Laos Street Food (Part-1)

Food truly does have the brilliant power to bring people together. The first retreat @lao.lodge focused on Lao culture and cuisine. Friday night's dinner was traditional Lao meal of some comfort dishes we grew up enjoying. I cooked laab phed (duck salad), gang normai (bamboo stew), thum makhoung (papaya salad), steam veggies with jeo, and sticky rice. Mok pa (herb fish steamed in banana leaves) was prepared by the lovely ladies during a cooking tutorial where they wrapped and ate their own mook

A quick and fun three day weekend with my hubby and daughter eating local eats and sightseeing our way through Chicago but by Sunday night Champa and I were both starved for Lao spicy flavors. Even though it was a Lao wedding, only American food was served so we literally had zero Asian flavors Friday, Saturday and Sunday! Hehe! I usually carry fresh peppers or bottles of chili sauce but this time I didn't and we both regret it big time! LOL! At the airport we had knockoff Panda Express and no c

Recreating recipes from the legendary Lao cookbook, Traditional Recipes of Laos by Chef Phia Sing. I love exploring these dishes because each time, I discover something new about Lao cuisine. This book is more than just a collection of recipes—it captures the history, place, and traditions of the Lao community. First published in 1981, it remains a cornerstone of Lao culinary heritage as the first written Lao cookbook. In this new series, I’m bringing these recipes to life and making them more a