The topic of pork came up in a comment thread on Reddit in response to the question - what is something about your race (ethnicity) that other races may not be aware of? A Chinese redditor responded that pork permeates a lot of Chinese food, even in dishes that aren’t pork-based. As a fellow Chinese, I concur. Not just because I live in the food » Read More
10 Ways To Use Malaysian Ikan Bilis (Dried Anchovies)
February 10, 2021 by
Ikan bilis, aka dried anchovies, is so highly-prized among overseas Malaysians that my stepmom makes a point of using her entire luggage allowance on ikan bilis each time she comes home from a visit to Malaysia. (I’m aware you can buy ikan bilis from other countries, but once you’ve tried the Malaysian variety you’ll realise there’s a world of » Read More
10 Ways The Thermomix Is Great For Asian Cooking
January 15, 2021 by
In all the years I’ve cooked Live On Air, I’ve elicited more comments about the Thermomix TM5 behind me than all my other kitchen gadgets and utensils put together. I usually brush these off by telling my audience that it’s really just a multi-function kitchen unit and that I mostly use it as a glorified food processor. I do that partly because » Read More
How To Cook Pandan Chicken Curry & Pandan Rice
March 12, 2020 by
As someone who's run a Malaysian food business for decades, I'm always trying to strike a balance between maintaining "authentic" flavours while cutting down on time spent in the kitchen (thanks to labour costs and staff shortage issues). My friends at MyBlueTea.com.au recently sent me some samples of their natural pandan powder (made from pure » Read More
How To Use The Keep Warm Setting On Your Cooker For Sous Vide Cooking
December 5, 2019 by
I mentioned in the past that the keep warm setting on your electric cooker - eg. your rice cooker, slow cooker or Instant Pot - could theoretically be used if you're too cheap (I'm kidding) for a sous vide unit. I had the chance to test it out with my Lao-style grilled ox tongue recipe that I published recently >> » Read More
Australia Day At Yaralla Estate – Jackie M Pop-Up
January 21, 2019 by
Yaralla Estate groundsImage via www.slhd.nsw.gov.au If you've been craving my food over the long summer break, here's an opportunity to grab some of my Char Kway Teow and hand-rolled spiral curry puffs this coming Saturday evening. I'll be running my pop-up at Yaralla Estate in Concord, Sydney, to celebrate Australia Day. There will be free » Read More
Carols At Yaralla – Jackie M Pop-Up
November 30, 2018 by
I've been invited to cook my food at the Carols At Yaralla event coming up on Friday 7 December 2018; if you're in Sydney and located not too far away from the inner west, why not bring your family along for some Christmas carols and a bite to eat? At this stage, I'll likely be cooking Fried Radish Cake (aka Chai Tow Kway/Char Kway Kak), Char » Read More
How to Make Kanom Krok – Thai Coconut Cakes
November 20, 2018 by
I had never eaten kanom krok (aka Thai coconut cakes or Thai coconut custard) when I attempted to make it during a recent Live Asian Kitchen broadcast. Without a frame of reference as to how it should taste, I found both the recipe I used and the final outcome somewhat perplexing. First of all, it produced a gooey topping that had no chance of » Read More
How to Cook Crispy Squid or Calamari
November 20, 2018 by
My seafood shopping choices are heavily dictated by budget, in the sense that I would pick up something simply because it looks cheap, and figure out how to make it palatable after the fact. This explains why I often use squid instead of the more expensive calamari; contrary to popular opinion, squid can taste pretty tender even when simply » Read More
29 Dishes That Will Make You Fall In Love With Penang
November 13, 2018 by
A Wok Around Asia Guide to Penang Food It’s a well-accepted fact that Malaysia produces some of the best street food in the world - however, different parts of Malaysia are famous for specific dishes, and Penang is no different. How do you know what to eat if you’re visiting Penang for just a few days? Well, to help you decide, this is my » Read More