Thurs, 15th Mar 2007

My friend, M, has been eating very very lightly since Monday. Tonight she popped over for an early dinner and this was what she had:

M, I hope tonight's dinner satisfied your craving for your grandma's cooking....

1. Chicken with Rice Wine and Ginger

2. Meat with Yam

3. Vegetables

4. Stir Fried Cabbage

Oh, no I think I had too much rice today but the gravy was so thick and delicious.

Chicken with rice wine and ginger is eaten by ladies in 'confinement' for 40 days after they've had a baby. Some go to the extent of eating this 3 times a day. When I had both Mark and Hazel, Mum made sure I had this at least twice a day. It's supposed to rid wind (!) and repair the pen the baby had been living in for the past 9 months. Secretly, I think the alcohol content of the rice wine lulls and calms anxious new mothers!

This is what you need to make chicken with rice wine:-

- Chopped chicken lightly marinated in ginger juice, salt, pepper, sesame oil and a little cornstarch

- rice wine

- ginger (finely grated and squeezed till all the juice is extracted)

- salt and sugar

- sesame oil

p.s Rice wine brought in legitimately through Kuala Lurah and declared through Customs Department with signed and stamped yellow forms.