Think Mezze!

Being married to a Middle Eastern, I am constantly being exposed to mezze-style food. I like this concept immensely. Mezze actually just means appetizer. But the Middle Easterns have perfected the practice of whetting your appetite. Typically, in a Turkish, Lebanese or Israeli restaurants, a mezze serving would consist of small plates of dips, morsels of deep fried food, grilled seafood, cheese and salad. This probably influenced the 'small plate' tapas culture in spain.

A Mezze serving looks impressive to serve at a party. It's a feast for the senses as it is made up of a variety of delectable food. It's the perfect accompaniment to drinks - to be enjoyed slowly with good friends. This Mezze was served for breakfast in Israel as part of an Israeli breakfast.

It's so easy to create your own mezze dish at home. Think mediterranean ingredients and add color and texture on your plate. Contrast fresh salads with grilled veges, fried items or even pickled items.
This mezze plate consists of (from top going clockwise) tomato and olive salad, fig with parmesan cheese, zucchini fritters and char grilled shishito peppers.

How to get you kids to like vegetables

I have a picky eater in my house so I am constantly trying to re-invent vegetables.
Recently my husband gave me a tapas cookbook and I discovered a wonderful stuffed mushroom recipe which I adapted slightly.

I fry some pancetta in my frying pan. Then I cut out the mushroom stalks, dice them and add it to the pancetta in the frying pan. Then, in a separate bowl, I stir some breadcrumbs, lemon rind and chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper. I add the pancetta mix to the breadcrunbs and fill up the mushrooms and mini bellpepers. Pop it into the oven to bake for 15 minutes. Who says Sunday dinners had to be roast meat? My kids loved it!

Are you ready for the year of the goat?

Get ready for lunar new year in the Bay Area
Get into the mood and visit the San Francisco Flower Fair in Chinatown on the 14th and 15th of Feb. 

Watch The Reunion Dinner, a touching and nostalgic short film by Singapore filmmaker Anthony Chen. It captures old Singapore and the mood of the new year. 

The reunion dinner is the all-important event on new year's eve. (evening of Feb 18) Families get together and feast. In some households it's hotpot (steamboat) in others, it's roast duck and yet others it's dumplings. 

My family reunion dinner has always been hot pot (steamboat). Thinly sliced beef, fishballs, seafood, a mountain of vegetables and noodles cooked in chicken broth. At the end of the meal, as we add more and more ingredients to the stock, the soup gets richer and is filled with 'umami' flavor.  

What's your reunion dinner going to be like? 

Share pictures of your reunion dinner with us!

Rice cakes in the shape of red tortoises symbolizing long life 

Who doesn't love Chinese New Year? The perfect excuse to get a new wardrobe (new clothes for the new year), red packets (for the kids) and 15 days of feasting. Traditionally, the week before, Chinese families are busy cleaning the house and stocking up on cookies and food. I remember going to night markets in Singapore, selecting plants and flowers for the house. Spring blossoms, narcissus and orange trees are auspicious plants for the new year. Every household will be stocking up on tangerines and oranges too (symbolic for gold). Chinese New Year is a time for visiting family and friends. Remember to bring even numbered (2,4,6 or 8) oranges with you, wear happy colors and you'll be safe from the radar glare of any superstitious grandmas.

The Road to Hana

Fields of bamboo peeping through majestic rain trees, on the road to Hana

Many people say that if you want to get a feel of what Hawaii or Maui was like in the 1950s, go to Hana.  It's a 45 mile drive but the road to Hana is extremely windy and narrow at places so it will take you two hours or more.  

The road officially starts from the sleepy town of Paia. It's a good place to stock up on food and do some shopping along the way. 

The San Lorenzo bikini shop has a gorgeous collection of bikinis and beachwear. The Paia Bay Coffee (115 Hana Highway, Paia) at the back of the bikini shop, has a quiet tropical garden courtyard to sit and enjoy your morning bagel or choose to sample some Kona coffee at Anthony's coffee. 

Drive to Ho'okipa surfer's point and watch the surfers ride the waves. 

Then the road starts to wind. Remember to take your time and stop along the way. There are numerous roadside fruit stands where you can also get warm banana bread, a specialty of the area. We stopped at a grove of rainbow eucalyptus trees and hugged some trees with green and brown camo bark. 

The road hugs the coast and you're treated to views of the vast pacific ocean, road side waterfalls and tropical flora. Jungle lianas hung down and red ginger flowers peeped out from the lush vegetation.  Those traveling in the beginning of the year will be treated to the sight of red masses of flowering mango trees  - Hawaii's answer to the fall season.  

Nutcharee's Authentic Thai Food (5050 Uakea Road, Hana ) was a good spot for lunch. It was a nice change from the usual Fish Tacos stands found around the island. Try the local fish with green mango salad. Along the road,  look out for the signs along the way advertising for Huli Huli Chicken (Barbecued chicken seasoned with soya, ginger, garlic, brown sugar and more). We found ours at a casual drinking place by Koki beach and it hit the right spot. 

The highlight of Hana would be the Kipahulu State Park which includes the Oheo Gulch (seven sacred pools that cascade into the ocean) and the Pipiwai trail. Some literature I read stated that you should not pick up any stones from Oheo Gulch as the site is sacred. I was tickled to find out that "the seven pools" is actually manufactured by marketing people. The pools are not sacred and there are actually a dozen pools. Microclimates are pretty strange in Maui. I swear there must have been a perpetual cloud of rain over our house. However, when you drive a few mere miles away towards Kipahulu, it is nice and sunny. We even found out from the ranger that the national park had not had rain for the past few months and "it was the driest in sixteen years" according to a fellow traveler. Unfortunately, Oheo Gulch was devoid of water (so no swimming) We decided to walk up the Pipiwai trail instead and it did not disappoint. There's lots to see on this route. The first amazing site would be the enormous banyan tree. The bamboo forest has to be the highlight. I have never seen such density of bamboos. As you walk through natural tunnels of bamboo, you imagine you're in some sort of crouching tiger hidden dragon location. You can hear the bamboo stalks knocking each other "Tok Tok Tok" as if they were making music. 

Red foliage of the mango trees top the waterfall 

Pools of water on the Pipiwai trail

Despite the rain, we were glad we ventured to Hana. We saw a lot of local life and soaked in the wild landscape. Lots of people will say that Hana can be certainly done in a day as a day trip, but why rush? Slow down and feel the spirit of Hana.

Sunrise at Haleakala crater - breathtaking moonscape

Note: 

• We were traveling with our three year old and five year old. It's a two mile track (back and forth) on the Pipiwai Trail so be prepared to carry young kids part of the way as they WILL get tired. However, it is totally doable with young kids. The $10 entrance fees for the park includes the summit of Haleakala volcano and Kipahulu State park (2 day validity) so plan to do both activities within the 2 days.  

Aloha Maui

There must be a whole vocabulary in Hawaiian for the myriad types of rainbows on the island. Traveling to Maui in the beginning of the year has its perks - it's the off-peak season and flights and accommodations are relatively cheaper. However, you have to contend with the wet season. On the other hand, you will be rewarded with stunning rainbows. We saw double rainbows, rainbows with really intense hues and halo rainbows, all in one day. And don't be discouraged by the wet weather forecast, there is still plenty of sunshine in between the rain. 

WHERE TO STAY

It doesn't rain all day but it's vital to choose the right spot to stay to make the most of the sunshine. The driest part to stay on Maui is on the Western side (from Lahaina to Kihei). Lahaina's where all the big condo properties and hotels are situated. It's a good place to base yourself if you are a first timer in Maui. Properties like Honua Kai have great facilities - swimming pools, hot tubs and slides for the kids. It's also right next to Kaanapali beach. The in-house restaurant, Dukes serves good quality food. Try their eggs benedicts and calamari. 

BEACHES

Be sure to try the black sand beaches as well as the white sand beaches. If you want to get away from the condo action, Big Beach in South Makena Road, Kihei, is idyllic and has plenty of white sand. For those with young kids, we heard that Baby Beach has calm waters. The black sand beach in Waianapanapa State Park, Hana, has beautiful shiny black pebbles. It is probably not the best place to swim but it is great for photos and exploration. 

MAUI FRESH

Not surprisingly, you can always tell about the culture of a place through its food. Fish factors big in Hawaii and the fish and seafood you order in Maui will always be extremely fresh. Fish Tacos is popular here. A good casual place to sample fish Tacos and other seafood is The Fish Market Maui. 

We ordered the calamari steak (picture above) which was extremely juicy and not at all overcooked. Servings of food usually come with sticky rice and macaroni salad. Another good dish to try would be the Ahi Poke or Tako Poke. Fresh sashimi salad, seasoned with soya sauce and seaweed. 

You are bound to notice fruit stands when you drive around the island. Pineapples, avocados, coconuts, guava and mangos make good snacks on your drive. 

A lot of the stands work on an honor system. The fruits stands are unmanned, but be sure to put payment in the buckets. Look out for farmer's markets where you can pick up fresh fruits, vegetables and local jams. The Honokowai Farmer's Market in Lahaina is open on Mon Wed and Fri (7-11am). I was on the lookout for local fresh markets (like the wet markets in Asia) but I was disappointed to hear from a local that they do their grocery shopping at Safeways. We insisted on trying local produce in Hawaii and we found out that you can buy local grass-fed steaks at Long's Drugs Pharmacy. (how bizarre!) 

On a hot day, cool down with some Hawaiian Shaved Ice. They come in many fruity flavors and you can even add ice cream.  If you want to try it like a local, drizzle some condensed milk on top. 

5 Reasons why you should be stir frying in your kitchen today

I conducted my first stir fry workshop today. My students were introduced to basic sauces and ingredients for a successful stir fry. We also tried out different woks and practiced a lot of chopping!

So here are the 5 reasons you should be doing some stir frying action in your kitchen: 

1/ It is a very fast method of cooking (and hence ideal for busy parents and career people). The chopping can be done ahead of time which leaves the frying (only takes 5 minutes max) Dinner is ready - faster than ordering a take out.

2/ Vegetables are not overcooked so you get more precious nutrients. Sure, it's not as raw as a salad but its probably the next best thing!

3/ The cleaning up is quick. There's hardly any sticky bits to scrub.

4/ There is so much room for creativity. My students created their own stir fry on the spot. One of them made a vegetarian version of my grandma's ginger chicken recipe. Once you know the ratio and proportions of the ingredients, it's easy to play around and surprise yourself with the variety of dishes.  Dark or light? May the sauce be with you!

5/ The food is yummy! (We made stir fried bean sprouts, tofu and dried mushrooms, Thai basil chicken and Stir Fried Broccolini in a ginger sesame suce)

In search of the perfect bowl of ramen in the bay area

There's ramen mania going on in the Bay Area. Queues of hungry diners waiting for a nice comforting bowl of ramen.  Truth be told, I've already tried a few ramen places - Santa Ramen, and Orenchi Ramen which has a following. I must say I was disappointed with both. The first ramen joint was alright but for all its hype, I was expecting something more. It was an ok bowl of ramen. And to top it off, they served me cold tea. I was also excited about Orenchi Ramen because of the queues of people waiting outside and because I like their sister restaurant Sumikagrill. However, their ramen broth was overly salty. 

I think my ramen fascination is somewhat like a fussy twenty something year old princess trying to find the perfect man. There are good guys out there...but they're not perfect, and you keep searching. The same with ramen. Some are better for their broth, some for their chewy noodles, some for their fatty pork and some have the perfect soft boiled egg. Occasionally you find a joint that does everything right.  

So today, I tried Ramen Dojo, which is actually the smaller sister restaurant of Santa Ramen. It was clear from the concise menu that the focus of the dining place was ramen - spicy ramen, to be precise. Ramen dojo opens at 11:30am everyday. I arrived at 11:25am and I was surprised to see a queue of at least 25 people already waiting. So I didn't get to be seated in the first seating when the restaurant opened. But tables move pretty quickly here. I ordered the garlic pork ramen (tonkatsu soup broth). I was surprised when my bowl of ramen was served. It had a thick black sauce on top of it. I was told it was roasted black garlic sauce. I tucked in and for the first time, I enjoyed my ramen. The noodles were nice and chewy, the soup was porky, garlicky and not overly salty, the black garlic sauce was a nice distinctive touch. At $8.95 for a basic bowl, it was worth the wait. I didn't order the spicy version (although I was tempted) as I was sharing my bowl with my three year old. This is my fave joint for now and I will be back to try the spicy version with a soft boiled egg!

Ramen Dojo, 805 South B Street, San Mateo, Open daily except for Tuesday
11:30am - 2pm, 5:30am - 9pm