My friend Lani makes the most amazing salads. They’re always a Technicolor delight with colors spanning the rainbow—green, purple, orange, red. A dish pleasing to the eye always entices eating, that's what I say. Sweet, sour, salty, crispy, crunchy--they have all the required elements to ignite...
When I first met Shulie Madnick, I was confused. With straight, black tresses skimming her shoulders, an olive-brown complexion, and pretty almond eyes that crinkled at the corners when she smiled, Shulie looked South Asian. Yet she had an indistinguishable (to me!) lilt to her...
Frying an egg Thai-style (or Indonesian-style for that matter!) requires quite a bit of oil so that the edges crisp up nicely. In fact, you're almost deep frying it. Use the smallest frying pan you own (I used a 7-inch pan and it was perfect)...
This absolutely delightful recipe comes from Shulie Madnick of FoodWanderings.com. It's both tasty and very pretty, flecks of green jalapeño twinkling against a blanket of yellow-tinted rice. It’s fabulous covered in curry or makes a showstopping side dish at your next barbecue or potluck. Some tips from Shulie:...
This week, I found this beautiful specimen in my vegetable and fruit box, vaguely listed as “Asian lettuce mix.” Dirt still clinging to its roots, the bunch showed off a surprising array of appendages--frills, jagged edges, flat ovals, all in shades of green transfiguring into...
“Authentic” is a loaded word, especially when it comes to food. In Singapore—where I was raised, and in my opinion, the birthplace of Asian fusion cuisine—authentic is subjective. Mee goreng, a local favorite, brings together Chinese egg noodles, Western potatoes, bottled tomato ketchup and Indian...
When pickles and tea are put together in the same sentence, one might think of lahpet thoke, the Burmese pickled tea salad I first savored at San Francisco restaurant Burma Superstar. Or perhaps one’s favorite victuals—I for one love pickles and tea, but usually consumed...
We all know about Lunar New Year, celebrated most notably by Chinese and Vietnamese in January or February every year. However, under-the-radar new year festivities take place at the start of spring. Lao New Year is celebrated as a three-day-long festival from April 13-15 (it can...
Many recipes claim to be quick and easy, but few live up to expectations. With the craziness of the holiday season, I've been wanting--and needing—quick-to-pull-together lunches. Given the choice, I prefer not to have cold lunches so sandwiches or salads are out. In the end, I...
My earliest memory of eating vegetables involves my mother chasing me around the living room balancing a plateful of stir-fried spinach and rice in one hand, and desperately trying to shove dinner spoonful-by-spoonful past my uncooperative lips with the other. I must admit I’ve come a...
