I had fun putting together this morning's Bento! I reminiscence my childhood days when my parents used to take holidays with their best friends and families to Penang, Cameron Highlands and Port Dickson.
All these memories came back just because I remembered how one of the 'aunties' made the world's best egg and meat patties. This 'aunty', a friend of my mum was in charge of the kitchen while the rest of the friends and her spouse would be busy playing '
Mahjong'. Us kids (about 9 - 15 years old) were allocated chores during meal times and spent the rest of the day by the beach or gallivanting around nearby haunts.
Honestly, I detested meal time chores because I had to help in the cooking and cleaning up. But then again, all that experience has now become a skilled asset. For many years we holidayed together and my dad being a Government employee (those days called 'servants') had access to booking holiday bungalows owned by his employers.
The bungalows were well furnished and the kitchens were awesome. We looked forward to every holiday in the year because we always had a blast! Just imagine three families in two bungalows with about ten hyperactive and mischievous kids! If we weren't delegated chores, I think our faces would not have been visible until bedtime.
In the early years, I learnt to wash and clean and subsequently, my buddy Lisa and I could dish out breakfast and decent lunch meals by the time we were 15 years old! At that time, we thought that it was a HUGE MISTAKE to show off our culinary skills because after that she and I were put in charge of a whole week of breakfasts'.
Looking back, it was the best time of our lives and Lisa's mum was a great cook and every time we would cajole her into making her egg and meat patties. We were eventually taught to make them but some how ours never quite made the mark.
Now the egg and meat patties seem quite ordinary and simple to make, yet, then, it was the most delicious and favorite dish of all time!
So, this morning when I made the egg and meat (the chicken soboro from yesterday's lunch) patties all these wonderful memories of our kiddy experiences in the kitchen came flooding back. The funny thing is, I now remember more of our kitchen experiment successes and failures than the vague 'adventures' we had by the beach and from sight seeing.
It's left me with a very happy feeling and a thought that, perhaps I should contact those 'surviving aunties' who once labored in the kitchens during our youthful holidays dishing out hot, delicious favorites to satisfy a group of boisterous youths!
This morning's Bento
In the left Bento box are some grapes and a mixed salad mixed with salad sauce and Parmesan cheese.
In the right Bento box is a wedge of cheese and the egg and meat patties! *dreams on*
The Recipe:
