and tips on kitchen too. I highly recommended this recipe book. Like serious! I think my baby is going to grow up eating most from her menu! Habislah tak ajar anak makan nasi! Hahaha. 

                  

                                  

                         

6) Warmer

Of course, when you made a frozen stocks, you would need a warmer to heat up the food. All of the food storage are microwave friendly, but I prefer not to use microwave as far as I could. I would use my Tommee Tippee bottle/food warmer to heat up my baby's food. This warmer comes together with my Tommee Tippee complete starter kit which I purchased when I was pregnant. A bit time consuming to wait for the food to be warmed but it is of course a healthier choice!

                              

7) Boon Squirt

This is a magical spoooooon! It's actually a handy spoon which you can fill it with baby's puree at the bottom and squeeze it to release the food when feeding your baby. Thus, you need no bowl anymore. Such a hassle -free invention! The only downside of this spoon is that the food hole is so tiny. So, only a very fine watery puree could pass through. I think it's great to use when you only started introducing solid to your little one because at this stage all puree must be really fine and thin. 

                 

8) Fresh Feeder

I also bought this just because I see everyone's baby has it! Hahaha. I haven't use it yet because my baby still not fully developed his gripping yet. 

        

The first food that I feed my baby was a puree made of apple and pear with a little of my baby's usual milk. The reason why we put our baby's milk in there is because to make the baby easier to accept the food when the smell something familiar. Besides that, it also makes the puree finer. My baby really enjoys his meal and he even couldn't get enough of it! Sometimes, he would try to stuff his face into the feeding bowl if we are delaying giving him the next spoon! Like, lambat sangat korang ni, meh sini saya masukkan muka terus! Hahaha. 

                                   

When you first introducing solid, you have to apply the 4-days rule. That is to give your baby the same food for 4 days in a row for the purpose of detecting if your baby has any allergies to any food type, just in case. My first menu and second menu, carrot puree turned out to be ok. When I tried to give hi, sweet potato mixed with carrot, oh boy, it was a painful experience! As usual, my baby enjoyed eating it, but the consequences was he had a very bad colic!! He cried non-stop and didn't sleep at all! My husband and I had to take Emergency Leave a day after we first gave him sweet potato. My baby still has about 5 portion of sweet potato frozen stocks and I gave them all to my nephew who is 8 months old now. He seems ok eating it, Alhamdulillah the food is not wasted. 

As for now, I am still thinking of what menu should I feed him next. I am thinking butternut squash or maybe green peas. Or maybe banana and avocado sounds good too. I am now waiting for my other 'toys' to arrive. I ordered a Beaba multi portions food storage and Annabel Karmel's food smasher. I can't wait to play with my new toy soon and maybe I will write a review about it soon! 

Until then, bye! 

                               

Hanif Aiden says: please pray that my Mommy able to feed me by her cooking from the freshest and healthiest ingredients as long as she could.