Food Talk: Rijsttafel
Irene Khin Wong
This year, I am featuring Rijsttafel for the holiday season for my friends and family gatherings and I hope for you too. It is the Dutch interpretation of exotic Indonesian cuisine eaten in a communal dinning. Laced with unique, distinctive flavors including Asian herbs and spices, with beautiful presentation.
I spent a significant portion of a four year sabbatical in Asia searching Indonesia for old textiles with my Dutch godmother. Many times over the course of that search I sat down to delicious Rijsttafel meals in Java and one of the most memorable experiences was having multiple dishes in Bali and cooking with ingredients such as lemongrass, galangal, candle nuts, and palm sugar.
When I returned from my sabbatical I was asked to cater a big 50th birthday bash in Holland, where I discovered that Rijsttafel is found everywhere, from the smallest hamlet to the largest city. Since my Indonesian Rijsttafel experiences were fresh in my mind, I was able to create a wonderful, authentic feast for the celebration.
Various Dishes from our Rijsttafel "Rice Table" Holiday Party
From our kitchen to your table:
- Heirloom Squash / Pumpkin Ravioli with Coconut Kashmiri red curry dip
- Lump Crabmeat Slaw with Mint Chutney and Mustard Seeds
- Mekong Style Meatballs with coriander roots and minced spring onion
- Indonesian origin Beef Rendang with spicy slow cooked beef stew
- Roast Lemongrass Chicken with Caramelized Onion
- Vegetable Ratatouille as featured on The Occasional Vegetarian
- Our Signature Panthay Noodle with Vegetables and red onion relish