Indulge me a bit here. I’ve had a migraine for the last couple of hours and I’m loathe to drink any pill. I’ve been trolling the Internet for “magic cures” — okay, not really, but some tea, or some natural medication… so far I’ve found turmeric. But I really don’t feel like making any soups or potions with turmeric…. and there’s no way I can swallow a spoonful of that stuff. Just thinking about it makes my headache worse. I’m not prone to these migraine headaches; just a bad combination of ragweed allergies and lack of sleep the past few nights preparing for a trip and dealing with some stressors…. I checked Dr. Weil’s site and did not find much except... [Read more]

I know, it’s the last day of August. There’s still 116 days ’til Christmas according to Organized Christmas. This year, I promised myself, we would be more organized, and therefore, hopefully, more relaxed. Relaxed enough to celebrate the season — and the Reason — the way it’s meant to be. While Christmases past have not exactly been chaotic — we’ve managed to get some down time here and there, finish our shopping before the 24th, it hasn’t been ideal and I know we could make it so much better. So this year I’m making some of our food gifts earlier, and I’m looking for ideas! Right now I’ve got these on my list: Sinamak Achara Candied Sampaloc (tamarind) — using... [Read more]

The 21st Asian Food Festival, a month long celebration, commences tomorrow (or in a few hours depending on where you are) in Melbourne, Australia. Participating restaurants include Dragon Boat, Shoya, Sawasdee Thai, Le Taj Brasserie, and Omah’s. There will be cooking competitions, river cruises, and museum tours, among others. More details here. Lt Bourke Street Melbourne, Victoria 3000 11am-11pm daily September 1-30, 2007 Contact #: 0418 589 778 and individual event participants (see website for #s) Email: affmel@bigpond.net.au [Read more]

New York had theirs earlier this month. This weekend, in London: the Second Annual Tiger Beer Chilli Crab Singapore Festival. There will be food from Kiasu, cooking demonstrations by celebrity chef and cookbook author Terry Tan, and of course Tiger Beer. There will also be an art gallery, martial arts, dragon dancing, and magic shows to entertain attendees. Admission is FREE Boiler House (Truman Breweries), Vibe Bar and 93 Feet East, Brick Lane, E1 6QL [Read more]

Aren’t these the cutest? I couldn’t resist. They’re the perfect little treats for not-so-perfect little girls who love hopia. Found them locally, imported from Eng Bee Tin Philippines. I promised my 5-yo we’ll make this soon. Mooncake season is practically here — time to get out that recipe! Mooncake molds available at the Wok Shop or at eBay. There’s a Malaysian gal there who sells mooncake molds sometimes, but as far as I know she only does it seasonally… [Read more]