Malaysia

February 1, 2023

Char Kway Teow

South-East Asian cuisine intimidates me. Many of the recipes from Europe were complicated, but they used familiar ingredients. North America, South America, and Oceania tended to have straight-forward recipes with a few exotic visitors. Now, I’m into the deep water. To create the layers of flavor and balance desired, many of these recipes have ingredient lists as long as a CVS receipt. Most recipes will need a trip to a special grocery store, and a day planned around the multi-step creation. Did I mention that there are at least 46 countries in Asia?

Char Kway Teow, or Malaysian Stir-Fried Flat Rice Noodles made it onto our list because I had a high level of confidence in my ability to find the ingredients. Sunrise International Market did not let me down. I found the fish cakes, sambal, bean sprouts, and Chinese chives. There was even one pack of XL rice noodles left. I had toyed with the idea of making my own ho fun noodles, but it was too much for a Wednesday night.

Weekend Project?

I appreciated that the author of the cookbook warns you in the first line to prep everything. I was counting on this dish coming together in a few moments. We added one extra step. Having a healthy fear of what might be lurking on the bean sprouts, we elected to blanche them. A minute in boiling water followed by an ice bath did not change the texture and increased my confidence in serving them.

But, we fell at the last hurdle. It seems that my package of rice noodles (which only directed me to soak them in cold water for 10 minutes) did not prepare them to the point this recipe wanted. If you watch the video above, you can imagine how quickly those transparent beauties would be ready to eat. Instead, we found ourselves bailing IN water to get the noodles to texture that we could chew.

Honestly, it was worth it! The sauce was deep and complex, the veggies had a pleasant crunch, and the fish cakes were surprisingly citrus-y. Even with a tablespoon of chili paste, the boys cleaned their bowls. We served some tiny Thai bananas on the side, but this dish was exciting to eat.

The library had several children’s books by Malaysian authors or about Malaysia, so we read them all. Nana, Nenek & Nina shows the differences between the author’s two grandmothers who live on opposite sides of the world. Kaya’s Heart Song shows the main character finding the passion inside of her. Kalamata’s Kitchen discusses harmony between friends by comparing it to the harmony within a Malaysian dish.

BONUS: Kaya Toast

On the back flap of the book, the author of Nana, Nenek & Nina explains who she is through toast. She eats it with beans (British grandmother), kaya (Malaysian grandmother), or avocado (lives in California), but never all three at once. Kaya was the gem that lay hidden at the international market. I was hoping to make my own, but the universe told me it was one step too far.

It is a coconut spread, but it is also enriched by eggs and a more than healthy amount of sugar. Kaya is super thick and delicious. I could see myself using it between two layers of a cake, for that special something. Kaya toast was also Jakob’s reward for braving our spicy main course.

However, I did bake fresh bread for the occasion.

Indonesia

January 22, 2023

At Columbus Symphony with David

It can feel dangerous to share; to do so places one in a vulnerable position that is open to disappointment. But, my word for this year is, “Yes”, so I find myself sharing more than I previously would. I love the symphony, and my library has a program for checking out tickets for free. It was a dream come true, but a private dream. As the only female in the house, I make assumptions based on fear, that what is interesting to me will not be adored by others. This is, of course, ridiculous. My dad loves the symphony. Truly, I was more comfortable living with the dream that the gentlemen in my house might be symphony fans, than testing the reality.

The bird-woman in Home Alone 2 says something very similar, and is chastised by Kevin because not trying has the same result as failure. I push and challenge the boys to try new foods, sign up for new activities while I quietly pretend that my patterns are what makes me happiest. I’ve now been three times to the symphony, and I am learning that I have composed the majority of my own limitations. We shall see where my assent takes me this year.

Indonesian Fried Rice

Fried Rice

This does not look like much. Certainly, we do not see the peas, carrots, egg, or shrimp suggested by the packet. If this were to have been served alone, we have added all of the embellishments. Instead, we used this as the base for our Sweet Ginger Chicken recipe.

I was happy to have the seasoning packet since my grocery did not have a single, “large red chili” called for in nearly every recipe I perused. As a dry spice packet, it worked extremely well with our fried rice. Follow the direct about chilling your rice and it will greatly improve your results. Cold rice gets coated in oil and crisps nicely. Warm rice continues to steam and becomes a blob.

Honestly, I expected more heat as I saw the flakes of red dotting the rice, but the level was below that of mild salad. It was a deep flavor and enjoyable. We had glasses of milk on stand-by, but they weren’t needed.

Her’s and Our’s

Sweet Ginger Chicken

Another way in which I am sharing, is by giving others more of a stake in this project. Ben picked out a short list of recipes, and I made the final call. This comes from a book called Fire Islands by Eleanor Ford. Did you know that Indonesia has more than 17,000 islands and only China, India, and the U.S. have more people?

The list of ingredients gives a better picture of the final taste than a photograph. Seven cloves of garlic, 3.25 inches of fresh ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and a little gem called kecap manis. I was not able to find the last one in my grocery, but the mail came through on time. Kecap manis is described as sweet soy sauce, but it seemed most similar to molasses to me.

Because I don’t have a background in this type of cooking, I thought the ingredients would come together like a stir fry. I worried because those quantities of garlic and ginger would be overwhelming if still crisp. As luck would have it, I even got all of the boys to the table, anticipating service a la moment. Then, Ben called my attention to the color and thickness of the sauce in the picture.

We had ten minutes in which to read a book about Indonesia while the sauce reduced. The garlic became meltingly complex. The ginger was tamed, but still made itself known. The tomato, which Ben found so odd when envisioning a stir-fry, helped thicken and bring everything together. There were notes of it which seemed similar to a barbecue sauce, but from a family tree that split many years ago.

Today, Ben keeps mentioning how much he enjoyed this dish, and there was not a complaint or hesitation from the younger ones. Sharing seems to be going well.

M is for Movement AKA Humans Can’t Eat Golf Balls

This book is a piece of serendipity. Mostly, I search the country on my library’s website and request anything that is in stock. There have been gems and stacks of books not read. I flipped through the pages to see if it was for Sam, David, or Jakob.

What I read gripped me. A young man was given a pill by his mother before school. In class he thought he had an accident, but it was his body expelling a tape worm so large that he considered naming it. This page came mid-way through the book and painted pictures I had never thought on. The author, Innosanto Nagara, was born in Indonesia, and is a very compelling writer. (I feel like a child from Reading Rainbow attempting to give a book review without giving away the ending). If books are your way of glimpsing other lands, this one if for you.

Marshall Islands

January 16, 2023

Sweet Macadamia Nut Pie

This was so nice, that I made it twice. While I enjoy the rhyme, that is not the full truth. I had great plans to finish Oceania by Thanksgiving, and this pie was my offering to the dessert table. The day progressed wonderfully, and my family gobbled up the pie. Later, I recalled that I didn’t take a picture of it. No real problem, as I had bought twice the quantity of macadamia nuts needed.

For fans of pecan pie: Meet her cousin. I left the macadamia nuts whole, because they are more tender than you would expect, by the time they finish cooking. For those who find pecan pie too sweet, this might be the substitute for you. Even though the brown sugar sauce is the body of this dish, the generous amount of unsweetened coconut and macadamia nuts temper that cloying quality.

Bananas with Sweet Potatoes

This dish is more of an idea than a recipe. Bananas are fried, sweet potatoes are boiled, and then they are combined for a delicious side dish. I didn’t push my luck and take these to Thanksgiving as well, but if you are tired of sweet potatoes with marshmallows, this might be an option. This will feel familiar to people who have eaten fried plantains before, but if you’ve only eat bananas raw or in bread, I highly suggest you try this. Don’t fry the bananas to the point of mush, you are looking for caramelization. Also, pick a main dish with some salt or your dinner might feel unbalanced.

Why Marshall?

The native people originally referred to their islands as, “Gifts from God”, but the world now knows them by the surname of John Marshall, a British explorer. Even though he was a passing explorer and the native people still make up the majority of the population, we call them by his name. Take a moment to sit with that.

While we dined through Europe it was easier to ignore the history of land-grabbing; there were so many impressive monuments to view. Yet here, the legacy of possession and use is on full display. Despite the British name, it was the Spanish, Germans, and Japanese who first claimed these Gifts, as their own. Five major islands, and over a thousand coral atolls pepper the waters of this nation that is 97% water.

Did their diminutive size help the American government to disregard the importance of these islands to the Marshallese? Did their distance from the US mainland keep it from our minds? Sixty-seven nuclear tests were conducted; a hydrogen bomb was tested. We took the, “Gift from God”, evacuated the people, and flooded them with radiation. We took the upper hand in the nuclear arms race because of what we did on their shores. Now, we forget about this place. We forget promises to cleanse our desecration and promises of monetary compensation.

Tuvalu

January 16, 2023

If you have talked with me recently, you will probably know that one of my favorite books is called Atomic Habits, and it explains that people will stick with habits that are easy, obvious, attractive, and rewarding. I have spent January trying to make that which is important to me, meet that criteria. This journey is my way of capturing this season in our family’s life. It has been a focal point for my hungry brain, so why has it taken me this long to cook from Tuvalu? The answer is embarrassingly simple: the tuna was frozen. It was easy to leave it in the freezer because no waste was being created. It was one step more difficult to cook than the ingredients in the fridge. So, I tried to remember all of the reasons why this journey is rewarding, and finally brought her to the table.

Tuna Tuvalu

I need you to trust me for a moment, because something about this dish is going to surprise you. It is going to ask you to stir fry cucumbers. I had never done this before, and was somewhat reluctant to try. Cool and refreshing, they are great for scooping up hummus or infusing water, but as the main veg in a stir fry? Hmmm…fully skeptical.

The other piece of information that you need is: This dish moves fast. Either prep all of your ingredients or find a sous chef. There is not time to chop once the first ingredient hits the pan! Also, call the family to the table before you drop the tuna in the pan. It just needs to say hello to the heat, not have a full conversation.

Many of the flavors here are familiar: garlic, ginger, curry, and coconut milk. The cucumber has a similar texture to a pickle, and was pleasant to eat. I could not find any red chilies at the grocery, so we substituted with a red pepper for color and chili flakes for heat. It was spicy, but completely consumed even by our mildest mouth. It seems that our palates have had a growth spurt too.

Coconut rice is listed as an option, but I highly recommend it. To make it, you partially substitute coconut milk in for the water. Super simple and amazingly flavorful. If you have left overs, try them cold. Both Ben and I liked it for a simple lunch, and it kept all of the textures where we wanted them.

In the News

The day that I cooked this food I heard the announcement that if sea levels continue to rise, Tuvalu will be submerged within 80 years. There are efforts to encapsulated the culture and create a virtual Tuvalu in a digital space. It reminds me of a message in a bottle, a last attempt to preserve the fact that one has, indeed, existed.

The link I’ve provided does not take you to that story. It is CNN coverage of how climate change is impacting the island, and it is mostly photographs. The images are stunning, but I did not want to insert them here, because credit should go to those who create. Please, take a look. Some of it is gorgeous, some of it is heartbreaking. The more we take the time to see ourselves in others, the more we unite our humanity.

Kiribati

November 15, 2022

North, south, east, and west. These islands sprinkled on both sides of the equator and both sides of the 180th meridian are technically in all four hemispheres. It is easiest to find this small collection of islands on a map with time zones. When you see the line in the Pacific Ocean that juts out to encase all of its islands, you will have found Kiribati. A collection of coral atolls, this is not a highly fertile paradise. Foreign aid is vitally important, and much of the food has to be imported.

Te Bua Toro Ni Baukin

There are times in cooking when I have hoped for the best, but I have known that the result will be less than thrilling. I have an international cookbook that includes an African recipe for meal worms. (I haven’t cooked this yet, even though I know where to source the ingredients.) Putting that perspective on it, I hoped that our taste buds would be forgiving to the SPAM. I bought a vibrant pumpkin, which my life-saving food processor shredded. We’ve been enjoying cabbage. Perhaps…

No, this meal was not a hit. But that is a step in learning as well. With the children being older, we were able to talk about how life would be different without a backyard garden. How our ability to finish a plate of food might change if we had to wait on shipments. For me, the dish was confusing. It contained baking powder and powdered milk, but the dish did not seem bound together or raised. The brightness of the lemon came through, but it was at war with the spices in the SPAM. After a few bites and some gratitude for our unknown blessings, we switched to PB&J’s. Food for thought, that is what this was.

Samoa

October 26, 2022

Yet again, I have found myself months away from my dinners. This fall was a truly difficult season with three deaths followed by three weeks of sickness in our house. Part of me does not wish to associate Samoa, which was a joyful banquet, with this weight, but it is intertwined.

Winkie, one of my mom’s best friends, died suddenly in September. Her ability to listen and take time helped people to feel truly heard and seen.

Jesi, my cousin, died in October after a grueling battle with cancer. We had the blessing of coming together as an extended family, but the pain was draped around all of us.

My cousins lost their father in November. I was so moved by the way they memorialized him and the honesty of their grief.

I was not the primary mourner to any of these beautiful souls. There were people who knew them better and felt the loss more deeply. If you are one of those people, please know that I am not trying to take sympathy from your loss, only to explain the space in which I found myself.

I come from a very large family, where there have been many seasons. There was a time when it seemed every weekend had a wedding. Once, we even had a double-header, one Larger cousin and one Reeb. It shifted to births of babies, and as a younger cousin I found it amusing when my babies were brewing at the same time as those cousins I had looked up to. Grief is the price of love, and I have been going to funerals since I was very young, but it felt like an event, not a season. As the leaves changed and fell, I looked up to see all of those I love who are nearing the end of their journey. This is why I stopped writing and cooking; there were days where I wandered into the kitchen and everything felt like too much.

Perhaps our concentrated illnesses in December were a gift. David began with a week-long mystery fever, everyone contracted the flu for the next week, Jakob rounded it out with a case of strep. Why was this good? First, we all came through it, but it placed me in survival mode. I did not have to achieve beyond surviving each day. At least one of the boys was with me at all times, and I was able to see the brilliance in my children. It was a retreat, and it allowed me to face the future with a little less desperation.

Pani Popo

If you decide to cook from Oceania, coconuts are a recipe staple. The coconut flavor, from the milk, is not overly assertive. It was decided that these should be our new dinner rolls, and I could see them working with any main dish. They are the perfect texture, and so subtle that you might not notice the secret unless told.

Moa Fa’Asaina

Samoan chicken is awesome. Even if you are a person who normally goes for a fully prepped bird, buy some bone-in, skin on pieces for this one. The chicken is first browned, then finished in an intense sauce. Soy sauce brings salt, while apple cider vinager brings a tang, generous quantities of ginger and garlic make their presence known. Because the chicken cooks in the sauce, every bite will be infused with all of those well-balanced voices. Sometimes, when you cook skin on chicken, you lose the flavor if you do not like the texture of the skin, but that is not the case here. Bonus, the extra sauce looks beautiful covering a fluffy pile of coconut rice.

Coconut Rice

I did not make a mistake with the link. The coconut rice recipe is also included with the chicken. Basically, coconut milk replace water for cooking the rice. It is a stir fry game changer. I would suggest using it as often as you can.

Samoan Watermelon Drink

Did I mention that this was a banquet, a feast? I found these recipes so inspiring, and I had half a water melon left, so we had drinks as well. Possibly because we do not have a blender, my drink seemed more of a smoothie than what was pictured in the recipe. You have watermelon, crushed pineapple, coconut, and coconut milk. Next time, I would serve this with a lighter meal, because it was very filling. If you get tired, this summer, of eating watermelon cube out of a bowl, I would recommend turning them into this drink.

Paifala

You might be thinking that I’ve trapped you here, and this blog will never end. But this is the finale, and a feast should always have a dessert. The recipe I have given went big, the pies were enormous. I went small and made a lot more. I’m sure you will find what works for you. This dish is similar to the “pineapple pop tarts” Ben liked during Guyana week. It is a simple dough (with the addition of coconut milk, of course) encasing a homemade pineapple jam. I have no complaints about the results. The jam I was not able to fit in found its way onto my morning toast. Thank you for sticking with me through my ramblings. I hope this year is bringing brightness into your life.

Tonga

Documentary: The Queen’s Influence- The Vanishing Culture of Hiko

I found quite a bit of tension in both of the movies I watched about Tonga this week. This first documentary intrigued me because of its focus on juggling. I do not think of juggling as some that is gendered, but I learned through the video that it is a male dominated practice. Perhaps that is why I think of it as neutral; we tend to view male pursuits as normal or regular. They have esteem.

In Tonga, men do not juggle because feminine pursuits cause people to lose esteem. Boys would be teased for juggling. Yet, within the female community Hiko seems to be something that gives them pride. It reminds me of ballet, where women and encouraged to excel but men are given sideways glances.

There are women in this movie who speak of being treated like a princess. That men are made to do menial work while women have time to play. I do not discount this person’s experience, but it is important to note that women are not allowed to own property in Tonga. They cannot inherit property. Yes, a woman can receive and education and become a professional, but she can only lease the property she would need for work. We like things that are simple, but sitting in the tension between women as princesses and women without rights provides a clearer image of real life.

Leitis In Waiting

As they note in this movie, Tonga is the last remaining kingdom in the Pacific and the only country that was not colonized. This means that practices that would have been stamped out by European powers were able to continue. Still, un-colonized does not mean uninfluenced.

This movie is about Leitis, which is the name given to transgendered women in Tonga. As with Hiko, there is a place for Leitis in traditional Tongan culture, but that does not mean that they are respected for being Leitis. Their role is to be useful, to serve, to do the work that others turn away from. There is a moving montage in the film where callers to radio program keep extolling the virtues of the Leitis because of how helpful they are. None of this means that these women are safe. Individually they tell of moment where they were hurt by family or neighbors.

Due to the treatment of these women, I would suggest pre-watching it before sharing with older children or teens. Be ready to talk about how we treat people who live at the edges. You will need to be ready to discuss suicide, depression, and bullying/assault. It is not easy, but there are moments of joy as well. If you only have time for one movie, I would watch this one.

‘Otai or Coconut Watermelon Drink

The leaves might be turning golden, but this drink is brilliantly pink. It still amazes me to live in an area that doesn’t depend on seasonality. I assumed that this drink would be a pale imitation using pre-packaged relish tray cubes. Luckily there were still melons to be found, and it brightened my day (even more than a papaya) to see it’s color when cut open.

From here is was extremely simple to make the drink. I used my immersion blender to puree the watermelon. It also helped to break down the coconut milk, which always has a thick layer of cream at the top. It was important to make this with enough time to properly chill. You should expect the consistency of a smoothie.

Coconut Caramel

When I saw this recipe, I felt like it might be the Pacific answer to dulce de leche. Not so. Dulce de leche is created by slowly condensing condensed milk until it is thick and golden. You can spread it on cookies or dip apple slices into it. It also is like kryptonite to people who are lactose intolerant or vegan.

This caramel is more like maple syrup. Without pointing it out, would you know that those sweet potatoes are glistening from the application of Togan caramel? Probably not. I was successful the first time, but there can be some hair-raising moments in this recipe. First, you dissolve sugar by heating it. It takes patiences and even on The Great British Baking Show, people often fail by burning the sugar or having some strange crystallizing problem. After your sugar has become its own liquid, you add coconut milk. Now, what happens when you add room temperature milk to hot sugar, Sasha says it might spatter, but in my experience, the sugar went solid again. It took all of the 15 minutes of cooking to convince the sugar to re-dissolve. The result was delicious, but make sure that you have the time and concentration for a tricky project when you take this on.

Fiji

October 12, 2022

Fijian Chicken Curry

Flavor Time

Dinner is done, but the air is thick with flavors. I have noticed that in a multi-level house, smells can stratify. As I walk up from the basement, I feel comforted by the lingering warmth.

To make this dish, a ginger-garlic paste is cooked in hot oil before onions and spices join the party. The quantities will seem absurd. Eight cloves of garlic? Halloween is near, but no vampires have been sighted. I have never used 50 grams of grated ginger! I worried that the oil would spatter when the tomatoes and chicken hit the pan, but the spices (9 teaspoons) soaked up the hazard.

There is only one thing that I would do differently if I had tonight to repeat: Start this dish first! It happily reduces for forty-five minutes. I started with what I knew (roti and rice pudding) when I could have knocked those out in the down time and had dinner on the table earlier.

Biggest win, everyone finished all of their portion. My potato-haters forgot to complain. Some extra salt was asked for, extra roti would have been appreciated, but this reminds me of why I keep cooking.

Roti

Very Soft

There are nuances in bread that can be missed. If I posted pictures of roti, tortillas, and naan would you be able to identify them correctly? You might wonder if it is worth the trouble, considering that you can buy tortillas at the grocery. I find roti more pliable than tortillas; they are excellent for dishes when you might use the bread as your utensil.

Making roti took flour, boiling water, and 1/2 a tablespoon of oil. It is so very simple, and there is real joy in kneading the hot dough. It came together beautifully. I portioned mine into five pieces for obvious reasons, but in the future I would double this recipe (at least). Generously flour your surface because the warm dough sticks more easily when rolling. Also, take the time to roll all of your roti first, or have a second chef doing the rolling. They cook so quickly that you do not have time in between to roll the next one.

Rice Pudding

Happy boy

Last night when I saw the leftover rice, I told Ben that I wanted rice pudding. I was thinking that I would make it just for me, but since there is a recipe from Fiji, I served it to everyone.

Truthfully, I didn’t use the Fijian recipe because my rice was already cooked, but I took comfort in knowing there was some rational for serving it tonight. Also, lactose-free milk has become our lifesaver. I love a creamy dessert, and I love my husband. His lactose intolerance meant that I needed to leave those recipes on the shelf, or apologize to him for making a dessert he couldn’t eat. We have tried this several times, and I don’t notice a taste difference in the end product.

Water

Something in the water

This felt absurd, but fun. Jakob claimed that he tasted a difference. Great. David wanted to know how we could verify that it came from Fiji and not some drinking fountain. My little sceptic.

Dinner and a Show

Equally absurd was our program. The boys saw World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji as the best choice. Upside: we saw a lot of Fijian scenery. Downside: we learned nothing about the culture. Strange Bonus: we talked about risks and respecting the limits of the human body. I don’t know that we will make it through all ten episodes, but I want to start making room for their passions within this project.

Nauru

September 29, 2022

Dear Reader,

Did you notice that the recipes have been scant and the dates have been the same for the past three countries? We ended up with an island mash-up night. Ben has been traveling, and I was packing up to go with him. We tackled Palau (side dish), Micronesia (dessert), and Nauru (main).

I also found a mash-up playlist on Spotify. It is called Pacific Islands Music. It was a bright ray of light in our quickly dimming season of autumn.

Enjoy!

Coconut Crusted Fish

2021? Nope

The freezer is an amazing thing, because I am pretty sure that I bought this Pacific Cod in 2021 for Nauru, but didn’t use it. Somehow, it was still in my freezer and usable for the original intention.

Also, I think that I have bought two thousand bags of coconut in the last few weeks. I forget to check how deep my bench is. Luckily, we enjoyed this dish, so I can make it again as soon as I buy more fish. Jakob and David really enjoyed the fresh flavors. Now, to catch that plane…

Palau

September 29, 2022

Taro Rosti

Much has changed since I began this journey, one small change has been that my grocery stores now carry taro root. They are hairier than even kiwi, which makes one question whether enjoyable food could be inside. Peeled, they look like their potato cousins, and one begins to see what they are about.

Some people set a lot by doing things the natural way. I was wooed by this idea when I was pregnant with David, but I’m past that need to prove myself by jumping through hoops of my own making. I would guess that grating all of that taro by hand would take the better part of an hour. My delightful food processor fought its way through in less than five minutes.

Onion, salt, and pepper round out the flavors on what is essentially a hash brown. You are told to squeeze the liquid from them. I did not do this as much as was wanted, but I felt the liquid helped hold them together. I’ve never been very successful at hash browns, these seemed a lot easier.

*Sasha’s blog said that people from Palau love barbecue sauce, so there was no guilt in giving David and Jakob free rein with the bottle.