In search of pork that has been sustainably and humanely raised, Christopher and I finally made it to Eveleigh market this weekend. I have been looking forward to eating pork again as it has been some time since I cooked my two favourite pork dishes: Tamarind Pork and Slow-cooked Pork Belly.

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I had an email from Michelle who wanted a recipe for Burmese paratha. It has been some time since I made them and immediately reminded me of our trip to Rangoon in 2004 where we spent one morning watching the paratha being made for our breakfast.

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Bananas are a staple in our weekly fruit bag. This week I’ve allowed them to fully ripen in anticipation of making banana jam. Normally bananas or jams are not something I get excited about but I have been thinking about this recipe for several weeks.

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can’t seem to get enough of chillies and buy more this weekend. This time green chillies from the supermarket. I normally like to avoid supermarkets all together but for this recipe I need some processed cheese. Chilli and cheese may not strike as an obvious marriage of flavours but the combination works. The flavour of the chillies are enhanced by the creaminess of the cheese and the distinct taste of butter coming through.

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We first discovered gong pian (pronounced kom-pyang) in 2006 when we were in Penang visiting my uncle. In his fridge there was a bag of these circular flat-breads, peppered with sesame seeds and stuffed with pork. A couple were popped into a toaster to heat through and made crisp again.

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Our summer in Kuala Lumpur has been hugely rewarding. There’s a mountain of photographs Christopher and I took, the majority are of the food we ate. We discovered some fantastic places to eat so here’s the Malaysian food special continued…

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In the quiet suburbs of PJ, our search for roti canai comes to an end when we see the only traffic congestion in the neighbourhood. This reminds me of an ad I heard on the radio about ‘creative parking’ which seem popular in KL. I’m not sure how the system works but people just double, sometimes triple, park. I guess when you’re ready to leave, honk your horn and hope the other car owner comes along and move their car.

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Durian is something that I get rather excited about. Every year I am tempted by the presence of these spiky fruits in the Chinese supermarkets. Take a stroll down Chinatown in London during the summer months and you will smell the unmistakable aroma of durian. I have always resisted buying them in the UK. From previous experiences I have come to realise that the fruits are picked from the tree far too early and frozen during transportation, resulting in a watery tasteless durian.

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What I love about being back in Asia is the wonderful warmth that clings to you when you step out into the night air. There is no need to fuss about bringing a cardigan or worry about the threat of rain. Rain is a welcome relief. It makes me think about my childhood in Rangoon. It was a treat to stroll around a bustling market after supper for a late-night snack; an indulgent dessert of faluda (paluda) or a bowl of noodles in slippery garlic oil and soy sauce (si chet khaut swe).

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Christopher and I are back in KL, Malaysia. When we were here in 2006, we soon discovered that there was a wealth of unknown cuisines that we wanted to explore. My great grandfather’s descendants are here and I tap into their knowledge of local food. Fish head noodle soup is one of these serendipity.

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