Another week, another hilarious error of culinary judgement by people who clearly have no right to be paid for their food “expertise”. We all remember the legendary “crispy rendang” episode of MasterChef UK, where the judges eliminated Malaysian contestant Zaleha Olpin because her chicken rendang skin wasn’t crispy (which is like giving your » Read More
Food Fame – Ken Burgin of Profitable Hospitality
June 21, 2019 By
Ken Burgin of popular food podcast, Profitable Hospitality, was the founder of the iconic and wildly successful Cafe Troppo on Glebe Point Road in Sydney before he ventured into food consulting. As it turns out, we have more in common than food entrepreneurship; we both studied at Sydney University and also, I’m pretty sure one of my old » Read More
Food Fame – Facebook Group
March 19, 2019 By
Photo by Michał Parzuchowski on Unsplash Attention: Food Entrepreneurs Want to know how many people I speak to who struggle to stand out in their food business despite the long hours and hard work they put in? Answer: Lots. They so deserve to be rewarded for their incredible talent in the kitchen. But without expensive » Read More
Concord Hospital Market Is Back; Also, My New Kitchen
February 20, 2019 By
Concord Hospital Market, which was disrupted for months due to construction work at the site, has now officially resumed; I'm back on the green at lunchtime on Thursdays if you happen to be in the area; details per below - Where: Concord Hospital, Entry via Gate 2 on Hospital Road When: Thursdays 11am-2pm What: Jackie M's Char Kway Teow » Read More
Letter To A Student In China
January 24, 2019 By
Awhile back, I was contacted online by a Chinese student who wanted to tell Noah's story as part of a school assignment. I'm resharing my letter here because I'm a big fan of repurposing content, plus it's a good opportunity for me to point my audience to my other website - babyNoah.com.au - which is where I'll write more about this aspect of my » Read More
How to Make Sweet Potato Dumplings with Red Bean Paste Filling
November 20, 2018 By
These sweet potato dumplings are pretty easy to make; you can used ready-to-use red bean paste (in cans or packs at your local Asian grocery store), though in this Live Asian Kitchen, I used the homemade red bean paste I’d made a couple of weeks earlier. Other popular filling options include lotus seed paste or mung bean paste. The » Read More
Chillies (30 Days 30 Asian Ingredients Series)
September 2, 2018 By
In this Live broadcast on Chillies, I cover the different types of chillies used in Malaysian and Southeast Asian cooking, and explain their uses and preparation methods. I also reveal a good, cheap substitute that I’ve encountered in my recent trips to my local non-Asian fruit and vegetable shop, and how to “hack” the flavour to achieve the same » Read More
How to Make Coconut Candy
June 17, 2018 By
A Deepavali Favourite Using Natural Plant Extract Coconut candy is one of my favourite memories of Deepavali (aka Diwali, though not in Malaysia), the Indian Festival of Lights. During this public holiday, our Indian friends would hold “open houses” where they served up a culinary extravaganza to feed the friends from all ethnic backgrounds » Read More
How to Make Penang Ais Tingkap (Window Sherbet)
June 10, 2018 By
A Wok Around Asia Recipe By Penang Home Cooking School Ais tingkap got its name from a bygone era when Indian vendors would sell the drink from a window (tingkap means “window” in Malay; ais is “ice” as in “iced drink”); it’s a refreshing drink made with fascinating ingredients that I’ve never before incorporated into any of my cooking (malva nuts » Read More
How to Cook Creamy Turmeric Mussels (Masak Lemak)
May 19, 2018 By
A Wok Around Asia Recipe Courtesy of Symphony By Chef Jo Restaurant, Kuala Lumpur Creamy Turmeric Mussels, aka Mussels Masak Lemak, is an easy, yet delicious example of the eclectic cuisine style served up by Masterchef Malaysia judge Chef Jo at his Damansara restaurant, Symphony by Chef Jo. The sauce is a signature Minangkabau recipe from my home » Read More