29

MAR

Sir Lancelot The Cook

posted on Sunday, 2009

I am not a cook.

At the best, I may describe myself as a lazy person who have to cook.

Certainly not one of those who innately knows what to do…
How is stir-frying, shallow frying, deep frying, steaming, grilling, braising, blanching, basting done?
How will different spices enhance the flavour?
How should meat be cut?
How much time is needed for whatever?

If a recipe requires steps that involve mixing, grinding, cooking for hours…
*flip, flip, flip*

Over here, it is a necessity to cook, as it brings the household expenses down.

If you eat at foodcourts or restaurants in Perth, it is at least 8 bucks per person, not counting drinks (which cost around A$2-3). The cheapest food we can buy is that legendary Chillz chicken rice, now at A$4 per packet (used to be 2+ a few years ago). I didn’t take a picture of the shop… but if you want to see how chicken rice looks like in Perth, http://www.kennysia.com/archives/2005/10/perth-food.php Do a search for “The $3.50 Chicken Rice”… and if you are wondering why the chicken looked so red, this is the barbecue (char siew) version.

The first dish I ever cooked was in Perth, circa October 2002. Somehow thought it was a good idea to mix carrots and beansprout together. So I shredded the carrots and threw both the carrots and beansprouts into the wok… at the same time.

The carrots just refused to be cooked, the beansprouts wilted in the meantime, Allan came home sick that evening and couldn’t eat much of the “dinner”, and I just broke down and cried.

Thank God we survived that episode, and I believe God heard my desperate SOS and I somehow began to overcome my phobia about cooking.

The first thing was to overcome the fear of lighting the stove (used to struggle with Bunsen burner in school) and then the fear of splattering oil. To overcome the second fear, I devised a method of protecting my arms and hands by wearing protective coverings (made up of two bags used for storing plastic bags and a pair of gloves). Recently, I gently lowered some yet-unthawed sausages into a pan and the oil started splattering like a music fountain… thank God for the cover, which served as a protective shield. Fully geared up, I could approach the stove and pan with boldness!

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,

but against the rulers, against the authorities,

against the powers of this dark world and

against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes,

you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,

with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,

with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Ephesians 6:10 to 18

21

MAR

Confessions of an Addict #6

posted on Saturday, 2009

Is this true of most people? That we never really outgrow toys?

I don’t mean kiddish toys… even though I have quite an extensive collection… Yo, check this out!

Our toys “grow up” with us. We can still relive those moments of anticipation and exhilaration that kids experience in a toy store… gazing longingly at the exciting new toys on the shelves. Except that these toys have now matured into the likes of plasma/LCD televisions, computers, cars, jewellery, etc.

I would consider myself a techno-“junkie”, even though I don’t usually buy the latest gizmo on the market.

When the iPhone finally arrived in Australia, I was promoting its merits to myself. Friends bought it and urged me to join them. Only the hefty price tag and the monthly phone subscriptions deter me from putting my name in the waiting list.

Then I came to know of a great alternative, the iPod Touch! It’s less than half the price of its sibling, the iPhone, and no mobile phone subscriptions would be required… though this takes away half of its capabilities with the lack of free Wi-Fi hotspots in Perth…

Then, my attention turned to netbooks… those cutie-pie of mini notebooks! Wind MSI… Asus Eee… MacBook Air… You sleek beauty!

I say, do I get an endorsement deals on all these products?!

Techno fads come and go… it’s a fact that something better, more powerful, far more cool will come along. And the happiness quotient will soon fade when I finally own the latest fad.

But in seeking the everlasting God, there is joy forevermore!

As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?

Psalm 42:1 to 2

One thing I ask of the LORD,

this is what I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD

and to seek him in his temple.

Psalm 27:4

14

MAR

Confessions of an Addict #5

posted on Saturday, 2009

Yes, you’ve guessed it! It’s the age of reality TV!

Well, die-hard fans like me do ensure the survival and continuing spate of reality television programming.

Survivor was like the ancestor that sprouted generations of the same genre. It became more of an obligatory watch after a few seasons of the same old manipulations, scheming, conniving, bickering and fighting. Then came the fantastic Amazing Race series, which we still enjoy till this day despite the formulaic presentation.

In Perth, I became hooked to Channel 10, and the 7 to 8pm or the 7:30 to 8:30pm slots became “dedicated” times set aside for reality TV. No noise or disturbance from Allan is permitted!

It started with The Biggest Loser… Need I say more?!

Then Big Brother followed suit. Feeling the big (pun intended?) void left by the Biggest Loser, I decided to check this out as it was not broadcast in the Singapore free-to-air channels.

Um, it’s not a very sanctified show… oopsie…

Then came SYTYCD – So You Think You Can Dance (what a mouthful!)
I just love the choreography and the unimaginable moves and flexibility that the human body can achieve (well, applicable to just some human bodies).

Guess I am inclined to follow the programs all the way through as after a while, I tend to have favourites.

Watching them progress through each week and each challenge, and silently supporting them (not voting of course, such a waste of money really…)

It is like being part of their lives for those few months and there is a vested interest in their well-being and success.

Coincidentally, there were many contestants of Asian origins lately. In the Amazing Race, there was the father-daughter team of Ronald and Christina. In Big Brother - Australia, there was a atypical Japanese by the name of Nobbi. SYTYCD - USA had Katie Shean, who danced so beautifully with athletic grace. And slightly further back in time, there was the lovable Yauman in Survivor Fiji. No prizes for who I rooted for.

Back to the reality of the Christian world, do we have a vested interest in our brothers and sisters?

The apostle Paul certainly had. I really am amazed at the fiery passion that he had for the Body of Christ in his letters to the churches.

Well, the introductions in his letters seem kinda odd… I mean, who would start a letter describing oneself? His mode of communication may appear out of place in this fast track modern day … For that matter, not many people write letters these days.

Times have changed, it’s the i-age of the brief.

Hw r u?
Gr8!

My concentration usually dipped during the introductions in Paul’s letters. Take the following for example:

Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers with me,

      To the churches in Galatia:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Galatians 1: 1 to 4

 

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

To Timothy my true son in the faith:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I Timothy 1: 1 to 2

Quick glance through and the passage is often summarised into “Dear Timothy/church… Paul here”.

But actually, the introductions embody more than what I read superficially.

Paul started his letters stating who he was and what he stood for in Christ. Such authority in his words! There was boldness, conviction and love in his letters, and he was able to unflinchingly convey the message as a mouthpiece of God, whether it was dealing with heresy in teachings, dissensions among believers or showing concern to Timothy.

08

MAR

Confessions of an Addict #4

posted on Sunday, 2009

Those who know me well might have been surprised that it’s taken so long to mention this addiction.

Don’t you think these guys are so adorable! They are simply good enough to eat!

I am sure many have seen this in the run of the mill spam:

Chocolate is a health food. Chocolate is derived from cacao beans. Bean = vegetable. Sugar is derived either from sugar beets or cane, both vegetables. And, of course, the milk/cream is dairy. So eat more chocolate to meet the dietary requirements for daily vegetable and dairy intake.

 

Such is the wisdom of chocoholics!

Let me (conveniently) change the subject.

When I decided to do this confession, this scripture reference keeps popping to mind somehow.

So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians

and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land,

a land flowing with milk and honey—

the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.

Exodus 3:8

I know… there is no single mention of “chocolate” in the Bible… but somehow the words “milk and honey” just conjure up an images like these:

But back to serious business…

The latter part of the verse is interesting: “a land flowing with milk and honey — the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.”

The Promised Land wasn’t the Israelites’ to begin with.

On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates- the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."

Genesis 15:18

 

The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God."

Genesis 17:8

 

The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave them into your hands. I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow. So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.'

Somebody else had laboured and toiled on the land… and God delivered it to His people on a platter. Aren’t you just excited about God’s promises and provisions?!

Enjoy, relish, and trust in His goodness.

01

MAR

Power of a Promise

posted on Sunday, 2009

When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge,

he must not break his word but must do everything he said.

Numbers 30:2

It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.

Ecclesiastes 5:5

I resumed this task on the first weekend, and whipped up a galore of dishes for the week ahead… fuming away…

Then I remembered the wedding vows and the words I said.
I told Allan’s parents that I would take care of Allan.
Yes, from a naïve bride who doesn’t know how to cook, totally dependent on family and food vendors!

While cooking is still not my forte or interest, I am glad now to be able to put food on the table and feed my hubby.

Really glad to be able to fulfil my vow and promise…

I am not that careful with little promises though.
This is not helped by an ageing memory and my nature to procrastinate.

Pastor Chui mentioned to me that she had a handy one-dish recipe and said that she would send it to me. Back in Perth just about a day later, we received a call from Adeline to update my email address so that the recipe can be sent to me.

I was simply dumbfounded…

…by the power of a fulfilled promise.

I wouldn’t wonder if the recipe wasn’t sent, with Pas Chui being so busy with the church and her young children. But for her to remember and promptly fulfil this promise filled me with wonder.

Her kind gesture reminds me that God remembers His promises and He makes them come to pass… and this is the standard I should uphold.