Pili nuts are similar to almonds but with a richer, creamier taste. They are plentiful in Maluku, a province comprised of nearly a thousand islands. The province was once known as the Moluccas or The Spice Islands, a historic trading hub for the visiting merchants...
Award-winning Indonesian chef, writer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Petty Pandean-Elliott is the author of several bestselling Indonesian cookbooks. In April, Pandean-Elliott launched a comprehensive and personal book presenting 150 accessible recipes interspersed with recollections of her culinary journeys throughout Indonesia, beginning with her childhood memories in...
Nothing beats a warm, comforting bowl of congee (or arroz caldo, or bubur, or whatchamacallit) made by grandma, especially when you’re sick. Not many of us still have that luxury. In fact, we’re probably the ones doing the cooking. Making congee is definitely a labor...
My mom doesn’t waste food. She never has, doesn’t now, and never will. A friend joked that there’s a term for that: CCW—cheap Chinese woman. Jokes aside, I was well aware as a little girl that Mom was very conscious of stretching the ingredients she bought...
Although Lady Spring teased us with her glorious appearance this past weekend, the upcoming snow in the forecast reminds us that it's still winter. And there's nothing better than a steamy bowl of rice porridge when you're in need of something warm and comforting for both your soul...
A decade ago, hardly anyone understood what the term "gluten-free" meant, celiac disease was very under-the-radar, and finding gluten-free products at the grocery store was challenging. Today, just about everything sold at the grocery store is gluten-free, even water and face cream! (Yes, I'm being facetious.)...
Heady spices like coriander and cumin mingle with coconut milk in this lovely chicken curry, one of my favorite childhood dishes. I’ve tweaked it a little to make it simpler to prepare but don’t worry, it’s just as tasty. The slow oven technique (thank you...
As promised, today’s blog post focuses on a dumpling to please your fried-food fiend of a friend (try saying that 10 times fast!). These dumplings are of course, fried wontons. To be fair, I don’t think fried food lovers should be pigeon-holed. Because honestly, who...
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...
With July 4th right around the corner, it's time to get serious about grilling. And if you've ever been a victim of tough, dry meat fresh off the flames, you'll want to read this. I'm not going to talk about techniques or equipment--I'll leave that to the...
