Lambs to the Slaughter - the Celebrations

*updated section down below*

Apparently there are a few among you who think I'm someone who Malays call buruk lantak i.e. somebody who pigs out.

Well, I want to assure all of you that while I love and appreciate good food, I do have good table manners.

Well, good enough to know that at European-style tables you work through your cutlery from the outside in as the meal progresses.

And I chew my food thoroughly before swallowing.

In fact I have a reputation as a very s-l-o-w-w-w eater ... yes, Hani & Leen ... that way too ... *leers

But still, I do eat a lot.

However because of high metabolism, I can eat and eat and yet the scales will turn only to a modest 70kg for my 6-foot frame.

I also have an ailment - I suffer from a slightly low BP count ... which of course has the doctor telling me to eat more ... :))

Anyway, besides eating I also like to cook - but only when the urge strikes me, though. The thought of having to prepare 3 meals daily doesn't quite appeal to me.

Unless I get paid a lot of money for it, that is.

There are times when the makings of a new dish may just pop into my head while I'm strolling in the supermarket.

When that happens I'll pick out the items I need and head directly to the kitchen when I get home.

Then there are times when things happen that just makes me want to indulge myself with a small celebration.

Just like last weekend.

Last Saturday's culling of the Rams of Derbyshire was a good excuse for feasting and much merriment.

It's especially sweet since in so slaughtering the Rams we've managed to retain the EPL perch for the second week running.

Yup, the one that we blagged from the Scousers the previous week.

So Sunday afternoon saw me pointing Lady C and maid to strictly supporting roles in the nooks of the kitchen.

And to cut this long-winded entry short, we broke our fast with a simple but pretty nifty meal that took just over an hour to get done.

Lord Cipan's Guide to Quick & Dirty-licious Meals
(the next two pictures below are Cipan Originals, occay?)

Mushroom soup with toasted garlic bread (serves 6-8)

2 cans Campbell Mushroom soup
50g grey oyster mushrooms, chopped
100g tomato, chopped & diced
Half bell pepper, chopped & diced
2 loaves (French) long baguette
Garlic spread

1. Pour contents of the 2 cans of soup into the pot.
2. Pour same amount of water (2 cans) into pot. Add a half-can more for luck.
3. Bring to boil. Whip/stir until it becomes smooth.
4. Toss in the mushroom & bell pepper. Stir and simmer.
5. When almost ready toss in the tomato. Stir and let simmer for 2 minutes.
6. Slice baguette to thin strips. Butter slices with garlic spread.
7. Toast buttered slices on dry pan.
8. Serve hot


Roast lamb shoulders with taters and fruit salad

1. Marinate 6-8 lamb shoulders with honey, ground black pepper and Knorr's BBQ sauce for 2 hours.
2. Roast lamb in oven or broil in covered cooker for 15 minutes.
3. Sprinkle one large onion (sliced thinly), two small red onions (sliced), three garlic cloves (finely chopped) over the lamb.
4. Add some Knorr's BBQ Sauce. Cook for another 7 minutes.
5. Dice 4 medium potatoes and boil with salt.
6. Line serving dish with butterhead and romaine leaves. Form a shallow bed at one end
7. Toss small seedless grapes (or champagne grapes) with one tomato (thin slices) and an apple (diced, small pcs) with 1 part mayonnaise, 1 part Thousand Island or sour cream.
8. Place tossed mixture into shallow bed.
9. Arrange roast lamb on serving dish, garnish with some chilli sauce and herbs.
10. Arrange boiled potatoes around roast lamb.
11. Serve hot.

The whole thing takes just a bit over one hour to do. I use shortcuts like the BBQ sauce from Knorr's and Campbell mushroom soup.

Hey, even my mum uses them. They're just as good as home-made ones.

And oh, ... same with the dessert. :))

Puteri Mandi
... great dessert, beautiful name

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CARLING CUP 3rd Round

The Goonery's Small Fry ... 2
(Bendtner 83rd header, Denilson 89th Fab-shot)

Big Sam's Senior Toons ... 0

Arsene Wenger has probably established a new annual rite to English football.

There is an expectant air at the Emirates last night, especially among the seasoned hacks standing vigil in the Press Box, for the unveiling of this year's edition of Arsene's Young Guns.

The opposition were no Premiership debutants but a Newcastle side imbued with a new belief with Big Sam's arrival at Toonside.

But despite their fresh triumph over Curb's impressive Hammers last Sunday, by the end of the game Big Sam was already moaning about his team's tired legs.

The Toons held us at bay for more than 80 minutes before Bendtner crashed in an Armand Traore cross in the 83rd.

After Obafemi Martins focked up an open goal at the other end, Denilson showed how much he is The Absolutely Fab Cesc's twin by unleashing a shot into a top corner in perfect imitation of Cesc's six goals.

As with successful theatrical opening nights, the media hacks are waxing lyrical this morning.

My favourite quote ...

Rob Smyth, The Guardian

"There are a new set of bullies in English football's playground. They are significantly younger than the victims, they deal in alternative, subtler methods, and they are devastatingly good at inflicting physical and psychological damage."

The Cast of "Small Fry":
Lukasz Fabianski, Emmanuel Eboue (Vassiriki Abou Diaby), Justin Hoyte, Philippe Senderos, Armand Traore, Pereira Neves Denilson, Lassana Diarra, Alexandre Song Bilong, Nicklas Bendtner, Eduardo Da Silva (Fran Merida Perez), Theo Walcott