One of my favorite snacks as a kid was spicy tapioca crisps, or chips as preferred in the U.S. These crisps are potato chips’ exotic, far-flung cousins made with tapioca (also called cassava, manioc, yuca) instead of potatoes and shellacked in a sweet, spicy, tangy...
I was a yogurt-making novice until my first year of marriage. That was 13 years ago. My impetus wasn’t being a Mrs. Nor was I inspired to become more of a homebody because we were living in the English countryside. The culprit was actually an insulated flask I...
Time: 10 minutes, plus 2 hours chilling time Makes: 6 servings As odd as the combination of ingredients in this dish may sound, they actually play very well together. And it's a wonderful, not-so-ordinary, way to use up the bushels of fruit that show up in summer. After...
My first taste of the lychee (also spelled "litchi") fruit came from a can. I can still remember biting into soft, milky white flesh, a sweet floral taste bursting in my mouth. It was definitely love at first bite and it’s stuck with me. When I was...
I have vivid memories of the annual dragon boat festival, also called Duan Wu Jie (端午节) or Double Fifth Festival (because it occurs on the 5th day of the 5th month of the traditional lunar calendar). Most of the time, we watched the dragon boat races (the...
After all the snow and freezing cold temps we’ve been having, I never thought I’d see the end of winter. But spring is finally here and the cherry blossoms blooming outside my window are proof of it! And that means it’s time for hanami. Hanami—or flower...
Early Monday morning, March 23, 2015, Singapore’s former prime minster, Lee Kuan Yew, passed away. You may not recognize his name but know this: Singapore wouldn’t be the affluent metropolis and economic heavyweight it is today without this great man. Under Mr. Lee's 31-year leadership, this island...
I don't know why, but snowy days and cold weather tend to bring on a bout of nostalgia. The temperatures dipped into the teens and about 10 inches of snow fell on Tuesday, unusual for Northern Virginia. As I was curling up on my couch and...
When it comes to anecdotes about chocolates and life, the most famous quote of all has to be Forrest Gump’s: "Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." Recently, I discovered another quote in a book by...
A few months ago, I was given a complimentary one month supply of Red Bean Box, a monthly service that delivers gourmet Asian snacks to your doorstep every month. I was impressed with the tasty, high-quality selection: almond cookies, ginger chews, sesame rolls, and to my delight,...
