Grandma is in Singapore!!! Wheee :)

Quick background: Grandma’s originally from a smalltown called Tampin, in the state of Negri Sembilan, Malaysia - erm… yes, I’ve got some Malaysian blood in me… and hence, a bulk of my childhood involves travelling to Malaysia and experiencing some good old kampong days… I feel nostalgic everytime I go back to Tampin to visit.

I love it when Grandma is here… I get to spend more time with her and it’s a load of our minds, not having to worry that she’s alone in Tampin. And plus… this is one of the fringe benefits… HAKKA YONG TAU FOO… Homemade and Handmade… It’s sooooooo good :) I’m doing a Before-and-After piece here…

Before

After

Before

After

The Heart Process
1. Grandma tells us that she’ll be cooking the night before. (We make plans prepare our stomachs for that)
2. She then picks the best and the freshest from the wet market early the next morning.
3. Bee Hoon, Yellow Beans, Lady’s fingers, Brinjals, Bittergourds, Shitake Mushrooms, Tau Pok, Tau Foo, Chilli… and the filling……. Ooooo…. the best ingredients go in there… Grandma says, “Minced Fish, Minced Pork, Minced Chestnuts…”
4. She starts preparing at 12pm.
5. She waits for us to get home from the day.
6. She heats it up for all of us.
7. She serves us and we just eat… and even when we want to do something, like heating the stove or bringing out the chilli, she insists we just sit and eat… she says, “You’ve all got a hard day… Sit sit sit…” A granddaughter cannot ask for a better grandma :) I love her…

(Spoken all in Mandarin and Hakka)
Jaime: Grandma… I need to learn how to make this (Hakka Yong Tau Foo) from you…
Grandma: Your mother hasn’t even learnt this one yet.
Jaime: Hmm.. Wait… does this mean mummy has to learn this first? I cannot learn this one first?
Grandma: Yes… that’s how it goes. And no…
Jaime: Mum…… how? When should I start?
Mum: Slowly can? You cannot even cook properly yet…
Jaime: Right….. that’s true.

Grandma and Mummy really know best :)