I Ate Kang Kong...and other Epicuriosities

This is Saturday afternoon (May 24) or day three of nothing special going on; no sightseeing or out of the ordinary excursions to recount. Sofie and I splashed in the pool Thursday afternoon and we did a grocery run to our Novena store yesterday.

Sofie's backpack is our grocery cart.

Several weeks ago I bought Sofie a pink knapsack with detachable handle and wheels for rolling like a suitcase, which has been perfect for carting groceries home on the MRT. I have written before about the challenge of finding food that suits my palate, but my comfort level has ascended now that I have considerable control of what I can buy, prepare, and ingest. I'm talking just about ME, because Hapny prefers to buy and prepare foods she likes that I'm just not that into. Don't get me wrong, her cheffing skills are [insert superlative here] and her biggest (ahem) fan is her husband, my son! As a former picky eater as a youngster, Aron has outgrown his food aversions and reinvented himself as epicurious and willing to try any dish at least once. Hapny's second fan is Sofie, of course, and if you ask, her favorite dish is Nasi Goreng, a concoction of rice with fried egg, vegetables and spices popular in Indonesia. Sofie eats stuff that makes me cringe, which really speaks poorly of me, I confess. (Reading this may be a disappointment to my many epicurean friends.) Hapny's fare is healthful and rich with a wide variety of vegetables, rice (lots of rice), and meats, especially fish. Hapny always offers to prepare meals for me, but I rarely accept her offer. I have some guilt about it, but she is understanding and doesn't take it personally. We have found common ground with a few items, like filet of salmon, which I cook in the microwave with fresh lemon and ground pepper. If Hapny had her way, she would season everything with hot chile peppers, so she makes a point of leaving hot spices out of anything that I might eat. I've never liked hot, spicy food, which makes eating Indonesian food a challenge...or Thai food...or Buffalo hot wings, for that matter.

Thai food I enjoyed: Phat Thai Vegetables

Which is why it was significant earlier this week on one of our shopping expeditions when Hapny asked timidly if we could dine at the Thai Express restaurant we passed in the Citylink underground mall. We haven't seen but a few Thai restaurants and Hapny gives credit to Aron for introducing her to some hot spicy Thai dishes she loves. I have spent much of my adult life avoiding Thai food for that very reason! Of course, I could not and would not refuse her request! This whole Singapore experience, after all, is about HER and my second grandchild she is due to deliver in five weeks! She even offered to get her order 'to go' or 'take away' as they call it here, but I insisted otherwise. Surely, there would be something on the menu I could stomach. I searched long and hard, encouraged by the little chile symbols absent from some of the dishes pictured. With input from Hapny and the waitron (tip of the hat to hlu...), I settled on Item #1504 Phat Thai Vegetable Something-or-other. I think this is more commonly seen as Pad Thai in the States, but "fat thigh" has a certain charm, don't you think? It looked harmless enough, even appetizing, I dare say. Surprised to find, I loved this dish! I devoured every bite of it and remarked to Hapny that we would definitely be coming back! No doubt, I will order the same thing again. Turns out, I am pretty conservative about some things.... ;) I love Cracker Barrel, but I cannot eat there without ordering the same thing every time: turnip greens and pinto beans. (I credit some gene I inherited from my dad for that predilection.)

Hapny's dish with that fish! Note red hot Chile sauce.

The other morning when Hapny shuffled sleepy-eyed into the kitchen, I shocked her with, "I am going to have to hurt you now!" I was referring to the disgusting little fish with tail and head and sunken eye intact, left uncovered in the fridge! With all her many fine qualities, proper food storage is not one of them. This is why God made ziplocs! I don't mind the mysterious vegetables and odd cuts of meat she buys, but I don't want the mingled aromas when I open the refrigerator door! I'm funny that way. Last week, she picked up a package of long green shoots. She chopped and cooked it up with some rice (light seasoning) and in one of those rare instances, I was just hungry enough to try it.

Kang Kong, aka water spinach or pond slime
(not making that up!).

What motivated me? I wanted to say in all honesty, "I ate Kang Kong!" How was it? Ehh...tasted like grass, the kind you walk on, but the rice was good!