Interview with a grandma Archives

Inspiring APA Women in Food: The Home Cook, Keo Choulaphan

15 Mar, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Appetizers, Appetizers/Sides, Interview with a grandma, Kid-friendly, Pan-frying, Pork, Profile

The Smithsonian Institution's Museum Day Live! 2016 event may be over but my series, "Inspiring APA Women in Food," continues to celebrate and empower women and girls of color with the third and final profile. ~~~ When I first met Keo Choulaphan, I was instantly captivated by her elegant features...

Indonesian-Style Pineapple Tarts for Chinese New Year!

07 Feb, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Chinese, Food traditions, Indonesian, Interview with a grandma, Sweets/desserts

The snake may not be my favorite animal but I just learned a very interesting factoid about the Year of the Snake which starts this Sunday, February 10, 2013. Just as a snake sheds its skin, this is a good year for making dramatic transformations,...

My New Orleans Grandma

25 Aug, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Interview with a grandma, Sweets/desserts

The "Dead End" sign next to Mary de Veer's house aptly reflected the mood right after hurricane Katrina struck. (Photo: Chris de Veer) With the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina coming up on August 29, 2008, let us remember the people who survived (and those who didn't) the horrific...

Rolling with Lola

27 Mar, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Filipino, Interview with a grandma, Sweets/desserts

"I'll be making suman for my grandchildren tomorrow and I'll save some ingredients to show you next week when you come," Gloria Santos's cheerful voice came through with a gentle lilt over the phone. Suman (sweet rice cakes rolled in banana leaves) are Gloria's specialty,...

Eating Silver and Gold–Chinese New Year Dumplings

05 Feb, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Appetizers, Celebrations, Chinese, Comfort food, Food traditions, Interview with a grandma

There is a popular Chinese saying: "There is nothing more delicious than jiaozi." Such an accolade no doubt points to the popularity of the simple Chinese dumpling. (Chinese dumplings come in many shapes and sizes but the most common are jiaozi and guotieh. They're essentially the...

Lo bak by any other name is still pork braised in soy sauce

31 Oct, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Chinese, Entrees, Interview with a grandma, Meat

Star anise or aniseed, adds an unmistakable flavor to this popular Chinese pork dish One rainy Seattle morning, I had the pleasure of meeting up with not one, but two, grandmas! My friend Byron Au Yong arranged for me to meet his grandma, Ty Hee Tak, and his aunt...

Burmese Pork Curry

09 Oct, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Burmese, Entrees, Interview with a grandma

Myanmar, or Burma, as many people still call this pie slice-shaped country by the Indian Ocean (the CIA Fact Book explains the name change by the military junta in 1989,) has been in the global public eye of late. We've read the headlines, we've seen the images:...

Aunty Pearlie’s Cantonese-Style Steamed Cake

28 Sep, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Chinese, Interview with a grandma, Sweets/desserts

Aunty Pearlie is not related to me by blood; she is, in fact, my friend Ivy's mother. In Asian culture, we call our friends' parents "aunty" and "uncle" as a form of respect. This was a concept my husband, let's call him hungry_ hobbit (yes, he...

Pickles and Tea Interview with a grandma