Am going back to my hometown in an hours time. Here’s wishing everyone a Happy Chinese New Year in advance!

Doubt I will be updating my blog because I do not have internet connection at home I think. Unless my brother will get his laptop back and we be stealing some line. So far the weather has been a little cooling here in KL instead of scorching hot as one would expect a few years back. Last years weather during CNY was kind of similar too. Guess it’s global warming at work as I heard several parts in China are experiencing sudden snow storm.

Oh and the barbecue that we had last Saturday went off without a hitch. It was one of the best I had actually especially in terms of food. Happy. Left house at 10am that morning and headed for breakfast… kopitiam style with toast/steam bread and cham. Then it was to market, to market to buy a fat… instead of pig we got our hands lugging around kilos of squid, fish, cockerel clams, stingray, chicken wings and sweet corn. Our main concern this time round was to have quality food and cheap produce was a big no no. We had seen lots of wasted food in the past bbq sessions and it’s time we wise up. We bought our food fresh from the market and some premium bbq cocktail sausages and meatballs from hypermarket. Buying what we needed was quick, the only killer here was the jam… we did not expect such a bad traffic jam in our area and we think it’s the last minute CNY shopping thats driving everyone crazy. Wasted an hour plus time just for the traffic part.

 When we got home, five of us divided our jobs. We knew what to do. We cleaned, marinated and wrapped the seafoods in aluminium foil, uber fast. Took us 45 minutes top. We were beat by then. Tired. I was not feeling over the top the whole time though as I sprained my shoulder blade while sleeping. Turning my numskull to the left hurts. Anyway treated it with Panadol Extend and some Counterpain… aaa much better. We started at 8pm and it ended at about 1130pm. Everything was well under control and although the food was a tad too salty… ok make it salty… but we countered it with cold beer and melted cincau. Ha… the cincau was put to high heat for too long so it kinda merged together. But who’s complaining when you are too thirsty. Hehe…

So this time round, wastage of food was at an all time low - 5% and boy was the food great. Actually the spices that we bought did most part of the magic. Am thinking of doing another one… smaller scale where only a few of us… sitting round the bbq pit. What I learned this time is :

  • taste your marinated recipe before adding salt
  • do not add cincau to boiling water
  • add in some oil to the marinated fish, squid and stingrays in foil so it won’t be that dry and don’t wrap them up too tightly.
  • how to clean squids. take out their eyes, the ink pouch (this is where the black ink comes from, their teeth (squeeze their head) and take out their soft backbone.

My mum just called. Think it’s time to leave. Take care everyone and have a Happy Chinese New Year… have a joy welcoming the ratty one. The title is nonsense and not related. It’s just a toy on my brother’s table.