The following article was published in the ‘Lithgow Mercury’ in November 2001:

What would you do if you suddenly became aware that your employer was an international con man who was not only wanted by Interpol for serious scams and rip-offs in at least three countries, but was also wanted for bigamy in those three countries? This was the dilemma that faced local Lithgow son Graham Segal when he was recruited by the con man to lead a small business survival team to turn around Malaysia’s largest heavy haulage transport company. The company had serious trading and financial problems and was facing closedown if urgent corporate surgery could not restore it to profitability. This is Graham’s story…

“I joined the company in mid-1991 when it was in dire straits. The company had suffered massive financial losses, in part due to inept management by the company directors and in part due to corrupt practices by some of the senior executives. The principal banker, representing creditors, had told the company directors that unless they could inject additional capital into the company, it would be closed down. The directors then made a frantic search for investment funds and discovered an englishman with apparently impeccable financial credentials who just happened to be seeking investment proposals.

You can guess what happened next. Continue reading “WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU DISCOVERED YOUR BOSS WAS AN INTERNATIONAL CON MAN?”

12   large red chillies, roughly chopped
2     tablespoons dried shrimp paste, (belacan paste)
150 ml (5 oz) water
4     tablespoons lime juice.

Blend the chillies and shrimp paste and water.
Season to taste with lime juice.

VARIATIONS.
Use the basic recipe, add two mashed hard boiled eggs or 1 ripe tomato or half an avocado.  Blend any one of them with the basic recipe and add a littlle sugar if the finished product is too sharp.

A really good Roti Canai is feather-light, crisp, non-greasy and some would say , the Indian community’s greatest culinary contribution  to Malaysia.  Roti Canai is a much lighter, flakier version of an Indian bread known as Roti Paratha.

1 kg (2lb) plain flour
2  eggs, beaten
1  teaspoon sugar
100g (3 1/2 oz) butter or ghee, melted
2 tablespoons condensed milk
1/2 cup ghee or oil for frying
2 cups water

Sift flour into a mixing bow, add eggs, salt, sugar and melted butter.  Combine water with the condensed milk and add to mixture.  Mix well to make a soft dough.  Roll dough into a ball and cover with a damp cloth .  Leave to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Divide dough into 12 small balls.   Coat in ghee or oil, cover and leave to rest for a minimum 20 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Heat an iron griddle or heavy pan, and coat with oil.  Flatten dough balls and stretch out as far as possible.  Fold edges inward, continue until you have a round shape 15 cm (6 inches) in diameter. This is required to give the bread a layered texture.  Fry the roti individually until crisp and golden,  adding more ghee or oil as necessary.

Helpful Hints  It takes great skill to swing out the dough in circles to stretch it paper thin, as the “Roti man” does with a theatrical flourish.  Most home cooks use the bottom of a very large cooking pan and with oiled hands, slowly stretch and push the dough out.

You probably have your own ideas about the best time to introduce your baby to solid foods. However, for convenience I include the order which I have found works well.

This is the first of Nani’s menus for our special little Segals.

1. Mashed ripe banana
2. Scraped or stewed apple
3. Yoghurt
4. First vegetables - sweet potatoes and pumpkins
5. Cereals
6. Egg yolk.

This is introduced around six months because of its high iron content. Until theyare six months old, babies have sufficient iron stored in their bodies, but after this time they need to include iron-rich foods in their diet.

7. Other vegetables.
8. White meat - chicken, fish.
9. Organ meat - brains and liver.
10. Red meat - veal, beef, lamb, rabbit.

Fruit can make an excellent introduction to solid food for our babies. Choose the fruits for your babies carefully and always buy fruit in in season, making sure it is thoroughly ripe and sound. As with any any new food, introduce fruits slowly, one at a time, beginning with just a taste and gradually increasing the quantity daily, if your baby likes it and doesn’t show any allergic reaction.

BANANA YOGHURT
4 months.

A great favourite. Just mixed mashed banana with natural, home-made yoghurt. Kids of all ages love this. Try freezing banana yoghurt in icecream trays or with ice block sticks for the over-ones.

BANANA APPLES
4 months

Mixed mashed banana with stewed or freshly grated apple. Bananas can be mixed with any fruits in season, try paw paw, rock melon, orange juice.

BANANA EGG.
6 months

1/2 banana
1/2 hard boiled egg yolk

This is a good way to introduce eggs into baby’s diet. Make sure the egg is hard-cooked and use only the yolk. For the first taste, begin by mixing just a tiny amount (less than 1/4 teaspoon) of egg yolk with banana; gradually increase the amount of egg until a whole yolk is used.

APPLES
4 Months

SCRAPED OR GRATED APPLE (OR PEAR)

When introducing your baby to raw apple, choose only ripe eating apples- JONATHANS or DELICIOUS. Scrape or grate some raw apple with a spoon and put a little of it in the baby’s mouth. Start with 1/4 teaspoon, gradually increasing it. When your baby is sitting in his /her high chair give him a mound of grated apple to experiment with.

HOME-MADE YOGHURT

3 tablespoons commercial natural yoghurt
2 tablespoons powdered milk
2 1/2 cups of milk

Prepare jar by pouring boiling water into it and setting it stand for a few minutes before emptying. (Make sure you put a spoon into the jar or it might crack.) Mix in commercial yoghurt starter and pour into prepared jar. Screw on lid and wrap jar in a piece of clean blanket and place in a plastic bucket. Put the bucket in a warm spot in the house. Allow to stand for about 6 hours. Unwrap and refrigerate. Reserve 3 tablespoons for the next batch.

RICE SMOOTHIE
6 months

1/2 cup rice powder.
2 cups milk.

In a small saucepan, bring milk to just below boiling point. Add the rice powder, stirring constantly. Lower heat, cover saucepan and simmer gently for 10 minutes .

This cereal can be served with honey, wheatgerm, stewed apple, yoghurt, mashed banana or a combination.

PUMPKIN PIE
6 months

1 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 tablespoon wheatgerm

Butter a small ovenproof dish. Combine pumpkin
and cheese, place in dish. Sprinkle wheatgerm over. Bake in a moderate oven until wheatgerm is toasted.

CARROT CUSTARD
6 mont6hs

1 cup pureed carrot
1 cup unsweetened egg custard
chopped parsley

UNSWEETENED EGG CUSTARD

2 cups milk or formula
2 egg yolks

Beat egg yolks and milk together, heat gently, stirring constantly until custard coats a metal spoon. Remove from heat immediately, cool.
Store in covered container in fridge.

Mixed together carrot puree and custard, sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve warm or cold.