How has a humble rice cake with three simple ingredients (rice, mung bean, and pork) come to symbolize Tet, the most celebrated of Vietnamese holidays? The gift of Banh Chung during the New Year has become the most important tradition of Vietnamese culture and was passed down from one generation to the next. Always curious […]
cooking traditions
Tamales: A Mexican Holiday Tradition
If you live in southern California you know that tamales are a Christmas tradition, and being of Hispanic origin is not a prerequisite. During the holidays, homemade tamales are highly coveted; you’ll find families ordering tamales from Mexican restaurants (we ordered ours from Las Barcas, a local neighborhood family-owned restaurant) or from some other inside […]
Coca Mallorquina
Shari Bonnin is a talented jewelry and clothing designer from Orange, CA and our November Mom of the Month. I knew Shari from Twitter (@sbonnin) and much to our surprise we met in real life when I recognized her at a parents orientation at UC Santa Cruz this summer. As it turns out, both our […]
Bebe Loves Okazu
This month’s Guest Blogger and Mom is Judy of Bebe Love Okazu : An Asian-American Journey of Cultural Traditions Through Food. Just as the name implies, Judy leads you on an exploration of her favorite Japanese foods and the cultural traditions associated with them as well as new traditions that she’s creating as she cooks […]
Chúc mừng năm mới
That, of course, is “Happy New Year” in Vietnamese. (I was in Little Saigon – Westminster, CA) This is Happy New Year in Chinese: 新年快乐 In Japanese: 新年あけましておめでとうございます In Korean: 새해 복 많이 받으세요 Asians all over the world celebrated the first day of the lunar new year on Sunday, February 14th. The Year of […]
Tamales: Preserving Traditions Through Cooking
In southern California, with its widespread Latin cultural influences, tamales are a Christmas tradition, even for those of non-Hispanic origins. You’ll find families ordering tamales from Mexican restaurants (we ordered ours from Las Barcas, a local neighborhood family-owned restaurant) or from some other inside connection established through a friend or co-worker who knows a family […]