Malaysia, Truly Asia

For a long while, the Malaysian Tourism Board ran an aggressive TV ad campaign in the region (I'm not sure if it made it to the States) with the tagline Malaysia, Truly Asia. It tried to show Malaysia as this place in Asia where history and modernity collide, where people of different races and religions live in harmony and most importantly, where one can shop till one drops. I've never really seen this Malaysia but only from a lack of effort. EatingAsia, a blog by an American couple that I've written about in the past, puts ordinary Malaysians like me to shame in their pursuit of all things authentic in Malaysia. They've done it again with a fantastic, mouth-watering and aw-shucks post about a market on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. Read it here.

Happy Turkey Day!

Please eat extra portions of turkey (or tofu-key), mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie for me. I'll write about the things I'm thankful for soon.

edit:

I tried and couldn't think of anything to be thankful for that didn't sound contrived or untrue. I know I should try harder, if this article has any truth to it.

Good Food is Probably Not Posh Nosh

There's a delightfully funny comedy on BBC called Posh Nosh that lampoons every single cooking show on air -- Food Network fans beware! The episode I watched showed Minty and Simon create "Architect's Fish and Chips." First, they had an actual architect build a paper model of the food. Then there was an olive oil tasting demonstration in which Simon swills three different kinds of E.V.O.O. in his mouth before deciding on the perfect bottle. Best yet, the pair incessantly talk about their old and expensive house and kitchen utensils while they're preparing the meal. Here's what's written in Simon's "Food Philosophy" on the Posh Nosh webpage:

I once ate a Flayed Swordfish And Guava Millefeuille that reminded me, in one sweet mouthful, of a Sea Interlude by Britten, a painting by Turner and one of Michael Holding's rampant, perfect-length balls.

I think it's even funnier when you actually know someone who talks as pompously and obnoxiously about food as the folks at Posh Nosh do.

"Has the dexterity to julienne ever been so sexy?"

The NYT has an article about the recent trend in movies and television that reflect our increasing obsession with good food.

It's Durian Season

Durians are in season! Also known as the king of fruits, we here think of the durian as the Westerner's kryptonite.

Here's what Eating Asia had to say about the fruit:

I also suspect that the general disdain for durian - among many foreigners (to southeast Asia), that is - might be rooted in our expectations of what fruit (tropical fruit especially) should be. Durian isn't refreshing in the least. It's not crunchy or juicy or appealingly fragrant. I wouldn't want it for breakfast, and certainly not after a full dinner. When it comes to fruits durian is in a class all its own. My taste buds say it has more in common with a pungent cheese than with a pineapple or a mango. And many of 'us' foreigners who can't stand durian do partake of odiferous dairy products that rely on the growth of molds to achieve their distinctive character.

Try it if you get the chance and let me know what you think!