New Year Pineapple

I was indeed most surprised to see this little pineapple in our garden.  My maid had chopped off the "crown" of a pineapple we had bought and planted it some time ago and quite frankly, I never expected it to bear fruit.  Mum says it is a "good" sign - plenty of "ong" (good luck and prosperity) for the new year - I hope she's right!

Incidentally I was amused to read an email the other day about pig trotters being the latest anti-ageing food because they are rich in collagen.  Well, that's something new to me because in my younger days, I remember we were forbidden to eat pig trotters because it was believed that one will become a spinster if we ate them!  Whenever our amah felt like cooking "too kah or chor" (pig trotters in black vinegar) which is supposed to be a delicacy, the dish was placed in a remote corner of the table so that it would be out of our reach.  I have never found pig trotters tempting enough to eat and risk spinsterhood (more a matter of personal choice, I think whether one is single or wedded ) - strangely enough, those who have pooh-poohed this "old wives' tale" and eaten them are happily married today!  Which goes to say that one cannot believe everything that one hears ....

Pig trotters anyone?