Kampungkayell

Food, life, and fun in my "kampung,"(village), KL (Kuala Lumpur). Did I mention "food?"


Eating to Live or Living to Eat Part 1

By Allan Yap & Nigel A. Skelchy

IMG_1932.JPGIt's impossible. Or I thought it would be.

The natural pull of Kuala Lumpur is for one to practice Living To Eat. I mean, with food and colour and textures and tastes of such intensity everywhere, it's sort of difficult just to be sensible about eating. Every meal is an opportunity for an adventure. Every meal is an opportunity for a gathering for a giggle to lift you from the mundane.

I love it.

But I've also come to love and appreciate Eating to Live. My 6 meals a day are not a chore anymore. Ooo, that rhymes doesn't it? "Not a chore anymore, Cha Boh."

Yup, I've joined the ranks of the converted. I've been circumcised (not literally) to the cult of healthy eating - for the most part - and it certainly brings with it, it's own brand of fulfilment and satisfaction. There's no evangelist more fervent than a new convert. Ask all those irritating newbies from ANY religion. Much like having that vaunted cigarette after sex, healthy eating is a viable lifestyle choice. And it's not even such an alternative one anymore that is frowned on by "right thinking" people.

My morning home-made muesli kicks off my day, with a snack of a handful of nuts or trail mix or fruit two hours later, followed by a sandwich (like the one above from Yogi Tree, Gardens) or salad for lunch - usually packed with veg, a dab of home made mayo, and at least 3 to 4 ozs of some fish or chicken - then two more snacks of trail mix/fruit/yoghurt, and we're into energy gel food for the evening workout plus a dinner of meat and veg (meat the size of a deck of cards and veg of about 2 cups).

But hey, I haven't forgotten my roots and in the last week or so, I've enjoyed IMG_1920.JPGcaressing, fondling, and having my tastebuds fornicate with everything from strawberries and a little cream, to key lime tartlets, red velvets, Louis XVs, Coffee Devil's Food cake, Barbarian Ribs at Vintry, Dim sum at Duck King and Hokkien Hakka food at Lim Kee over off Old Klang Road. And of course, an impromptu get-together which featured Teriyaki Beef with Garlic Fried Rice and a Wafu Salad.

Dieting is truly for the birds. The feathered kind. One might as well be a cloistered Nun. No offence, Reverend Mother Aloysia.

One Sunday, I decided to cook. Cooking is therapeutic for me. The focus on the food, the satisying splud of meat, the krispy krunchy feel of cucumbers and onions, the oiliness of oil. It takes me away to a creative world where anything is possible. Sweet, red onions, sliced thin, with a Wafu salad dressing started off this meal with a cool, crisp, crunch, even without croutons. Yes, yes, I liked the alliterrrrraaaa-shun!

IMG_1919.JPGMy "Starrrch" as the Americans so unlovingly put it, came from Garlic Rice. Rice is so much more than 'starrrrch.' *sniff*

I ran out of Gas that day. No, not in my tummy. That was producing it quite well thank you very much.

But my two helpers at home had not reminded the housekeeper to call the gasman and as such our stoves were all out of commission. To compound matters, I had wanted to grill my Teriyaki Beef on the gas grill. And what does a gas grill run on?

Since that was also the ONLY tank of gas in the house, they cleverly purloined it in the hope that on Monday (the day after Sunday) they would be able to call the gas man and put things to rights. Needless to say my whim put a spanner in the works and I had to get clever.

Stacking my wok on the gas grill's lava rocks, turning on all the flames actually gave me a very serviceable heat to fry the garlic to a nutty doneness and then add pre-cooked IMG_1918.JPGrice, eggs and lashings of soya sauce. Not to be confused with ginger beer(watch out for it at 4:42 and again at 9:06).

The Teriyaki Beef made from tritip striploin was duly marinated in soya sauce, mirin, sake, orange zest, and ginger and then cut into strips which were grilled until char marks appeared. The required resting over, they were stacked and whisked to table. Sweet, su-su-lent, beefy, fresh (from the orange zest) and with the garlic rice and the thickened glaze, yummo, if I do say so myself. But don't take my word for it...ask the people who came! ;-)

There have been so many more adventures this last week that I needed to split this post. Rather than write a novel.

Will continue about Vintry, Ribs by Vintry, Lim Kee, and Allan's birthday desserts in the next post.

As they used to say in the banners at Rex Cinema along Jalan Sultan..."Next Change."

19 Comments

i am reminded of a joke about diets and birds. i once went on a grains (cereals and all lah) diet and was hentam-ed by friend who thought that grains are for birds. lol!

your teriyaki beef looks good lar, man! can imagine that going with the wafu dressed salad.

rex!! omg!!! followed by a bowl of prawn hor fun somewhere opposite the cinema...those good old days!

hi! i didnt u hv this blog.alws go to the justheavenly.blogspot one..
and ws wonderin why not much updates.now i know! this is whr ur yummy fd exploits is! thks for droppin by..ur cakes is really heavenly!! ms babes is as sweet as ur creations! ;)

First time in here :)

Out of gas before/between cooking... ugh... don't we hate it?

The teriyaki beef looks very delicious...

I need a new phone. Blardee thing turned itself off on me the night you ran out of gas :P

Exercise is my therapy.I go for bike rides and runs till the cows come home :) Group therapy is my Saturday Morning Social bike ride & my Sunday evening ball games...Hahaha!

I still remember catching Jurassic Park@Rex. Eh, eh..We should go to a Chinese Dai Chou place next to the MABA building lar. Really good cantonese stir fry.

Teriyaki beef....garlic rice....salivating....hungry....no food in hand....*wails into coffee*

Nic; yaaaaa...got that dry curry mee there still ;-)

Nomad; Thanks so much and yes, babes is a godsend :-) Need to tell her that ;-)

Selba; ya lor like peeing and cutting off in midstream ;-)

Unka; IPHONE! ;-) And we'll go next month :-) As for therapy, I'm beginning to see that working out is good therapy :-)

BB; aiyoooooo there there...don't wailllll...*hands BB a tissue* LUNCH TIME! At least when I read this ;-)

ohmy, you're back blogging with a vengeance arent ya. so regular update...i can move you to my daily reads folder, as opposed to quarterly reads. u were stuck at that "tagged by FBB" post like for months.

FBB ya lor...you guys inspire me :-) No kidding ;-)

If cooking is therapeutic 4u , please please continue to do therapy on me.. me!

That's homemade teriyaki beef? Droolzmania.

Btw, did that sandwich just stuck out a tongue at me?

Ciki; caaan ;-)

Tummy; OMIGOD, who'd want to stick tongues out at you ;-) Ya Teri Beef is good :-)

the beef looks like a REAL killer! so glossy, so perfectly charred, you're making my mouth waters lah ...

in one week, you downed THAT many stuff?!!! and more?!!!

salute.

great post. I'm with Ciki on this. If you need help to finish up your inspirations, just call. I'll make myself available. :)

J2Kfm ;) Think about it...I have 6 meals a day, 7 days a week. That's 42 meals of food. Let's say 3 are big ones...Bfast, lunch, dinner. 3 x 7 is 21. Out of 21, we have 2 to 3 meals which are outside the norm. That's not many maaaa ;-)

Qwazy; we'll see what we can do. More than anything you have to be ready at a moment's notice to drop everything. Ciki can ;-) hehehehehe

LOL at FBB's comment..luvv that trademark sarcastic wit!

I am pretty sure I have demonstrated how eager I am to be invited always.. =)

Nomad; not sure if he was being sarcastic. It was definitely true about the "Taggged by FBB" bit ;-) hahaha

Toyboy; Any clearer and I'd have to rent you a room or make sure that the front porch was well swept so you don't get too dusty hanging out ;-) hehehehehe

looks like ur healthy eating has alot of cheat meals in between..perfect for a diet!

they're not cheat meals ;-) they're sometimes meals ;-) I don't eat Teriyaki beef EVERYDAY! ;-)

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