Cookie.....and Tuna!

Another cat post...a sequel to Cookie.....and Sashimi!

Two weeks ago, my almost 2-year old male cat didn't return home.  Usually, he would come running the moment he hears my voice.  This time, however, he even missed 2 meals....I kept calling for him but he just didn't want to come home.  Like any concerned parent, I was worried, but not unduly worried, when I realised that he was in my neighbour's compound all day (although I could see that he looked very frightened).

Finally, he came home the next morning (this was the 1st time he stayed out all night).....looking tired and not himself.  I didn't suspect anything amiss, since he stayed out the whole night, although I did wonder why he would give out a small meow each time I stroked him.  I now realise that it wasn't a meow but a cry in pain :(

The following morning, I noticed he was licking a part of his body profusely.  When I took a closer look, I realised that he has something resembling a wound.  Pus has started to ooze out from a small hole.  A trip to the vet was inevitable and the vet revealed that he was clawed....and that could only mean one thing...he must have been involved in a fight with another male cat.  Darn that orange male cat whom I've seen loitering around my street!

If my cat ever gets into a fight with a male cat, he's bound to loose because he has been neutered....and neutered cats are known to be less aggressive and a bit more of a "pussy" (if you know what I mean)!! XD

Who wouldn't be a "pussy" when your "balls" have been snipped!  Let me show you the uncensored pic of my Cookie's puny little balls!!  They're so small that even a kitten's balls are bigger :D  My poor Cookie :(  But, as a responsible pet owner, we have to neuter our pets to reduce unwanted kittens (or puppies) population (plus there are a host of behavioural and medical benefits to neutering).

So, obviously, with a trip to the vet also meant I came home with some medication for him.  But, he's so smart that he'd eat all his food but leaves the medication behind.

I had to think of a plan to outsmart him and make him eat his medication.  I opened a can of tuna (meant for human consumption).....

......and tried to entice him by burying his medication in between the tuna ;-)

Finally, I got him to eat but he would lick the tuna off and leave his pills behind.  I had to keep adding tuna to cover the pills until he finally gobbled up his medication.  It was as difficult as getting a baby to take his medication.

So, guess what I had for lunch?  Tuna sandwich, of course....and coffee!  Coz the whole can of tuna would be too much for my cat to finish (although I did safe some in the fridge to be used for his other medication feedings).  But, that didn't work after a few days and I had to bury his medication in some braised "char yoke" (pork).....he can't outwit me (so that he can get more 'human' food).  There's a reason why 'man' is the superior species :D plus it's not good for him to consume human food!

Once the pus stopped, you can see that the hole is not that small...the other male cat's claw had gone in quite deep.  I can just imagine the pain he was in :'(  Oh my kucing!

He's much better now and his wound is slowly healing.

[#Note: Even as I'm writing this, he got scratched again!  Luckily, this time, it wasn't serious...just a slight bleeding in the ear where he got scratched.]

I don't know why he got into a fight with another cat coz neutered cats are no longer interested in mating (ball ball also gone, how to mate) and will not show signs of being territorial.  He doesn't need to fight to defend his territory nor get the attention of a female cat that is in heat.

I guess only he knows why he got into a fight or why he had to defend himself!  And, if I see that damn orange male cat again (or any male cat for that matter).....I'll, I'll, I'll.........(censored)!!! >:( 

When he's back to his usual self, he'll be 'bothering' me again when I'm blogging....but, hey, I'm looking forward to him 'bothering' me :)

Revisit: Mei Sin (Pork Noodles) @ Imbi

Mei Sin Eating Shop @ Imbi is one of those coffee shops that my family and I consistently return to for their many hawker-type food (read my earlier review here).  Most of the stalls have been around from the very first time I started eating here (which was more than 15 years ago)...like the curry laksa, char kway teow, chicken hor fun, chicken rice and wantan mee stalls.
 

There's one stall though which has changed and that is the "chee yuk fun" (pork noodles) stall.  There used to be another famous stall here but that original stall has since moved.  In its place is another pork noodles stall and, each time I come here, I would stick to eating the 'old' and familiar stalls, not knowing how good this new pork noodles can be.  But, of late, I noticed that the stall is really busy with many customers ordering the pork noodles.  Out of curiosity, I jumped on the bandwagon too!
 

This was my order of Pork Noodles @ RM6 and it was just as good, I must say.  It can certainly rival the old stall and give them a run for their money.  What was the exception for me was the "chee yun" (pork liver)...the barely cooked, thick slices of pork liver were very tender and juicy.
 

If you like pork liver that is still oozing blood, then this one will definitely be to your liking!  The soupy broth was equally delicious.  If I had to point out one little thing which was not as good...it would probably be the lean pork slices.  They were not as smooth and tender coz they looked like they were cooked as it is (without being tossed in corn flour).
 

On another occasion, I ordered just the "liew" (the porky ingredients) without any noodles and it was really good too.   The Chee Yuk Tong (Pork Soup) @ RM6.50 came with slices of lean pork, chee yun, pig's intestines, minced pork and "choy sum" (Chinese flowering cabbage)...and a good soup base (just look at the pic).  The flavour of the soup was more forthcoming without the taste of noodles getting in the way.

 

There are also 2 other stalls located outside the coffee shop selling fried goodies.  One of them sells all types of fried buns.
 

These are the fried "yau char kwai" (Chinese crullers) @ RM0.90 a pc.
 

They also have a few varieties of "harm chim peng" (salted fried bun) @ RM0.90 a pc...a plain one (sprinkled with sesame seeds and five-spice powder), one with a glutinous rice filling and one with a red bean paste filling.

These are the fried stuff I chose, a yau char kway and 2 varieties of harm chim peng...one with the red bean paste filling and one with the glutinous rice filling.
 

Eat them piping hot from the wok....and it's a crispy satisfaction indeed!  I think I enjoyed the harm chim peng (with glutinous rice) the most coz the fried dough was soft (yet crispy) although the rice could do with a tad more salt.

The other stall is the one selling "nin ko" or "nian gao" (or otherwise known as gold cakes or lava cakes).  It's actually a sweet, brown and sticky rice cake that is usually sandwiched between a layer of taro and sweet potato, battered and then deep fried.
 

This is my Fried Nin Ko @ RM1.30/pc.  It is best to consume this immediately (or within the hour) coz that's when the batter is at its crunchiest.  Bite into it and you'd be greeted with a melting and sweet nin ko, sandwiched between a fluffy taro and soft sweet potato with a crispy and airy batter!
 

I can see why it's sometimes referred to as Lava Cake as the nin ko (when fried) turns into oozy molten lava (much like a molten chocolate lava cake)...or Gold Cake coz you'd equate the runny nin ko as 'liquid gold' =)

I also bought a pc of Fried Banana @ RM1.30 and it was equally good.  The fried banana was soft, sweet...and pretty huge!

My Personal Opinion
 

My order of pork noodles took a while to arrive (after my family has already finished eating) but, I guess, it was worth the wait.
 

It was indeed good...but was it better than my favourite pork noodles from Wai Fung Coffee Shop in Pandan Perdana?  I think my favourite one wins by a whisker coz their lean pork is smoother but, most of all, they have crunchy "chee yau char" (pork lard bits) and the owner always gives me extra (coz I'm a 'regular', and so, he gets extra 'brownie' points...woohoo!) :D  But, I definitely preferred the thicker slices of barely cooked pork liver of this Imbi one.

Also, do get yourself a pc or 2 (or more) of those fried stuff....lovely with a hot cup of kopi-o!  For me, when it comes to fried food, there are 2 kinds of people...those who love fried food and those who won't admit they love fried food!  Let's not kid ourselves...you know you want one!! :D
 

Mei Sin Eating Shop

No 16 Jalan Melati

Off Jalan Imbi

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2142 6169

#ewew makes Easy-Peasy Fruit Salad

Let me show you a dish that you don't have to cook!!  Sounds good?...this is a salad that I've prepared many times for family and friends (to rousing reviews) and the best thing is.....it involves no cooking at all!  Sometimes, it's the simplest of things that make the biggest impressions.

This Fruit Salad is so simple that it is absolutely ideal for buffet parties or as a starter to your 3-course western dinner.  It's also very versatile in that you can change or add in any fruits that you fancy (and it's like you have a different salad all the time).  Let me show you just how easy it is to put together :-)

Ingredients:

2 cups seedless grapes (a mixture of green, red and purple grapes)
1 cup mango
1 cup honeydew
3 tbsp store-bought mayo
1 tbsp tomato ketchup

Preparation:

Wash and drain your fruits (really well).
Leave your seedless grapes whole.
Dice up the mango and honeydew.

Method:

Put all your diced up fruits + grapes into a large bowl.

In a small bowl, mix 3 tbsp of mayo with 1 tbsp of tomato ketchup (this is a rough ratio of 3:1, just stir until you get to the desired colour of light pink).  [#Tip: This is my simple version of Marie Rose or cocktail sauce.]  Depending on the amount of fruits you have, make more sauce (if need be)...as long as it's enough to coat your fruits.
 

Add the sauce into your fruits, stir until well combined and you're ready to serve.  [#Tip: If you're making this for a party, just remember to toss the fruits in the sauce, when you're about to serve, and not earlier, otherwise the fruits will release water and make your sauce watery.]  This can be served chilled or at room temperature.

This salad is so versatile that you can add in any combination of fruits that you like such as apples, pears, rock melon, strawberries, pineapples, kiwi, etc.  Just about any type of fruits will do except those with a high water content like watermelon and oranges so that your sauce does not become too watery (and that's why you need to drain your fruits well after washing).  I would also omit papaya as the taste is a bit overwhelming.
 

If you're having a sit-down 3-course western meal, serve it in a cocktail glass for a bit of finesse!  Pretty....no? :D  Or you can serve it as a side salad (on your main course plate) with a pc of grilled fish or chicken.
 

To make the dish more decadent, you can throw in some peeled boiled prawns and turn it into something like a prawn cocktail...which entails a bit more work if you're up for it...otherwise, don't bother.
 

I think this dish gets the 'wow' factor not because it's 'big' in the flavour department but probably because it looks like 'summer in a bowl' (the colour combination is absolutely beautiful) plus who doesn't like healthy, fresh, juicy fruits!
 

Try it. This is a failproof dish....even for those who don't or can't cook at all...as it'll always come out great each and every time =)  There you have it folks...this is my easy-peasy Fruit Salad which is currently my all-time favourite salad to make.....and eat!!

 

Serves 3 - 4 (as a starter or side dish) or 6 - 8 (in a cocktail glass)
 

Grandmama's @ Pavilion

The interior of Grandmama's @ Pavilion is not your typical "kopitiam" (coffee shop) but with a more upscale look.  It has a modern dining feel to it, especially so when the exterior shows a 'rocking' grandma riding a Harley Davidson bike! 

So, I guess it's a 'modern' grandma serving 'age-old' traditional local delights.  A look at the menu and you'd soon realise that it bears a bit of resemblance to those you'd find in Madam Kwan's.

Apart from their a la carte menu, there are a couple of sets that you can order at a reasonable price and one of them was the Seafood Curry Hot Pot @ RM29 that came with 3 side dishes, a soup and dessert of the day.

Let's start with the accompaniments to the main dish.  The 3 side dishes comprised of little cubes of fried tofu, fried "ikan bilis" (dried anchovies) with peanuts and sliced onions and some kind of a lightly fried (or slightly pickled) cabbage.  The soup served was "ABC" soup made with potatoes, carrots, onions and tomatoes.  Can't fault any of the simple side dishes except that the ikan bilis could be a bit crispier.

And now on to our 'star' of the dish.  The seafood curry was loaded with fish, prawns, squid, brinjal, cabbage, long beans and ladies fingers (and they were quite generous with the thick fish slices).  The curry was just "lemak" (creamy) enough and the flavour was spot on...this was one good curry!

All the seafood was fresh and delicately cooked and the vegetables were cooked to perfection (soft enough but still had a bite to it).  This dish was quite filling for one person.

The dessert of the day turned out to be 'odd one out' on the plate...a Japanese dessert of mochi on a plate of Malaysian flavours??  The mochi is similar to those you'd find in the sushi places but I've never ordered them as I'm not into something with a soft gel-like consistency.  It was obvious the mochi was not made inhouse as the waitress didn't even know what the fillings were when I asked.  It turned out that the pink one was filled with red bean paste and the white one with black sesame paste (when I tasted them) and (surprisingly) I liked it (especially the black sesame one)...guess I'll be ordering them from now on!

Our other order from their set menu was the Fried Boneless Chicken in Zesty Barbecue Sauce @ RM26.

The boneless chicken tastes just like any order of sweet sour 'pork' from a Chinese restaurant.

This dish was also served with the same 3 side dishes, a soup and a dessert.

The drinks were a bit on the pricier side, I must say.

Umbra & Sour Plum Juice @ RM8.90
Iced Teh Tarik @ RM8.50

My Personal Opinion

I think the restaurant is called Grandmama's for a reason....coz nothing's better than going to your grandma's house for a bit of grandma's good ole cooking, I guess.

Grandmama's, I would say, serves above average local fare.  Their signature curries, whether it's fresh prawn curry, fish fillet curry, fish head curry or (my favourite) seafood curry, are definitely a good choice here.  What's more....their set menu of a main, 3 side dishes, a soup and a dessert is also value-for-money.

Come here for a satisfying meal that won't put much of a dent in your wallet (the sets cost an average of RM30 and some noodles/rice dishes are priced at around RM15).  Can't wait to return to try more of their dishes!

Grandmama's
Lot 6.01.02 & P6.01.06 Level 6

Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

No 168 Jalan Bukit Bintang

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2143 9333

#ewew cooks Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spaghetti and Meatballs is an Italian-American dish that's very popular here.  If I had to eat pasta, I always eat those in a tomato-based sauce and not so much the carbonara-style (which is usually made with eggs, cheese and cream) as it's too creamy and cheesy for my palate.

 

This Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe is fairly easy to make now that we have a wide range of over-the-counter pre-prepared bottled sauce mix that we can buy...we don't need to make our own sauce, we just simply choose our favourite brand!

[#Tip: I've never made a tomato-based sauce from scratch with fresh tomatoes as I find our local tomatoes too acidic (and not suitable).  And the imported ones in supermarkets are too expensive (coz you need quite a lot to cook down into a sauce).  It's nothing like those good quality tomatoes I see on food shows where they're still attached to the vines.]  So, I just stick to store-bought ones like this common Prego Tomato Sauce with Mushrooms (but you can use any brand that you like).  Sometimes, I use Alce Nero Organic Tomato Sauce with Basil (the one I used for my Borsch Soup).

 

Ingredients:

 

100g minced pork
1/2 a medium onion
3 - 4 stalks Italian parsley
1/2 an egg
4 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs 
Dried spaghetti (enough for one serving)
Tomato-based sauce of your choice
Salt & black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Finely chop your onion and parsley.  To make fresh breadcrumbs, just tear your unconsumed bread (crust and all) into pcs and blitz them up until fine.  [#Tip: I got this tip of putting fresh breadcrumbs into my meatballs from Ina Garten although she uses a combination of fresh and dry breadcrumbs.  I find that the meatballs, using fresh breadcrumbs, keep them juicy and moist.]

Put your minced pork, half your chopped parsley and 4 tbsp of breadcrumbs onto a plate.  Season with salt and black pepper to taste.  [#Tip: You can substitute with beef or chicken mince, whatever you fancy, but since we don't usually get spaghetti with pork meatballs outside, I thought I'll go with pork.]

Add in half a beaten egg (we can afford to use less eggs since we don't use dry breadcrumbs in the mix).  [#Tip: Again, just 'eyeball' it...depending on how much minced meat you use, add in more breadcrumbs if the mixture is too wet or more egg if the mixture is too dry.]

Your combined mixture should look something like this (the consistency should be slightly wet).  There you have it, just 4 simple ingredients and you're on your way to making your own homemade meatballs.

Form into round-shaped meatballs (you can get 10 - 12 small ones).  Don't worry if it doesn't look completely round...hey, it's homemade, so it should look rustic! I like to make small meatballs coz it's easier to cook through than big fat ones.

 

Method:

Cook your dried spaghetti to al dente according to the instructions on the packet.

I shallow or pan-fry my meatballs with just a little olive oil in a non-stick pan (that's another reason why my meatballs are small).  Turn them around constantly until they develop a nice golden colour.

 

Dish up and set aside.  Pour away all the excess oil left in your pan (and there will be excess because of the fat from your minced meat).

 

Add a little olive oil to your pan and sautéed the chopped onions until they're translucent and soft.

 

Add your cooked spaghetti and as much (or as little) tomato sauce as you like.  For one serving, you'd probably need about 5 - 8 tbsp of tomato sauce depending on your definition of one serving ;)

 

Throw in your cooked meatballs and combine until well mixed.  Add a little water (from the water you cooked your pasta in) if it's too dry. 

Add in the remaining half of your chopped parsley, toss and plate up.

And this is my Spaghetti and Meatballs....there seems to be more meatballs than spaghetti, huh?  For those of you who are into cheese, you can sprinkle some grated cheese on top.  This recipe is easy to follow but, if it's too much of a hassle, you can always omit the meatballs :D 

But I wouldn't...as the meatballs were tender and moist (enough) for a home cooked version.

The meatballs are small enough to fit into one bite (or one forkful of pasta)....and that's the 3rd reason why I make my meatballs so small :p

This Spaghetti and Meatballs dish only cost me like under RM7 to make (less than half the price of a restaurant one).....and you can do it with pork meatballs, y'all!!

Serves 1