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)...
Yes, it’s summer and the idea of cooking anything (grilling excepted), let alone stir-frying over a hot wok, can trigger fainting spells. I have a confession to make. I cook and eat soups, stews, hot pastas, and all manner of Asian rice dishes (fried rice, Hainanese...
When we lived in Central California, we often weekend-tripped to San Francisco to visit friends. We had a standard list of must-do’s: cable car rides, City Lights Books, dim sum, Burma Superstar restaurant, the California Academy of Sciences, etc...
At the start of the summer grilling season, I never fail to recall childhood backyard barbecues when the adults swilled cold beer and we children devoured sweet, fresh watermelon, juice dripping down our chins. Instead of the ribs and hamburgers that were de rigueur in 1980s America...
The annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival has kicked off and runs from June 25 to 29, July 2 to 6 on the National Mall in Washington D.C. The spotlight this year is on China (and Kenya). Every year, the festival’s highlights include food booths and cooking demos (at...
I love my pork chops two ways. One, of course, is my mom’s version. Breaded and pan-fried, these lovelies turn out crisp and golden on the outside, juicy on the inside every time (that Mom makes them, that is). The second is honey-garlic pork chops, a...
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:...
As soon as my mom ascends the stairs and disappears into the guest room, I arrange the mise en place for rolling spring rolls (or lumpia as they're called in Indonesian) on the kitchen table: a stack of wrappers, a bowl of ground pork and bamboo...
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...
