Look What I Found?

I have been searching high and low for this herb and never thought I could get it here, so you could imagine how ecstatic I was when I finally found it in A Dong Market at Little Saigon here in Southern California. Well, sometimes it's all about where to look! Thanks to my friend B at Wandering Chopsticks (who told me it's available in Little Saigon) and the friendly T&D at White On Rice Couple (who pointed me straight to the treasure), I now have access to this special ingredient that makes my mouth water just thinking about the possibilities: Malaysian Otak-Otak/fish custard wrapped with banana leaves, Nyonya Perut Ikan/stew preserved-fish stomach with vegetables (which sounds totally bizarre but very good), and the addictive Thai appetizer Mieng Kam (which is the reason why I fell in love with Thai food!). Such exotic and scrumptious culinary concoctions, made possible only by these little heart-shaped leaves. Amazing... Called "daun kadok" or literally kadok leaves in Malay language, "la lot" in Vietnamese, these peppery-tasting wild betel leaves do wonders, here are the excerpt from Wikipedia: "Betel leaves are used as a stimulant, an antiseptic and a breath-freshener. In Ayurvedic medicine, they are used as an aphrodisiac. In Malaysia, they are used to treat headaches, arthritis and joint pain. In the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and China they are used to relieve toothache. In the Philippines, they are used specifically as a stimulant. In Indonesia they are drunk as an infusion and used as an antibiotic. They are also used in an infusion to cure indigestion, as a topical cure for constipation, as a decongestant and as an aid to lactation...." APHRODISIAC?! Time to load up buckets of wild betel leaves... *wink* A Dong Market Westminster, CA Tel: (714) 999-5566 Continue Reading "Look What I Found?"

Wolfberries/Goji Berries: My Latest Ingredient Addiction and Cheat Sheet to Fabulous Food Photography!

Do you know wolfberries/goji berries or 枸杞 in Chinese? Have you cooked anything with them? Lately, dried wolfberries/goji berries have become my favorite ingredient-du-jour. I add them to my savory soup and stew, braised claypot dishes, and Bak Kut Teh (pork bone tea soup). Highly renowned in Chinese cuisine as an ingredient with great healing powers (improving eyesight and immune system), nutrient richness, and antioxidant qualities (meaning you need to stock them up in piles to remain forever young!), wolfberries/goji berries lend a nice sweet (甘味) flavor to dishes, especially to pork and poultry... I am going to share two recipes with you using wolfberries/goji berries soon...for now, please click here to learn more about this ingredient. On a totally unrelated--but useful--note, I published a lengthy article about my tips and tricks to taking drool-inducing food photography at Dining Hall. Go read about it, and I bet you will be on your way to taking gorgeous food pictures with my exclusive article. Anyway, if you are a lazy reader (like I am), I have put together a cheat sheet for you below: Rasa Malaysia's Cheat Sheet to Taking Fabulous Food Photography: 1. Use white serving ware and do some food styling. 2. Never use flash even though it's dark. 3. Use Macro mode if you have a point-and-shoot camera. 4. Post processing with photo editing software such as Photoshop. 5. Tripod is not necessary. (If you don't have a tripod, it's OK.) 6. Consider investing in a DSLR camera. 7. Natural Lighting is the secret ingredient to fab food photography. 8. Minimalist props so your readers are drawn to your food. 9. Experiment with lots of shots. 10. Find your favorite style and mimic it. My sister-in-blog Steamy Kitchen will be writing up a food styling guide soon. So, please be on the lookout.To find out what I use, my gear and lenses, please click here. Continue Reading "Wolfberries/Goji Berries: My Latest Ingredient Addiction and Cheat Sheet to Fabulous Food Photography!"