As an avid traveler one my favorite experiences is to get a
feel for the taste of each culture and the best way to do that is through food. Recently (well, for about 7 years now), I
have been studying and living in Cedar Falls, IA. Yes, you guessed it, most
of the taste here comes in the form of meat, potatoes, salt, and pepper. Due to the
financial constraints that come with being a student I wasn’t able to travel a
whole lot. However, I was able to travel through the words, stories, and
kinships I established with friends from all over the world. One of my dearest,
most fabulous, loving, giving, and hilarious friends is Kenny.
When talking about an array of topics over a glass of wine,
one topic almost always comes up and that is the topic of home. And with that
the topic of food is always mentioned as a close second to family and friends.
Kenny is a newborn chef cook who has delighted plenty of people with his love
for Malaysian food and his enormous sense for hospitality.
Bak-Kut-Teh was my first Malaysian dish I tasted. It is a
broth noodle soup with a variety of vegetables. Traditionally, Bak-Kut-Teh is made with pork ribs, however, since I am a vegetarian Chef cook Kenny was able to modify the traditional recipe. Since
I am generally fond of Asian cuisine, I jumped right in. With chopsticks in one
hand and the spoon in the other, hints of anise, cinnamon, garlic, cloves, and
mushrooms met my taste buds…and I was hooked.
Kenny explained that Bak-Kut-Teh is traditionally a Chinese-Malaysian dish. He also explains that Malaysia, especially Kuala Lumpur is a melting pot,
which influences the cuisine of this country in tremendous ways. As we go for seconds, our
conversation continues. A history lesson is usually included with each meal. I
am grateful that I had the opportunity to sit, talk, and eat home cooked
Malaysian food with Kenny – it made my heart, world, and appetite bigger!
Love only,
Goerkem
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