Posted on December 5, 2011
One of the best parts about Thanksgiving, and the holiday season in general, is that good feeling you get from giving, be it food, friendship, or assistance to those in need. This year, I had the great pleasure of doing a Thanksgiving cooking demo at Ti-Ratana Penchala, a Buddhist temple in Petaling Jaya, to raise funds for flood relief in Thailand. Luann Wong, who has been the chef at the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence in Kulala Lumpur for the past twenty-plus years, helped me create a delicious meal for about forty guests.
We showed them how to clean, brine, roast, and carve a turkey. Many people complained that their turkeys always turn out dry, so hopefully our brining tips will solve that.
Luann made one of her wicked apple pies, the best in the world (and I’ve tried many), which we auctioned off to the highest bidder.
I sold my nutrition-cookbooks, Eating for Lower Cholesterol: A Balanced Approach to Heart Health with Recipes Everyone Will Love and Eating for Pregnancy: An Essential Guide to Nutrition and Cookbook for Today’s Mothers-to-Be, and donated all the proceeds.
A deliciously fun time was had by everyone. The temple raises money for its Meals on Wheels program and other charities by hosting cooking classes and a monthly lecture series. A special thanks to Irene Hui and Jennifer Lim, the Ambassador’s Residence Manager, who organized and helped execute the event. For more information about Ti-Ratana Penchala, visit:
www.ti-ratana-penchala.com.my.
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