Saturday, January 14, 2012

Circular and Joy (This week's Photo Hunt theme)



A little less than a month ago, I wrote about my friend Joy for a tnchick-organized Photo Hunt entry in which I had also mentioned taking a mutual friend of ours and her family along a circular walk around Victoria Peak. But rather than repeat or elaborate on those subjects, I've elected to go another route for this Photo Hunt entry that once again combines themes for the week separately chosen by Sandi and Gattina -- and focus on things capable of giving me substantial joy that are often served up on circular dishes, with the bonus being that some of these things are themselves circular-shaped!

With regards to this blog entry's top-most photo: I'd like to call attention to not just the quantity of food in it but, also, the occasion at which that home-cooked feast was served up. For, as it so happens, that picture was taken at the home of a local friend who was good enough to invite me -- along with another friend who she subsequently got engaged to, then married, within 11 months of the photo being taken! -- to dine with her and her family one Chinese New Year evening.

Foodie that I am though, it's also true enough that I often can derive great joy from consuming particular foods, not just the social and communal aspects of meals -- and that's where the two other photos in this entry come in. More specifically, the photo of what look like Chinese versions of sandwiches is actually a photo of the decadent traditional Hong Kong delicacy known as gold coin chicken (that is so rich that it really is recommended that each diner only have just one of these circular concoctions at a seating!) while the photo of circular green goodness in small plastic packets are of a Malaysian delicacy known as onde-onde (or ondeh-ondeh or, as I actually pronounce it, oondeh-oondeh!) whose outer doughy green casings (garnished with bits of grated coconut) hide -- and balance, taste-wise -- wonderfully sweet gula melaka (palm sugar) centers.

And yes, now that I think about it, how wonderful it would be to have a meal consisting of one gold coin chicken followed by one packet -- or, hmm, maybe two -- of onde-onde... Alas, however, I don't think gold coin chicken is served in Penang and onde-onde can be found in Hong Kong -- or, to qualify, examples of these dishes that would be well made enough to truly bring me great dining joy! ;(

26 comments:

magiceye said...

love this joyous circular post!

Kay L. Davies said...

Oh, yum! I'd love to try that dessert. But I think the most joyous part was the two friends getting married!

LifeRamblings said...

looks like a delicious spread. ondeh-ondeh has always been my favourite kueh. love the texture and flavour.

YTSL said...

Hi magiceye --

Thanks for loving it. :)

Hi Kay --

I must confess to being a bit shocked that those two friends decided so soon to get married. Most people I know are together for more than a year before they decide to get hitch -- but guess these two really got serious quick! :D

Hi Life Ramblings --

It was very nice. The dishes may look heavy but they went great with rice and fun company. :)

Raine said...

Just ate a late lunch and all of the sudden I see this mouth-watering post. Quite a feast and congrats to your friend and Happy Chinese New Year. The gold chicken was intriguing since I thought it was cake at first look. :D

Gattina said...

If only I could reach through the screen all your food would be gone in a minute !!

CherryPie said...

That looks a delicious spread. You have some very interesting instances of circular.

Luna Miranda said...

i just had my diner but this spread makes me hungry!

YTSL said...

Hi Raine --

I think it'd be better to see the photos on this entry with a full rather than empty stomach... Glad you clicked the provided link to find out what gold coin chicken is. ;b

Hi Gattina --

Your comment got me laughing. So you really do love Asian food! ;D

Hi CherryPie --

Thanks, am glad it looks appetizing to you. :)

Hi Luna Miranda --

Wow... I didn't quite realize my photos would have the effect they do. Am rather tickled to discover this, actually! :b

Kim, USA said...

Hmmm that is all yummy!! Happy New Year!

Circular

Liz said...

That made me very hungry. :)

Have a fabulous weekend.

Liz @ MLC

Trekcapri said...

Hi YTSL, great combined theme post. Everything looks so delicious. At what a feast your friend prepared, its cool that food also brought love. Great story.

What a cool name, gold coin chicken. Looks delicious too.

Wonderful post. Have a great weekend. And now I'm off to think about what to make for breakfast.

Carver said...

Great way to combine the two theme. I'd like to sample some of that food.

Annie said...

Love your photos. I've never heard of gold coin chicken - very interesting! Hope you have a great weekend.

Sandi @the WhistleStop Cafe said...

Fabulous photos!
Thanks for joining The Saturday PhotoHunt.
I hope to see y'all next Saturday... to share in your Bliss!
Sandi

A. @ A Changing Life said...

I couldn't agree more - there is so much joy in a beautiful dish! And of course dishes tend to be circular. Gold coin chicken sounds wonderful! I didn't think along these lines at all. :)

YTSL said...

Hi Kim --

Yes, indeedy, re the yummy! :b

Hi Liz --

The photos whet my appetite too! :)

Hi Trekcapri --

Actually, it wasn't my friend who prepared the feast. She invited me and the man who's now her husband to her family home -- but it was her mother who did the (great bulk of the) cooking! ;b

Hi Carver --

Are there any Cantonese or Malaysian restaurants near you? (I know that there was a Malaysian restaurant in Atlanta years ago called Penang. Am not sure if it's still there though!)

Hi Annie --

I have to confess that I hadn't heard of gold coin chicken either until only a few months ago! ;O

Hi Sandi --

Thanks and yep, hope to be playing again next Saturday. ;b

Hi A. --

I guess it was the foodie in me... when leafing through my photo archive, pretty much all the candidates for this week's Photo Hunt were food pics! ;b

Susan Demeter said...

They look delicious!!!! Unfortunately I developed an allergy to sesame oil and salt and although I love Asian foods I have to be very careful. They don't love me back :( Happy photo hunting!

ancient one said...

Makes me hungry looking at all those wonderful foods on those circular plates. Now if I could eat that, I'm sure it would bring me JOY. ;)

YTSL said...

Hi Sue --

You're allergic to all salt? Oh my... I could see being able to avoid sesame oil but salt...

Hi ancient one --

Yeah, unless you have allergies like Sue (see above comment), I'd think you'd get joy from eating the food in the photos -- like I did! :)

Anonymous said...

i went the same way too with the circular and joy tandem. hope you have a good week ahead.

YTSL said...

Hi ewok1993 --

Seems from our takes on the themes that joy is derived from getting to enjoy good food (that sometimes is indeed circular shaped)! :b

Anonymous said...

We were thinking alike!

YTSL said...

Hi azahar --

We certainly do have appeared to have done so with regards to the themes. :)

Rambling Woods said...

This was such a lovely post and interesting too..thank you..

YTSL said...

Hi Rambling Woods --

Thanks for reading as well as looking (and for your flurry of comments on my blog today). :)