A taste of HOME...

Finally, I ate Teochew Porridge for like the first time in almost 2years since I left Singapore and OMG, flashes of my childhood growing up with my grandmothers and drinking Ribena came flashing back to me. Ok, ok...it was not so dramatic but almost close.

For lunch, I made my Teochew Porridge which consists of mainly plain porridge served with very simple poor man's dishes like salted fish, boiled peanuts, pickled mustard(kiam chye), pork cubes(bah tng), pork floss(bah hoo), and my mom's fried sliced potatoes with egg and tomato ketchup. Sounds like a feast, huh?!?! ;p With almost 6 different dishes to pick from, I need a Lazy Susan on my table! When you get sick of eating here in NYC where your rice will be served with only 1 meat/veg dish in Asian restaurants, you will understand why I am so thrilled with my 6 dishes. *grin*

Back home where the professional Ah Peis in Tiong Bahru or Hougang dishes up the real thing, the staggering variety of dishes will leave most people undecided, unless you are a true-blue Teochew Ah Nia(lady) like me who knows exactly what she wants with her porridge. There are steamed fish with sliced ginger and soya sauce, freshly made fish cake slices with chili flakes inside and the tangy chili dip(oh yumz!), chye poh(stewed salty vegetable), fried egg omelet with chye poh & minced pork, braised duck(if you're lucky), steamed pork with egg custard(I so miss this dish), stewed beancurd skin(tao kee), black bean minced pork, tau pok braised with eggs in black sauce, octopus with the sweet sauce dip(oh heaven!), and many more different fish dishes which I never bother cos fish is not my thing. Now that I think of it, there are a lot of pork dishes too, huh? Thank god I didn't marry a Muslim. Whew!

I love all sorts of cuisine but when certain food opens the memory gates to a special part of you from a long time ago, it is time to take a HUGE bite and savour it. =)

So, WHAT is your childhood food?