NL LIEW's Blog

Kuala Gandah Revisited

2012-02-19T02:35:00.000-08:00

Chinese New Year passed almost a month ago and the dust finally settled from busy everything...well, amid all the topsy turvy time that we had, we managed to actually steal a day (well, half, almost) to visit Kuala Gandah, about 60 Km from Raub.

This is not the our first visit...we've been there with friends, with trainees, etc...We thought that it might be overloaded with tourists in view of the holidays but were pleasantly surprised there weren't that many - just a local group and another middle eastern group. It was actually amusing to see big men chicken out when it comes to the feeding time with the elephants.

This pair of wild cockerels came just at the time when visitors descended onto the enclosures where a few juvenile elephants were being kept. According to the keeper, theese wild cockerels are 'too familiar' with visitors and I noticed they knew where to 'pick' for food. Nice to see wild cockerels this close up.

Wild cockerels can easily be distinguished from domesticated ones by their white ear lobes, small agile frame and beautiful russet red plumage against the black...and of course, they fly like any other birds!

The shows begins...

Everyone's invited to feed the elephants.

The big trunks are very agile.

Daring a photo...

To the platform for the ride...

Everyone lining up for the ride. The rides are free (around 11 am in the matinee) but visitors are encouraged to donate funds to help run the place.

One for the album...

CNY at the Kuan Yin Temple in Raub

2012-02-03T23:59:00.000-08:00

This Chinese New Year, we didn't go back to Malacca because our house were broken into (drat! - what an unsafe world we live in today. The reason for which we have chosen to settle in Raub was the fact that it has always been 'safe' compare to Kuala Lumpur or other bigger towns but helas, we would have to find out the hard way...). So, my in-laws came down to Raub instead and on the first day of CNY, we visited the Kuan Yin temple in town to do some offerings. When I was a child, the temple was a lot more active than it is today I guess. I remembered days and days (actually nights) passed in its yard watching live Chinese Opera with practically everyone who knows everyone in the villages and in the town during the Hungry Ghost Festivals and other festivals (couldn't recall) but heck, people pretty much fratenised in places like these those days (need any more prove that the medias had really changed our social habits?).

Well, I had always wanted to snap some photos but I thought it was rude to do so...until seeing so many people snapping photos left and right. So here are mine...

Principal entrance to the temple.

The lotus sculpture on the roof.

An area designated for burning of coil incense just outside the main entrance.

A pair of Chinese words flanking the main door (will be visible when the doors are closed).

Decors of the interior.

The main altar from afar.

Worshippers doing their thing.

An old chair that I have sat on many years back.

Another area for the coil incense. The hung picture is a pictorial description of Taoist Hell, all 18 levels of it. I amused myself with these images when I was a child. Freaky and mysterious.

details...

Where the statues are kept.

The side exit (not in use).

Visit to Musée de l'Orangerie

2012-01-19T06:38:00.000-08:00

I finally took time to visit the Orangerie with my friend Guillaume back in June 2008 after having almost spent 5 years in France...and it wasn't even on our 'wish list' because we were suppose to visit the nearby Jeu de Paume (long story in an earlier article:http://nlliew66.blogspot.com/2009/07/last-dance-in-paris.html ).

But the impressionists were my passion when I first started seriously painting and every Cézanne, Renoir and Monet inspired me in ways that cannot be expressed in words...so off we joined the queue to enter the Orangerie. By the way, the Orangerie was really part of the royal gardens that included the Louvre Palace (now the famous museum that houses the Monalisa) and Orangerie simply means greenhouse for over wintering citrus plants...so actually seeing the waterlilies, Monet's last testament to the city of Paris, was a real treat.

The main collection of 4 huge Monets was in an infiniti-shaped gallery and a stroll to the lower galleries will reveal more impressionists from 2 art dealers's collection, the collection of Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume. I finally get to snap one with a real Picasso (I was not allowed to, even without flash, at the Picasso Museum). Visit the collection at the Orangerie at: http://www.musee-orangerie.fr/homes/home_id24803_u1l2.htm

a tiny Sisley next to Monet's landscape painting of Argenteuil...

Renoir in the polished style of his later years

an unusual subject for Renoir

Cézanne! and so many of them...I was like walking in my impressionist art book...

a tiny Gauguin

Picassos....

a cubist piece: Grand Nature Morte (meaning the big still-life)

Maurice Utrillo, essentially a painter of the common Parisian crowd and life...

Chaim Soutine's topsy turvy landscape...

Matisse

Henri Rousseau dit Le douanier (Henri Rousseau the Custom Officer, as opposed to the famous philosopher). He is among the most recognisable Naive painter of all time.

a pensive portrait: apprenti (the apprentice) by Modigliani

a large canvas by André Derain: Arlequin et Pierrot (Harlequin and Pierrot), 2 characters with italian vaudeville theatre origin and deeply rooted into the French théâtre...

Last cook-down of 2011!

2012-01-03T06:02:00.000-08:00

I was invited to cook New Year's Eve dinner at a friend's at Gohtong Jaya recently, the final meal cooked for 2011...

The setting...

Amuse-bouches: Smoked salmon with dill vinaigrette, pan-seared duck breast on celeriac slaw and pork terrine on toast with balsamic reduction and onion confit.

Starter: Red bell pepper and tomato soup, pan-seared king prawns, fried leeks and crème fraîche.

Ingredients (serves 8):

30 pcs of fresh king prawns, shelled and deveined

1 kg of red bell peppers

1 kg of ripe tomatoes

1.5 L chicken bouillon

2 stalks of leeks

2 bay leaves

1 clove garlic

sea salt

Roast the bell peppers in the oven and remove seeds and skin. Slit the ends of the tomatoes and plunge them into boiling water for a few seconds to help remove the skin. Quarter and remove seeds. In a casserole, cook the tomato flesh and the clove of garlic with the bay leaves until forming a thick sauce. Add the roasted peppers, chicken stock and adjust seasoning. Puree the soup at this point and set aside.

Finely julienne the stalk of the leeks and deep fry in hot oil. Set aside.

Marinate the prawns with salt and a tbsp of Grand Marnier, sear with butter until just done and set aside.

Spoon the hot soup onto a soup dish, garnish with the prawns, fried leeks, basil leaf and a quenelle of crème fraîche.

Main course: slow-cooked leg of lamb in white wine, mash of haricot "Bingo" demi-sec, cooking jus and rocket salad.

The haricot blanc "Bingo" called Borlotti by the italians. Demi-sec beans are fresh beans as opposed to dried beans that need 24 hour soaking before using. Fresh beans have the advantage of short cooking time and flavour.

Salad....

and the crowd pleaser: tiramisu on mocha-flavoured cream, strawberry coulis and glucose bubble.

Christmas Eve Dinner 2011

2012-01-03T05:35:00.000-08:00

I invited some friends over for dinner on Christmas Eve and voila some photos of the event (minus the people)...

The table was decorated with two pots of poinsettias that I bought in Cameron Highlands a week back...

First course: Terrine of pork with onion confit and balsamic reduction.

Main course: braised lamb in white wine served parmentier-style, with rocket salad and green peppercorn sauce.

Salad of radicchio, tomato, radish and gelée of beetroot with blue cheese and truffle-oil vinaigrette.

For the sweet-toothed: bitter chocolate mousse on black rice pudding, coconut cream and coulis of strawberry.

Light tasters

2011-12-15T00:16:00.000-08:00

Did some entertaining recently at home and here are 2 dishes which are easy to make and light...

Gnocchi with home made pesto.

Chocolate mousse.

The chocolate mousse is an easy tackle as it requires no baking, just some heating up and a good whisk:

Ingredients (makes 8 mousses):

1 tablet of a fine bitter black Swiss chocolate (100g)

1/2 cup cocoa powder

4 eggs, yolks and whites separated

Kahlua and Grand Marnier (both or either)

1 sachet gelatine powder (7g)

Sugar according to taste

1 1/2 cup full cream milk

Infuse and melt the gelatine powder with some cold water/milk and set aside. Melt the chocolate over heated milk and incorporate the cocoa powder to form a thick chocolate sauce. Add the gelatine mixture to this sauce. You may add some Kahlua at this point for some kicks...

Beat the sugar and egg yolks until a creamy consistency, adding in a dash of Grand Marnier. Fold in the hot chocolate sauce, set aside.

Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat until stiff peaks forming (like a meringue). You may add a tablespoon of icing sugar during the last cycle to stabilise the meringue. Fold this with the chocolate mixture and carefully pour into individual ramekins. Set in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

KKB

2011-12-13T00:14:00.000-08:00

Two weeks back, at the onset of the semester break, I went for a drive to KKB - Kuala Kubu Baru since I haven't seen it for awhile now...my father was actually from here (Kerling) and I remember travelling from Raub to KKB on occasions as we had cousins and aunts there. Not anymore, helas. The thing that really sticks in my head is the journey itself through the winding mountain road and Orang Asli with their rattan backpacks at the town square...actually near the fruit stall at the town's entrance (there used to be huge rain trees and the town was a lot less 'hot' than now...).

A cascade at the Gunung Semangkok Permanent Forest Reserve.

View of the dam built for water and electricity hunger of the Klang valley, submerging parts of Kg. Pertak, an Orang Asli encampment. We used to picnic here when I was a child...

Another view from the hillslope off the main trunk road.

A Terap fruit, same family with the jackfruit. The ripe fruit has a very strong aroma, velvety skin but tiny white fruit inside with tiny seed. The seeds are good roasted.

First impression of the now KKB...

old pre-war shops...

Found an old Hainanese Coffeeshop. Like everywhere else in Malaysia, Hainanese coffeeshops are synonymous with pre-war Straits Chinese settlements in most towns that dot the Peninsular West Coasts.

One of the most iconic Hainanese dish besides the famed Chicken Rice: Hainanese-styled Chicken Chop. This one has strange presentation but the taste was not bad.

People still live in old town houses like this one!

An old cinema converted into a psychedelic snooker center...

Hallmark of Strait Chinese architecture - aligned corridors of shops for the tropical heat...

Magnificent Koompassias of Betau Valley

2011-12-02T06:50:00.000-08:00

As one drives along the not so new route from Pos Betau to Bertam Valley, one cannot but observe many magnificent examples of mature Tualang trees (Koompassia excelsa) along the route. They are unmistakeable because of their towering crowns resembling a broccoli head above the forest canopy and their hallmark - a smooth, huge trunk that only opens at the top, fanning out like a broccoli. They easily reach 80M or so and often, honey bees make the Tualang their preferred home due to the fact that not many wild animals can get to the canopy of a Tualang. Another bonus for the Tualang is the fact that its timber is of not much value in the market, thus sparring it from the chainsaws (Chinese lumberjacks call this tree "Pow Pei Cheng", meaning green bark that cracks because the tree doesn't take sawing well and often ends with cracked trunk, rendering it 'useless'. Another thing is the actual density of the wood - the light yellow and light weight wood does not stand well against the elements...). That having said, the hunger for wood will not leave this massive giants standing around for too long as the once virgin jungle valley is now again facing the onslaught of chainsaws brought upon by human greed...

First among many, and definitely among the finest examples...it is interesting to note that this magnificent giant doesn't belong to the Dipterocarpus family, a family of tropical hardwood trees that is found mostly in the lower elevation forests in Malaysia. It actually belongs to a very extended family of plants called Leguminosae that gives you your beans!

close-up

Another huge one around the bend but covered by the forest...

This rather 'green' example smack on the side of the road...

A vertical panoramic view of the tree.

Another extremely tall tree perched on the ridge of the mountain.

An incredibly old tree seen from a bridge over a wide gorge. Notice the tall palm tree behind the Tualang and try to figure out the size of this tree!

A vertical panoramic view...

A closeup.

The valley that houses many magnificent trees...

Notice the "little" crowns of trees resembling a broccoli - there are huge Tualangs among theese...

Then, sad views like theese...the vegetable farming activities in Bertam Valley are fast encroaching into the lower Betau Valley and this is the result...man always wins at first (economic gains) but pay later with environmental disasters.

All too common signs along the route from Betau Valley to Ringlet at the Cameron Highlands: "Mind the entry/exiting of timber lorries"...

Fraser's Hills despite the monsoon apparent

2011-11-23T03:29:00.000-08:00

For a long time now I have not had the kind of nostalgia that I used to feel about a place, and Fraser's Hills is certainly one of those special places...not that it's about the nearest holiday spot to Raub, it's more like the colonial charm that the place exuded few decades ago when I was much younger and didn't understand any better the world but, when the mind was young and lack devices to record and map, the readily available sensory tools played a big part (mine was visual, and smell)...bref, bad management coupled with bad taste certainly killed the place from the 80s till just about present...gone were the smell of lilies, roses and dahlias from the very English gardens that flanked every road and bungalows, cold chilly air and English breakfast, not to mention the very colonial Hainanese restaurants in mock tudor buildings...somehow, at present, someone in the management partially snapped out of that vicious cycle of misguided modernity and made some effort to rehabilitate Fraser's Hills to her former glory, well almost an effort. The effect can be seen now with better managed public gardens and better choice of flowering shrubs! Left now are efforts of local tourists (STOP the littering!) and perhaps if the locals wise up, they might see their jewel shine again...

Wild raspberry growing in the shades of a roadside from Raub to Gap...

Medinella spp in the shades...

The Scott, used to be an English pub...now a restaurant with poor quality food despite efforts to relive its past...

Finally, some real efforts to grow Dahlias, once iconic blooms of this mountain resort. They might want to extend their colour range beyond pink and yellow no?

A patch of Busy Lizzie (Impatiens) managed to find its way atop an old juniper tree.

A female spider hunter on a pergola with scrambling Thunbergia and passion flowers.

A tiny fig.

Brinchang Bungalow has one of the most spectacular vista whole of Fraser's Hills.

View of the Main Range from Brinchang Bungalow. Because of frequent and heavy precipitation, the cloud line remains low and visible throughout the day. We even experience mist from the way up, just after Bukit Telaga.

Suddenly, the clouds came over and covered up everything...

Jardin d'antan (old fashioned garden), just the way I like it...

The valley below is the state of Selangor, visible through some bright spots...

Fauna of Chenua during the Wet season

2011-11-21T16:17:00.000-08:00

This year, all meteorological reports tend to point to a very wet affair, which is true compared to the past few years. Flashback to my childhood days, November-December-January had always been extremely wet and cold. I remembered wearing sweater to sleep when I was a child, and there weren't any air-conditioning in existence those days...anyhow, I went for a short trip to Chenua village accompanying my wife to her school and took advantage of the short burst of intense morning sun to go bird watching. The river was totally swollen up and everywhere was wet, so there goes the birds. However, small insects and a few birds did turn up...including the rare Hill Myna with its distinctive metallic whistle (there was a pair) and I could hear barbets and Woodpeckers eventhough I couldn't perceive them visually...

Skipper butterflies seem to be in abundance, sunning themselves in sunny spots...

Damselflies and Dragonflies too...

Lantana bushes like this one attract insects and butterflies

Looming sky...

A Hill Myna

and a Dollar Bird nearby (actually also a pair)...

some colourful insects...

Cameron Highlands Touch `N` Go

2011-11-08T04:51:00.000-08:00

Out of caprice and adventure, we went for an afternoon's drive to the Cameron Highlands (about 135 KM from Raub) and came back the same evening...it was Aidil Adha holidays and surprisingly, the crowd was slightly below expectation in the mountains (compare to normal weekends). First of all, we actually wanted to drive there just for tea at BOH's estate in Habu but seeing that the journey took a bit longer than usual, having arrived at about 4.30 p.m., we decided to instead visit an organic strawberry farm at Brinchang and later KEA farm nearby to buy some cut flowers for the house (just to have a change from the usual chrysanthemums and roses from the florist in Raub, or the anthuriums used sparingly from my own garden...)...

Rhododendron scortechinii, hiding between rambling ferns. As we were walking towards the farm, I spotted this stunner on a laterite slope...

Cameron Bharat Tea Plantation. Because it was almost always overflowing with tourists, we would give it a miss but this time, we decided, out of convenience, to drop by. While the plantation does have stunning vistas, the development of its products and services still have much room for improvement...

close up of the tea plants...

As it was already the onset of the monsoon season, the sky was either pluvial or just simply overcast and quite sombre the whole afternoon. Not wanting to really drive through 70 or so kilometers of road through the Main Range, we decided to leave just about 6 p.m., right after a cuppa at the Cameron Bharat Tea Plantation. The view along our way home was spectacular despite the fast approaching twilight because mist was starting to form in the Betau Valley...

looks like a Chinese ink brush painting...

The white bouquet of Cymbidium orchids for the house...

Aquatic Cockerels

2011-11-06T23:33:00.000-08:00

When I was younger, I used to keep fishes - spillover effect from my childhood days of catching fishes in brooks and rivers. It got so overboard that I had more than a dozen aquariums at one time, the largest measuring 8 x 3 feet ( about 2.5 x 1 M). I kept everything that I could ever possibly catch in the Malaysian rivers, among others a Kelah (Tor tambroides) weighing almost 8 kilos! That was in the 90s. Things got tiring and expensive and I gather putting a hook in the fish's mouth is bad for karma...so I sold off everything and had nothing more to do with it, until recently when my wife got interested in keeping fighting fishes for pets (Betta splendens). Well, these are definitely more manageable and they don't hog space! No oxygenation required, hardy and best of all, no water treatment. The most apt description for them is a cockerel, only a tiny aquatic one...They come in an impressive range of fin shapes and colours and what makes them enduring is their 'face off' behaviour when confronted with another male fish. Here's a few snaps of our tiny ménagerie...

Fraser's Hills on a misty day

2011-11-01T06:53:00.000-07:00

During the break for Deepavali celebration (I had a week of semester break), I drove up to Fraser's Hills on Monday 25th October 2011. As I figured it would be quiet, which it was, it would have been a good moment to observe birds. Helas, it would not be! Maybe the sudden cold spell kept the birds in their cosy niches...it was anyhow a pleasant morning, very misty and the temperature probably hovered around 18-20 degrees. As Fraser's Hills is only 33 kilometers away from Raub, I decided to drive home and took my wife up the hills for a refreshing afternoon...well, it turned out that it was even colder in the afternoon because a gust of cold air mixed with mist got my wife instantly unwell (it was probably around 14 degrees in the late afternoon). Luckily, one hot mushroom soup and warm water cured her from the shock and we stayed on for another hour or two before it got a bit too dark to drive down the winding roads from Fraser's Hills to Raub through thick jungle and threatening skies...

misty pines near the playground...

another view

a mountain fishtail palm in the mist

Gossamers in the mist...childhood fantasies

an orange-coloured Medinella spp. in the shades at Jeriau

Firecracker plant along the path to Jeriau waterfalls

Refreshing green on a patch of moss

black berries of a ginger plant

large trumpet flowers of a huge shrub with pleasant perfume wafting in the air

view from the abandonned golf course at Jeriau

an unusually coloured bamboo orchid

the 'normal' variant

a Nepenthes, or Monkey cup growing among bushes of grass, ferns and bamboo orchids

another attractive Medinella in the shades

a tiny orchid on a fallen branch

a pink bloom near the golf course

the most iconic image of Fraser's Hills

Rolling hills and plains with a swath of brooding dark sky above...Panoramic view of the Klau Valley from the east facade of Fraser's Hills. Patches of cultivated farmland are clearly visible, with the roofs of Tras Village in the foreground...

Farmers Market at Raub on Sundays

2011-10-23T04:16:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I last make some photo of the market so here's a pictorial trip of the market...

cutting boards and stirring spatula (the type used for making huge feast in weddings and kenduris) from tembusu wood, a water resistant wood.

Banana galore everywhere

tiny limes

chillis and okras

From the herb garden...

This is NOT plantain but Sematu, a banana grown mostly for fritters and chips

Green aubergines

A man selling sting beans, petai.

Bachang, an aromatic native mango on extreme left.

Fern fronds used for local cuisine, 100% organic because they are collected wild.

Casabrina, a luxurious haven in perfect harmony with nature

2011-10-04T06:48:00.000-07:00

I had the most unusual but pleasant escapade last weekend at one of the most luxury vacation spot I've ever set foot on, and the nearest ever to my home (20 minutes, to be exact)!!! I was a guest with my wife at Casabrina Vacation Villas and Spa at the invitation of its owner and developper Mr. Felix Tee (I got to know him recently by a bizarre twist of events and it turned out that we both are passionate about nature and conservation issues...).

Well, the villas are situated at the edge of Sang Lee village, nestled among rolling hills between Raub and Bentong but if you drive through the old trunk road, you might just miss it if you don't pay attention. It is nestled on the slopes of a private estate overlooking the Main Range. On arrival, we chatted awhile with the Finance Director, Deva who happenend to be at the Villas and were later shown to our suite (yes, a suite) at the forest house a.k.a Villa Aranya. I love how the organic design of the villas blend with the richness of Nature and took advantage of everything that the surrounding hills and forest have to offer (the architect is a famous Balinese architect). It is everything that one could ask for and yet need not go far to look for it. If you like nature and isolation for a meditative retreat and yet deplore having to share your space and travel far, leaving creature comfort behind, this might be your perfect fix (about an hour's drive from Kuala Lumpur). The villas even offer helicopter transfer from the airport...meals are cooked according to your specifications (bespoke) and the staff are trained to anticipate your needs.

Visit the Villas at: www.casabrina.net

Here's a pictorial...

I love the horizon pools built onto the edge of every villa. This one has an attached outdoor jacuzzi. enjoyed it immensely...

Though you don't need to cook (meals are inclusive), a well-equipped kitchen with dining is provided with every villa.

sunbathe and relax al fresco as you wish, no one will disturb you...as one enters the estate, the is a sense of envelopping by the surrounding that you'll be completely cut off the world and be suspended in a very private moment of your own...

view of the horizon pool with attached outdoor jacuzzi at Villa aranya

the sun deck

our bed for the night

well-appointed chambre

I love the way the bath blends with nature: open air and private, each one with rain shower and bath tub

for morning tea if you wish so...

Mist came over the estate early in the morning and as we slept with fresh air (many times better than air conditioning, which was not necessary at the villas), I woke up to the calls of birds heralding the arrival of a new day...magical experience.

entrance to Villa Aranya

Many forest trees that attract birds and insect are kept intact like this beautiful fig tree

an incomplete wooden canoe as a bench, overlooking the Main Range at Villa Amertani, the main guest house

view of the Main Range...

Mist in the morning hovering over the canopy

Main salon of Villa Amertani

open air dining at Villa Amertani

Morning dip at the horizon pool anyone?

Villa Amertani from far

a jelutong-like tree with very sweet vanilla-cinnamon fragrance

faded Victoria lily flower on the pond

a new bud

a new bloom

Dish from childhood updated

2011-09-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

Now is the season of the sting bean, locally known as petai and this is a special ingredient for many reasons:

1. it is definitely an acquired taste with its strong pungent flavour;

2. it makes your toilet unusable for the next whole week because the after effects from consumming this bean (it is a diuretic and cleanses the kidneys but resulting in very stinky urine);

3. it is seasonal, mostly collected wild from trees growing in villages' edge or the forest by indigenous people, meaning it is a bio product;

4. it can be consumed both cooked and raw as a salad (which makes it even stinkier)

The good thing is, it does go well with certain ingredients, and the most unassuming ones for most people:

here's a recipe from my childhood days...

can of sardines, curry powder(or cut chillies), garlic, tomato puree if your using sardines in oil (against sardines in tomato sauce in the original recipe), onions, dried chillis, stems of an edible yam known as 'lambok', the star - sting beans

The stems of the yam needs to be peeled and thoroughly scrubbed with coarse sea salt to prevent any incident of itchiness due to residual oxalic acid. Then, the spongy cut stems need to be crushed with the hand, thoroughly washed and drained. They can be lightly blanched too...

In a heated frying pan, sear the dried chillis, diced onions and garlic. Add the curry powder, stir and cook until fragrant. Add the blanched yam stems, cover and cook for a few minutes. Add the sardines and tomato puree, season and simmer until the sauce thickens. Add the sting beans, stir and cook for a further 2 minutes. Serve at once with steamed rice.

first dinner party of the month

2011-09-19T07:48:00.001-07:00

First dinner of the month of September...I had some friends over for a post-Merdeka Day celebration...

Capellini with tuna bits and garlic chilli oil

upside down parmentier of twice-roasted lamb with herbs...

Salad to wash things down...

Tiramisu, because it was easy to make, even easier to eat...

Victoria! Victoria!

2011-09-04T22:05:00.000-07:00

I 'visited' one well kept secret in the Raub district - Casabrina in Sang Lee village...it is a beautiful Balinese villa perched on top of the hill with a commanding view of the rolling hills with total privacy. What actually interests me was the collection of waterlilies (nymphea) which is uncommon in this part of the world and of course, the magnificent Victoria reginae from the Amazon, right here, 20 minutes from my house (and I didn't know it existed!)...

a green frog on the lily pad

huge leaves on the pond

spiny undersides

perfect pink bloom, not the Victoria

another

and another

a tropical variant

Heart-shaped young leaf - allusion to a bleeding heart? Nature has its own ways...

another young leaf

a blue dragonfly resting

Dinner for 5

2011-08-17T06:35:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, some friends came for boating activities up the Jelai River and I decided to throw a simple 3-course dinner for them. The tiramisu was made in about 30 minutes the day before and the rest, well, after the outing...somewhere in the evening...

Happy but tired faces - full day in the sun and nature.

First course - tomatoes two ways: firstly, diced tomatoes were marinated in a truffle oil-infused vinaigrette and echalotte; the second a simple large piece of fresh tomato laced with a thin slice of Comte cheese...

Main course: Calamars stuffed with a mix of breadcrumb, pork, echalotte and cèpes. This was baked with a dressing of garlic oil. Served over a purée of steamed cauliflower 'Jacaranda' and new potatoes, sauce beurre blanc.

Dessert: Tiramisu and seedless 'champagne' grapes

Kuala Gandah Revisited

2011-07-28T07:20:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, I joined the MAEPA 3 trip to Kuala Gandah as it was not that far from my home (about 60km). Haven't seen the place since 2009, much has since changed, especially improvement in the parking space and stalls around. As I arrived earlier than the bus, I had quite a few minutes to stroll around and I noticed that the place was teeming with birdlife. I heard many different calls but couldn't get a nice shot...and as people (tourists) started streaming in, the noise 'drowned' nature and well, the MTTs arrived...

Kuala Gandah is an elephant conservation centre, run by the Wildlife and Game Department and is actually a rehab center for lost, injured or 'troublesome' elephants in Malaysia. It is open to public and is absolutely free...including the elephant show (10.30 am), ride and river bathing with the elephants.

a species of Loranthus on a riverine tree

new signage

beautiful blooms of the Saracca despite the dry spell

a baby at 4 years old...

elder 'siblings' of 5 - 6 years old

getting the elephants ready for the matinee show

the ranger explaining how it works...

showing the agility of the trunk...

all are welcomed to feed the elephants

the MTTs getting a thrill ride on the elephant back

the very excited Abdedullah signaling to his friends to come to the platform

at the Deerland Park later on

Siamang!!!

2011-07-25T06:47:00.000-07:00

Hardly two weeks after I've spotted a juvenile Siamang in Fraser's Hills, I saw it again at the same spot with a troop of Dusky Leaf monkeys...must be a resident young male as the Siamang was alone and it was rather unperturbed by the passing of vehicles and even me coming near it to take photos! In fact, it even 'posed' for the photos. It was swinging happily and carefree on branches of trees close to the roadside at the gates...

Couldn't understand what the fuss was about...

Dusky Leaf Monkey with baby

a tiny spidercatcher at the Paddock

We're in the tropics but this has a rather 'English' allure to it

The Glenn through a pine borough

small roadside cascade on the way from Fraser's Hills to Raub

strange cucumber-like fruits

Ulu Jelai - River of tranquillity under threat

2011-07-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

For all the outdoor places that I knew in my years of active nature appreciation in my region, this has to be the best of the best kept secret (no longer) that I, from time to time, revisited when I need to reconnect with Nature. This is a special place because of its relative inaccessibilty to popular tourism, meaning that it is not inscribed in the tourism map. Another thing is that accessible yet untouched nature is so rare these days that any gems like this needs to be protected for our own sake - which won't help if it is blogged but sensing the near end of greatness, it has to be shared by all before it is all gone, just like the once magnificent Jelai before 'development' came.

I started visiting this area when I was an active angler in quest for new sites back in the 1990s...much has since changed with inroads being built into the most remote of villages that once only accessible by the great and awe-inspiring fork of 3 rivers: Ulu Jelai, Telom and Serau. The Telom is a mighty river that doesn't allow swimming because of its headwaters coming from very polluted sources in the Cameron Highlands. The only option is now the Ulu Jelai - which in turn has its sources from the Ulu Jelai Kecil and Bertau. Already, this last bastion of 'perfect' river is feeling the heat from chainsaws cutting nearer and nearer to her sources. Certain days, the water can get murky because of logging concessions in the upper streams of Ulu Jelai Kecil, recently even more accessible by the opening of route C156, thus allowing even more access to lorries laden with logs to cut through this lasts of the great Malayan jungles. As we swoop downstream from Kampung Samut to Kuala Medang in our motorised canoe, patches of open forest already started to appear, sending glaring heat and light through the timeless cool greens that dominates the galleries-river banks of this ancient ecology. I couldn't help but wonder how long these will withstand the onslaught of greed...

a barbet feeding on figs at Kuala Medang

green banks, just like ever

huge clump of Tiger Orchid on a riverine tree - a common sight along the river, an indication of its state of ecological health

orchids

river bends like this are common along the Ulu Jelai, with huge trees fringing its banks, forming tall galleries of quiet coolness and a permutation of a million shades of green

Locals fishing on a raft. Observe the rice pot on the bamboo raft...

How long will giants like these remain? We saw eagles quite frequently among tall branches along the river

part of Jeram Dong

visions of tranquility

Jeram Dong (Dong rapids)

our moored boat ride

Kampung Samut after Pos Betau

Heavy bunch of bananas

Butterflies congregating on the sand banks of Jeram Dong

local anglers camp along the sand banks, making their tents from wild ginger fronds, bamboo and sticks

two swallows pondering over the Jelai River at Kuala Medang

Fraser's Hills

2011-07-17T00:48:00.000-07:00

Last week, I took a leisure drive to Fraser's Hills just to give another go at birdwatching but this time, I wasn't that lucky because the dry forest plus the lingering haze didn't exactly worked out well. However, as I was to descend (the way down near the Glenn was closed due to fallen trees), I took a few moments to ponder around the tall trees fringing the exit/entry point...I was iniatially distracted by a Dusky Leaf monkey trying to eat the young fronds of a giant tree fern, not realizing something even more exciting was lurking at the canopy behind. As the Dusky Leaf monkey descended, I thought it had a companion, only to be pleasantly surprised when the accompanying 'monkey' turned out to be a solitary Siamang! It was very quiet and was perousing the canopy-reason why I had not spotted it earlier...

A Bulbul in the bushes

compact flowers in an abandonned golf course at Jeriau

a brown butterfly among dead leaves

a nymphalid came out to play

A Siamang! This is not an easy animal to see but its cries can be heard miles away

the Dusky Leaf Monkey

plucking a huge tree fern frond

butterfly at Jeriau

butterflies congregation at Jeriau

a Laughingthrush

Talmont-sur-Gironde, a French village pretty as a picture

2011-07-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

I visited this little charming 13th century village back in 2004...it is fascinating and beautiful at the same time in a way that only French villages know how. The major attraction is the 12th century church in Roman-saintogeais architecture that sits prettily, almost surreal, on the bord of the limestone cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The village was once a middle-age citadel and its limestone walls live on as a testament to its past. This village, in the region of Poitou-Charentes, is of course, member of the Association of the most beautiful villages of France, itself aptly named one.

not much of a beach though, at low tide

the limestone cliffs with breath-taking views

photo ops...

façade of the church

the gem of the village

the cemetry behind the church overlooks the sea and has arguably one of the most poetic setting, even for Death

Dinner chez moi

2011-07-05T06:57:00.000-07:00

Couple of weeks back, I invited a friend to dine chez moi. He owns one of the best Chinese restaurant in town, the one that I frequent the most and hence we struck off some friendship through love for cuisine.

the table...

steamed new potatoes with truffle-infused butter

angel-hair pasta with garlic oil, parsley butter and tuna bits - my speciality

oven-baked chicken with cognac, butter, garlic and bacon, served on the side a lightly stir-fried Chinese edible jasmine flowers

Salad as usual

soufflé of orange liqueur, Grand Marnier

Birding at Fraser's Hills

2011-06-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

Three weeks...that was the semester break I had and it was almost over before I realised I didn't do that much with the time. So, I decided to go birding on my own today, seizing the opportunity that schools are not on holidays (it was over a week ago), meaning holiday destinations would be less crowded. This is extremely important if you want to see any birds in action. My hunch was exact as Fraser's Hills was almost deserted today sauf for a few cars (mine included) and I loved the serenity of the moment. I even got to do Jeriau Waterfalls, having missed it for the last two decades after the siltation from building everywhere almost destroyed the area in the 80s. I was pleasantly surprised that the water was clear and clean. That having said, I was extremely disappointed with Rompin Trail as there were only rubbish, especially plastic wrappers everywhere (I suspect its vicinity to the school a contributing factor) and there were nothing to see, only noise from the nearby school - and yes, traffic noise too.

a Painted Jezebel resting on a fern frond

wild raspberry

a Chocolate Tiger

a nice pigeon

view of the Main Range from near the Smoke House

a Silver-eared Mesia

long tailed sibia

a mapwing, Cyretis maenalis martini

flowering trees near the waterfall

a common montaine tree usually found near damp areas

Silver Breasted Broadbill

Horsefield Baron

a Slaty-backed Forktail, a very shy bird found usually close to the water's edge

Jeriau Waterfalls

a mangosteen-like tree at Jeriau with tiny waxy flowers

Bamboo orchid everywhere

Melanocyma faunula faunula

Didymocarpus

a Rionid

a hyperactive Pygmy Mountain Squirrel, looking like a tiny chipmunk

Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush

a woodpecker

Lesser Racquet-tailed Drongo

Large Niltava

orange coloured coral-like inflorescences of a Medinella

the Scott, once a colonial tavern now a restaurant

the renovated interiors

nice solid wood counter

entrance

Gunung Benom on the far horizon

new leaves on the canopies, giving Bukit Telaga autumn-flushed hues

Blue-winged Leafbird at Bukit Telaga on the way home

Update on Lata Jarum

2011-06-15T15:40:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since I last visited Lata Jarum and so last week, I dropped by for just a short visit around the principal cascades for some pix...

at the cascades

another view of the cascades

a tree with delicate fruits

the 'main' cascades from the overhead bridge

a spider

strange fruit

a flowering globe

damselflies seem to be everywhere

a female

a Magpie Crow butterfly

unusual visitor - a Scarlet Minivet (male)

a female nearby

Participative Dining (2)

2011-06-13T02:59:00.000-07:00

Here's another dinner experience done for a friend almost two weeks back...

set up the table first

simple taste teaser: shrimp deep fried in lavender-scented batter served with suprême of orange and grapefruit

smoked salmon marinated with a vinaigrette of shallots, dill and mustard

gelée of verbena with tuna bits

first course: steamed potatoes with truffle-infused French butter, truffle oil and fleur de sel

oven-baked quail stuffed with risotto (flavoured with cèpes), purée of oven-baked red capsicum and black olive tapenade

Main course: pork belly braised with white wine, roasted garlic and beignet of zucchini and Chinese jasmine

Salad as requested to feel like "a bed of flowers" like the last time, pine nuts and Italian cheese. Dessert was again, tiramisu as requested and I didn't take any snapshot...

Canopy Walk at Taman Negara

2011-06-12T07:38:00.000-07:00

This is my second time going for the Canopy Walk at Taman Negara, my first was somewhere back in 2008. I visited Taman Negara for the first time back in 1982 when I was a secondary school student. It was a school trip back then. However, everything was definitely more rudimentary and the biggest change is of course back then, the Headquarters was just hostels and chalets run by government agency and deers and wild boars came to the camp site and HQ like goats and cows in a farm. The noise level from boats was definitely also lower... also, electricity got turned off at 12 midnight because it was generated by a diesel powered motor. Nolstagic but better anytime...

Back to present - thanks to progress, we can now visit the National Park (formerly King George V National Park under the British and it was the first national park in the country) as a day trip. We drove to Jerantut after a late breakfast at almost 11.30 am and reached Kuala Tahan via Padang Piol Felda scheme by 2.30 pm, 160 km of winding trunk road. As it was already late afternoon and we were told by the ranger that the Canopy Walk close within the hour, we rushed along the 1.7 km trail, ending with me having some dizziness at the base of the entrance...needs more stamina exercises in the future!

View of the entrance to Taman Negara from Kampung Tembeling

another...

swell idea to have restaurant at the river bank...hope they don't pollute

a bract fungi along the trail

torch ginger

tiny fungi like tiny table lamps

fruiting bracts of a wild ginger, Calathea spp.

a tiny skipper butterfly visiting a wild ginger flower, locally known as Tepus Tanah

the entrance to the Canopy walk

hanging walkways suspended from mid-trunk of huge trees

part of the walkway

view of the Tembeling River in the distance

a quick shot

one needs to do some climbing on the walkways

beautiful sight awaits the patient abserver : a Prevost's Squirrel feeding on figs...

one of the most handsome creature on the canopy...this might not have been possible with an ordinary camera from ground level...

at the exit...

interesting plant along the trail

a tiny lizard

another species of Calathea ginger flower...

ixora-like flowers

a mating pair of papillionids howering over a Lantana bush

It came from the canopy above...

another...

a tiny grasshopper

a colourful beetle on the forest floor

at the HQ centre, a big aquarium displaying river specimens from the Tahan River...these two are Tengas

Icon and 'King' of the Malaysian rivers - the Malaysian Mahseer, Tor tambroides, sadly an endangered species due to pollution and overfishing for the restaurant table and aquarium trade.

signboard at the entrance

Best ever Hokkien Mee at Bangsar

2011-06-10T00:05:00.000-07:00

If I have to rate the best Hokkien styled noodles in town, those served at Reunion at Bangsar Village II Kuala Lumpur will have to be at the top of my list. This is my 7th or 8th time eating the same dish there and I still like it a lot. Unlike the hawkers' fare where often the good taste of the dish is marred by soda-tasting yellow egg noodles, those served here never have that problemo numero uno. Then, the best part: every mouthful of the noodles swimming in thick, rich dark soya sauce has at least a bite of fried pork lard bits, and that's what the joy of eating Hokkien fried noodles is all about! However, be warned: this is not your regular Char-Kuey Teow noodle shop. A plate of Hokkien noodles here will equal quite a few trips to your regular favourite street hawker stall...

I discovered this dish on their menu one day on a nonchalant dinner tryout around here with my ex-housemate. We ordered our regular favourites but couldn't stop wondering why every other diner was ordering this dish. So one fine dinner at Reunion, we decided to give it a try and got hooked on it since...

Late morning balade in Kg Chenua

2011-06-07T17:38:00.000-07:00

Kampung Chenua is a small traditional village not far from Raub town, about 27km give and take a km or two. What is interesting about this 'uninteresting' village is its semi-wooded old farm, its forest surrounding and of course, the stars: its denizens. I often come here to observe birds and other small animals when I need to send my wife to her school, just like this time...well, this time we came late, at about half past eleven and the morning sun is already near its zenith. The forest denizens were more or less 'resting' in the shades but there were still some interesting actions...

strange velvety fruits

flowers of the Hoya vines

a bunch of fruits of a fishtail palm

a male damselfly on its sentry

a female closeby

a grasshopper resting in the shades

a brown squirrel marking its presence with loud barkings

a brown pansy

a clipper

waxy orchid-like flowers of a wild ginger (same family with the Galangal)

a hanging bridge, a common feature of riverine villages in this part of the country

view from the hanging bridge over the Lipis River

Bungor, a common riverine tree with impressive mauve flowers

a hut in the open

a dragonfly against the morning light

another female damselfly

a hornbill (there were at least five of them in a group feeding on figs)

a small berry in the shades

the Seven Candlestick, Cassia alata in the open grassland

Spider lily in the shades

flowering fronds of the Pinang palm

figs the size of mandarins

A Coppersmith Barbet came to feast on the figs. This bird has distinctive metalic knocking calls and is called Burung Tagut in Malay...

a Skipper butterfly

Kuantan-Cherating Day Trip

2011-06-07T04:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (6 June 2011), we did some of the silliest thing ever: drove to Kuantan for a day trip just to buy fresh seafood! Actually, it wasn't that crazy because now there's a highway that only takes about 2 hours plus one way...After breakfast, we went straight and were already there by late morning, circa 10 plus. Not knowing what to do, we headed to Cherating for a drive and also to check out some of the beaches there. I stayed in Kuantan from 1985 - 1990 but the Kuantan today is very different. I like the old one better - less chaos and dirt flying everywhere. Even the beaches were better but I suppose everything has a price, and this is what we paid in the name of progress or development. Most distressing is the fishermen market where fresh catch of the day is sold, albeit lesser and lesser these days. Gone were the days where fishermen sold loads of colourful catch. You'll be lucky to buy some nice snappers and garoupa these days (if you can afford them first!). Thinking that there will be two arrivals of catch as usual, we went to the market at Balok, Beserah and Tanjong Api only to find out that there's only a single arrival per day or sometimes late arrivals in the afternoon, we had to be content with a few tiny spiny lobsters (thank God they still exist) and 2 kgs of squids. The stalls were mostly empty or sold out - not much to sell these days....

Homestay on the beach at Cherating. You can drive directly onto the beach.

All calm and serene under the blistering heat of the sun.

The beach was quite empty for the holidays season.

Interesting restaurant by the sea - the Duyung (Mermaid)

Further down, the beach was practically abandonned. Absolutely beautiful but scarred by littering by a very uncivic-minded public.

Observe the speckled green: plastic bags, styrofoam boxes and empty drink cans littered the beach like seashells once did in my youth. Utter sadness.

The sand is still very inviting if you don't mind passing the rubbish first...and this is supposed to be some of the very best of beaches around here.

Lavender-coloured waxy flowers of a common shrub found on sandy beaches.

Trying to show some beautiful angle - this time just the casuarinas and sandy beaches...

Post card from the past: palm fringed wooden houses by the sea

We went all the way to Beserah for lunch at Pak Su, a popular tourist haunt if you will. The food here is fine in term of taste. Some comments though, too many flies everywhere (an indication of cleanliness, or rather frequency of garbage removal), poor service and too many lame excuses for a restaurant. We ordered some of their signature dishes like baked oysters (oven broke down) to stuffed crab (we don't make them anymore!) plus there were lots of very unhealthy crustaceans in their aquariums...My personal recommendation - avoid this restaurant if you're not used to abuses.

The fried squid was very fresh and succulent.

As they only have two options for oysters - live or garlic steamed, we order the steamed with garlic as the sight of their oysters in the poorly maintained aquarium did not look very ensuring for live oysters. Should have given it the miss.

Salted egg crabs - I didn't eat this but my wife commented that they were good. I'm allergic to crabs. Tant pis.

Romaine lettuce stir fried with fermented bean curd. Taste was fine. I saw the waiter almost dropping the plate and had the sauce all over his hand on the way to our table. He feigned ignorance and never even said anything...as if we never saw it...

To make our experience worse, a couple sat in front of us, blocked the seaview, and started smoking (both of them) - the smoke came our direction as the wind was blowing our way. They nonchalantly continued their smoking despite my sneezing. This is all too common in Malaysian restaurants...

Crab shells being recycled and dried in the hot sun - no stuffed crab in the menu mind you...

The canal outside the fish market in Beserah- plastic and litters every where.

Participative dining

2011-05-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

During the Wesak Day holidays, I organised a dinner at a friend's house. It was a 'participative dining' as I would call it as everyone chip in for the meal and someone gets to host it. I of course, got to be the chef.

the dining all prep up for dinner with fresh colourful roses

another view

taste teaser : capellini with garlic herb butter and fried tuna bits

smoked salmon marinated with Dijon mustard, vinaigrette and dill

oven-baked chicken breast with avocado and freshly made mayonaise

purée of oven-baked capsicum and sauteed prawns

first course - Vichysoisse accented with wild salmon caviar

main course - duck confit with roasted garlic sauce and zucchini in black olive tapenade

Fresh garden salad with truffle-infused oil, pine nuts and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (Italian parmesan)

by request - Tiramisu in a bed of crème anglaise and strawberry coulis

Sungei Palas at the Cameron Highlands (encore)

2011-05-21T18:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we decided to visit the Cameron Highlands out of the blue, just to escape the heat from the midday sun...surprises of surprises, there weren't that many tourists around for a very good reason (after having thought about it for a while)...next week is exam week in school, which explains why parents stayed back with their children for their kiasu thing. That was good news for us, and from now on maybe tourists destinations only during exam week! Since it was already afternoon when we arrived, we headed straight to the Boh Tea Estate at Sungei Palas and what wonderful view greeted us - available terrace seats with full view of the rolling hills! After a nice long afternoon tea, we headed for the Mountain Strawberry farm to buy some organic vegetables (we bought some zucchini flowers from them the last time) but nothing much was in season so we just settled for a kilo of freshly pulled leeks from the garden. On the way down, I managed to stop for a minute or two to observe some birds and soon, sounds of distance rumbling of thunderstorm came and off we went...for a quick pit-stop at KEA farms to buy some flowers and veges, all under pouring rain!

Million dollars view not common in this place - no photo snapping groups of tourists and holidaying families hounding on you for tables and view for photos. They did come, about half-way through our tea...

One for madame...

and one for monsieur...

Green manicured tea hills are such soothing sights for the hot weather. The English really knew how to relieve themselves back in the old Malaya...

a shed in midst of tea plants

a nice aubergine-like flowering tree at the gardens of the tea house

at the exit

Fresh lime green of the young leaves

another view

and another

and another...

workers' quarters on the upper reaches of the plantation not often visited by tourists

stark contrasts between the minaret of the temple and the fresh green of the tea garden...

rolling hills of tea garden

storm in the distance

a barbet came out to play

vegetables at the farm

a bed of lichen

young cabbage

a battavia

bok choy

tomatoes

lycopodium on a bed of russet-coloured moss

mist rising after the rain at Bertam Valley

Arresting sights

Port Dickson

2011-05-16T17:07:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was in Port Dickson (referred to as PD by locals) for a workshop a few days and we stayed in a hotel near Amiral's Cove. The weather was extremely warm and humid so I stayed mostly in the hotel (then the haze came on the second day). One evening, when the weather was fairer, I went for a walk on the sandy beach and snapped these photos.

Still empty court for beach volleyball

The cove next to the marina

a patch of mangrove forest at the end of the plank walk (horrors - the entire bridge is really all weather moulded plastic planks resembling synthetic wood)

a tiny mud skipper (Balanophora spp.)

shimmering sunset

Add some colours to your salad

2011-05-14T22:14:00.000-07:00

Capucine, or Nasturtium is a rather neglected flower in the garden and not much being used in the kitchen. If grown without pesticide, the flowers add an exotic taste and texture to the garden salad (yes, this flower is edible). It has a sweet and peppery flovour, a surprising taste from a flower - and the crushed dried seeds has a taste akin to black pepper...I last saw it growing 'wild' in Cameron Highlands in a watercress farm. Next time, I'll pick some for the table...

One Summer in Barcelona

2011-05-10T06:17:00.000-07:00

I have these pictures long time in my computer and I always deferred posting them because I wasn't ready to talk about them but here they are, my one day visit to Barcelona back in 2006...

The fish-shaped dome of a building at the Olympic Complex

from inside the walkway...

tourists sunning themselves at the beach under the intense summer heat...

another view of the dome structure...

a nice circular building holding the medical facilities if memory serves me correctly...

View of a balcony in the old Barcelona. We walked through dark corridors like maze in the old city and came through here...

The Caixa Catalunya...Catalan Bank. The draft outside the street was so strong it blew off my panama and had me running down the street after it (I must have looked silly)...

still in the old inner city...

royal plaza I suppose (look at the next picture)...

the museum at the plaza...

roof of the intriguing Sagradia Familia, Gaudi's masterpiece still in construction...

from the bottom

a phallic-like building not far from the Sagradia Familia

nice looking apartments

the bull fighting ring

entrance to a metro station

outside the ring

a Miro-like sculpture at the park of the Olympic Complex

at the marina, towards the end of the day

people were still at the beach

sunset over the marina

Chinese Jasmine omelette

2011-05-03T06:32:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, I stumbled upon an old ingedient that I have not seen for awhile at the farmers' market in Raub. It is a kind of jasmine that is edible and is usually made into an egg soup Chinese-style. The Cantonese call this flower Yeh Loi Heong, meaning fragrance of the night but I think it's a misnomer because it is absolutely aromatic in the morning (faintly sweet smell, quite different from the heady white jasmine flowers) and it imparts a very unusual perfume to vegetable soups or in this case, a subtle omelette.

See this link for the recipe:

http://nlliew66sun.blogspot.com/2011/05/chinese-jasmine-omelette.html

at the Minimes at La Rochelle

2011-04-28T07:42:00.000-07:00

Looking back at my first year in a faraway land (France) made me realised how difficult it could be...I was still struggling with the language, culture and climate most of the time and I didn't have that many friends as I would have loved to. The sense of isolation transcended to many things and among them are the many landscape photos that I have taken back then, in Spring 2004:

A quiet morning, almost static on the beach at the minimes at La Rochelle

abandonned avenue with catkins sprouting from bare branches

calm at the marina

windswept junipers along the seaside park at the Minimes

quiet beauty

the residents are still sleeping

low tide on the rocky beach

shimmering reflections of sunrise

wooden house - a rarity in France

not-so-busy roundabout

spring primroses along the abandonned road

Weekend of Cooking Frenzy

2011-04-19T07:14:00.000-07:00

This is it - I am officially out of control when it comes to my kitchen. I had some friends over for dinner on Saturday and then some more for lunch on Sunday! One menu, two sessions! This weekend, I'll do nothing but eat simple...

The table all set...

Some taste teasers, amuse-gueules in French: smoked salmon in vinaigrette of mustard, echalotte, dill and chilli

To start things up, cold gelée of tomato in a warm velouté of topinambour (Jerusalem artichoke, which is actually the roots of a species of sunflower), accented with a dash of tobiko.

same thing the next day...

Deep fried prawns in a batter of flour and eggs, accented with real lavender flowers and paprika.

(I actually adapted this recipe from a Provençal recipe for a lavender biscuit!)

The recipe (for 1 kg of prawns, medium sized)

2 eggs

1 cup of flour

1 can of cold beer

a pinch of salt

2 tablespoons of dried lavender flowers (the type used for infusions)

1 teaspoon of paprika powder

Peel and clean the prawns but keep the tail. Marinate with 2 tablespoon of Grand Marnier and a pinch of salt. Reserve aside.

Mix all the ingredients to make a frying batter. Heat oil in a deep casserole for frying (or any frying contraptions you might have in your kitchen). Dip the prawns individually in the batter and slide them into the hot oil to fry, holding the tail. Drain and serve hot. You won't believe the wonderful marriage of lavender scent and fried prawn beignets!

Boneless duck stuffed with figs, apricots, bread and liver. Served with potatoes fried in duck fat and the roasting liquid reduced with orange liqueur. I got the cue for deboning a duck from the video I watched on Atelier des chefs on deboning a quail. It worked the same, only more effort needed.

Same dish next day but served with haricots blancs (cannellini beans)

For desert, tiramisu with fresh strawberry in roselle flavoured syrup (I forgot to take picture of the salad).

Encore colours of autumn at Poitiers

2011-04-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

Flashback to autumn 2005...kinda nolstagic and distanced now that spring is in the air in the Northern hemisphere and us here in the tropics: evening showers and mid day heat throughout the year...

Nevertherless, digging into my picture archive is always a pleasure and a rediscovery...

Staircase up the centre ville of Poitiers in the evening autumn sun...

Street light

Lichen in two colours under the evening glare...

A fallen leaf of a vigne

Signboard in the colour of autumn...

Nice building belonging to the city hall...

Chrysanthemum is a main staple of autumn flower beds in France of late (ahem...back then)

an old church in Rue Gambetta, Eglise saint Porchaire

The legend of Poitou

It was the theme of teddies for autumn...

Bounties of autumn: cèpes mushrooms

even bigger ones...

oursins, or sea urchins

Christmas tree at the entrance of the shopping mall in town center

Nice Coquilles Saint Jacques, or scallops

It was cold enough to have open skating ring in the town square

Calm and symetry outside the university residence

Musicians outside the Eglise Notre Dame-la-Grande in market square

First frosts

Visages de Raub (1)...a pictorial

2011-04-06T22:29:00.000-07:00

If the eyes are windows to the soul of a person, then the facade of the street must be the window to the town's soul...

The shophouses in Raub are mostly pre-war buildings in Straits Chinese style (methinks) and what's charming is the patina from the passage of time created by years under the hot tropical sun...

All pork menu

2011-04-06T06:55:00.000-07:00

Two weeks back, my colleague's parents and friend came visiting and them being Breton (people from the Brittany region in France), I hesitated with the menu as they would have had some of the best pork menu (and apple products) in France. However, I got the request for pork and pork it was on the main menu...(also the fact that I wanted to use the apple compote that I made with the extra apples I had in my fridge).

the setting...

Alberto brought the best of Spanish Serrano ham and I answered with seared fresh fig and ripe rock melon, a classic accompaniment for ham...

Large chunks of pork belly stewed with white wine, apple compote and fresh baby carrots. The dish was flavoured with a tinge of juniper berries and bay leaves, served with a generous portion of gratin dauphinois.

Fresh salad with a tinge of truffle oil.

The happy faces - attestation to the success of the menu. Merci.

Chocolate cake with orange liqueur sauce to finish up.

Lata Jarum 2011

2011-04-03T06:22:00.000-07:00

Some friends from afar came visiting and I took them for a 'balade' at the Rafflesia trail at Lata Jarum...unfortunately, there weren't any in bloom, just a few buds and horrific leeches feasting on everyone...

A species on melastomataceae flowering in the shades.

It was a hot and sunny day and the canopy was pissing (literally) on us from above...

A tiny cicada

Another melastomataceae but this one is a creeper...

A grasshopper

A horned spider

Bemban leaves against the mid-day sun

A large forest ant

A congregation of mapwing butterflies

A nymphalid sunning itself

Gapis flowering from its lower trunk

and striking magenta beans directly from the base of its trunk

A begonia at the water's edge

A fascinating dragonfly

A small butterfly from the shades of the jungle: Ragadia makuta siponta

A large birdwing resting on the leaves of a Mahang tree

Pix from the Farmers' Market in Raub

2011-03-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

The Sunday market in Raub is an endless source of inspiration and fascination for me because of the colours, textures and motifs that can 'accidentally' come to life if one only takes the time to observe...

Harmony in reds and yellows

A study in greens

Contrasting white and orange

Pink torch gingers...

Repetitious forms in harmony of yellow-green and neutrals

Muted reds and neutrals in a sweeping motion

Beignets de fleurs de courgette

2011-03-21T05:52:00.000-07:00

On our way down from Mount Brinchang to Sungei Palas, we stumbled upon a vegetable farm called 'Mountain Strawberry Farm'. I wanted to know if anyone was growing zucchinis (courgette in French) and so we gave this one a try. Happily, they do grow zucchinis - just one single row of it. The worker that attended to us, a Bangladeshi man who has been working in the same farm for the past six years, was surprised that I wanted to buy zucchini flowers above all vegetables offered for sale because he too, eats them from time to time (I didn't ask how). However, when I told him that I only wanted the female flowers (those with a tiny zucchini attached to its stem), he became reluctant because (I could understand why) each female flower plucked equals to one future zucchini fruit lost. Besides, he didn't know what the boss lady might say to him...Not wanting to put him in a fix, I ordered a kilo of fresh zucchinis, some leeks, tomatoes and a head of iceberg lettuce and he happily plucked a dozen of male zucchini flowers for me to 'try'...all's well ends well with a little concession on all sides...

Cabbages in neat rows...

Tomatoes in the green house...

Pea flower...edible but not for sale either. The zucchini patch is on the back row...

The male zucchini flowers...not exactly what I wanted but will do for this time. I am sending the seeds to someone I know in Cameron Highlands to have them grown...

Voila the end result. I was pleasantly surprised with the result as the fried flowers were delicate, fragrant (somewhat like a fried sweet potato) and delicious. A sprinkle of fine sea salt at the end really helped bring out the delicate flavours of this dish.

Recipe for the batter:

In an ice-cold mixing bowl (double bowls with ice put in between)...
1 egg
3 tablespoon of flour
a pinch of salt
pepper
ice cold sparkling mineral water (like Perrier)

Thin the batter to a liquid consistency. Remove the pistils from the flowers and gently rub off the tiny hairs around the stems of the flowers with a piece of kitchen towel. Swirl the flowers gently in the batter and deep fry them in hot oil until golden (this will really only take a minute or two). Drain off the oil with kitchen paper towels and serve immediately with a pinch of fine sea salt.