Author: Mahita

Mahita recently returned to Singapore after owning and managing a B&B in Bali. She now indulges in her twin passions of eating and writing. Mahita spent 30 years in advertising and hospitality. She is a sworn lover of Singapore’s street food. She co-founded a small book club which has been going strong for eight years. She is also an animal lover. Mahita is married with two daughters currently in university and 3 great pets–a dog and two cats.

Recipes22 August

Lamb tagine – an adaptation of a Moroccan favourite

When I was growing up in my tropical island home of Singapore, I believed that stews were eaten only by Europeans. This preconception probably came from reading western fairy tales and watching movies and television. It was only when I learnt to cook in my late teens that I realised stews are actually prepared around the world in various forms. Usually a cold-weather classic, stews can be savoured any time of year, anywhere. One of my favourite stews is lamb tagine, a staple in every Moroccan restaurant. Tagine, or tajine, is a North African dish named after the earthenware utensil in which it is cooked.

Recipes7 August

A love for quiche: asparagus quiche with mashed potato crust

The first time I paid attention to the word ‘quiche’ was way back in the early eighties, and I did not even know how to pronounce it then. It was from the title of a book, countless copies of which were stacked on a table as I entered a Barnes & Noble store in Fox Hills Mall in Culver City, California.

Restaurants19 July

Checking out Berkeley’s most famous breakfast cafe, Rick and Ann’s

One Saturday morning in late January, while visiting friends in San Francisco, we decided to take a day trip to Berkeley. While we had several reasons for going there, one of the most important was to check out some of that area’s most highly-regarded eating places. I asked my friends, some of whom knew the area well, for recommendations on where we should go to — after all, I was the tourist and they were the locals. While there were a lot of options thrown around for lunch, dinner and snacks in between, everyone agreed on where we should have breakfast. They all said Rick and Ann’s.