On the 16th October 2011, youths and short film enthusiasts were treated to 12 short films at the PO11 Shorties. These films that deal with the subject matter of palm oil are in turns innovative, funny and touching.



The screening was the climax of a year-long campaign by the PO11 committee to create awareness about palm oil issues. The project, run by FriedChillies encourages youths to explore palm oil issues and benefits creatively. Part of the reason in running this campaign is to address the half-truths spread on the net on palm oil with real facts.

However, because the common level of understanding on this issue is rudimentary, the campaign uses the medium of film to elucidate and educate the public on palm oil. Students from various colleges were asked to participate in a short film competition. To this effect, grants, film workshops and mentor support were given.

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If there’s one thing comedian Kavin Jay doesn’t joke about it’s his love of food and cooking! I stopped by his home to sample a lovely meal prepared entirely by him consisting of a delicious lamb yoghurt curry, spicy tandoori prawns, and homemade naan. It was a delightful experience with a few laughs peppered throughout.

Kavin is best known in the underground comedy scene and has performed with international acts such as Dave Callan, Pierre Hollins, James Moffet, Chris Wainhouse and countless Malaysian stand up comics. Among some of his goals as a comedian, starting up a comedy club to promote new talent in the industry is something that he is very passionate about. He had gathered a few comedians together to build the Young Comedians of Malaysia (YCOM) open to anyone who wants to join him in his escapades and have a laugh doing what he enjoys most.



Comedy isn’t the only talent this guy is hiding! When he was studying in the UK he learned how…  Continue reading »

“No! It’s my turn to lick the batter!” I squealed and pummelled my brother’s legs. He effortlessly held a whisk attachment high above the reach of my hands while slowly licking the batter off the other.

“Give one to your sister,” my mother chided my brother as she slid the bundt pan into the oven. I grinned in delight as he reluctantly handed me the other whisk.

“Don’t worry,” my mother whispered to me after my brother left the kitchen. “I’m making two more cakes. You can have the batter for both.” My mother’s pound cake is the taste of my childhood. It was dense, yet airy. Buttery and sweet. Bands of colour swirl through the cake, combinations of which us siblings took turns choosing. My favourite was always blue, red and yellow, sometimes taking the time to eat each colour individually. We looked forward to family get-togethers, where at least two of these cakes would be on the table. And sometimes, for no reason at all, a freshly-baked cake would be around at tea-time, with whisks in a bowl at the side for my brother and me, batter still on…  Continue reading »

Earlier this month, in conjunction with the Georgetown Festival 2011, Queen Street came alive as the venue for the first Nasi Kandar festival ever to be held in Penang. The event, organised by the Penang Muslim League (PML) and supported by Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma), was held from 5pm to 11pm on the 6th and 7th July 2011.



15 vendors participated in the event, the vendors are Ramzan, Dawod, Line Clear, Merlin, Kapitan, Khaleel, Subaidah, Pelita, Nasmir, NS Nasi Kandar, Rahim Nasi Dalcha, Tajuddin Hussein, Sultania, Sup Hameed and Kassim Mustafa.

Tables were lined up along the street ready to be filled with Nasi Kandar aficionados. A stage was set at one end of the street with performers singing Tamil, Urdu, Hindi and Malay songs.

A huge archway beckons you closer to the aromas of curry, spices, and steaming hot rice. Smiling faces emerged as grumbling stomachs settled down, satisfied by an array of carbo-laden dishes…  Continue reading »

So what happens when a 50+ year old multimillionaire man who previously worked in several top restaurants in US, winner of the Championship of Barbeque, former Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft and current CEO of a $5 billion patent portfolio development company decides to publish a cookbook? It becomes a Modernist Cuisine. It has 2,438 pages, 3,216 full color photographs, 1.1 million words and a price tag of $625, Modernist Cuisine is to my knowledge the longest, most thorough technical examination of food ever published. Here are pages from the book.

It was a lovely Saturday morning when we all gathered at The Food Studio in Mont Kiara to take part in a class run by Chef Paul together with Electrolux. The program featuring classic pies such as Sheppard’s pie, creamy chicken and leek pie, and caramelised apple pie was highly anticipated by everyone who attended. We had a few fans and bloggers join us: Marcky(who provided us with the stunning photos for this entry), Rebecca Saw, Pureglutton, and Memoirs of a Chocoholic.

Upon arriving we enjoyed some refreshments while we glanced over our recipes for the day. The concept at Food Studio is to have a cosy kitchen space that resembles a home kitchen, not an intimidating commercial space. This is to help people realise that cooking is not difficult and they can recreate these same dishes in their own home. The studio is fully equipped with sleek Electrolux appliances. Ingredients are prepped and individual stations are set up for this unique ‘get your hands dirty’ experience.

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What is this world coming to when eggs are being counterfeited? Unbelievable! Toying with nature for profits has certainly gone too far.

It came to light yesterday that a woman bought fake eggs in Pulau Tikus. She realized immediately that something was off when they smelled different in addition to being tasteless. These eggs were larger than normal with weird shapes and the surface was a bit rough. After cooking the egg when she opened it up she saw that the yolks have a more vibrant yellow colour.

In doing more research I discovered that these fake eggs also cost more at RM11 for a tray of 30eggs compared to RM10.50 for a tray of real eggs. These synthetically produced eggs require more production and tweaking but are still cheaper to mass produce than to keep chickens. It is especially scary to note that they are toxic to the system using industrial chemicals that can cause dementia. The whites are made of calcium carbonate while the egg yolks are made of sodium alginate, alum, gelatin, benzoic acid, calcium chloride, water and colouring. The eggshell is made of paraffin…  Continue reading »