Of Food And Memory [Recipe: Honey-Soy Grilled Chicken]

I must be honest with you. I’ve had three drafted posts thus far containing nothing but edited photographs and jotted recipes. It seems I may have been struck by the writer’s block, though it feels a little more solemn than that. Somewhere along the line I had lost my mojo, both in the culinary aspect and that pertaining to the written word. In fact, even my unspoken words these days, much of which my years had pivoted on all these while, sound a tad lacklustre in my head.

I’ve had requests to share the recipes to specific posts on my Instagram, but it has become apparent that blogging is possibly the last thing on my mind, since I rarely bother measuring out ingredients these days, opting for the oft-mentioned agar-ation, its Malay equivalent being campak-campak;- the act of uncalculated throwing of random ingredients to whip up something in the kitchen. I’ve actually had thoughts of just dropping the blog, and resume my social media life through square-formatted photos and ramblings of 140 characters. However, coming across these photos of honey-soy grilled chicken, it reminded me of the primary reason I had set up this blog. And as selfish (and possibly offensive to you, dear readers) as it may sound, I’m sorry, but it’s not so much to share, but more to preserve. To memory, that is.

I remember vividly the mister taking a bite from his plate, he looked up and said, “Please, please, don’t forget this recipe!”. And that right there was the it moment, if you may call it that, for me; a trusty tried-and-tested recipe book without its yellow pages and dog-ear folds, this blog to me is the repository of my kitchen escapades interspersed with precious moments I hold dear each day. I’m sure fellow food bloggers can attest to this; times you refer to a recipe from your blog, and go “Ah, I remember that day. The smiles and laughter made all the cake effort worth it”. And the beauty of sharing the recipe(s) is the promise of a possibility to press replay on that etched memory, to a rekindled smile and laugh.

Thus, as much as I know I am horrid at keeping a regular blogging schedule, and though words may keep failing me each time, this blog is here to stay, and by the taste of it, this juicy sweet honey-soy grilled chicken recipe is too.

No Fancy Shmancy [Recipe: Churro Balls]

I’m afraid this is going to have to be a short and quick update. Almost as quick as it takes to bring random nondescript pantry ingredients together to become what is possibly the easiest fix for a peckish tummy with only so much time to spare while her little one catches her (cat)nap. In fact, it took such a short time to bring these from stove to plate that I was convinced enough to do a repeat act the very next afternoon. In my defence though, I had some leftover cinnamon sugar from the first day, and my momma taught me never to waste a delicious thing food. Another thing she taught me? The best things in life never had a need to be fancy shmancy; so whilst the purist in you can grab the piping bag and have pretty long churros, the rest of us can easily enjoy the same crispy-on-the-outside-chewy-on-the-inside churros in a simpler, no-fuss, pop-in-your-mouth way.

of beginnings and ends [Recipe: Oatmeal Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce]

It’s that time of the year again, when we wonder where the time had flown, and exchange “it-seems-like-it-was-just-yesterday”s to one another, in eager anticipation of another new year, another hope of fresh beginnings. Unfortunately, it also appears to be that time of the year when almost every one has fallen victim to the harsh weather. It is ironic how we often lament about the unforgivingly humid weather we have here in Singapore, and yet when the monsoon season comes knocking, we fall susceptible to red noses, hoarse voices, and fevers matching the prior climate.

As I sit here typing this, I have next to me a box of Kleenex, a mug of warm Milo, and a sleeping baby who had just been given her third dose of medicine for the day. Aside: Bugs that prey on otherwise-jovial-and-healthy babies ought to be ashamed of themselves! And yet, here I am, taste buds still a little wonky from the inflamed throat, dreaming of these oatmeal pancakes with blueberry sauce I made last week.

I admit I do love my oatmeal a whole bunch, and am no stranger to oatmeal pancakes, but unlike the afore-linked recipe which calls for overnight soaking of the grains (which does wonders to the texture, by the way), this is one of those essential last-minute breakfasts that come together quickly, is hearty and healthy, and with the purplish hue of blueberry sauce dripping down the sides, these oatmeal pancakes look (and makes you feel) like a million bucks.

And sometimes, we all need to start our mornings feeling like that. Fever, cold, cough, notwithstanding.