Illustration Credit: Eva Dinino Home is Lagos, Nigeria and on most Sunday mornings we’ve just showered and are dressed in our Sunday’s best, getting ready to head to church (if you’re religious) or, have a chill morning filled with slower routines and the relaxing aura of the final day of the weekend. My family and […]
Illustration Credit: Sana Kewalramani For almost every college student, a day is rather incomplete without the invigorating smell of freshly brewed coffee. On ordinary days, Saxbys and Starbucks have been your best friends. But, as we wander through highly uncertain times amidst the lockdown, those are no longer viable options. Through my research for this […]
Image source: Japanese Cooking 101 More valuable than you thought I ran about 12 miles one Sunday in February to the Shinagawa Yakiimo Terrace to join crowds of people like me: Yakiimo Otaku. At Tokyo’s annual Yakiimo festival, Japanese sweet potato lovers stand in line for 30 freezing minutes or more, in 20 degree weather […]
Illustration: Margot Whipps In Philadelphia, if you live in Allegheny or around the Health Science campus like I used to, we can safely call this a semi food desert, if not a full food desert. I couldn’t find fresh fruit in the area for about one year until the Rite Aid across from the Dental […]
When we rip our calendar’s pages to reveal the orange letters of “November”, it’s a popular topic for American journalists to revisit the origins of Thanksgiving and how it relates to Native America. I wanted to try relating my own life story in my newly appointed position of global kitchen columnist to have a chance […]
Photo by Gor Davtyan on Unsplash I finally discovered one of the best potluck ice breakers which avoids the cliche and overly-exhausted question, “So where have you traveled?” Instead, simply ask, “What is your most memorable international food experience?” Hopefully, your conversation partner or the entire room will smile to themselves remembering their indulgences. If […]
Foraging in Action with my permaculture friend Truman Traveling from Philadelphia to New Hampshire is on par with traveling to a different country. The entire population of Philadelphia is larger than that of New Hampshire’s (1.5 million vs. 1.3 million). While the rustic, country stores and charming fields of small farms sometimes make me want […]
The second of a three part series about food as both an international cultural experience and nutrition education. What memories about food do you take away from your childhood? What kinds of foods are your comfort foods? What does this say about your culture and how you were socialized into thinking about food? Does this […]
Photo: David Maialetti / Philadelphia Inquirer As a fresh-off-the-boat South Asian, I used to feel a surge of pride whenever I saw American people struggling with spicy food. Bolstered by the ill-founded confidence a new, westernized palate (mostly french fries and mac and cheese) gave me, I was a self-proclaimed “spice-queen” of sorts in my […]
What prompted my foray into Philadelphia’s Halal food scene was an impromptu trip to Chick-fil-a on a hot June afternoon. As someone who tries to follow a strict Halal diet, meat, specifically good meat is rare to come by. Being an insanely picky eater, I didn’t particularly like the very questionable looking slabs of overcooked […]
With winter coming, how do we warm up during chilly time? Hot drink, of course! Have you heard about any hot drink that you didn’t know before? Below are some hot drinks around the world that will guarantee to warm up your winter! Hot Chocolate Though hot chocolate is one of the most common hot […]
Often times I get – perhaps rather delusionally – excited by a recipe. I go out and splurge on every single ingredient and then, as I start to prepare the meal, the sadness of eating this elaborate dish all alone settles in. My enthusiasm fizzles out as quickly as an overhyped $7 Lush bath bomb. […]
When I think of “fusion” food, an Asian dish mixed with Western elements comes to mind. However, America is known for producing different types of cultural mixtures so I really wanted to see if there are other types of fusion restaurants in Philly, and Mixto is the answer! Located in South Philly on Pine Street, […]
With October being World Vegetarian Awareness month, starting with World Vegetarian Day on October 1 and ending with World Vegan Day on November 1, we are reminded of the importance of vegetarianism around the world. There are 375 million vegetarians worldwide as of now—it is a cause that a sizeable chunk of the global population […]
Most of us mere mortals perform rituals only occasionally. But some of us enjoy the sweet, savory and crispy taste of a crepe any morning they please. It is made of a simple yet dynamic (to some once a mundane and tasteless) ingredient. It is ritualistic. It is fresh. It is only $1.69 at Fresh […]
At any given night at my host family’s house, I am probably hearing at least three different languages. These days, when we’re all at the dinner table, I can hear English, Chinese, Japanese, and French. Currently, there are five guests staying with the Oikawas: Sshan from Taiwan, Onee from China, Dina and Nora from Belgium, […]
The one thing I have missed the most while spending time in America is homemade dumplings (some say jiaozi). Back in my home in Taiwan, making dumplings is a special event that everyone loves to do. Funny thing is, every family has its own way of making them. For example, my grandmother’s version is a […]
