News
| A few weeks ago I read about a seven-year-old girl from California who trotted off to the public library and came across a book on insects with the header – The Biggest Baddest Books for Boys. She was not impressed. |
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| George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI) Interpretative Centre opened to much fan fare yesterday with the presence of Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and GTWHI General Manager Madam Lim Chooi Ping who both officiated the event. |
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| A couple of years ago, I had the great pleasure of meeting Tan Ean Nee after she launched her book “The Way Home” (together with co-author Joshua Wong), a chronicle of the lives of leprosy patients from the Sungai Buloh Settlement. Her tireless work to document and piece together broken families is truly inspiring. |
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| Hung high in collectors' homes or hidden away behind museum walls, 2D art can have the (often undeserved) reputation for being inaccessible. Street artist Ernest Zacharevic's recent work in George Town, Malaysia is anything but. |
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| Malaysia has its own version of Banksy - street artist Ernest Zacharevic. His latest piece of work, which highlights the problem of crime, has been painted over by the authorities - but not before being widely shared on social media. |
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| PENANG food ambassador and fifth-generation Nyonya Pearly Kee has produced her first cookbook called ‘A Nyonya Inheritance’.
The 98-page hardcover book features 35 traditional Penang Nyonya recipes for dishes like assam laksa, nasi ulam, tau eu bak, sambal udang, otak-otak and chun pneah. But what sets it apart from other culinary tomes is its attention to tiny details, with lots of tips and techniques provided, to ensure eager home cooks will have no problems recreating the classic dishes. Speaking at the launching ceremony at China Tiger, a restored heritage house along China Street on Saturday, the passionate Kee said the book was a dream come true. “Nyonya cuisine is slowly dying, and nowadays, it’s hard to find the authentic tastes I enjoyed in my younger days. “By sharing these recipes, all of which have been with me for the past 40 or 50 years, I hope the younger generation will learn how to cook the items themselves, and keep the cuisine alive,” she said. Kee learnt the recipes after spending countless enjoyable hours in the kitchen with her mother and aunts. Formerly a corporate manager, she has been teaching Nyonya cooking classes for the past six years from her home in Pulau Tikus, and the Tropical Spice Garden in Teluk Bahang. Her students come from all over the world, and include professional chefs and restauranters. The 35 recipes she chose are the most popular ones among her proteges. “Nyonya cuisine is so important because it tells the unique story of the assimilation among three races. When the Chinese first came to (then) Malaya, they ate their own food. “But over time, they began to incorporate elements of Malay and Indian cuisine like certain herbs and spices. “Penang is probably the only place where you find that each race has their own version of Curry Kapitan,” enthused Kee. She confesses a liking for jew hoo char, too tor thng and kerabu chicken, amongst others. Besides reviving interest in Nyonya cuisine, she also hopes her book will inculcate healthier eating habits amongst locals. She pointed out that Nyonya dishes were healthy as they incorporated lots of fresh ingredients. Rosalind Chua, the book’s editor, said: “Kee really wants to share the knowledge she’s accumulated over the years. “She wants keep Nyonya culinary traditions alive. “She has included plenty of tips and cooking secrets, so that even complete beginners can try out the recipes and come up with delicious dishes.” The book is published by Clarity Publishing and retails for RM60. It is available at the Pinang Peranakan Mansion, E&O Hotel, Tropical Spice Garden, Areca Books, Leo Books (Island Plaza) and Bon Ton - The Shop. It is also available as an e-book for Kindle and Kobo readers, and online at www.clarity8.com/books.html. Link to original. |
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| MALAYSIAN chef Pearly Kee added some extra spice to the kitchen of the King Valley’s Pizzini Wines at the weekend.
She was invited to make the visit to the North East after meeting winery owners Katrina and Fred Pizzini at her cooking school in George Town and discovering they shared a similar food philosophy. |
 Picture: BEN EYLES |