Long Forgotten Food 2 - Ikan Kekek

Why all the fuss for Ikan Kekek? Firstly it was nostalgia and memories of comfort food brought about by tete a tete with fellow Babas and Nyonyas. So to the local wet markets, I went searching for Ikan Kekek. In Ang Mo Kio the fish stall holders told me "Must Order" but they were not able to assure me when they will be able to get the fish. In Chong Pang the stall holder wife told me "Why do you want this fish, no one wants to eat it to little meat and lots of bones" A thought came to my mind- have we be come so affluent that we do not eat such fish any more? Is that why there is no supply as there is no demand for this fish or could it be due to all the land reclamation, over fishing???

What do you cook Ikan Kekek with? Well you cook it with a rempah mixture of lengkuas (Blue Ginger), kunyit(Tumeric), bawang merah(Shallots), fresh red chillies and belachan (Shrimp Paste) which makes Kuah Pedas Nanas (Spicy Pineapple Gravy) The rempah is boil with water or stock with the pineapple and season with salt and sugar. Add the fish when you are ready to EAT and boil till it is cooked.

Guess i will have to continue searching and maybe be lucky one day or not sing the old children song Ikan Kekek and dream of silvery fishes....

Ikan kekek Mak Iloi, Iloi
Ikan gelama Mak Iloi, Iloi
Mari adik Mak Iloi, Iloi
Menyanyi sama Mak Iloi, Iloi
Ada satu si ikan parang
Badannya banyak berbelang
Isi sikit, banyak tulang
Sedap di makan, masak panggang

Ikan Kekek - Common Pony Fish - Leiognathus equulus

Ikan Kekek is silvery with a brown saddle on the caudal peduncle. It has faint bars on the back and sometimes a dark blotch on the forehead. The anal fin is yellowish.

Like all species in the genus Leiognathus, it can extend its mouth into a downward pointing tube. This species grows to 25cm in length.

It if found in estuarine and coastal waters. It is also found in muddy river mouths and sometimes ascends into freshwaters. When freshly caught it exudes lots of slime.

Long Forgotten Food 1 - Sayur Bermis

Sayur Bermis was once regarded as a peasant vegetable and eaten by Nyonyas in the '60s. It is difficult, but not impossible, to find sayur bermis (duckweed), a dao miao lookalike, except it's rougher and crunchier.

How to cook your Sayur Bermis you can fry it with Sambal Belachan or Rempah Titek.

During my last trip to Malacca. I came back with 12 bundles. After giving away six bundles to relatives and friends ...Boy oh Boy did i really have my fill of Sayur Bermis. Come to think of it when will the next trip be???

Tauhu Masak Titek

This is one of my favourite comfort food. There are two variations of this dish one using Tauhu (Soft Bean Curd) the other Buah Paya Masak Titek which is actually unripe papaya. Sadly the latter dish is fast disappearing due to changing tastebuds ?? in the younger generation.



Tauhu Masak Titek cooked the way of our ancestors have meat balls in them. Some Nyonyas instead use minced prawns and pork balls in thier recipe.

My grandmother style of Tauhu Masak Titek the prawns are kept whole and minced pork are made into pork balls. Tauhu Masak Titek is best eaten with steamed white rice and sambal belachan.

:-) Wicked....

Peranakan Festival 2005 - Raising The Phoenix

The Peranakan Association will be holding its first Peranakan Festival starting from 18 - 27 November 2005 at Millenia Walk.

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS GRAND OPENING 18 November 2005, 6 - 8pm
Watch performances by Gunong Sayang, the Dendang Irama band and the Peranakan Voices, followed by a reception for invited guests.

THE PERANAKAN FAIR @ MILLENIA WALK 18 November 2005, 6 - 8pm
In many ways the heart of the Festival, this promises to be a colourful cornucopia of Peranakan music, fashion shows and performances all set against the background of our now well-established Craft and Food Fair, which comprises 30 stalls selling Peranakan food and bric-a-brac.

Exhibition

1. Information panels will highlight the characteristics and achievements of the Peranakan community. Visitors can experience the vision, philanthropy and ideals of the Baba pioneers, which continues alive and vibrant to this day.

2. A display of items that define the culture and aesthetics of the Peranakans. Clearly evident will be the passion for excellence and quality, a unique sense of colour, and a preference for an eclectic art form, incorporating elements of European, Chinese, Indian and Malay design.

Performances

Throughout the event, the public will experience an array of music Peranakans enjoy including Keronchong (from Indonesia), joget / rongeng/dondang sayang (from Malaysia) and golden oldies from the 1930s thru 50s along with a selection of newly-composed Peranakan melodies.

A fashion show featuring modern interpretations of batik wear from top Malaysian designers will be held on the 21st of November, in conjunction with the launch of a coffee-table book, "Batik Inspirations - featuring top batik designers". The forward-looking book boldly essays a blueprint for melding tradition and post-modernism through the lens of a new generation of batik fashion.

Peranakan skits aim to highlight the lifestyle and traditions of the Peranakan lifestyle. A wedding procession typical of a traditional Peranakan Wedding will be staged.

Food & Craft Fair

12 food stalls and 12 craft stalls will be set up at Millenia Walk. The food stalls (open from 18-26 November) will cover a range of popular Peranakan cuisine, including popiah, kueh pai tee, buah keluak, nonya mee, mee siam, and desserts such as kueh lapis, pineapple tarts and many other treats to tempt tastebuds..

The crafts on sale include intricate Peranakan jewellery replicas in gold and silver, kebayas, old batiks, porcelain ware and wooden carvings. Also present will be artists offering their interpretations of Peranakan material culture, or neo-Peranakan objects d'art.

Fringe Activities

BABA BAZAAR @ OG 18 - 27 November 2005

OG celebrates Peranakan culture with 10 food and craft stalls at Orchard Point, together with an array of Peranakan fashion for sale.

BABA CONVENTION

18th BABA CONVENTION: RAISING THE PHOENIX 24 - 26 November 2005 RELC International Hotel

Seminars featuring leading authorities on the culture will explore its preservation and revival.

105th ANNIVERSARY, ANNUAL DINNER AND DANCE 25 November 2005 The Neptune

This year's Dinner & Dance is themed Baba Las Vegas. Join in and play Baba Roulette, Cheeky Cherki, Bibik's Mahjong, 21 and many more. This promises to be a night of sheer revelry and extravagant entertainment.

FOOD GALORE AT HOTELS 18 - 27 November 2005

Hotel Phoenix and Furama Hotel will feature Peranakan cuisine and special events throughout the Festival period.

Peranakan Food Fair at Phoenix Hotel
Home-cooked Food style of Peranakan dishes like Ayam Buah Keluak,Ikan Pari Kuah Lada, Babi Ayam Pongtay,Udang Goreng Asam etc Look out for the PRESS for the Activities like Cooking Classes,Bunga Rampay Demo,Beaded Slippers Demo etc.....and stalls selling Spices, Kueh-Kueh,Sauces,Kebayas,Kerosangs etc

Party like a Peranakan! 27 November 2005 Asian Civilisation Museum, Armenian Street

The Museum will host several activities. A workshop for children to impart the skills of making selected Peranakan crafts will be held. Visitors to the Museum can watch an interactive play devised by members of the Peranakan Association's cultural group and students and also dress up in Peranakan wear for a fun polaroid. Stalls selling food and Peranakan bric-a-brac will also be set up. Enjoy choral performances by The Peranakan Association and Gunong Sayang. Finally, partake in an appreciation high tea at 4pm and mingle with everyone involved in the Festival.

Theatre

A TWIST OF FATE Presented by Singapore Repertory Theatre From 18 November 2005 Esplanade Theatre

This highly successful Peranakan murder mystery production by the Singapore Repertory Theatre returns to the stage! Enjoy an evening filled with comedy and suspense - wonderful entertainment for the whole family. For more information, please visit us at http://www.srt.com.sg/

In Memory of Datin Seri Paduka Endon Mahmood

Today Malaysia loses her First Lady Datin Seri Paduka Endon Mahmood her demise will be a great loss to the local Malaysian arts and culture scene.

Datin with her passion for local handicrafts and traditions, has taken it upon herself to revitalise pride in Malaysian crafts, both locally and internationally.

http://www.batikguild.com/main.php

She launched the Nyonya Kebaya - A Showcase exhibit in Kuala Lumpur in 2003. It was her hope that the exhibition and book will raise the awareness of the unique aspects of the cultural heritage of the Peranakans and inspire Malaysian designers and artist.

Currently her collection is on loan to The Asian Civilisation Museum (Singapore) from 9/3/2004 to 29/5/2005.

DATIN also wrote a book The Nyonya Kebaya: Century of Straits Chinese Costume

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's wife, whom he described as his No. 1 supporter, died Thursday after a nearly four-year battle with breast cancer. She was 64.

Endon Mahmood's death -- which comes less than two months after she and Abdullah marked their 40th wedding anniversary -- is the biggest personal blow to the Malaysian leader since he took office in October 2003 following the retirement of his predecessor, longtime leader Mahathir Mohamad.

Endon, who recently underwent months of intensive chemotherapy in Los Angeles, passed away at the family's official residence Thursday morning in Putrajaya, Malaysia's administrative capital, after being released from a Malaysian hospital Monday, said Abdullah's spokeswoman, Esuriyanti Ahmad.

"The family members were at her side, everybody was there," Esuriyanti said, adding that Endon would be buried in a traditional Muslim funeral later Thursday.

Abdullah, Malaysia's fifth prime minister since the country achieved independence from Britain in 1957, had been married to Endon since September 4, 1965. They have a son, a daughter and four grandchildren.

Abdullah has often publicly called Endon his "No. 1 supporter."

When his mother died of natural causes in February 2004, Abdullah telephoned Endon in the United States, where she was undergoing treatment. She later told reporters that he said: "I've lost my mother and I don't want to lose you too."

Endon discovered she had breast cancer in 2002 following a checkup after her twin sister, Noraini, was earlier diagnosed with the disease.