lannie

Apologies to any Aussies that were miffed by my roo bar statement. I wasn't trying to insinuate that Australia has kangaroos running amok all over the place. I suppose it is akin to people thinking that Canada is overrun by bears and beavers. ;-P However, I do hear that there are a lot of accidents involving kangaroos and other wildlife in the outback and other rural areas. BTW, when I was in Melbourne in the summer, I did find that there were an unusually high number of flies buzzing around - could really have used one of those cork hats.

Had kangaroo sausages while in Perth. They were sold in the local supermarket. The meat was dark, lean, and slightly gamey. There is an abundance of kangaroos running around, so most cars in Australia have 'Roo Bars' (an extra bumper for the front) in case they run into stray kangaroos on the roads.

This has been such an interesting topic to read, as I am embarking on a personal project to amass all the 'secret' recipes from my family. It appears that most are hesitant to divulge the recipes for their signature dishes, as I have only gotten 1 recipe so far. D'oh! Anyway, I shall persevere! I believe that recipes (especially ones that invoke fond memories of feasts with family and friends) should be catalogued for future generations.

If your colleague is adventurous, she should head over to the ubiquitous hawker centres that are near every bus interchange, located in each HDB Flat estate, sprinkled all over the downtown core, etc.. Most of them are hot, a little 'dirty', but, the food is amazing. A delicious plate of food can be had for S$2-5, with a drink costing about S$1. It is the best deal in town, and there are so many types of dishes from which to choose.

When I used to live in Japan, my Aussie flatmate used to whip up a tasty East-meets-West kabocha soup. He boiled up kabocha pieces until they could be mashed. Then, he sauteed onions, put in the mashed kabocha, added a little water, and seasoned with salt and pepper. Then, he swirled in a spoonful of sour cream before serving. It was pretty oishii! I aslo like kabocha tempura.

Just had a discussion about this with an Aussie friend this past weekend. Apparently, the Australians pronounce the drink as "My-lo" while Malaysians say "Mee-lo". Whenever I'm in Malaysia, one of our favourite drinks to order is "Milo-peng" or Ais Milo. It's Milo powder mixed with hot water and condensed milk, topped off with ice. I think parents give children Milo to drink because it is 'fortified' with vitamins. There are also Milo chocolate bars, and ice cream cups, too. I'm also a fan of Horlicks, and like the "Malties" candies. Oh yeah, another way we enjoy Milo is to sprinkle it over vanilla ice cream.

Hi pandangirl, Here's the recipe for Onde Onde that I use. Hope it works for you! Onde Onde Recipe 1 cylindrical piece of Gula Melaka 1/2 grated fresh coconut (desiccated will do, too) pinch of salt 180g sweet potatoes 240g glutinous rice flour 1 TBSP pandan juice (by pounding 4 leaves) *Optional*: a few drops of green pandan colouring pinch of salt 165ml water (more, if needed) 1. Cut Gula Melaka into small pieces, or grate (it will melt easier). 2. Mix grated coconut with pinch of salt and steam for 5 minutes. Put aside. 3. Steam the sweet potatoes until soft. While *hot*, peel and mash with a wooden spoon in a large bowl. 4. Add glutinous rice flour, pandan juice, (colouring), and pinch of salt. Knead together. Add water a little at a time, kneading well until the dough is smooth. 5. Divide dough into equal portions of about 1tsp each. Roll each into a ball. Flatten each ball lightly, and put a bit of Gula Melaka inside. Close up the edges and shape into a ball. 6. Drop a few balls at a time into boiling water. When they float, lift out and roll in the grated coconut.

Oh, I have to tout the most wonderful kueh that I had in Melaka (Malacca) a few years back: Putu Piring. It was made by some old guy at a little stall in front of his house using the usual steaming contraption (looks like little metal 'hats'). The huge (they were palm-sized disks of delectability) Putu Piring were warm, with a delicate steamed white outer shell encasing a beautifully balanced mixture of Gula Melaka (Palm Sugar) and freshly-grated coconut. *Sigh* Shiok! Also on that visit, we had a cousin who had cousins who owned a kueh 'factory' that operated out of their house. The array of fresh kueh that was produced there was simply amazing - needless to say, I personally sampled each and every one (quality control.....). Usually, I make Kueh Serikaya (green pandan custard over glutinous coconut milk rice), Kueh Dadar, or Onde Onde (green pandan balls covered in coconut with a burst of liquefied Gula Melaka in the centre). YUM!

I like the Dollar Food Mfg. Inc. brand (has a big red $ sign on it). The company is from Vancouver and also has a shop in Chinatown selling prepared meats (the "Kau Yuk" (steamed fatty pork and yam - a Hakka dish) is one of my favourites). Anyway, I like the "Pork and Chicken Liver" sausage. I think that it has much more flavour than the regular 'lap cheong'. Usually, I steam them and serve them with sliced cucumbers - a simple dish from my childhood. I also slice them up and use them in fried noodle dishes. They also taste good in Vietnamese-style salad rolls or Malaysian Popiah (a kind of spring roll). Sometimes, I just toss a few sausages into the rice cooker with the rice - voila, sausage-infused rice.........

Ahh... Chicken feet. It took me a while to learn to appreciate them (used to always wonder where those feet had been!). Yes, it is all about the texture and, if the sauce is prepared well, it is quite a tasty treat to suck at the 'toes' and then spit out the 'knuckle bones'! There are usually 2 different ways that they're prepared: in a dark sauce, or pickled (the feet remain a pallid white colour). I prefer the dark sauce.

A steaming bowl of Miso Nikomi Udon (popular in Aichi-ken) hits the spot on those cold winter nights...... The handmade noodles offer 'great resistance to the teeth', and the slightly bitter, but rich egg-laden miso broth warms the soul.

Hi, I'm a long time lurker, and this topic has inspired me to de-lurk and join in on the fun. In Nagoya, near Ikeshita Station, there is a fabulous hole-in-the-wall eatery called Pasta Piccola that serves an amazing pasta dish called "Kimchi Bacon Cream". It is a creamy based sauce with morsels of thickly-sliced Canadian back bacon and spicy kimchi. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water......