Still Life in Gratitude

This may seem like a rather ordinary dish of ngoh hiong, but for me, it was notable enough to deserve a picture. It was primarily because of the sliced cucumbers encircling the pile of golden morsels of meat, accompanied by prawns, mushrooms, and crunchy bits of water chestnut. Being a full time working mum to a two-year old, who still insists on cooking almost every meal, embellishments such as cucumber garlands are simply not a priority.

The ngoh hiong - tasted again now by the heart 

And I'm so glad I did capture that quite ordinary gift, before it was digested and forgotten all about, for as I now see, it was really quite extraordinary. 

Wrapped up in beancurd skin, there was so much to be thankful for. 

My Mum

It was she who prepared these ngoh hiong meat rolls, steamed them, and brought them over one day during a week of solo-parenting. She knew that I would surely not have bothered to cook for one (adult). But she also didn't anticipate that I would have saved them when the husband returned, and I would have to cook! 

My Grandmother

It would have been her recipe - or an impression of it, which my mum used. She's no longer with us, but it is a wonder that we continue to be blessed by what she used to cook.

My Niece 

The meat rolls, themselves, were an extra portion from a birthday gathering for my niece the day before. Thus, she, too, had a role to play in how they came to be! Ngoh hiong are among my all time favourites, so I am thankful I got to enjoy them twice in a week. 

My Husband

Those ngoh hiong were gifted to me steamed, fully cooked, and edible, though not exactly how they would be most delicious. All who are familiar with this dish would know that they must be pan-fried to perfection - golden brown and crisp. All who are familiar with cooking this dish would know that this often proves to be no easy endeavour! This is especially when there is no non-stick frying pan in the house. That evening, as I gave my full attention to each little detail required for perfectish ngoh hiong, in the background I could hear the lively chittering of a little voice responding to her father's animated read aloud. That's something to be thankful for. He was just home from a few days away on a mission trip, and it was our first home-cooked meal together since then. That ring of cucumbers - it was my attempt to be celebratory! 

So here it is, my little study in gratitude - surely a gift in its own right! These simple, common graces are so much sweeter when they are noticed. In noticing, gratitude is deepened. And so it goes on an on. "Thank you" becomes so much more than merely a matter of manners.