Toasters & Food Sales

Over the weekend, I was browsing in my local Carrefour in Jinqiao (Shanghai) when I saw a sandwich toaster...and WHAM...I was instantly transported back to the days of food sales!

Isn't it funny how sandwich toasters always remind us of BBGS?

Toasties were a staple that featured in every single food sale. I don't think any class dared to leave it off the menu. Sadly though, we weren't very creative and only had 2 types of fillings: sambal ikan bilis and sardine. Sigh...what would Jamie Oliver think of us today?

My friend Lu Meng, loves to remind me of how the prefects sold the excess toasties. They used to pack all the soggy leftovers into plastic bags, load them onto a wooden tray and send Joanna Yeoh out to "encourage" girls to buy at a discount. Apparently, some girls were so "terrified", they just handed over their 50 cents and picked one off the tray.

Hmmm...that's not the way I remember it...but at least it was for charity :-)

Hawker delights

"Joanna, do you remember the uncle who used to sell chee cheong fun on his motorbike? I really miss the fishballs and soup." - A Reader

I most certainly do! He used to park his motorbike at the exit gate of the primary school field, together with a small group of hawkers. I was one of the regular customers, especially when I waited for a lift home from my mum after staying back in school (as prefects often do)

One evening, I was tucking into my plate of chee cheong fun when someone yelled "Bandaraya lei lor!" All the hawkers started to pack up, including the CCF uncle. He jumped on his bike and drove off, leaving me eating my chee cheong fun all alone! A little later, a primary girl came by and asked me "Mana beli?" because there wasn't a single hawker in sight. Hahahaha....

What were some of the other hawker delights we loved to buy? I remember:-

• Kacang putih
  
• Guava (+ assam)
  
• Pineapple/Sengkuang with peanuts and red sauce on a toothpick
• Cincau & selasih drinks
• Ice cream sandwich (I loved those!)
  
• Ice cream cone dipped in crushed peanuts
• All sorts of tidbits
• That gummy thingy (probably toxic) that we squeezed out of a tube and blew big bubbles from
  
• Colourful rubber bands to make ropes to play "high jump"
  

Asam boi ice cream anyone?

A couple of weeks ago, I mooted the idea of a BBGS clubhouse and asked you girls what type of food we should serve. One item that kept coming up was "asam boi" ice cream. Here's a peek at the amusing discussion thread that has developed around this almost-extinct delicacy...

Anonymous (12 March 08)
Many flavors of ice-cream Malaysia.. i.e: asam boi, kacang merah, barli.

Hamizah (18 March 08)
Also "asam boi ice-cream" uncle. I love the fact that the ice cream is fat & juicy rather than the thin one that we use to have.

Joanna (18 March 08)
What is this asam boi ice cream I keep hearing about? I don't remember an ice cream man..where got? Someone help refresh my memory please?

Anonymous (5 April 08)
Oh my dear Joanna.. How can u forget the 'asam boi' ice cream? The uncle's ice container was just in front of the water stall.. He will cut the top of the ice cream and wrap it with nicely cut newspaper.. Seriously, we can't get that elsewhere.. Hey..! Prefects helped the water stall auntie right? So, the uncle was right in front of you.

Hmmm...I vaguely re-collect an ice-cream man selling tubes of flavoured water. But I don't remember eating very much of it. Maybe I was too busy doing prefects' duty at recess time..ha..ha..

Do many of you remember eating this asam boi ice cream?

Anonymous said...

I remember the asam boi ice cream - more like ice lolly. And the drinks aunty is a fierce looking lady. She's the book shop lady (Daisy's) mother in law isn't she?

6 April 2008 06:05

Anonymous said...

Well, during my time ( 86 - 96 ) the ice cream stall was attended by a very nice old lady. I don't quite recall the Asam Boi Ice Cream but I do remember the type that you scoop up on a cone and she will stick it with peanuts. Yum!

I remember the Fierce Drink Aunty. She always ensure that her hair is Dye Black and you hardly ever see her without a comb and a hand mirror.

7 April 2008 17:26

Anonymous said...

I don't remember any asam boi ice lolly in our school canteen either. Joanna, probably there was none during our time (I'm one year your senior)..

7 April 2008 21:27

Anonymous said...

YES i remember the ice-cream uncle. And YES the asam boi ice-lollies too! He would cut off the top of the plastic with his little blade and hand it wrapped in his cut newspaper. After few years he died and the ice-cream stall/box was handled by his daughter, who looked very much like him!!! Memorieeeeesss ....

7 April 2008 22:37

Anonymous said...

I don't remember the fierce drink lady but i remember the lady at the bookstore/co-op who did not smile too much :-( ... 1987-1991

I live in Dsara Heights and bumped into Ms. Yap few times with her dog! This was few years ago around 2003 ... she claims she remembers me but actually she mistook me for my cousin who also went to BBGS. But nevertheless, she remembered! Guess partly the reason was both our fathers were chairman of the PIBG for several years, thats why! She looked great with jet-black hair :-) ...

7 April 2008 22:42

Chad & Sharon Adelman said...

Yeah, I have no recollection of the ice cream man. My time, I think there was an ice cream old lady. She has the worst mood swings. I do remember the ferocious drink lady, grouchy and all. But I DO love the grass jelly drink that she always made and have the prefects serve us..... so thank , prefects.

5 January 2009 03:46

harrie said...

Yeah..I remember that thirst quenching asam boi ice lollies from the ice-cream uncle. I remember we would crush the ice lolly and slowly suck the juice until the ice becomes tasteless... Yummy!!! Hey... I missed my school bus because of that 'k...:P

11 January 2009 19:31

Poesy said...

My favourite up till today but have not ventured to make it myself. I did find someone who can make an assam boi mixture that closely resembled the right taste!!

12 February 2009 13:12

A place to call our own

Judging from the response in this recent poll, it appears that many ex-BBGSians would love a place to call our own. A clubhouse of sorts. If it's on the site of the Pavilion, even better. After all, it's the classiest joint in KL and we were undoubtedly the classiest chicks in town. And very modest too! :-)

If we could have a little gallery or cafe, what would it look like? Perhaps it will be cozy, English-cottage styled, with liberal doses of BBGS-green? Or a more formal Georgian-styled dining room? Or maybe a 1950s Malayan-style tuckshop? We could fill it with loads of photos of the old school, old girls, trophies, memorabilia and lots of happy memories.

What would be on the menu? All our regular canteen and food-sale favourites, no doubt. I'm thinking of:

• Sambal and sardine toasties
• Coconut candy
• Mrs Abraham's caramel fudge & pizzas
• Mrs Chua's tiramisu
• Mrs Aziz's rock buns
• Sengkuang/Pineapple slices topped with red sweet sauce & peanuts
• Ice balls with syrup
• Ais kacang
• Nasi lemak
• Lam mee
• Curry puffs, cakes, lepat pisang (and all other Home Science experiments)
• Watery orange cordial served in grimy cups (err..maybe not!)

Any ideas, anyone?

Coconut candy for food sales

As a child, I used to visit BBGS fun fairs with my mother. My favourite thing in the world then was the pink coconut candy sold in little paper baskets! It was only much later that I learnt that these delightful pink squares are a BBGS institution. They have been made and sold by generations of BBGSians at fun fairs and food sales since the 1950s.

In fact, we made it one of our signature offerings at the KL Schools Entrepreneurs Expo in 1985. It was so popular that even Dr Mahathir stopped to buy some when he opened the Expo. I witnessed it with my own eyes and even managed to get a quote from the VIP for the School Magazine. What a coup for a 15-year old!

What did our esteemed PM have to say? "It's very nice and you girls did a good job!"

My mum taught me to make these candies many years ago. This is a sample recipe that I found which closely resembles the BBGS version. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
350 gm. grated white coconut
500 gm. coarse sugar
170 gm. evaporated milk
50 gm. Butter
1 tsp. vanilla essencea few drops of pink food colouring or any colour of your choice

Method:
(1) Place all the ingrediens (except butter)together into a heavy saucepan and stir continously over heat until sugar dissolves.
(2) Add in butter and continue stirring until mixture thickens.
(3) Pour thickened mixture into a greased 9" square tray and press till the surface is even. Leave to set and cool.
(4) When slightly cool, cut into squares. When completely cooled to room temperature, store in airtight containers.

*Note: Do not wait until completely cooled then cut into squares, the candy will break into pieces.

Mrs Abraham's Caramel Toffee

Ever since Mrs Abraham was featured on this blog, many of you have written in reminiscing about her caramel toffee fudge. Thanks to the generosity of her daughter, Anne-Marie (the only CBN-er whom we'll accept as an honorary "BBGSian") we are able to feature the recipe on this blog. Thanks Anne!

"This is a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips" - Mrs. Abraham

Ingredients:

2 cups brown sugar
1 tin condensed milk
2 tablespoons golden syrup
Half a slab (4 oz) of butter
1 cup chopped nuts (preferably almonds, NO PEANUTS PLEASE – makes toffee rancid)
Third of a bottle of vanilla essence (star brand)

Method:

Place butter, sugar, condensed milk and golden syrup in a thick bottomed saucepan.

Stir continuously over low fire for approximately 35 minutes or until toffee turns dark golden brown. Keep stirring to avoid burning.

Add in nuts and vanilla, stir to incorporate the mixture.

Pour into greased tray and allow toffee to cool. After about 15 minutes, cut into squares (while still warm). Allow to cool thoroughly, then store.