The very talented and lovely happygrub set me a challenge I couldn’t resist.
Reproduce some of my food photos in black & white… lovely medium, but, as my regular visitors know, my photos can be “odd” at the best of times 🙂 Never let it be said that I won’t give anything a go. Laugh if you have to 🙂
This first one is a Chinese cabbage or Wombok. It’s a favourite for stir-fries, tonkatsu and pickles. This is the cabbage used when Koreans make kimchee.
This one is of a selection of Vietnamese cakes from the Asian grocers. The wedge shaped ones are made from cassava and shredded coconut and the others from rice flour and coconut cream. These ones are in lovely layers and the texture is like a very firm, “toothy” jelly. I know they are Vietnamese but they do share some similarities to my beloved Malay/Nyonya kuih. That linked site manufactures kuih and has a fabulous range (with photos). Hard to find in Adelaide and very labour-intensive to make at home, the Vietnamese ones satisfy my cravings.
Now this is a lovely photo! My granite mortar and pestle filled with some of the ingredients to make a rempah or spice paste. I think this one for a chicken curry, but it was a while ago so I can’t be sure. The cashew nuts in it make me lean towards something like Kari kapitan. Yep! Did a search on my own blog and found the original post *blush* Another component of Nyonya (which is also spelt Nonya) cuisine, the rempah is an essential part of a very special (food) culture calledPeranakan. Blending Chinese and Malay techniques and ingredients this creolised cuisine has a fascinating history. The Peranakan are also noted for their beautiful kebaya, beadwork, culture and rituals, architecture, and china/earthenware. A fascinating and diminishing culture, my very dearest wish is to study Peranakan cuisine in Malaysia and Singapore one day.
Oooh, I hope I haven’t bored you! This was just supposed to be some black and white photos 🙂 I am going to pass the batton to whoever would like to have a go. Please let me know if you do – I’d love to see your black & white photos.
Thank you happygrub!
sweetrosie 
Hey dearie, you can really pass off as an Asian, particularly the last photo. Hehe. Your rempah reminds me of my gran’s, complete with the belacan!
I also participated in happygrub’s black & white challenge. Hehe. Btw psst, you’ve pasted the wrong link to happygrub’s blog 😛
U can’t get nyonya kueh there? But I do agree, they are quite laborious to make. I only know how to make 1 type of nyona kuih called “harum manis”. do u know it?
I love ur photos!