Acknowledgements

“She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family...

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also and he praises her:

‘Many women do noble things, But you surpass them all’.”

Proverbs 31:15, 27-29

My sincere thanks to the team at Marshall Cavendish who took this manuscript and ran away with it so professionally—Lydia Leong, Sanae Inada, Lynn Chin and Violet Phoon. Thanks to my editor Brenton Wong who was such fun to work with. Thanks also to Joshua Tan who photographed the dishes. After photographing sambal belachan so many times, we succeeded in making Joshua an honorary Baba.