Since I came back to Seattle I feel like none of the holidays here feel as festive as Raya Puasa (Eid al Fitr) in Malaysia. Don’t get me wrong, I love eating on Thanksgiving as much as the people here do – the multiple feasts at multiple locations, serving basically variations of the same dishes – because food is my number one reason for being in this world. I also like getting free stuff for Christmas. In Malaysia I would be lucky to get a gift on my birthday. Other than that, one has to get married or have a baby if one wants any gift at all (unless your family celebrates Christmas in Malaysia then yeah…).
BUT
The food in Malaysia during Raya is so much better. Seriously soooooo much better. I’d take Chicken Rendang over Roasted Turkey any day. Laksa over pasta. Lontong, Satay and Popiah over basically whatever you ate at your last Thanksgiving dinner. Again, I have enjoyed the food served here and I am grateful for the meals I was provided (this year I didn’t make anything for Thanksgiving), but the same excitement I always got when I was in Malaysia on the morning of Eid was amiss on Thanksgiving and Christmas. While most of my siblings couldn’t wait to get duit raya, every Eid I woke up to the thought of making love to gluttony.
This year I decided I wanted to make Malaysian Eid food for Christmas. So I organized a small dinner party for myself and my other friends who were not celebrating Christmas with their families. I decided I’d make Beef Rendang with Nasi Himpit and some Popiah. But then I thought maybe I should throw in some “white people food” and Shepherd’s Pie came to mind.
I really didn’t want to make anything for Christmas because nothing I’d make for Christmas can be as good as Granny’s show-stealing gumbo (actually, it’s not really stealing if you’re the lined-up star for the show), so why even bother. However, the Hollands specifically chewed me out for not bringing my Chocolate Pecan Pie on Thanksgiving so I figured I should make the pie for Christmas.
Somehow, despite my intention, my attempt appeared to lack éclat. It wouldn’t pass as a good spread for Eid in any household in Malaysia. Maybe I’ll try again on my birthday. If only I can just go out and buy quality Malaysian food I could feel closer to my other home. Alas, we’d all like to sleep on a bed of roses and people in hell want iced water.