Remembering Datuk John Gaisah

This post is a tribute to my most favourite local singer of all time. 

Music has always been a huge part of my life even though I can't sing, dance or play an instrument. I got my love and appreciation of music from my paternal grandaunt. She played John Gaisah all the time. That's what started my interest in John Gaisah.  

Over the years, I’ve remained a John Gaisah fan. However, it’s only much later that I was able to start my own record collection.

Now, every once in a while, I would put the CD on the player and close my eyes. That means more than you know.

His songs really bring back great memories of my childhood. I know almost all of his songs by heart and would sing along to some of his songs. 

Born as Lapius John Gaisah on 8th April 1955 in Sinsuran Village, Tambunan, Sabah.

In 2012, he was honoured with a posthumous award of the title ‘Datuk’ in conjuction with Sabah Head of State Tun Juhar Mahirudin’s 59^th birthday celebrations, as an acknowledgement of his contribution and services to the state’s music industry. It's a long overdue award but it's better late than never. He had contributed a lot to the music and cultural development of Sabah.

John successfully raised the state’s image through his multi-talented roles as a musician, singer and song writer, especially in the local Kadazandusun dialect. John, who was once dubbed Sabah’s Tom Jones, had carved a name for himself in the industry after winning third place in the Bintang RTM 1976 competition which was won by the late Sudirman Arshad. After Bintang RTM 1976 John breathed new life and propelled Sabah’s music industry, through Kadazandusun Murut music, to the nation’s mainstream music industry.

John died tragically at 26 in a road accident at Kilometer 2, Penampang road on August 11, 1981.

He was a multi-talented artiste who could sing, play music and write songs and many of his songs are still popular today. The gifted musician had written many songs in his short lifetime.

Dear John, 
Your songs never left us. Thank you for giving so much. Rest in peace!

P/S

It is very difficult to choose one song of him as all his songs are equally awesome. These are my favourites – Nupus Ku Dia Oi Honey and Soira Osorou Ku. To me, these are not just songs but it is a journey down the memory lane. So, kick back, plug in your headphones and travel back in time with me.

Samosa

When the school gates shut, it can be hard to work out how to keep all that young energy channelled. Here is another school holiday cooking project. Encourage your children to help you in the kitchen to cook up some magic and learn some key skills along the way. Get them to learn how to fold the samosas.

Have a lovely weekend folks!!!!

Samosa

Ingredients

1 packet of regular frozen spring roll wrappers
400gm minced beef
3 potatoes – peeled & diced
2 yellow onions – finely diced
3 cloves of garlic - minced
2 tbsp meat curry powder
Salt – to taste
Sugar – to taste
A bunch of Chinese parsley – chopped finely

Egg white

Directions

Heat up a skillet and add the oil. Sauté the onion and garlic until aromatic.

Add the minced beef and stir-fry until cooked. Add the curry powder and the potatoes. Stir to mix well then pour in ½ a cup of water.

Seasons with sugar and salt. Continue to cook over low heat until the potatoes are tender and completely cooked through and the mixture is dry. 

Add the parsley and stir for a few seconds. Turn off the heat, remove from the skillet and let cool.

Peel off the spring rolls wrapper one by one carefully. Keep covered with clean wet kitchen cloth to keep it damp and avoid drying as instructed in the pack. Cut each sheet to 3 equal-sized rectangle strips.

Scoop 1 table spoon of the fillings in each strip, over the top. Fold into triangle samosas. (To learn in detail on how to fold it, you can refer to video in the YouTube).

Pinch the edges and all corners to make sure they are sealed tight and there is no leakage. Brush the outer edges of the wrapper with the egg white. Repeat the same until the filling is used up.

Deep fry the samosa until golden brown. Remove from the oil and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Serve warm.

Steamed Caramel Cupcakes

The school holidays are a good time to encourage the kids into the kitchen to cook. They will love measuring, mixing and baking their own treats. It may make a mess but it will be lots of fun for them and there will be a tasty treat at the end of it to share.

It is also a great way for your kids to spend some time away from the TV and build their confidence in the kitchen. So get your kids in the kitchen to create these tea time treats, perfect for 8-14 year-old to show off their cooking skills.

This recipe yield 35 small cakes. Steam cooking the cakes yields an extremely soft and spongy texture. 

Steamed Caramel Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 cup hot water
2 whole eggs
½ cup cooking oil
2 tbsp margarine/butter
2 tbsp sweet condensed milk
1 tsp baking soda/sodium bicarbonate

1½ cup all-purpose flour

Directions

To make the caramel syrup, place the sugar in a small heavy-based saucepan and heat over low heat until the sugar caramelizes and  turns golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour the hot water onto the caramel (be careful not to get burned as the caramelized sugar will start to splutter).  Return the saucepan to the heat and boil the caramel over low heat for a few minutes until completely melted and a syrup is obtained. Set aside to cool.

Sift the flour and baking soda into a mixing bowl. Put aside.

In a blender, combine the eggs, sweet condensed milk, oil and margarine / butter. Then blend well for about 3 minutes.

Add the cooled caramel into the mixture and blend slightly to mix well.

Pour the liquid mixture into the mixing bowl. Gradually incorporate by stirring gently with a whisk to make a smooth batter.

Spoon the batter into small lightly greased cup, three-quarter full then tap a few times. Steam over high heat for 15 minutes. (do not open the steamer during the steaming process or the cake might collapse). Put the steamed cake on a wire rack to slightly cool down before unmoulding.

If you are using a baking pan then steamed it for 45 minutes.

Glutinous Rice With Pandan Custard Layer

I grew up watching my aunt or my late grandmother making trays of different types of kuih for Chinese New Year or Christmas. But it wasn’t until much later after I got married that I learned to make and appreciate the desserts I had from childhood. I learned to make this sweet tasty dessert 3 years ago. They go extremely well with a cup of coffee in the morning or as an afternoon snack.

I seldom get to use fresh pandan / screwpine leaves as I only go to the market in the weekend. Pandan extract gives natural colouring to the 'kuih'. This 'kuih' can be kept for up to 2 – 3 days if refrigerated however refrigerating will make the glutinous rice layer to become slightly hard.  So just pop it in the microwave for a couple of minutes and let it cool before consuming.

Making it is a little hard work but it seriously is worth it. I am the only one that eats it in my household so I normally make it only for catering or potluck. You can also substitute the white glutinous rice with black glutinous rice. You have to whisk the custard layer continuously while cooking. Do not let it overcooked or else the pandan custard layer will be clumpy and uneven. In order not to let water droplets fall onto the surface of the pandan flavoured custard, you must wrap the baking tray with a cling wrap during the steaming process.

You have to try this amazing recipe. Enjoy!

Glutinous Rice With Pandan Custard Layer
(Kuih Talam Seri Muka)

Ingredients for Glutinous Rice Layer

500 gm glutinous rice – soak for at least 3 hours

300 ml coconut milk

300 ml water

2 tsp salt

Directions

Prepare a 10"x10"x2" baking tray and line with plastic wrap.

Drain the rice into a large sieve and rinse. Pour into the baking tray. Set aside.

Mix the coconut milk, water and salt then give it a quick stir. Pour into the rice and steam over a high heat for 30 minutes or until cooked.

Remove from the steamer and fluff the rice with a fork. Use a spatula to press and compact the rice layer. Make sure there are no holes/air bubbles and gaps in the rice, especially the sides. Ensure that enough pressure is applied when compacting the glutinous rice layer. This is to prevent it from falling apart when it is cut. 

Ingredients for Custard Layer

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tbsp rice flour

1 tbsp corn flour

250 ml coconut milk

500 ml water

2 whole egg

250 gm castor sugar

10 pcs of screwpine leave – wash, blend & strain the juice (I used ½

tsp pandan paste)

Directions

Mix the all-purpose flour, rice flour and corn flour, coconut milk, water, eggs, sugar, pandan juice / paste. Stir until smooth. Strain into a medium sized pot. Cook over low heat until the mixture thickens slightly but still runny enough to pour.

Pour onto the glutinous rice layer. Cover the top of the baking tray with a cling wrap then steam on high heat for another 40 minutes. After 30 minutes, take of the cover of the steamer and steam (uncovered) for 10 minutes.

Take out from the steamer and remove the clip wrap. Leave to cool before cutting into diamond-shaped or rectangle-shaped pieces with a plastic knife.

Sardines Puff

I always keep a few packets of plain paratha flat bread in the freezer and a few cans of tomato sardine in the pantry. This is one of the simplest yet delicious sardine puff. Yes, you won’t believe how crazy simple they are to make.  Just let the oven do the job, no deep-frying and major cleaning.  I don’t remember where I got this recipe from but I have had the pure joy of making and eating them many times. My kids LOVE them too!

You can also use leftover chicken curry and potato for the fillings. Very yummy!

Do try it out and let me know the verdict ya.

Sardine Puff

Ingredients

10 pieces of frozen plain Paratha Flat Bread (I used Kawan Brand)

1 small can of sardines in tomato sauce

1 yellow onion – finely chopped

1 red chili – seeded and finely sliced

2 tbsp mayonnaise

Egg Wash

1 whole egg + 1 tsp water – slightly beaten 

Directions

Thaw the paratha flat bread in room temperature for 15 minutes.  

Place the sardines in a bowl, drained the tomato sauce for dryer fillings and break them up with a fork then add the rest of the ingredients.  Mix well. 

Cut the bread into 4 pieces with a pizza cutter.  Then make 2 - 3 small cuts on just two pieces of the cut-out bread. This will be the cover of the puff.  Refer below. 

Add a spoon of the filling and cover the top with the other piece of the cut-out bread. Using the tines of a fork, press down on the edges of the puffs to seal them. Glaze the top with egg wash.

Place on a baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool. Enjoy!

SPM is finally here!

Today, it's the first day of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exam in all the states in Malaysia. My son will be taking eight subjects for SPM. So the next one month will be very crucial for him. His thirteen years of schooling is finally coming to an end. But to me, he will always be my little boy.

My boy is a slightly below average performer in his studies. He was born with a learning disability which means -- he could not spell, could not read, and he would get letters backwards and numbers in the wrong order. Being born a dyslexic means having to work extra hard and we're very well aware that there're obstacles for him to achieving his dreams. But we will make sure that he will not give up that easily without a fight. 

He was diagnosed with Dyslexia when he was in Standard Two. He’s quite outgoing but does have trouble with socialising and dealing with stress. By Standard Three, he still hadn’t learned to read and we were very desperate. He could not even hold a pencil properly. He showed signs of delay with every benchmark, from learning letters and sounds, to writing his name.  He showed little interest in reading and drawing, no matter how much we encourage him. He sometimes came home saying things like "I'm the sxxxxxxxx person in my class". We always reassured him that it wasn't true. It was always acknowledging that school was tough but that he could do it. His teachers misunderstood the symptoms and punished him or labelled him lazy or misbehaved. The Education Department then suggested that he attend a special education school. We decided we had no time to waste and put a strategy together to fix my son. It’s not a death sentence. We then sent him to a tutor who understood the problem -- he had to learn to read. 

But it wasn’t enough that he was taught by understanding teachers and had access to special tutors after school. So it was up to my husband and me. 

The way we dealt with it is by helping him organise his study routine. At the same time we learned to be patient.  Some days were harder than others but he came through all his tests and exams.  Over the years we’ve developed ways of coping with his Dyslexia’s. I’ve read lots of books and learnt through trial-and-error. There were times when his dyslexia affects his behaviour -- perhaps when he has trouble understanding simple instructions, his frustration makes him grumpy. The biggest thing I’ve learned is not to yell back when he gets angry. It only makes things worse. I learned to stay calm. He just needs to take a bit more time.

Then when he was in Standard Five, I decided to quit my high-paying job at an offshore bank and move to Kuala Lumpur to join my husband so that he can coach my son, for his Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examinations. We knew nobody else could help him but my husband and me – especially my husband. Most of our times were spent coaching him. At the same time being careful not to scare or confuse him.

It was so stressful, suffering sleepless nights and worrying about his performance and future. Yes, we got him through the UPSR. The relief we felt when he passed was priceless. Was it worth it? Of course it was.

We’re extremely concerned about how he’s going to make a living for himself in case he can’t do well in studies. So when we moved to Kota Kinabalu a couple of years ago, we decided to have him take guitar lessons. It’s also to help him practice his fine motor skills. We’re aware that learning to play the guitar could be difficult for him but we went ahead anyway. Fortunately, my son’s music teacher was a kind person and very curious. We never told his problems to the music teacher though. The teacher has helped him progress at his own pace and encouraged him. He loves playing the guitar. He likes the fact that he can sit down and bash out a tune where most of his friends who are good at sport, reading etc can't. It's a great confidence booster for him. Now his friends have already made plans to further their studies and yet my son is still clueless about his future.

No matter how we tried to be more creative and persistent and yet my son’s educational journey is still extraordinarily difficult. 

I am very proud of my son, it’s a blessing to have him and we're thankful every single day for being able to raise such a precious miracle. Never underestimate the power of prayer. Having a dyslexic child can be very frustrating at times. Ultimately God is the author of all knowledge.  I hope that God would lead us to just the right people, resources and help that my son needs.

Simple Vanilla Cupcake

One of the things that I’m always messing with is cupcakes. It’s the never-ending quest for all the best versions. I’m quite fussy about cupcakes. I have tried numerous recipes over the past few years.

These easy vanilla cupcakes are so simple to make so even baking beginners will be able to make them easily and you can decorate them however you like! Decorate them with butter icing and add sprinkles to make them just a little bit fancy.

Don’t let the lack of party occasion deter you from letting your baking creativity run wild. Why not whip up a batch of lovely home-made cupcakes today? This simple cupcake recipe makes a batch of 24 cupcakes so you have plenty of cakes to decorate. Use an ice cream scoop to divide the mixture between all the paper cases to make sure you have an even amount of mixture in each cupcake case so that they would rise to the same height. These cupcakes are ideal for making with children but beware, it might get messy!

Simple Vanilla Cupcake

(Adapted from Genius Kitchen)

Ingredients

2 cups flour

½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

½ cup butter – softened

¾ cup sugar (add more if you like it sweeter)

2 whole eggs

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla essence (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Mix the flour with baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture alternating with milk. Stir in the vanilla essence. Beat until smooth.

Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until they are 3/4 full, not all the way to the top and bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. 

Leave the cupcakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Crème Caramel Pudding

Remembering my grandmother.

It’s All Souls Day again, today it has been almost 20 years without her and each year I miss her more and more.  I miss the sound of her voice and her smell. I really wish I could hug her right now. Not a day goes by when I don’t imagine what life would be like had she not died.

She’s not here anymore and I don’t get to do anything exciting for her. I will never forget the day when I was told that she had gone away. She’s like a rock to me. Her warm memories are still fresh in my mind. 

The thing which I always regrets the most is I forgot to thank her for giving me colourful childhood memories. She was the strongest woman I have ever known. During her last years, she went through a tough time and it really hurt me to watch her slowly dying and fading away from my life. She suffered a lot which sometimes I felt bad about it. She was not worth every single pain she went through. I lost the most amazing woman, a devoted grandmother who loved grandfather more than her life. I can still picture her sadly waiving to me every time I go   home when the holiday was over.

Dear granny,

I wish you’re here to talk to me. I wish I could tell you about my life and my passions. I wish you could meet my husband and children and give me good parental advice. I want to tell you how proud I am of my children and how the thought of you watching over me keeps me going. I also want you to know that mama is doing great. Thank you, granny. Thank you for your love. Thank you for the memories. Thank you for encouraging me to be the best person I can be and to do the best I can in everything I wish to achieve. You’re all I have while growing up and thank you for being my best friend.

Mostly, thank you for being my grandmother. I love you.

Until we meet again.

This recipe yields 20 puddings. Creamy, rich and sweet with oozing caramel sauce -- what is there not to love about this crème caramel? 

Crème Caramel Pudding

Adapted from Azie Kitchen

Ingredients

1 (397g) can of sweetened condensed milk

1 (345ml) can of evaporated milk

1 can of water (use the can of the sweetened condensed milk)

5 - 6 whole eggs

½ tsp vanilla extract

The caramel

1½ cup white sugar

3 cups water

Directions

Place the sugar in a small pan on a medium heat until the sugar turns brown. As soon as it starts to bubble, carefully add the water. The caramel may spit slightly and it will be hot. 

Bring to a simmer until it is completely melted and combined then turn off the heat. Cool completely and refrigerate it overnight. 

Pour the caramel evenly into 20 small clear round sauce cups.

Preheat the steamer.

Remove the eggs’ eyes and beat it lightly.  Add the rest of the ingredients and lightly whisk it to avoid air bubbles in the mixture.

Sieve the mixture to remove any bits of cooked egg lumps. Pour the mixture into the prepared cups containing the caramel. Cover all the cups with cling wrap individually to prevent water from dripping onto the surface of the flan.

Steam it for 10 - 15 minutes or until cooked.

Once done, let it cool down completely before placing them into the fridge for a minimum of 2 – 3 hours. It is best to leave them overnight in the fridge.