First Christmas cookies of the year, made in Bali

Now is about the time when my mother and I would usually spend an afternoon or two making Christmas cookies together - or 'Weihnachtsbredele' as we like to call them in Alsace - and despite all the fantastic things that this trip offers me to see and experience every day, I admit being a little sad to miss the tradition and more importantly the family gathering this year. However, a lovely surprise occurred today and definitely made up for my nostalgic moments...

Chiang Mai: a treat for market lovers

Looking back at our time in Chiang Mai, it seems like a good deal of it was spent wandering around the city's various markets. No wonder: Chiang Mai's markets burst with life, bright colours, sweet fragrances and cheerful local vendors..

Love at first bite: Khao Soi

Despite being a popular street dish in northern Thailand, Khaoi Soi is not frequently served in Thai restaurants abroad. Hence I had never tried it before our stay in Chiang Mai last week. Well, what a welcome surprise! Khao Soi - sometimes also called Chiang Mai Curry Noodles - consists of a mild thin coconut-based soup featuring hand cut egg noodles, pickled cabbage, shallots, lime and chicken, and topped with deep-fried crispy egg noodles.

Cambodian mango sticky rice

Here is the second recipe of our Cambodian series: sticky rice with mango, a great conclusion to any Asian meal. Although similar to the well-known Thai version, the preparation method is slightly different here, as the rice finishes to cook with the coconut milk, and some thin slices of jackfruit are also integrated. Sticky rice is preferable, but it's still a great way to use any leftover jasmine rice.

Genuine Lao food in the rainforest

We just returned from a 3-day trek in the Luang Namtha province, northwestern Laos. Despite some rain on the second day and a lot of very annoying leeches, this trek was definitely the highlight of our stay in Laos, allowing us to explore the pristine Lao jungle and spend time with the Lanten hill tribe in Nam Khoi, a tiny village so remote that one can only reach it by foot or river...

The joys of Vietnamese street eats

Here comes the end of our time in Vietnam... Tomorrow morning, Tom and I will be on the plane, heading to the romantic city of Luang Prabang. I surely look forward to discovering the charms of Laos and its cuisine - which I don't recall ever sampling. But before that, let me tell you a bit about what aspect of Vietnamese food has fascinated me the most along our circuit through the country: street food...