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Eurasian flavour for Christmas
Story and photos by GRACE CHEN
Pamela Jones and her family have their own Christmas traditions. The first thing Pamela Jones
wanted to make clear was Tom Jones was no relation of hers. This opening line, according to the
61-year-old mother of three and grandmother of nine, had been her surefire ice-breaker after her
marriage to husband Edward, 62.
Annual tradition: Pamela Jones showing off her sugee cake, a sweetmeat that takes centrestage
during Christmas. “We are a typical Eurasian family,” said Jones proudly. Explaining their chap
chung (Chinese term for mixed parentage) status, Jones, 61, revealed that she is of Portugese,
Irish and Nyonya descent. Her husband, Edward has Welsh and Javanese blood. The result of this
exotic mix are good looks and even greater food!
In her own right, Jones is an accomplished baker of 40 years with her sugee cake, fruit cakes and
beautifully sculpted sugar paste flowers making their way to the tables of royalty, notably the 80th
birthday of the Sultan of Kedah in December 2007. Her love of baking was encouraged by her late
father, Alfred William King, who bought her an oven when she was 14. “Another reason I have
chosen to pursue cake baking as a business is because I like to be my own boss,” revealed this
stalwart character whose work has been featured in numerous magazines. But come Christmas,
this convivial lady cooks up a storm for her loved ones. “It is tradition that I bake my casserole pie
and Debel curry,” she said proudly. Supper treat: The casserole pie is served after midnight mass
on Christmas eve. “The moment I tell my children that I am baking a pie, they will turn up for
dinner,” laughed Jones.
And what a pie she makes! Beneath the golden short crust pastry is a light stew of potatoes and
carrots with boiled eggs, whole pieces of chicken, sausages and beef balls. It is, she revealed, a
recipe that has been passed down three generations and she learned how to make it from her late
mother, Gwendolyn Derozario. Spicy: Debel curry The pie, said Jones, usually takes pride of place
on Christmas Eve as a supper treat for her children and relatives after midnight mass. The Debel
curry that is served for lunch on Christmas day, has her mother’s Portugese influence. “I want to
emphasise that it is pronounced as ‘day bell’ and not ‘devil’,” pointed out Jones firmly. “The curry
has no coconut milk and our version has sausages in it. This practice stemmed from the time
when fresh chicken was scarce during war time. Over the years, our family grew to like the taste so
the sausages stayed. In fact, we also used to add roasted pork, but we had to leave that out for
health reasons,” said Jones.
Come Christmas, the buzz in Jones’ kitchen also sees the constant baking of sugee cakes and
pineapple jam tarts for sale. Christine, 33, Jones’ daughter said that during the Chirstmas
season, they have a standing order for 2,500 tarts, not including a reservation of another 800
pieces for family and friends. Edward, who has been helping to prepare the pineapples for the
jam, is very close to waving the white flag but as the saying goes, ‘When the going gets tough, the
tough get going’, and Eurasian guys are tough blokes.
Must-have: Popular pineapple jam tarts. Another Christmas staple is Jones’ sugee cake, which
she tops with almond paste and fondant icing to give it a festive feel. “The sugee cake is a must for
Eurasians, be it weddings or Christmas. The best part for me is the almond paste topping. I
strongly believe that there should be no more additions,” affirmed this traditionalist who opined
that the introduction of other flavours like orange and fruits will ruin the taste.
The season is never short of cheer for Jones. One Chistmas, her American brother-in-law, Paul
King, now 64, came downstairs with a loud ‘Ho Ho Ho’ in a Santa Claus suit he brought all the way
from the US. However for this year, Jones has but only one Christmas wish and that is for her
eldest son, Errol, who is residing in the US, to make a trip home. “It’s quite sad having a child living
so far away. It took me 17 years to accept that,” she sighed.
For enquiries into Jones’ jam tarts, sugee and fruit cakes, call 03-79815179. She also conducts
baking classes.
The Star Online
Sunday December 7, 2008
Story and photos by GRACE CHEN
Pamela Jones and her family have their own Christmas traditions. The first thing Pamela Jones
wanted to make clear was Tom Jones was no relation of hers. This opening line, according to the
61-year-old mother of three and grandmother of nine, had been her surefire ice-breaker after her
marriage to husband Edward, 62.
Annual tradition: Pamela Jones showing off her sugee cake, a sweetmeat that takes centrestage
during Christmas. “We are a typical Eurasian family,” said Jones proudly. Explaining their chap
chung (Chinese term for mixed parentage) status, Jones, 61, revealed that she is of Portugese,
Irish and Nyonya descent. Her husband, Edward has Welsh and Javanese blood. The result of this
exotic mix are good looks and even greater food!
In her own right, Jones is an accomplished baker of 40 years with her sugee cake, fruit cakes and
beautifully sculpted sugar paste flowers making their way to the tables of royalty, notably the 80th
birthday of the Sultan of Kedah in December 2007. Her love of baking was encouraged by her late
father, Alfred William King, who bought her an oven when she was 14. “Another reason I have
chosen to pursue cake baking as a business is because I like to be my own boss,” revealed this
stalwart character whose work has been featured in numerous magazines. But come Christmas,
this convivial lady cooks up a storm for her loved ones. “It is tradition that I bake my casserole pie
and Debel curry,” she said proudly. Supper treat: The casserole pie is served after midnight mass
on Christmas eve. “The moment I tell my children that I am baking a pie, they will turn up for
dinner,” laughed Jones.
And what a pie she makes! Beneath the golden short crust pastry is a light stew of potatoes and
carrots with boiled eggs, whole pieces of chicken, sausages and beef balls. It is, she revealed, a
recipe that has been passed down three generations and she learned how to make it from her late
mother, Gwendolyn Derozario. Spicy: Debel curry The pie, said Jones, usually takes pride of place
on Christmas Eve as a supper treat for her children and relatives after midnight mass. The Debel
curry that is served for lunch on Christmas day, has her mother’s Portugese influence. “I want to
emphasise that it is pronounced as ‘day bell’ and not ‘devil’,” pointed out Jones firmly. “The curry
has no coconut milk and our version has sausages in it. This practice stemmed from the time
when fresh chicken was scarce during war time. Over the years, our family grew to like the taste so
the sausages stayed. In fact, we also used to add roasted pork, but we had to leave that out for
health reasons,” said Jones.
Come Christmas, the buzz in Jones’ kitchen also sees the constant baking of sugee cakes and
pineapple jam tarts for sale. Christine, 33, Jones’ daughter said that during the Chirstmas
season, they have a standing order for 2,500 tarts, not including a reservation of another 800
pieces for family and friends. Edward, who has been helping to prepare the pineapples for the
jam, is very close to waving the white flag but as the saying goes, ‘When the going gets tough, the
tough get going’, and Eurasian guys are tough blokes.
Must-have: Popular pineapple jam tarts. Another Christmas staple is Jones’ sugee cake, which
she tops with almond paste and fondant icing to give it a festive feel. “The sugee cake is a must for
Eurasians, be it weddings or Christmas. The best part for me is the almond paste topping. I
strongly believe that there should be no more additions,” affirmed this traditionalist who opined
that the introduction of other flavours like orange and fruits will ruin the taste.
The season is never short of cheer for Jones. One Chistmas, her American brother-in-law, Paul
King, now 64, came downstairs with a loud ‘Ho Ho Ho’ in a Santa Claus suit he brought all the way
from the US. However for this year, Jones has but only one Christmas wish and that is for her
eldest son, Errol, who is residing in the US, to make a trip home. “It’s quite sad having a child living
so far away. It took me 17 years to accept that,” she sighed.
For enquiries into Jones’ jam tarts, sugee and fruit cakes, call 03-79815179. She also conducts
baking classes.
The Star Online
Sunday December 7, 2008
| Please call Pamela or Christine - Tel: (6) 03 798 151 79 |
 |  |  |  |  |
