新年快乐！

this is the 4th consecutive year that i've been away from home during the chinese new year, which happens to be my favourite festival. i miss the festivities and buzz on the streets of singapore, shopping for those buttery, sugar-loaded morsels of sin so delicately packed by hand into transparent plastic jars, and especially enjoy the infectious, joyous air which usually quietly dissipates after the new year is ushered in.

over here, us singaporean undergrads like to gather for a somewhat boisterous dinner affair which, although fun, is no substitute for a reunion dinner. although i admit to be quite ignorant about the chinese culture and traditions, i really want to at least preserve the little chinese new year customs that are so idiosyncratically singaporean. it's not like i believe in being auspicious, but 捞鱼生 at 团圆饭，going to 拜年 with mandarin oranges, and the 红包-trained 恭喜发财 greetings have long been what i associate the occasion with. little unimportant things that are hugely significant to me.

because it is the chinese new year, and class starts at 7pm tonight, i thought there was no better time than this afternoon to put in a little more effort into making lunch. as closet, aspiring private chef, i've been trying out recipes here and there but i've never been truly satisfied. that's why over winter break which i spent in singapore, i asked for recommendations for a singaporean cuisine cookbook from a friend's mum. my friend, SQ, got back to me with Singapore Cooking by Mrs Leong Yee Soo. unfortunately, i couldn't find the book at a convenient bookstore, so i got Hearty Meals by the same author. in this book are many sumptious-looking dishes that pop with lovely singaporean flavours. i picked the banally named "noodles with chicken and prawns" today.


i was wowed on my first mouthful. now, don't get me wrong - it wasn't a spectacular dish. but i was literally amazed at how close the flavours were to the same dish served at chinese restaurants back home. the photo doesn't do the recipe any justice at all - i couldn't find the right kind of noodles, lighting was bad, there was no proper crockery to serve the noodles in, the photographer was cold and hungry - but trust me, i have found the first recipe that made my quest worthwhile. given the occasion, i would like to rename it as "happy chinese noodles 2009".

the essence of this dish lies in the sauce, because noodles without sauce is like fish outside water - lifeless and uninspiring. the sauce is surprisingly simple to concoct, and all the ingredients are easily available. i would have liked to share the recipe here, but copyrights have to be respected so this will have to be done privately. i look forward to trying out the next recipe!

Accidental Rice Pudding

i had cooked some jasmine rice in the cooker for frying later, but alas, i ended up with too much fluffy white rice due to poor judgment. without wanting to eat fried rice for 4 meals, i decided to make rice pudding with half of the cooked rice.

this is the first time i've made rice pudding, and i picked a quick and easy recipe from allrecipes for reference. i followed the recipe but left the raisins out since i had none at home. i topped the pudding with granola, chopped almonds and sliced coconut (all of which was purchased pre-packed and -mixed together) to give it a little crunch.

i found the texture to be a little too thick, so i'll be adding more milk the next time.

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup uncooked white rice
• 2 cups milk, divided
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2/3 cup golden raisins
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. In another saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, beaten egg and raisins. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla. Serve warm