In 2012, I launched a line of spices called Skiz’s Original to promote and support the release of my cookbook, Rice & Curry: Sri Lankan Home Cooking (Hippocrene Books). The ‘line’ was anchored by only two products, a roasted and raw curry powder blend. Since most of the recipes in my book required one of these two blends, I ...
Welcome to the pilot episode of Off The Eaten Path, a new series in development from Cinqua and Film Food. We’ve all drooled, probably with more than a tinge of jealousy, as TV personalities like Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern tuck into exotic dishes in far away lands. Chances are we’ll never have the time or inclination to take ...
A lil’ taste of what awaits….Nov. 7th The other day I was checking out the newly opened Tasting Room of The Peabody Heights Brewery, an independent brewing facility located just down the road from me. The spacious place has chairs and tables and a big bar serving all 16 craft beers that they brew there (open Fridays 5-7 p.m. and ...
It’s been a while since we’ve been to Malaysia here on Pan Asian, so when I found this easy vegetable stir-fry I had to share it with you all. Malaysian food is such a great fusion of different influences and regional styles that I wish we had more exposure to it as well as greater access to Malaysian restaurants ...
Skiz Fernando goes “Off The Eaten Path” in Brooklyn in his new series. Regular readers of my blog know that I love to discover new and interesting places to eat–especially if they are serving something hot, spicy, and delicious that you can’t get anywhere else. As my YouTube channel attests, I have documented my culinary travels “Off the Eaten Path” for ...
Grace Garden’s back door: The metal tank marks the spot After hearing about it for years, I finally had the chance to check out Grace Garden, an amazing Chinese restaurant tucked away in a run-of-the-mill strip mall in Odenton, MD–about a 20 minute drive from Baltimore. Quite honestly, this place put my faith back in Chinese food, as they serve ...
If there’s something I love more than cooking Sri Lankan food, it’s showing other people how easy it is to make at home. So, once again, I am returning to the Hill Center in DC’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, to demonstrate how it’s done. The three-hour class is hand-on and immersive, and afterwards I guarantee you will feel confident in ...
South Indian cuisine has a reputation for being some of spiciest, most flavorful food around. A lot of times, however, people mistakenly believe it is strictly vegetarian. Not so for Chettinad cuisine, which is the food of the Chettiars, a group of Tamils in southern India who do eat certain meats (i.e. mutton, chicken) and seafood. I first tried ...
My goto spot for Sri Lankan products has long been the friendly, mom-and-pop operation called Spice Lanka located in a Derwood, MD strip mall. There isn’t a thing you can get in Sri Lanka that Spice Lanka does not carry–including hot and fresh “short-eats,” or traditional Sri Lankan snacks, as well as labor intensive foods such as string hoppers, ...
Before the end of last year, I did my first Dinner Lab event in Baltimore–a Sri Lankan supper for 66 people. It was held in a cool warehouse space in a very industrial part of town that I had never visited. I’ve actually been so busy that I am posting the pictures only now. The menu was identical to ...
I’m kicking off the 5th season of Pan Asian, with a quick, easy and delicious dish I’ve enjoyed at restaurants as well as at home. It’s called Dak Gogi, or Korean BBQ chicken, and I’ve love how it’s eaten almost as much as the dish itself. Once you’ve made the chicken, you slice it up into thin strips; top ...
Uzbekistan. Maybe you’ve heard of it, maybe you haven’t. Herman Cain, the one-time, front-running Republican candidate for President in 2011, had absolutely no clue about who that country’s president was, and infamously stuttered, “Uzbecki, becki, beckistan” to buy some time. For the record, Uzbekistan, or more formally the Republic of Uzbekistan, lies smack dab in the middle of Central Asia, bordered by ...
Happy Holidays to all of my subscribers, of whatever faith, in whatever country! The true sentiment of this time, I believe, is to be thankful for all that we have, and to be helpful to others in whichever way we can. In these trying times, we all need to think about how much we all have in common, and ...
Happy Holidays to all of my subscribers, of whatever faith, in whatever country! The true sentiment of this time, I believe, is to be thankful for all that we have, and to be helpful to others in whichever way we can. In these trying times, we all need to think about how much we all have in common, and ...
Regional flavors have arrived folks! In our culinary sophistication we have finally made it past such illusory categories as “Chinese” or “Indian” food to embrace regional cuisine. In a country as vast as China, we have finally acknowledged that people eat very differently in the various parts of the land. This particular dish belongs to a category of homestyle ...
Regional flavors have arrived folks! In our culinary sophistication we have finally made it past such illusory categories as “Chinese” or “Indian” food to embrace regional cuisine. In a country as vast as China, we have finally acknowledged that people eat very differently in the various parts of the land. This particular dish belongs to a category of homestyle ...
When I got into this cooking game some 8 years ago, I never dreamed I would be an executive chef at a restaurant, or write a cookbook, or even have my own line of spices. But a lot of hard work, and a passion for food has got me to where I am today. At my recent supper club in ...
When I got into this cooking game some 8 years ago, I never dreamed I would be an executive chef at a restaurant, or write a cookbook, or even have my own line of spices. But a lot of hard work, and a passion for food has got me to where I am today. At my recent supper club in ...
Just came off back to back nights in DC doing two Dinner Labs events that served a total of 220 people. Dinner Lab is a company that regularly stages supper clubs across the country, allowing emerging chefs a chance to shine, and this was my first time working with them. After a hectic 2 days of prep in their DC ...
Just came off back to back nights in DC doing two Dinner Labs events that served a total of 220 people. Dinner Lab is a company that regularly stages supper clubs across the country, allowing emerging chefs a chance to shine, and this was my first time working with them. After a hectic 2 days of prep in their DC ...
