Crazy Rich Asians: Peranakan Dinner at Grandmother's House

A hands-on class culminating in a family-style dinner served with wine and beer.

In 2018, it was impossible to escape water cooler chat about Crazy Rich Asians. The three book series by Kevin Kwan are bestselling guilty pleasure reads, and the first film broke box office records. Being complete nerds, we loved the glimpses of food in the background, and was inspired by the tense scene where the main character, Rachel, meets her boyfriend's mother at a party at grandmother's house. Linda noticed that the food spilling over the tables in the kitchen was Peranakan cuisine. The Straits Chinese (aka Peranakan) are descendants of Chinese immigrants to the Malay region. They were the elites of Singapore, which explains how this food is served at a fancy party! The Peranakan culture fused influences from China, Malay, English, Dutch and Indian and is a significant influence to Singapore and Malaysian cuisines. Together, we'll cook a more casual dinner party at our tables at 18 Reasons.

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Kuih Pietee - Crispy Top Hat Cups Filled with Stewed Jicama

Otah-otah - Banana Wrapped Steamed Fish in Coconut Custard

Nasi Ulam - Blue Pea Flower Tinted Rice with Asian Herbs

Inche Kabin Fried Chicken - Nyonya Turmeric and Spice Fried Chicken

Sambal Ikan Bilis - Anchovies in Spicy Tamarind Sambal

Kuih Lapis - Layered Rice Cake

Linda Tay Esposito is teaching chef whose food represents a tribute and a commitment to the authenticity of the cuisines of the Pacific Rim.  For the last 15 years, Linda has shared her passion and knowledge of South East Asian cuisine in the Bay Area and her work had been featured in KQED Bay Area Bites, the New York Times, etc. Linda taught at the The Cooking School at Cavallo Point and at Sur La Table Cooking School, and was a lead chef at Parties That Cook where she taught global cuisines in a team building setting. She started her teaching career at Whole Foods Market. Most recently she was the head of operations and chef at Bay Area's artisan tofu maker, Hodo. She currently leads the development of La Cocina’s municipal marketplace – using food as a creative approach to economic development by offering affordable, healthy food options and safe spaces while providing assessable business opportunities for low income, immigrant, women food entrepreneurs. She writes a food blog at www.flavorexplosions.com and you can follow her on Instagram @flavor_explosions

_{Photo Credit: Crazy Rich Asians movie}