RECIPES FROM THE HEART

To many, the kitchen is the heart of the home. And when one spends long periods of time overseas at deployments or exercises, the kitchen is often the place to recreate feelings of being back at home.

This was Mrs Julie Hoo's inspiration for producing a cookbook that celebrates the shared experiences of the wives of officers in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

While travelling with her husband, Chief of Air Force Major-General Hoo Cher Mou, Mrs Hoo spoke to the wife of an SAF defence attache, who wished that she could share with her international counterparts something that was representative of both Singapore and the SAF.

Seeing that food formed an important part of Singaporean culture, and drawing on her own experiences accompanying her husband on overseas deployments, Mrs Hoo felt that the officers' wives could relate to comfort foods that were easily made with simple ingredients.

"Travelling overseas with our husbands without the support of our (extended) families, many families have learnt to cook our own Singapore recipes away from home," said Mrs Hoo. "And many of us have the same sort of stories. It's about the memories and the times you had to fend for yourself and do things that you missed from home."

"That's the way I survived when my husband was posted overseas, because if you want comfort food, you just have to rely on the things that you can bring from home," she added candidly.

Titled, "Secret Recipes of the SAF Officers' Wives Club", the cookbook is a collection of 30 home-style recipes contributed by the members of the SAF Officers' Wives Club (OWC).

The book was launched at the SAF OWC's 41st Anniversary celebrations, held at the relocated Temasek Club on 7 Nov. Guest-of-Honour Professor Ivy Ng, the wife of Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen, officiated at the opening of the new SAF OWC Room in Temasek Club.

Speaking to cyberpioneer at the anniversary celebrations, President of OWC Mrs Lynn Lim explained that, since its inception in 1974, the Club had played an important role in supporting the wives of servicemen.

"The OWC's mission was to help wives develop a greater understanding of a career in the SAF, and seek moral support through networking and participating in the activities. This mission is still very relevant today because the nature of the SAF career is such that duty to the nation comes first, and the long stretches of local exercises and overseas assignments do take a toll on the wives and families," said Mrs Lim.

Ms Yip Pui Wan, 42, appreciated the chance to meet other military families. She said: "It's a good opportunity to connect with the people whom my husband works with, and their families. In the process, mingling with the wives and children helps us to understand the challenges that officers' families face, and we support each other along the way. The kids also get to understand what their fathers are involved in, on a day-to-day basis."

Married to Colonel Foong Kok Pun, Commander of the Naval Military Expert Institute, Ms Yip has been a member of the OWC for about 16 years. She is also one of the contributors to the cookbook, sharing two vegetable dishes inspired by her mother-in-law, who is a vegetarian.

Like Ms Yip, fellow contributor Ms Koh Wei Ling also shared recipes that held a special place in the family kitchen. "The recipe for the beef stew I contributed is close to my heart, because my husband loves beef. We searched the Internet for recipes and, through trial and error, came up with our own version," said Ms Koh, who has been an OWC member since she married infantry officer Major Chen Ting Wei about four years ago.

During the event, the SAF OWC also presented a charity cheque to the SAF Benevolent Fund, which provides welfare support to service personnel in need. The Club had raised a total of $6457.20 through the sale of cookies earlier this year.

Mrs Lim explained that, whenever the opportunity arose, the SAF OWC would carry out fundraising events such as this, and do its part for the community.