Ariyani Tedjo

Indonesian Traditional Snack Stall. Fascinated with the richness of the traditional snacks in Indonesia, I created a scene resembling a snack stall. I selected the snacks, both sweet and savory, from several regional cuisines to be "sold" here. From the popular ones across the country to ones that can only be found in specific local markets. Textures and colors definitely come into play.

The stall was set up at home; having a Javanese lady dressed in Javanese Batik as the seller. Here she is seen scooping a local Javanese snack called Tiwul (steamed cassava granules) from a snack tray called Lenjongan, which can be found in local traditional markets in Yogyakarta and Surakarta in Central Java.

For Mid-Autumn Festival, Yue Bing, or traditional mooncake is not to be missed. This year, I decided to make my own. For the setup, I purposely used vintage china passed down from both my grandmothers. This way, I induced the mood of the old school vibes that traditional Chinese pastries often have. Here seen a piece of mooncake has been molded using modern, and easier to use, plastic mold; leaving the molded mooncake on the floured wooden block.

For the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, I decided to make my own mooncakes. One kind of mooncakes that I made is called snow skin mooncake as the skin is soft and slightly powdery. The skin is made of mochi dough and does not require any baking at all. For the paste fillings, I used durian purée in the blue mooncakes and custard in the white mooncake. The blue mooncakes used natural coloring from butterfly pea extract while the white ones are simply plain milk.

Nasi Campur Donburi

A popular Indonesian rice dish consists of steamed rice with several meat and vegetable side dishes, chili paste and crackers.

The one here is a creative version in terms of the plating/serving style and side dishes picks, from several regional cuisines in Indonesia instead of from a single region.

The dishes are Balinese Shredded Chicken, Sundanese Stir-fried Yellow Bean Curd, and Javanese Stir-fried Chayote Squash. Garnished with thin slices of Japanese cucumber and a lime half.

Usually, the rice dish is plated on a plate, but this one is plated in a Japanese style donburi bowl. Hence, the presentation is geared toward Japanese with a pair of chopsticks, Japanese condiment saucer for the chili paste; all arranged on a tray as a Teishoku. The Peanut Crackers are served separately and placed next to the tray.

Agar-agar Gula Merah
A simple, homemade gelatine dessert; a favorite of my late grandfather. This is agar-agar with coconut milk and brown palm sugar. Molded-in single cups; then garnished with Kersen Cherry blossoms and accented with golden teaspoons.

Japan truly captivates me. Its wonderful array of traditional teas is fascinating.

The hotel where I stayed in Tokyo provides a wide selection of teas, including the Japanese green tea of Sencha. A fine, artisanal Japanese tea set is also provided in the room to enjoy the teas. Being fascinated with the tea set, too, I decided to make a photoshoot to capture the beauty of the tea and tea set. So I created the shooting set using available furniture and lighting in the room; then ran downstairs to the florist in the nearby Shimbashi station to get some blossoms and leaves for this tea photo shoot.

So here they are, the golden flow of Sencha and the charming tea set that are to stay in the memory.

Fascinated with Japanese food and drink while on a trip to the Land of the Rising Sun, I created this cocktail of Ume (Japanese Plum) and Sake (Japanese Rice Wine).

A rare kind of gourmet seasoning, Vintage Merlot Salt. I was mesmerized by it's bold and brilliant so decided to give it a try for my cooking. Before I did, I took the time to play with and capture it.

Sugaring the Poffertjes. This little snack is a favorite in the family. Originated and popular in the Netherlands, it is also popular in Indonesia as a former Dutch colony.

The poffertjes are plated in several small plates in various sizes and styled in a moody dark scene.