Lyrical Lemongrass writes: Herb Crusted Sliced Smoked Duck with Fruit Salad I may as well make hay while the sun shines by putting up another blog post before I accidentally slip into hibernation mode again.   I have thousands of photographs in my archive, all waiting for their stories to be told, but this blog post must be written because it marks the reunion of a sisterhood that was formed several years back.   Precious Pea, who had just come back from Melbourne, gave me, Boo and Paps a reason to get together again for one of our lengthy meals lit up not only ...
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Lyrical Lemongrass writes: Last Friday, I experienced my first emotional breakdown in ages when I was caught in a traffic jam heading towards the KL Convention Centre for Babyface’s concert. After sitting in the car for 2 1/2 hours in KL’s rush hour traffic, the air conditioner in my car suddenly stopped working. Things went downhill from there. Unable to wind down my window in the Smart Tunnel, I persevered in the heat, sweat dripping down my back, and my body feverish from a bout of flu. Within minutes, a loud clanging sound emanated from the engine. I panicked. Don’t ...
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Lyrical Lemongrass writes: Greek Dolmades – Rolled Vine Leaf with Rice I confess -I have no knowledge of Greek food, which begs the question, is it fair for me to give a critical appraisal of something that I know nothing of?  I could let my tastebuds decide, for after all, if my tongue has been on active duty for *cough* forty *cough* years or so, it has to be a rather reliable tool, yes?   Bald Eagle was in Greece a couple of years back, but he had painful memories there (watching Liverpool lose in the Champions League final) so broaching the subject of Greek food is suicidal (for me). ...
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Lyrical Lemongrass writes: This morning, I was late for work by more than an hour due to a number of accidents on the highway.  Several things frustrate me daily, but in this instance, the lack of consideration and the egotistical nature of certain drivers irked me.  If you hit a car in front of you, for Pete’s sake, move to the side of the road and negotiate lah.  Don’t stop in the middle of the highway, centre lane, no less, and assume that the world stops for you just because you have a tiny dent on your rear bumper.  I. Don’t. Care. When we bought ...
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Lyrical Lemongrass writes: We are led to a table beside a group of fourteen – twelve women and two men, many of them in fuchsia.  Perhaps the colour doesn’t feel as old-fashioned as red.  The older ladies are in red; it is hard to break away from tradition.  As we partake of the stewed pork knuckles, a Chinese tune sung melodiously at soprano tones rises above the cacophony of sounds in the busy restaurant.  I can tell that it is a traditional tune, although I can’t make out the words in Mandarin.  My friend tells me that the song is about spring. The voices rise in harmony. Some of the ...
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Lyrical Lemongrass writes: Once upon a time, there were three little pigs.   When it was time for them to leave home to seek their fortune, their mummy told them, “Whatever you do , do it the best that you can because that’s the way to get along in the world.” So the first pig built a house out of straw, the second, out of sticks, and the third, out of bricks. One night, the big bald eagle appeared at the house made of straw and said, “Little pig, little pig, let me in!” The little pig replied, “Not by the hair of my ...
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Lyrical Lemongrass writes: Several years back, my friend, Jo, invited me over to her family home in Kampar to celebrate Chinese New Year.    I have loads of memories of Kampar; it was always one of our pitstops during our cross country travels in the old days.  Pa and Ma used to do a bit of their dating in Kampar (and Tanjung Tualang and Batu Gajah….basically the whole of Perak) so stopping at Kampar helped them relive some of their memories (with children in tow).   Until today, Ma still talks about Ais Kacang in Kampar, but then again, she has an unnatural obsession for lumps of shaved ice, something that ...
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Lyrical Lemongrass writes: Precious moments. Basking in the warmth of the fading summer sun in Winchester. Walking in the rain in London, puddles of water splashing with every heavy footstep. Inhaling the scent of wet grass and sheep droppings in Avebury. Marvelling at the 90,000+ mobilephone wave at a Coldplay concert in Wembley as Viva La Vida thunders on. Going 65 metres up into the towers of the Sagrada Familia to experience a most breathtaking sight that can only be inspired by a greater being. Standing in awe at its base, and wondering about my puny yet significant existence in this universe. Getting drenched by angry waves, and laughing at how much I look like a drowning duck. Meeting Carlos, a ...
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Lyrical Lemongrass writes: Sake1 /sayk/ • noun (1)(for the sake of) for the purpose of or in the interest of. (2) (for the sake of) out of consideration for or in order to help. (3) (for old times’ sake) in memory of former times. (4) (for God’s/goodness sake) expressing impatience or desperation. Saké2 /sä’kē, -kě/ • noun a Japanese alcoholic drink made from fermented rice. — ORIGIN Japanese. (Source: The Compact Oxford ...
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Lyrical Lemongrass writes: When I first started food blogging at the end of 2006, I was shooting with my Nokia N70 cameraphone, a hand-me-down from Bald Eagle.   At that time, I felt embarrassed to be seen taking photographs of food, so even a point-and-shoot was too obtrusive.  A lot has changed since then.   As I developed a thicker skin, I moved to a Panasonic Lumix FZ5 which was pretty fantastic for a compact camera.  And then the world of DSLRs beckoned.   My first DSLR was a Canon EOS 400D (I’m a big supporter of Canon, having used Canon SLRs in the days before digital), then a Canon EOS ...
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