Asia to Australasia
You want to switch to eco cling-wrap? Banana leaves are the aluminum foil of South East Asia. Durian is the region's love-it-hate-it fruit. Congee is a Chinese breakfast you might wonder at. They may all be unfamiliar or even seem alarming. So bite instead into soft toro sashimi or spoon into an Australian passion fruit and float away on a striking taste trip. Whatever you're willing to sample, you've got to try a bowl of Vietnamese Phô. It will change your view of soup.
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Eggplant - 1 Jan 2012
There are so many different varieties of this beautiful vegetable. Which kind to use in which recipe? read more...
Chinese mushrooms identified - 1 Dec 2011
Several varieties of Chinese mushrooms are sold dried in Chinese script packages. But which should you use for what? And how can you buy the ones you want if you don't speak Chinese? Here's help. read more...
Eden Center unscrambled - one of my favorite markets - 26 Oct 2011
If you want a trip to Vietnam without leaving the area, head out to the Eden Center on Wilson Boulevard at Seven Corners, just before Route 50 and Route 7 intersect. You won't hear English spoken. The music blaring from the outdoor speakers comes from a local Vietnamese radio station. It's packed with Vietnamese tailors, jewelers, video stores, Chinese medicine practitioners and more. This is the list of food-related outlets, to eat at or to buy ingredients for your home-cooked Vietnamese feast. read more...
Oriental products explained - 7 Oct 2011
Without a working knowledge of Chinese, most of the treasures in a Chinese or Asian supermarket will remain out of reach, on the shelves. Here's a phonetic translation so you can ask what's what. read more...
Love Cake from Sri Lanka - 10 Jul 2011
My Supper Club's assignment last month was a Sri Lankan feast. My assignment, the dessert. Love Cake is a legacy of the Portuguese, when they occupied the island they called Ceylon. read more...
Beggars' Chicken - 30 Jun 2011
With its delicious stuffing, this Shanghai specialty is not a difficult dish and a good one for dinner parties. It holds well if you're not quite sure when the guests will come. Ingredients are readily available at Asian supermarkets. read more...
On The Road: Shanghai cuisine - 30 Jun 2011
Just back from a food trip to Shanghai. Here, to save you the 16-hour flight, is an armchair primer.
Strictly speaking, there is these days no specific Shanghai cuisine. Known among the Chinese as Hu Cai, Shanghai cuisine is the youngest of the major Chinese cuisines, going back a mere 400 years. read more...
Shanghai Soup Dumplings - 30 Jun 2011
You may never make these (though it's more about labor than absolute skill so it's well worth trying). Just read through and admire the effort others go to, to make them for you.
What produces the soup surprise that squirts into your mouth as you bite are tiny lumps of jellied soup that turn back into liquid as you steam-cook the dumplings. read more...
Shanghai tang - 30 Jun 2011
I would write about the food of Shanghai, where I've just been. But what's in the forefront of my memory is the lavatory. And I don't mean hand-basin.
I have witnessed the loo of the future. And it made me scream. Here's the low down, so to speak. (Then I'll tell you about the food...) read more...
Chinese sausages - 4 Feb 2011
Lap cheung - Chinese sausages - are worth having a packet of in the refrigerator. They are cured, not unlike a salami. So they will keep. read more...
Asian Marinade Hickory Grilled New York Strip - 26 Jan 2011
Here's a quick-cooked dish that gives an Asian twist to a marinade for grilled beef. The recipe came from Phet Schwader when he was chef de cuisine at BLT Steak and brings a fresh zing to taste buds that can feel a bit flat at this time of year. read more...
Breakfasts - a good start - 20 Jan 2011
Mom always said you should start the day with a good breakfast. You know she's right. But if you can't face a bowl of cardboard-tasting, horsestall-looking granola, the nations of the world offer other options. And take a look at this week's blog for an update on whether a big (as opposed to your Mom's idea of a 'good') breakfast is such a good idea. read more...
A meal to kill the winter blues. And you. - 17 Jan 2011
The blogger calls it Japan's most dangerous meal. No, it's not fugu fish. But probably just as much of a threat to your digestive system. Still, this post and its photos should make you smile these dull winter days...Sounds like a meal right up "The Splendid Table"'s Michael and Jane Stern's street. read more...
Wheaton Mall's Bubble Tea - 11 Jan 2011
I'm a sucker for bubble tea. It's in a rarity-value class by itself for being something we consume whose ingredients have absolutely no relationship with each other. Sweet tea and pea-size tapioca beads? Ya godda be kiddin' me. It's weird. But wonderful. So it's good to see an outlet that has been so successful it's more than doubled in size. Bubble Tea Cafe in the Wheaton Mall began as a small stall run by a young couple in the middle of the concourse. Now it's evolved into a permanent space upstairs, bustling with people behind the counter. read more...
Filipino markets & finds - 8 Sep 2010
There are wonderful, unfamiliar to many, goodies to discover at Filipino markets. read more...
Thai Chicken Basil with Fried Egg - 11 Aug 2010
Aulie Bunyarataphan, owner-chef of Bangkok Joe's, makes this recipe that's the perfect example of how speedily a Thai dish can be brought to the table. The bulk of the time involved likes in assembling the ingredients for a quick stir fry that preserves flavor and contrast of textures. read more...
Cabbages & Condoms - no, not naughty. - 11 Aug 2010
Traveling in Bangkok, I found this restaurant whose name gives you a whole lot more to talk about when you get home than just the food. Read all about it in my latest story for Dine and Cook. read more...
Oriental fruits identified - 28 Jul 2010
Oriental markets are full of unfamiliar fruits. It's a shame to pass on them because you don't know what they are. read more...
Rice - the long and the short of it - 21 Jul 2010
There are around 10,000 varieties of rice, though only some half dozen reach general stores. Which is best for what? Rice unraveled. read more...
Chinese noodles & curd identified - 2 Jun 2010
While the argument rages over whether the noodle came from China or Italy (with the balance weighing for Marco Polo bringing it back from his travels), food historians actually contend it was introduced into Europe by the Arabs of Sicily and Spain. Whatever the truth, it's worth getting to know the different Oriental noodles, their properties and best uses. read more...
The lunch shift is over and chef Peter Smith, owner of PS 7’s restaurant is surrounded by gin. No, he’s not relaxing over a drink. The gin is in bowls in an pre-formed state. It’s the mash, a mix of herbs and berries and peels and roots that Smith has worked out how to use in his food as flavorings.
Chew On This: Your first 'Duh' of the year...
Eggplant
Baked beans - the musical fruit
Ribollita - wondersoup or wodge?
Yasaman Persian Bakery - one of my favorites
Breads - a good chew
Duck & goose
A festive 'Special': Foie Gras Creme Caramel
Festive presents weird and wacky at World Market
Walnut oil
The perfect Yorkshire pudding
Chew On This: The acai berry diet can only thin your wallet...
The Queen Mum's favorite cake
West Indian Black Cake
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