Broiled Salmon and Couscous

Took Alex bowling for the very first time this afternoon. Actually, it was my first time too and here’s one new thing I learned about my husband of almost 11 years – Keith knows how to bowl and had in fact, bowled quite a bit back in his middle school days…and he claims daily he has […]

Blackened Fish

So, a couple of days ago, I learned that the first day of Chinese New Year this year will fall on January 23rd. My first thought was “Oh, another year of not celebrating it with my family (back in Malaysia)” which immediately made me feel homesick. My next thought was “But I haven’t recovered from the […]

Chicken & Tortilla Soup

Can you believe I had this recipe since 2003 and I never tried it until last year? It is now a family favorite! The original recipe, which I’ve adapted slightly for a simpler prep (not that it was complicated to begin with) can be found in The Best of Fine Cooking: 101 Quick Delicious Recipes […]

Louisa’s Spaghetti Sauce

Happy New Year!! You guys are in for a real treat! This recipe is named after one of my best friends – Louisa because it originally came from her family. I first tasted this sauce way back in high school but I didn’t officially get hooked on it until a few years later while I […]

Chicken Mushroom Soup

Note: Photos of the final dish were updated on December 25, 2017. With everyone at home (including myself) feeling under the weather, I decided to make the ultimate comfort food – chicken soup! In my family, this particular version is always eaten with mee suah (a thin, delicate noodle made from wheat flour which signifies […]

Chicken Curry

This is the kind of curry my mom made when I was growing up, which is more along the line of Chinese-Malaysian curries as compared to the Malay or Indian version. As with most of my mom’s recipes, the dish comes without any actual measurement of the ingredients – everything was just “agak-agak”, meaning “more […]

Chicken Satay and Spicy Peanut Sauce

Satay, a dish of grilled slices of meat or chicken on bamboo skewers, is a popular hawker-style snack (or a meal by itself) back home. Satay is traditionally served with a spicy peanut sauce, with accompaniments such as slices of cucumber, shallots, and cubed ketupat. This recipe is adapted from a satay recipe found in […]

Nasi Lemak (Coconut Rice)

Nasi Lemak is a popular meal in Malaysia and Singapore, and is eaten at all times of the day. There are many different variations of the dish, with accompaniments that extend from simple traditional ingredients such as sambal ikan bilis (dried anchovies sambal), a few slices of cucumber, fried ikan bilis (anchovies), roasted peanuts, and […]