C2S Cooks: A Birthday/Catch up Dinner

My friends hear me say this all the time, “I don’t and can’t cook, I only bake!”

But friends are people that I treasure and love with all my heart. So, when I gave a friend of mine a card which says that I am taking her out for dinner to celebrate her birthday on me, she turned it around and requested that I cooked her a meal instead. OMG, how do I say no to a birthday request, especially from one that went from us being colleagues to friends and having her constant support and pushing me out of my comfort zone.

So it was that I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and into unknown waters to cook dinner. After some serious pondering to devise the menu and setting a date, I set about on what seems to be a mammoth task ahead. Along for the dinner came others friends that I am glad had pop into my life and that I would want to see/catch up with regularly.

Ingredients were bought over a few days, advice was sought (which means calling mom) and prepping started a week before. To add to the complications, some of these were new recipes to me which I then spent each day after work trialling (which I was glad that I did!). There were some funny and almost disastrous moments such as nearly setting the smoke alarm off near midnight and juggling multiple woks, yes! I use more than one. To add to the equation, she doesn’t like desserts (which is my forte) so I had to make savoury ones instead which somehow ended up with 3 entrees, 5 mains and 3 desserts. Also within that week, I was sick and had to bake a birthday cake at the request of my colleague. Thankfully, birthday colleagues + team loved the cake. It was a packed and manic week indeed.

Anyhow, I don’t think my cooking skills were up to the standards of the birthday girl but am glad that she enjoyed it. I was exhausted after!

For pictures of my kitchen adventure, please go to Sam’s post.

Ps. If anyone is after any of the recipes, let me know. I’ve already been requested to make Bak Kwa again!