The Exotic Experience: Sultry Laksa

My preference for exotic foods is at the top of my list. Laksa to me is an inter-twine of flavours and textures from all ends of the spectrum. Could a dash of lime go in hand with coconut milk? Depends on how it is infused. Try this dish simple laksa dish and you will accomplish the exotic experience.
Ingredients:
• Laksa paste
• Shrimp paste
• 6 x fresh large chilies (add more if you prefer a warmer laksa)
• 1 x onion
• 3 x garlic cloves
• 1 x lemon grass
• 2 x limes
• 1 x can of coconut milk
• 1 x bunch of shallots
• 1 x coriander
• Vermicelli noodles (soak in hot water and drain)
• Shitake mushrooms
• Choy sum
• Baby corn
• Tofu
• Dried tofu skins (soak in hot water and drain)
• 300 grams of prawns
• 300 grams of squid
Method:
• Blend all the chopped up onion, garlic, chilies, lemon grass with lime juice and shrimp paste.
• In a large saucepan add 2.5 litres of water with blended up ingredients and 4 tablespoons of laksa paste.
• Add coconut milk and simmer for 25 min in medium heat.
• Once the soup is cooked add dried tofu skins, baby corn, shitake mushrooms, prawns, squid and tofu. Leave to simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
To serve add vermicelli noodles to bowl with chopped up shallots and coriander followed by soup

Blueflower Soup

(Blue cheese and cauliflower soup)

A winter warming dish, that dares to tantalise your taste buds. This dish was created on the basis of the passion for cheese at its strongest taste. However this dish is not so much about the cheese. It is about the fusion and textures with the accompanying vegetables, which makes this, dish a winner.

Ingredients:
- Blue cheese
- ½ Cauliflower
- Vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 x leek
- 2 x garlic cloves
- ½ cup of soup mix lentils
- 3 x potatoes
- 2 litres of water
- 300 ml of fresh cream
- 100 grams of button mushrooms
- 100 grams of shitake or anoki mushrooms
Method:
1. Wash and chop all ingredients
2. In a large saucepan heat up the olive oil and fry garlic and leeks

Where Do I Begin

I will start this story as a newborn. Born into the world as a heavy 9.3-pound child my passion for food began at a very young age. Not that I have the faintest memory of my early childhood days, however I can only rely on the memoirs of my mother.

Can you imagine a toddler eating and falling asleep at the same time, but still eating? Can you imagine a child eating glue and lipstick, because she feels like a light snack? Would you consider these actions of a child as pig like? Or simply just a devotee to taste, texture, infusions and foods. Well that’s me! I simply love food.

I thank my mother for my passion of food. I was bought up by an Indonesian mother, who is a strong believer of customs and ways of tradition, which in general means she has strong beliefs, values and knows that respect is the key for living a prosperous life. I was always taught to try different things and to appreciate other cultures. What each culture brings to the table and how culture brings diversity to this world.

Growing up in my adolescent times, I was used to being around friends of different cultures, which has enabled me to explore the universe of food. From Italian and Turkish to Chinese and Spanish cuisines I developed a knack for all the different infusions.

I would always be invited to dine with my friend’s families, in general I was always invited to dine because of my love for food, I guess people around me wanted to be consumed with my passion and share what I love. They would like the fact I truly appreciated a home cooked meal whether it was a Turkish feast or a ham sandwich.

By the time it was old enough to move out of home I had to step up my game and learn how to cook. I guess from my previous experiences and living a life surrounded with many infusions from different cultures I had developed an innate ability to cook. All of a sudden I discovered this instinctive ability to cook without using recipes. Instead I used intuition and senses. Salt and pepper go hand in hand just like bread and butter. I felt like I had discovered a sixth sense. My sixth sense was simply food.

My point is I simply can’t resist food. I have no control when it comes food. Throw me an apple and I’ll eat it, throw me some octopus and I’ll eat it, what ever it is I will give it a go.

I’m going to use this useful Internet space to share my love of food, whether it be a recipe or even a review of a dish! It is now time for me to share with the world what I know best! I want to share with the world my powerful passion for food, cooking and eating, as this what truly makes me happy.

Enjoy my infusions!