Just when I needed you most…

I had just used up the last one that morning for my fried rice, the typical Chinese style…

…with lap chiang (Chinese sausage) and egg and just when I was wondering where and when I would be able to get some more should I happen to need some for my cooking,  I received an sms from my friend, Annie, in KL asking me to get “a small thing” from her that she had sent through her mum. The latter had hopped over to KL and the whole family had gone off on a holiday and she had just got back into town that day.

Annie’s hubby is in the meat business and this is one of their products – the wine-infused lap chiang…

…and theirs is a cut above those available at the shops, the ones imported from China, I guess. They are not as dry and hard and the taste and smell are not as strong plus being wine-infused, I would not say that they are exactly the same and yes, I do prefer these and ever since I had been getting them from Annie, I had never bought those commercially-available ones anymore.

Of course, I was delighted to get a brand new pack from her for me to use in my cooking. No, much as I enjoy eating it, I do not cook my own claypot chicken rice – it is an essential ingredient in this dish nor all those dim sum delights like the lo mai kai…

…or some of the siew mai…

Other than using  it for my fried rice, I would add it to my omelette or use it as an added ingredient when I fry vegetables such as leek…

…and egg or bitter gourd…

…and I must say that our current favourite, the bitter gourd omelette does taste nicer with a few slices of it in it.

Annie also sent me this made-in-Ipoh coffee…

…but at the time of writing, I had not tried it yet. I do know for a fact that Ipoh is widely known for its coffee and we do get some brands in the shops here but not this one…

So far, I still prefer our own local brew, dunno if this one is any better.

Nonetheless, thank you so much, Annie – you are always so thoughtful and so generous and thanks also to your mum – I do hope it is not too much of  a trouble for her to cart them back all the way.