Gulai Cancang dan Rebung

I made this curry after find some fatty meats at freezer. Obviously those meat was rest from last Eid, hahaha....  It still good and look fresh from freezer, so i decide to make cancang curry with bamboo sprout.  I remembered when i moved from my mom house, she gave me some herbs and Minang spices such as curry powder and rendang spice. It has no brand labelled, coz my mom got it from her sister in law who works at Siteba market in Padang. She gave me some advice to make curry if we want the taste like Minang restaurant. That's not enough to put only curry powder to your curry but also give it a pinch of rendang spice. and a powder to cook some goat or sheep namely 'pemasak kambing haji majid no.1.' I don't know exactly the composition of rendang spice, but you can buy it at Minang stall on traditional market. Just tell the seller (Uni or Uda) that you want a rendang spice and pemasak kambing powder, they will give you that stuff. 

I should remain you that the secret recipe for Minang food is you should brave to use spices and know the technique to cook it. Different technique will produce different taste. And if you loose one material or less amount will produce different taste too. So, it's important to learn it from our predecessor like grandma or mom, listen to them, watch them while they were cooking to get same taste. My food taste not like my mom, she is better than me coz she knew the technique. I am a lazy person, i love to cook but don't want push my self into hard or difficult thing to do. I prefer blend the spices/herbs with blender or use powder rather than milled manually. I always ease amount of coconut milk coz of my fear. But, beyond it all, my husband and kids always love my cook :-)

Trip to Dieng, Jawa Tengah

Last week, i joined open trip to Dieng, Wonosobo, Central Java with Suka Jalan,which held by my high school's friends. Actually, i have been to Dieng before, two years ago maybe (forgot the time exactly) , with my big family. The panorama of Dieng at that moment was awesome, sunny day and the weather was not so cold.  We enjoyed so deeply especially about food culinary such as mie ongklok, carica sweetmeat, baked potato, and 'tambi' tea. We went to so many places like Telogo Warna, Museum, Arjuna Temple, Theater, and Sikidang Crater with so many pictures taken over there. Yeaah, beautiful memories :-)

I went to Dieng once more because Suka Jalan offered a destination to Prau Mountain, seeking for sunrise. Yeah, after climbing Papandayan and Bromo in last trip, i am so crazy with anything about mountain. It brought me to a different atmosphere. So calm, cool, and peace. Though climbing mountain is quite tiring, but when you get to the peak, the tiredness suddenly gone. And for all the great view you will get during the climbing, you will find there something satisfied your soul. Yeah, it's addictive. But, unfortunately the destination to Prau Mountain was being canceled coz of the rain. My friend told me that the path might be slippery and dangerous, and with so many participant, she can't take any risks coz of it. 

Though it's a little disappointed to me, i still enjoyed the trip. My friend switch the destination from Prau Mountain to Sikunir Hill to seek a sunrise. It's only take a half hour to the hill's peak and the landscape's so amazing. The path wasn't so hard but near to the cliff. We climb to the Hill at 4.00 a.m while it was still dark, the path was little bit slippery, the weather was so cold and windy.  Some participants didn't continue to the hill's peak coz they were not accustomed to climb, too bad whereas at the top, there's a view of Sindoro Mountain, Telogo Cebong (Cebong Lake), and many else. I took some pictures at there but my dullness i can't maximize my new camera to get beautiful pictures, hehehe......   

In this trip, i deliberately not going to theater and Sikidang Crater. Better for me to sit at the stall in front of the theater, drink a hot tea with local snacks. Oohh gosh, it's so delicious and cheap. Just for sure, i ate a half portion of fried Dieng's potatoes, a half portion of fried mushroom, a piece of fried tempeh, and a cup of  hot 'tambi' tea and for all that i just paid Rp8000,00. What a price! At Sikidang crater, i prefer not going inside. I just can't stand with the smell of sulfur, too strong. So, me with camera took some pictures of the market, drink hot 'tambi' tea (again), and bought some gift to my family. I bought carica sweetmeat, a kilo of tree tomato or we called it with 'terong belanda', four kilos of small potatoes, some raw potato crackers, and 'tambi' tea powder of course :-)  Because of this gift, my backpack was overloaded and almost break my backbone, lol!

Dieng is one of the most trip destination you have to visit in Indonesia. It is a lovely place and you will find something new in there. I think i never get bored to go there. I promise to my friend that i will be back at dry season and climb the Prau Mountain. Wish me luck!