I’ve spent the past month traveling — LA to see my sister, Beijing to accompany my husband on a 2-month stint in China, Malaysia and Singapore as a side trip and to do a little research for an article, then Shanghai with my husband, and now I’m back in Beijing. I’m hoping to extend my visa (when I booked my trip, my husband hadn’t yet figured out his exact dates) to stay until my husband leaves, so if that works out I’ll be going to Chengdu with him as well.

I have had lots of incredible meals from various places the past few weeks and hope to share some of them here. For now, though, I thought I’d just post about a few things I picked up while I was in Malaysia and Singapore. In the photo, clockwise from top left:

  • sambal rojak – a sweet, syrupy prawn sauce used on salads
  • kaya – one for my parents (who fed us kaya toast when we were kids in Toronto — thanks, mom & dad!) and one for my husband to try; kaya is jam made with coconut and eggs, sometimes flavored with pandan leaves — the taste is plain intoxicating! you can be sure an attempt to make kaya is in our near future…
  • gula malaca – Malaccan palm sugar (both packages)
  • nutmeg
  • belacan – shrimp paste
  • roti prata – some south Indian flatbread for my husband to try

I have to say that reading James Oseland’s Cradle of Flavor before this trip helped prepare me for some of the new dishes and ingredients I would encounter in this part of the world. I can hardly wait to get back and try some of the recipes from his book using my new ingredients!