Time was when, if you wanted to get hold of lemongrass or jungle curry paste, you had to find a Chinese supermarket and do some guesswork on the writing. These days, the ingredients, flavours and textures of the world are well represented on kitchen shelves, and no everyday recipe book is worth its salt without instructions for making fresh ravioli or whipping up a pad Thai.
However, to aptly judge the quality of fish sauce, or gauge just how much salt should go into pasta dough, you really need to be shown in person. There is much to be learnt about a culture through its cuisine – and no one better to teach you than someone who grew up cooking it.
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