COOKING America is a land of immigrants, and Patricia Tanumihardja’s soulful work illuminates how Asian women—queens of their family kitchens—enrich our flavorful culinary landscape Patricia Tanumihardja Patricia Tanumihardja Asian American Home Cooking —Andrea Nguyen, author of Into the Vietnamese Kitchen and Asian Dumplings Lara Ferroni is a Seattle-based photographer who has contributed images to Epicurious.com, Gourmet.com, Seattle magazine, and Portland Monthly, among others She also blogs about food on Cook & Eat (www.cookandeat com) and about food photography and styling on Still Life With (www.stilllifewith.com) THE ASIAN GRANDMOTHERS —Elizabeth Andoh, author of Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen COOKBOOK Patricia Tanumihardja writes about food, travel, and lifestyle through a multicultural lens She was born to Indonesian parents, grew up in Singapore, and after living on and traveling across three continents, she now considers the United States home Tanumihardja lives on the Monterey Peninsula in California with her husband Please visit her Web site, www.ediblewords.com, and blog, www.theasian grandmotherscookbook.wordpress.com My own first, and lastingly wonderful, impressions of Japan were of obaachan (grandmothers); their food and stories continue to nourish me decades later Thanks to Patricia Tanumihardja’s Asian Grandmothers Cookbook, everyone will have a chance to be nurtured by an Asian Granny Back cover and interior photographs by Lara Ferroni Cover and book design by Rosebud Eustace Author photo by Iris Peppard Printed in China U www.sasquatchbooks.com U www.sasquatchbooks.com $35.00 U.S ISBN-10: 1-57061-556-X ISBN-13: 978-1-57061-556-6 $35.00 U.S O THE ASIAN GRANDMOTHERS COOKBOOK Home Cooking from Asian American Kitchens The kitchen goddess is definitely the Asian American grandmother She is the glue that holds the family together; the keeper of cultural and culinary tradition; the source of all things delicious, pungent, salty, and satisfying Pull up a chair at the kitchen table and pick up some chopsticks—grandmothers who cook Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean, Indonesian, Thai, and Indian cuisine are in the kitchen stirring up culinary delights for you What’s your favorite? Crispy Shrimp Rolls or Shiu Mai or a satisfying bowl of Nepalese NineBean Soup? To compile the recipes for this gratifyingly expansive cookbook, author Patricia Tanumihardja (whose grandmother hailed from Indonesia) served as cultural historian, recipe transcriber, and surrogate granddaughter How else could she garner the recipes for such dishes as Water Spinach with Shrimp Paste and Chilies, PanFried Tofu Simmered in Sweet Miso Sauce, or Grandma Yangja’s Cabbage Kimchi? These are the authentic dishes you don’t necessarily find in restaurants: Steamed Meatballs with Tangerine Peel, Gingered Oxtail Stew, 1-2-3-4-5 Sticky Spareribs, and Clay Pot Lemongrass-Steamed Fish And if you believe that the noodle was invented by an Asian grandmother, you are ready for a bowl of Pancit (Filipino Fried Noodles) or Ohn No Khauk Swe (Chicken Coconut Noodle Soup) This beautiful culinary tour of Asian American kitchens makes many cultural stops, with a panoply of flavors and a bountiful menu of dishes along the way So even if you aren’t fortunate enough to have an Asian grandmother yourself, double happiness can be yours by sharing and enjoying these enduring recipes Home Cooking from Asian American Kitchens Patricia Tanumihardja Copyright © 2009 by Patricia Tanumihardja All rights reserved No portion of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form, or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, without the prior written permission of the publisher Printed in China Published by Sasquatch Books Distributed by PGW/Perseus 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 Cover design: Rosebud Eustace Cover photographs: © Rayshader | Dreamstime.com © Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project and the Seattle Buddhist Temple Archives © South Bend Tribune © Jeff Siddiqui Interior design and composition: Rosebud Eustace Interior photographs (food): Lara Ferroni Interior photographs (grandmothers): © Patricia Tanumihardja (pages 44, 72, 100, 140, 176, 218, 292, 332) © Scott Kushino (page 200) © Susan C Kim (page 252) Original textile patterns: © Beth Wheeler (pages vi, 76, 176, 177, 218, 219, 252, 253, 256, 292, 293) Stock patterns: © Dover Publications, Inc Traditional Japanese Stencil Designs Ed Clarence Hornung (pages i, 44, 45, 222, 296, 332, 333) © Mandj98 (James Phelps) | Dreamstime.com (pages 48, 140, 141) © Apollofoto (William Wang) | Dreamstime.com (pages 72, 73, 104) © Ussr (Elena Andreeva) | Dreamstime.com (pages 30, 200, 201) © Birdmanphoto | Dreamstime.com (pages ii, iii, 100, 101, 144) Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Tanumihardja, Patricia The Asian grandmothers cookbook : home cooking from Asian American kitchens / Patricia Tanumihardja p cm Includes bibliographical references and index ISBN-13: 978-1-57061-556-6 ISBN-10: 1-57061-556-X Cookery, Asian I Title TX724.5.A1T384 2009 641.595 dc22 2009018162 Sasquatch Books 119 South Main Street, Suite 400 Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 467-4300 www.sasquatchbooks.com custserv@sasquatchbooks.com CONTENTS Acknowledgments Introduction Using This Book and Menu Planning Techniques and Equipment THE ASIAN PANTRy: A GLOSSARy OF INGREDIENTS vii ix xi xiii FOUNDATIONS: STAPLES AND STOCKS Profile of a Grandma: Kimiye Hayashi 29 44 TIDBITS, PURSES, AND PARCELS Profile of a Grandma: Ellen Shyu Chou 47 72 SAvORy SOUPS Profile of a Grandma: Merla See 75 100 ON THE SIDE Profile of a Grandma: Niloufer Gupta 103 140 THE CENTERPIECE Profile of a Grandma: Keo Choulaphan Profile of a Grandma: Daisy Kushino Profile of a Grandma: Nellie Wong 143 176 200 218 FEEDING A CROWD: POTLUCKS, PARTIES, AND FESTIvALS Profile of a Grandma: Sang Jung Choi 221 252 COMFORT FOOD AND ONE-WOK MEALS Profile of a Grandma: Alvina Mangrai 255 292 SWEETS, SIPS, AND SLURPS Profile of a Grandma: Gloria Santos 295 332 Beyond This Cookbook: Resources Selected Bibliography Conversion Tables Index 335 337 339 341 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This book strikes a very sentimental chord with me For one, I never really knew my grandmothers, and growing up I envied friends who had grandma close by My maternal grandmother passed away before I could remember her and my paternal grandmother lived in a completely different country Because of this book, I now have multiple surrogate grandmothers! Secondly, I have realized how very grateful I am to my mother, Juliana, who connected me to my cultural roots through food Living in an adopted homeland, I was unconsciously linked to the country and culture I hardly knew through the food I ate every day It is because of her that food plays such an important role in my life I cannot thank her enough for the delicious and nutritious food she served us and for shaping me into the person I am today I must also thank my father, Rudy, who has loved me unconditionally and supported me in everything I He also taught me a very important lesson: “you can’t argue with taste!” And of course I am eternally grateful to my loving husband, Omar, who patiently taste-tested every single recipe in this book, even if the dish looked or smelled “interesting” (his words exactly), and put up with my stressful months of writing, recipe testing, and editing And a very special thank you to the grandmothers I profiled in this book They generously spent time with me, cooking and sharing words of wisdom and life stories: Sang Jung Choi, Ellen Shyu Chou, Keo Choulaphan, Niloufer Gupta, Kimiye Hayashi, Daisy Kushino, Nellie Wong, Alvina Mangrai, Gloria Santos, and Merla See This book would not have been possible without you! Additional thank yous: To the wonderful team at Sasquatch Books: Publisher Gary Luke for putting the idea for this cookbook in my hands, Rachelle Longé for being a patient and thorough project editor, Deri Reed for meticulously copyediting the manuscript, Rosebud Eustace for designing a lovely book, and Lara Ferroni for her gorgeous photography Thank you for helping me fulfill my dream To Irene Trantham and Melissa Chin for helping with edits and research And to all the wonderful people who cooked with me, shared recipes and stories, tested recipes, and/or helped me make connections: vii Samia Ashraf Byron Auyong, aunt Merla See Eric Banh Sophie Banh Ivy Chan, father Kwok Sing Chan Lynn Chang, mother Li Chang Mary Lee Chin Cathy Chun Cathy Danh (gastronomyblog.com) Olivia Dyhouse Tisa Escobar Wing Fong, grandmother Pearl Fong Marvin Gapultos (burntlumpia typepad.com) Aaliyah Gupta, mother Niloufer Gupta Desiree Haigh Pranee Khruasanit Halvorsen Luwei Hioe, mother Linawati Hioe Dorothy Ho, mother yuh-Wan Chiang Churairat Huyakorn Soyon Im, aunt yangja Cho Im Susan C Kim, grandmother Sang Jung Choi Katie Kiyonaga, mother Kimiye Hayashi Shelly Krishnamurty, mother Champa Ramakrishna Scott Kushino, mother Daisy Kushino Eleanor Lee, mother Jean Lee May Leong Thanapoom Lertpanyavit, mother Panee Lertpanyavit Tony Lew, mother Luisa Ines Taborda de Lew Sharon Lim Manda Mangrai, mother Alvina Mangrai yuki Morishima viii Acknowledgments Delia Lim Mota Lisa Nakamura Rin Nedtra Huong C Nguyen, mother Huong Thu Nguyen Kim Khanh Nguyen Mumtaz Rahemtulla A Rick Rupan Roshita Shrestha Jeff and Arman Siddiqui Juana Stewart Erica Sugita Hiroko Sugiyama Brigitta Suwandana Phiroum Svy Elaine Tay yi Thao Leah Tolosa Mike Tolosa Lan Tran Carol vu, mother Thanh Nguyen Ivy Wong, mother Pearlie Wong Rachel Wong Consolacion Mejia yaranon Angeline and Roxanne yeo, mother Rosalind yeo recipe testers: Tuty Gunawan Alexander Ann Marie Amarga Matthew Amster-Burton Katie Bashford Julia Blanter Susan Blee Barb Bowen Bri Brownlow Angela Caragan Diane Carlson Jeffrey Chan Tricia Cornell Corinne Domingo Jill Donnelly Jennifer Fields Jenny Fisk Paula Forbes Angela Fountas Ada Fung Marvin Gapultos Ashley Gartland Sharon Giljum Joanna Harbaugh Laura Navarra Haxer Luwei Hioe Cynthia Lannen Kristel Leow Jennifer Burns Levin Hilary Lundquist Nga Ly Manda Mangrai Angela Montgomery Louise Mor Diane Morissette Christina Nevin Eve Ng Deanna Schneider Heather Shannon Carolyn Smith Niki Stojnic Danielle Sucher Jesse and Laura Sycuro Jess Thomson Celeste Torres Marie Tran Sally Warn Jora Atienza Washington Tara Austen Weaver Rose Wiegley Ivy Wong Sandy yeung INTRODUCTION Grandmothers are the embodiment of love, comfort, and security Many of us have fond memories of her kindly words of advice (elbows off the table!), the red packets filled with money she gave us at Lunar New year and birthdays (how else could we fund our Barbie doll habit?), and the chicken rice porridge that gave us sustenance when we lay sick in bed (or just feigned illness to stay home from school) In Asian cultures, the grandmother’s role is manifold, but one is of utmost importance: to ensure that grandchildren learn and preserve the many aspects of their ancestral culture This is especially true in immigrant communities As an Indonesian Chinese living my formative years in an adopted country, food was a very vital link to my culture and heritage In my case, my mother was the missing link as my sole surviving grandmother lived in a different country Hence, for me and many others, grandmothers, mothers, and aunts are all custodians of home-cooked traditions More often than not, these women cook by instinct and their recipes are not recorded on paper They hand down the secrets of the art of cooking verbally, and by example, from one generation to the next By running around their knees or loitering at their elbows, generations of children and grandchildren have learned foodways and captured vivid memories of the how’s and why’s of cooking via osmosis—from the snap, crackle, and pop of spices roasting in the pan to the subtle balance of hot, sour, sweet, and salty on the tongue These women link us to our heritage, particularly through food Today, life has changed Instead of popping over to Grandma’s place (she might even live on a different continent) or pulling out the wok to recreate our favorite family recipe, we head to any one of the Japanese restaurants down the block when we hanker for a savory sukiyaki If we feel like a snack of crispy wontons, Chinatown beckons Craving some (beef noodle soup)? Then we head for one of the vietnamese restaurants that are competing for storefront space with coffee shops and yet another Thai eatery Just when did the restaurant become the keeper of our Asian food heritage? Perhaps the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II led subsequent generations of Asian Americans to distance themselves from their heritage Maybe it was in the 1960s and ’70s, when mothers fed the work force instead of their children Or perhaps it was when migration—whether voluntary or forced— splintered families, scattering them around the world The phenomenon could be perpetuated by nuclear families splitting apart thanks to increasing divorce rates ix We could also chalk it up to the inevitable watering-down of culture and heritage that comes with living in an adopted homeland over many generations And who can blame refugee children for wanting to eat meatloaf instead of canh (vietnamese soup) in an effort to embrace all things American and develop a sense of belonging? Whatever the reason, modern times are making Asian home cooking a lost art in the United States, and many of the new generation of Asian Americans are now ignorant of these skills That missing link to the past is a void that needs to be filled For this cookbook, I have interviewed, cooked with, and connected with grandmothers, mothers, aunties, and numerous people who have generously contributed their time, recipes, and stories These recipes are family favorites that have been passed from mother to daughter to granddaughter, adapted, interpreted, and improvised according to the availability of ingredients and evolving palates Some of the recipes are not to be found in print anywhere else I’ve also included little tidbits of culinary wisdom that only a grandma can impart after years of cooking, as well as special family stories connected to the recipes Through research and a little detective work, I have also uncovered recipes from the annals of time that have been hiding in old church and community cookbooks Often unattributed, but no less important, these recipes are also representative of our food heritage The recipes meant a lot to the people who shared them and I want to record them before they disappear into the past forever I have compiled family recipes and stories from Asian communities across the spectrum you’ll find recipes from China, Japan, Korea, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia, vietnam, and Thailand Many of these recipes have evolved from their original incarnation several fold, such as Indian curry from Guyana, Chinese-style shrimp toast from vietnam, and a Dutch-influenced sweet (klappertaart) from Indonesia Regardless of where in Asia they come from, these recipes represent a universal theme—they tell the story of our immigrant past In lieu of a real, live, and kicking person, I hope this book by your side will be like spending the day cooking with your very own Asian grandmother x Introduction ... at www.theasiangrandmotherscookbook wordpress.com xii Using This Book and Menu Planning TECHNIQUES AND EQUIPMENT While generations of women learned to cook from their grandmothers and mothers,... remove the pan from the heat for a few seconds and lower the heat The secret to stir-frying is not to overcrowd the wok If too many ingredients are in the wok, the temperature will dip and the food... less important, these recipes are also representative of our food heritage The recipes meant a lot to the people who shared them and I want to record them before they disappear into the past forever