Flavors of Malaysia: Nyonya in Autumn - In Person

A hands-on in-person cooking class culminating in a dinner served with wine and beer. This class is limited to 10 students. See our registration policies here and our rules for in-person events here.

As fall settles in, we seek out food that gives us comfort as days become shorter and chillier: a bowl of melt-in-your-mouth meatballs in soup and hearty curries fit the bill. In this class, learn how to work with Malaysian Nyonya ingredients and spices not normally associated with the Western season of fall, but whose flavor all but screams autumn. You'll work with ingredients such as buah keluak (pictured), a fermented black nut that is redolent of truffle and chocolate. You'll also make a whole plant, "tubers to leaves" sweet potato curry and learn how to blend aromatic roots and warming spices to make rempah (spice base). All in all, you and your fellow students will work together to create a spectacular and traditional Nyonya meal.

MENU

Bakwan Kepiting Soup—Pork & Crab Meatball with Bamboo Shoot in Consommé

Pork Jowl Satay—Dry Curry with Lemongrass & Makrut Lime Leaves

Ayam Buah Keluak—Chicken Braised with Black Nut & Tamarind

Daun Ubi Masak Lemak—Sweet Potatoes and Leaves Coconut Curry

Steamed Jasmine Rice

This menu contains the following common allergens: Shellfish, Tree Nuts, Peanuts. If you have allergies or dietary restrictions that concern your ability to cook along, please e-mail info@18reasons.org before purchasing a ticket.

Let’s Cook Together! 

Linda Tay Esposito is a teaching chef whose food represents a tribute and commitment to the authenticity of the cuisines of the Pacific Rim. For the last 15 years, Linda has shared her passion and knowledge of East & South East Asian cuisines through Bay Area cooking schools - Cavallo Point, Sur La Table, Parties That Cook and Whole Foods Market. Linda’s teaching philosophy is to make these cuisines approachable to the home cook, while respecting the cuisine’s heritage and authenticity in taste. Besides 18 Reasons, Linda also shares her Nyonya food passion with Milk Street Kitchen and leads a community culinary program on Asian vegetables for Radical Family Farms.

An all-around food professional, Linda’s consulting work centers around helping food businesses flourish through the intersectional lens of food, sustainability and equity. Her past experience includes growing Hodo Foods from an artisanal producer to nationwide distribution, and building inclusive food places. Most recently she led the development of La Cocina Municipal Marketplace – using food as a creative approach to economic development by offering affordable, healthy food options and safe spaces while providing accessible business opportunities for low income, immigrant, women food entrepreneurs. Linda is a member of the Good Food Foundation advisory board and serves on their Equity Task Force. Linda lives in San Francisco. In her free time, she plants Asian herbs at the community garden at Fort Mason. Follow her on Instagram @flavor_explosions

_{Photo credit: Linda Tay Esposito}