About Me

When I was a kid, I would hover in the kitchen while my Grandmother, aunts and mom cooked. To get me out of the way, I would be bribed with chunks of sugar cane or pieces of dried radish to gnaw on. I accepted the bribes, naturally, but nothing could get me to get out of the kitchen.

Everything about the kitchen fascinated me. I loved watching my Mom and various other female relatives chop up meat or fish or what-nots on the chopping board, add stuff to them and cook them. I was lucky because I got to witness the women-only rituals where huge batches of traditional food were made: bak chang, peng kueh, soon kueh, mackerel fishballs, curries, pineapple tarts...

I remember once, when I was about 5, I stood at the stove to watch my Grandma fry fish. I love fish, and I love the noises and the splattering of oil when the fish hit the oil. In my excitement, I must have gotten too close to the wok, for a huge glob of oil came shooting at me and hit me on the right collar bone. I screamed in pain, and I had a HUGE blister that hurt for days after. But still, that did not deter me from hanging around in the kitchen.

I am really fortunate because I have a mother who was, and still is, really supportive of my love for cooking and baking. Growing up, I could simply take over the kitchen and cooked meals or bake when I wanted to. Now, I discuss recipes with her and we learn from each other.

It was only when I started my teaching job, I think, when I realised that many of my colleagues could not cook. I remember feeling a little baffled when I was asked how to cook really simple dishes - "THIS IS SO EASY, WHY DO YOU NOT KNOW??"

As I talked to more people over the years, I realised that many people do not cook or bake because they find the experience daunting. There are words or terms in cookbooks that really do not mean much to novices - words like julienne, ban marie, water-bath or folding. A friend said to me, "I know the batter was supposed to be light and fluffy, but how light, and how fluffy is right??"

I guess the main reason for writing this blog is to demystify some of the myths that people have about cooking and baking. I try to include as many pictures as possible of each step of the process, and use the simplest words in my descriptions. I also hope to encourage more to pick up the spatula, or the whisk and make something in their kitchens! In addition, I think it is a great way to log the recipes that have been passed down to me, and those that I have picked up and tweaked myself over the years.

While I mainly blog about food and bakes, I also include entries of my family - my very, very supportive husband, the LAM, and our two little whirlwinds, Aden and Jadelyn, as well observations about motherhood, friendships and life in general.

This is a blog of all things I love and am passionate about.

I am Diana Gale, and welcome to my kitchen!




18 comments:

  1. I felt so happy that I I had found your blog. I like your way of sharing your recipes.. they are simple to follow with steps by steps photo instruction..Thank you so much for your sharing!

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  2. Love your blog .. your kids are super cute too

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  3. Hi, i really like your blog, and lots of good recipes, thank you for sharing :)

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  4. Hi, I'm your new reader. I love baking but seems to fail many times. Would need your advice in my next baking session. Thanks in advance!

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  5. Thank you for your blog, hee great I just found it. Woohoo.. more baking to follow. Love your detail steps for people who are not good in baking and cooking. Very encouraging and inviting. Hope I can share your same spirit to get my friends to invest a little time to cook own food for healthier choice as I am into Nutrition now. Thank you Diana for your hard work.

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  6. I like your blog! You show the steps of how you make the food with pictures, that is so easy to follow! I like baking and some of your recipes really inspire me to cook/bake different kind of food for my 2 little girls! Thank you Diana and hope to see more of your great recipes!

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    1. Thank you for your comment! I bet your girls are really happy now that Mommy is baking different treats :)

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  7. Hi Diana,
    Love your blog - will have to slowly scroll through & bookmark the recipes I want to try. The plan today is to bake your 40 minute ham & cheese pinwheels as my 6 year old absolutely loves cheese (& ham of course); wish me luck!

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    1. hi Li-May thank you for leaving a comment!!! I hope you try. It is a great bread to make. fast and simply :)

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  8. Greetings from Texas! I am in love with the simplicity of all your recipes and the pictures speak a thousand words. The Chicken Claypot Rice was a hit with my husband and kids tonight . . and if I continue to cook your other recipes just as successfully . . . I think they will be the first to say you ought to drop the 'Wannabe', and simply claim the title 'Domestic Goddess'. :) Thank you so much!!

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  9. Hi, I kind of like your smile o(*^▽^*)o n your pretty children too (⌒_⌒) thanks for sharing

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