Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Feb 8, 2012, 8:44 am
the opening ceremony at University of District Columbia auditorium This past weekend, while most Americans’ eyes were transfixed on the Super Bowl–especially the half-time show, in which a misbehavin’ M.I.A. flipped off the broadcast’s entire viewership, stealing most of the attention from ...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Feb 7, 2012, 4:32 pm
Book sales are brisk thanks to all of you who have bought a copy of “Rice & Curry,” and supported this project from the beginning. I have also been cooking Sri Lankan food at dinner parties all over the country, introducing people to this last great undiscovered cuisine of Asia. If you would lik...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Feb 5, 2012, 6:23 pm
some Kerala Curry products....MMMMmmmmm!!   I first met Rollo and Ann Varkey at the Fancy Food Show in DC last summer. Among the glut of corporate exhibitors dominating the vast Walter E. Washington Convention Center floor, they represented  a handful of real “mom & pop” operations, coming a...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Jan 29, 2012, 4:05 pm
In lieu of a book party, which authors customarily use to promote their books, I usually opt for throwing a supper club or “pop-up” restaurant whenever possible.  In addition to allowing people to sample the food, such an event also appeals to my DIY roots in independent music. Create a program...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Jan 23, 2012, 10:04 am
This soup requires chopsticks! To set the tone for this brand new, third season of Pan Asian, I wanted to return to the essence of what the show is all about, which is to present a simple, quick, delicious, and healthy Asian meal in under 15 minutes that you can make in your own kitchen. As always,...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Oct 27, 2011, 1:19 pm
I’m a big fan of soup—especially when the weather is getting colder—and Asian soups in particular because they tend to include a lot of spices and some serious flavor. Take a simple concoction like Tom Yong Gan, a favorite at Thai restaurants, for it’s strong taste of lemon grass, cilantro, ...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Oct 10, 2011, 10:45 am
Korean comfort food gets  no better than Galbi-Jjim, a braised short-rib dish and national favorite that has as many versions as the the number of cooks who make it. That said, I came up with my own recipe after doing a lot of online research and cobbling together elements from different recipes I ...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Oct 9, 2011, 1:01 pm
            http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/dining/baltimore-diner-blog/bal-sri-lankan-supper-club-on-oct-13-20111003,0,7941165.story   There are still plenty of seats left for my Sri Lankan Supper Club dinner at the Creative Alliance in Baltimore, this Thursday, Oct. 13th!
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Oct 5, 2011, 12:04 pm
ped muan, roasted duck, fresh herbs & vegetables wrapped in rice paper with Sriracha sauce In case you didn’t know, ASEAN stands for the “Association of South East Asian Nations,” and true to its name, Cafe ASEAN in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, a restaurant I literally stumbled upon, is a...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Sep 27, 2011, 1:45 pm
My recent buffet lunch at Sigiri Restaurant in Manhattan I think we finally put this bad boy to bed. I’m talking about my cookbook, Rice & Curry: Sri Lankan Home Cooking. After a summer of editing and design, revisions and redesign we’re ready to pull the trigger and send this thing to the prin...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Sep 24, 2011, 3:34 pm
I must have been a Jamaican in a past life because I love Red Stripe Beer, I love Jamaican music (i.e. reggae and dub) and I love Jamaican food. And like Jamaicans, who love their food hot, laced with a plenty of Scotch bonnet peppers (aka habaneros), the hottest chili on earth before the discovery ...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Sep 2, 2011, 11:41 am
The enchanting island of Sri Lanka, located just off the southern tip of India, has long been considered “The Pearl of the Indian Ocean,” and its unique and delicious cuisine reflects this singular status.  While sharing many spices and ingredients in common with its neighbor to the north, Sri ...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Sep 1, 2011, 10:30 am
Eggplant or brinjals (Vambotu in Sinhalese) was never a favorite of mine growing up. That is, until I tasted this dish at a dinner party given by some Sri Lankan friends. Ever since then, when we’ve gone to their house, I have to have it, and the hostess Aunty Manel always indulges my request. Thi...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Aug 30, 2011, 8:41 am
The view inside Yod Abyssina, one of Addis Ababa's 'cultural' restaurants Having been to Ethiopia several times now, while working on a documentary, I’ve had a chance to see a bit of the country as well as sample a lot of its food, which has led me to to the following conclusions: 1.)   Ethiop...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Aug 22, 2011, 9:54 am
chicken lob Lob is a traditional Laotian dish usually served on holidays or special occasions. It can be made with beef, fish, duck, and wild game as well. It is usually served with sticky rice and accompanied with fresh vegetables such as cucumber, radish, or watercress, or bitter greens. Rice pow...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Aug 16, 2011, 9:30 am
Japanese Salmon & Noodle Salad   Leave it to the Japanese to come up with a dish so quick, easy, healthy, delicious, and aesthetically pleasing that it was tailor made for Pan Asian. While it’s still scorching outside and you don’t feel like turning up the heat in the kitchen, this is the per...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Aug 14, 2011, 11:14 am
While Manhattan’s eastside has long held the hegemony on South Asian Cuisine–with clusters of restaurants around Murray Hill and further south in the Village’s well-known East 6th Street–I stumbled across a lone outpost of Sri Lankan food all the way  on West 28th Street (between 7th & 8th ...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Aug 8, 2011, 4:01 pm
As we approach the dog days of Summer, when nobody feels like cooking, this quick, simple dish is the perfect antidote. All it requires is a quick searing of the meat, which inturn requires a very hot pan (which I did not have this time around). It’s amazing what one can do with a few (staple) ing...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Jul 19, 2011, 10:43 am
Chef Akira Back and yours truly at the Taste of Korea dinner In the weeks leading up to the Fancy Food Show, I get a flood of emails from various PR firms asking me to come and check out their clients’ booths at the show. If the product seems interesting, of course, I make an effort to stop by. S...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Jul 17, 2011, 10:05 pm
The nation’s capital played host to this year’s National Association for the Specialty Food Trade Summer Fancy Food Show showcasing a staggering 180,000 new products, which help account for the $60 billion in sales this industry pulls in annually. Wrapping your head (or in this case your mouth) ...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Jul 13, 2011, 12:01 pm

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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Jul 8, 2011, 11:12 am
Chef Charles presides over another supper club event I just found out about this upcoming food event, and seeing that I’m the biggest promoter of Sri Lankan food this side of Colombo, I had to let you know about it. Chef Charles is a Sri Lankan chef who specializes in global fusion cuisine, and t...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Jun 26, 2011, 12:45 pm
Varuval is a Tamil term meaning “dry fry,” a cooking technique popular in South Indian cuisine. In this dish, a prime example of Chettinad cooking, the chicken is stirred continuously in a small amount of spice-infused oil. As all the juice cooks off, you are left with a dish coated with spices ...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Jun 19, 2011, 9:43 am
Boiled beef slices in a fiery sauce The Recipe 1 head of celery (about 1 pond) 4 scallions, white and green parts small handful of dried chilies (8-10) 1 lb. lean beef (flank steak) 1 tbsp. Shaoxing rice wine or medium dry sherry 1/3 cup peanut oil 2 tsp. Sichuan pepper 3 tbsp. chili bean p...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Jun 1, 2011, 10:07 am
The flag of The Kingdom of Bhutan The Kingdom of Bhutan, a small landlocked state in South Asia, lies at the eastern end of the Himalayas, bordered to the south, east and west by India and to the north by China. Bhutan is separated from the nearby country of Nepal to the west by the Indian state o...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - May 30, 2011, 11:39 am
It’s official! My cookbook–5 years in the making–will finally be hitting bookstore shelves this Fall. It’s a major coup in that I’m not a celebrity chef or TV personality, but just a simple home cook like you. It feels doubly great to be representing the cuisine of Sri Lanka, which I grew ...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - May 26, 2011, 9:06 am
South Indian food, like Sri Lankan, has the potential to be explosive on the palate–not just in terms of the heat factor but also as far as the combination of flavors involved. I especially like Chettinad food, which hails from a certain region of Tamil Nadu. In fact, I first had Chettinad food in...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - May 9, 2011, 9:55 am
Nepali grilled chicken Lodged between India and China, Nepali food leans more towards the Indian influence. Though I have never visited this mountainous country before, cooking is the next best way to travel, so I was excited to try this simple dish. Sekuwa is apparently the Nepali term for any mea...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - May 5, 2011, 9:54 am
A young Ethiopian toothbrush salesman who bears an uncanny resemblance to the character 'Little Ze' from the film City of God Business brings me once again to Ethiopia, but despite the long-haul journey, I can’t be mad: Along with work comes the pleasure of eating. I’m very lucky, indeed, to ha...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Apr 28, 2011, 11:40 am
The new cover of "Rice & Curry" It’s been a long time coming, but that time is almost here. Five years ago I rented out my house and moved to Sri Lanka for a year to fulfill a lifelong dream–to create a Sri Lankan cookbook. As a second generation immigrant, food has always been important to me ...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Apr 27, 2011, 9:33 am
Sri Lankan Ambassador to the U.S. Jaliya Wickramasuriya and Skiz I’ve been acting as the unofficial “food ambassador” for the Sri Lankan embassy recently following appearances at the Travel & Adventure show in D.C. and also this latest cameo at the Ambassador’s residence itself for a taping...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Apr 10, 2011, 12:21 pm
Mmmmmm….. I love clams! I also love mussels, and oysters and snails and all kinds of mollusks and shellfish: Make that seafood, period. A lot of people are intimidated with cooking seafood, but it’s really the easiest thing in the world to prepare. If you live near the water, it’s also probabl...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Apr 5, 2011, 1:12 pm
Sure, it’s nice to win, but hats off to the Sri Lanka cricket team for their marvelous effort in this recent World Cup tournament. I’m certainly no fan of cricket, but I had to support the home team even though they were up against some serious odds. Playing team India in Mumbai must have been b...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Mar 28, 2011, 9:57 am
  I’ve been eating a lot of meat recently, so during my last trip to the local farmers’ market, I decided to go vegetarian for lunch and this is what I came up with. Feel free to use any vegetables that you like or have on hand. For a total vegetarian meal, pair it up with some rice and dhal (...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Mar 21, 2011, 7:08 pm
I had the opportunity to attend the Travel Adventure show in Washington DC last weekend per request of the Sri Lankan Embassy in DC, whose cook, Tuan Buran, was giving a cooking demonstration. Since Buran does not speak English, I was charged with the task of giving a running commentary and interact...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Mar 7, 2011, 9:37 am
MMMmmm.....Lao curried chicken Bordering Thailand, Laos has a very similar cuisine, full-on with rich, coconut-milk based sauces, and exotic flavors like galangal, Kaffir lime, and shrimp paste. So it was great to stumble upon this recipe for a Lao chicken curry because the curry paste it uses was ...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Feb 28, 2011, 1:19 pm
It’s hard to believe I’m starting a new season of Pan Asian, but here it is. While season 1 started off as almost a hobby, I’ve moved into full gear now on season two. No longer do I shoot the show using a simple Flip camera, but rather a Canon Vixia HV30 (though I still shoot everything mysel...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Feb 27, 2011, 5:09 pm
a plateful of goodness photo by Harvey Ollis Well, the first supper club event went down as planned, smooth as butter, and to the many rave reviews of those who attended. Thanks to all who came, for supporting the evening as well as to all our volunteers who helped; thanks also to Asya’...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Feb 11, 2011, 5:40 pm
GiGi performs in Addis Ababa for the first time in 14 years Having long been a fan of Ethiopian cuisine, I was very excited to be spending a week in that country’s capital of Addis Ababa, where I was filming a concert by my good friend, Ethiopian songstress GiGi, who was returning to her native l...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Jan 31, 2011, 6:09 pm
The modern concept of ‘fusion’ as applied to food often implies such recent innovations as Korean tacos or Chino Latino. But when you delve deeper into history, you realize that fusion is the way of the world and has been going on since time immemorial. Whenever and wherever different cultures c...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Jan 21, 2011, 4:30 pm
A friend and I have started a new supper club in Baltimore called Temporary Table and this is our inaugural event! Having spent time in Kerala, India learning how to make their cuisine, Asya Ollis and myself, your resident Sri  Lankan rice & curry fiend, decided it was time to make Baltimore a litt...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Jan 16, 2011, 10:04 pm
  This spicy Sichuan specialty is a great quick and easy dish to make as long as you have a few key ingredients on hand like the chili bean paste and rice wine. Using only 1/4 cup of oil, the recipe is healthy as well. It’s earthy, fiery flavor is strangely reminiscent of deep-fried chicken–ma...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Jan 13, 2011, 4:19 pm
exotic produce at a street market in Sri Lanka Of course Sri Lanka boasts it’s fair share of modern supermarkets—namely the island-wide chains, Keel’s and Cargill’s Food City. Though nothing on par with lavish and über-stocked mega-markets of the U.S., they still offer some semblance of we...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Jan 5, 2011, 5:06 pm
Thanks to everyone  who checked out my blog or bought a cookbook or some of Skiz’s Original Curry Powder in 2010! As you can see from the stats in the last post, it was a banner year and I’m hoping to make 2011 even better. The year has already started off with a B ANG as I was offered a deal ...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Jan 2, 2011, 11:01 am
The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health: The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow. Crunchy numbers About 3 million people visit the Taj Mahal every year. This blog was viewed about 51,000 times in 2...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Dec 28, 2010, 5:14 pm
I first encountered Chettinad food in Sri Lanka at an eatery called Anjapper, which has, sadly, since closed. But the amazing flavor of the food–heavy on the chilies–made a definite lasting impression on me. I have searched in vain for Chettinad restaurants in the U.S., and elsewhere so you can ...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Dec 17, 2010, 11:00 am
Butter Chicken This scrumptious concoction is the precursor to what is currently touted as Britain’s national dish—chicken tikka masala, whose origins, I might add, are thoroughly disputed. I have heard Punjabis, Bengalis, and Pakistanis lay claim to the original recipe, but what is certain is ...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Dec 10, 2010, 5:43 pm
Paul Sevigny, with his winning Jamaican jerk goat   I’m no stranger to throwing parties and events–especially music-related fetes–but this was the first time I put on an event like the Baltimore Crock Pot Cook Off. I’ve been a contestant in several similar competitions in New York, hosted...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Nov 29, 2010, 9:15 am
crockpotflyer On Sunday, Dec. 5th from 1-4 p.m., I’m hosting the first ever Baltimore Crock Pot Cook Off for amateur cooks trying to strut their stuff. We’ve got a bunch of great dishes in the line-up so far, but have a few more slots open for any adventurous cooks out there looking to win one ...
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Skiz F. posted an article on Rice & Curry - Nov 24, 2010, 9:30 am
The newly revised 2nd Edition is now available!   Since I don’t have the publicity department of a huge publishing house at my disposal, I need to constantly be on my grind with regards to getting the word out about my book. So here’s a shameless plug: If you enjoy reading my blog and checkin...
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