Almari Besi, Gerobok Kayu: Visit Malaysia Months.

October was a visit Malaysia Month for me. Early this year i went to Sarawak, and in October alone i went Kelantan, Perak, and Pulau Pinang.

I write about it later, but as a preview these are some of the pictures taken during the so called vacation.

On the way to penang, in a brand new Nautica, using the highway, with the help of a GPS navigator. As if the signboard were not enough.

Damai Laut Beach, which is not really a beach actually.

Open house

Reaching the end of Syawal, my friend, Zubir and i, decided to have some sort of very small gathering cum open house to celebrate Hari Raya do. We wanted to have a small makan-makan session with very close knitted friends, thus we could not afford to invite so many people since the house is too small and considering the too short of a notice, we were afraid that some friends would be taken aback and thought that we invited them last minute, so we agreed to do it small with around 20 people or so.

Little did we know that our close, very near friends are actually a lot, and due to a slight misscommunication both Zubir and I invited 20 people each. And friends being friends, brought along their friends too.

So the small gathering somehow did not look small afterall. But i was so happy, because somehow the gathering becomes merrier and more interesting and everyone had fun. I was happy because all my closes friends came, and accepted the invitation. Well maybe accept 2-3 who took very lightly my invitation. (*sedih)

Our main concern was about the food. Whether it is enough or not, will everyone gets to eat or not. However it did not become too much of a problem since i have wrongly budgeted the menu and we have too much food to spare. And the best thing is due to the miss budgeting of the menu, it actually served everyone well, and nobody is complaining.

Infact, i got a praise. Erin said, i am such a good host. Just because i kept on pouring soda syrup in his glass.

Then again, when you go to a open house, you don't really want to eat, but prefer to be close to friends and gossip around.

With the help of a professional chef, Ijat, who happens to be actually the guest, who happens to be early, and who happens to be free, and who happens to be more willing to help, zubir and i did not do alot because, it so happen that he was the one doing everything i.e the cooking, the table setting, deejaying and minggling with the guest. Everyone must have Ijat at their party, i tell you. A life saver.

I was late, because i have meetings until 3 pm. I cannot go out shopping, and Zubir can only start going out shopping for stuff after 3 pm, since it is a friday. So you dont want to be caught buying chicken in Tesco while everyone else are busy Friday Praying, isnt it.

So we end up shopping around 4 pm, and guess what? The function was set at 8.30 pm. So we have exectly 4 hours to cook for 50 persons. Actually less than that, because we only finished shopping around 5pm.

But, i am not that worried because, we are all professional. Zubir and Ijat are professional cook, and i am a professional emmmm, food tester.

So i am important too.

And mind you, the menu was very extensive. Well, its hari raya, for once you must have lemang and nasik impit isnt it. And since the budget was very tight, you cannot afford to cater, and also since it is hari raya open house, you cannot possibly cook meehoon goreng and the ever popular speghetti bolognese.

Zubir and i are confident that WE, with a very tight budget and time, with miss calculating the invited guest, will be able to cook something very simple comprising of:

nasik minyak,
kurma daging,
ayam masak merah,
acar timun,
satay,
Nasik impit, and
lemang

Somehow, on the day itself, and 4 hours before the function, it does not look to simple after all. But we managed, of course with the help of Ijat as our chief cook and Faie as our driver, haha.

So here are some of the pictures of the Raya Open House.

I have premarinated and fried the chicken before hand. And the chicken and beef were bought in the morning, so it somehow help minimising cooking time. A word of advice, do not wait last minute to buy the ingredients of your food if you want to cooked for 50 people.

The lemang in the picture was so lousy and i really hate the taste. I bought it in Shah Alam. Its a orang malas lemang, where they precooked the glutinous rice and shoved it inside the bamboo. Its tasteless and as you can see, i can only use half of it, while the rest clinged to the bamboo and ended up looking like vomit.

Preparing the condiment.

waiting and waiting in desperation, hopping that the meat in the kurma will eventually become tender, so the guest wont eat rubber slipper instead.

That is Ijat in black and Zubir preparing the menu, whilst i busy taking picture and look busy.

Thats Zubir in the checkered Baju Melayu looking tired, and Ijat in Black Deejaying. He is so multi talented. See all the guest are happy, because they are all smilling (Edi, Raz and Wanie)

I really hate taking pictures around skinny people, i look Fat. I am not Fat really, it is just the effect of the camera. That double chin is also the effect of the camera. I need to buy new camera (Za, Ekin, Acap, Wawan, Fie, Hatta and me)

Yeah right!!

Erin, Wan and Rosdin

My beautiful table setting. Isnt it beautiful. Green and Brown. For more rustic look, the satay was served in a basket.

Nasik Minyak and Jelatah/ acar rampai

Kurma Daging and Ayam masak merah

Chicken Pie and Cake gula hangus, which does not look like chicken pie and cake gula hangus in this picture (sponsored by Ijat)

Lemang, Nasik Impit and Satay. (To safe time, beg on your knees the Satay Hawker for extra Kuah and Extra Nasik impit, cut it nicely put it in a bowl and make people to believe you cook it yourself.