ABOUT ME, BRIEFLY


ABOUT THAM CHEE WAH, BRIEFLY

I have redefined retirement at age 23. I have a lifestyle where I do the things I like, with the time I have and still get paid for it. I designed my freedom these two decades, traveling to more than 40 countries. I run a successful business doing consulting works as a Corporate Writer, Corporate Emcee, Event Producer and a Workshop Facilitator. I am also a talk-show host on an Internet Radio station with two programs "A Course In Miracles for Work-Life" and "Freedom Speaks". Life is Healthy, Rich & FREE! You can design this lifestyle according to your willingness. I hope mine will inspire you to achieve that freedom too.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Christmas 2008 with Hot Italian Sausages!


I had a merry-licious Christmas Eve. I made Hot Italian Sausage with thyme and mustard mix. 

I decided that I will stay home for Christmas Eve, have my own best meal, tuck into a warm Christmas-feel movie on Hallmark for a wonderful year end slumber. So, in the morning, I checked out some recipes and saw this browning dish that feels so warm and comfy on the page of a cookbook. Yes, this is what I will make instead of turkey and mince pies. 

I tried out this recipe for the first time. So easy to make and taste fantastically delectable. I bought Hot Italian Sausages and fresh thyme. I already had milk, olive oil, egg and flour at home to make the batter. The recipe asked for mustard seed. I thought I will be creative and used a pack of mix fenugreak, mustard, fennel seeds to add that funkiness to the taste. It turned out superbly delicious! The Italian Sausages were hot, the batter was spiced up with fresh thyme with the seeds, it was like eating sausages with salted fluffed oven-baked crunchy pancake.

I changed the recipe a little because I like some stuff so I added more instead :

Hot Italian Sausages with Fresh Thyme and Mustard Mix

Makes for 4 persons if you have appetizers and desserts, if not, 2 is hefty but it is alright ......
Preparation 30 minutes.
Cooking Time : 40 minutes

2 big onions, cut into wedges
5 huge Hot Italian Sausages (I like it hot, it adds a tinge of taste! You can choose any sausage.)
(or 8 small sausages)
Olive oil - enough to drizzle over the onion and sausage

for the batter
100g plain flour
1 egg
300ml milk (sometimes 250ml is enough, try it to see if batter is smooth but not thick)
2 tsp or more of mix mustard seeds (preferably with fenugreak, usually packed for making dhall curry)
1 tsp of fresh thyme leave (I think I put in more than this because it smells so good)
salt and pepper to taste
  1. Preheat the oven to 200c
  2. just arrange the wedges onion into a non-stick baking dish (9 x 12 inches or any size that can fit in all the sausages you bought with space in between after you have arranged them)
  3. arrange the sausages on top of the onion, then trickle over the oil and roast for 20 minutes
  4. while the sausages are roasting, make the batter. Sift in the flour into a bowl. drop the egg into the centre and beat in the milk a little at a time until it makes a smooth batter. Stir in the mustard and thyme and season.
  5. Pour the batter into the sausages and return to the oven for 40 minutes until the batter fluffs, looks golden and baked.

Enjoy ...... Merry Christmas 2008!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Cesky Krumlov - Czech's world best historical destination!

In Nov/Dec 2008, the National Geographic Traveler magazine rated the best historical destination and they named one of the places in Czech Republic, and it is not Prague.  Guess ..... it is the UNESCO listed medieval town of Cesky Krumlov.


Just as I wanted to write about this place, I found out this timely information.  So, if you plan to go to Czech Republic next time, see if you want to put Cesky Krumlov into your itinerary.  (By the way, the magazine also selected our very own Georgetown, Penang and Melaka as their best historical destinations, google it to find out.)


Cesky Krumlov is a very cosy place, with its well preserved castle, church and all the township still conjure that medieval feel, I kind of like walking into the time when the king's horses and the king's men couldn't put humpty dumpty back together again - that kind of feel!  We were there having lots of time to walk around the town and can pick up our lunch if we want.


The bus was not allowed to enter into the place so it has to be parked a distance away.  All of us walked into this walled-city built like a fort.  Those were the times when they were afraid that there will be a midnight onslaught from another town, those knights and slayers with swords and bows and arrows, burning oils and shooting fire into the sky.  But now it remain a town that has preserved everything but the brutality of that era.


Walking in the town gave this movie-images, maybe I have read or watched too much kings and knights story.  


Very peaceful indeed.  We had a great time walking into those little shops that serves coffee and ice-cream in winter.  And knick knack shops selling what-else, but knick knacks.  Cafe was just a reminiscence of those old romantic Audrey Hepburn movies where they sip some coffee and talk about love the whole summer sitting outside a cobbled-stone paved walkway, while Gary Grant looked into her eyes and promised her all the world while stroking her satin-glove clad hands.


Beautiful, just beautiful .........