MY MUM TAUGHT ME HOW TO COOK

My mum taught me how to cook.

Whenever she was in the kitchen, I helped her as her kitchen assistant. I helped by adding sugar and salt and cutting onions. I always had a lot of energy and wanted to learn. I loved learning from her. My mum, Aunty and Grandmothers were the best cooks and the best people to learn from. My mum was the queen in our house and we all listened to her.

Food in Malaysia is so special. It is done out of the spirit of charity and karma. The Chinese Buddhist traditions run deep and shape village culture. Just this week, my mum cooked for over 1000 people for charity and good will to gather donations to fix the temple and support people in the village. In Malaysia we always have important festivals and when we celebrate, we make good food to give freely to any people that need or want it.

Tiff’s mum lovingly cooking meals for her community during a big religious celebration!

When I was a small boy I didn’t always eat lunch at school and would wait until I got home to eat with my family. I always got so hungry. A friend at my school noted how hungry I was, so he shared his lunch with me and it made my heart feel so happy and so connected. Ever since then I understood that food brings people together. It makes everything more meaningful and important. Through my friend’s kindness and my family’s culture and Buddhist traditions, I have realised that food makes people soften to you, it helps to heal people and relationships.

One of my favourite foods to make is Che Mek Molek which is a traditional sweet potato dessert that means ‘beautiful lady.’ My sister in Kelantan taught me how to make it. I used to watch her make it in her house and then I taught myself how to make it.  First you boil the sweet potato until it’s soft, let it cool then smash it to make it fluffy. Next you add plain flour to shape it into balls. You dimple a hole, put sugar on the inside and roll it up. You fry it quickly in oil, let it cool and it’s done. I can eat five or ten of these in one go! 

Tiff sharing his delicious cooking with Rhiannon.

Tiff’s mum sharing food with her community.

It was later in life that I wanted to become a professional cook. I was 20 years old and wanted a change from working in sales. My Mum wanted me to be a hair stylist, but I wanted to be a cook. I wanted more options. I saved all my money from playing sport and working to go to Singapore to try and find something different and see what I could do. When I got the offer for American club I was excited to learn new skills and to know what it’s like to be in a kitchen. I thought it was such a good job because I could taste and try so many different foods, I could basically get paid to eat!

After my experience there, my favourite thing to eat is pancakes. I love eating them with butter, peanut butter and maple syrup. I learnt how to make these in American Club from the pastry chef. The pastry chef was a tall Singaporean man, he was a warm man that was always so kind to me. I learnt from him and now I make my own pancakes with buckwheat flour. When I eat these in the mornings, which I do as often as I can, I feel so nice and warm inside.

When people try your food they see your skill and want to connect with you and learn from you, like I did with the Singaporean pastry chef. Food is my way to build community. I recently made a double layer strawberry and cream swiss roll in the aged care home I worked in. The deliciousness drew people to me and helped us to build relationships with one another.

Tiff’s feast prepared for everyone at Free to Feed to enjoy.

Food brought me to Australia. You need a strong technique to be able to cook. It would be so hard to live in Australia without having this skill. During the pandemic when no one was working, I started my own small catering business as a way to make food for my community, to stay connected with them and to share our culture. I have learnt that you can’t use money to buy skills or friends, but cooking skills and making food for others builds so much connection. 

Food brought me here and I think it is my soul and destiny.