set it on fire

Not that I particularly like this song but Alicia Keys' This Girl is on Fire comes to mind at the mention of fire. Not that I have set anything on fire (recently). Perhaps flared some temper now and then which may have caused some people wish they could set me on fire.

Anyway, we did set something on fire for last year's Mother's day celebration.
Our BBQ pit. My father bought it from the local hypermarket (Giant) and tasked me with fixing it. Despite the somewhat helpful graphical guide, it still took awhile to fix it up and yet, still not being very stable. Maybe that is how relationships are like; you follow everything by the book but at the end of the day, you split.

Honestly though, how many of you own a proper BBQ pit with a proper hood, the whole bell and whistles? When BBQ King first opened its doors in Bangsar, I found it amusing and waited for it to close down. Not only are they still operational, they actually expanded to few other stores. Goes to show there are wealthy people around who wouldn't mind splashing few grands for grilling meat. For the rest of us commoner, lets just make do with our el-cheapo grill that threatens to tumble on you the entire night if you're not careful.

The idea of a potluck BBQ was my brainchild =D Rather sick and tired of the usual restaurant meals, a nice reunion at home was a good change. For me, at least. Not only you don't have to be constrained by society pressure to perform (not that we are a bunch of uncivilized nut jobs), the atmosphere was more relaxed.

Starting the fire is always the hardest part though cooking chicken wings can sometimes be just as painstaking. But years of being single has certainly trained my arm well.

Finally got the charcoal lit up and flames roaring away. Fine, it helped too to have a fan blowing away. My parents never really liked the idea of cooking at home because of the arduous preparation and clean up. To be honest, I think they overdo it hence the exhaustion.

Five spice marinated pork belly. Yes, home made.
Is it possible to go wrong with this? Could pork belly ever fail? With so much of juicy succulent fat, it's like chunky bacon. Actually, I think it is bacon. My brain isn't exactly working tonight. From food coma yesterday to food deprivation tonight, my life is about extremities. 

Hard liquor is so passé of late. Please pass me that bottle of wine. Healthier and less damaging to your liver, wine is like the alcoholic hipster's solution to a good night. There are still people who indulge in whiskey and whatnots but maybe I am not at the age of being healthy.
Of course, when you don't even have enough money to eat, alcohol is way at the bottom of your list.

As the organizer, I ensured that there was no repeat of food and most importantly, NO FOOD WASTAGE. By some sheer luck, my party planning skill did just right because there was enough food to go by. Even some leftover to feed me. This is my sister's ham fried rice and coleslaw. Relatively small serving but just right since my parents prepared enough to feed a small colony of starving children. Not in Africa but maybe Ulu Klang.

Unfortunately, my sister was annoyed that I didn't prepare any food at all. I really don't care because the amount of leftover even without my food submission made me feel fine for being a lazy ass.

Homemade bah kut teh. Well, the spices were store bought but my father cooked this for hours to allow the flavors develop. It was a little to strong for my liking but would go great with plain rice.