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.

As there are three of us for lunch today and very little time to cook it, I decide on a samusa thote. I buy three samosas the size of a fist each. The pastry is firm and crispy, not at all oily, and crammed with spicy potato, peas and fresh coriander stuffing.

It is overcast, and not especially warm. I take stock of my cupboards, seeking a comforting mid-morning snack. Something savoury and definitely Burmese. There is nothing that ‘eat me’ written on it and I decide to make something.

A large bag of dried shiitake mushrooms have been sitting patiently on the bottom shelf. They have a delightful earthiness that you get from wild mushrooms, gorgeous smoky flavour and meaty texture.

I have promised myself to cook a new dish every weekend. While I was looking through the long list in my notebook marked ‘Must try’, I receive an email from my mother. It is a gentle reminder of a recipe she told me about some months back.

Satay is a popular street food throughout SE Asia. Small chunks of meat threaded onto bamboo skewers and char grilled over coal or wood fire by the roadside. It is sold by the stick and accompanied with a small plastic bag containing peanut sauce, onion and cucumber slices.

Crispy gourd or onion fritters are essential garnishes for Traditional fish noodle soup. They can also be eaten on their own with a chilli dip as a starter.

These fritters regularly feature as an appetiser when a group of friends come over for dinner. They are so easy to make and popular with everyone.

Today we decide on a picnic in the park as the weather has warmed up. As it is a last minute decision, there is not much I can cook as the fridge is almost bare. After finding a few tins of chickpeas and some fresh flat breads, I rustle up a Burmese-style chickpea wrap.