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edgewaterfarmcsa · 3 years

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CSA WEEK 14

P I C K L I S T

RASPBERRIES!!! - WATERMELON - GREEN KALE - LEMONGRASS - ASIAN EGGPLANT - THAI BASIL - SWEET CARMEN PEPPERS - SHISHITO PEPPERS - DANGJO CHEONG YANG HOT PEP - CARROTS - ONION - GARLIC

Pooh Sprague (original farmer at Edgewater with wife and fastest bean picker Anne) infrequently updates a blog on our website -Pooh’s Corner- that offers his seasonal farming perspective etc… he posted this on Tuesday (September 14th), just in time for the CSA newsletter, thought yall might like checking in on Pooh’s thoughts…

PRO-TIPS:

Shishitooooosssss!! You know what to do, but if you have forgotten: bring these peps right to your pan or grill, shmear in olive oil and fry or grill until popped and blistered. Salt and Devour immediately

FOR NOTES ON LEMONGRASS AND HOW TO USE:

Scroll back to week 10 and read up on all things lemongrass.

BUT FOR MY FAVORITE THING TO DO WITH LEMONGRASS, SEE:

TOM KHA SOUP (Thai coconut chicken soup with chicken, mushroom and coconut milk)

8 oz. (226 g) boneless and skinless chicken, breast or thighs, cut into strips or thin pieces

20 canned straw mushrooms

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

1 cup water

1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 3-inch lengths and pounded

6 kaffir lime leaves , lightly bruised to release the flavor

6 slices galangal

8 bird's eye chilies, lightly pounded

3 tablespoons fish sauce

2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice or to taste

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Add water, lemongrass, galangal, chilies, kaffir lime leaves into a pot and bring it to boil. Add straw mushrooms and chicken and boil it on medium heat for a few minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Add coconut milk and boil for a couple more minutes. Turn off the heat and add lime juice and fish sauce to taste. Add chopped cilantro before serving.

If you can't find galangal, do not use ginger. Ginger is not the substitute for galangal. "Tom Kha" means galangal in Thai. However, if you absolutely can't find galangal and still wish to make this because you love this soup so much, just make it without galangal.

https://rasamalaysia.com/tom-kha-gai-recipe-thai-coconut-chicken-soup/

Spicy eggplant from the burma superstar cook book

Curry style eggplant awesome over rice.

3 Japanese Eggplants, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)

1 teaspoon salt

2 ½ tablespoons canola oil

2 cups finely diced yellow onion

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1-2 Thai chiles, thinly sliced or 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno

1 small dried chile, broken in half, seeds retained

2 teaspoons shrimp paste

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon fish sauce

Handful of fried garlic chips (for how to on garlic chips: again head to our CSA BLOG and scroll back to CSA week 6)

Cilantro or thai basil sprigs for garnish

1 lime or lemon cut into wedges for garnish

Season the eggplant with salt and scatter onto a clean dish towel. Let it sit while you prepare the remaining ingredients, at least 10 minutes. Once the eggplant begins to bead with water, wrap the towel lightly and squeeze to remove excess liquid from the eggplant.

In a wok or pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant, lower the heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, until the eggplant begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the eggplant and transfer to a plate.

Heat the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of oil in the wok. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often to prevent scorching, until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, fresh and fried chiles, and shrimp paste and cook until the onions are completely soft and starting to turn golden, 3 more minutes.

Add the turmeric and paprika and then stir in the eggplant and about ½ cup of water. Lower to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is very soft and most of the water has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season with fish sauce, adding more for a saltier flavor, and squeeze a wedge or two of lime over the top. Serve in a bowl and top with cilantro (and or thai basil!). Offer extra lime wedges along side.

The 7th Inning Stretch September 14, 2021: We are approaching mid September here. School is back in session and as if that weren’t a wake-up call, we are staring down the ultimate harbinger of fall with the arrival of the World’s Fair in Tunbridge, VT. Surely the days will start getting much shorter now, and we often remark about it. We will see the breaking out of sweatshirts, neoprene picking gloves, rain gear and wool toques. In their orange rain pants the crew looks like they just came off the boat from the TV series “Deadliest Catch.” As the season winds down, many farmers are licking their seasonal wounds. We are -in farmer terms- “just past the 7th inning stretch” in our seasons, and there is still much to accomplish. This includes a lot of planting and seeding within the greenhouses to serve the late fall CSA. Our onions are gathered up, the first of three plantings of carrots up and in the cooler, and if Mike can find enough parts between our two old potato harvesters to make one functional harvester, we will soon be digging our 6 acres of potatoes. Once that crop is all graded, sized and stored in our barn, we can start washing and shipping them. We can then turn our attention to: cleaning up the place; planting next year’s garlic; readying the strawberries with sprays and mulching for next spring; fixing broken doors and sills in our funky collection of old greenhouses. Then the contracts will expire on the Jamaican crew, and they will head home to tend their own farms by early November. Plenty to do, and seemingly insufficient time and bodies to make it through the list. I have heard the muttering of “I wouldn’t mind a good frost now….” and this time it didn’t come from my lips first. On many farms, the wet July here in the Twin States brought forth an epic surge of weed germination and growth…and Edgewater was no exception. We daily watched the galinsoga engulf the strawberries, with no spare hours available to get in there and clean it out. We are looking for a good frost to freeze it down, leaving the strawberries to bask in the filtering fall sunlight without competition. Fortunately, the strawberry plants are in very good shape, and we are (perhaps foolishly) getting optimistic about our spring prospects. But everyone is busy harvesting and packing out 10 hours a day, and soon the light levels will dictate just how long we will be able to work in the fields. Despite a crop failure with pumpkins and winter squash, we have an almost epic fall raspberries crop. Trying to harvest and move that crop is mopping up a lot of extra hours. In the farmstand we have had to close down on Mondays for the rest of the season, because of a labor shortage, and we have had to reschedule the help we have. Labor shortage or not, our melons,tomatoes, pepper, cut flowers, leeks will be out there for another 4 weeks unless a frost stops them in their steps. Weather continues to be the biggest challenge and unknown for farmers, along with a dearth of local labor. Our season started hot and droughty from the end of March until the end of June. It was abnormally hot for so early in the growing season, and that created some minor problems in the greenhouses, but there was a non-stop 10-15 mph breeze or wind that just never abated. I felt like we were trying to farm in Pueblo, Colorado. The lack of rain was tough enough, but the constant wind withered and devastated transplanted crops. Then, the weather changed, and in 20 minutes we got an inch of rain, and it then continued to rain off and on for a month. A lot of disease showed up, so we were confronted with trading one extreme problem for another. However, August turned up benignly normal, and with adequate moisture the potatoes sized up and the field tomatoes and melons kicked into gear. We have been challenged, but thus far undamaged, by hurricanes. Many of my seacoast friends prepared for the worst wind event they hoped never to see. Weather models were in constant flux for us here in the Upper Valley. On the Saturday that Hurricane Ida was making landfall on Long Island, the forecast for us from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was calling for a range of 2-12” of rain. I understand that weather forecasting is not an exact science, but for me there is a big difference in the amount that 2” dumps and what 12 “ would look like. At two inches I would get the tractor bucket out after the storm passes, and do a little touch-up work on our gravel roads and driveways. After twelve inches in so few hours I would be knee-deep in insurance claims, as well as sleeping and cooking meals in our farmstand….for a long time, too. What did we really get in the end? In what was forecast to be the middle of the storm, I went out and mowed my lawn. And I could not have been happier to be doing so. Fall will always be a great season to me. There is plenty of natural color in the pumpkins, ornamental corn, and chrysanthemums as well as on the trees in the woods. The warmth in this season is welcome, as opposed to the intense sun and heat of summer. Fall crops roll into the pack house: beets, potatoes, turnip, carrots. Onions, garlic, leeks and cabbage. When it's cold, we can add a couple of thin layers of clothes to keep warm until the sun burns through the fall fogs and warms us. Migratory birds come and go, and soon we will start to lure the songbirds to the birdfeeders. In deep fall, the woodstove starts to operate with greater frequency. Then one day in November, it (the woodstove) will start its full time nonstop operation until late April, when the sun once more strengthens its grip on us all.

PRO-TIPS:

FOR NOTES ON LEMONGRASS AND HOW TO USE: head to the CSA blog - yes! Did you know that these newsletters get posted weekly on our web page? https://www.edgewaterfarm.com/csa-blog…

Scroll back to week 10 and read up on all things lemongrass.

BUT FOR MY FAVORITE THING TO DO WITH LEMONGRASS, SEE:

TOM KHA SOUP (Thai coconut chicken soup with chicken, mushroom and coconut milk)

8 oz. (226 g) boneless and skinless chicken, breast or thighs, cut into strips or thin pieces

20 canned straw mushrooms

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

1 cup water

1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 3-inch lengths and pounded

6 kaffir lime leaves , lightly bruised to release the flavor

6 slices galangal

8 bird's eye chilies, lightly pounded

3 tablespoons fish sauce

2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice or to taste

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

https://rasamalaysia.com/tom-kha-gai-recipe-thai-coconut-chicken-soup/

Spicy eggplant from the burma superstar cook book

Curry style eggplant awesome over rice.

3 Japanese Eggplants, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)

1 teaspoon salt

2 ½ tablespoons canola oil

2 cups finely diced yellow onion

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1-2 Thai chiles, thinly sliced or 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno

1 small dried chile, broken in half, seeds retained

2 teaspoons shrimp paste

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon fish sauce

Handful of fried garlic chips (for how to on garlic chips: again head to our CSA BLOG and scroll back to CSA week 6)

Cilantro or thai basil sprigs for garnish

1 lime or lemon cut into wedges for garnish

PRO-TIPS:

FOR NOTES ON LEMONGRASS AND HOW TO USE: head to the CSA blog - yes! Did you know that these newsletters get posted weekly on our web page? https://www.edgewaterfarm.com/csa-blog…

Scroll back to week 10 and read up on all things lemongrass.

BUT FOR MY FAVORITE THING TO DO WITH LEMONGRASS, SEE:

TOM KHA SOUP (Thai coconut chicken soup with chicken, mushroom and coconut milk)

8 oz. (226 g) boneless and skinless chicken, breast or thighs, cut into strips or thin pieces

20 canned straw mushrooms

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

1 cup water

1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 3-inch lengths and pounded

6 kaffir lime leaves , lightly bruised to release the flavor

6 slices galangal

8 bird's eye chilies, lightly pounded

3 tablespoons fish sauce

2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice or to taste

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

https://rasamalaysia.com/tom-kha-gai-recipe-thai-coconut-chicken-soup/

Spicy eggplant from the burma superstar cook book

Curry style eggplant awesome over rice.

3 Japanese Eggplants, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)

1 teaspoon salt

2 ½ tablespoons canola oil

2 cups finely diced yellow onion

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1-2 Thai chiles, thinly sliced or 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno

1 small dried chile, broken in half, seeds retained

2 teaspoons shrimp paste

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon fish sauce

Handful of fried garlic chips (for how to on garlic chips: again head to our CSA BLOG and scroll back to CSA week 6)

Cilantro or thai basil sprigs for garnish

1 lime or lemon cut into wedges for garnish

PRO-TIPS:

FOR NOTES ON LEMONGRASS AND HOW TO USE: head to the CSA blog - yes! Did you know that these newsletters get posted weekly on our web page? https://www.edgewaterfarm.com/csa-blog…

Scroll back to week 10 and read up on all things lemongrass.

BUT FOR MY FAVORITE THING TO DO WITH LEMONGRASS, SEE:

TOM KHA SOUP (Thai coconut chicken soup with chicken, mushroom and coconut milk)

8 oz. (226 g) boneless and skinless chicken, breast or thighs, cut into strips or thin pieces

20 canned straw mushrooms

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

1 cup water

1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 3-inch lengths and pounded

6 kaffir lime leaves , lightly bruised to release the flavor

6 slices galangal

8 bird's eye chilies, lightly pounded

3 tablespoons fish sauce

2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice or to taste

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

https://rasamalaysia.com/tom-kha-gai-recipe-thai-coconut-chicken-soup/

Spicy eggplant from the burma superstar cook book

Curry style eggplant awesome over rice.

3 Japanese Eggplants, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)

1 teaspoon salt

2 ½ tablespoons canola oil

2 cups finely diced yellow onion

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1-2 Thai chiles, thinly sliced or 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno

1 small dried chile, broken in half, seeds retained

2 teaspoons shrimp paste

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon fish sauce

Handful of fried garlic chips (for how to on garlic chips: again head to our CSA BLOG and scroll back to CSA week 6)

Cilantro or thai basil sprigs for garnish

1 lime or lemon cut into wedges for garnish

PRO-TIPS:

FOR NOTES ON LEMONGRASS AND HOW TO USE: head to the CSA blog - yes! Did you know that these newsletters get posted weekly on our web page? https://www.edgewaterfarm.com/csa-blog…

Scroll back to week 10 and read up on all things lemongrass.

BUT FOR MY FAVORITE THING TO DO WITH LEMONGRASS, SEE:

TOM KHA SOUP (Thai coconut chicken soup with chicken, mushroom and coconut milk)

8 oz. (226 g) boneless and skinless chicken, breast or thighs, cut into strips or thin pieces

20 canned straw mushrooms

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

1 cup water

1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 3-inch lengths and pounded

6 kaffir lime leaves , lightly bruised to release the flavor

6 slices galangal

8 bird's eye chilies, lightly pounded

3 tablespoons fish sauce

2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice or to taste

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Spicy eggplant from the burma superstar cook book

Curry style eggplant awesome over rice.

3 Japanese Eggplants, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)

1 teaspoon salt

2 ½ tablespoons canola oil

2 cups finely diced yellow onion

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1-2 Thai chiles, thinly sliced or 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno

1 small dried chile, broken in half, seeds retained

2 teaspoons shrimp paste

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon fish sauce

Handful of fried garlic chips (for how to on garlic chips: again head to our CSA BLOG and scroll back to CSA week 6)

Cilantro or thai basil sprigs for garnish

1 lime or lemon cut into wedges for garnish

0 notes

thegutlessfoodie · 4 years

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That Fusion Dish For Sale - Done Just before lockdown 3.0 I had made a huge batch of a fusion Thai curry paste. Things were chaotic & I couldn't cook it so I froze it. And then I forgot that I froze🤦‍♀️A week later @beingbengt wanted an Asian curry for dinner so I went & made fresh paste🤦‍♀️Whilst I was grinding the paste, my domestic help Deepo reminded me of the frozen paste. I was like 🤦‍♀️So after much hesitation, procrastination & deliberation I decided to cook & sell some portions in my building complex. The response I got was unbelievable! I'm sharing the recipe here... Do try I made a very fine paste out of roasted coriander seeds, roasted cumin seeds, dried red chillies, birds eye chillies, galangal, garlic, lemongrass, salt, fresh coriander & @leekumkee.india shrimp sauce I tempered oil with the paste & cooked till the rawness left. I added Thai baby eggplants, chicken & potatoes to sear. I then added chicken stock, fresh basil, pandan leaves, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, @kikkoman_europe soy sauce & fresh coriander & cooked till done. I finished by simmering along with coconut milk & a touch of palm sugar I was sold out within the hour! Over 60 portions😱 And the feedback I got was so encouraging that I'm motivated to sell more dishes!! After lockdown I may even sell within Pune! What do you think? (at One North) https://www.instagram.com/p/CA74wClgMGC/?igshid=196y2so6qump1

0 notes

altughuner-blog · 5 years

Photo

When you talk about the best cuisine in the world, Thai food is right up there. Along with Italian, Chinese, Indian, Japanese and Mexican, Thai food makes it to the top 10 list of popular cuisines in the world. However, most of the popular dishes include meat, often pork, chicken, beef or seafood, as an ingredient. Because of this, if you’re vegan or looking for vegetarian Thai food you need to know and plan about it during your trip to Thailand. I have got some good news for you. You can still take a foodie trip to the ‘Land of Smiles’ and feast on some delicious vegetarian dishes.

The Thai combination of herbs and spices create ‘to die for meals’ that are spicy, sour, sweet, crunchy and chewy. That’s why a lot of people love Thai dishes because of all the flavors it presents in one meal.

Read to know more about the vegetarian Thai food dishes you must try during your trip, the best places to get them and how to order the food.

Remember to travel to Thailand from India you’ll need a Thailand eVoa from India.

Irresistible Vegetarian Thai Food Dishes To Try

1. Som Tam (Spicy Green Thai Papaya Salad)

Som Tam Green Papaya salad spicy and delicious. Image Shutterstock

This is one of the popular Thai vegetarian dishes you can try in Thailand. The mouthwatering meal is prepared using, galangal, juicy tomatoes, carrots, shredded green (unripe) papaya, lime and tamarind juice, long beans, palm sugar, and peanuts. The ingredients give the meal a sweet, spicy, salty, sour and savory flavor. The salad usually has fish sauce and prawns included, so when ordering you make sure to say you’re vegetarian/vegan for these ingredients not to be included in your dish.

2. Pad Thai (Stir-Fried Rice Noodles)

Pad Thai the stir-fried rice noodles with tofu and mixed vegetables. Image Shutterstock

A vegetarian Thai food cuisine menu cannot miss this dish. It is one of the national dishes in Thailand and is also very popular among tourists. Mostly it is cooked with eggs, bean sprouts, tasty tofu cubes, onions, lime juice, groundnuts, and shrimp or chicken. However, you can ask the chef to omit the meat products. The famous Thai dish is just as tasty without them. Pad Thai is sold everywhere in Thailand from five-star restaurants to the street food stalls.

3. Pad Phuk Tong (Stir-Fried Pumpkin)

Pad Phuk Tong – the stir-fried Pumpkin. Image Shutterstock

You’re probably used to seeing pumpkins begin carved out during Halloween. In Thailand they have a much better use for pumpkins, they use them to create this vegetarian dish. Other ingredients used to prepare Pad Phuk tong are spring onions, coriander leaves, sugar, garlic, water, white pepper, celery, and soy sauce. This is one of the best vegetarian dishes in Thailand and you should try it with Thai fragrant rice.

4. Pak Boong (Morning Glory)

Pak Boong the stir-fried Chinese Morning Glory or Water Spinach. Image Shutterstock

This is one of the healthiest foods you can take while you’re on vacation in Thailand. The delicious salad which is salty, crunchy, spicy and sour has soy sauce, chilies, soybean paste, and garlic. Oyster sauce is often added when preparing morning glory, so again tell the cook making it not to include the sauce to keep it vegetarian.

5. Pad Pak (Fried Vegetables)

As the name suggests this is an all-vegetable Thai dish. Some of the vegetables used to make it are mushrooms, cauliflower, and broccoli. When you go to a food stall you’ll see the different vegetables used to prepare it displayed and you can choose what you want or don’t want in your Pad Pak.

6. Vegetable Noodle Soup with Lemongrass

Should you visit Thailand during the cold season this noodle soup is what you should have to keep you warm on a chilly day. It is known to be a good remedy for a cold or flu and is also said to help boost your mood. To make it lemongrass, several vegetables, thin rice noodles or noodles of your choice, coconut milk is needed. The soup is quite filling and can be had as a meal on its own at any time of the day.

7. Vegetarian Thai Green Curry

Thai cuisine has a wide variety of curries with Panang and Massaman curry being some of the most popular ones. A lot of curries are made with meat but this can be removed in your order. The Thai green vegetable curry, for example, has meat in it but you can substitute this with tofu or wheat gluten. Whichever you choose will be mixed with kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal, coriander seeds, green chilies, and coconut milk.

8. Pad Phak (Stir-Fried Vegetables)

This is another all vegetable meal that will ensure you stick to your vegetarian diet. It will also leave you full but wanting for more. Ingredients required to make this meal are vegetable oil, coarsely chopped garlic, broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, shallots, carrots, bell pepper, snow peas, mushrooms, soy sauce, spinach leaves, Thai pepper powder, and lime juice. These are all mixed together to give your food several different flavors. You can enjoy this meal with Thai jasmine rice.

9. Tao Hoo Song Kreung (Mixed Tofu)

If you don’t know tofu, it is soya milk coagulated to create curd. It is an excellent source of protein, iron, and calcium for vegans and vegetarians. To make this Thai meal different types of tofu are fried with the basil to make a tasty stir fry. Like most of the other dishes, we have talked about mixed tofu is usually served with some steaming rice.

10. Laab Jay (Vegan Laab)

In Thailand, most Laab salads have chicken, beef or pork but you can have a vegetarian version. Simply replace the meat with tofu and you have an amazing meal. The tofu is mixed with lime juice, Thai roasted chili paste, green onions, coriander leaves, roast rice powder, lemongrass, etc. The spices used to make this meal make it very hot and spicy, so if you don’t like spicy food ask for it to be prepared moderate or mild.

11. Thai fruit

Fruits in the streets of Thailand

If you have had enough of Thai vegetable meals on your trip switch to some fruits. Fruits are very healthy and in Thailand, you can try some of their rare fruits. You can but a bag of fruits from street vendors for 40 Baht (Baht is the official currency of Thailand), which is about $1. Mangosteen, rambutans, banana, durian, pomelos, rose apples, dragon fruit, lychee, coconut, and guava are some of the fruits you’ll find available at the fruit stand on the street corners of Bangkok.

Read More – Parallels in Indian and Thai Cuisine

There are so many more vegetarian Thai food dishes you can try while in Thailand. I’ll just list other options you can taste without going into details about them.

Heavenly pineapple fried rice. This is rice fried with cashews, peas, curry-flavored sauce and chunks of pineapple.

Thai Vegetable Spring Rolls. These make for a good snack as you travel around Thailand sightseeing. Stuffed with vegetables try them with sweet and sour or hot sauce.

Thai Mushroom Fried Rice

Khao Niew Ma Muang (mango sticky rice)

Thai Peanut Noodles

Chao Kuai. This is a Thai dessert prepared using sun-dried stems and leaves of the Chinese Mesona plant which are boiled to make a jelly.

Top Vegetarian Thai food Restaurants in Thailand

Roasted Bananas from streets of Bangkok

You can get Thai vegetarian dishes in most cities in Thailand you go visit. However, to make it easier for you here are some of my favorite vegetarian restaurants you can visit around Thailand:

1. Broccoli Revolution, Bangkok

This vegetarian Thai food restaurant located in downtown Sukhumvit was first opened in Bangkok in 2015. It now has two locations. It not only serves vegetarian dishes from around the world but also has a juice bar, which makes some of the best organic juices you’ll ever drink.

The Restaurant is open daily from 7 am to 10 pm so you can head on there for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I recommend you try the pad thai, mushrooms and basil on rice and green curry. This will cost you about 150-200 baht.

2. Greenlight Cafe & Bar, Koh Samui

This is not an exclusively vegetarian restaurant but their menu includes a wide range of Thai vegetable meals you will enjoy. Most of the ingredients used to make their dishes are organic and come from their kitchen garden.

It is open throughout the week 8 am to 10 pm. You can find the Greenlight Cafe & Bar at 3/28 Moo 1, Fisherman’s Village, Bophut, Koh Samui.

3. Atsumi Raw Cafe

This restaurant located in Rawai, Phuket is well known for its raw vegan and raw vegetarian menu. It also serves an amazing selection of smoothies, desserts, and juices made from organic ingredients. Going through its menu you may be overwhelmed by the large number of vegetarian dishes to choose from. However, the tom ka soup and zucchini pepper wrap will blow you away. Atsumi Raw Cafe is open from 9 am to 8:30 pm daily. The last order taken is at 8 pm.

4. Tien Sien

At this simple Thai restaurant, you get to choose what you want to eat as the food is served buffet style. You simply get in line and point out what you want on your plate. The restaurant has very friendly staff who will explain to you what the different Thai meals displayed on the counter are.

Meals are affordable and for about 70 Baht you can enjoy a large plate of vegan food. Situated at 439 Khwaeng Silom, Khet Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, this restaurant is closed on Sundays but from Monday to Saturday it is open from 7:30 am to 3 pm.

5. May Veggie Home, Bangkok

Their motto is ‘Tasty vegetables amazing dishes. When you’re here, you’re family!’

The all-vegetarian restaurant food has got many tourists taking and it has been dubbed by some as the best vegetarian restaurant in Bangkok. Looking at the reviews made by those who have been there that assertion could be true.

If you visit May Veggie Home try the Tom Kha mushroom soup, yellow curry with tofu, pad thai tofu or Penang curry with tofu, I guarantee you will love these meals. For dessert, there are several vegan cakes and ice creams you can order.

The restaurant is at 8/3 (Asoke-Sukhumvit Intersection) Ratchadaphisek Road, Khlong Toei, Bangkok. It is open from 11 am–10 pm daily.

6. Ethos Vegetarian

If you’re looking for a relaxing place to grab a late supper after a long day of touring in Bangkok this is the place to go to. Located near Khaosan Night Market, the market that never sleeps, Ethos Vegetarian is open until a few minutes to midnight every day. So you can pass by here for a meal before heading back to your hotel to call it a day.

Try the yellow curry with potatoes, spicy glass noodle soup, vegetarian Thai spring rolls and don’t forget to ask for some of their fresh fruit juices.

7. May Kaidee

This restaurant has two locations, one in Bangkok and another in Chiang Mai. Both serve mouthwatering vegan and vegetarian meals, such as tofu green curry, banana flower salad, Pad Tai, and som tom.

If you would like to learn how to make Thai food, to cook for yourself or family once you get back home, May Kaidee offers cooking classes you can attend throughout the year. There are open every day from 9 am to 10 pm.

Read more – Street Food in rural Thailand

Conclusion

As you can see there are many Thai vegetarian dishes and places that sell these meals in Thailand. So you don’t have to worry that you won’t stick to your vegan or vegetarian diet when you travel to the country.

However to be on the safe side always tell the chef or waiter serving you that you are vegetarian or vegan. You can do that in Thai by saying “gin jay.” Because most restaurants prepare your food after you make an order. The chef or waiter will take extra precaution not to add meat to your meal.

For a vegan to ensure no fish sauce or oyster sauce is added to your meal say “mai ow nam bplaa” or “mai ow nam man hoy” This way you get no meat or animal products in your meal.

Let us know which of these meals you have tasted/tried during your trip. How was it? We would also like to taste them if we haven’t already done so on our next trip to Thailand.

The post Vegetarian Thai Food Guide For Thailand Tourists appeared first on Inditales.

0 notes

markclutch2-blog · 5 years

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Skewer This: 19 Kickass Kebabs for Your Cookout

[Photographs: Morgan Eisenberg, Joshua Bousel, J. Kenji López-Alt]

I love putting kebabs on the menu when I'm planning a cookout—they're infinitely variable, easy to prep ahead of time, quick to cook, and pre-portioned for easy serving. We've got plenty of recipes to make sure all your guests are happy, from Thai- and Balinese-style chicken satay to pork kebabs marinated with Cuban mojo and vegetarian skewers marinated with balsamic vinaigrette. That's just the start, though—check out our guide to grilled skewers and you'll be coming up with your own recipes in no time.

A note on equipment: Not all skewers (the sticks themselves) are created equal, so check out our favorites before you settle for whatever's on sale. (And here's a tip for how to assemble your kebabs without pricking yourself.)

Chicken

[Photograph: Emily and Matt Clifton]

Chicken skewers often rely on long marinades to build flavor, but this intense lemon-garlic marinade only needs a few minutes to do its thing. We pair the chicken with tomatoes, which we grill on separate skewers since they cook up a lot quicker. For a hit of freshness, serve the kebabs with a basil chimichurri.

Grilled Lemon-Garlic Chicken and Tomato Kebabs With Basil Chimichurri Recipe »

Back to the full list

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

If you've never tried making yakitori, negima is the easiest way to start. The simple dish is nothing more than skewers of chicken thigh and scallion that are grilled and brushed with homemade teriyaki sauce. Want something slightly more involved? Check out our recipe for tsukune, or Japanese chicken meatballs.

Japanese Chicken Skewers With Scallion (Negima Yakitori) Recipe »

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[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

These skewers also draw inspiration from Japan, but instead of teriyaki sauce they get marinated in a tangy mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, mirin, and sugar known as nanbansu, which is often used as a sauce for fried chicken. You can use either breast meat or thigh meat, or both. Just remember to reserve some of the nanbansu to serve as a dip alongside.

Sweet-and-Sour Grilled Chicken Skewers (Yakitori Nanbansu) Recipe »

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[Photograph: Shao Z.]

In case you hadn't noticed, we're big fans of using chicken thigh for kebabs—it's juicier and more flavorful than chicken breast. Here we give the chicken even more flavor by marinating it with coconut milk, fish sauce (to up the umami), curry powder, garlic, shallot, and red pepper.

Grilled Curry Chicken Kebabs Recipe »

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[Photograph: Morgan Eisenberg]

These sweet and savory Vietnamese-inspired chicken skewers are marinated in orange juice and fish sauce and brushed with a caramel glaze made of light brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, shallots, honey, and more orange juice and fish sauce. For texture we roll the skewers in crunchy sesame seeds and sliced almonds after the final coat of the glaze.

Crispy Caramel Chicken Skewers Recipe »

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[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Our version of classic Thai satay is made with pieces of chicken thigh marinated in a mixture of coconut milk, fish sauce, palm sugar, and a variety of aromatics and spices. The most time-consuming part of the recipe is making the dipping sauce—if you want to cheat you can make a quick version with just chunky peanut butter, store-bought curry paste, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, and sugar.

Thai-Style Chicken Satay With Peanut-Tamarind Dipping Sauce Recipe »

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[Photograph: Morgan Eisenberg]

These skewers are a riff on chicken saltimbocca, but to balance out the saltiness of the prosciutto, we thread a few chunks of semifirm peaches on for a bit of sweetness. We also double up on the sage; sage leaves go on the skewer, but chopped sage is included in the light white wine marinade, which flavors the chicken and helps it stay juicy while on the grill.

Grilled Chicken and Peach Saltimbocca Skewers Recipe »

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[Photograph: Morgan Eisenberg]

All it takes is some fresh herbs and a handful of pantry ingredients to create the marinade for these flavorful chicken skewers. The punch of Dijon mustard and fresh lemon juice is balanced out by honey, while fresh tarragon keeps the skewers tasting fresh and light.

Grilled Tarragon-Mustard Chicken Skewers Recipe »

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Pork

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

There's more to satay than the Thai chicken version. To expand your horizons, check out this Balinese pork shoulder satay. The marinade, dipping sauce, and glaze are all made with a spice paste made from lemongrass, dried chilies, garlic, shallots, coriander, white pepper, and sugar. We make the paste with both a mortar and pestle (for the best flavor extraction) and a food processor (to save time and energy).

Balinese Pork Satay (Sate Babi) With Sweet Soy Glaze and Peanut Sauce Recipe »

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[Photograph: Shao Z.]

Thick, sweet, funky gochujang is a great alternative to more ubiquitous chili condiments like Sriracha and chili-garlic sauce. Here we mix it with honey, sake, and soy sauce to make a marinade for pork belly and vegetables. Gochujang is fairly tame in terms of heat—this dish isn't as scary as the color might make you think.

Grilled Pork Belly Kebabs With Sweet-and-Spicy Gochujang Marinade Recipe »

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[Photograph: Joshua Bousel]

These pork kebabs are marinated with Cuban mojo, a tangy sauce made with sour-orange juice and garlic—if you don't have access to sour oranges, a mix of orange juice and lime juice will work. Sweet mangos are perfect for balancing the acidic sauce, but make sure to use firmer, slightly underripe ones so that they don't fall off the skewers.

Mojo-Marinated Pork Kebabs With Mango Recipe »

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Beef

[Photograph: Shao Z.]

While not as well known as the food of Thailand or Vietnam, Cambodian cooking is well worth exploring. Much of the country's cuisine is based on kroeung, aromatic flavor pastes that form the foudnation for all sorts of dishes. In this recipe that means aromatics like lemongrass, bay leaves, thyme, citrus zest, and cinnamon, which we mix with fish sauce and oil and use to coat strips of sirloin or flank steak.

Cambodian Grilled Lemongrass Beef Skewers Recipe »

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[Photograph: Joshua Bousel]

These easy beef kebabs use one sweet-and-savory sauce for both the marinade and the glaze. We start with what is essentially a teriyaki sauce base and add ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and pineapple juice. To go with the juice we add chunks of pineapple to the skewers, along with red onion and bell pepper.

Ginger-Teriyaki Beef Kebabs Recipe »

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[Photograph: Joshua Bousel]

If you're not going to serve steak at your cookout, then how about kebabs packed with all the flavors of a classic steakhouse dinner? These hearty sirloin tip, mushroom, and onion skewers are marinated in a steak sauce-style mix of Worcestershire, Dijon mustard, and soy sauce.

Steakhouse Kebabs Recipe »

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Lamb

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Walk into an Indian market and you're bound to find pre-packaged seekh kebab spices, but you're much better off making the mixture from scratch. Our version uses a blend made with spices like black peppercorns, coriander seed, paprika, and amchur powder. Made of dried mango, amchur adds a wonderful sour note to the kebabs—if you can't find it then use citric acid powder, tamarind paste, or lime juice in its place.

Seekh Kebabs (Pakistani Spicy Grilled Ground Meat Skewers) Recipe »

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[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

If you've ever had the cumin lamb burger from New York's Xi'an Famous Foods, then you already know that lamb is very popular in parts of China. Yang rou chuan is a street food favorite in Beijing made by grilling lamb shoulder chop with a mixture of cumin and chili flakes—our version also adds granulated garlic, fennel seeds, and Shaoxing wine.

Spicy Cumin Lamb Skewers (Yang Rou Chuan) Recipe »

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Vegetarian

[Photograph: Joshua Bousel]

These meatless skewers are made with zucchini, red onion, grape tomatoes, and halloumi—a squeaky Cypriot cheese that works wonderfully for grilling. To flavor the cheese and veggies we turn to an olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, and mint vinaigrette.

Halloumi and Vegetable Skewers Recipe »

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[Photograph: Joshua Bousel]

To make vegan-friendly skewers we keep the zucchini, red onion, and grape tomatoes and swap the cheese out for yellow squash and bell pepper. You can add other vegetables if you'd like, but make sure to go with sturdy ones that can hold up to being skewered and grilled.

Balsamic Vegetable Skewers Recipe »

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[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Yakitori is really all about the chicken, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for a few vegetable sides. Grilled shishito peppers brushed with teriyaki sauce are one of my favorite yakitori pairings. Be sure to double-skewer the peppers—I've learned the hard way that it's basically impossible to flip them otherwise.

Grilled Skewered Shishito Peppers With Teriyaki Glaze Recipe »

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Source: https://www.seriouseats.com/roundups/kebab-recipes

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eastithoughtyousaidweest · 7 years

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Malaysian Persuasion

7/17

Today was my first full day in Malaysia, and it was probably almost perfect.

First of all, it was so chill. Amalen also had just gotten home from a trip to China, so he just wanted to chill out, which was ok with me because I’ve been waking up at 6 or 7am to either work on my doc or travel for the past 3 weeks. So I woke up at 10am without an alarm (after drinking with him and his roommate until 3:30, to be fair), and it was really nice.

We spent the morning just hanging, just like a bunch of guys might do in the U.S. We slowly worked up the motivation to drive down the street to get some breakfast around 11:30am, and got some rice with fried pork and chicken called char suey. Pretty delish, despite being a bit heavier than my usual breakfast. I also found a dude selling buns out of his truck, and he had a bunch of flavors they didn’t have in China; I tried one with this coconut sugary paste inside called kaya, which was less coconut than I expected, but the bready bun was still floofy, which is really all I’m looking for.

We whittled away a few hours eating, chilling and watching the first new episode of Game of Thrones, which I was totally fine with, even though usual me would’ve been like “Why the fuck am I sitting around watching TV while I’m in Malaysia???” But honestly, I saw value in just building a relationship with Amalen and his roommate Kelvin, and didn’t see a need to force anything, especially when they were my hosts.

Anyway, around 2pm, Amalen and I started driving out to this waterfall in the jungle he’d been promising me all day. It was an hour and 20 min drive, but we just caught up and talked the whole way, so it was actually really nice. Before entering the jungle, we stopped and got a bunch of fried snacks from this stand in a parking lot, Amalen chatting up the older Muslim woman selling us the treats as if they were besties. People here at stores seem to really like chatting, and Amalen’s a pro at playing that social game.

To get to where we were going, Amalen had to drive his thankfully tiny white car down a skinny asphalt road, riddled with treacherous potholes, through an indigenous village with homes made of wood and tin roofs, and finally to a barrier where we parked. He comes to that spot a lot, and knew some of the indigenous people there, and he actually spoke in Malay to a few people we saw to make sure it was still ok to enter, so I knew we weren’t being disrespectful or something by entering this land.

And I’m so glad we were able to enter, because it was mind-blowing. Thick, lush, green rainforest all around me, buzzing and chirping with bug and bird hums, crinkling with the panicked retreats of tiny lizards, speckled with the sun sneakily glimmering its way through the cracks. It was sticky and humid, but not too hot. As we went, Amalen pointed plants out to me and showed me signs on the trail of wild boar having been there the previous night. Wild boar are super overpopulated in that area of Malaysia, destroying trails and crops, so Amalen told me hunting them, like deer culling in the U.S., was usually ok. And he broke out a pocket knife he’d sharpen before we came out to the jungle, so I knew if anything, we were at least pseudo-safe.

Luckily, no boar hunting went down. What did go down is that we finally arrived at this amazing waterfall Amalen called his secret waterfall. It flow down along grey boulders, white and frothing, pouring out into a rocky-bottomed pool deep enough to stand in. When we walked up to the waterfall itself, we could face away from it and just let the water work the tension out like a natural massage. The water was not too cold, and the area was totally isolated. We sat on a rock, ate fried plantains and egg rolls and doughnuts from the stand, swam and got waterfall massages, and just relaxed. After weeks of running, it was exactly what I needed. And I was so grateful to Amalen for taking me to such an amazing place I literally never could’ve even accessed on my own.

Only downside? Leeches. It sounds freakier than it is, but essentially, they were tiny, slug-like things, smaller than the top part of my pinky, who would latch onto our feet or legs after we walked through certain areas. Amalen helped me, teaching me how to use a pocketknife to scrape them off after they latched. They left me with tiny little circular cuts, which actually bled for a while because apparently their saliva is anti-coagulant. But they didn’t hurt, and really, it’s not different than a mosquito or something, just a bit more graphic.

Anyway, that didn’t take away from anything. Afterwards, we met up with Amaeln’s friend Ryan at a food court, where I tried satay (chicken on skewers with peanut sauce to dip in), coconut rice with spicy sauce, anchovies and egg, and panak (a sort of sushi roll but in a wheat wrap, with crunchy vegetables and some sort of tempura inside). We also bought ourselves three more-than-half-liter bottles of Tiger Beer from Singapore. We had just finished them, and I was feeling a solid buzz, when Ryan’s dad showed up out of nowhere and ordered us three more bottles. So we were obligated to get way drunker than any of us anticipated, but hey, we swapped stories about our countries, joked around a bunch, and really has an awesome greasy, drinky night.

I pre-screened my doc to Amalen and Kelvin tonight too. It was really cool to see how Amalen got so excited about certain parts, and how much discussion it generated afterwards about COP and Amalen’s NGO, even between two people who are in it. I’m really pumped to see how more people like it, and really happy to see the impact it’s making for those in it.

Exploring KL tomorrow with Kelvin. Night night.

<3Scaht

7/18

Damn. So much socializing today. Like 11 hours of it. But it was great.

Started off by heading into KL with Kelvin, who grew up here. He took me to get a really good outdoor food stall court, which there are a bunch of here, in Chinatown. There was food everywhere, but I trusted him to know what was good, so I let him order this spicy red coconut curry for us, brimming with crispy fried pork skin, oysters, green vegetables and eggplant. It was so delish, until I bit into a pork skin saturated with curry and it burst straight into my throat like a juicy grape full of spicy fire. Totally burned the shit out of my throat, but luckily dessert was a cup of shaved ice (really finely ground ice covered in coconut milk and supplemented with various jellies and red bean), so I was soothed soon enough.

We then spent like 5 hours walking all over KL. He took me to the Independence Square where a lot of protests have happened, to the looming, corn-cob-looking Petronas Twin Towers, to some fancy-shmancy malls, to a fruit stand where we drank some coconut water straight outta the coconut, and to Little India. On the way, he told me SO much about Malaysia, from its history as a British colony to the politics and issues with election rigging to the school he went to and what it was like, and so much more. He was a really great tour guide, and since he’s around my age and we have similar interests, he was able to provide me much history into the politics and social issues I’m always interested in learning about.

One thing he told me that really stood out is that he loves just taking people around the city, and that if someone asked him for directions, he’d usually be happy to just walk them there. He said that was actually a pretty common thing to do here. Also, when I tried to pay him back for the food, he told me to not worry about the money. He said that really in Malaysia, they like to treat their guests, and they try not to let money be a big deal between friends, so it’s a big part of their culture to do that. These two things really struck me because they’re just so much friendlier and communal ways of supporting one another than in the U.S., where most people don’t wanna talk to you at all in the city, much less walk you somewhere, and where even $0.25 is often Venmo’ed between friends. I wanna bring back some of that hospitality to my own practices, because it definitely reflects the way I’d like people to interact.

Next, I met with Jolene, one of the Malaysians who was part of my film, for dinner in a hipster part of town called Bangsar. It 3 or 4 hilly streets were lined with international cuisines, fancy bakeries and cafes, boutique clothes, and bars trying very hard to look chill and/or refined. We actually got a really good dinner at a Nyonya restaurant, which combines Malay and Chinese styles; a whole fried fish and these smoky, fishy sautéed greens, plus fancy cocktails. We chatted about life and joked around, and I really enjoyed just getting to know her better. Of course, she treated me, which was super nice cause these were no street food prices.

Last, she texted her friend Sidney to meet up with us, an awesome guy who actually filmed some follow-up interviews for the film for me here in Malaysia since I wasn’t here. I hadn’t met him in person until then, but he was really great. Deep thinker, really open about things like mental health and insecurities, and really into films. We nerded out over cameras and film editing and our favorite movies, and he actually ended up coming with me to this huge food street called Jalan Alor, which was lined for about 2 city blocks with restaurants and stalls selling Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Malaysia, coconut ice cream, dim sum, and a whole lotta stanky durian. If you don’t know, durian is a huge spiky fruit, like the size of a football or bigger, which smells kind of like fart or rotten eggs or a combo thereof. Kelvin, who loves it, actually told me he wouldn’t consider it a fruit, but just its own food group: Durian. He also told me that if you eat it within 8 hours or so of drinking alcohol, it’ll fuck up your stomach. So I haven’t tried it yet, but I want to for sure.

Anyway, it was really special to explore the city with all of these people and build up my relationships here. I’m so grateful for the guidance and the hospitality, and I REALLY hope they can all make it to the States one day so I can return the favor.

<3Scaht

7/19-7/20

It has come to an end. These were my final 2 days in not just Malaysia, but of my trip overall. And I think it couldn’t have been more fulfilling and shitshow-y.

Wednesday I wandered around the city on my own, hitting up the National Museum where I learned a whole lot about the history of the Malay Empires and how Malaysia was a key trading midpoint between China and the Middle East and the history of colonialism in Malaysia and all sorts of other cool stuff. As any U.S. citizen would know, we just don’t really learn that stuff in our schools, and it was super cool to gain all this knowledge about a totally different part of the world.

One thing it made me think about was the idea of cultural appropriation, because the museum talked a lot about how in the 14th and 15th centuries, as people from different regions met up and traded goods and skills and ideas, many cultures adopted parts of other cultures. This meant anything from parts of their dress to artistic motifs to cooking flavors. I thought this was really interesting, because it was made out to be a very mutually beneficial kind of cultural exchange, as opposed to in the U.S. today, where the conversation about cultural appropriation emphasizes the stealing of other’s cultures. I think maybe the difference is that often in places like the U.S., the cultural appropriation is done for profit, or without an actual interaction with the people whose culture it is, leading to disrespectful use of cultural elements and profiting off other’s culture without giving them any credit or economic compensation. In contrast, it seems like in these old Silk Road trade exchanges, people were actually sharing their cultures of their own accord, and interacting with those whose culture it was. Not that this means there wasn’t any ripping off of cultural elements or fetishzation of other’s cultures, but it makes me wonder if this sort of cultural mixing can happen in a positive and beneficial way that enriches humanity.

Wednesday night was the big night: the “world premiere” of my film on the Malaysian Youth Delegation (MYD) to the COP21 climate negotiations. I’ve mentioned it throughout the blog, but to give you more context, I got a grant from my university in November 2015 to go with my friend Miranda and make a film on youth climate activism at COP21, the international UN climate negotiations where the Paris Agreement was created. We ended up meeting the Malaysian Youth Delegation, a group of 5 young peeps who were there for the first time representing their country. We hung out and filmed them for 10 days, and then over the past year and a half have been editing it together. Why’d it take a year and a half, you ask? Broken harddrive, Miranda graduating, me finishing school, general procrastination; these all comprise some aspect of the answer. But in a silver lining to a terrible event, Trump pulling out of the Paris Agreement actually made the film relevant again, so I kicked myself into gear, committed to going to Malaysia, and have been working on the film at 6 or 7am almost every day of this trip to finish it before, well, two days ago.

The film came out to about 40 minutes, the longest film I’ve made by far (the next longest is only 12 minutes). Screening it was an awesome experience; 4 out of the 5 main MYD members were there, and about 8 of their younger members who they’re currently training to go to the next COP in Bonn, Germany were there as well. Screening a film to a group of people who are so intimately familiar with each other and the material is a cool experience; they were constantly giggling at seeing themselves or their friends onscreen, and they already understood the context of what was going on, making it easier for them to get into it. They also laughed at my jokes throughout the film, which I think is every filmmaker’s dream; it’s really hard to tell whether the things I think are funny are gonna land with an audience, but I think it went pretty nicely.

I did a Q&A after the screening where everyone asked a ton of questions, and it was really nice to be able to share my experiences and reflect on things with them. Overall, in the moment the whole screening just felt like a really casual thing; we were just in a classroom, watching it on a projector. Very intimate. But I gotta say I feel pretty amazing that I was able to make this happen. There was a long period of time where I thought this film was just gonna go incomplete, and it really made me feel guilty and weighed on me a lot. Now, that weight is finally gone, and I have a project that I actually followed-through on which I am really proud of. I’m hoping to submit it to some film fests too, so hopefully things will keep happening. But I’m really grateful that I was able to do this screening, and that I got so much time and energy and support from everyone in MYD, and everyone else who listened to me whine about this film over the past year and a half.

My final 12 or so hours in Malaysia were the shitshow part. Amalen, Kelvin and I had planned to drive to Kuantan, a small town on the east coast of the country where Amalen grew up. It was supposedly a 3-hour drive away, so we set off around 12am after a little post-screening dinner, hoping to arrive by 3am. The catch was that I had to take a bus back to KL the next day at like 1:30pm, so I really would only have like 10 hours in Kuantan. But I did it because Amalen promised me some beach time, and I didn’t really have much else to do.

Oh, and I should mention that we brought Amalen’s cat Jenny along too, because Amalen wanted to get her spayed at the vet in his hometown. Unfortunately for her and us, he didn’t have a carrier. Apparently, in the past, she usually just chills out under the passenger seat and is fine. But today for whatever reason, Jenny was not happy. She kept scrambling up to the rear window, then down under the seats, then up my legs into a box on the seat next to me, then under Kelvin’s feet as he drove. We all tried to make nice spaces for her and calm her down. but she took at least 30 minutes to finally just sit down and start distracting herself by licking herself clean. Poor kitty.

Anyway, I should’ve known things weren’t gonna go so well on this trip when about 30 minutes into the drive, we stopped for gas and Kelvin puked in the parking lot. He had some sort of stomach bug, and it all hit him right there. Of course, all the gas station convenience stores were closed, so he couldn’t even get some water to wash his mouth out.

Somehow, he kept driving, and we drove up to the Genting Highlands, a detour Amalen and Kelvin had planned without me really knowing what was happening. It’s these really high hills where Malaysia’s only legal casino is built. We drove up and around all these hairpin turns, the yellow lights of this massive casino glowing all across the peak of this looming hill. Eventually, we stopped at a lookout point where you could see the KL skyline and chilled for like an hour, drinking beers and chatting. That was all good, except for when Kelvin started puking again. Turns out beer doesn’t mix so well with stomach bugs. Who knew?

Amalen took over the wheel, and we kept going. At this point it was already like 3am and we’d only made it like 45 minutes towards Kuantan cause of all the detours. I did my best to stay up and keep Amalen company as he drove, but I could feel the exhaustion and the beer dragging my eyelids down like stones. I drifted in and out of conversation, nodding a lot with my eyes half open before finally passing out. Amalen ended up pulling over in a parking lot around 4:30, planning to snooze for like 15 minutes. We woke up at 6:45am.

In the end, the snooze was for the best to keep up safe, even though we didn’t actually arrive til like 8am. An 8 hour trip total. And I had to head back at 1:30pm. So much for a 3 hour drive.

At this point, I was also just exhausted and hungover and my stomach felt like butt. Some combination of the fried food I had eaten for dinner and the beer and the lack of sleep made my body real pissed off, and pretty soon my tummy opened up the floodgates. I felt weak, and had a headache, and even the smell of food made me feel nauseous. But I pushed through, determined to get to the beach and just pass out on the sand. Which I did.

We chilled at the beach for like an hour and a half, and I even worked up the energy to sit in the waves a bit and look at all the tiny little crabs that would scatter into holes in the sand as I approached. So at least I can say I’ve been in the South China Sea, even if only as an attempted hangover cure.

Amalen drove me to the bus station at 1pm, and I’ve been in transit between bus and train and plane since then. Amalen was a super awesome host, giving me a place to stay and taking me to get all the staple Malaysian food and showing me some really beautiful parts of his world in Malaysia. I also really enjoyed the long car trips where we just got to talk and get to know each other’s stories and life philosophies better. He’s a really thoughtful, knowledgeable, goofy dude, and he cares a lot about his friends, which I really respect. It really blows my mind that, because of a random thought me and Miranda had to apply for a grant to go to Paris, I now have lifelong friends on the other side of the globe. Life is pretty dope like that.

So yah, that’s all. Hope you enjoyed perusing my travels, and if you have any questions or things to say to me or want some travel suggestions, hit me up through one of the ridiculous amount of communication channels I now have (WeChat, Facebook, Text, WhatsApp, GroupMe, Email, Signal, whatever).

Annyeong kyeseyo (Korean)

Joigin (Cantonese)

Zài jiàn (Mandarin)

Pope gone mai (Lao)

Selamat tinggal (Malaysian)

Byeeee (Scott)

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tomandharriet · 6 years

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Settling into Sri Lankan holiday mode

It’s safe to say that the train journey into Ella lived up to the hype. Sri Lankan trains tootle along in no hurry at all, but when the scenery is as beautiful as it is, that’s no problem at all. It’s also helps, given locals use the train tracks as their primary walking routes and many of the great hikes we did out of Ella used the same means.

Ella itself feels a bit like a ski resort. Lots of restaurants and nightlife along a main high street - but instead of skiing, the number one activity is hiking. We had some fun evenings, ate some great local & awful western food and made the most of our accommodations terrace complete with hammock. But it is the hiking that we’ll remember Ella for. Not deterred by our Adam’s Peak sunrise ascent, we opted for a sunset walk of Ella’s answer, Little Adam’s Peak. It’s hard to compare the two, as one was lots of hard work for very little reward and the other was very little work in exchange for some lovely evening views. But we’re glad we did both! A trek along the railway tracks to 9 arch bridge offers picture postcard panoramas of Sri Lankan tea territory, which unsurprisingly does attract the masses, who eagerly await the perfect snap of a train crossing the bridge.. or chance upon it just as they’re leaving!

Our favourite hike was the more challenging Ella Rock. Starting early and walking several kilometres along the train track (with the guidance of a local dog), we eventually reached the turning into the tea plantations, at the foot of the climb. We’d been warned several times about the dubious signposting and misleading locals who are trying to make a few rupees by getting you lost and charging a fair whack to get you ‘un-lost’. In fact even on the railway tracks, a man who sold us some coconuts half-heartedly tried to point us in the opposite direction and then laughed and shrugged when we pointed up towards the summit of Ella Rock in the distance. We noticed several turned / covered signs and completely distrusted a woman who was insisting we went a certain way. She got really frustrated when we turned off against her advice but we were following a plan of always take the path that goes up! Shortly after, we realised she was likely genuine, as we were pretty lost ourselves. We kept heading up, until we needed to head down, at which point we met a lovely American couple who were following their own gps map and got us back on route. We spent the rest of the climb and descent with them and really enjoyed the challenge and views that Ella Rock had to offer.

Luck had it that we were able to regroup with Joel and Alecia in the south of Sri Lanka, so the seemingly never-ending bus journey to Mirissa had an unexpected treat at the end of it. Excited to have the chance to stay together, Tom quickly booked a hotel and texted Joel and Alecia to tell them he’d found a deal for a place with a swimming pool and games room that was too good to be true! It turns out he was right, as despite being in Sri Lanka, we later found out that the rates were quoted in Indian rupees.. sorry guys!

Mirissa’s most popular activity is blue whale watching and off the back of a recommendation from Mel, we set off on a tour before sunrise and were lucky enough to see several fin whales (including a mother and calf) and after several hours on the boat, a blue whale. The size of them is simply incredible and the long day at sea was ultimately worthwhile as we spent the final couple of hours watching it take 4 or 5 breathes before diving down for a consistent 19 minute wait each time. It was a bittersweet experience however, as one of Alecia’s dreams is to swim with blue whales. They took a different tour that day and sadly due to fast moving currents, it didn’t turn out to be possible to swim with the whale they (well, Alecia) spotted. Apparently Joel was doing a sterling job of being lookout in the opposite direction. Regrouping at the hotel later that night, we were collectively exhausted from the experience and Alecia required copious amounts of Aloe Vera + booze to fight through the sunburn! Other than the whales, some nice restaurants and a fun hotel which charges in Indian rupees - there isn’t a lot to Mirissa, and after 2 nights we headed on down the coast. We said a second sad fairwell as we disembarked the train at Unawatuna, just south of Galle. With Joel & Alecia heading on to Colombo and the next day, Singapore, we knew that this time it was going to be 7 or 8 months until we next meet up.

With a name like Unawatuna, we had high hopes for this place and it was probably our favourite place in Sri Lanka, although with the giant eyesore of a resort currently being constructed by a governors family, much to the dismay of many of the locals we spoke to, this might not remain the case for long. Unawatuna had a lovely beach, from which we had our first try paddle boarding. Within minutes Harriet was wowing some onlooking Russians by doing handstands on her board - it was never in doubt that this would be a sport for her. It also had some excellent bars, with really good food, music and the local spirit, Arrack, which is made from fermented sap of coconut flowers and works well very well with ginger beer! The undoubtable highlight of our time here was an encounter with a giant turtle, swimming in a natural lagoon just down the coast. Visiting thanks to a tip off from the paddle boarding guys, we took our snorkels and explored the whole lagoon, trying to find turtles. On the verge of giving up, a huge turtle brushed right past Harriet. We spent the next 15 minutes or so swimming with the turtle, which wasn’t much shorter than us in length, and significantly wider! We can’t think of a more exhilarating encounter that we’ve had with a wild animal. Watching it swim, eat and effortlessly glide through the water was nothing short of magical.

Our final visit of note in Sri Lanka was Galle, which we really liked. The old town comprised of beautiful architecture, lots of vintage cars and a charming cafe culture. It had the feel of a slightly more touristy Kochi - but never too busy and with a host of great eating and drinking options. After an obligatory visit to what has to be the worlds most unique and stunning cricket ground, we walked the city walls and popped in and out of cafes, galleries and museums for the rest of the day, to the point we could hardly move. The pistachio gelato was up there with the best and we also had our favourite coffee of the whole trip here. We’d definitely recommend anybody visiting the south of Sri Lanka spends a day in the old town of Galle. We eventually waddled home and packed up, ready to say goodbye to our Sri Lankan holiday lifestyle and return to India. Whilst we knew our noses wouldn’t thank us and that we should expect a little less comfort, we were undeniably excited to be heading back to explore the north of the country which had consistently wowed us.

Food

With our unsuccessful dabbles into Western food in the back of our minds (and mouths), we sought out the best that Sri Lankan local food had to offer.

One particular local dish that we enjoyed were hoppers or, if you wanted that bit extra, egg hoppers. Not too dissimilar to your Indian dosas, hoppers were a type of appam pancake made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk. Once fried it goes into an impressive shaped bowl and if you went for an egg hoppers you would have one baked in the middle of it. The dish was served with coconut sambol, a traditional Sri Lanka condiment (or coconut relish) prepared with freshly grated coconut, red onion, dried chillies (or chilli powder), lime juice and salt. It also came with seeni sambol, also known as a spicy caramelised onion relish, which was a wonderful combination of sweetness, spiciness and sourness. Left to rip and dip as you please it was as ... from master chief would describe “heaven, absolute heavennnnn”

Quite often when ordering a Sri Lankan curry you would get the choice of having a combination of delicious curries in one dish, a bit like an Indian thali. We ordered exactly that in a small local restaurant in Unawatuna called Sea Waves. The meal was so delicious and packed with flavour we straight away booked on to the cookery course they offered the following day.

The next morning Susanthi, the cook, collected us in a tuk tuk to take us to the market in nearby Galle, where we bought all of the ingredients for our cooking class. Our first stop being a Sri Lankan spice stall where we decided to buy some Sri Lankan garam masala and cinnamon as Christmas presents for our family. Little did we know that the guy was going to go breaking bad on us and wrap them up to suspiciously look like class A drugs. We later decided to add them to the Christmas package and risk all of our presents being held in customs. You will have to stay tuned to see if they made it back unscathed ;)

Once stocked up with fresh fish, vegetables and spices we headed back to Susanthi’s kitchen, which was ajasant to where we ate the night before. Set outside the kitchen was rustic but perfectly equipped with everything you would need. She first set us to work to make coconut milk and cream (amazingly just from one coconut!). This involved shaving out the inside of a coconut with some strange device, blending and sieving it a number of times until you had your two types of coconut liquid required. I think this might have to be a job for sainos when we get home. The whole experience was fantastic and we cooked some amazing curries including; ladyfinger (okra) curry, sweet potato curry, the “most delicious we have ever tasted” daal curry, poached fish curry, wambatu salad (using deep fried aubergine) and home made popadom. We have started taking bookings for a Sri Lankan dinner at the Turnlea’s, please email [email protected] to reserve a space!

Travel Jukebox - ‘Made The Harbor’ by Mountain Man

Tory is something of a musical oracle, with a taste even broader than ours combined, so we were really excited to listen to her choice. Naturally it was from an artist we had never heard of, Mountain Man. With a recommendation to listen to it on a sunny morning, before exploring, we found the perfect relaxing moment in Ella, sitting out in the sun, in our hammocks.

Within the first few tracks, we were hooked by the mystical vocals and dreamy strumming of guitar. Bliss... well nearly. Less that 5 minutes in, the local gardener appeared out of nowhere and decided to mow the patch of lawn just in front of our terrace. He was so insistent that the area right next to us must be prioritised on this otherwise lazy and peaceful morning, that we actually gave up on the album and trying to relax altogether. Picking up the album on a bus journey a couple of days later, we realised that Tory’s occasion was actually spot on, as the intricacies were lost to engines, beeping and food hawkers. 3rd time lucky, relaxing with a morning coffee, we managed to listen through and thoroughly enjoy it.

Simplicity is the theme which runs through the album, much of which is acoustic / a Capella. As their name suggests, you can imagine the group recording the album in some rustic shack on a mountain in the remote mid-west states. ‘Animal Tracks’ and ‘River Song’ are both excellent whilst, ‘How I’m I Doin’ is a more playful demonstration of their skilled harmonies, which feature throughout. They even have their own rendition of everybodies favourite rhyme, Waters of Babylon - which always takes me back to primary school / that excellent Mad Men episode ending! Ultimately, this is a real slow down album, valuable when we’ve often been moving at such a fast pace.

TLDR; Trains, trekking and turtles turn our heads to Sri Lanka’s best bits.

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greecechef4-blog · 5 years

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Martha Stewart’s One-Pan Pasta Is the Dinner You Can’t Mess Up

Welcome to Recipe Off-Roading, where the recipe isn’t in charge—you are. In this series of articles, we’re celebrating how cooks take liberties in the kitchen, whether that’s substituting an ingredient, adapting a technique, or doubling the salt (because you’re wild like that). So buckle up and let’s go for a ride.

Martha Stewart’s One-Pan Pasta was declared Genius in 2014 for its no-nonsense attitude. “This genius pasta makes its own sauce, all in one pan, in 9 minutes,” writes Kristen Miglore. She then shares seven variations—like bolognese, and cacio e pepe, and alle vongole.

But the real magic of Martha’s One-Pan Pasta is: There’s no limit to the number of variations you can make.

Which is why I picked it for our series, Recipe Off-Roading, where I challenge home cooks to make some of the most popular recipes on our site—but change at least one thing. (Psst: Here’s what they did to Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce and Maialino’s Olive Oil Cake.)

As our community reported back, just about every component of this recipe can be futzed with. Here are some of the most eyebrow-raising ways Food52ers made it their own.

Martha Stewart's One-Pan Pasta

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Ingredients

12 ounces linguine 12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered if large 1 onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups) 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 sprigs basil, plus torn leaves for garnish 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving Coarse salt Freshly ground black pepper 4 1/2 cups water Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving Coarse salt Freshly ground black pepper 4 1/2 cups water Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Change the pasta.

The original: 12 ounces linguine. The findings: Changing the pasta was one of the most popular ways to refresh Martha’s recipe. Many of you swapped in another long shape, like angel hair, bucatini, fettuccine, or even ramen. Others took their chances and tried shorter shapes, like fusilli, penne, orecchiette, farfalle, and teeny-tiny orzo. Several rebels ditched the concept of white pasta altogether and swapped in more flavorful alternatives: whole-wheat linguini, whole-wheat spaghetti, and soba, to name a few. Ellen stood out from the crowd with her toasted linguine. And if you’re wondering about gluten-free options? You got it: Try chickpea linguine or zoodles.

Change the water.

The original: 4 1/2 cups water. The findings: While water works just fine, many Off-Roaders opted to use a more flavorful liquid. Broth was the most popular, whether that’s chicken, vegetable, or Better Than Bouillon’s mushroom base. Several people got a little winey, with both white, and red. And others got creamy, with everything from literal cream to coconut milk to low-fat milk.

Change the tomatoes.

The original: 12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered if large. The findings: Can’t find A+ fresh tomatoes? Use sun-dried or canned instead. Our testers tried out just about every option under the sun: diced, crushed, whole-peeled, and, for a smoky flavor, fire-roasted. Want an even more intense tomato flavor? Add tomato paste along with the fresh tomatoes. Have tomato fever? Double the quantity—half cooked, half fresh. Don’t like tomatoes? Swap in just about any vegetable you want. Think broccoli rabe, or asparagus and peas.

Change the onion.

The original: 1 onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups). The findings: Onion’s little cousin, shallot, makes a very good substitute. If you want a sweeter flavor, you can also cook the onions before they go into the one-pot pasta mixture.

Change the cheese.

The original: Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving. The findings: Parm needs no improvement according to many of you. But there were some people who tried an upgrade. Pecorino was a natural pick. Less obvious but equally good: mini mozzarella balls. And on the extra creamy side of the spectrum, Molly stirred ricotta into the pasta, then topped with finished dish with grated Manchego (whoa!), while Aurora stirred in a hunk of Brie.

Change the basil.

The original: 2 sprigs, plus torn leaves for garnish. The findings: Why should basil get to have all the fun? Let’s invite oregano, parsley, and cilantro to the party. Also worth trying: dried herbs, like mint or oregano and thyme.

Change the spices.

The original: ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes and freshly ground black pepper to taste. The findings: ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes and a pinch of black pepper was too mild for many of you. Here’s how you chose to step up the spice: Quadruple (yes, quadruple) the amount of red pepper flakes. Add a spoonful of harissa or curry paste. Sprinkle some garam masala. Or temper spices in oil; Keya opted for cumin, black mustard, curry leaves, and asafetida.

Change the aromatics.

The original: 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced. The findings: All sorts of bonuses besides garlic made their way into the off-roaded pastas. Several people got fishy—say, with anchovy paste or fish sauce. And I loved the idea of incorporating salty capers and olives.

Add a protein.

The original: None! The findings: To turn Martha’s recipe into a heartier meal, lots of testers added a protein. Shrimp was especially popular, as was sausage (either pork or chicken). And who doesn’t love pancetta or bacon?

How would you off-road Martha Stewart’s One-Pan Pasta? Share your ideas in the comments! Source: https://food52.com/blog/24233-martha-stewart-one-pan-pasta-variations

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its-lifestyle · 5 years

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It is a disheartening but inescapable truth that these days, most family recipes do not get passed down. While oral tradition and observation used to prevail as a method of learning, most urbanites now hardly ever cross the thresholds of their kitchens – at least not enough to learn how to make heirloom recipes.

According to a 2013 study by UiTM titled ‘The effects of transmission of Malay daily food knowledge on the generation practices’, Malay heritage recipes have been heavily affected by the trappings of modernity.

The study, which looked at mothers in their 50s to 70s and their daughters in their 20s to 40s, found that many members of the younger generation eschewed traditional Malay food in favour of convenient, easy-to-prepare meals.

Thankfully, there are still people out there dedicated to sharing recipes with receptive family members, which in turn, will ensure that these recipes survive the travails of time.

Keeping it in the family There is a flurry of activity in 69-year-old Siti Zaleha Md Nor’s family home. Her grandchildren have come to visit and there is a recurring symphony of little feet running around the house. In the living room, Siti’s husband Abdul Syukor is entertaining a family friend who has popped in.

In the heart of the home – Siti’s sprawling, spacious kitchen – the bubbly matriarch herself is bent over the stove, carefully stirring an assortment of ingredients. Huddled beside her is her beautiful daughter-in-law Fiona Noor Aishah, 36.

Aishah never used to like Johor food until she tried Siti’s food. Now she watches her mother-in-law to learn how she makes all her heirloom dishes. Photo: The Star/Samuel Ong

“Mak, so when you cook this, you have to keep stirring it slowly, is it?” asks Aishah, as she is better known.

“Yes, then all the flavours will come together,” responds Siti Zaleha, never taking her eyes off the pot.

In many ways, this charming scene is reflective of just what a good job Siti has done of converting the Kelantanese Aishah into a lover of the traditional Johor food she makes.

“That’s true, I didn’t like Johor food until I tried my mother-in-law’s food,” agrees Aishah.

Interestingly, Siti herself is not from Johor – her mother is from Selangor and her father is from Negeri Sembilan, so she grew up learning the traditional foods of those states, like rendang Minang and Selangor-style masak lemak kuning, as well as various other dishes that her talented mother picked up along the way.

A talented home cook, Siti (centre) is slowly but surely passing on the recipes that she has perfected to her daughter-in-law Aisyah, left and daughter Syefa, right. Photo: The Star/Samuel Ong

“My mother was very possessive of her kitchen so she would only let me watch and help clean up. It was only much later that she allowed me to cook.

“My father would say, ‘Don’t let her fry things, she might get oil on her face, then no one will want her’. And my mother would say, ‘If she doesn’t know how to cook, it’s worse. Nobody will want her because of that’,” recalls Siti, laughing heartily.

The bubbly Siti learnt how to cook from her mother and now often cooks for the 18 people in her large family, including in-laws’ and grandchildren.

From the very beginning, Siti found that she loved cooking – a good thing as her mother grew to depend on her to help cook family meals for Siti’s nine siblings, a familial routine that made a huge impact on young Siti’s life.

“I started compiling my mother’s recipes from young. I suppose even then I was thinking that when I have my own family, I want to cook for them too,” she says.

When she started dating her husband, family lore is that the first time she cooked for him and his friends, he was so impressed with her food that he proposed straight away!

“I was telling myself I must have passed the test, because he asked me to marry him that night!” says Siti, as an abashed Syukor denies such an incident.

In any case, after her marriage to the Johor born-and-bred Syukor, Siti began learning how to make authentic Johor food like laksa Johor and mee bandung from Syukor’s sister.

“I watched her and always made sure I was there when she was putting certain ingredients in, so I roughly knew what was in the dishes,” she says.

Siti’s inherited recipes have been adapted slightly to create what she calls “revolutionised Johor food” which is much-loved by the entire family – from her husband down to her six children and grandchildren.

Her version of laksa Johor is delightful and underscored by a punchy sambal and a thick gravy with fish-laden undertones. Her mee bandung is also very good and is a flavour-packed meal designed to elicit joy.

These days, Siti is invested in ensuring that her daughters and daughter-in-law learn the family recipes – even if they have to stand right next to her and watch how she does it.

“We come here once or twice a week and my mother-in-law cooks these meals, so that’s when we watch her. Because she’s not very good at recounting the recipes properly, we just have to watch,” says Aishah, who is slowly learning how to make traditional Johor food like laksa Johor.

Siti’s daughter Nur Syefa Abdul Shukor, 41, is also a fan of her mother’s traditional Johor dishes and is picking them up.

“She always nags us and says, ‘You guys have to learn these dishes, because when I’m not around, who is going to cook it when you want to eat it?’” she says.

But perhaps the biggest testament to the quality of Siti’s food comes from her husband.

“I think my dad is so used to how my mum cooks stuff that when anyone else makes it, it’s not as good. I remember my late aunt used to say, ‘Oh, now that your wife cooks for you, you don’t want my food anymore,” says Syefa, laughing.

MEE BANDUNG

Serves 8 to 10

oil, for frying 15 shallots, blended 8 cloves garlic, blended 100-150g dried prawns, blended 4 tbsp chilli paste 350g beef, sliced 2 litre water 1-1 1/2 cup tomato sauce 8 stalks mustard greens (sawi) 5 pieces beancurd, each cut into 6 4 tomatoes, quartered 600g yellow mee, rinsed and drained 5 eggs dash of pepper salt to taste

In a large pot, heat oil, fry blended ingredients. Add chilli paste and sliced beef and stir. Add water, tomato sauce, sawi (stalks only), beancurd and tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the mee, break eggs into different parts of the pot and let it cook. Add sawi leaves and cook until a little wilted, then season with pepper and salt. Serve hot.

LAKSA JOHOR Serves 8 to 10

500g spaghetti 600g ikan kembung 5cm ginger, blended finely 5cm galangal, blended finely 15 shallots, blended finely 8 cloves garlic, blended finely 6-7 tbsp fish curry powder 150g dried prawns, soaked and blended coconut milk from 1 ½ coconuts 6 stalks lemongrass, crushed kerisik (toasted, grated coconut) from 1 coconut 4 pieces asam keping 2-3 tbsp chilli paste (optional)

Vegetables to go with laksa 10 long beans, sliced at 1cm lengths 1 big cucumber, hollow removed and sliced 2 big red onions, thinly sliced into rings 500g beansprouts a handful of daun kesom, finely chopped a handful of daun selasih, finely chopped

Sambal belacan (to blend together) 1 ½ inch toasted belacan 10-12 red chillies 2-3 limau kasturi

Boil spaghetti and drain well. Set aside. Boil fish with enough water to cover it, and add a piece of ginger. Set aside fish stock. Drain, debone and blend the fish. Heat up some oil and fry blended ingredients, curry powder, fish, dried prawns, coconut milk, kerisik, asam keping and coconut milk. Boil until the mixture is a little thick. Serve with spaghetti, sambal belacan and raw vegetables.

Mother-daughter-in-law culinary connection In her cheery, sun-kissed kitchen, sweet-natured Zainon Johari, 70 is working in unison with her daughter-in-law Hasniza Hussin, 40. As Zainon fries meat, Hasniza slices chillies, the two working seamlessly together as they chat happily away.

Since she married into the family, Hasniza has worked hard to pick up Zainon’s wide repertoire of recipes, gleaned from a lifetime of cooking. As a child, Zainon learnt how to make authentic Johor food from her mother.

Zainon learnt how to cook from her mother and after she got married, she learnt all her mother-in-law’s heritage recipes too. Photo: The Star/Low Lay Phon

“I grew up in Johor and learnt how to cook by watching my mother. My mother could cook for very large groups of people and used to make dishes like laksa Johor and mee siam, which she was famous for,” recalls Zainon, chuckling.

As Zainon got older, her mother slowly passed the cooking baton to her – a task she was thrilled to get!

“When we reached a certain age – no matter how high we had studied – there were chores for us to do. My eldest sister didn’t like being in the kitchen, so I got assigned the kitchen and loved it!” she says.

After marrying her husband, the jovial Dr Ahmad Ezanee Mansor, Zainon started spending a lot of time in the kitchen with her Kelantanese mother-in-law.

Although Zainon (right) learnt how to cook from watching her elders, she has now written down her recipes so that it is easier for Hasniza (left) to follow them. Photo: The Star/Low Lay Phon

“My husband left Kota Bharu when he was six, because his father was a civil servant who got transferred all over the country. And my mother-in-law picked up recipes from each state and because I like being in the kitchen, I made it a point to learn how chik (a term of endearment in Kelantan) made everything by watching her.

“I am happy that she shared her recipes with me. Because even though she is not around anymore, her legacy is with us,” she says.

One of the recipes that Zainon’s mother-in-law passed down to her is her delicious daging tok chik, a beef stir-fry dish that is simple but incredibly tasty.

“That recipe is from my mother-in-law – she never told me the name of that dish, so we call it daging tok chik, because that is what my children called her. So now this recipe has gone down to my daughter-in-law,” says Zainon.

Zainon’s fiery, flavour-packed ikan bawal kerutuk is a recipe she inherited from her mother that she still makes to this day, although not as often as her husband Ahmad can’t eat very spicy food.

“I get pimples when I eat spicy food. Seventy years old and still getting pimples, can you believe it?” he jokes.

Then there is the family’s devilishly good, royal-style banana pudding, a recipe which Zainon’s mother-in-law got from legendary actress Maria Menado (popular in Malay movies in the 1950s and 1960s), who was the consort of the late Sultan Abu Bakar of Pahang.

“When my father-in-law was posted to Kuantan, Pahang, at the time, the Sultan of Pahang was Sultan Abu Bakar and Maria Menado was his consort so my mother-in-law befriended them and she learnt this recipe her,” says Zainon.

Zainon says it is important to her that Hasnizah learns the family recipes as this is the only way the recipes will be passed down through the generations.

To ensure this happens, she has even changed the way she transmits the recipes. Instead of having Hasnizah watch her, the way she did with her mother-in-law, Zainon has measured and weighed all the ingredients for her dishes. Then, she sends her recipes to Hasnizah via WhatsApp!

“My story and mama’s story is totally opposite, I ask for the recipes and she WhatsApps it to me. Then I get all the ingredients and try it at home and if something is wrong, I ask again. Sometimes even if you follow the recipe exactly, it won’t turn out the same,” says Hasniza, laughing.

Ultimately, Hasniza says she is equally determined to learn from her mother-in-law’s vast culinary experience as her recipes are tried-and-trusted.

“My husband enjoys his mother’s food, so it’s better that I learn from mama – the real source. She has proven that her food is delicious, so I just follow lah,” she says, laughing.

To which, a beaming Zainon adds “I’m happy that my children like what I cook.”

DAGING TOK CHIK Serves 4

500g beef sirloin 2-3 tbsp ghee 2 big onions 2 red chillies salt to taste a pinch of turmeric powder

Cut meat into medium thin strips. Add salt and turmeric powder, keep aside for about 10 minutes. Heat pan. Arrange meat on pan. When half cooked, turn over. Let meat get dry and nicely browned. Then, add ghee. Add onions and chillies, season with salt and some turmeric powder and serve hot with rice.

KERUTUK BAWAL MAKTOK Serves 4

For blending together 1.2cm galangal 6 small shallots 4 garlic cloves 2 buah keras a little bit of turmeric powder

For cooking 1 cup blended dried chillies 2 medium bawal fish, fried 3/4 cup coconut milk 2 stalks lemongrass, crushed salt to taste brown sugar to taste

Blend ingredients for blending together and set aside. Add oil in kuali. Fry blended chillies and blended galangal, shallots, garlic, buah keras and turmeric powder for 5-10 minutes. Add in crushed lemongras and coconut milk and let simmer for awhile. Add in fish and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot with rice.

BANANA PUDDING Serves 5 to 6

1 comb banana (pisang raja or pisang mas), cut on the diagonal 1 tin evaporated milk granulated sugar, for sprinkling on banana 1-2 tsp vanilla essence 1 cup cashew nuts, fried 1/2 cup prunes, steamed

Fry bananas until caramelised and put in a casserole dish, then sprinkle granulated sugar over it and cover. Repeat with all the bananas. Heat evaporated milk and add vanilla essence; heat for awhile but do not let mixture boil. Pour milk over bananas in casserole. Spread cashew nuts and prunes on top.

from Food – Star2.com http://bit.ly/2M4XUAd

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lindyhunt · 6 years

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Amazing Bangkok

Bangkok claimed the title of “World’s Most Visited City” according to the 2017 Mastercard Global Destination Cities Index. No wonder almost 20.2 million international tourists flocked to the City of Angels. When it comes to wish lists, Bangkok ticks most boxes. Cultural attractions and rich history? Tick. Great food? No doubt. Good shopping? Yep. Fabulous spas. Nothing beats a Thai massage. Vibrant nightlife? A resounding yes.

Welcome to the capital of the Kingdom of Thailand where east and west, ancient and modern, exotic and erotic, calm and chaotic, clash and collide in the most delightful ways. Here’s how get the most bang for your baht. Note: all prices approximated in Canadian dollars.

The “you only live once” splurge list

Seduced by The Siam Arriving at The Siam hotel via the hotel’s vintage riverboat transported me into a unique and tranquil world onto its own in the middle of bustling Bangkok. My debonnaire butler, Paul, escorted me along a path past a swimming pool to the antique carved wooden doors of my villa where I had a courtyard with my own plunge pool.

The Siam is the brainchild of Bangkok rock and movie star, Krissada Sukosol Clapp who built the hotel in 2012 as a retreat and place to house his and his mother’s vast collections of antique Thai treasures. They hired American architect Bill Bensley who incorporated the clean bold lines of Art Deco, glass, water features and lush garden landscapes with the carefully curated art and antiques.

If you enter the Siam from the street you find yourself in a garden pavilion with a lotus-shaped fountain in the centre. The piece de resistance is the soaring central atrium where a glass conservatory-style roof brings light to a reflection pool surrounded by tropical foliage. Off to one side there is a library and screening room. Upstairs in the Vinyl room, complete with grand piano and vintage posters, you could well expect to spot Noel Coward tickling the ivories in this jazz-age setting.

The Siam offers some unique guest experiences. You could work with a trainer and learn the art of Muay Thai kick boxing (the national sport) in the gym. If that’s too demanding, head to the Opium Spa for a Muay Thai deep tissue massage. You can also opt to have a Sak Yant ceremonial sacred tattoo.

The hotel is located in the Royal Dusit district of Bangkok. Your butler will help you arrange your day and reserve a place on the hotel shuttle yacht for excursions along the Chao Phraya River. But chances are good that you won’t want to leave The Siam.

Spice of Life I joined The Siam’s sous chef, Thammarach, for a Thai cooking lesson. We started our morning with a tuk-tuk ride to a local market where chef pointed out the remarkable range of produce and bought some herbs for our class as we dodged shoppers on motor scooters. Back at the hotel we donned aprons in the private cooking class kitchen overlooking the river. Chef demonstrated how to tackle each ingredient, from bruising lemongrass to chiffonading kaffir lime leaves. He also explained that Thai food contains five major flavours: sweet, sour, spicy, salty, bitter. Each dish should have a least two of those tastes and the key is getting the right balance. Hence the need to keep testing as you cook and add more chillies, more fish sauce, more coconut milk or more palm sugar as your palette dictates. We concocted Tom Yam Goong soup, a fiery broth with jumbo shrimps topped with fresh coriander and drops of chilli oil. Then we tackled pork with red curry, a marvellous melange of all of requisite flavours. For our last dish, the green chicken curry, chef taught me to make curry paste from scratch pounding the toasted coriander and cumin seeds, garlic, shallots, coriander roots, chillies, galangal and lemongrass with a mortar and pestle. Hard work but worth the effort.

Star Spangled Bangkok The red Michelin Guide has published its first 2017 guide to Bangkok listing a kaleidoscope of dining options—from slurping street food noodles to enjoying a multi-course tasting menu in a five-star hotel or glitzy shopping mall. At the one-starred Paste, chef Bee creates dishes based on ancient recipes that once delighted the royal family. Among the highlights of her delicious repertoire is a Thai crab omelette with 31 flavours.

Smooth as Silk Thai silk is famous and now at the Divana Spa you may indulge in their signature Organic Golden Silk Royal Pampering treatment. Golden silk thread is rich in protein while the mulberry leaves, the feed for silkworms, contain significant vitamins.

My therapist used a web of silk thread stretched tightly between her hands to stroke my skin in a spinning motion to improve circulation and stimulate new collagen and elastin. Next came a body and face massage using a silk cocoon-stuffed, yarn-like ball, followed by a silk serum moisturizer. Then I steamed a room scented with mulberry leaves. More potions included a facial mask made with ginseng and silk cocoon extract. Finally, I soaked in a bath of milk, cocoons and rose petals Cleopatra-style.

Red Sky at Night As Bangkok’s skyline soars, rooftop bars abound. Red Sky atop the Centara Grand hotel and shopping mall is a stylish spot with panoramic views from its 55th floor. Imbibe some bubbles at the Cru Champagne Bar along with some caviar and oysters. We’re talking sky food, not street food—with prices to match.

Silk Road Jim Thompson, an American who revitalized the silk industry in Thailand, was a U.S. military intelligence officer who went on vacation in Malaysia in 1967 and mysteriously disappeared. But his silk legacy lives on. His shops sell beautiful creations, large and small. You will also dine well at Jim Thompson Restaurant and Wine Bar located in Jim Thompson House Museum.

The “cheap thrills” save list

Down by the River Bangkok River is a collaborative project by business partners to encourage visitors to explore the neighbourhoods and shops along the Chao Phraya waterway. I took an informative stroll with David Robinson who works with the Bangkok River group. We began at River City, a complex housing several shops, restaurants, antiques and photo galleries. Along our walk Robinson pointed out several historic buildings, including the East Asiatic Trading Building and Grand Post Office, now home to the Design and Creative Centre. At P. Tendercool we admired bespoke furniture made from recycled opium den beds. Housed in a building that looks like a temple, Thai Home Industries sells handcrafted cutlery, pottery and cotton shirts. In the Creative District, several warehouses have been turned into design stores and cafés. British graffiti artist Banksy would surely approve of some of the street art. Check out the River Bangkok’s excellent website and take yourself on an informative walk.

Culture and Hedonism Bangkok has more than 400 temples but if there’s one must-see it’s the Grand Palace, a square mile of gilded royal temples and palaces. The ornate Wat Phra Keo houses the famous Emerald Buddha (actually it’s made of jade). Take a tuk-tuk to the neighbouring Wat Pho, famous for its enormous Reclining Buddha and it’s ancient school of Thai medicine and massage, so you can combine culture and hedonism in one visit. A one-hour massage costs about $16. You can also enroll in various massage lessons and become immensely popular with your friends back home.

Trip the Night Fantastic For those of you who loved hunting for treasures at the night market in Lumpini Park, the bad news is that is no long exists; the good news is that there’s a new even better evenings only attraction called Asiatique The Riverfront open daily from 5 p.m. to midnight. Catch the free 10-minute ferry from Sathorn Pier (Skytrain stop Taksin) across the Chao Phraya River. The refurbished 100-year-old sawmill has more than 1,500 boutiques housed in nine warehouses. Shop for anything from hip new fashions to traditional Thai handicrafts. I got some aromatherapy oils, silk scarves and some funky jewellery for just a few baht. Plan to dine at one of 40 eateries serving a variety of cuisines, including Japanese, Italian and pub fare. There’s also the Joe Louis Thai Puppet Theatre, Calypso cabaret and a huge Ferris wheel from which you’ll have fabulous nighttime views of downtown Bangkok.

Getting Around Bangkok is plagued with heavy traffic and lots of jams. Your fastest mode of transportation is the Skytrain, offering a bird’s eye view of the city in clean and blissfully air-conditioned cars. English is spoken at the ticket stations. The underground or MRT is another option. Fares range from .50 to $1.40 for both trains, or you can opt for a tourist pass.

Tuk-tuks are fun and noisy and make good photo ops. However, a taxi might be cheaper. If you hail a tuk-tuk, agree on a price before getting in and prepare to haggle hard. Beware of a cheap trip to a tailor or gem shop. The fast and frequent ferries along the Chao Phraya River are a good way to visit the many temples and palaces. From the main Sathorn Pier you can head upriver and stop at numerous piers all the way to Nonthaburi. Buying a tourist ticket) gets you one-day unlimited travel plus a guide to some of the riverside tourist attractions.

Get your Kicks The normally gentle Thai people are passionate about their national sport, Thai boxing. Join the locals as they cheer for and gamble as the athletes pummel each other using most of their body parts. Bouts take place at Ratchadamnoen Stadium on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. Cost for a ringside seat is about $40.

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sefirahtravels · 6 years

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Welcome to Laos

12 July 2018. My last day in Vietnam I bought the lightest mountain bike I could find and got it fitted with a rear rack. My plan, predictably, is to ride it from village to village on the back roads and rarely visited places-between-places, touring Laos like I did India 14 years ago. I hopped on a cargo bus aimed for Laos and shoved the bicycle in the rear amidst the boxes and stacks of building materials. Ten slow, rickety, faith–infused hours later, I emerged in the small backwater city of Thakhek in central Laos, bike by my side. Before that, not even an hour past the Vietnam — Laos border checkpoint, the bus made a stop at a local village roadside market. A mysterious stop, because all the men got off the bus to walk around the market but no one bought anything. Was it simply to gape? That’s what I did. Under the tarps of the market where the weirdest food items I have ever seen. The one that sticks with me is the 5 kg lizard that was 4 feet long and as fat as a house cat, whose front and back legs had been bound behind its back with twine so it could not escape. The lady selling it was showing off: she wanted to show us how heavy it was so she stuffed it in a plastic sack like a piece of meat, and hefted it onto the scale. Clearly, there is a much different relationship towards death, killing, and eating here. They have no doubt whatsoever where their food comes from. The market also boasted pig ears and snouts, bags full of grasshoppers and crickets still kicking around, baskets of doomed frogs, entire cow legs with hide and hair and hoof still attached, bricks of congealed blood, plastic basins half full of muddy water with live crabs, catfish, and eels swishing around in them, bananas roasting over charcoal braziers, whole plucked ducks, and countless unidentifiable meat products, including, I’m told, water buffalo hide and bile. Welcome to rural Laos. After it’s been captured in the jungle or river, the only way to keep meat fresh is to keep it alive. One of the first things I notice about Laos is an abundance of Buddhist temples: gorgeous constructions embedded with mirror mosaics, embellished with dragons, and painted in gold. Vietnam was for the most part lacking in religious or cultural elements. Decades of dictatorship, communism, and war seems to have effectively washed Vietnam of most art, cultural heritage, and religious apparatus. Apparently Vietnam is 90% atheist, while Laos is 90% Buddhist with some animism thrown in. This is immediately apparent. Finally, there is some beauty in the architecture! I start to see, though still rarely, bits of traditional dress worn by the women. In villages some handwoven skirts start to appear. In Thakhek, I prepare for my bicycle trip: only four days and four nights- I want to see if my plan is realistic before attempting a longer stint. I study my map app, which if you zoom in far enough miraculously shows you if and where a guest house exists along the route. In this way I can confidently plan my stops along the way even in the remote villages I will be riding through. The next day, I set off at 7:30 AM on the mostly deserted road toward the unknown. I know Laos will not be like India, where I was able to traverse 500 km without encountering a single hill. Laos is mountainous and I have pared down my possessions to the barest minimum to reduce the weight I will have to haul up and down these winding roads. I am dressed like an gender-neutral desert alien. In order to survive the 6+ hours a day of tropical sun, I am covered head to toe in wide brimmed hat, gigantic sunglasses, dust mask, camouflage handkerchief, long thin gloves that go past my elbows, pants and sandals. Nothing matches, I am sweating out a gallon of water before noon, no one can tell what type of human I am, and I feel delightfully free of any lingering need to look any way for anyone. I am just a human being having an experience. I am ecstatic on the downhills, inventing songs I sing out loud to the wind. I pedal enduringly through the uphills, through surprise downpours, soaked with sweat and rain. I see rice fields, mountain vistas, and roadside forest waterfalls. I eat noodle soup for at least two meals a day. They seem to eat only two things in the public food places (really just the front of family homes where plastic chairs and tables have been placed): fried rice and noodle soup. And barbecued skewers of pork and chicken. That’s it. By the time I get back to the now seemingly bustling metropolis of Thakhek I am wanting a cappuccino and a bath and a meal that is more substantial than brothy noodles and a few morsels of overcooked day old meat. Needing a physical and psychological break from bicycling, I decide to travel by bus to Luang Prabang, Laos second biggest city and its religious and cultural center. The journey takes two buses and 24 hours. The second bus, a sleeper, had beds 5 feet long by 3 feet wide on both sides of the bus with upper and lower tiers. I thought this was totally awesome until I realized each bed was intended to fit two sleeping people, not one. My bedmate was a young Lao girl who spent the entire 12 hours throwing up into a plastic bag she hung by our feet. I was grateful that I am not much taller than 5 feet, and that at least my bedmate was female. When we finally reached Luang Prabang, city of 50 Buddhist monasteries where the Mekong and Nam Kham rivers meet, filled with intact French colonial architecture interspersed with glittering temples and golden Buddha effigies, palms shimmering in the breeze, and a selection of chic world class restaurants overlooking the river banks, I truly thought I’d reached paradise. I am sampling local “authentic” Laotian cuisine at these restaurants, and it is not very much like Thai or Vietnamese or Chinese food. It is really unique, and honestly I don’t prefer it. The flavor profile is very different: a lot of bitters, salty fish, dehydrated and fermented meats, sweet spicy thick chili sauces. It is heavy and pungent compared to the lightness of Vietnamese cuisine, and lacks the curries, the coconut milk, and the luxurious variety of Thai food. I am not having earth shattering personal revelations at this particular moment, but I am settling comfortably into my solitude, keeping myself excellent company, taking myself out to dinner at romantic dimly lit restaurants, admiring local textile weavings, stretching a lot, and reading a fat compilation of Anaïs Nin’s fiction. I have a bathtub in my room, a bicycle, and a little little travel speaker that will play any music in the world that I ask it to. It takes time to re-train yourself not to be busy all the time, to not feel the need to fill every waking moment with activity. I am allowing myself to slow down. I am removing the self-inflicted pressure to “do things”. I don’t need to conquer mountains, I don’t have to visit remote villages, I don’t even have to eat crickets if I don’t want to. I may want to do some of these things eventually, but I’m finding that the incredibly rare chance in life to let go of any and all agendas and forsake my otherwise ever-present sense of urgency is the most valuable of all experiences right now.

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baguetteofcolonialism · 7 years

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An American Abroad

“Never cook your food with anger, it’ll make those who eat it sick.” Such are the wise words my mother bestowed as she tried to teach me to roll rotis. Instead, I rolled my eyes in a more perfect circle than the dough before me. Yet, once I carefully considered her words, I knew she was right. Meals are the center of my family life, and the tone of the food influences the dinner conversation, the food coma, and sleep. I could always tell when my mom was having an off day by the slightly over-salted gobi aloo or watery chai. Food is the first language human beings learn; it is how we communicate across distance, language, and time.

So far, I’ve traveled to 46 countries looking for the culture in the various cuisines. There is nothing more satisfying than connecting with people through food. I’ve chased Aunties into the shadows between 60 story buildings in Hong Kong for steamy cha siu bao. Even in a buzzing metropolis where many work 12 hour days, there is always enough time for a few steamed buns from a plastic bag on the walk to the metro. The next time I was running late for work, I made it a point to stop and smell the baos. During that brief pause I also got a smile from the gap-toothed vendor as she made me feel they were prepared specially for me.

The easy-to-share kabobs and chutneys in Indian food make dinner a comical juggling act. Kundalini yoga’s fire breath is not the only way my motherland ignites health and wellness inside me; it is also through the cleansing sweat from chicken biryani. Cambodia’s attempts to calm its revolution reveal themselves in the warmth and complexity of Khmer chicken curry. The tender sweet potato and rich broth hugged a local woman as she slumped in her chair after visiting the killing fields of Phnom Penh.

Along my journey of culinary discovery, I stumbled into Singapore. My first introduction to the island nation was a meal in its buzzing core—the Hawker Center. These massive food courts impeccably represent Singaporean culture and its values of efficiency and heartiness.

As I stepped into the bright lights of Newton Hawker Centre, surrounded by hot air radiating from chicken satays and chili crabs, I glimpsed into heaven. The round outdoor plaza reminded me of a football stadium, but instead of rival fans eyeing me, it was other customers hoping I didn’t rush into line before them. I made the mistake of making eye contact with a young boy also heading towards the fresh coconut stand, and the game was on. He skidded into line only milliseconds before me, so I stepped into line behind him with a huff and resigned sigh.

Standing behind the boy, I strategized my route across stalls based on line length and item preparation time. My focus was disrupted with the crack of a coconut. I never did stop flinching every time the owner’s 16-year-old daughter struck one with her sickle. After collecting my coconut and gathering portions of chili sambal stingray (yes, really) and carrot cake (actually made of fish), I sized up those competing with me for table space. Grabbing a private table would be too greedy here; rather than risk violating cultural norms, I slid into the lone empty chair between a family and a group of businessmen and sipped my coconut happily.

While the country has only been independent for 52 years, its distinct culture has been shaped by its Hawker Centers. Singapore’s prime location in Southeast Asia makes it a true melting pot of cultures and cuisines. In any given Hawker, you can find all kinds of Chinese, Indonesian, Indian, Middle Eastern, and Malaysian food. Each culinary concoction has been directly imported but a few dishes have been given a Singapore special twist--that usually means dropping an entire tub of chili paste in the pan.

The locals’ busy lifestyle lends itself to jitter-inducing kopi. The beans are roasted with butter and the coffee is sweetened with condensed or evaporated milk. The full flavor and constant buzz put an extra enthusiasm in my step on my commute to class. Just one cup a day was enough to make my American heart race, but the locals consumed vats of kopi daily. I am still unsure whether the blood in their veins is red or a rich, milky brown.

At school, kopi breaks were the main form of interaction between me and my Singaporean peers. Food became the go-to topic as we walked to our favorite aunty’s snack shop on the corner. Talking about the weather was unnecessary in such a consistently sticky climate. Kopi and kaya toast breaks brought us together as we vented about an upcoming Mergers and Acquisitions exam. It gave us the jolt of energy we needed to keep reading and provided a much-needed break. While we could have connected on any number of commonalities, what our conversation inevitably went back to was food.

During my recent trip to Northern Thailand, I cuddled with a tiger and gave elephants mud baths. My main mode of transportation was a little tuk tuk whose sides I had to grip for fear of being thrown into the open street. The expert drivers were so efficient that I visited 11 temples in one day, yet no religious or cultural experience was more spiritual than hearing the words, “come to my home. I’ll teach you to cook real real food, none of this same same American food.” What followed was the most special meal of my life. I learned to make Chiang mai’s famous Khao Soi curry from a recipe passed down by a network of specialists as if it were some ancient language. When I was cheap with the salt, Crystal reminded me there was plenty of water on the table. And when I was reluctant to pour more chili in, she scolded me and asked how else we were supposed to get warm. By not just feeding me but also making me part of the cooking process, I had a clearer view into Thai culture than I could have ever gotten being served at a restaurant or from a street vendor. I saw how food was meant to be made--with love and time. It is not meant to be quick or easy; if it were, according to Crystal, “my husband could do it.”

Any Hindu temple in the world will feed you a meal just for asking. You can walk in and yell at every person you meet that you are an Atheist or Christian or a bumblebee and your plate will still be colored with dollops of curry. The Golden Temple in India serves over 100,000 free meals daily. That is 100,000 opportunities to connect with fellow human beings. Indian cooking also encourages close connection with the food. It is a fully immersive experience. At the door, you take off your shoes and cover your head to show respect and encourage a oneness. How can you connect with the earth from which our food grows and feel the giving sun’s energy if you’re covered up?

Next to the plates, there are no utensils. Only your hands are needed to rip off chunks of rich rotis and use them as vehicles loaded with curry. The food requires you to engage with it and appreciate every spice and texture. As you eat, you are spiritually connected with everyone else sharing the meal in the temple. You are thankful for the food that has brought you together, and for the kindness of the universe in providing it.

Even without a personal connection to a country, its cuisine forces me to listen. I’m constantly looking for the common soul we share, and each dish attempts to convince me of its authenticity to its own values. That’s just what authentic food is. It is not the dishes closest in flavor and exact ingredients to its homeland counterpart; the most authentic food relays our common desire for comfort and health while telling the story of how it came to be. Vietnam’s Banh Mi is a history textbook—preserving the marinated tradition of pork between an adopted French baguette.

Several trips abroad after my mother’s cooking lesson, I realized flour and water are not the main ingredients of rotis. They are the strength behind the rolling pin, the patience in the final sprinkle of flour before the pan, and the kindness in making different sizes for the kids. If you are what you eat, then I am love. What are you?

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trendingnewsb · 7 years

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Ipoh: A cultural and culinary guide to Malaysia’s rising tourism star

(CNN)Sometime after the tin slump of the 1980s, Ipoh earned a reputation for being a retirement destination, or just a pit stop on the way to Penang.

“Before, there wasn’t one place where people gathered,” says Julie Song of Burps & Giggles, a cafe that’s contributed to the city’s new face.

“Now, everyone who comes makes Old Town their first stop.”

But the capital of Malaysia’s Perak state has always possessed the qualities that make places like Penang so compelling to travelers: a rich architectural, cultural and culinary heritage — but without the crowds. (Though weekends are a different story.)

And that’s not all. Surrounded by Paleozoic limestone hulks, Ipoh is also a gateway to the area’s beautiful caves and hot springs.

Here are some suggestions on things to do in Ipoh, as well as some dining and hotel recommendations.

TO SEE

Kong Heng Square

A few years ago, landscape architect Ng Seksan and his friends took over this block, breathing new life into Old Town.

“We wanted to keep the old tenants, such as the Kong Heng kopitiam and the Indian barber,” Ng says.

Today, these establishments exist alongside chic cafes, boutique hotels and fashion and craft stalls.

“It’s the greenest urban block in Ipoh,” says Law Siak Hong of the Perak Heritage Society.

Trees are left to grow over and inside buildings, creepers tumble over rooftops and flaking walls.

Yasmin at Kong Heng Museum (open weekends only) showcases the films of the late Malaysian director Yasmin Ahmad, known for her moving explorations of race.

Flanked by a colorful crew of restaurants and shops, “Concubine Lane” is so nicknamed because the late tin tycoon Yau Tet Shin reportedly kept his second wife here.

A living architectural museum

Many buildings from the colonial era, spanning a range of styles from the Gothic to the Modern, still stand.

Among the most visible are the century-old Railway Station, designed in the British Raj style, and the stately old Town Hall across the road.

For quaint shophouses, just walk around Old Town.

Highlights include the Sinhalese Bar, founded in 1931, with its cowboy-style swing doors. It’s a great place to enjoy a beer before carrying on.

There are murals by Ernest Zacharevic — the Lithuanian artist often credited with making street art trendy in Malaysian cities — and local artists like Eric Lai.

Trail maps are available at the local Ipoh tourism office.

“The Vale of Tin and Sin”

Ipoh lies at the heart of Kinta Valley, once the world’s richest tin-producing field.

It attracted a vibrant mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and European fortune seekers, growing from a river village into one of British Malaya’s richest towns.

To learn about the history of tin and how miners lived when they weren’t working, visitors can book themselves in to visit Han Chin Pet Soo.

The museum was previously home to the Hakka Tin Miners’ Club, founded in 1893, which in its early days was open only to men — a place to socialize, smoke opium and gamble — though exceptions were made for “dancing girls.”

Out around Kinta Valley are former tin-mining towns and other historical attractions to explore.

A guided tour may include Papan, Batu Gajah, Gopeng, the Tanjung Tualang tin dredge and Kellie’s Castle.

K. Rajasegaran (+60 12 524 2357) and V. Kuppusamy (+60 12 508 6429) offer custom tours around Ipoh and Perak.

Law Siak Hong (+60 17 506 1875) of the Perak Heritage Society occasionally leads tours.

Masters of tradition

Tan Khar Mee (Kin Teck, 4 Tingkat Pasar; +60 12 455 3242), 73, has been making lion dance heads for more than four decades.

He also worked on the set of the 1999 film “Anna and the King,” and is open to teaching visitors the craft.

Teh Wing Liang (Zhong Shen Trading, 59 Jalan Bunga Saroja, Pasir Pinji; +60 12 452 3287), 42, has been making lion heads since he was 15 and says his style is more modern.

“I paint each one differently from the next. I make it up as I go along,” he says.

To see how Ipoh’s famous heong peng biscuits are baked — in concrete well-shaped ovens, fueled by coconut husks — it’s best to visit the house at 362 Jalan Gunung Rapat in the morning.

Yao Cai Yu at the Central Market (Jalan Dato’ Onn Jaafar) makes wooden clogs, and Lau Chee Wah (Lau Hooi Kee, 15 Lorong Bijih Timah) makes traditional bamboo blinds.

John Lee of Ipoh Secrets offers custom tours that help break through the language barrier

Up close with limestone hulks

When the Chinese came to Kinta Valley, they built temples in limestone caves.

Perak Tong, dating from the 1920s, has one of the most beautiful interiors, filled with colorful murals of deities. There’s also a hilltop pavilion with city views, though visitors will need to climb more than 400 steps to reach it.

Sam Poh Tong, apparently discovered by a monk in the 1890s, is a little dilapidated, but its gardens have an enchanting, wild quality. It’s got faded terraces, a tortoise pond and a striking red temple out back.

Tambun Cave has prehistoric paintings of men and animals, plus abstract shapes found on its cliff face.

The Gua Tambun Heritage Awareness Project runs tours on the first Saturday of each month.

TO EAT

This list focuses on Ipoh’s specialties rather than the usual Malaysian staples.

For Western food, there’s Kong Heng Square or the string of bars and pubs on Jalan Lau Ek Ching.

Most hawkers open in the early mornings and shut after lunch, or as long as stocks last.

Malaysians tend to have heavy breakfasts, so go early. Some hawkers also take irregular days off.

White coffee and toast

First, a quick run-down of the white coffee varieties.

“Pak kopi” comes with condensed milk and evaporated milk. “Pak kopi C” with evaporated milk and sugar.

“C kosong” with evaporated milk and no sugar. “O” with sugar and no milk. And add “peng” to the end if you want it iced.

The coffee beans are roasted with margarine, without sugar, giving the coffee a lighter color.

For a light breakfast, it’s paired with margarine toast topped with half-boiled eggs.

Sin Yoong Loong (15A Jalan Bandar Timah/Leech St), founded in the 1930s, is among the most popular places to find this local treat.

Chang Jiang (7 Jalan Windsor), a modern cafe that traces its origins to a 1970s kopitiam, serves equally good white coffee.

Nga choy kay

Reputed to be Ipoh’s quintessential dish, nga choy kay means “beansprout chicken”, but usually refers to three dishes — kway teow (flat rice noodles) soup, poached chicken and peppery beansprouts.

You can order for one, but they’ll still be served separately.

Ipoh’s bean sprouts are said to be crunchier and juicier because, it’s believed, the surrounding limestone hills give the water a special quality.

Lou Wong (Jalan Bandar Timah/Leech Street) is most popular with tourists, but the local favorite is arguably Cowan Street Ayam Tauge & Koitiau (44 Jalan Raja Ekram; +60 12 520 3322), which also does delicious braised chicken feet.

It’s reputed to have irregular opening hours, but Thursday to Sunday evenings seem a safe bet.

Kai see hor fun

Kai see hor fun is also a kway teow soup, but the difference is in the prawns. The broth has an orange sheen made by boiling chicken bones with prawn shells.

And everything comes in one bowl — topped with poached chicken slices, prawns, beansprouts and spring onions.

Thean Chun’s version (73 Jalan Bandar Timah/Leech Street) is one of the best.

Restoran Moon De Moon (148 Hala Wah Keong, Simee) — closed on Mondays and Tuesdays — is also touted for its kai see hor fun, as well as curry mee, a spicy noodle dish.

Curry mee

People flock to Xin Quan Fang (174 Jalan Sultan Iskandar) for Ipoh curry mee, which tends to have less milk in it. There’s also a dry curry version.

“My grandfather’s recipe includes Indian spices, like star anise,” says owner Kok Wai Bing.

We recommend ordering the curry mee soup with your noodle of choice, and a mixed bowl of roast and barbecue pork, prawns, chicken and beansprouts.

Don’t forget their special gravy, reportedly a mixture of curry oil, garlic, pork lard and lime.

Hakka mee

Paris Restaurant (164 Jalan Sultan Iskandar/Hugh Low Street) has moved into its third generation of cooks.

It specializes in perfectly springy, flat egg noodles, topped with bean sprouts and minced meat caramelized with soy sauce and fish sauce, with an accompaniment of chilli and garlic-ginger sauce.

It’s also possible to order it with a bowl of soup with meatballs and fishballs.

On weekends, it’s best to arrive well before 11 a.m. They sell out fast.

“Nasi Ganja”

Contrary to the name, there are no suspicious substances in this rice dish. It’s just really good.

The nickname has become inextricably linked to the Nasi Kandar Ayam Merah stall at the Yong Suan kopitiam (2 Jalan Yang Kalsom), founded in the 1950s.

Ask for the usual — biasa — and you’ll get a plate of fluffy steamed rice served with their specialty ayam merah (a red-hued fried chicken), okra, salted egg, cucumber and a generous dollop of chilli and curry sauce.

Sar kok liew

This is a patty of yam bean and fish paste, rolled up in a bean curd sheet, and deep fried.

It’s Ipoh’s signature variation of yong liew — vegetables stuffed with fish or pork paste, which also come boiled.

If you like yours crispy, go to Dai Shu Geok (“Big Tree Foot”, Jalan King, Pasir Pinji) and have it with a bowl of assam laksa.

Otherwise, Ipoh Echo food columnist SeeFoon Chan-Koppen recommends Kwong Hong (684 Jalan Besar Gunung Rapat): “It has many varieties of green vegetables, and the dipping sauce is yummy.”

Yu kong hor with boiled octopus

Tuck Kee (61 Jalan Yau Tet Shin) only opens in the evenings.

Recommended is the wat tan hor — kway teow immersed in a creamy egg gravy, peppered with pork slices, prawns, vegetables and lard fritters — or yu kong hor, the dry version topped with a raw egg and then stirred in.

Either way, it isn’t complete without the boiled octopus doused in garlic oil and soy sauce.

Kaya puff

Sin Eng Heong (4 Jalan Mustapha Al-Bakry) is synonymous with Ipoh’s famous kaya puff — filled with a jam made with coconut milk and egg — and on weekends you’ll see a long line outside the bakery all day.

However, the founder’s son has opened his own shop, Sin Eng Hoe (50 Jalan Yau Tet Shin), nearby and assures that he uses the same recipe.

Tau fu fa

This is a dessert made of soybean curd, usually slurped hot and traditionally sweetened with ginger sugar syrup.

Funny Mountain (49 Jalan Theatre) is the name on everyone’s lips, but Woong Kee (32-38A Jalan Ali Pitchay) is also a firm favorite.

WHERE TO STAY

Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat

This is the place to come for a luxurious communion with nature amid limestone hills — yet it’s just a 15-minute drive from the city.

Each villa has its own plunge pool with water piped in from the hot springs, and there are four communal garden pods.

Non-guests can pay to use the facilities.

They include a pool, a steam and sauna cave, and an air-conditioned cave to relax in. It’s also possible to dine in the cave cellar, which has an extensive wine collection.

A short walking trail leads directly to the Lost World of Tambun theme park.

Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat, 1 Persiaran Lagun Sunway 3, Tambun; +60 5 210 7777

Bedrock Hotel

This new boutique hotel is styled with a mix of contemporary Chinese and Western details.

“We have the best beds and the best rocks,” Debbie Ng says.

The beds are imported, and her family members are ardent rock collectors. Their finds are displayed around the hotel, and even in the rooms.

Each room has a Nespresso coffee machine, with complimentary pods.

Bedrock Hotel, 13 Jalan Che Tak, New Town; +60 5 241 3031

Sekeping Kong Heng

One of Ng Seksan’s Sekeping collection of properties dotted around Malaysia, this hotel creates the illusion of a “retreat” in the middle of all the action.

The main quarter is located above the Kong Heng kopitiam in what was once a hostel patronized by Chinese opera troupes.

Much of the original building remains, mixed with open brick and reclaimed wood, wire fencing for bed bases and concrete sheets for walls — melding the industrial and natural without compromising on style.

There are more rooms in an annexe next door and above the Container Hotel, as well as a pool and a rooftop hangout.

Sekeping Kong Heng, 75 Jalan Bandar Timah (Leech Street), Old Town; +60 12 227 2745

Sarang Paloh

This boutique guesthouse resides within a former Art Deco-style bank building that dates back to the 1930s.

Sarang means nest, and each room is named after a different bird found in Malaysia.

The interiors are mostly furnished in wood and accented with antiques, mixed with modern details and amenities.

All 11 rooms are air-conditioned with en-suite bathrooms.

There’s a common dining area cast in natural light and shadow, and a serene courtyard on the second floor.

Sarang Paloh, 16 Jalan Sultan Iskandar (Hugh Low Street), Old Town; +60 5 241 3926

27 Concubine Lane

This homestay in a restored 1908 shophouse is owned by a Malaysian-British couple.

It retains many original features, with other parts — windows, floorboards, latticework — sourced from a salvage yard.

“It’s not the Hilton. People come here for the heritage,” says John Lomax.

There are three private doubles with air conditioning, and an open loft with six beds. Bathrooms are shared.

Amid the bustle Concubine Lane, it still manages to feel like a little hideaway.

27 Concubine Lane, Old Town; +60 12 221 3202