co o ks ’ coo ks ’ recipesrecipes withlovelove · bernard lim, or affectionately known just as...

RecipesRecipeswithLoveLove

Cooks’Cooks’

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Meet The TeamHead Chef Bernard LimConsultant, P D Addison Prisca WongArt Director, P D Addison Cristal SiewPhotographer, P D Addison Kevin NgStylist/Make-Up Artist Sherry Lew

Published by My First Skoolwww.myfirstskool.com

Printed in Singapore, First Edition 2019

FOREWORD & AppreciationThis is a special cookbook like no ordinary cookbook. At first glance it looks like one of the many available cookbooks. It calls itself “Recipes with Love”, as it bears the stories and recipes of a group of 21 dedicated and committed cooks working tirelessly every day in the My First Skool childcare centres. These 21 cooks represent the entire team of cooks whipping up well-balanced, nutritious and delicious meals for the young children in the network of 143 MFS childcare centres in Singapore.

Beautifully personal, each feature tells a story of individuality and experience, and proceeds to recipes for breakfast, lunch and tea menus for young children.

“Recipes with Love” is more than a cookbook. This is a tale of friendship, a story of togetherness and a collection of passion. It is an homage to the team of cooks as a community, and the recipes that allow children, parents and cooks to connect, share, and look forward, together. The recipes in “Recipes with Love” are all blissfully accessible and designed to be made in an everyday kitchen by our busy children’s parents who cooks after work.

“You could cook from it over a whole lifetime, and still be learning” – Nigella Lawson

Food gives us a voice to let our walls down and let people in. Through food you can taste so much more than mere flavours. I hope you will take time to savour the recipes and life stories featured in this special collection, and in turn be inspired and stirred to whip up these dishes for your loved ones.

Do join me to give our acknowledgement and appreciation to all the wonderful cooks dedicating their time and sharing their love for our children in the My First Skool childcare centres, they are the people who take the time and give their love to prepare delicious, beautiful food for our young children, every day of the year.

Thank you.

Humbled & With Much Love,

Thian Ai Ling General ManagerNTUC First CampusMy First Skool & afterschoolSingapore

July 2019

3

Cooking for kids is not just about ingredients, recipes,

and cooking. It’s about harnessing imagination,

empowerment, and creativity.

Inspiration

This special “Cooks’ Cooks’ Recipes with Love” is conceptualised to share 21 My First Skool’s Cooks’ life stories and nutritious and delicious recipes that our cooks in My First Skool prepare for our children, and to appreciate the efforts and love shown by our cooks for our children.

The reality is that obesity and being overweight usually sets in during early childhood, around the age of five. In Singapore, about 10 percent of five-year-olds are overweight. They are more likely to remain so as they grow up and become at risk for a number of health problems later in life.

Food is a very important part of children’s social life and development. The food provided for children in early childhood

Contrary to what Grandma says, a chubby child is not necessarily a healthy child.

settings plays an important role in ensuring that children get enough nutrition for healthy growth and development, and helps with forming a foundation for healthy eating throughout life.

This publication is designed to offer guidelines for healthy eating, and contains recipe ideas that promote children’s growth and development, and that encourage healthy eating habits in children–habits that can form a foundation for later life.

This publication also pays special tribute to the team of everyday heroes – our dedicated Cooks working in our My First Skool childcare centres, taking care of the nutrition and meals of some 20,000 children every day.

5

Cooking is Love made Visible

About My First Skool

For almost 42 years, My First Skool has been a leader in early childhood care and education. The pre-school arm of NTUC (National Trades Union Congress) First Campus Co-operative, we have grown into one of Singapore’s most respected early childhood organisations since we opened our doors in 1977.

Children are, and always have been, at the heart of all we do. That’s why we are all about creating joyful learning experiences - from our holistic curriculum and ever-growing number of pre-schools, to our passionate teachers and our close partnership with parents.

With some 143 pre-schools island-wide, and more every day, we are dedicated to bringing quality pre-school education within easy reach, so that every child can grow great and be the best that they can be... together.

The relationship between nutrition, health and learning is undeniably strong: nutrition is one of the three major factors that impact a child’s development. All meals at My First Skool Childcare centres are freshly prepared and cooked at the centres by our trained and committed cooks. With early childhood being an important period when children’s palates can be shaped, My First Skool is in a prime position to help children develop good and healthy eating habits.

7

Food is symbolic of love when words

are inadequate

—A lan D. Wolfelt

The Healthy Meals in Pre-schools Programme (HMPP) empowers

pre-schools to provide healthier meals and encourages them to educate

children on eating right. As pre-schoolers who attend childcare centres

spend a major part of their day there, the pre-schools play a vital role

in helping them cultivate healthy eating habits. Given that children

attending pre-schools could be having at least two of their main meals

in school, how do we know if they are eating well there? One way is

by choosinga pre-school accredited under the Healthy Meals in

Pre-schools Programme (HMPP). These pre-schools have pledged

to serve up healthier meals, as well as shape children’s food preferences

at an early age so that they can make healthier food choices as they grow.

All My First Skool childcare centres are accredited under the Healthy

Meals in Pre-schools Programme (HMPP), and some centres had attained

the Platinum accreditation.

About the Healthy Meals in Pre-Schools Programme (HMPP) by Health Promotion Board (HPB)

Under the HMPP programme, participating child care centres

need to follow food service guidelines. These include:

• Cutting down fat, sugar and salt

• Serving whole grains, fruit and vegetables

• Serving healthy set meals –These meals incorporate food from the four main food groups – brown rice, wholemeal bread, meat and others, vegetable and fruit.

Participating pre-schools are evaluated by assessors commissioned

by Health Promotion Board. Pre-schools which meet the guidelines

will be certified and listed on HPB’s website for easy reference.

There is no better time to encourage kids to adopt healthy eating habits than the start of a fresh school year. Teaching our young children to eat healthy can be a tricky task.

9

What will your children eat in My First Skool?• balanced meals and healthier snacks

• meals that contain higher nutritional quality by including wholegrains, lean protein, vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre

• meals that have lesser sugar, saturated and trans fat, and sodium

For example, your children may be given a healthy set meal for lunch,

with food from the four main food groups such as brown rice or

wholemeal bread, together with lean meat, vegetables and fruits.

Who will be cooking these meals in My First Skool?Cooks in HMPP-accredited My First Skool centres are trained and assessed

by the Health Promotion Board. They are also advised on:

• menu planning

• healthier cooking methods

• using healthier ingredients (such as brown rice, wholegrains and healthier oils with lower saturated fat)

• appropriate portioning of food for children

Our children in My First Skool will also learn more about choosing

healthier food as part of their nutrition education, e.g. children are

introduced to information such as what is “My Healthy Plate”, and why

it is important to eat more wholegrains, fruit and vegetables.

Since young children learn best through play, My First Skool childcare

centres, such as My First Skool at Blk 245 Bishan Street 22 are making

healthy eating learning activities into games and letting our young

children “play with food”, such as food sorting and creating their own

healthy meals.

In My First Skool, we believe that when kids eat healthier meals both

in pre-schools and at home, they are more likely to form healthy eating

habits from a young age and make smarter meal choices on their own

as they grow up.

10

“To always embrace new experiences and unlearn what we had earlier learnt

to maximise our potential, to benefit others. A Chef should never forget the

basic and the original taste, while seeking to integrate the new,

the basic and the original”

Bernard LimHead Chef

MFS Early Years Centre @ Punggol

TeABReAKFAST Lunch

Bernard Lim, or affectionately known just as “Chef” or “Head Chef” to colleagues, is a professional and trained chef, who last worked as a Sous Chef at the Resort World Sentosa’s then Joel Robuchon Fine Dining Singapore, before joining My First Skool as the network’s first professional chef, armed with the responsibility to lead and operate a commercial kitchen with a full kitchen crew, and committed to serving our young children with quality, well-balanced and inspiring meals.

Bernard shares that his greatest job satisfaction working now in the preschool sector comes from the children. When the children request for additional serving, it often takes him by surprise because children are usually picky eaters, especially when adjusting their taste buds to new flavours. And this is also expert speak, as Bernard is a father himself with 2 young children. Seeing them eat well and happily makes him feel happiest and fills his heart full with love.

Bernard is now charged up every day as he personally takes on this challenge to create inspiring and well-balanced meals to prepare the daily meals for the young children in MFS’ Early Years Centre. To Bernard, this is an entirely new but very exciting experience to cook various healthy dishes and meals at such a large scale with limited runway on a daily basis and in accordance to the guidelines laid out by the Healthy Meals in Childcare Programme.

A keen learner, despite his rich experience in the commercial dining sector, Bernard is always seeking new learning as to him, it is crucial to keep abreast with the changing times. And now as the Head Chef of a 1000-children childcare centre, Bernard found it even more critical and meaningful to be learning about the importance of nutritious meals for growing children. Just as My First Skool is really honoured to have Bernard in the network, as he had also taken time to share good practices which are now introduced to other My First Skool centres, Bernard told us that he is very honoured and blessed to serve the network as the first Head Chef and leading My First Skool’s first commercial kitchen.

When Bernard first began his career, he had never imagined that one day, he would join the early childhood centre and be contributing his skills, knowledge and passion to this special and meaningful sector. Bernard shares that over the past one and the half year, the journey had been most rewarding and he is most grateful to be given opportunities to apply his knowledge and skills in helping to stimulate the taste buds of all the little ones and to nourish their growing bodies and minds, every day.

Bernard lim 34 years old

1.5years in MFS

SINCe 2018

12

BreakfastBreakfast Made with Love

Two longest serving Cooks, Madam Sim (middle) and Madam Thitipha (right) with MFS Head Chef - Bernard Lim. He is sharing with them healthy tips for cooking.

b1

Liow Nyuk Leng or affectionately known as Aunty Liow, shares that she simply loves to cook and enjoys the interactions with young children. Being able to contribute as a Cook in My First Skool hence is like a dream come true for Aunty Liow.

As staff enjoys Aunty Liow’s cooking, they are always willing and eager to pool together resources for Aunty Liow to cook special and delicious dishes for them.

Aunty Liow shares that her greatest job satisfaction comes from the fact that the children and teachers enjoy her food and would always request for additional portions. She recollected that initially, she was unable to bake cakes with much success. However, Aunty Liow kept trying until the taste of the cakes got better and the children were enjoying the cakes she baked. This provided her with much joy and satisfaction when she experienced this improvement in her baking skills. Aunty Liow shared that she enjoys the challenge of perfecting her cooking of more challenging menu items, as long as the children like these.

Aunty Liow shared that there was once a newly-enrolled child who would cry whenever he saw food in the centre. However, after two weeks, this same child started to request for additional portions of food and this made Aunty Liow beamed with joy. There was another happy moment for Aunty Liow when a pregnant staff requested for her recipe for fish soup as the staff shared that Aunty Liow’s recipe was much better as compared with her own mother-in-law’s recipe.

Aunty Liow used to be a babysitter at home before working as a Cook in MFS. When her children got older, she decided to seek a job outside of her home. She started as a Relief Teacher with MFS and then expressed her interest as a cook, and the rest was history.

Liow Nyuk Leng 50 years old 6

years in MFSSINCe 2013

BReAKFAST

Ingredients Dry ingRedIents 250 g self-raising flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

10 g sugar

WeT ingredIents 2 eggs

2 mashed banana

500 ml low fat milk

Method• Combine all dry ingredients in a large

mixing bowl and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.

• Combine all wet ingredients and beat with a whisk until blended. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir with a whisk until just evenly blended.

• Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Lightly grease pan with vegetable oil. When pan is hot, pour in enough batter to make a pancake about 20 cm across. Tilt pan if necessary to help batter spread evenly. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until small bubbles appear on the surface of the batter and the pancake’s underside is pale golden brown. Flip over and cook for 1-2 minutes more, to brown the other side. Transfer pancake to a plate.

• Make remaining pancakes the same way. Serve pancakes warm.

Makes 8 pAncakes About 20 cm aCross. eAch panCAke cAN be cut into wedges To serve 3-4 children, DependiNg on age And portion size.

POINTS TO NOTE

Banana Pancake

Banana Pancake

Amimah Bte Ami or affectionately known as Aunty Amimah, was previously a Cook from another childcare network for 3 years. In 2014, she decided to join My First Skool after being informed of a Cook’s position opening by a friend.

Aunty Amimah shares that she likes the welfare, benefits and the training opportunities provided by MFS, which had equipped her with the knowledge and skills to cook new recipes and healthier food.

Aunty Amimah’s passion is with cooking and she shared that she is happiest to find this current Cook’s job that enables her to work with passion.

Children and Teacher are always looking forward to her return from training sessions to try her new food. Aunty Amimah feels a sense of satisfaction when she is able to cook new and delicious dishes for children and teachers in her centre, and of course, her greatest happiness happens when the children and teachers request for second servings.

Aunty Amimah shares that she enjoys sharing her knowledge with fellow Cooks at various sessions, e.g. at the annual Learning and Sharing Festival. She gains happiness in seeing others learn new recipes and becoming better Cooks for children.

Aunty Amimah has been a Cook for children for over 10 years – she spent 2 years with a private childcare centre, 3 years with another Anchor Operator network and to-date, 5 years with MFS.

Other than her passion for cooking, Aunty Amimah is also a pet lover. She has 4 cats at home.

Besides playing the role of a mother of three children and grandmother of three grandchildren, Aunty Amimah exercises by doing zumba on Tuesday nights or whenever she is available.

Amimah Bte Ami 53 years old

b2

5years in MFS

SINCe 2014

BReAKFAST

Ingredients Dry ingRedIents 250 g self-raising flour

5 tablespoons Milo powder

10 g sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

WeT ingredIents 2 eggs

500 ml low fat milk

2 tablespoons margarine, melted

Method• Combine all dry ingredients in a large

mixing bowl and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.

• Combine all wet ingredients in another bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour into dry ingredients and stir with a whisk until evenly blended.

• Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Lightly grease pan with vegetable oil. When pan is hot, pour in enough batter to make a pancake about 20 cm across. Tilt pan if necessary to help batter spread evenly. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until small bubbles appear on the surface of the batter and the pancake’s underside is pale golden brown. Flip over and cook for 1-2 minutes more, to brown the other side. Transfer pancake to a plate.

• Make remaining pancakes the same way. Serve pancakes warm, cut into wedges.

Makes 8 pAncakes About 20 cm aCross. eAch panCAke cAN be cut into wedges To serve 3-4 children, DependiNg on age And portion size.

POINTS TO NOTE

Milo Pancake

Milo Pancake

Ee Seow Lan or affectionately known as Aunty Ee, enjoys working at the My First Skool childcare centre because of the good relationships with teachers and the Principal.

Aunty Ee self-proclaims that she was originally very poor with her English language and could hardly understand the language before she joined MFS. Her greatest reward from joining MFS was the marked improvement in her English comprehension after the daily interactions with the teachers and children.

Aunty Ee shares that she finds it rewarding to be able to share her cooking experience with Cooks from other centres at various platforms such as at the 2019 Learning and Sharing Festival.

Aunty Ee was a home nanny before her husband passed away. She has two daughters, aged 30 and 26 today. She started her career as a Cook with a private childcare operator 7 years ago.

Aunty Ee recollected that she chanced upon a MFS job advertisement for Cooks on the newspapers in 2015 and decided to give it a try. She has been enjoying every single minute of her time since then.

During her free time, Aunty Ee likes to go shopping with her daughters and catch the latest thriller and action movies. She would also join her daughter and friends at karaoke sessions. Her daughters’ friends affectionately call her “Mummy” too.

Aunty Ee shares that she also likes to scroll Facebook for cooking videos to learn from and to upgrade her cooking skills, and proudly shared that her own speciality is braised mid-wings with chestnuts and mushrooms.

Ee Seow Lan 58 years old

b3

4years in MFS

SINCe 2015

Sunshine PorridgeSunshine

Porridge with Milk and Sweet PoTaTo

BReAKFAST

Ingredients 2.6 litre low fat milk

75 g sugar

130 g quick-cooking oats

1 kg sweet potatoes, peeled, boiled and cut into cubes

Method• Bring the low fat milk and oats to boil.

• Once boiled, add sugar and sweet potatoes cubes.

• Simmer and cook until the oats are soft and porridge thickens.

• Serve.

Serves 10-15 children, DependiNg on age And portion size

Thitipha Lamsombat, or affectionately known as Aunty Thitipha, is very well-loved by the children and teachers in the MFS centre at Sengkang West.

Aunty Thitipha shares that she is very appreciative for the training opportunities provided by My First Skool. As a Cook for young children, Aunty Thitipha’s passion is cooking and maintaining good hygiene in the centre’s kitchen. She takes pride and effort to ensure that the centres’ kitchen and refrigerator are always neat and organised.

A jovial and bubbly individual, Aunty Thitipha enjoys positive and happy working relationships with her centre’s Principal, teachers, children and parents. She feels happiest when children and teachers enjoy her food and praise her for her cooking.

Aunty Thitipha shared that she is extremely proud and elated to be identified for this special feature in the MFS’ Cook’s Cooks’ Publication, which to her, is the greatest form of recognition for her hard work.

Aunty Thitipha enjoys sharing and imparting her culinary and nutrition skills to teach other cooks how to cook healthily with less salt and less sugar. A keen learner herself, Aunty Thitipha is always striving her best to improve her knowledge and skills. During the recent visit to MFS’ Early Years Centre’s commercial kitchen, Aunty Thitipha was very inspired with the good practice of the commercial kitchen and was motivated to make adjustments to organise her condiments and spices in her own centre’s kitchen and storage area.

Thitipha Lamsombat 51 years old

b4

13years in MFS

SINCe 2006

Wholemeal SAndwich with

BReAKFAST

Ingredients 6 eggs

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon pepper

10 slices wholemeal bread

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 spring onions, chopped

300 g tomatoes, diced

Method• Beat eggs with soy sauce and pepper

and set aside. Lightly toast bread if desired. Spread with a healthy spread, if desired.

• Heat vegetable oil over medium heat in a frying pan. When very hot, add eggs and fry till semi-cooked, add tomatoes and spring onions and fry till set. Transfer to a plate and cut into portions.

• Place omelette portions on top of half the bread slices, then top with remaining slices. Cut sandwiches into halves and serve immediately.

POINTS TO NOTE

Serves 10 children.

Tomato OmeletteTomato Omelette

Sim Poh Fong or affectionately known as Aunty Sim to her centre’s children and teachers, she was working on another MFS centre located at Anchorvale for 7 years before joining the current MFS Compassvale 4 centre 7 years ago.

Aunty Sim loves seeing children eat the food she cooks and in turn, growing up healthily. She is very heartened when children, after graduating from Kindergarten 2, return to visit her despite not being in childcare anymore. Aunty Sim shows her love for the children by carefully watching over children’s well-balanced diets, especially the Kindergarten 2 children, so that the transition to Primary Schools will be easier for the children.

Aunty Sim is very interested in cooking and holds high expectations of herself. She will often read up from Facebook and locates recipes online to improvise and improve her cooking methods. Aunty Sim shares that seeing young children growing up well and healthily is her own small way of contributing back to society.

Generous with her time and efforts to share, Aunty Sim will teach and share tips with new colleagues from other centres on how to prepare delicious and nutritious food and how to do things more efficiently.

Aunty Sim has a very loving and supportive husband and a 26-year-old daughter. She shared that she hopes that she can become an “Ah-Ma” (grandmother) soon.

Aunty Sim enjoys the fixed working hours offered by the childcare centre, and this allows her to spend quality time with her family over the weekend. Aunty Sim runs about 3 times a week after work. She shares that this will help her keep fit and maintain the stamina that is required for her job as a Cook, as well as being present every day at work, preparing the healthy and delicious food for her children in the centre.

Sim Poh Fong 55 years old

b5

14years in MFS

SINCe 2005

BReAKFAST

with Milk, RaisIn and Honey

Makes About 2.5 liTres oat poRridge, serving 10-15 children, DependiNg on age And portion size

Ingredients 3 litres water

1 litre low fat milk

200 g quick-cooking oats

200 g raisins

15 ml honey

Method• Combine water and low fat milk in a pot

and bring to the boil over medium heat. Add oats, raisins and honey, and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes or until done. Serve hot.

POINTS TO NOTE

Oatmeal PorridgeOatmeal Porridge

LunchLunch Made with Love

Left to Right: Madam Quek, Madam Yong,

Madam Liow, Madam Sim and Chef Bernard having a delightful

conversation of food preparation.

Rohayah Binte Talib or affectionately known as Aunty Rohayah, likes her current job as a Cook in My First Skool centre as she has the flexibility to work around the shared menu to ensure that children will finish all the food, e.g. offering more vegetables options to meet children’s liking.

Aunty Rohayah loves children and feels particularly strongly for children with special needs. Her 26-year-old son is also a special needs child.

One of Aunty Rohayah’s greatest rewards is being recognised as superb Cook. Her famous dishes are Mee Soto and Teriyaki Fish. Aunty Rohayah shares that the Teriyaki Fish is a hot favourite at the childcare centre and everyone, both children and teacher always look forward to enjoying this special dish. Another one of Aunty Rohayah’s rewards comes from seeing children clean out their plates just because they thoroughly enjoy her food.

A committed and passionate Cook, Aunty Rohayah truly puts her heart and soul into the centre. There was once she woke up and went to the NTUC supermarket to buy more ingredients, with the intention to whip up something extra and special for the teachers. She then proceeded to the centre and started preparing to cook these special dishes. When no one turned up after 7am, Aunty Rohayah then realised that was a Sunday!

Aunty Rohayah was previously working as a cleaner. She was invited to join MFS as a Cook by her sister, who works as a Cook at My First Skool at Yishun Centre 4.

Due to her passion for baking cakes, Aunty Rohayah actively seeks out opportunities to learn and improve her baking skills. She had used her SkillsFuture credits to take up baking classes at Fitri Creation.

When she has time outside of work, Aunty Rohayah enjoys reading at the library.

Rohayah Binte Talib 53 years old

l1

5years in MFS

SINCe 2014

Serves 10-15 children, DependiNg on age And portion size.

Ingredients Method• For the chicken, simmer the chicken

breast/fillet in water with ginger, garlic, pandan leaves and salt for one hour.

• For the rice, heat margarine in a wok and stir-fry the ginger and garlic until light brown. Add the rice and stir. Transfer to rice cooker.

• Add the chicken stock and pandan leaves. Cook until the rice is soft.

• Cut the chicken into pieces and flatten with a cleaver.

• Mix all the ingredients in the sauce and pour it over the chicken.

• To make cabbage, heat vegetable oil in a wok over high heat. When hot, add onions and garlic and fry two minutes, then add cabbage and carrots and fry 5 minutes more. Add salt, stir well. Cover and cook 2 minutes. Uncover and fry 1 minute more, then dish up.

• Serve the chicken with rice and vegetables.

Lunch

500g skinless chicken breast or fillet

10 cups water

4 pieces ginger, peeled and smashed

10 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

3 pandan leaves

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups of rice, washed and drained

1 cup of brown rice, washed and drained

10 cups chicken stock, from boiling the chicken

4 pieces ginger, peeled and grated

8 cloves garlic, peeled and grated

2 tablespoons margarine

3 teaspoons garlic oil

1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

6 tablespoons chicken stock, from the boiling chicken

3 teaspoons light soya sauce

400 g cabbage, cut into quarters and thinly sliced

200 g carrots, sliced into strips

100 g onions, finely sliced

3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

chic

ken

rice

chic

ken

sauc

eve

geta

bles

served with CabbAge

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Bong Gek Pio, or affectionately known as Aunty Bong, loves to cook delicious food for the children and teacher in MFS Woodlands 2 centre. As her greatest passion is cooking, Aunty Bong is happiest to see the teachers and children enjoying her food.

Aunty Bong shares that she feels very respected and valued at work because the Principal will seek her opinions whenever there are new menu items. With her understanding of the children in the centre, Aunty Bong will select the menu items that she knows children will like.

Besides being able to do what she enjoys most as a MFS’ Cook, preparing well-balanced and delicious food for the children and teachers, Aunty Bong also likes the fact that she is able to enjoy a well-balanced lifestyle as compared to her previous job.

Aunty Bong was a stall assistant of an economic bee-hoon stall at Republic Polytechnic before joining MFS as a Cook in 2015. She was referred by her friend, Aunty Sally who works as a MFS Cook at Woodlands 3.

Over the years, Aunty Bong has built close and trusted relationships with the teachers. They are like a family and she often brings one of her colleague’s young daughter out for meals with her own family.

Possessing Indonesian heritage, Aunty Bong is also able to whip up special Indonesian cuisine, which are well-liked by the teachers.

Aunty Bong spends her weekend playing mahjong, often with Aunty Sally. Aunty Bong also loves to go on free and easy travel trips with her family and friends, and Japan is her favourite country to visit thus far.

Bong Gek Pio48 years old

l2

4years in MFS

SINCe 2015


tips

Ingredients 600 g lean chicken meat

550 g yellow noodles, uncooked, wash and drained

500 g bean sprouts

300 g carrots

2 stalks lemongrass, crushed slightly to release flavour

100 g onions, diced

6 pieces cardamom

4 pieces star anise seeds

2 sticks cinnamon

4 teaspoons vegetable oil

1.5 liters water

Spice paste

8 cloves garlic

2 pieces ginger, 1 cm

100 g onions

4 tablespoons soto powder

Method• Heat vegetable oil in a big pot over

medium heat and sauté the onions until translucent.

• Add the cardamom, star anise and cinnamon. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.

• Add in the blended spice paste. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.

• Add water, lemongrass and chicken. Bring to boil.

• Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

• Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the pot. Shred the meat and set aside while continue to simmer the gravy.

• Bring some water to boil in another pot. Add the yellow noodles, bean sprouts and carrots. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until just cooked.

• Portion the noodles, bean sprouts, carrots and shredded chicken into bowls.

• Ladle the gravy into the bowls. Serve.

(blend in a food processor until a smooth paste)

with ChIcken and VegetAblesMee SotoMee Soto

Lunch

Ratmah Binte Hatamabi, or affectionately known as Aunty Ratmah, was previously a Cook at a chinese vegetarian stall at Kallang Leisure and she had also cooked for our army boys in the earlier days of her career. Aunty Ratmah jokingly shared that she had cooked for all ages, from young children to big army boys.

Aunty Ratmah is very proficient in cooking. Overall, Aunty Ratmah has been cooking for over 30 years, and she is able to cook Chinese, Malay and Indian cuisine without any difficulty at all.

Aunty Ratmah enjoys her work in MFS as she loves children, enjoys cooking for children and feels very satisfied when children ask for additional helping of the food she cooked.

Aunty Ratmah takes pride in her work for the sake of the young children and is happiest cooking healthier and well-balanced meals for young children. She is very particular about kitchen hygiene and food safety, and her kitchen is always kept dry and clean. Aunty Ratmah shares that she believes that food “makes the blood and meat” in us, hence the importance of young children being provided with nutritious and well-balanced meals as part of their daily diets.

Aunty Ratmah’s own grandchildren are enrolled in My First Skool – in Tampines and Sengkang. She had also recommended her cousin and some four friends to join My First Skool. She tells her friends that they must show their experience and expertise to the organisation first instead of merely requesting for a good salary.

Aunty Ratmah appreciates the many and diverse opportunities to attend courses as it keeps her up to speed with new learning. She also shares that she loves her centre’s Principal and is proud that teachers in the centre always prefer to eat the food she cooks than buying from other stalls.

Aunty Ratmah has 4 children and 9 grandchildren. In her free time, Aunty Ratmah likes to go shopping and she also enjoys bringing all her grandchildren swimming.

Ratmah Binte Hatamabi 60 years old

l3

7years in MFS

SINCe 2012


Ingredients 250 g mixed grain rice (200 g white rice & 50 g brown rice)

1 litre chicken stock or vegetable stock

1.5 litres water

3 slices ginger

800 g fish fillet, cut into small pieces

600 g sio pak choy, cut into small pieces

300 g carrots, cut into small pieces

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Method• Combine brown rice, stock, water, and

ginger in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer slowly, stirring frequently, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until porridge is thick and soft. Add a little more water during cooking, if necessary.

• Add fish, sio pak choy, carrots and salt, and simmer 3-5 minutes more, or until fish and vegetables are cooked. Let cool slightly and serve.

with CarroT And Vegetable

Mixed Grain Fish Porridge Mixed Grain Fish Porridge

Lunch

POINTS TO NOTE

Neo Guat Lye, or affectionately known as Aunty Sally, enjoys cooking for young children and teachers.

Aunty Sally likes it when the centre arranges for cook-out sessions for her and invite parents for tasting, as she likes to have the parents feel assured that the food she prepares for children are well-balanced and healthy.

Aunty Sally feels happiest and proudest when the children come up to her and say, “Aunty Sally, I love your cooking!” or when parents ask her for recipes and tips on how to prepare the menu items.

Aunty Sally was a hairstylist before she became a full-time housewife after marriage. After many years as a homemaker, Aunty Sally was encouraged by her daughter to look for work opportunities with MFS. Aunty Sally did not know much about cooking then, in fact, she was thinking of applying to work as a Kitchen Assistant where she could just wash and cut vegetables. However, Aunty Sally is now gladdest that she was given the opportunity and trust to take on Cook’s role instead.

Aunty Sally’s greatest achievement is that she has become an expert in cooking over the years that she had been with MFS. It was especially rewarding when one who once commented to Aunty Sally that he prefers her cooking to food from catered buffet. Aunty Sally added that she is proudest in 2019 when she is given the unique opportunity to share her cooking and baking skills with fellow cooks and MFS’ parents.

Not knowing how to cook when she first joined MFS, Aunty Sally made the effort to visit libraries to seek and learn recipes from cook books. These days Aunty Sally watches cooking videos from Facebook and Youtube channel to strengthen her cooking skills. Aunty Sally spends her free time watching Korean dramas and playing mahjong with her friends.

Neo Guat Lye 55 years old

l4

9years in MFS

SINCe 2010

Serves 10 children, DependiNg on age And portion size

Ingredients 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

100 g onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

200 g carrots, finely chopped

300 g long beans, finely chopped

600 g minced chicken

1 litre tomato sauce

800 g spaghetti or spaghettini

Chopped-up low fat cheese slices for garnish, if desired

Method• Heat vegetable oil in a pot over medium

heat. When very hot, add onions and garlic and fry 2 minutes, then add carrots and long beans and fry for 6-7 minutes, stirring constantly, until vegetables are softened. Add a little water if they dry up too much – they should stay moist.

• Add minced chicken and fry 2 minutes, just until chicken loses its pinkness. Add tomato sauce and stir well, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly, cover pot, leaving lid open a crack, and simmer 10-15 minutes, until sauce is slightly thickened.

• Meanwhile, cook pasta. When pasta is done, drain, then toss with sauce. Dish up and garnish with low fat cheese bits if desired. Serve immediately.

withSpaghetti Chicken

Bolognese

Spaghetti Chicken

Bolognese

Lunch

Norhayati Binte Mohd Idris or affectionately known as Aunty Norhayati to her children and teachers, enjoys the cordial relationships with the teachers at the centre, and she regularly joins the teachers on their outings.

Together with the teachers, Aunty Norhayati celebrate special occasions, such as birthdays and festivals. She treats the teachers like her own daughters and the children at the centre like her own grandchildren. The centre’s teachers would also visit her at home when she is not feeling well. Aunty Norhayati shares that she feels that the children, teachers and Principal at the centre are like her second family.

Aunty Norhayati’s greatest reward is that she has gained trust and respect by all in the centre, and she is given the autonomy to work independently without much direct supervision.

Aunty Norhayati was a housewife before joining MFS. She was encouraged by her son to look for a job. During her first month at work, Aunty Norhayati almost wanted to resign as she found the children’s chatter a bit too noisy for her. Nonetheless, she persevered and this year, Aunty Norhayati will be celebrating her tenth year with MFS.

Prior to joining MFS as a cook, Aunty Norhayati was working to provide meal box services on a part-time basis.

During the weekends, Aunty Norhayati enjoys spending time with her family and her grandchildren. She also likes to travel and “makan” new food.

Norhayati Binte Mohd Idris 54 years old

l5

10years in MFS

SINCe 2009

Serves 10 children, DependiNg on age And portion size.

Ingredients 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

100 g onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

300 g button mushrooms, diced

250 g carrots, diced

600 g skinless chicken breast fillet, diced

400 ml chicken or vegetable stock or water

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

3/4 teaspoon pepper

1 litre white sauce

800 g spaghetti or spaghettini

Method• Heat vegetable oil in a pot over

medium-high heat. When very hot, add onions and garlic and fry 2 minutes, then add mushrooms and carrots and fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until their juices start to flow.

• Add chicken, stock, salt and pepper and stir well. Cover and cook, stirring a few times, for 7-8 minutes, or until chicken is done, and vegetables are tender. Stir in white sauce. Keep warm.

• Cook pasta. When pasta is done, drain, then toss with sauce. Serve immediately.

Lunch

with ChIcken, carrot, Mushroom White Sauce

Spaghetti Spaghetti

Sim Bee Eng Helen or affectionately known as Aunty Helen, possesses keen curiosity and interest in cooking. She also enjoys interactions with children including supporting feeding the children so that she can see how children are responding to her food.

Aunty Helen shares that she goes to work every day happily as her current team at MFS Tampines 3 is like another big family to her, and she appreciates that colleagues always looking out and taking care of each other.

For Aunty Helen, what brings her a great sense of accomplishment is when the children, teachers and even parents share compliments about her cooking. She also feels treasured and cherished when her Principal and colleagues remembers her birthday - celebrates and buys birthday gifts for her.

Similarly, Aunty Helen always gives time and efforts to prepare and cook something special for centre’s colleagues during their birthdays.

Before joining MFS, Aunty Helen was working as a cook with ST Food industries where she was cooking for an Army camp in Keat Hong.

Aunty Helen enjoys cooking and is always very willing to make tweaks to the menu items to better meet the liking of the children and teachers. She also likes to try out newly acquired recipes, and she will also give efforts to perfecting these recipes, so that children will like and enjoy the food.

On weekend, Aunty Helen and her husband will sing with others in the neighbourhood community centres. As a couple, they have since won several singing competitions before. In 2005, Aunty Sim also took part in a national competition and won the title of the 新加坡慈善夫人 (Singapore’s Mrs Charity).

Sim Bee Eng Helen 63 years old

l6

9years in MFS

SINCe 2010


Ingredients 600 g fish fillets, cut into serving pieces

400 g carrots, cut into small pieces

400 g tomatoes, de-seeded and sliced

350 ml low fat milk

100 g onions diced

20 g ginger, finely minced

8 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek

10 pieces curry leaves

2 tablespoons fish curry powder

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons coriander leaves


Assam Mixture

100 g assam paste

475 ml water

Method• Heat vegetable oil in a big wok over

medium heat and add mustard seed, fenugreek and curry leaves. Stir-fry for 3-5 minutes or until the mustard seeds and fenugreek crackled.

• Add onions, ginger, garlic and curry powder. Stir-fry 3 minutes. Add the assam mixture and bring to boil.

• Add fish. Cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes.

• Add the carrots and tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.

• Stir in low fat milk and simmer for another 1 minute.

• Season with salt and garnish with coriander leaves.

(mixed in a bowl until assam is well dissolved)

with Tomato And CArrot

Assam Fish Curry

Assam Fish Curry

Lunch

Jenny Quek or affectionately known as Aunty Jenny, finds deep satisfaction in cooking, especially cooking for young children. Aunty Jenny enjoys working with children as she finds children to be adorable and she wants to support them to eat healthily and happily.

Aunty Jenny shared that MFS is her second home where she has developed strong rapport with everyone, including the children and their parents. There are parents who had asked her for cooking tips to prepare delicious meals at home for their children. Children will also go up to her and asked why she is not at the centre when she is on leave.

Aunty Jenny feels a sense of job satisfaction whenever she receives compliments on her cooking skills. There was an occasion when a 10-year-old child who attended MFS childcare when he was younger, came back to the centre to tell Aunty Jenny that he can still remembers her cooking fondly.

Aunty Jenny shares that she enjoys working in MFS Bishan 3 as she is empowered and trusted by the Principal to select the menu items for the children.

As a cook, Aunty Jenny likes to innovate her cooking with the aim to help children enjoy and eat more. One example is how she intentionally used transparent containers so that children will see the fruits in the jelly and be attracted to eat the fruits and jelly.

Aunty Jenny used to work in private childcare centres before joining MFS. She came across the recruitment banner for MFS Bishan 3 prior to the centre opening. She was initially recruited for the role of a cleaner as the centre had already found a cook. She assumed the role of the cook quite shortly after.

Even though Aunty Jenny is the cook of the centre, she does not limit herself to the role. She assists the team by cleaning the learning spaces bays, and on field trip days, she will also step forward to help to support the teachers, for example, play the role of the traffic marshal while the children board the bus.

As Aunty Jenny sees BS3 as a second home, she always thinks of her centre and colleagues even when she is overseas. She shares that she will always buy interesting items and souvenirs for her colleagues in centre whenever she is overseas.

Jenny Quek 52 years old

l7

8years in MFS

SINCe 2011


Ingredients 600 g fish fillet, cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces

200 g mixed vegetables

350 g cucumber, diced

3 tablespoons corn flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Sauce600 ml chicken stock

5 tablespoons tomato ketchup

5 teaspoons sugar

3 tablespoons cornflour

75 ml water

Method• Marinate fish with cornflour and salt in

a bowl. Set aside for 15-30 minutes.

• Mix corn flour with water.

• Mix the chicken stock, ketchup and sugar in a pan and bring to boil.

• Add the cornflour/water mix gradually and whisk all the time.

• Add the vegetables and cook for a minute.

• Heat vegetable oil in a separate pan over medium heat. Pan-fry fish until cooked through and lightly browned on both sides.

• Transfer the pan-fried fish to a large plate. Pour the sauce over the fish. Serve hot.

with SWeet and sour SAuce

Lunch

tips

Fish FilletFish Fillet

Ng Mee Lan, or affectionately known as Aunty Ng, is well-loved by her colleagues and children in her centre located at Jalan Sultan.

Aunty Ng has been working as a Cook for about 14 years now. In the previous 12 years, before joining MFS, Aunty Ng worked as a cook with a 12-hour residential catering-cum-buffet service. Back then, she used to work 12 hours daily in order to provide for her family.

As her children had all grown up and started working, Aunty Ng decided to look for another job with shorter working hours. When there was an opportunity to join MFS back in early 2018, Aunty Ng seized the opportunity.

Aunty Ng enjoys cooking and her interactions with the children and teachers. She shares that she feels most energetic when she is able to see the children daily. She added that children make her feel young all again. The ability to help children who are non-vegetables eaters to start and eventually like eating vegetables gives Aunty Ng a sense of satisfaction.

Aunty Ng appreciates the nice compliments from the teachers about her cooking. For example, staff mention that ever since Aunty Ng had joined the centre as a Cook, they no longer have the craving to have other food items for lunch.

Aunty Ng is passionate about cooking for her colleagues. She takes pride in cooking for them, especially for their birthdays. Aunty Ng remembers the birthdays of all of her colleagues and will bake a cake and cook special dishes such as Teriyaki Chicken Wings to celebrate their birthdays.

Aunty Ng shared that she feels younger and younger as she spends time with the children and the teachers, and had even started growing black hair.

Ng Mee Lan 62 years old

l8

2years in MFS

SINCe 2018


Ingredients 100 g button mushrooms

100 g straw mushrooms

1.5 litre chicken or vegetable stock

2 slices ginger

200 g carrots, scrubbed clean and thinly sliced

600 g choy sum, sliced

750 g fish fillets, cut into small pieces

1 pack egg tofu, sliced about 1.5 cm thick

1 tablespoon corn flour

Method• Cut both button and straw mushrooms

into halves. Set aside.

• Heat stock, add in mushrooms, carrots and ginger. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

• Add fish, tofu and choy sum to wok and simmer 5 minutes more or until fish is just cooked. Thicken with corn starch and serve hot with rice.

Slice Fish wIth Tofu, Mushroom and VegetAbles

Lunch

HotpotHotpot

Azlinawati Binti Abdul Malek or affectionately known as Aunty Lina, feels empowered as a Cook with MFS because she is able to make decisions and to cook what she enjoys according to shared menu.

If Aunty Lina notices that the mood of the teachers need some boosting, she would cook her specialities, and this will always work to improve the mood of the teachers. This effort makes Aunty Lina very happy as she is to make a difference to the teachers’ day in the childcare centre.

At one of the Centre Attendants’ appreciation days, the centre’s children and teachers planned a surprise for her and the other CAs in the centre, which Aunty Lina felt really touched and loved. Such gestures by the children and teachers gives Aunty Lina the motivation and confidence to continue cooking delicious and well-balanced food in the centre.

Prior to joining MFS, Aunty Lina was a school’s Home Economics Assistant Teacher, where she would prepare ingredients needed for lessons and also support the teachers to guide the students on steps to cook and prepare meals.

When Aunty Lina and her family re-located to the Boon Lay region, she started her small home-based business in baking. One day then in 2017, Aunty Lina came across a newspapers’ job posting for a Cook’s position in MFS. She then tried applying with the hope of securing a job with a more stable income and CPF contribution. Aunty Lina proudly shared that she has not looked back since.

Though Aunty Lina is an experienced cook, she still aspires to learn and to be better. During her free time, she continues to bake and experiment with new recipes. Aunty Lina is currently learning how to make figurines for cake decorations.

One of Aunty Lina’s daughters has also inherited her passion for cooking and is currently pursuing Western Culinary Arts at one of the ITEs.

Azlinawati Binti Abdul Malek 41 years old

l9

4years in MFS

SINCe 2015


Ingredients 800 g fish fillet, cleaned

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce

15 ml honey

1 teaspoon sesame oil

400 g cucumbers

400 g carrots


100 g onions, finely sliced

2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped

2 spring onions, chopped

250 ml vegetable or chicken stock, or water

1/4 teaspoon salt

Method• Rub fish fillet with light soy sauce,

dark soy sauce, honey and sesame oil. Cover and let stand 15 minutes. Halve cucumbers and carrots lengthwise, then thinly slice halves diagonally. Set aside.

• Preheat oven to 190 degrees C.

• Heat vegetable oil in a wok over medium-high heat. When very hot, add onions, garlic, and spring onions. Stir-fry 3-4 minutes or until soft and fragrant.

• Add carrots and cucumbers and fry 1 minute, then add stock or water and salt, cover and reduce heat slightly. Cook 5 minutes, or until vegetables are just tender. Spread vegetable mixture out in a baking tray, making a layer about 1.5 cm thick. Lay fish fillets on top of vegetables in a single layer.

• Bake fish for 10-12 minutes, or until fish is cooked through. Serve fish and vegetables hot, with rice.

Lunch

POINTS TO NOTE

Teriyaki Glazed Fish FilletTeriyaki Glazed Fish Fillet

with Cucumber and CARrot

Quek Lee Hoon or affectionately known as Aunty Quek, has been working in MFS since 2015, and she shared that she is enjoying every single day of her work as a Cook for the young children.

Aunty Quek joined the current centre at Kim Keat in May 2019, and had previously worked at the MFS Toa Payoh 2 centre. Before joining MFS, Aunty Quek had worked as a Cook for about 9 years, working in both private childcare centres and student care centres.

Aunty Quek loves children and enjoys cooking for them. In her current role, Aunty Quek will conscientiously seek ways to improve her cooking skills. Aunty Quek will observe children closely at meal-times to check if the children are eating well. If she sees that the children are not enjoying the food as much as she will like them to, she will also improvise the next day, with the intention to help children to eat more.

Aunty Quek shares that she truly appreciates the many and diverse opportunities provided to her in MFS to attend training and upgrading. Through such sessions, she is able to learn from others, while also able to share her experiences with others.

Aunty Quek’s spirit of excellence, often leads to many compliments from the teachers, the children and their parents. Occasionally, the children’s parents will also request tips from Aunty Quek on cooking nutritious and delicious meals for their children. Aunty Quek feels happiest when she receives such compliments and recognition for her cooking skills, and this continues to motivate her to be a better Cook every day.

Quek Lee Hoon 55 years old

l10

4years in MFS

SINCe 2015


Ingredients 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

100 g onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 kg skinless chicken breast fillet, cut into chunks

1/2 teaspoon pepper

170 g tomato paste

2.5 litres water

150 g long beans, washed and cut into 3 cm pieces

300 g cabbage, cut into shreds about 1 cm wide

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon oyster or mushroom sauce

Juice of 2 limes

Method• Heat vegetable oil in a wok or pot over

medium-high heat. When very hot, add onions and garlic and stir-fry 3-4 minutes or until soft and fragrant.

• Add chicken, pepper, tomato paste and water to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until chicken is just cooked.

• Add long beans, cabbage, sugar, oyster/mushroom sauce and lime juice to stew and simmer 10-15 minutes more, or until vegetables are just tender. Serve hot with rice or bread.

Lunch

Tomato Chicken Stew

Tomato Chicken Stew

Goh Jacqueline or affectionately known as Aunty Jackie, is an asset to the MFS centre located at Hougang 3 with her bubbly and humorous personality. She likes to tell jokes to lift the mood of the teachers whenever they look stressed or tired.

Prior to joining MFS in 2017, Aunty Jackie had worked in main kitchen of a commercial café located at Pasir Panjang.

Aunty Jackie shares that as a Cook, she feels valued by the centre’s Principal as she is empowered to suggest improvements to the centre’s kitchen given her experience at a commercial café. She had since revamped the centre’s kitchen, making it comfortable enough to host anyone to sit inside her kitchen to enjoy her cooking. She added that her deepest sense of satisfaction is derived from seeing the children, teachers and her Principal eat the food that she cooked in the childcare centre. For Aunty Jackie, MFS at Hougang 3 is one happy workplace that she hopes to stay on for a very long time.

Aunty Jackie is happiest seeing the children finishing all the food served at meal-times. She recognises the important purpose of providing healthy food for the children, and will always be thinking of various ways to encourage children to eat vegetables, for example, by interacting with the children, sharing with them the benefits of eating vegetables.

Aunty Jackie shares that due her having to battle with the cooking oil and smoke from cooking, hence she is most diligent with her daily routine of pampering her face with the use of face-masks. To keep herself fresh and healthy, Aunty Jackie will also do stretching exercise every morning before coming in to work.

Aunty Jackie is also actively involved in her cell group meeting every fortnight when she will also whip up delicious food such as cauliflower fried rice for her friends. She also enjoys doing cross stitch during her free time.

Goh Jacqueline 59 years old

l11

2years in MFS

SINCe 2017


Ingredients egg mixture10 eggs

500 ml chicken or vegetable stock

300 g minced/diced chicken

100 g button mushrooms, cleaned and coarsely chopped

200 g carrots, cut into pieces

1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Method• Beat all eggs mixture ingredients

together until blended.

• Strain into a steaming dish – eggs should not be more than 3 cm deep – and steam for 15-25 minutes or until set.

• Serve hot, with rice.

Lunch

with Minced CHicken, Mushroom and CArrot

Steamed EggSteamed Egg

TeaTea Made with Love

Left to Right: Madam Rohayah, Madam Amimah and Madam Sakunthla with Chef Bernard

discussing baking tips.

Jitkhot Jitanan or affectionately known as Aunty Jit, was from Thailand and is today a Singaporean PR.

Aunty Jit had previously worked with MFS under an outsourced company but had since June 2019, converted to be a permanent MFS employee.

Aunty Jit enjoys cooking and interactions with young children. She shares that she is very thankful for the opportunity to work as a cook in MFS, and that the MFS’ childcare centre located at Parkway Parade is like a second home to her.

Aunty Jit happiest when she sees that all the staff members and children enjoying her food. She also finds it very gratifying that children and their parents share compliments with her on her good cooking skills.

Aunty Jit started her work in the MFS centre at Parkway Parade as a cleaner. Some 4 years ago, the then-Principal of the centre knew of Aunty Jit’s skills and interest in cooking, and offered her the Cook’s position in the centre. Since then, Aunty Jit has been happiest as she has been able to do something of her interest.

Aunty Jit was from Thailand, and she used to own a Thai Food Restaurant with a friend in Singapore. As the hours were long and she had already working at the MFS centre at Parkway Parade, she then decided to stop her business and to instead focus on her work in the centre. Aunty Jit is very skilful at cooking authentic Thai dishes including Tom Yam Soup and Green Curry, which her colleagues thoroughly enjoy.

Although Aunty Jit is a cook by profession, she shares that she seldom cooks at home, and does so only when her son has a craving for her cooking during the weekends.

Jitkhot Jitanan 53 years old

T1

7years in MFS

SINCe 2012

Makes 24 minI-muffINs (about 3 cm wide) or 12 large muffins (about 6 To 7 cm wide)

Ingredients 200 g plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 eggs

200 ml low fat milk

1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

100 ml vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

160 g canned sweetcorn

2 low fat cheese slices, cut into small pieces

Method• Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.

Lightly grease 24 mini-muffin tins or 12 large muffin tins.

• Sift flour and baking powder together into a bowl. Set aside.

• Whisk eggs, milk, vegetable oil, sugar and salt together until smooth. Stir in sweetcorn, then pour everything into dry ingredients. Stir with a spoon until just blended – a few small lumps are ok.

• Divide batter between prepared tins. Sprinkle cheese bits over batter. Bake mini-muffins for 9-10 minutes and large muffins for 13-15 minutes. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the centre of one comes out damp but clean. Let muffins cool on rack.

TeA

POINTS TO NOTE

Cheese and Sweetcorn

Muffin

Cheese and Sweetcorn

Muffin

Sakunthla d/o Chelladurai, or affectionately known as Aunty Sakun, is one of the longest serving Cooks in MFS.

Aunty Sakun shares that she prefers working to staying at home and she is happiest working at MFS at Bukit Panjang as all of the teachers and children are very nice to her. She feels the sense of accomplishment when the children tell her that her food is nice and when teachers provide good feedback on her cooking. Shepherd’s Pie is her speciality and it is so popular that it is a monthly item everyone looks forward to.

Aunty Sakun also likes working in MFS Bukit Panjang as the centre is located near to her home, and the work hours also allow her to attend to various family commitments and spend time with her children.

Aunty Sakun shares that working in MFS allows her to feel appreciated. Besides the daily nice and warm gestures shown by the children, teachers and Principal, Aunty Sakun recalled that the company would organise Centre Attendants Appreciation Day, and senior management would visit the centres and present tokens of appreciation to the Cooks and Cleaners in the centre, and these gestures warm her heart and provides her with much encouragement.

Aunty Sakun had learnt a lot through the past 16 years working in MFS. She felt a sense of recognition when she was tasked to train new cooks and impart her cooking skills to the new team.

Aunty Sakun was a housewife before joining MFS. Besides being a passionate cook, she also loves pets. She has a 10-year-old dog and 6 love birds at home. During her free time, Aunty Sakun enjoys watching television programmes with her family and pets.

Sakunthla D/o Chelladurai59 years old

T2

16years in MFS

SINCe 2003

Makes one 23-cm square CAke, which can be sliced to Serve 20-25 children.

Makes About 4 liTres chRySanthemuM tea, serving 15-20 children.

Ingredients 5 eggs

2 egg yolks

220 g sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

230 g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons low fat milk

30 ml vegetable oil

100 g raisins

Ingredients 200 g chrysanthemum

30 red dates

4 litres water

50 g rock sugar

1 tablespoons honey

Method• Sift flour and baking powder together

into a bowl.

• Whisk eggs, egg yolks, sugar, salt and vanilla together until smooth. Fold in sieved flour and baking powder and mix till well blended.

• Add in low fat milk, vegetable oil and raisins till well incorporated. Pour flour mixture into baking cake tin.

• When water is heated in steamer, put baking tin in and steam for about 30 minutes, or till it is done by inserting a toothpick into its centre, and comes out damp but clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Method• Combine chrysanthemum, red dates

and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cover, leaving lid open a crack, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

• Add rock sugar and honey and simmer until sugar has dissolved. Serve drink warm or at room temperature.

TeA

Homemade Chrysanthemum with Red Date and Honey Drink Homemade Chrysanthemum with Red Date and Honey Drink

Steamed Raisin Cake

Steamed Raisin Cake

BONUS MENU

Fu Shaoni, or affectionately known as Aunty Fu to the children in her centre, enjoys cooking and interacting with young children.

Prior to joining MFS, Aunty Fu worked at an electronics multi-national company. Aunty Fu joined MFS when her children were younger as she found the working hours in MFS to be better able to cater to her family needs.

Aunty Fu shares that she enjoys working in Tampines 1 as it offers a familiar environment as she had been working in the same centre over the past 9 years, hence the centre is just like second home to her. MFS has also provided her with multiple and diverse learning opportunities during her almost decade stay.

When Aunty Fu first joined MFS, she had no clue on how to bake cakes for the children. Fast forward the time to the present, after many years of trying and experimenting, she is now proudest to share that she is able to bake delicious cakes for the children to enjoy at afternoon tea breaks. Aunty Fu will also patiently coax the prickly eaters among the children to enjoy the benefits of eating well.

Her key job satisfaction come from praises from children when they enjoy her food and shows their affection for her by addressing her frequently in the centre. The younger children also express their love for her by hugging her when they spot her in their classrooms. Children who had since graduated will also come back to visit her at the centre and share with her that they miss her cooking.

During her free time, Aunty Fu enjoys bonding with both her sons aged 14 and 15 through swimming and cycling. She also enjoys singing at the KTV with her friends. Aunty Fu also enjoys outings to Korean Buffet with the other Centre Attendants in her centre.

Fu Shaoni 42 years old

T3

9.5years in MFS

SINCe 2009


Ingredients 100 g plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

125 g chapati flour

250 g carrots, scrubbed clean

1 orange, scrubbed clean


280 g brown sugar

6 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt


Grease base and sides of a 23 cm square cake tin and line base of tin with baking paper.

• Sift plain flour, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda together into a bowl. Add chapati flour and stir until thoroughly mixed together. Set aside.

• Grate carrots into a bowl. Finely grate zest of orange and add to carrots. Cut orange in half and squeeze out juice, then add juice to carrots. Set aside.

• Combine vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, salt and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat for 2 minutes, until smooth and thick. Beat in carrots until blended. Add dry ingredients to carrots mixture and stir gently until blended.

• Pour batter into prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted into its centre comes out damp but clean. Transfer cake to a rack to cool.

TeA

Wholewheat Carrot CakeWholewheat Carrot Cake

Yong Yen Fun, or affectionately known as Aunty Yong to the teachers and children, enjoys cooking and spending time with the young children in her centre.

Aunty Yong simply loves children as she finds them innocent and yet most genuine with their words and actions.

Aunty Yong shares that she appreciates the many and different opportunities available in MFS to learn new skills other than cooking, for example, she has picked up skills on how to talk or handle a difficult child.

Separately, Aunty Yong will spend time to actively listen to the children’s feedback about her cooking, and she will consider the feedback to improve her cooking skills.

Aunty Yong shares that the older children in her centre will ask her what she will be cooking for the day. At the MFS centre at Sembawang Shopping Centre, one of the children’s favourite food is the Curry Bun that Aunty Yong makes. She shares that while baking the Curry Buns, the children can smell the fragrance of the buns and will tell her “Aunty Yong, today we must be eating Curry Bun!”. Aunty Yong is happiest that the children look forward to enjoying the food that she painstakingly prepares for them.

Aunty Yong has 2 daughters. She started working as a cook in a private childcare centre when her younger daughter started school in the same childcare centre. Aunty Yong work in this private childcare centre for about 5 years before joining MFS, after being referred by one of the MFS’ Cluster Quality Managers.

Yong Yen Fun 47 years old

T4

4years in MFS

SINCe 2015


Ingredients 6 eggs

160 g sugar


75 g margarine, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

250 g sugee (semolina)

2 teaspoons baking powder, sifted

1/4 teaspoon salt

125 ml orange juice

100 ml water

100 g sugar


Grease base and sides of a 23 cm square cake tin and line base of tin with baking paper.

• Sift plain flour, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda together into a bowl. Add chapati flour and stir until thoroughly mixed together. Set aside.

• Grate carrots into a bowl. Finely grate zest of orange and add to carrots. Cut orange in half and squeeze out juice, then add juice to carrots. Set aside.

• Combine vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, salt and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat for 2 minutes, until smooth and thick. Beat in carrots until blended. Add dry ingredients to carrots mixture and stir gently until blended.

• Pour batter into prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted into its centre comes out damp but clean. Transfer cake to a rack to cool.

TeA

Orange Sugee CakeOrange Sugee Cake

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