Today I would like to introduce you to a fascinating blog called Asian Markets of Philadelphia. Written by David Dettmann, it’s a treasure trove of articles about Asian food, with forays into whatever catches David’s interest at the moment. Since he’s a musician, scholar and  speaker of an impressive number of languages, his interests are wide ranging. Having found his blog a couple of years ago, I became a fan and I now follow David on Instagram and Twitter as well. Wherever he posts, he always sparks my curiosity and inspires new projects, from replicating Uyghur bread at home to planting Korean mint (also known as pinnä پىننە in Uyghur.)

If you are interested in food culture, you will find David’s articles as compelling as I did. He shares more than recipes; there is always an in-depth explanation about the dish’s origins and the context in which it is eaten. Besides providing his version of a particular preparation, he will often include several other sources. Not only does it help me learn more techniques, it is also a great way to discover other great blogs and YouTube channels. As for the blog’s name, it covers different food markets in the Philadelphia area, so if you’re based in PA, you have a terrific guide to the local shops.
Continue reading →

“Would you like to try butterfly pea flower tea?” asked a friend as we were getting ready to order drinks at a small restaurant in Georgetown. After several days eating and drinking through this charming town on the Malaysian island of Penang, I already knew that I was in for a treat. Georgetown’s legacy as a trading entrepôt is its blend of cultures—Malay, Chinese, Indian—that results in a diverse and vibrant cuisine. A standard hotel map will organize the town’s sightseeing locations by the different delicacies one can taste around its neighborhoods, from noodle soups and seafood curries to coconut-scented cakes and dim sum. Of course, I had to try the butterfly pea flower tea.

When the tea came, it was the color of sapphire, an intense, vivid blue. Crushed lemongrass stalks gave it a heady floral and citrusy perfume. As my friend explained, butterfly pea flowers have a mild earthy taste, and the tea—or more properly, tisane—is mixed with other ingredients to give it a bolder flavor, such as fragrant herbs and spices. The color, however, is so striking that it’s a beloved ingredient in drinks, cakes and even savory dishes such as nasi kerabu, rice with coconut stewed chicken and a variety of accompaniments. Local lore has it that butterfly pea flower tisane is rejuvenating and toning. I found it mesmerizing.

Continue reading →

Once again the news from Kakhova and the Kherson region are terrible. Russia bombarded the Kakhovka dam and water from the Dnieper River flooded the region for miles on end. I have good friends who had to flee from the Russian occupation last year and now their remaining family members and friends are escaping because of the flooding. As of now, more than 80 villages and towns have been submerged. Miles of fields full of produce are under water. Animals have been drowning, unable to escape the sudden inundation. It’s a major social and environmental disaster and the consequences are far-reaching. In the areas occupied by Russia, people have to rely on their own efforts to evacuate their families. Elsewhere, the situation already difficult because of the fighting is becoming increasingly grim.

How to help:

Zeilen van Vrijheid

A Dutch group of volunteers that provides help to Ukraine. They are currently holding a fundraiser to help the victims of the Kakhovka dam explosion.

To donate: visit their website and make a donation with a comment “Kherson.” Or donate to their Paypal account [email protected] and include a comment “Kherson.” Armenian artist and photographer Lilya Corneli will send you one of her beautiful floral prints, if you contact her with a proof of donation via her Instagram @lilyacorneli. Her work is stunning and this is a special treat.

Artist and writer Darya Zorka has a really good list of organizations accepting donations, and I wanted to highlight the following groups that work in the Kherson region:

KHERSON: “Dziva” is a volunteer organization that provides help to people in Kherson and villages in the Kherson region. 

They bring food, water, medicine, clothes and other aid to people in need. 

To donate: PayPal: [email protected] (Валерий Зарубин/ Valeriy Zarubin)

Continue reading →

Another Ukrainian summer I will miss. I planted a few flowers and herbs that my grandmother always hand in her garden, such as marigolds, tagettes, hollyhocks and lemon verbena. One of the herbs I planted was thyme. It was too abundant in the fields around our house in Bereh to keep it in the garden, but for me its lemony, spicy scent epitomizes Ukrainian summer.

The variety found in our region is Thymus serpyllum, creeping thyme or serpolet in French. It’s called чабрец  in Ukrainian and it has an intense green fragrance reminiscent of melissa and rose geranium. This is because one of the major components of its essential oil is geraniol, also present in geranium, rose, lemongrass and citrus. Valentina added thyme to tisanes and roasted meat, but more often she would tie it into small bundles and leave them around the house to perfume the space.

Do you have a garden? What do you plant in it?

Scent Diary is a place to write your observations about the scents around you. Whether you write down 1 recollection or 10 matters less than simply reminding yourself to smell. You can add as many comments as you wish. You can comment today or over the course of the week; this thread will always be open. Of course, do share what perfume you’re wearing or what particularly good scented products you’ve discovered.

While looking through my articles, I found this article that I wrote a few years ago but that still remains popular and often-read: A to Z Tips for Enjoyable, Affordable and Rewarding Perfume Hobby. If you have any tips to add, I’d love to hear them.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin

My book The Rooster House was published yesterday by Virago Press. It’s being released during a trying time for my country. Even though its story begins in 2014, my book explains the context in which the Russian invasion takes place. It does so by focusing on ordinary people and their voices. While the book recounts Ukrainian history through a personal story, it celebrates four generations of remarkable women who held our family together through the most trying circumstances. As The Rooster House reveals, Ukrainian history is full of tragic events, but it is also a testament to the resilience and strength of Ukrainians. My great-grandmother Asya and my grandmother Valentina possessed incredible emotional resources, which made them able to protect their family and take care of their land.

As I wrote my memoir, I sought to capture my grandmothers’ lessons in seeking beauty and deriving support from creative pursuits like embroidery or gardening. For this reason, Ukrainian culture and art form the leitmotif of The Rooster House, and I take the reader on a journey with me through descriptions of Ukrainian scents, foods, nature, and arts. My memoir is an invitation to stroll through our cherry orchard in Bereh and become more intimately familiar with the elements that make up the colorful and diverse Ukrainian identity.

Continue reading →