Finding a new and interesting topic for my blog has been an endless task for me nowadays. I've written a few topics and they ended up in my draft box. So finally for this week, I thought why don't I write something about cooking and food. Everybody loves food. Even the anorexic person love food, I am sure.
As most of you know, besides this featured article, I open up another page for cooking blog. I wasn't into it initially as I wasn't a trained cook or chef for that matter. But Ariff, my eldest encouraged me saying, people, doesn't matter who they are, where they come from, loved looking at the pictures of food and the food itself. The chemistry between human and food is magical. It's an instant attraction, period.
I was still skeptical. All the while I cook for my family and occasionally for my friends and now I am to write a recipe for all to see? Intimidating, truly intimidating. If any of you browse through my initial posts of some of my recipes, you could see some awkwardness both about the write up and the photos taken.
I purposely didn't pull out those pictures yet so that I can make a comparison between then and now to enhance and motivate myself into doing a better job in the future.
Am I a good cook? Well my husband and children didn't complaint too much. And they looked healthy to me until today. My friends usually seemed to be happy and contented with what I presented and none of them needed to be sent to the emergency room after tasting my food. So I guess I am an okay cook.
I wasn't into cooking a few years ago. I mean, I cook daily, yes, but that is all there is to it. In fact, I never liked cooking. I am more into outdoorish thing. Somehow along the way,I might have inherited some gene from my grandma who was a good cook then. School holidays was kind of a fiesta for us, the grandchildren, since we will be going home to her place in flocks (sounds like birds) to spend our holidays and to feast on her cooking.
My husband loves my chicken curry. He didn't say as much but I know he looked forward if I were to cook that curry on that day. Sophie loves my fried rice. She says I make the best. My secret? I used all the leftovers in the fridge to concoct that fried rice she loves so much. Ariff loves my nasi lemak (rice cooked with coconut cream) He would usually helped himself with second helpings. Sara loves the sweet and sour fish. She's a little picky when it comes to eating but for this dish, you better stay away from her. Soffian, as usual, the hardest to please. He doesn't seem to have any favoured food. I can please him by making some egg in tomato sauce and fried chicken. That will make his day.
Three years ago, when I was working full time, I thought I would never find a day when cooking will come out as priority in my life. Lately, since I am almost always at home, (office work was done from the luxury of being at home) I started to feel a little liking towards being in the kitchen. I told Sophie the other day, I needed a bigger kitchen to accommodate my new found hobby.
So what do I think of my cooking blog? It is still a long way from perfection. But I tell you one thing. I enjoyed doing it lately. The family is happy too since they got to sample a lot of cooking which I wouldn't cook if it wasn't for my blog. Everyday, I would think a little rigorously, as to what should be my next dish. I kind of dedicated this blog for young adults, those who are still studying and live away from home and young married couples who may never cooked before. I made cooking simple as possible. Ingredients that were easy to obtain and the kind of food that Malaysian loved.
Cooking requires a lot of patience, passion and sincerity. I believe if these three elements were to be combined together, one can be a great cook and I would say that person cook through his or her heart. And when that happens, trust me, the dish served by these people are something to be talked about.
I watched many cooking programs and some hosts looked convincing enough for me to try out their recipes. Among the hosts/chef that I admire is Anna Olson. She does her cooking with flair especially when it comes to pastry and cakes.
Now comes the part of photographing the dishes. I am so out of touch when it comes to photography. Luckily Ariff is around, so when he got a day off from work, I will cook something on that day. After arranging the table, doing a simple plating and things like that, I will get his help to photograph my dish. I want everything to look good and the finesse must be perfect to my untrained eyes. Usually he did a good job. There were times when he was not in the mood, he'd chided me about doing the photographing on my own. Well, I did try a few times under his supervision but still, I am none the wiser. What's the point of having a good photographer at home without exploiting his knowledge to my convenient, right?
The above picture was taken by me.
The next picture was taken by Ariff. Can you see the difference? Can you see now why I had to wait for him to photograph my cooking? Mine looked terribly dull whereas his looked vibrant. And this picture wasn't shot properly. He was just testing the lighting!
So, whether he liked it or not he's stuck with me for the time being!
I thought of doing the write up in English but time is my utmost enemy at this moment. I haven't got enough time to do it just yet. Perhaps one of these days when everybody has left home and I got excessive time at hand to spend it any way I like, then I will start in English version.
So people, it's time for me to pen off. Hope everybody is having a great time and be safe!
Out now,
Rose
4th.Sept '13
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Memasak Dari Hati
Nak cari satu-satu topik yang menarik untuk dimasukkan kedalam blog saya adalah satu tugas yang agak payah dan berat juga. Saya tulis juga beberapa topik tapi semuanya ada didalam kotak simpanan draft saya.
Akhirnya pada minggu ni, saya terfikir kenapa tak tulis saja tentang makanan dan masakan. Kan semua orang suka bab-bab makan ni? Malah, pada pandangan saya, orang yang mengalami penyakit anorexia pun sukakan makanan.
Seperti yang kebanyakkan daripada anda tahu, saya juga menulis blog masakan. Mula-mula tu saya tak berminat langsung sebab saya bukannya seorang tukang masak yang handal ataupun chef hotel. Cuma tukang masak di rumah saja. Tapi anak sulung saya, Ariff, bagitau saya, mama mesti cuba sebab kebanyakkan orang, tak kira dari mana asal mereka atau siapapun mereka, semuanya suka berkenaan bab-bab makanan ni. Kalau ada blog masakan tentu orang akan buka dan baca. Hubungan antara makanan dan manusia ni umpama magik.
Saya agak ragu ragu pada awalnya. Sebelum ni saya cuma masak untuk famili dan kadang kala untuk teman-teman yang mai ke rumah. Macam mana nak tulis resipi masakan dalam blog pulak? Ahh takut nya.. Kalau anda perasan post saya yang awal-awal agak teruk terutamanya dalam pengambilan gambar dan tulisan pun masih macam tak confident lagi. saya sengaja tak keluarkan gambar dan post tu untuk memotivatekan diri sendiri. Harap-harap dimasa depan saya akan lebih menjadi matang didalam penulisan saya.
Adakah saya seorang tukang masak yang hebat? Suami dan anak2 saya tak complain sangat. Dan depa pun nampak sehat elok saja sampai hari ni. Teman-teman saya selalunya nampak happy bila makan di rumah saya. So far tak ada lagilah yang terpaksa dihantar kerumah sakit disebabkan masakan saya. haha.. Kira okay lah tu.
Saya ni sebenarnya tak berapa minat bidang memasak ni. Maksud saya, memang la saya masak setiap hari tapi itu sajalah. Dah nama pun kerja kita. Saya lebih suka kerja-kerja lasak. Tapi tak tahulah dari mana datangnya, tiba-tiba saja saya mula minat nak masak, maksud saya betul-betul mendalami ilmu memasak. Mungkin ada sikit turun dari tok saya. Dia memang pandai masak. Dulu2, kalau cuti sekolah (saya memang duduk dengan dia sampai umur 12 tahun) kebanyakkan anak cucu dia akan balik kampong untuk menghabiskan cuti sekolah. Waktu tu lah semua nak dia masak sebab memang best gile kalau dia masak. Rasa macam kenduri pun ada sebab ramai di rumah dia.
Suami saya suka kari ayam saya. Dia tak la bagi tahu berdepan tapi boleh tau yang dia memang suka kalau saya masak kari tu. Sophie suka nasi goreng nasi saya. Dia kata sedap. Mana tak sedapnya, saya pakai lebihan lauk-pauk yang tersimpan dalam fridge. Ariff suka nasi lemak saya. Sara sukakan ikan masak sweet and sour. Dia ni cerewet sikit bab makan. Tapi kalau sweet and sour ni, duduk jauh2 lah semua orang jawabnya. Soffian? macam biasa. Susah nak tahu apa yang dia suka atau tidak. Payah sangat, saya cuma goreng ayam dan buat telur masak sos.
Tiga tahun dulu, semasa saya bekerja sepenuh masa, tak pernah terlintas pun di fikiran yang saya akan minat memasak macam sekarang. Kebelakangan ni, disebabkan saya selalu berada dirumah (kerja office pun saya buat dari rumah) minat untuk memasak tu dah mula timbul. Saya dah mula suka berada didapur untuk mencuba pelbagai jenis masakan. Saya bagi tahu Sophie hari tu, saya perlukan dapur yang lebih luas untuk mengisi hobi terbaru saya ni.
Jadi, apa pendapat saya tentang blog masakan saya sendiri? Masih jauh dari sempurna. Tapi saya boleh bagi tau satu benda. Saya enjoy memasak sekarang tak macam dulu. Keluarga lagilah happy sebab dapat makan macam2 yang sebelum ni memang jarang saya masak. Setiap hari, saya memerah otak (bunyi macam serius sangat) nak cari apa pulak resipi terbaru yang nak saya letak didalam blog? Saya dedikasikan blog masakan ni untuk anak-anak muda yang sedang belajar, yang duduk jauh dari keluarga dan juga untuk pasangan yang baru memulakan kehidupan sebagai suami isteri. Sebab tu saya cuba buat resipi seringkas yang boleh supaya semua senagn nak mencuba. Bahan-bahan pun senang nak cari.
Memasak memerlukan banyak kesabaran, minat dan keikhlasan. Saya percaya kalau ketiga2 elemen ni bersatu, seseorang itu boleh menjadi seorang tukang masak yang hebat. Orang sebegini masak dari hatinya. Dan sudah tentu masakannya pun menjadi lebih sedap.
Saya menonton banyak program masakan untuk belajar sikit sebanyak cara-cara masakan dari negara lain supaya dapat saya adunkan untuk memberi cita rasa yang dapat di terima oleh orang kita. Tapi masih dalam peringkat pembelajaran.
Salah seorang host/chef yang saya suka ialah Anna Olson. Cara dia memasak sangat bersahaja terutama bila berkaitan dengan pastry atau kek.
Sekarang bahagian gambar pulak. Alahai! Saya ni kalau bab mengambil gambar ni memang out terus. Nasib baik lah Ariff ada. Jadi bila hari cuti dia tu, saya masak apa-apa dan minta dia ambil gambar. Saya susun atur tempat, buat plating yang ringkas dan bila semua dah ready, saya panggil dia ambik gambar. Saya nak semua nampak cantik dan berseri walaupun saya bukanlah seorang yang professional. Selalunya dia buat kerja yang elok, tapi ada hari yang mana mood dia tu kurang sikit, dia muncung sikit la dan suruh saya belajar cara-cara mengambil gambar. Saya dah cuba beberapa kali dengan di selia oleh dia tapi dok takok tu jugak. Maklum sajalah bila dah masuk angka lima ni. Lambat sikit nak tangkap. Lagipun apa gunanya ada jurugambar dalam rumah kalau tak di guna? Rugi ja kebolehan dia kan?
Gambar kedua diambil oleh Ariff. Nampak perbezaannya? Gambar saya nampak tak bermaya manakala gambar dia nampak meriah warnanya. Dan yang lebih menyakitkan hati lagi, dia testing lighting camera dia saja dan gambar dia nampak cantik banyak dari gambar saya.
Jadi buat masa ni, samada dia suka atau tidak, dia kena buat apa yang saya suruh.
Saya ada terfikir nak tulis dalam bahasa Inggeris pulak untuk blog masakan ni tapi masa tak cukup. Tunggulah tengok. Nanti bila anak2 semua dah tak ada dirumah, saya berseorangan, bolehlah saya mula menulis secara lebih serius.
Jadi buat semua, sampai disini dulu. Dah penat dah jari menaip dalam dua versi. Saya doakan semua sihat selalu dan jaga diri.
Salam dari saya,
Rose
4th.Sept '13
