An Online Food Journal

View From Living Room  I came downstairs expecting a Hmong breakfast but found pancakes instead. “Interesting,” I thought looking around the living room. I could have sworn I smelled the nutty scent of cooked rice creeping up the staircase earlier this morning. Turning into the kitchen, I realized I was correct. The homestay family had prepared rice with an assortment of colorful side dishes. Except, it wasn’t for the guests. “The pancakes are for you,” my tour guide said, motioning to the living room door. “Thank you, but can I eat here?” I asked, pointing to the mosaic of prepared meats and vegetables on the kitchen table. She smiled but shook her head, gesturing me to leave the kitchen and join my friend outside. Disappointed, I trudged to the dining table that held our morning feast. The pancakes weren't the fluffy monstrosities you see in the states. They were thinner and denser, like Russian blini. Accompanying the pancakes were a plate of Thai bana...

Here's a piece I recently wrote for Roads & Kingdoms, an online  journal  for food, politics, travel, and culture. The website is definitely worth checking out! Jianbing in Flushing My eyes take in the food stalls as I walk though the dingy underground shopping mall. Dumplings, pork, and chives hugged in freshly kneaded dough bubble in a foamy pot. Tempting, but not what I’m looking for. Spicy wood ear mushrooms sprinkled with chili peppers and other Sichuan cold dishes beckon to me, but my mind is elsewhere. The options in Flushing’s Golden Shopping Mall are endless, and some stalls, like Xi’an Famous Foods, have even become tourist destinations for those seeking something unfamiliar. But my purpose here is different. I’m not searching for a window into another culture, but a reminder of my own past. I used to visit Shanghai every summer. I was born there and moved to the U.S. when I was four. In Shanghai, muggy August days bled into crisp, cicada-filled nigh...