• 1 tablespoon of virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 250ml cooking cream
• 3 tablespoon of white wine
• 1 pack of abalone mushroom
• some tiger prawns
• some fresh scallops
• 3 – 5 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese (subsitube with cheddar cheese if don’t like saltiness)
• 1 pound of dried fusilli pasta
• pinch of rosemary herbs
• pinch of basil leaves herbs
• 1 whole lemon (squeeze out the juice and grate the skin of lemon)
• 2 pinch of sugar, 1 pinch of salt and 1 pinch of chopped garlic

First of all, unpack the dried fusilli and soak into room temperature water for about 5 minutes. Marinate the prawns with a pinch of sugar, a teaspoon of lemon juice and a tablespoon of white wine for 2o minutes.

The same marination goes to the scallops with lemon juice, white wine and sugar. Lining up on the picture below would be the scallops, grated lemon skin and chopped abalone mushrooms.

Bring the water to boil.

Place the dried fusilli into the boiling water. At the same time add in a tablespoon of butter.

Cook for about 15-20 minutes until just right, then drain the water.

Now it’s time to prepare the sauce. Put some olive oil into the sauce pan.

Add in some butter for additional taste.

Once the pan is heat up, put in the chopped garlic.

When the garlic is about to change to golden brown, place the marinated prawn to the hot pan.

Follow up with the scallops.

Cook these 2 items for about 3 – 5 minutes with medium fire.

Pour in the cooking cream.

Stir well and let it cook for another 3 – 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Follow up by pouring in the grated lemon skin.

Also the cheese.

Place in the chopped abalone mushroom.

Add in the rosemary and basil leaves herbs.

Stir them well for another 5 -8 minutes. Add in pinch of salt or sugar to taste.

Once the sauce is ready, mix the sauce to the fusilli.

If you prefer a more cheesy texture, you can always top up with cheese.

Penang Food, Penang Travel and Penang Lifestyle » Penang Food

Firefly, the subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines’ has launched its charter service directly from Penang to Nanning, China with the Boeing 737-400 aircraft. The chartered flights to and from Nanning are scheduled to fly on 19th April and 26th April 2012 via the Penang – Nanning route and back.

In conjunction with the new charter service, Forever Travel Service is having a promotion with an eight-day promotion tour package to Nanning at only RM2,488.00. The package is inclusive of air tickets, visa fees, accommodation and meals.

This chartered flights aims to bring more tourist from China to Penang and also introducing Penangites to the delights and fascinations of Nanning. The itinerary includes the county of Yangshuo, Guilin and Longsheng aside from Nanning.

Date: 21st April 2012
Time: 6pm to 10pm
Venue: Penang Times Square

The Penang Sikh Association in collaboration with the Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia Penang Branch, with the support of the Penang State Government, will be organizing a State Level Vasakhi Fest to celebrate the glorious day with fellow Malaysians from all walks of life, including tourist.

Vasakhi is an annual festival celebrated by Malaysian Sikhs. It commemorates the establishment of the Khalsa, the fraternity of the Pure Ones and Saint Soldiers. It was also on this day that the Sikhs were blessed with their names, Sigh for men and Kaur for women, ending the discriminatory caste system and making all men and women equal.

Like every other year, the Vasakhi Festival will feature vibrant cultural performances which includes Banghra Giddha, free Henna art and exhibits of the early Sikhs and history of Sikhs in Malaysia. FREE authentic vegetarian Punjabi food will be served to all guests.

Opening Hours: 10am to 5pm Mon to Friday
Ticket price: RM5 adult and RM3 for children

The KOMTAR Scenic View observation deck is now open to visitors!

Perched on the 60th floor of the KOMTAR Tower, visitors will be able to enjoy a spectacular panoramic view of the island’s northeastern region. Aside from the beautiful view, there is also an ongoing photography exhibition on local attractions and events festivals and sights and a souvenir shop where visitors can purchase accessories and local snacks.

The KOMTAR Scenic View is open from 10am to 5pm from Mondays to Fridays, with admission priced at a nominal fee of RM5 for adults and RM3 for children. Locals with MyKad enjoy a discounted rate of RM3 (adults) and RM1 (children) respectively.

Date: 21st April 2012
Time: 7pm
Venue: Central Atrium, Queensbay Mall

A charity fashion show will be held at Queensbay Mall on 21 April in conjunction with “Vogue for Virtue”, an event that has been carried out every year in aid of children that are less fortunate. The fashion show features local celebrities such as Amber Chia, Elaine Daly, Carmen Soo, Steve Yap and Hansen Lee, an will be hosted by famous radio deejay and emcee Serena C. They will be showcasing latest collections from Poh Kong, BONIA, Springfield and Clarks.

This year, the proceeds from the charity fashion show will be channelled to orphanages such as Pertubuhan Rumah Kebajikan Seri Cahaya, Pusat Jagaan Sinar Ceria and Shan Children’s Home.

The two-week event kicked off on 7 April with a model search competition open to female adults, and is followed by a model search for children and male adults. The programme also includes a Catwalk workshop by Amber Chia and a charity-home visit by the finalists.

Date: 21st April 2012
Time: 9am to 4pm
Venue: KDU College Penang Auditorium

The annual KDU Power Chef Competition 2012 is back for the fifth year. KDU Power Chef will feature over 140 students from high schools all around Penang to put their culinary skills to the test in a race against the time. In this fun-filled three-hour culinary challenge, these budding chefs will be judged by a team of culinary experts and critiques including Chef Tommes from Astro Asian Food Channel’s “Chalk and Cheese” as well as famous Penang food blogger, Ms CK Lam.

KDU College Penang’s Head for Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts, Miss Chua Shuw Huey and Power Chef 2012 Organizing Chairman Chef Zaihan commented that this year’s competition will be more challenging than ever with a few more twists being thrown in for the participants.

The Largest and The Oldest Church Pipe Organ Resides at the Assumption Church Organ,Penang.

The shot was taken using a film media SLR Camera using a slow shutter speed without the aid of flash.

Athi Shankar

GEORGE TOWN: A consumer association leader has claimed that “mafia developers” have usurped Penang to turn the island into an exclusive place for the affluent.

Consumers Association of Subang and Shah Alam (CASSA) president Jacob George said this had triggered an exodus of the lower income people from their home state.

“Secret deals are done not only here but in Singapore and Hong Kong to turn Penang island exclusively for the rich. It’s clear that mafia developers have taken over Penang,” he alleged.

He slammed the Pakatan Rakyat state government for letting this happen unabated.

George blasted Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for caving in freely to the demands of property developers, who were bent on turning the island into an elitist dwelling.

“The state government is doing nothing about the displacement of communities taking place right under their noses,” he told a press conference here.

He said CASSA received numerous complaints from helpless local residents about the wrongdoings in the state, especially on the island.

He said the association’s ground study revealed that the developers virtually control and dictate all happenings in Penang.

“They even announce policy decisions,” he added.

George pointed to a 2009 news report on a property developer announcing the state government’s decision to raise density for property development.

He was amazed that the state government could allow a developer to usurp its power to make the important announcement.

“It clearly shows developers dictate and manipulate policies in Penang,” he added.

The CASSA president challenged the state government to prove developers’ boast that “higher density would lead to lower property prices.”

He called on Lim’s government to address the pressing issue instead of bragging about rosy statistics to show the state’s high investments and cash reserves.

Culture of fear

He accused Lim of promoting a culture of fear by slapping legal notices against or even insulting and humiliating those who voiced out against his government on the lack of public consultation in development plans.

George said massive development projects were taking place despite complaints from residents like in the Gurney Drive vicinity

He criticised the authorities for turning a deaf ear to numerous complaints regarding late night construction works.

He claimed that residents were threatened and intimidated openly for lodging reports instead of getting help from the authorities.

For the first time in their history, George said, Penangites were being forced to keep their mouth shut.

He said the vocal Penang NGOs were also being shut out and not consulted by the state government on issues of public interest.

“The state government seems to think that the vision for Penang should be what Lim thinks it should be and not what the people want it to be. It’s time for the people to regain their power and stop the state government from having a free way,” he added.