Second Batch of Open House : Done!

This time I invited a few mummies from batrisyia's school to my house. It was on Thursday morning when the kids are happily in school. It's party time for mummy.

There were only six ladies. A mixed of nationalities : Malaysian, Indonesian, Germany (Remember Kirsten?), Jordanian (remember Fifi?) and Egypt.

Kirsten had a baby. She was pregnant last time, remember? So typically all the ladies went oohhh ahhhss at the just too cute baby of hers.



I cooked the typical Malay Eid (at least typical for a person who is from Johor)food. Something that should not be spicy for my non Malays taste bud and stomach lining. Something, I think, that will present Malay food well. So I cooked, which is no surprise,

pressed rice
peanut sauce
lodeh (I only put carrot and cabbages and prawn in coconut gravy. and dried bean curds)
fried satay marinated chicken.
I also whipped up corn pudding in creamy milk sauce.
Teh tarik (tea with milk)
Orange juice.

Of course to most Malay standard, this is too little a menu. For usually one would cook two sets of dishes. But considering it is weekdays, and I slaved cooking at night and still has to go out to send the kids to school, and also there were not many people, I think it was ok.

My non Malaysian friends seem to love it. Kirsten actually said, this is the kind of food she likes, with gravy and this sweet crunchy sauce (peanut sauce). I warned her though that it contain nuts, in case she is allergic to it.

Apparently, I think many westerns are allergic to nuts, such that there is no nut policy in most schools. It's either I am not aware of it, or there are very few cases, but I really do not know any Malays who allergic to nuts. Correct me please.

Anyway they ate three bowls of it! And they were amazed at the pressed rice. And thought it is so cute. When i worked as a waitress in a Malaysian restaurant back in the UK, pressed rice, as simple as we may think, has always been the attention of many. I always have had to explain the whole technicalities of rice pressings. they would usually take a nibble and said, it tastes nothing. I said it is just rice but pressed.

My Malaysian and Indonesian friends are mostly fasting but came anyway, for which I doggied back some of the food for them. Hope they like them.

I had a surprise that day. When Kirsten came, she brought me a box of baklava. That was not the surprise. It is quite common to receive desserts. But my Arab friends brought me house gifts! Wowser! Nicely wrapped as well. That was surprising. Apparently its common that they bring gifts, not in the form of food, when invited to someone's house. Do take note my friends. I received two dessert dishes and a tissue box wrapper and matching coasters. :D

I enjoyed myself. I hope they had a good taste of experiencing our Malay food.