As you can probably guess, the popcorn at my house is neither microwave popcorn nor does it have only melted butter.

There are a variety of Asian-type rolls, most of which originate from China. However, my favorite are the fresh spring rolls native to Vietnam. I love that they are rice-paper wrapped and not fried, and as far as filling goes, pretty much anything works. Traditionally made with chicken, pork or shrimp and vermicelli, I love stuffing them with a mixture of raw and cooked vegetables with lots of herbs for fragrance and flavor. When picking vegetables, make sure they are cold when you are ready to make the rolls. It does take a bit of expertise to make them — at first, I was making lumpy, awkwardly shaped rolls with vegetables sticking out. They still tasted good, and my family happily ate them up. It took some time and practice to get them to look uniform — the key is not to overstuff them and pack the vegetables in tight when rolling.

Having one of these biscuits is a glorious way to start the morning, especially warm with a generous dab of turmeric cream cheese and a cup of chai.

Today Chinese-Indian cuisine is an integral part of the food scene in India, from the restaurants to street vendors, and the relationship gives locals and diners a reminder of the rich history between two ancient cuisines. Be prepared to fall in love with the peanut sauce in this recipe — it’s good on almost everything!

This dal is prepared with the hallmarks of Bengali cooking. Mustard oil for the slight horseradish like flavor, jaggery to add a touch of sweetness and all the spices that make up panch phoran, or the 5-Spice mix that is typically added to many of the dishes from Bengal. Add a handful of chopped cilantro at the end and a squeeze of lime.