About Rasa Malaysia

Updated: May 31, 2008 ABOUT ME View my blogger profile here. GENERAL "Rasa" is a Malay word. Derived from Sanskrit, it means "taste." Rasa Malaysia is a culinary journey through Malaysia's rich, complex, and intoxicating gastronomic delights--it is a taste of all the flavors of Asia. Rasa Malaysia is my online playground: it's the channel I express my passion in Malaysian food and cooking, and the domain where I express my artistic creativity. It's also a place I document all precious recipes from my family's kitchen. Through Rasa Malaysia, I am reliving my childhood days in Penang, Malaysia--those days when I quietly and patiently stood beside my late grandmother, my mother, and my aunt, watching and observing them when they concocted dishes upon dishes of wonderful home-made meals. It was then that I cultivated my life-long passion in cooking (and eating, too). Malaysian food is one of the most exciting cuisines in the world and I want you to learn more about it or at least be intrigued by what it has to offer. Consisting of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Nyonya, and other indigenous cuisines, Malaysian food is complex, extremely flavorful, and electrifying. Other than Malaysian food and recipes, I also share other Asian recipes with a special focus in Chinese and Southeast Asian cuisines, for example: Thai and Vietnamese. Other ethnic recipes such as Japanese, Indian, and Indonesian recipes can also be found on Rasa Malaysia. Over 90% of recipes featured on Rasa Malaysia are original and the dishes are prepared, styled, and photographed by me. So, please don't copy my content, recipes, and/or pictures without my prior consent. Thank you and I hope you enjoy Rasa Malaysia as much as I do! PHOTOGRAPHY I love photography and I am more passionate about photography--especially food photography---as days go by. I receive a lot of comments, questions, and emails about my food photography: what camera I use, how I shoot my pictures, etc., so I've decided to share some of the common Q&A's here. Q: What camera do you use? A: Prior to March 24, 2007, I used Canon Digital Elph SD450. Currently, I shoot with Canon Digital Rebel XT 8MP Digital SLR. Q: What are the tricks to great lighting? A: I shoot all my food pictures close to the windows (with the blinds up) or in my patio (I never take food pictures with direct sunlight casting on my food because it's too harsh). Q: What kind of lenses do you use for food photography? A: I use the kit lens which is Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 and also Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II macro lens. I use the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II mostly nowadays because it takes really great shots and great for traveling. Q: What are the tips and tricks to take great food photography? A: My food photography is really simple and minimalist. I like to focus on the food more than anything else. I use mostly white dinnerware and white background to call out the color and texture of the dishes I presented. I love the food photography in Donna Hay Magazine--clean, crisp, and sophisticated--so I try to replicate the look and feel of that style. ALMOST FAMOUS? The Star - Blogger's Choice Lonely Planet: Mmmmmarvelous Malay Serious Eats Required Eating: Cheddar Bay Biscuits of Self-Loathing Slashfood: The only thing I'd want to eat at Red Lobster Serious Eats Required Eating: Black Cod with Miso Slashfood Food Porn: Stir-fried Brussels Sprouts with Dried Sole Does My Blog Look Good in It July 2007 Overall Second Place Winner Does My Blog Look Good in It June 2007 Originality First Place Winner Chez Pim: Blog Day 2007 New Straits Times, August 13, 2007 (?)-- still finding the paper. Apartment Therapy Slinks: Surreptitious web links to other good sites New Sabah Times, November 3, 2007: The Paragons of Food Does My Blog Look Good in It September 2007 First Place Winner Does My Blog Look Good in It December 2007 Host Award Yes, MSG, the Secret Behind the Savor - New York Times, March 5, 2008 Savouring the Taste of Malaysia - The New Straits Times, May 26, 2008 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES I specialize in Asian cuisines, especially Malaysian and Singaporean cuisines. I offer food consultancy and professional services to restaurateurs/entrepreneurs in the following areas: Original recipes development Recipes enhancement Talent acquisition: experienced chefs who specialize in Malaysian, Singaporean, and Asian cuisines. Malaysian/Pan-Asian restaurant concept development & menu planning Restaurant website development Food styling & presentation Food photography For more information, please contact me. LINK ME I love and welcome incoming links. To link to Rasa Malaysia, just copy the following code and paste it to your blogroll, website, or article. Rasa Malaysia <a href="http://www.rasamalaysia.com/">Rasa Malaysia</a> Rasa Malaysia is best viewed with Internet Explorer 7.