Join MOFAD in welcoming the New Year with a live cooking demo and conversation about Indonesian food and traditions. The event will explore and celebrate the diverse culinary landscape where recipes, techniques and care were passed on through the women's lineage: grandmothers to mothers to daughters to sisters (and aunties in between). Like a tapestry, Indonesian cooking practices and knowledges are interwoven, between hands and through times, adapted and perfected through generations, shaping narratives and identities of Indonesian women cooking outside the motherland.

The evening will include a conversation between Siska Silitonga, Pepy Nasution, Elvi Goliat, Anastasia Tahjadi and Felisia Tan who will share their stories, memories, and reflections on adapting during a global pandemic which also shine a light on the journey and connections to their communities.

Additionally, Chef Siska Silitonga will show us how to make Sambal Tempeh and Terong (fried tempeh and eggplant in spicy sambal), a simple and versatile dish that captures the soul of Indonesian cuisine.

The recipe will be emailed in advance of the event for attendees who wish to participate in the cooking demo.

PEPY NASUTION

Pepy Nasution is the food writer and photographer behind indonesiaeats.com, a food blog and an online recipe archive, originally created in 2006, for those who enjoy cooking Indonesian foods with a cultural story background. In mid 2019, Indonesia Eats rebranded to include a travel section as a part of journey to learn other people's culture.

A former food quality assurance professional, she combined her food science knowledge and cultural background to further explore regional Indonesian foods through past histories and traditions.

Pepy has been featured on Winnipeg Free Press, different websites (Canada, US, Indonesia and Malaysia based) and magazines (Indonesia and Malaysia based). Recently, she contributed to two Indonesian cookbooks published in the Netherlands.

SISKA SILITONGA

Chef Siska Silitonga and her company, ChiliCali have been serving Indonesian inspired food through pop-up dinners, corporate catering, and private events in SF Bay Area since 2015.

Siska ran an Indonesian food truck at Google campuses in 2019, feeding 300 Google staff daily. She also has a line of Indonesian cooking condiments featuring locally sourced ingredients. Her jarred sambal hot sauce was a 2019 winner of the Good Food Awards, pantry category.

Siska began cooking at a young age with her mother and mentor, a chef in Jakarta. She brought her talent and passion to San Francisco and and became an Indonesian Food ambassador. Her ultimate goal is to promote and raise awareness of Indonesian food and culture in the Bay Area.

FELISIA TAN

Felisia Tan has cooked professionally in catering and restaurant kitchens. She previously ran culinary education programs with The Brooklyn Kitchen and The New York Botanical Garden. She also worked in research and development of a several food startups in New York. Her work is currently focused on writing and teaching.

Felisia’s passion for food began in Indonesia where she grew up around her family members who introduced her to traditional spices, snacks, and sweets . She brought her moveable Indonesian food pop-up Endless Sunrice, to events in New York such as the 2017 Queens Night Market and around Brooklyn. 

ELVI GOLIAT & ANASTASIA TAHJADI (INDO JAVA)

Indo Java is a women-owned Indonesian grocery store located in Queens, New York opened in 2005 by Anastasia Tahjadi, Elvi Goliat dan Ria Jati. A tiny but mighty shop built with the intention as a space of refuge for those who miss the motherland. From condiments, beverages and everyday essentials to snacks and ready-to-eat dishes from local makers and vendors as far as Philadelphia, the shop also served as a community hub for locals exchanging information such as apartment rentals and employment opportunities. Twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

This program was funded in part by Humanities New York with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.