The Dewi

The rainy season we're currently enjoying here in Singapore is not exactly perfect for roast chicken. But roast chicken is perfect for any occasion in my opinion. The other day I tried a Chinese style roast chicken recipe. Reading the ingredients, I was sure this is the taste of the roast chicken of my childhood. When I was young, my dad used to buy roast chicken quite often at this small shop near our house in Jakarta. The taste was incredible. I could finish 1 whole chicken by myself any day. I was a peckish child, developing the gusto to eat into adulthood. Unfortunately, it seems out of everyone who lived there, I was the only fan of that roast chicken. As such, the shop finally closed and I have since been missing that taste. When I chanced upon this recipe, I thought this was it, the recipe to make what I can safely call the greatest roast chicken I ever had. So I went ahead and tried it with anticipation. The original recipe actually is not halal, so I had to make some ...

These 2 are in no way related, except for the fact that I was munching on the roast chicken while watching BTS made history on TV (not the other way around). I knew MAMA 2019 was coming on days before the show and was somewhat waiting in anticipation for it. I made sure I cleared my schedules, getting the choirs done early, and also decided to make for the family something simple, tasty, yet does not require so much my full undivided attention. Hence, the Italian Roast chicken. I stumbled upon this recipe from https://www.nigella.com/ . Lovely lovely Nigella, whose cooking shows sooth me to sleep most nights. This was my 2nd time making the recipe and around the 5th time that I used the oven (it has been with us for 5+ years). The first time I made it, I was not sure how it will turn out. First, there was my irrational fear of cooking anything in the oven. So the oven has not been used other than for toasting bread slices and/or baking sweet potatoes. There was also the fact that...

It is now almost the end of 2019, which is roughly almost 3 years ago since I wrote my last post. What can I say, motherhood is hard. Especially when the little bundle of joy (there are times when I try hard to say this without any hint of irony) cannot even wash his own behind after completing business.He is still unable to do that, but at least I have a rhythm going and it seems I can squeeze in time for myself here and there (in between the washing of the behind). Time to be myself, time to relax and do what I want (within the given time limit hahaha....sad), time to consult my own thoughts (being almost 40 years old, of course I talk to myself, I need expert advice). But, on the other hand, I do cherish the time when they are young, wishing they could stay little forever and be with me. Odd. Such is life. That being said, the reason I am filled with urge to start writing again, well at least for this time, is that I want to document the amazing thing that happened to me which wa...

This humble bowl of porridge is a revelation to me. It has been more than a year since my last post. I suddenly just stopped writing about food altogether. There's a reason for this. Something weird yet wonderful has happened since then: I gave birth to this little bunny. The Bunny Who Stole My Heart Obviously, this is not the weird part. And the pregnancy itself went well overall. However, the 'morning' (read: all day) sickness was incredible this time around. This is not something I've experienced before. My first pregnancy went by very smoothly, and I can say that I did not experience any type of sickness at all. Appetite was good, no dizziness, vertigo, nothing. But, this second pregnancy, well, it was special to say the least. Not only was I not able to eat, smell food or any food ingredients (and in particular, garlic), I was also not able to read or see food anywhere. I just felt nauseous by the sight of it. Be it on TV or magazines, billboard, yo...

I am so passionate about this recipe, because it tastes so good, and the gravy is very very rich! The first time my mother in law taught me how to make this (it has been a special dish in her family for a long time now), I knew I was learning something special. And I was right. This recipe now has been a favorite among my family and friends. A memorable reaction from a colleague was when I saw her quietly eating the curry by herself, and I saw her opening and closing her eyes in response to the burst of flavors from the curry :D. She then shook her head (in amazement.....I hope).  I know that sounds exaggerated, but it was truly what happened! I mean, I cannot blame her.... If this does not look beautiful to you, I don't know what it is. Surprisingly, the recipe for making this is not at all complicated, but it is troublesome. The total cooking time for me was about 4 hours, to cook all the meat until it's tender, and the gravy to become like that :). But let me tell ...

What I want to share with you today is actually the missing part of what I have posted before which was the recipe for the chicken liver and gizzards . I should have shown the part where I cleaned the livers and gizzards because apparently, not many people know about it, especially as offal is not very popular as an ingredient in recipes. The process is actually pretty simple, but you have to remember to handle the livers with care because they are pretty delicate. The cleaning process itself is not hard, but it is time consuming, so make sure you plan ahead when you are working with these ingredients. I have made a video on how it is supposed to be done, I hope it helps. Chicken livers are often looked at as an undesirable part of a chicken, but in Asia (including Indonesia, where I'm from), this is not the case. They are considered as one of the most valued delicacies in poultry. You will find it often in Indonesian food. Although they are high in cholesterol, but ...

This time, I'm going to post a vegetarian dish. A recipe that is close to my heart, and friendly to my tummy. It's one of my favorite dishes that my mother makes. Of course when she makes it, she would always include shrimps or fish, but this time I'm just going to rely on the herbs and spices for flavors and make this dish meat free (complete recipe is available at the bottom of this post). I'm going to share with you my mother's recipe for making ' gulai jamur ' or mushrooms in coconut gravy. As I have mentioned before in my earlier post on cooking jumbo shrimps , I think my mother is a gifted cook. She has excellent taste buds, as most people who have tried her cooking would agree. That is why she can come up with the tastiest dishes. This one is no exception, it is my second favorite dish of hers, very wonderful (the first one being her battered fried shrimps which unfortunately to this day, she will not reveal to me the exact recipe). And what...