Food, Foodways and Foodscapes: Culture, Community and Consumption in Post-Colonial Singapore
Lily Kong (ed.)
Singapore: World Scientific, 2015
ISBN: 9789814641210 / 9789814641227

This fascinating and insightful volume introduces readers to food as a window to the social and cultural history and geography of Singapore. It demonstrates how the food we consume, the ways in which we acquire and prepare it, the company we keep as we cook and eat, and our preferences and practices are all revealing of a larger economic, social, cultural and political world, both historically and in contemporary times. Readers will be captivated by chapters that deal with the intersections of food and ethnicity, gender and class, food hybridity, innovations and creativity, heritage and change, globalization and localization, and more.

Sam Leong: A Family Cookbook: Cooking Across Three Generations
Sam Leong
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International, 2015
ISBN: 9789814677462

Cooking runs in the Leong family. Sam's late father was a renowned Cantonese chef and his mother used to run her own chicken rice stall. His wife, Forest, is herself a Thai chef and his son, Joe Leong, is a budding pastry chef.

Sam Leong: A Family Cookbook is as much a celebration of food that has kept the Leong family cooking together, as a collection of Chinese family favourites.

Put together by Sam and his family, this treasury features recipes for time-tested dishes such as stir-fried chicken with basil leaves, everyday staples such as winter melon soup, and contemporary favourites such as salted egg crab, which Sam himself enjoys preparing and eating together with his family. Bonus recipes include sweet treats such as tiramisu and vanilla panna cotta, which would not be out of place on any modern Chinese table today.

One Kopi at a Time: Retracing Singapore's Coffee Culture
Jahan Loh
Singapore: Invasion Studios Pte Ltd, 2015
ISBN: 9789810950774

Coffee-drinking may be one of Singapore's favourite pastimes but how many of us know what goes into making a cup of our favourite local brew, the difference between Nanyang coffee and coffee from other parts of the world, or how the kopitiam came about?

One Kopi At A Time offers a glimpse into Singapore's rich coffee culture, excavating from interviews and research the origins of Nanyang coffee and how it found a place in our social history.

The Little Teochew Cookbook
Eric Low
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International, 2015
ISBN: 9789814634274

Chef Eric Low puts together a collection of 42 authentic and highly popular Teochew recipes in The Little Teochew Cookbook.

From mouthwatering street food such as oyster omelette and Teochew honeycomb spring roll to heartwarming comfort food such as Teochew opera porridge to variations of the Teochew must-have -- Teochew muay, this book showcases the distinct flavours of Teochew food and is an indispensable guide to serving up light yet satisfying Teochew treats for the whole family.

With informative headnotes and invaluable cooking and preparation tips, The Little Teochew Cookbook re-introduces Teochew food in delightful bite-sized morsels.

Singapore Hawker Classics Unveiled: Decoding 25 Favourite Dishes
Temasek Polytechnic
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International, 2015
ISBN: 9789814677653

Produced as a celebration of Singapore's renowned culinary heritage, Singapore Hawker Classics Unveiled tells you everything you ever needed to know about 25 of our favourite dishes.

The 25 delicious recipes featured will allow you to recreate your favourite classic hawker treats at home and inspire you to look at these familiar dishes in a new light -- each dish includes its traditional presentation together with an additional interpretation with a modern twist.

Moreover, every dish is covered in great detail, including information on its heritage, its aroma, taste and texture, its nutritional value, as well as clear step-by-step instructions and photographs.

Eating Together: Food, Space, and Identity in Malaysia and Singapore
Jean Duruz & Gaik Cheng Khoo
Malaysia: SIRD, 2015
ISBN: 9789670630571

Accepting the challenge of rethinking connections of food, space, and identity within everyday spaces of "public" eating in Malaysia and Singapore, Jean Duruz and Gaik Cheng Khoo enter street stalls, hawker centers, markets, cafés, restaurants, "food streets," and "ethnic" neighborhoods to offer a broader picture of the meaning of eating in public places. This book creates a strong sense of the ways different people live, eat, work, and relax together, and it also traces negotiations and accommodations in these dynamics. Ultimately, the book traces the political tensions of "different" people living together, and the search for home and identity in a world on the move. Simply put, Eating Together is about understanding complex forms of multiculturalism in Malaysia and Singapore through the mind, tongue, nose, and eyes.

Teochew Heritage Cooking
Eric Low
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2015
ISBN: 9789814634281

Teochew Heritage Cooking is the definitive reference for anyone looking to learn more about the colourful heritage and food culture of the Teochews in Singapore. An engaging introduction provides an insightful overview of the history and culture of the Teochew community, and 50 recipes for authentic Teochew dishes brings the refreshing flavours of this alluring cuisine nearer home.

The Best of Singapore Cooking
Leong Yee Soo
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International, 2015
ISBN: 9789814561662

The unique quality of Singapore cuisine makes it among the most favoured in the world. It gleans the best culinary styles from neighbouring countries to produce a distinctive Singaporean flavour.

The Best of Singapore Cooking, with more than 300 time-tested recipes ranging from Chicken Rice and Char Kway Teow to Roti Jala, was compiled by Mrs. Leong Yee Soo, acknowledged culinary matriarch who enjoyed the formidable reputation of being the foremost authority on Singapore food.

Published in response to overwhelming demand for her recipes, this book is a fine testimony to her culinary skills. Twenty sections highlight, among others, top choices of home staples, sumptuous desserts, hawker favourites, Nonya kuih and specialties. In addition, "Special Combinations" provides a guide to menus of dishes traditionally served together, as in Nasi Padang.

The Best of Singapore Cooking features easy to follow recipes with clearly written step-by-step instructions, helpful hints and useful guidelines to cooking. This book makes an ideal gift and is an absolute must-have for lovers of Singapore food.

Uncle Anthony's Hokkien Recipes
Anthony Loo Hock Chye & Samantha Lee
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2014
ISBN: 9789810797980

Enjoy the rich culinary heritage of the Hokkiens with this slim, elegant cookbook, which features over 80 authentic family recipes.

Besides Hokkien classics such as braised pork knuckle and bak kut teh, this book features many little-known traditional Hokkien dishes -- some even exclusive to the author's family, such as sticky mee sua soup and Grandma's stewed chicken in soya sauce.

Anthony Loo was born to a quintessentially Hokkien family in Singapore. His parents moved to Singapore from Xiamen, China, in the 1920s; it was from them he learnt the many heritage recipes compiled in this book. Growing up amongst the braises and stir-fries of the Hokkien diaspora, Anthony developed a passion for cooking which culminated in tzechar and hawker businesses. But his greatest joy comes from preparing Hokkien feasts for his friends and family, which he believes has the power to draw people together.

Eating Together: Food, Space, and Identity in Malaysia and Singapore
Jean Duruz and Gaik Cheng Khoo
Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2014
ISBN: 9781442227408

Accepting the challenge of rethinking connections of food, space and identity within everyday spaces of "public" eating in Malaysia and Singapore, the authors enter street stalls, hawker centers, markets, cafes, restaurants, "food streets," and "ethnic" neighborhoods to offer a broader picture of the meaning of eating in public places. The book creates a strong sense of the ways different people live, eat, work, and relax together, and traces negotiations and accommodations in these dynamics. The motif of rojak (Malay, meaning "mixture"), together with Ien Ang's evocative "together-in-difference," enables the analysis to move beyond the immediacy of street eating with its moments of exchange and remembering. Ultimately, the book traces the political tensions of "different" people living together, and the search for home and identity in a world on the move. Each of the chapters designates a different space for exploring these cultures of "mixedness" and their contradictions -- whether these involve "old" and "new" forms of sociality, struggles over meanings of place, or frissons of pleasure and risk in eating "differently." Simply put, Eating Together is about understanding complex forms of multiculturalism in Malaysia and Singapore through the mind, tongue, nose, and eyes.

Durians are Not the Only Fruit: Notes From the Tropics
Wong Yoon Wah
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810766702

In this mix of memoir, lyric essay and nature writing, Wong Yoon Wah takes the unusual approach of turning his gaze away from the people of Nanyang, and examining instead what surrounds us: the fruits we grow, the food we eat, the trees and animals that thrive in our midst. Along the way, he throws us fascinating cultural insights: how thunder tea rice, which contains neither thunder nor tea, acquired its name; how early settlers used the raintree to tell the time; how the behaviour of ants can tell us when a monsoon is about to arrive. Throughout, Wong explores the myths and seduction of Singapore and Malaysia's tropical rainforest landscape and the rubber plantations of his childhood, getting at the very essence of humans' profound attachment to place.

Plusixfive: A Singaporean Supper Club Cookbook
Goz Lee and Friends
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810759063

Lamenting the lack of good Singaporean food in London (Singapore fried noodles doesn't count), Goz Lee started the plusixfive supper club out of his one-bedroom flat in Islington, determined to showcase his country's cooking to hungry Londoners. Since its founding, plusixfive has taken the London supper-club world by storm, regularly selling out its monthly dinners and counting among its guests celebrity chefs, food critics, bloggers and television stars.

Taking its name from Singapore's international dialling code, plusixfive is the result of one young, homesick and hungry Singaporean's desire to share the spirit of delicious food and good company. Along the way, Goz found two like-minded, food-obsessed Singaporean food bloggers to continue his culinary legacy while he moved to Hong Kong to expand plusixfive's ventures abroad. He also picked up a motley crew of volunteers, all of whom contribute to the supper club in ntheir free time.

Structured like a regular supper-club night, Plusixfive: A Singaporean Supper Club Cookbook is packed with stories about plusixfive's signature dishes, memories of Singapore and guest recipes from the likes of Momofuku Seiobo head chef Ben Greeno, Hollow Legs food blogger Lizzie Mabbot and The Straits Times food editor Tan Hsueh Yun. With passion and irreverence, Goz and his team demystify local hawker favourites like satay and chwee kueh and staples of Peranakan cooking like babi pongteh and ayam buah keluak, teaching you how to cook delicious Singaporean food right out of your own kitchen.

Images of Singapore Food: Popular Hawker Dishes and More...
Christopher Leung
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2013
ISBN: 9789814484145

On the hunt for the ultimate food experience in Singapore? This guide to the city's popular hawker dishes will help the adventurous visitor discover why Singapore is known as a street food paradise.

Find out what goes into these yummy-looking dishes - from snacks such as Nyonya Kueh to one-dish meals like Char Kway Teow - and learn to order them like a local. Each entry includes a colour photograph of the dish as well as a description of what are the key ingredients.

And for those clueless about what is kopi-si siew dai or mee tai mak, the book includes a glossary of local drinks available and also a visual glossary of noodle types.

Not for Sale: Singapore's Remaining Street Food Vendors
Sinma DaShow
Singapore: Good Food Syndicate, 2013
ISBN: 9789810765699

Not For Sale: Singapore's Remaining Heritage Street Food Vendors is a landmark project to preserve our longest-serving food heritage – hawker street food culture.

Sinma DaShow and his documentary team began documenting Singapore's remaining street food vendor hawker centre by hawker centre in 2010. 900 days, over a hundred hawker centres and thousands of hours of interviews, recording and transcription later, Not For Sale is the most complete and ambitious documentation of Singapore's street food vendors ever archived.

The first chapter opens with a dark tone, looking at the hawkers who would be retiring without an heir apparent and the threats of extinction that faces the trade. And as always in the midst of such changing times and challenges, there are also reasons for hope in the guardian angels who willingly chose to watch over their family trade and craft.

The pictorial documentation of black and white photos closes with the most inspiring ending by unveiling the unsung superheroes of the trade, those who are among the most elderly yet still actively involved in their craft. Most have faced war and lack, often in hunger but with a heart full of love, when surrounded by hopelessness they find a reason to give hope to others, and in the face of fear how they stood fearless to life's challenges.

This book is a tribute to all our dear uncles and aunties who have tirelessly served multiple generations of food-loving Singaporeans.

The Little Singapore Cookbook: A Collection of Singapore's Best-Loved Dishes
Wendy Hutton
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Cuisine, 2013
ISBN: 9789814484084

The Little Singapore Cookbook offers tried and tested recipes from renowned food writer, Wendy Hutton, for some of the nation’s bestloved foods. Among this selection are the eponymous Singapore Chicken Rice, succulent Chilli Crab and irresistible noodle dishes such as Char Kway Teow, Fried Hokkien Mee and the famous spicy noodle soup, Laksa Lemak. Clearly explained recipes ensure that any home cook can produce authentic and delicious Singapore food to share with friends and family.

Sam Leong: Defining a Cultural Icon
Sam Leong & Stephen Lee
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2013
ISBN: 9789814398220

Sam Leong is one of the most forward-thinking, talked about, celebrated and controversial chefs of his generation. This entertaining and often amusing account of Sam's life and career examines his rise from troubled childhood to Modern Chinese culinary maestro and famed celebrity chef. Sam's innovations and achievements are viewed through the lens of local and international gastronomy, in order to better understand his place in Singapore's haute cuisine landscape.

Filled with fascinating insights, this biography of one man's amazing journey through food and cooking will engage not only epicureans, but anyone interested in the extraordinary culinary revolution unfolding today.

Sambal Days, Kampong Cuisine
Aziza Ali
Singapore: Ate Media, 2013
ISBN: 9789810755201

Sambal Days, Kampong Cuisine reveals stories of a time when life was simpler in the kampongs of Radin Mas, but cooking and mealtimes were sometimes much more elaborate, with meticulous preparation in the kitchen and generous presentation at the dining table. Nostalgic tales of living in a communal atmosphere of 13 family members and interacting with kampong neighbours from various ethnic backgrounds are also shared by Aziza in her book.

Referencing her childhood memories in the book, Aziza recounts how family values, neighbourly gotong-royong (community ties of mutual cooperation) and cultural tradition are expressed and celebrated through the preparation and enjoyment of food - not just reserved for festive occasions such as Hari Raya or on outings such as seaside staycations at Tanah Merah, but also every single day.

Ask the Foodie: Kitchen Knowhow Explained
Chris Tan
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2012
ISBN: 9789814342261

In 2006, Chris Tan began a conversation with readers and home cooks in The Sunday Times. It went on for five years. He encountered Singaporeans obsessed with eating, and with some things in particular – firm prawns, steamed egg, soups, deep-fried anything…

Forgotten dishes: Some questions were nostalgic. How do I recreate my grandma's kueh, where can I find this long-forgotten dish?

Distress calls: Some were distress calls over repeated recipe failures, like cakes that ended up with the wrong texture, curries that didn't make the cut.

Tricky recipes: Many focused on just how tricky apparently simple recipes could be – why braised peanuts stayed hard, for example.

Ask the Foodie: Kitchen Knowhow Explained is for all the faithful followers of Chris Tan's column. This compilation includes the most frequently asked questions, and answers that have been reinforced by further experiments. It covers a wide range of topics: Asian snacks & desserts; Beverages; Cakes & puddings; Curries & sambals; Eggs & dairy; Frying; Herbs & spices; Ingredients & additives; Meat & poultry; Noodles & pasta; Nuts, beans, seeds & grains; Pastries & bread; Pickles & preserves; Rice; Sauces, stocks & stocks; Seafood; Vegetables & fruits.

Simply the Best!: The ieat*ishoot*ipost Guide to Singapore's Hawker Food
Dr. Leslie Tay
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2012
ISBN: 9789810737801

From Bedok to Beo Crescent, Jalan Sultan to Joo Chiat, celebrity food blogger Dr. Leslie Tay and his merry band of ieat foodies have spread out across the island in search of the most drool-worthy hawker food Singapore has to offer.

Their quest for hawker food paradise, plus Dr. Tay’s stunning food photographs, is documented in this blogbuster, capturing more than half a decade’s worth of eating, shooting and posting. This is Singapore’s ultimate insider’s guide to hawker food—the only one you’ll ever need or want!

Savour Chinatown
Annette Tan
Singapore: Ate Media, 2012
ISBN: 9789810870935

Savour Chinatown is the first book in a series that pays tribute to a local enclave in Singapore featuring the many stories behind the history of the food served there and how it has developed over the years.

Singapore is famous for its many streets that house food stalls and restaurants that have served many generations of devoted foodies. These great culinary neighborhoods are renowned for the way they have shaped Singapore’s food scene at the most basic level, providing quality fare, consistently and sometimes for generations. Yet as the years pass and neighborhoods change, that knowledge is slowly being lost and Singapore’s food heritage is in danger of forgetting its past and losing its sense of place.

Savour Chinatown collects and gathers these stories so they’re not lost to future generations of Singaporeans; the volume also celebrates the diversity of hawker stalls, shops and businesses that have existed over the past 100 years.