Grow baby grow

I just have to show off our new babies - the pomodorini are 8 weeks old and range from 10cm to 30cm tall... Oh they do smell heavenly! The first time I was struck by the raw natural profumo of tomato vines was at Casa Lanzarotti, where I twirled happily in the greenhouse and my mouth was gap-open at the glorious bunches of these bright red and orange hued fruits. I can just imagine our joy when the first flower appeared on the vines and bear fruit. Ooooh.

Today I was at the secret garden again and boy was it a hot day! Darwin and I got to fertilising the chili bed with a mix of dried chicken dung, mix of horse dung and rotting compost crawling with maggots. They make their own compost from natural waste and everything came out from their own pockets. Tending to nature is not glam but it's pure passion and lots of hard work! The European herbs patch needed weeding and we definitely could do with more hands. (Let me know if you want to volunteer 2 hours of Sat or Sun from 10am to 12pm - come enjoy the fresh air and sun).

Anyway I've been cooking lately and experimenting with the produce from the garden. Last week, I made a Thai-style salad with a turnip (tomatoes, coriander & lettuce). Today I whipped up a prawn-zucchini omelette flavoured with a type of Chinese herb parsley called Asiatic wormwood (apparently full of antioxidants and good for riding wind). We'd concoct combos of this leaf with that herb and throw in a young papaya and some sugarcane for yummy cooling teas. Anyway I hope to share more of these wholesome recipes using produce from the garden.

For now I shall leave you with my recipe of Fried mee ta baht noodles - L's favourite (his request on his day off last Tues) - buon appetito!

Ingredients - serves 4:

Mee ta baht noodles (500g - pour hot water over noodles in strainer)

Eggs (2)

Fishcake (3 - sliced thinly)

Pork (100g - sliced & marinated with light soy sauce & sesame oil)

Cai xin vegetables (100g)

Bean sprouts (2 cups)

Garlic (3 cloves - crushed)

Chili padi (2 - optional)

Dark soy sauce (2 -3 tbsp dep on how dark you like)

Pinch of salt & pepper (adjust to taste)

Oil for frying

Method:

- Beat eggs and fry as an omelette in wok, then slice and keep aside for later.

- Fry garlic and chili till fragrant, add pork and stir around, then add fishcake.

- Add mee ta baht noodles and mix thoroughly on medium heat. Add half cup of water followed by dark soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste.

- Add cai xin vegs and sliced egg, mix well for 1 min before adding bean sprouts.

- Stir well for another minute or untill bean sprouts are cooked.

- Serve warm with toppings of chili flakes and fried shallots if desired!

Recipe by Law

Peace be with girl

Sorry for been MIA for the last month since the Thai holidays. Work again has been hectic (not complaining) which left little time for writing. L and I began a 'diet' too as we have put on a couple of kilos from the 2 food trips and a few wine dinners on my part. So far, the diet's working along with plenty of yoga and gardening. L has also began working at a new ristorante italiano and gotten his Employment Pass (so no longer a fugitive!).
And the best news of October is an email from Marina Sands asking if he's keen on the position of a Games Inspector. They'll be in touch again closer to the opening date in Febbraio. Funnily L wasn't that enthu about the IR because the shift work is quite taxing and his sleep patterns would be terribly screwed up again! Anyway we'll see what their offer is then.

Some of you might have heard the bad news - si, our Ah Girl, Ripley, has passed away on 25 Oct. We're quite prepared for it as she has been on a steady decline. The inevitable happened when she stopped eating and peeing/pooing on Sat and Sun. On Sun, she was so weak the poor girl was literally dragging herself around in a stupor. I called mom and asked her to come home early to say goodbye. Ah Girl was her favourite cat and my mom was her pet. They were the best of TV companions for years. Amazingly Ah Girl held on until my mom came back and comforted her in tears. Shortly after, she struggled with 3 short breaths and slipped away.

As we held her lifeless skeletal body one last time, we wished her a safe journey and thanked her for being part of our family for the past 10+ years. I could still remember the day when I found her on the streets of Tiong Bahru. This white scraggy cat was feeding on some leftover rice given by an auntie who said she's been abandoned. My heart melted and I contemplated bringing her home. On a return visit, I coaxed her into my carrier and brought her to SPCA but they wouldn't take her in as 'she's quite old' and might even put her down.

So I took her for a check up at the vet and he confirmed that she's quite old (abt 8 to 9 yrs) and had an ear infection. On that 1st visit, we knew she has a great dislike for vets as she left a bloody scratch on the vet, despite being held down in a straits jacket (this happened at almost every vet visit)! Thus her bad-arse fearless attitude led me to name her 'Ripley' - after Sigourney Weaver's character in 'Aliens'. Ah Girl went on to blossom into a white furball and terrorised Jarvis for almost a decade (haha poor guy) until sweet Mimi came along and kinda loosened up the tension.

Given 'how old' she was when we adopted her, Ripley had lived a damn long life and might be at least 18 to 20 yrs old at her passing. Although it was really sad to lose her, I am also so proud and happy to have given her a safe and loving home, and that I went with my instincts and didn't put her down. She passed away with dignity; surrounded by love and comfort. We cremated her and brought her ashes in a 'Kit Kat Time Out' container (yes, she's only taking a time out!) to bury in my secret garden where we visit regularly.

Ah Girl, you'll always be remembered for your beauty, resilience and strength. Although you're in kitty heaven now, you'll always live in our hearts and we'll see each other again, my love. Baci =^.^=