As a child, my plastic pumpkin was always still full the following Halloween. Perhaps this explains my fondness for savory over sweet. This is what I could round up from my office candy pool at Cottage Living–Korean ginseng candy, Korean pumpkin and sweet potato candy chews(from my trip to Seoul back in May), [...]

I promised some friends that I would make Thai Sticky Rice with Mango this weekend. Since I wasn’t able to find fresh, sweet mango I decided to slice ripe persimmons for this version.
STICKY RICE WITH PERSIMMON
I love to eat Thai curries with sticky rice–the nutty, glutinous accompaniment elevates the texture and flavor of [...]

I love to sit at the open counter here and watch recent James Beard nominee, Chris Hastings, and his talented chefs, Chris Zapalowski (formerly of Emeril’s and Peristyle in New Orleans), and Bill Schleusner (of Cafe Boulud) cook up everything from Henry Fudge’s pork trio to Shrimp and Grits. For a voluptuous dessert, they [...]

Last week, I bought a bag of dried white hominy at the market in Zihuatanejo. It was about 25°C and all I really wanted to do was swim in the ocean and drink a refreshing cucumber mojito. But now, with the cooler days of fall, I dream of long-simmered stews, and am craving hearty [...]

Watch Jazz of Jitlada, in Thai Town, on the border of L.A.’s Little Armenia, show me how to make Chicken Coconut Soup.
Jitlada is one of the best Thai food restaurants I’ve been to in a long time. Jazz, co-owner with her brother Tui, welcomed me by first reading my palm: “You are [...]

October morning at the Paseo del Pescador in Zihuatanejo where locals come for fish fresh from the catch.

Mexican Langosta

La Fonda Irma, a loncheria, at the mercado–the place for a counter lunch of mole, chiles rellenos, hot corn tortillas and salsa picante.

I’ve been craving agua sandia (fresh watermelon juice) and finally found it here, [...]