Whenever my nephew visits from neighbouring Singapore, he always requests for a Ramly Burger. A classic Malaysian street food, the Ramly Burger is a huge favourite with the locals and Singaporeans.
Essentially, the Ramly Burger is just an egg-wrapped burger but the way the burger guy makes it is kinda fascinating.
First, the meat patty is butterflied, squirted with sauces and then joined back up. Next, an egg is cracked onto the griddle and spread out evenly and thinly. The patty is then drenched with more sauces and folded with the egg like a parcel! An ingenious way of containing the sauces, don't you think? Before the burger is wrapped up, the 'parcel' is then placed on a buttered bun, topped with shredded cabbage and slivers of onions followed by more liberal squirts of mayo, Maggi Seasoning and chili sauce. Sloppy, greasy, unhealthy and overloaded with sauces but totally worth it!
Here's how it's done.
Interestingly, did you know that Ramly Burgers are banned in Singapore due to concerns over the low quality meat? This makes the forbidden burgers even more desirable and enterprising Singaporean street vendors have even resorted to selling burgers with their own patties in the clever disguise of Ramly's trademark burger wrappers!
Nice! But it's the Ramly patties that are the heart and soul of this unique Malaysian burger. I was told that vendors risk jail and fine and even their trade license just to smuggle the frozen patties into their country!
So why is it called the Ramly Burger?
Founder Ramly Bin Mokni created the burger in 1979. The couple initially sold burgers at a mobile kiosk in Kuala Lumpur. When their burgers gained popularity, they subsequently sold their unique patties, along with the egg-wrapping technique to other street vendors. The vendors named the burger after their supplier.
Five years later, the couple opened their first factory when their homegrown business expanded.
Today, Ramly is the brand name of Ramly's frozen and fast food supplies company.
Operating only at night and usually run by young people with daytime jobs, Ramly Burger stands can be found everywhere and in every neighbourhood. You can be certain there is always one in front of a 7-Eleven store.
Good news for New Yorkers! Our famous egg-wrapped burgers are now selling in Queens!
While waiting out the rain in a restaurant, my son Rodney messed around with an Instagram App to kill time. It was raining cats and dogs. Stuck in the restaurant with nothing else to do, I stared out the window, watching and listening to the pitter-patter of the falling rain; something I hadn't done in a long, long time. One tends to take the rain for granted when one lives in a country with a wet climate.
The sound of the rain was a balm for my soul. I felt a sense of peace and calm.
Rodney's cinemagraph
What can be more perfect than a nice glass of steaming Oolong tea on a cold rainy day?
I really love Rodney's cinemagraph. It's a reminder to take a break from the fast track; to slow down and enjoy the simple pleasures around us. Sometimes, we need to stop and smell the rain.
When was the last time you sat by the window and watched the rain?
I have been experimenting with miso lately and am now adding miso butter as the latest arsenal to my culinary armory. It's super versatile and you can use it on just about anything: grilled vegetables, seafood, meat, mushrooms, etc. It's also fantastic tossed with pasta and fresh herbs.
It's everything butter, only better! And it's so easy to make. The ratio is 2 parts butter to 1 part miso. Just cream the butter (softened at room temperature) with miso until smooth and well combined.
Miso butter can be refrigerated, covered, up to 2 weeks before serving.
A favourite recipe to share
Just add sugar and mirin to the miso butter. Pan fry your fish or meat and that's it!
The result? A serious umami bomb!
Here's what I made but instead of a salad, I paired my fish with mango salsa. A little sour and a little sweet to cut out some of the saltiness of the miso butter.
Mmmm!! The fish is nice and moist and the salsa just works perfectly with it.
You really gotta try this. Michael Lewis' recipe here.
Someone said he was the light of the world and anyone who had met him would warm up in his glowing. Sadly, he was engulfed by the darkness that was tormenting him.
I am heartbroken beyond words. Such a tragedy.
Still in shock, Malaysian are mourning the loss of our favourite celebrity chef.
I don't mean to judge, but really, suicide never steals the life of just one person.
Aunty Aini with Anthony Bourdain.
Aunty Aini, whose Malay restaurant in Negri Sembilan was featured twice by Anthony Bourdain, pays tribute to the beloved chef in the following video. She said Bourdain was a humble man who always encouraged others to be original.
She said it all and that is what he was all about.
Anthony enjoying a bowl of Asam Laksa in Penang, Malaysia
In the company of the Longhouse dwellers in Rumah Entalau
R.I.P Anthony. The world will never be the same again without you.
Today, Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid al-Fitr. In Malaysia, we call it Hari Raya Adilfitri. Hari Raya in Malay literally translates as ‘celebration day’ and Hari Raya Aidilfitri is the day that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of dawn-to-sunset fasting.
Over here, the festival is a major public holiday and offices and schools officially close for 2 days.
During the Hari Raya month, Muslims return to their kampung (village) to visit their elders, relatives and friends. A lavish spread of food awaits!
It is customary for Muslims to wear traditional clothes on Hari Raya. The men generally wear Baju Melayu (a loose shirt with trousers) with kain samping (a short sarong) and a songkok (cap), while the Baju Kurung is often worn by the ladies. Families usually dress in the same colours to represent unity.
Below is a beautiful Hari Raya commercial to share.
Briefly, the video is about Arif, a young Malay boy surviving an overcrowded and chaotic house when members of his entire extended family arrive from the city and other states to spend Hari Raya at the already crammed kampung house where he lives with his *Nenek.
Initially, he is unhappy with the intrusion. He is also resentful of the younger cousins messing with his stuff. He later understands the meaning of togetherness and realizes that Hari Raya is merrier and even more festive when the entire clan celebrates together under one roof.
A scene from the video
The colorful video captures the quintessence of a Malay household: a traditional kampong house, vibrant costumes, food, language, etc.
*Nenek in Malay is grandmother and Nek is Nenek for short
Dang! Football Fever strikes again! I can't believe it has been 4 years already since the last World Cup. The event is pretty epic in our testosterone-charged household.
I don't really care for World Cup but it means I won't be getting a good night's sleep for a whole month; not with Hubby and the boys and the entire neighbourhood shouting "GOAAAAAAL!!!" each time the teams they are betting on net a ball.
Due to the difference in time zones, Malaysians stay up at ungodly hours to watch the matches live on TV.
Before I rant on further, here's an excerpt from a previous post to explain what World Cup Fever is.
Every 4 years, Malaysians are stricken with a fever, a condition not life-threatening but debilitating with effects that include
a zombie-like state with a single purpose in life
sleep-deprivation
blurred vision
hoarse voice
weight-gain and an increased risk of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT)
excessive use of profanities that is otherwise uncharacteristic of the victim
mood swings that are accompanied with tears of joy/disappointment/anger
The pandemic hits any and most countries not called USA where the population is somewhat immune, probably due to the lack of interest for the cause that they have a different name for anyway. There is no cure for this condition, no drugs or antidote and the only treatment is to allow the malady to run its normal course for approximately one month. This condition is called World Cup Fever and it infects people who fanatically follow the world's most popular sport, football a.k.a soccer.
My cookiefied Zabivaka
Zabivaka FIFA 2018
Zabivaka is the official mascot of the 2018 FIFA World Cup which is held in Russia. The mascot represents an anthropomorphic wolf in orange sports glasses and wearing a white T-shirt with the words "RUSSIA 2018". The blue and white T-shirt and red shorts represent the national colors of the Russian team.
Are you a football fan? Which teams are you betting on?
I am rooting for Colombia only because James Rodriguez is smokin' hot!
Moo in Thai means pig as well as pork and Grob translates as crispy so Moo Grob = Crispy Pork.
If you are looking for a savoury crispy snack, look no further!
Marinated with just 5 ingredients and deep fried, these are guaranteed to impress your Super Bowl party guests. Bring them to your next Potluck and surprise your guests with a plate of this hearty, mouthwatering treat.
Serve with Thai sweet chilli or Sriracha sauce for dipping. Messy, unhealthy, artery-clogging but totally worth it!
Sharing this recipe by Siam Sizzles
I tweaked the recipe just a little - I halved the chicken stock powder and added a little sugar to balance out the saltiness.
INGREDIENTS
500g pork belly
Marinade
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 egg
Dash of ground pepper
1/2 tbsp of chicken stock powder (or any meat seasoning powder is fine)
3 tbsp tempura flour
1/2 tsp sugar
1. Rinse the pork belly with water, dry with paper towels and place in a large mixing bowl
2. Add all the marinade ingredients into the bowl and mix evenly.
3. Marinate at least an hour, longer if possible but I prefer to leave it in the fridge overnight.
4. Deep fry the pork until golden brown and crispy (about 10 minutes depending on size of the pork)
5. Cut the pork into strips, and serve with your favourite dipping sauce.
Enjoy! Pairs well with beer! Perfect as a side dish too.
When I ran into an old pal a couple of months back, I had to do a double take. She looked fantastic, years younger than the last time I saw her! I badgered her for her beauty secret. Reluctantly, she shared with me that she had been using an ancient Chinese massage technique called Gwa Sha.
Gwa Sha is a healing medical treatment that has been used for centuries throughout Asia. An implement is used to scrape the skin. Gwa means to scrape and Sha is the term for the red skin rash that results from the scraping. The redness is temporary and should disappear shortly.
Traditionally, spoons and coins are used. Scraping the skin helps encourage blood flow to the area, bringing nutrients to the skin and additionally promoting lymphatic drainage and toxin release. Collagen levels are boosted, resulting in a slimmer and firmer face.
image source - http://www.cosmopolitan.com
I have been spooning my face daily for almost 2 weeks now and I do notice some differences. My face appears slightly lifted and the nasal labial folds and marionette lines are less prominent.The scraping actually exfoliates the skin and the effects are just like what you expect after a scrub - brighter and more even toned. Even the eye bags are less visible!
Do try this simple massage and let me know the results.
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