I’ve made a major decision few months ago. Using almost all of my money saving, I try to run MiniMaca (a mini mart and café). That the fact I am a language graduate and work already as a civil servant What those facts actually do to my new ambition? What past experience has influenced that big choice? Continue reading
You’ve being exiled to a private island, and your captors will only supply you with five foods. What do you pick?
It’s the easiest daily prompt challenge. Really. And I know, I am going to enjoy every word I am typing. What comes to my head instantly is Nasi Goreng, the most popular Indonesian food abroad and very easy to make. Continue reading
Remember when I said in one of my post that our cook was quit, as he wanted to continue his study in Law? It has been 2 weeks, now and we are still looking the new one. And it is not easy. Especially, for a new place like ours that has to stand tall in the crowds of other cafes in Denpasar city. Continue reading
Dear Decision Maker,
I am writing to you to tell how special this place meaning to me. It was a house, the back part of my father’s house precisely, separated by a brick wall from the street. A star fruit tree is there where my old Kintamani dog buried under. The tree survived from being abandoned and still produces yellow sweet juicy fruit. Since the house structure is a bit too long for a small family, my father decided to divide the building and its land into two. One part as a house and the other part to be rented. I grabbed the opportunity right away. I spoke to my father that I and my niece will make use of it. So, we transform it into a maca (mart and café).
The mart will sell refreshment, meanwhile, the café will provide some meals and drinks. We painted it with yellow as symbol of prosperity, then my niece, her boyfriend, her sister and friends make some murals on the walls. See, this place was started with togetherness. And friendship. Those young souls are burdened with creativity and fresh ideas. They changed the old and boring place into beautiful and cozy place. And me? Choosing menu, find the right recipe and pick the right person to be the cook. For the café, a cook is its heart, that people will come to our place to enjoy his masterpiece. I found one with a passion to his job.
What about the star fruit? We preserve this beautiful creature, not just for O2 provider, but it gives beautiful aura and view to our maca. It will be operated in a few days. But I have already fell in love and know this place will bring fun and friendship to people.
I. Hope. You. Understand.
Posted for DP Prompt: Do or Die
I am so happy to post for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Leaves and Trees as I have a chance to ‘show’ my photos life of leaves and trees around my garden. Some of them have certain use in daily life (for cooking and drinks).
Pandan leaves (Pandanus amaryllifolius) is usually used in cooking for its special fragrant and as natural food colouring (green).
Daluman (Balinese language) or Cincau hijau (Indonesian) or Cylia barbata is creeping plant that leaves can be used to make delicious drinks. Squeeze some handfuls leaves with water, strain it and leave for awhile until it forms jelly-like substance. Enjoy it with coconut milk and palm sugar syrup. In the market, it is IDR 40.000 ($ 4). No, I don’t sell my daluman leaves. I was just giving you an additional information.
Kayu Manis (Balinese) or daun Katuk (Indonesian) or Sauropus androgynus. Popular leaf vegetable. To reduce my feeling of guilty when I’m having a bowl of instant noodle, I usually toss some of this to the pan a minute before it is done. Yum!
Don Base (Balinese) or Daun Sirih (Indonesian) or Piper betel. In Bali, it is used for some of religious ceremony purposes. Chew one leaf and it will freshen and give fragrance to your mouth.
The two mango trees in my front garden. O2 providers, heat protection and fruits suppliers! You can ‘enjoy’ its fresh succulent product in here.
Tiing (Balinese) or bambu (Indonesian). There are many kind of bamboos in Bali, but we like this yellow bamboo, as it is said can bring luck to the owner.
Palm leaves. Actually, it was the red dragonfly, made me wanted to take a shot.
Jangar ulam (Balinese) or daun Salam (Indonesian) or Syzygium polyanthum. Popular in Indonesian cooking to give wonderful aroma, suitable for steam food, soup with meat as the main ingredient. It is similar to bay leaves, I think.
This herb is becoming difficult to find these days. Luckily, the sapling of two years ago grows prettily well in the pot. Tenggulun (Balinese) or daun laksa (Indonesian) or Proticum javanicum. Same use with daun Salam. I put both in for my cooking, to enhance its delicious fragrant.
Do I love hot and spicy food? For a Balinese, who lives in Bali, a tropical island where its food always enriched with spices and chillies. My answer is so predictable: Yes. I do love them. Not just eating, but I spare some time make them, too. As the above photo shown, fried squid in red hot sauce. It is red because I put some grounded chilli (the big one, tasted less hot, for my preference) and to make it even more fun, I tossed some whole red eye bird chillies. That way, my daughters could still enjoy the squid and whoever wanted a challenge while eating it, just have to crush the chilli into the sauce. Now. That’s hot.
This is my unintentionally-planted-but-it-is-growing-anyway bird eye chilli variety in my front garden, under the mango tree. It looks red, hot and….sexy, don’t you think? Promise you a nice, shocking affair if you had a nerve to know it closer ;).
If the gene asked me, obviously I would say I wanted to be famous as a writer.
Or…a chef.
Who made popular fusion food such as duo pizza that was layered with two toppings. Half Italian (as usual) and half Balinese (a bit not usual).
Who lightened the dense spiced taste of Balinese cook to be accepted globally by omitting the root of lesser galangal (Indonesian: kencur) and used only candle nut, chili, garlic, and turmeric, the more commonly found. Used everything left in the fridge, probably a couple of shrimps and mushrooms. Then turned it into cuisine.
A famous chef who didn’t need to publish any recipes, because she was too reckless to measure ingredients and wrote them down.
Unfortunately, it was not the gene asked me. Daily Prompt does.
It is a respond to daily prompt: When Will I Be Loved?
Breakfast or snack? You decide. Pisang goreng suits both.
Pisang goreng (Banana fritters) is a good way to vanish the stack after we celebrated a religious ceremony. As I said in my previous post, banana plays important role in our offering. Pisang goreng is easy to make and quick. Biyu Dang Saba or Pisang Kepok (in bahasa) or plantain is a nice type for pisang goreng. It has high level of starch and less sugar which will give crispier texture.
Biyu Dang Saba (similar to plantain)
Secret ingredients…actually there’s no any secret ingredient in my kitchen’s dictionary. I’m using instant coating flour (for banana fritters), couple of banana, and cooking oil (I use palm oil).
How to make:
Note: Some people make batter by adding water or milk. But, I prefer coating my pisang goreng dryly. Just because I like that way.
A Banana tree (my neighbour’s)
A Simple Note 