A sizzling, sozzled soiree

Simple does it - that was the mantra agreed, when three of us gathered to spend some time together to while away a humid Saturday evening amidst brewing romance and drama.

Our first glass of sauvignon blanc overlooking the lovely green backyard. The table is set for some simple DIY sizzle, courtesy of Tefal's Excelio Comfort grill & griddle, which promises smokeless grilling!

Arf Arf, goes excited Zigsar, the resident canine.

I contributed some homemade salsa to provide some semblance of balance to the meal - this one had diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, red chillies, a handful of chopped toasted cashew and almond nuts, cilantro, lemon and lime juice and macadamia oil. Well-received, thank you thank you!

To stave off hunger pangs, we crunched on store-bought organic corn chips dipped in zesty aioli.

MS had ordered a modest selection of goodies from Painia, apparently Penang's favourite BBQ marinated meat stockist. I learned for the first time that Painia, which operates out of a residential home in Minden Heights, has been around for eons. And that one would be hard-pressed to encounter Penang folks who have not at least enjoyed some of Painia's sausages, ham, minces, burger patties, marinated BBQ meat or meatloaf growing up. Unless I'd been suffering from retrograde amnesia, it appears my childhood was not as blessed as I had been led to believe.

For those interested to find out more about Painia, feel free to contact me directly!

BBQ chicken wings with Painia's signature marinade and sausages galore... the absence of smoke made this a very pleasant outdoor grilling experience but took longer than usual. All the better for us to open our second and third bottles of white while waiting.

Fresh salmon steaks, grilled plain and served with plenty of lemon juice. The insides came out just seared, which rounded off this salmon encounter perfectly.

Finally, after we got into the thick of our wine buzz, the chicken wings called out to us, browned, crisp and juicy. These were simply splendid!

Sausage symphony! I missed out on a pix of the fat cheese-stuffed sausages which just made my evening. I only wish we hadn't started on the red wine that sent me tumbling into a semi-conscious state without having consumed more, incapacitated but gloriously happy.

At this point, other guests turned up and attacked the leftover food while those fed frolicked barefoot in the gardens, danced to Paris (please don't judge!) and finally at midnight, laid serenely supine, quite, quite still on the couch.

Simplicity, how we embrace thee!