eG Foodblog : kew/Tepee

[Laksa]

Did you make the kuih kapit (love letters)? Strangely, I like soft kuih kapit that's been left out for too long as much as the fresh crispy ones - it's fun to try and slowly unfold them  .

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Yeah, that's very strange, Shiewie. What else do you do that's strange?

So does anyone know if kueh kapit has its origins in Kapit, Sarawak?

TP, how big is that floss bun? Next to the bear, it appears to be as big as a cantaloupe. Just imagine how much miracle whip is in there!

[Tepee]

Did you make the kuih kapit (love letters)? Strangely, I like soft kuih kapit that's been left out for too long as much as the fresh crispy ones - it's fun to try and slowly unfold them  .

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Yeah, that's very strange, Shiewie. What else do you do that's strange?

So does anyone know if kueh kapit has its origins in Kapit, Sarawak?

TP, how big is that floss bun? Next to the bear, it appears to be as big as a cantaloupe. Just imagine how much miracle whip is in there!

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LOL, I'll leave you in the good hands of Shiewie and Kew, for the first 2 questions!

On the bun, let's say it'll be a miracle if my kids can eat anything bigger than my fist.

Gotta run.....

[Laksa]

dau mieu (shoots)

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These are known here as pea shoots.

What Malaysians commonly call yams are known here as taro.

TP, what are those brown fruits, in front of the boxes of mandarins, and behind the pineapples?

[helenjp]

they kept saying they missed my cooking

No way to stay out of the kitchen with encouragement like that!

list of local, English, and botanical names for Singapore foods botanical names not 100% reliable, but then botanists move plants from one category to another every time they're bored.

Thanks for the pix, I'd never seen kaffir lime, and didn't know it had that double leaflet shape! Did you know that the southern part of South East Asia is thought to be the origin of citrus species?! (Did you even want to know?? )

Japanese food has South East Asian roots...looking at all the fresh herbs you use reminds me strongly of that.

Your almond drink reminds me of the almond tea we used to sell in the Chinese grocery where I worked...but I bet it's not even half as sweet!

[helenjp]

Pea shoots...they're very trendy in Japan at the moment. Except, of course, they don't sell them loose, but in packets where they are all grown to EXACTLY the same length! We had some with flounder, yum.

So how do you make this old cucumber and lotus root soup (she says, peering at the lotus root in her fridge...)?

[Abra]

<blush> Thanks for the much-needed history lesson, guys. But I sure didn't see signs in Dutch in Indonesia, which only emphasizes how differently colonialism affected different countries. And cuisines, undoubtedly. Wow, would that be an interesting topic!

[Laksa]

Japanese food has South East Asian roots...

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How.... err... how did that happen, do you suppose?

[Makan King]

I love those CNY cookies! Love letters in Singapore are rolled into hollow cigar-sized shapes, rather than folded into quarters. I think they are called kueh belanda rather than kueh kapit. Love letters, pineapple tarts and kueh bangkit are my all-time favorite CNY snacks.

[Pan]

[...]I sure didn't see signs in Dutch in Indonesia[...]

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That's no coincidence, but I fear that addressing that issue further would take us away from a focus on food, so I'll merely refer you to a page where you can begin to look at the history of Dutch colonialism in what's now Indonesia. And I think I'll leave it at that.

[spaghetttti]

Oh. My. God. Kew,Tepee & Shiewie!!!

Tears of joy are just rolling down my cheeks, I'm so enraptured with this blog! I can relate to most everything here. If I don't get a chance to later, let me thank you now for a most enjoyable virtual trip to Malaysia. I hope to take a real one soon.

Chicken floss buns! Just had one yesterday from Bread Talk. Nothing like it for a quick snack while strolling through the mall. Adore them as well as the fire floss - beef floss with a kick!

[helenjp]

Japanese food has South East Asian roots...

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How.... err... how did that happen, do you suppose?

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Not *just* South East Asian routes, of course, but somehow, sometime, South East Asian culture has influenced Japan.

musings on Japan's dual identity

That's the potted version of the academic debate which has raged for the past decade or so on exactly how and to where humans spread after they reached Southeast Asia. There is clear linguistic, genetic, and cultural evidence in south and west Japan, the question is how and when it got there...

But that's enough, don't want to derail our bloggers!

[Pam R]

I am completely loving your blog. I have no idea what most of the foods you're writing (and showing) us are - which is the best part. I'm envious of your weather and your plants though

Thanks for sharing.

[JustKay]

Helen ... about the big pandanus plant you posted .... those are called mengkuang here. They mainlygrow by the swamp? seaside?. And yes, they are poisonous and the leaves are sharp. They are mainly used for making crafts like tikar tikar = mat, hats and baskets.

The pandan plant I posted is the kind that is used in cooking.

And then there's another pandan, bigger and more fibrous and is not edible.

[Tepee]

So how do you make this old cucumber and lotus root soup (she says, peering at the lotus root in her fridge...)?

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Very quickly....Helen, do you have pork ribs or chicken, groundnuts and dried squid? These plus the cucumber and lotus root makes a great soup. If you don't want your cucumber to end up too mushy, add it later. But the groundnuts have to be in from the start. Some people stuff glutinous rice (I've done that b4) into the lotus root holes. When the soup is done, remove the root and slice (thin or chunky) slightly diagonally.

I'm in a bit of a rush right now, but I can't keep away from this blog. So glad to see others enjoying it as much as us.

[Tepee]

Was a good girl today. So I made "soup for girls". In the soup is a Spring Chicken, fresh shiitake mushrooms, Dong Gui (angelica sinensis), Dong Sum (codonopsis pilosula), Gei Zi (wolfberry/boxthorn berry/lycium barbarum), Red Dates. Added mee sua and cos lettuce to make up lunch.

The little one gets to have her chicken shredded.

[JustKay]

TP, what are those brown fruits, in front of the boxes of mandarins, and behind the pineapples?

Can't see quite clearly but maybe they're cempedaks?

[JustKay]

Hey, Pam! I am always excited to see a Canadian. Hmph ... I wonder why.

I did feel a tad foolish to be taking the plant pictures and posting them, but am glad though that people enjoyed them.

I'm envious of your weather and your plants though 

I bet. You must be totally bombed by the snow by now.

Edited March 11, 2005 by kew (log)

[JustKay]

Oh. My. God. Kew,Tepee & Shiewie!!!

Tears of joy are just rolling down my cheeks, I'm so enraptured with this blog!  I can relate to most everything here.  If I don't get a chance to later, let me thank you now for a most enjoyable virtual trip to Malaysia.  I hope to take a real one soon.

You're welcome, and thank you for joining us in this blog.

I sure hope to meet you when you visit. Do plan a stopover in Putrajaya.

[JustKay]

So does anyone know if kueh kapit has its origins in Kapit, Sarawak?

I have no idea As far as I remember it, my Grandma made them herself after being taught by my Chinese grandfather. They are such a pain to make. And the mold was rather heavy too.

At that time, Kuih Kapit was very much a Chinese kuih. Nowadays, they are probably considered as a Malay kuih as well. I sure see them all the time during Eid.

The art of making the perfect love letter

Like most things great from the past, perfect Kuih Kapits are hard to find. They are usually thicker, therefore 'harder' and overly sweet. The ones I remember my Grandparents make were rather thin and very crispy - breaks easily.

This reminds me of another kuih that was once considered a Chinese kuih - Kuih Bangkit. Bangkit is a Malay word meaning 'to rise'.

see a kuih bangkit recipe here

click here to see a picture of Tepee's Kuih Bangkit

Edited March 11, 2005 by kew (log)

[Shiewie]

So does anyone know if kueh kapit has its origins in Kapit, Sarawak?

I have no idea As far as I remember it, my Grandma made them herself after being taught by my Chinese grandfather. They are such a pain to make. And the mold was rather heavy too.

At that time, Kuih Kapit was very much a Chinese kuih. Nowadays, they are probably considered as a Malay kuih as well. I sure see them all the time during Eid.

The art of making the perfect love letter

Like most things great from the past, perfect Kuih Kapits are hard to find. They are usually thicker, therefore 'harder' and overly sweet. The ones I remember my Grandparents make were rather thin and very crispy - breaks easily.

Kuih Kapit is the Malaysian/Singaporean Nyonya interpretation of the Chinese egg rolls but localized with the addition of santan (coconut milk) in the batter. It's thinner than egg rolls - the ideal kuih kapit should be wafer thin, crisp and as light as possible.

Think the "kapit" bit comes from the way it's made as the traditional moulds are 2 flat metal rounds (embossed with pretty fllower designs) attached to a long metal rod each. A thin layer of batter is placed one one side of the mould, bring the other side down to it, clamp/press it down and baked over a trough-like charcoal stove. They need to be immediately removed from the mould once cooked and quickly folded into quarters (some are rolled) and packed into air-tight tins. I always associate Kuih Kapit with Milo tins , in the past recycled Milo tins were used to store Kuih Kapit.

[Shiewie]

SHIEWIE!!!!!! Come back! I need you to identify some veggies in english. (I haven't lived abroad before, so I'm afraid my food terms are pretty much confined to M'sian names).

Saved by kew .

[Shiewie]

Did you make the kuih kapit (love letters)? Strangely, I like soft kuih kapit that's been left out for too long as much as the fresh crispy ones - it's fun to try and slowly unfold them  .

←

Yeah, that's very strange, Shiewie. What else do you do that's strange?

Lots and too embarassing to name them all here .

[Shiewie]

TP, what are those brown fruits, in front of the boxes of mandarins, and behind the pineapples?

Can't see quite clearly but maybe they're cempedaks?

Yup, they look like cempedak - a cousin of nangka (jackfruit) but not sure what they're called in English. Cempedaks are more intense smelling than jackfruits while the flesh is mushier than that of jackfruit, it's creamy but with bits of fibre in it. You can either eat it fresh or dipped in batter and fried like banana fritters.

Kew/ Yetty - any other ways which cempedak is eaten? Curries ?

There are big seeds in them, like nangka seeds and these too can be eaten if you boil them.

Edited March 11, 2005 by Shiewie (log)

[Pan]

Was a good girl today. So I made "soup for girls". In the soup is a Spring Chicken, fresh shiitake mushrooms, Dong Gui (angelica sinensis), Dong Sum (codonopsis pilosula), Gei Zi (wolfberry/boxthorn berry/lycium barbarum), Red Dates. Added mee sua and cos lettuce to make up lunch.[...]

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That looks like a soup I'd like. So why is it "soup for girls"? Just because you made it for them, or are some of the ingredients supposed to be particularly good for girls' health?

[Pan]

Yup, they look like cempedak - a cousin of nangka (jackfruit) but not sure what they're called in English. Cempedaks are more intense smelling than jackfruits while the flesh is mushier than that of jackfruit, it's lcreamy but with bits of fibre in it. You can either eat it fresh or dipped in batter and fried like banana fritters.

Kew/ Yetty - any other ways which cempedak is eaten? Curries  ?

There are big seeds in them, like nangka seeds and these too can be eaten if you boil them.

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I don't think there's any special English name for cempedak, which I figure those in the know consider to be just a particular variety of jackfruit. And I'd use the word "stinky" rather than the more decorous "more intense smelling."

In Terengganu, they used to dry roast cempedak, nangka, and durian seeds much the same way they dry roasted cashew nuts and wild chestnuts. I always hated cempedak, but I liked the seeds and felt they were a poor man's chestnuts. (Those wild chestnuts were a real treat!)

Edited March 11, 2005 by Pan (log)