Welcome, 'Splendid Table' Listeners

 

Street food (our favorite kind) in Saigon, Vietnam

A few months ago in the middle of a crazy, deadline-packed week I sat down at 11:30pm (you should know that when we're here at home in Kuala Lumpur we're usually in bed by 10) with a can of Diet Coke and took a phone call from Lynne Rosetto Kaspar, host of the American Public Radio show 'The Splendid Table'.

This was pretty thrilling for several reasons, not least of which is that Lynne's book The Italian Country Table is one of the most well-worn in my cookbook collection. She's a wonderful storyteller and an ace recipe writer, and that book inspired our first trip to Italy, in 2001. Its binding has dissolved, pages are falling out, and the text is stained with sauce and grease splatters. I love that book and if you adore Italian food you should have it on your shelf. Three words: Tyrolean Pot Roast. And two more: Potato Gatto.

At any rate, the interview is airing on this weekend's episode. If you'd like to listen to me wax rhapsodic about eating in Malaysia -- Penang, mostly -- you can do so via this link. And if you're here via that 'Splendid Table' episode, Welcome!

We've got almost 5 years' worth of archives so I thought I might make getting to know us, and the way we eat (and write and photograph), a bit easier, by linking our last year's food and travel highlights:

In April 2009 we swooned over a new menu item -- rolled and stuffed, cracklin'-encased pork roast -- at our favorite old-style Kuala Lumpur coffee shop and tried two street versions of Indonesian rujak (fruit salad) in Jakarta.

May saw us in Taiwan for the first time (second time for Dave the photographer). There, we tried and honestly loved chou dofu, the infamous 'stinky bean curd' and discovered a tandoor oven-cooked meat pie worth traveling for.

In June we extended our stay in Taipei once, and once again. This gave us time to check out Hsinchu, a wonderful and often-overlooked little town just an hour from Taipei by train. Back home in Malaysia we road tripped to George Town, Penang, which we love for many things, including long-established food businesses with interesting histories, like Kwongtuck Sundries.

The photographer took off for northern India in July while I stayed behind and ruminated on Islam, Politics, and Hidden Pork Stalls (incidentally that post quickly became the most commented-on in all the years we've been blogging).

After several years of cancelled trips we finally made it to the Toraja region of Sulawesi, Indonesia, where we ate freshly harvested white and black rice at a homestay in an idyllic setting and visited a coffee roastery Back in KL, we posted Cholon (Chinatown)-focused supplement to a walking tour of Saigon we wrote and photographed for Wall Street Journal Asia. 

Memories of one the best Malay meals we've ever eaten  -- on Langkawi Island -- made for blog fodder in September. We also coined a new name for the over-the-top double-cooked pork dish served at one of George Town, Penang's finest old Chinese restaurants.

In October we headed back to the U.S. and, on a cold and rainy morning in the Berkshires we virtually revisited a tasty charcoal-cooked egg-and-rice street food treat in Jakarta.

November found us attending a fascinating conference on World Street Food at Culinary Institute of America in California's Napa Valley, where I spoke with CIA's head chef about what it's like to cook authentic street food for hundreds of people, jotted down bon mots uttered by Roy Choi of Los Angeles-based Kogi Korean taco fame (yes, the tacos really are worthy of the hype), and interviewed Turkish chef and fantastically nice guy Musa Dagdeviren.

We remembered making piong ayam -- chicken and banana tree stem cooked in bamboo, a Torajaan specialty -- and eating homemade ulang sa gata, an unctuous prawn-and-coconut-milk dish, several Christmases ago in Pampanga province, the Philippines. 

This last January was all about Sichuan province, China -- and mostly about Chengdu, where the photographer and I taught English way back in the eighties. The power of food memories was brought home to us during that trip. I'm proud of all our posts from Sichuan, but it was this one, about the glories of one-man wokkery, that received the most comments. You might also want to check out the photographer's gallery of images -- food and otherwise -- from Sichuan.

We are proud to contribute to writers' collective / food and wine website Zester Daily. One of our favorite pieces for the Zester so far is one we researched while in Sichuan, a combination text-slideshow about an organic farm outside of Chengdu, that was published in February. I also maintained what I consider to be an admirably neutral tone while reporting the proposed ban on the sale of dog and cat meat in China.

In March we took off for Chiang Mai, where we were introduced to an exceptional grilled pork stall, and northern Laos, where we visited Luang Prabang for the first time in 15 years and discovered a nifty, natural alternative to plastic bags. I also penned a piece urging travelers to venture outside their comfort zone for the day's first meal.

A homemade Shan / northern Thai pickle figured in a post last month, and EatingAsia joined the gzillion other food blogs and sites on Facebook.

We've just returned from a quick trip to Saigon, and in less than three weeks we're off on a long jaunt to Turkey.

So it goes. Stay tuned.

Comments

[Marts Aziz]

Nice. I really don't mind to re-read all your posts. It's like reading my fav book again and again.

[Jencrafted]

I'm originally from Penang and a huge fan of Eating Asia. You have certainly brought our Pearl of the Orient to the world's culinary forefront like no other sites have ever done - raw, real and unique. Thank You! I look forward to tuning in on the interview.
Syabas! Keep up the excellent work!!

[Xander]

Whoa, I can't wait to hear you on Splendid Table! Coincidentally, I actually just started listening to the podcast of it earlier this week, and have really enjoyed it the few episodes I've heard. And thanks for the recap of your travels and writing-- it can be useful to look back and see what I've missed, even as one of your regular readers. Looking forward to hearing about Turkey! X

[MAJL]

Hello,

Looking forward to your posts about Turkey as I will be heading there in the fall!

[Mila]

Congratulations Robin and Dave! I listen to The Splendid Table podcast every week, and I am definitely looking forward to hearing you on the show. Better check if it's already available on itunes!

[Katy]

You were on a slow train, weren't you? Taipei - Hsinchu is just little over half an hour, 34 min to be precise. :-P

[Toby Bloomberg]

Loved your interview and especially your "tour." Looking forward to exploring Eating Asia.

[Ellen Britt, PA, Ed.D.]

Hi Robin...I so enjoyed listening to you today on NPR's Splendid Table and having the opportunity to be introduced to you and your wonderful blog.

I just got here and I'm a fan already!

[Sean]

I'm headed to Turkey in 3 weeks myself and have been trying to research as much about the food, and street food in particular, as possible. Do you have your sights set on anything now, before you go? Would love a heads up since I won't be able to benefit from the posts after the fact. Thanks and love your blog!

[borneoboy]

Hi Robyn. What a year. When are you coming up with a book ? I will be your first customer ! BTW, have you been to Sarawak ? We have lots of food treasures here as well. I'll be glad to show you around.

[Mark @ Cafe Campana]

Mmmm street food. I want to try the delicacies from the street side Pho dealer. I wonder how it compares with the offerings in Australia.

[Robyn]

Marts - very nice of you to say. Thanks!

Jen- 'raw, real, and unique'. We couldn't hope for higher praise, esp from a Penang native. Thanks!

Xander - it's a great show (and I thought so long before they invited me on). It was fascinating to look back through our archives. So much of the last year I'd forgotten. And to think there's still so much that we never got around to posting...

MAJL - this is a trip that's been planned for quite a while. We've been before -- you'll love it. The food, the people, the landscapes. Fantastic country!

Thanks Mila!

Katy - actually yes, we were on the slow train. Cheaper. ;-)

Toby, Ellen - thanks much and welcome to EatingAsia! Hope we can keep you entertained in the coming months.

Sean - This will be our 4th trip (albeit the first in 10 yrs), and we generally just go and eat on the fly. But you must go to Ciya (my interview with the chef who is a very interesting guy is under 'November' above) in Istanbul; I suspect we will be eating many meals there. Check Saveur's website to see if an article by Anya Von Bremzen (sp?) on eating in Istanbul is available online. She mentions a resto/cafeteria type place in Uskudar that we loved when we were last there. And look for a book called 'Eat Right In Turkey', which lists and describes regional specialties, ingredients, etc. It really helped us alot on our first trip. You do like lamb, I hope?

Borneoboy - several book ideas but we'll probably wait till the economy picks up. And we would love to take you up on your offer. Don't know when we'll have time to get back to Sarawak but we will certainly contact you when we do. Loved Kuching.

Mark - I think it's safe to say that any Viet food in Vietnam will be better than Viet in Australia (or the US, etc).

[Lisa in Toronto]

I look forward to your posts from Turkey!
Lots of good options there.

[Jenny]

That's why I love Asia because of their "street foods", very fun to eat in the streets with your friends/family/love ones.

If you're in Asia just try their "street foods", trust me! VERY DELICIOUS!

[Kabbalah]

Hi Robin, its so pleasure to have a meal in the splendid table. I am so impressed with your articles.