Ever since I was a child, I liked to putter around in the kitchen. Sometimes I watched my late mom cooking. Most of the time she asked me to do this and that. I can still hear her voice telling me to peel or chop something. Growing up, I was blessed with a warm family and a home full of delicious dishes. My mother was always cooking something. Spicy rendang, stir-fry, seafood dishes, oh, how I'the love to return to that state of bliss when my parents were still alive and we could have a normal dinner together, chatting about mundane stuff.

I am grateful for those memories. Now I am passing them to my kids. They are no stranger in the kitchen and in a way I am happy because my mother would love this.

I learned (and am still learning) cooking by trial and error. The internet has opened my eyes to plenty of food around the world, but sometimes I yearn for the familiar, like this sweet and sour sauce. Being an Asian, we naturally collect tomato and chili sauce sachets from take-outs so we always have some around the house.

#givingthanks