I really like assignments that take me on a culinary journey far beyond what is familiar to me, and so when Kazakhstan came up as my next Wooden Spoon Wanderer destination, I was excited to get started. Right off the bat, I realized that sourcing traditional ingredients was going to be…
Tag: Asia
Assignment 134: Türkiye
From the moment his assignment landed in his lap, Eric knew he wanted to try his hand at Turkish ice cream. The dish is made famous by videos of tricky ice cream vendors flipping cones and scoops back and forth between themselves and waiting customers…
Assignment 131: Philippines
I have had Filipino food exactly once, at a little restaurant in Toronto. At a table covered with banana leaves, we were served a hefty portion of garlic rice topped with grilled seafood. We ate with our hands — Filipinos call this style of eating Kamayan…
Assignment 127: Iran
For this assignment, we were joined by a few friends, which I always love. Eating should be a communal experience whenever possible, I believe, and this is even more the case for Wooden Spoon Wanderer assignments, when the table is extra full…
Assignment 125: Kyrgyzstan
I was thrilled when Kyrgyzstan was randomly drawn for my next assignment. I know next to nothing about Central Asian cuisine and love learning about a brand new cuisine. The more I researched, the more intrigued I became — Kyrgyzstan is where the better known culinary traditions of…
Assignment 117: India
If I’m being honest, I was overwhelmed to get India as my next assignment. Thrilled, excited, eager…but overwhelmed. Indian food is one of my favourite cuisines (and Eric’s absolute favourite). I’ve eaten a huge variety of fabulous Indian dishes that hail from all parts of the country. The resources…
Assignment 109: Iraq
This fall, Eric and I moved into a new home. The kitchen was one of our favourite features when we first saw the house — with lots of natural light, a large oven, and plenty of counter space, we could both envisage the dinners that would be made there.
Assignment 98: Pakistan
Eric tried Pakistani food for the first time at a restaurant called Khan’s when he lived in Texas for college. He loved the aromatic biryanis, plates of juicy goat meat, and spiced fish dishes bursting with flavour. He created a menu that both recalled those dishes…
Assignment 95: Taiwan
I was really excited for this assignment, not only because I love Asian food, but I felt like I was going to really enjoy cooking up these dishes. The cooking ended up covering two days, as there were plenty of things to prep the day before the…
Assignment 94: Hong Kong
Hong Kong boasts a diverse culinary history, with influences ranging from China (their big neighbour to the north), to Portugal (the first European power to set foot in the region back in the 16th century), to Britain (Hong Kong was under British control until 1997).
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