Spending Christmas and New Year in my Hometown

The spread I prepared for my family for Christmas Day lunch

As you might've seen if you follow me on Instagram (@winceeee), I spent 3 weeks over the Christmas and New Year holiday to visit my family in Kota Kinabalu (KK), Malaysia. It has been years since my WHOLE family has been back together at the same place/time and the last time that happened was during my brother's wedding several years ago. Since then, we've had a new addition to the family: my little nephew Aiden =)

It was a really cherished time for me. I had lots of time to reflect on various aspects of my life over the break. 2013 was definitely the most unforgettable year yet. Starting full time at a job that I love, meeting so many new friends (whilst saying farewell to many) whilst continuously sharing my passion for Food with others. I've had so much fun but taking time off really allowed me to reevaluate how I can continue to lead a more positive life in as many ways possible. Hopefully, this positivity will spill over to those around me as well. 

Anyway, it was a really blessed and fulfilling holiday and I loved every minute of it. So much has happened (and was eaten) but here's just a snapshot of some meals I had at home as well as snippets from a few family road trips that we took.

Christmas Lunch:

Once again... Easy Roast Pork with Crackling. I highly recommend people try out my recipe for roasting the pork with milk -- the jus is incredible! 

Check out my recipe: here

Smoked Chilli Mussels that I bought from Dannes Delights in Victoria Market

Garden Salad

Tasty Lamb Stew with Pasta. Recipe to come.

Winter Solstice Festival (冬至) Dinner

Mum's Ham, Abalone and Kailan Jade Chicken. Recipe to come.

Mum's Braised Chicken, Mushroom and Sea Cucumber in Superior Sauce. Recipe to come.

Sister's Glutinous Rice Balls with Peanut Filling in Ginger and Pandan Syrup

Road trip to Keningau

BEST Char Siew or Chinese Roast Pork in my life. Fantastical. 

Mixed Pork in Chinese Yellow Rice Wine Soup

Mixed Pork in Preserved Cabbage, Tomato and Tofu Soup

Mixed Pork in White Pepper Soup

Dry Bak Kut Teh

(All meals above were from Restoran Lima Ribu 5000 in Keningau)

Grilled Fish with Sambal

Seafood Curry

Road trip to Tamparuli

Steamed Pumpkin Bun

Imperial Pork Chops (排骨王)

Stir fry Mixed Pork

Crispy Fried Whole Chicken

Tamparuli Noodles

New Year's Day Lunch

Roast Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Anchovies

Another simple meal I prepared for my family 

Buttery Mash with Fried Onions and Mushroom

Adapted from my Buttery Mash Recipe: here

Buttered Red and Purple Carrots, Cauliflower, Peas

On a separate occasion, Mum made the most delicious Baked King Tiger Prawns with Garlic and Cheese. It was crazy good and the size of my entire hand

Hope you're all of to a smashing start to 2014. Happy New Year!

For a snapshot of what a festive dinner is normally like in my family as prepared by Mum, click: here

For a snapshot of what the food scene in Kota Kinabalu is like, click: here

Dad's 60th + Sis-In-Law's Birthday Dinner

Yay to Family Dinners...!

Two nights ago was quite a memorable one because we celebrated Dad's 60th (!!!) and also my Sis-in-Law's birthday. Yahooo... And turning 60 was quite a milestone for Dad so he wanted to wait till both my Sister and I were back from Australia. It's actually been a while since our whole family was together to celebrate a birthday. It was also extra special cause my Sister-in-Law's family was there to celebrate as well!

When planning the dinner, Dad left it up to us to decide where but the only request he made was to have the Braised 8 Jewel/Treasure Duck.

Now, this is quite rare to find at restaurants anymore because it's considered more of an "older generation" dish. Hence, not as "popular". In fact, I don't think as many people know or have eaten it before for that reason. This was also the first time we're ordering this at a restaurant so it's interesting to see how it'd fair. BUT, this was one of Dad's favourite dishes to eat and he even used to make it at home too when we were younger. MUST learn how to make this from Dad one day!!!

Finally, we decided to host the dinner at Promenade Hotel because even though the duck was not on the menu, the Chef did say that he knew how to make it even though it's been a while. Also, the setting was pretty nice and quiet, which makes it easy for us to bring the baby.

Here's a recap of our dinner:

Red Hard-Boiled Eggs

It is a common Chinese tradition to have these on auspicious occasions (such as birthdays or weddings). Typically, the birthday boy/girl would have to eat two lol.

4 Seasons Hot & Cold Combination Platter

One of my favourite Chinese banquet dinner dishes...!! Each restaurant has their own take on it. One of the better ones I've tasted. Every element was delicious.

The Cold: Jellyfish (top left) and baby octopus (bottom right)

The Hot: Omelette with mock Shark's Fin (bottom left) and fried bread balls (top right)

But my favourite were the fried bread balls!!! It was pork and mushroom balls, filled with CHEESE, than coated with bread pieces and fried till crisp (imagine the taste of croutons). SO YUMMY!!!

Fish Maw and Lip Soup with Crab Meat

Braised 8 Jewel/Treasure Duck!!!

The duck is braised so soft that the meat falls off the bone. Sauce was flavourful, but not too salty and delicious with everything too.

Everyone's got slight renditions of what 8 ingredients to fill the stuffing with. My favourite were the lotus seeds that were so soft and tender, almost like steamed peanuts. YUM! Glad to have this again after all these years =)

Dad with his "birthday present"

Steamed Fish Slices with Dried Soy Bean

Fried Prawns with Salted Duck Yolks

Braised Beancurd Sheets with Chinese Mushrooms and Broccoli

Silken Egg Tofu with Crab Roe

Yummy =)

"Longevity Noodles"

Another dish typically ordered eaten during birthday celebrations in the Chinese culture to signify longevity and prosperity.

Sea Coconut with Sliced Lemons

Birthday Cake (with extra, extra nuts as requested) ;p

Dad's not a big fan of cakes cause like me, find most of them too sweet. But, Carrot Cake is one of the few cakes he loves (as well as warm Butter Cake). Like father like son =D

Baked with Carrot Cake recipe found on my blog: here

Paired with Boiled Cream Cheese Frosting recipe from Agnes (of Off the Spork)'s blog: here

The cream cheese was cool because it called for making your own sweetened condensed milk before mixing it with the cheese. Nice!!!

Both cake and frosting were a hit with everyone =)

Looooooove my parents to bitsss... Do you reckon I look more like Mum or Dad? =)

With my Big Sis (but I call her "Jie Jie", which is the Chinese translation)

Birthday kids

Nothing beats being home with the family =)

My Chinese New Year memories...

Every single year, my family and I would fly back to Mum's tiny hometown of Tawau to spend Chinese New Year with the whole family. So many good memories... Like playing card games and firecracks with all my cousins non-stop since we were kids. Weird story, we also used to love digging up yam straight from the ground at the jungle of a backyard of my cousin's house and then roasting it with fire we had started with twigs from scratch. LEGIT STUFF. This was extremely fun for us. Love our modest childhood from simpler times. Now, THOSE were the days... One year, all the cousins and I also put on a special dance/drama performance prepared on our own as our parents and Late Grandma gathered around to watch in the living room. It really was quite hysterical...

*photos would be so embarrassing right about now*

My favourite memory would also be of my Late Grandma (or "PoPo", as I call her), pulling up a stool next to me, to spoon feed me plain rice in soup in the afternoons. She only did this (without me asking) because she knows that I was the perpetually hungry and peckish one of her grandchildren. It's so simple, yet delicious. But what I loved most is that she would gently blow each mouthful of rice before feeding it to me, till the temperature was just right. Sounds a bit like Goldilocks eh? I felt so loved from every spoonful. Then I would reply gleefully by saying, "Hao Sit, PoPo!" or "Delicious, Nana!". This happens every year I return, without fail.

It's memories like these that really make me miss my Late Grandma so, so dearly till this day....................... It's been 7 years ='/

Though, I must say that ever since my Late PoPo passed, CNY has been drastically different. We don't return to Tawau anymore for a number of reasons (but nothing bad, don't worry). Instead, we now have our own tradition here in Kota Kinabalu with glorious food prepared by my lovely mother.

They're just a treat. It's not the same, but just as special. One thing is for sure, we don't eat out. In fact, most of it are dishes that would only be served this time of year and every meal was SOOO delicious!!!

ANYHOO, here's a snapshot of the CNY dishes we ate this year. To all of you from a "non-Asian background", WELCOME to my humble Chinese family dining table and I hope you enjoy......... And Happy Belated Chinese New Year aka Year of the Dragon to you all!!!

1) Reunion Dinner, aka CNY Eve or "Tuan Yuan Fan"

Deep-Fried Tiger Prawn Fritters

Steamed Chinese Cabbage with Dried Scallops

Mum's signature: Chicken, Abalone and Ham "Sandwich" with superior Abalone Sauce

Note: Only top grade, corn fed (more fragrant skin), free range, bare neck (smoother meat) and aged chicken from a local farmer is used

YUMMY! Delicious mouthful of food from each layer

Braised chicken, chinese mushrooms and sea cucumber

Stewed all day, sauce was really unbelievably good

Shark's Fin Soup

(I'm sorry!!! These were bought many years ago, we've stopped buying them, I swear!)

2) 1st Day CNY Brunch

It is a tradition for our family to eat every single one of these vegetarian dishes for this meal each year. Recipe passed on to Mum from my Late Grandma. I have to make this for my vegetarian friends in Melbourne.

Stewed vegetables (beancurd skin, beancurd puffs, black moss fungus, carrots, mushrooms, dates, bamboo shoots and glass noodles) in fermented red tofu

LOVE THIS!!!

White radish soup with dates, mushrooms and (the only "meat" allowed this meal,..) dried oysters

"Nian Gao" aka "Sticky Cake" (made with glutinous rice flour) Fried with Egg

Mum had her Sister (who barely comes over) and her family from Tawau too, glad to share the meal with them

3) Other meals here and there...

Mum's Twice Fried Duck with Plum Sauce

TO DIE FOR!!! One of my favourite childhood dishes ever!!

Every time I ask Mum how she makes this and my other favourite dishes, she just goes, "Very easy waaan...! Just do this, throw in that, dot dot dot... and DONE!". Not very convincing lol

HK Imported Cured Meats and Pickled Shallots

One of my favourite things to eat!!

HK Kailan Vegetable with Oyster Sauce

Hakka "Kiu Nyuk", a Pork and Yam dish in fermented tofu sauce

My dad's prolly the biggest fan of mum's roast chook lol

Mum's signature Duck in Plum Sauce again... MMM!

Chicken Soup with Sea Cucumber, Mushrooms and Quail Eggs

"Lou Sang"

A traditional dish containing preserved vegetables, rice crisps and raw fish topped with sour plum sauce. Each element representing something symbolic for the Lunar New Year

Tossed with chopsticks by every one at the table. The higher you toss, "the more fortune you will receive"

Anyway, I'm glad to have shared MY family's CNY tradition with you. Tell me, what's CNY like in YOUR household? Any fond childhood memories that tugs your heart strings? Would love to hear about them! =)