Eat in the Middle

When I was growing up, dinner was the one meal we shared together as a family. Julia would set a big bowl of rice on the table accompanied by a soup, vegetables, and/or protein—perhaps fish, chicken, or tofu. The dishes varied by cooking methods—deep-fried, boiled, curried, grilled, or stewed—to achieve a blend of flavors and textures. We’d take turns scooping rice onto our plates and then help ourselves to the side dishes. We would usually eat with a fork and spoon and sometimes our fingers. Soups were either ladled into small bowls or directly onto the rice. Like clockwork, sambal, kecap manis, and some crispy krupuk (crackers) would also appear.