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Sambals and Warungs
Bali’s staple food is rice and it is served with mild to spicy dishes. Though Balinese are mostly Hindus, they do eat beef and some of the Muslim Balinese eat pork too. Spicy condiments like sambal are always served as accompaniment to the dishes. If you are not cooking at home, there are the street food stalls called “warungs” and you can get about everything you need to fill up your stomach. Bali also has several nasi padang stalls from Sumatra
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Forums and Workshops at CIA, Napa Valley
Being part of the World of Flavors 2012 was illuminating for me. Every chef I met that said the same. I should say it was the perfect combination of delicious food and great instructions with strong intellectual seminars and forums – but all well connected to each other. It made a lot of difference when I was amidst chefs and food related people as all conversations were of the same topic.
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At the Culinary Institute of America, Napa Valley
I was invited to the Worlds of Flavor 2012 International Conference & Festival, with the theme of Arc of Flavors: Re-imagining Culinary Exchange, from the Mediterranean and Middle East to Asia. The event was celebrated by exploring the movement of ingredients, dishes, techniques, and flavors from the first days of trade to today's fast-changing global palate. Chefs from all over the world were present along with me. The Culinary Institute of America’s annual three day forum is one of the most influential professional forum on world cuisines, food cultures and flavour trends.
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Old Sacremento
Sacramento is on northeast of San Francisco. I found a number of interesting museums, and Old Sacramento, with its historic buildings, shopping, and dining, is a great place for tourists to do some sightseeing or simply relax. The Old Sacramento runs along the Sacramento River, an area that was seen as a great commercial center for the new city in the mid-19th Century. Historic buildings, are now occupied by shops, restaurants, hotels, and museums.
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Autumn Walk in Napa Valley
This is the first time I am in a country during autumn! Autumn colour is everywhere! It makes a beautiful backdrop for photos and the roads are strewn with orange, red, brown and rust coloured leaves. As I walked on those leaves I could feel the ground crunch under my feet. I know that they will decompose and replenish the soil with nutrients. It was so beautiful to see the sunlight coming through the leave as it just heightens the yellow colour of some of the leaves and makes it glow. Napa Valley and Greystone are all about vineyards, apple, orange, persimmon and orange trees.
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Cooking at Lemon Grass Restaurant, Sacramento
Restaurateur-chef Mai Pham has worked her cooking magic in Sacramento since 1988, when she debuted Lemon Grass restaurant at 601 Munroe St. It continues to serve some of the best Southeast Asian cuisine anywhere. I had the privilege of preparing a multi-course meal at her restaurant. It was a very successful event with two rounds of guests and everyone enjoyed their food. Thanks to the well trained staff of Lemon Grass and Chef Mai Pham.
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Cooking at the Jetwing Lagoon, Negombo
I was invited to cook and teach some seafood dishes to the chefs at the Jetwing Lagoon in Negombo. This hotel is about 45 minutes drive from Colombo and was my last stop this time around. The admirable architecture of the resort, which was originally designed by a world renowned architect named Geoffrey Bawa. The resort lies on a thin strip of land between the Indian Ocean and the large Negombo’ lagoon, and due to its water features the property boasts of a very relaxed and tranquil resort in the western coast of Sri Lanka and you can witness an awesome sunset every evening!
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Paddy Villa at Jetwing Vil Uyana Hotel
I stayed in a Paddy Field Villa in the midst of paddy fields. I liked the villa especially the open shower concept and the enormous sunken bath tub and the beautiful four poster bed with fine mosquito net draped around it. The villas at Vil Uyana are built around a lake – home for a few marsh crocodiles, lots of fish and surprisingly large bright green frogs and many species of butterflies and birds. I enjoyed my stay in this beautiful place with all the wildlife around me. The staffs of Jetwing are always helpful and efficient, and the food at the Apsara restaurant was of excellent quality.
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Tea and Spices at Nuwara Eliya
If you ever go to Sri Lanka, ensure that you visit the highlands like Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. I was at Nuwara Eliya recently. The Colombo-Kandy-Nuwara Eliya motor road offers a exceptionally scenic and spectacular drive. Nuwara Eliya, the highest city in Sri Lanka lies at an elevation of 1890 meters above sea level and lies beneath the tallest peak of the island, Mount Pedro – 2555 meters. Nuwara Eliya is a favourite destination for all tourists to Sri Lanka as well as the people who live there because of the cool, sometimes frightfully cold weather and for quaintness of the place. During peak seasons, all the accommodation rates will…
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Pettah Market in Colombo
I like the open-air markets in Sri Lanka. I particularly enjoyed the Pettah market. The market stretches out towards the north from the Fort Railway Station. I got to see all the leafy green vegetables and herbs the Sri Lankans use in their cuisine. Fresh gotu kola, young jackfruits, betel leaves, coriander leaves, mint leaves and many other greens. Baskets of fruits, different types of chillies, green to red to black peppercorns and many other colourful vegetables and people make up the scene of this market! There are several vibrant narrow streets devoted to different trade and you could spend a whole day here. Remember to wear your sunglasses and…
