Lawyer turned street food vendor turned restaurant owner, Yin’s path into food is one that’s become increasingly common – passionate food lovers burned out by demanding careers switch instead to the food industry, often with no formal training but harbouring a burning need to find careers that feed their souls rather than their bank balances. The diversity, determination, lateral thinking and business acumen such individuals bring to the table enriches the hospitality sector. Adding another feather to her cap, the 32-year old author made Malaysians proud when her debut cookbook Penang Makan was awarded the best in the world under the street food category at the 27th Gourmand Awards in Sweden early this month. Dayana graduated with a Master of Science in International Business at the Hult Business School, London in UK in 2017. Malaysian food results from the unique merger over centuries of indigenous Malay ingredients with Indian spices and Chinese techniques. Every dish delicately balances sweet, sour, salty with chili heat and a hint of bitter. With Mandy's evocative look at Malaysian food culture, her recipes, and the basics of a Malaysian pantry (shrimp paste, lemongrass, tamarind and coconut milk), you can easily enjoy the most delicious Malaysian meals at home.

About the author:Norman Musa is renowned as an award-winning Malaysian chef and official Kuala Lumpur culinary Ambassador. He is the co-founder of Ning restaurant in Manchester and regularly organizes dinner clubs in London. Norman Musa also has a restaurant in Malaysia called Nasi Daging. He is currently teaching cooking for a Malaysian TV station. Dayana said she would like to think of herself as a person who prefers home cooked food and one who strives to preserve Penang heritage and legacy.About the author:Chef Wan is Asia’s most famous culinary specialist with over 25 years of industry experience. He appeared on many TV shows about cooking. Dayana said cucur udang is probably one of the easiest recipes in the book which reminds her of her late grandfather every time she eats it or makes it.

About the author:Zaleha Kadir Olpin used to be a contestant of MasterChef UK Season 14. Zaleha has received tremendous support from culinary devotees around the world after being disqualified from the competition. I believe my genuine love for Penang food is portrayed in the cookbook. And this is really the kind of book that I wish I had when I was away from home, when I was studying at the university for the first time,” she noted. The Filipino Instant Pot Cookbook: Classic and Modern Filipino Recipes for Your Electric Pressure Cooker by Tisha Gonda Domingo, Jeannie E Celestial, et al. Buy it: The Hand and Flowers Cookbook Jikoni: Proudly Inauthentic Recipes from an Immigrant Kitchen, Ravinder BhogalDayana, who also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Toronto, said the cookbook features over 50 recipes that are carefully selected and curated for Malaysians to recreate memories of Malaysia when they are abroad. The prawns used are shelled and are either whole or chopped and mixed into the batter before deep-frying. The Chinese or Peranakan version is crispier, wafer-thin with unshelled prawns on top. Masano Kawana is an award-winning food photographer. He was born in Japan and headquartered in Singapore. His bookShunju: New Japanese Cuisinewon the James Beard Award for the best cookbook photo. I have long harboured an ambition to write a book, more of a childhood dream and the interest grew wider when I was doing my Master’s degree in London as I couldn’t find any cookbook on authentic Penang dishes here (London),” she said.