D-I-Y Popiah

There is no labour saving method to making a good popiah.

First the filling. All ingredients - bangkuang, carrot, bamboo shoot - have to be finely julienned and then slowly stewed in stock.

Then there is a long list of favourite condiments to complement the filling - prawn, lap cheong, crushed peanut, shredded omelet or hard boiled egg, bean sprout, cucumber.

Finish with just the right balance of sweet sauce, pounded chilli, minced garlic.

All this to be wrapped tightly in paper-thin dough skin that must be soft yet resilient.

So when the girlfriend said to come over for her mother's homemade popiah, I was delighted. When she said her mother has not done this in 10 years, I was touched.

I have friends over for dinner frequently. But the last time I made popiah dinner was when I turned 21. That was a v-e-r-y long time ago.