Category Archives: By Cuisine

A New Addition

Three and a half months after moving back from Malaysia to the US, we’re feeling a bit more settled now. We have moved into a new house in San Jose, and I have started a new job (praise God) in San Francisco with a great non-profit organization.

Since we left almost everything we had in Malaysia except for some clothes and important items, we really need to refurnish our new place with everything – dining set, sofa, TV, beds, desks – to get the House of Annie back in operation.  Fortunately, our friends have been very kind to us by donating a lot of things. But we are still missing a few things.

On Friday, I came home to find that the kids had prepared a “treasure hunt” for me, feeding me clues at each point around the house. They eventually led me outside to the shed.

What’s Behind Door #1?

What's behind Door #1?

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Indian Fish Curry Recipe

I love Indian food and mamak food in particular. We often go to one particular place in Kuching almost weekly for roti and thosai. The thosai comes with dipping sauces of dhal and coconut chutney but we like the fish curry sauce the best.

One day I got some pieces of fish to go along with the curry. It was delicious! But then we got the bill and it turned out that the fish pieces were 5 ringgit each! Being the pake person that I am, I decided that I should learn to cook fish curry for myself because then I could buy a whole fish for 20 ringgit and save some money.

Armed with just my instincts and the flavor profile that I got from having this fish curry over several visits I decided to try to recreate it.

Indian Fish Curry

indian fish curry

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Durian Flowers with Sambal Belacan

A eye-opening dish that Sarawakians are crazy for.

Durian Flowers with Sambal Belacan

Sarawak is a wondrous place that is distinctly different from the other states in the Malaysian Federation. Their history is different (they gained independence from the British in July 1963 whereas Malaya or Peninsular Malaysia became independent in August 1957). Sarawakian culture is different (the ethnic mix is balanced between native Ibans, Malays, Bidayuh and other tribes plus Chinese while Malaya is majority Malay with Chinese and Indians making up the rest). And, Sarawakian food is different as well.

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BRIK: The Best Ribs in Kuching

The Best Ribs in Kuching

Malaysians love their pork. Nowhere is this more true than in Sarawak, where people of all tribes and tongues use pork in a huge variety of dishes like Pork, Lotus Root and Black Bean Soup, Fried Pork with Evaporated Milk, or Grilled, 3-Layer Pork Belly.

But barbecue, that American style of cooking in the heat and smoke of a wood fire, is not easy to find. A few restaurants here in Kuching do pork ribs, but they’re usually baked, grilled, and covered in a sweet sauce. That isn’t barbecue.

So where can you find the best barbecue ribs in Kuching? At the House of Annie!

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