Lao food

One of the joys of traveling is trying all the local cuisine. Wen and I took a cooking class in Luang Prabang Laos to get a sense of what food the local’s eat. (The class was at Tamnak Lao; very easy to find) The class started with a visit to local Phoisy market to see… Continue reading Lao food

Yogyakarta

1. When I was a kid, I thought that ‘Yogyakarta’ was a stupid name. I mean, here’s an island (with the same name as the street I grew up on, hence the youthful interest) with a capital called Jakarta (birthplace of the American president!) and – on the same island – they name one of… Continue reading Yogyakarta

Balinese Food

I took a Balinese cooking class to try to learn a bit more about the food here. All the food is based upon one key sauce called basa gede or “basic spice paste”. From this paste, you can make a myriad of dishes. Here’s an overview of what’s in the sauce: 25 shallots or 2… Continue reading Balinese Food

Borneo Notes

1. If the 20th century was the decade of the automobile, the 21st century is going to be the decade of the cell phone (yes, there were cell phones in the 20th century, but penetration tipped in the 21st. There were also cars in the late 19th century, but mass production didn’t come around until… Continue reading Borneo Notes