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The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) cordially invites you to an insightful discussion with acclaimed food writer and cookbook author Patricia Tanumihardja, as she explores her latest culinary work, Mortar and Pestle: Classic Indonesian Recipes for the Modern Kitchen. Co-authored with her mother, Juliana Evari Suparman, this cookbook presents a vibrant collection of 80 mouthwatering recipes, each reflecting decades of family traditions and a deep understanding of Indonesian cuisine.

Mortar and Pestle is more than just a cookbook – it’s a culinary voyage that transports readers into the heart of Patricia and Juliana’s family kitchen. Rich with old family photographs and personal stories, the book makes the authentic flavors of Indonesia accessible to everyone, from seasoned cooks to those discovering Indonesian cuisine for the first time. With classic dishes like Nasi Goreng and Tempeh, this collection celebrates Indonesia’s rich culinary heritage, thoughtfully adapted for the modern kitchen.

During the talk, Patricia will share her unique perspective as a third-culture kid, born in Jakarta and raised in Singapore, and how her cultural heritage has shaped her approach to food and storytelling. The conversation will feature insights from Sharon Wee, author of Growing Up In A Nonya Kitchen: A Peranakan Family’s Food Memories of Singapore, and will be moderated by Kian Lam Kho, author of the award-winning cookbook Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees: Essential Techniques of Authentic Chinese Cooking. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover how to bring the vibrant flavors of Indonesian cuisine into your own kitchen, no matter where you are in the world.

About Mortar and Pestle: Classic Indonesian Recipes for the Modern Kitchen

Written by a mother and daughter team, Mortar and Pestle is filled with family recipes spanning three decades for Indonesian dishes served at their family table.

Mother/daughter team, Juliana and Pat, indulge readers with their vibrant collection of 80 delicious recipes and their intimate knowledge of Indonesian cuisine. The accessible recipes in the Mortar and Pestle encompass popular dishes that appeal to both native Indonesians and those new to the cuisine, all of which can be easily replicated by home cooks using easily accessed ingredients available.

Old family photographs and cozy, family narratives bring the reader into the authors’ home and allow them to travel vicariously through food. Written with the distinct sensibility of an Indonesian who was born and grew up in Indonesia (Julia) and her daughter who was raised in the culture and taught to cook from a young age (Pat), this comprehensive cookbook is lighthearted and punctuated with practical, how-to instruction. Mortar and Pestle proves Indonesian food can be prepared in any kitchen, anywhere in the world.

OVER 75 RECIPES: A gold mine of delicious and authentic Indonesian classics such as Nasi Goreng and Tempeh

VIBRANT IMAGES: Appetizing and vibrant photographs of finished dishes for reference

UNIQUE FLAVORS: Indonesian food embodies a richness and complexity that reflects centuries of invaders, settlers, and immigrants.

About Patricia Tanumihardja

Decades of cooking and writing have honed Patricia (Pat) Tanumihardja’s craft as a longtime food writer and cookbook author. Pat has always wanted to eat good food and write about it. And now, with bylines in The Washington Post, Serious Eats, Bon Appetit, edibleSeattle, and more, she’s living the dream. In addition to her latest Mortar and Pestle: Classic Indonesian Recipes for the Modern Kitchen, written together with her mother, Julia, Pat has four other pan-Asian cookbooks including The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook and Instant Pot Asian Pressure Cooker Meals: Fast, Fresh & Affordable. A third-culture kid, Pat was born in Jakarta to Chinese Indonesian parents and raised in Singapore. Today, she lives in Springfield, VA with her husband and son. Find her on Instagram/X:@Pickles.and.Tea and online at ediblewords.com.

About Sharon Wee

Sharon Wee was born and raised in Singapore. She published her cookbook memoir Growing Up in a Nonya Kitchen in 2012, and relaunched it in 2023. In addition to heirloom recipes, the book includes her family’s food memories of Singapore and highlights her Peranakan heritage (descendants of the earliest Chinese settlers and local womenfolk), drawing guest essays from community experts as well as photo images from Singapore’s museums and national archives.

Sharon’s recipes have been featured in The Washington Post and The New York Times, and reviewed in the UK’s The Guardian. She has given press and television interviews about Singapore food and her Peranakan heritage. In 2023, Sharon presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair, London Book Fair and the Bangkok Literary Festival. She chronicles her food experiences on Instagram @nonya.global.

Sharon graduated from the National University of Singapore and worked for Mars Confectionery in Hong Kong and China in the 1990s. She currently lives in New York City where she earned an MBA at New York University and trained at the French Culinary Institute. She is an overseer of NYU Langone Medical, the co-chair of the Major Gifts Committee at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and a board member of the Centre for Hearing and past board member of the Metropolitan Opera. Sharon frequently returns home to Singapore.