On the subject of eating, I love food even though I may not be a whizz in the kitchen. Besides eating, I also love cookbooks, especially when produced by people I know. The most recent addition to my cookbook collection is Nostalgia Medan Selera, the re-publication of Medan Selera that was first published in 1958 in Jawi. The Rumi version came out in 1971. The book is a compilation of the recipes of the late Haji Ahmad Yaakub Al-Johori, who used to cook for the Johor royal house. This latest edition is an updated version put together by several of his great-grandchildren. Incidentally, he was the grandfather of my uncle-in-law, Abdul Manaf Mohd Noh, who inherited the cooking gene.
The front cover.
A little 'history' of the book over the decades.
Recipes from the book. Not all recipes come with pictures.
From the northern state of Perak comes A Taste of Batu Gajah, a collection of recipes by Datin Norsiah Bakhari that were produced into a book by her daughter-in-law, Datin Seri Raihan Abdul Rahman. I have a close association with Datin Norsiah, whose late husband, Dato' Zabidi Shamsuddin, had served as the Malaysian Education Officer in Wellington, New Zealand, when I studied there. Dato' Zabidi and Datin Norsiah loved to invite students to their house, an invitation no-one in her right mind would refuse. Other than their warm hospitality, a visit to their house meant being treated to delicious Malay food.
The front cover.
Each recipe comes with a mouth-watering photo.
The recipes are divided into sections.
Malay language translations of the recipes are found in the back pages.
The cuisine of the east coast state of Kelantan is represented, for me, in Nik's Kitchen, a book of recipes by Puan Sri Nik Esah Nik Ahmed Kamil. I was privileged to have edited The Benchmark, a compilation of newspaper articles written by her late husband, Tan Sri Harun Mahmud Hashim. There is also another link. Both of these books were produced by Yasmin Gan Abdullah, with whom I wrote Hajj - the Humbling Journey.
The front cover.
Some background on Kelantan.
A Kelantanese classic.
Kelantan is well-known for its very sweet desserts.
These cookbooks are not just a compilation of recipes. There are stories that go with the dishes. Food is not just a putting together of this or that ingredient; there are memories associated with the many kinds of food placed on the table. And then there are the feelings of comfort and good cheer. Oscar Wilde couldn't have said it better when he declared, "After a good dinner, one can forgive anybody, even one's own relatives."
