A paw full of spice makes everything nice
The Chicken Tikka Masala Origin Story Chicken Tikka Masala was supposedly born in Glasgow when a customer complained about his chicken curry being dry. To remedy this situation, the restaurant chef added some tomato soup to the mix and VOILA! This British-Indian dish was born. Many people speculate on whether or not this is actually…
Sticky Sweet Spicy Garlic Crispy Asian Style pork ribs! A child cries at the dining room table. Before her, a small plate of untouched noodles next to a small pile of sparkling clean rib bones. She demands more, more than the hefty portion she was given. Her request for more stems from an instinctive,…
Growing up in Seattle, beef and broccoli was always my favorite go-to for Chinese takeout. I loved the tenderized beef with broccoli florets that so perfectly soaked up all that brown gravy. Ideal to eat when it was fresh and hot but still good cold the next day for lunch or, if you are so…
Perhaps it’s the constant heat here in Malaysia or perhaps I simply have had enough with cleaning dishes piled high but recently I have come around to a nice salmon salad for dinner. For one, it’s easy to throw together after a long day. No slow cooking, hours-long roasting or labor-intensive side dishes. Just one…
Many requests were made For years my husband has been begging me to make him chorizo and bean stew. So I scoured the internet trying to find one that is suitable to his needs with a tomato base and absolutely nothing resembling spinach in it. So being that we are on pandemic lockdown here in…
If you are a follower or even a fan of this blog, you’ll know that I love roasted red peppers (also pork belly, pasta and all things chicken but I digress). No offense to fresh, crunchy, raw red peppers, but roasted is where it is at. Soft, sweet and the perfect accompaniment to cheese (which…
Is there anything more comforting than a warm little mug of salty chicken broth to drink? When you’re sick, when you’re sad or nothing is wrong at all, drinking chicken broth is the ultimate comfort food. For the past month or so, I have been sick…TWICE! The first time was a bit of a…
Years ago I decided to expand my culinary horizons by attending a Pakistani cooking class and this curry, Aloo Palak or Pakistani Spinach curry was one of the first things I made. At that time, I knew nothing about Indian and Pakistani cuisine. I wasn’t even a big fan of it back then. However, if…
Who says vegetarian is lame? I have to admit, I always viewed vegetarian food as a bit of a bummer with tasteless tofu and stupid quinoa bowls. Yes, a meatless meal made with sustainable local produce is more environmentally and socially responsible but come on….who really likes tempeh????? It tastes like a litter box!…
Release the Cranachan…. This Scottish dessert of Cranachan (pronounced CRA-NA-HCHAN) is not a sea-dwelling monster from Norse mythology but instead a delicious concoction of oats, cream or yogurt and raspberries. It is also one of my family’s favorite desserts which I only make on special occasions like Christmas or anniversaries. Over the years…
Don’t lose it, reuse it! Got lots of leftovers that no one wants to touch? Is everything in your house avoiding it like the plague and insisting on ordering pizza instead? If you are like me and hate food waste, you have to learn how to get creative with leftovers. For me, the…
What is spatchcock chicken? ‘Spatchcock’ is just a funny word for butterflied. You basically just cut the chicken down its backbone and flatten it. What you get it one whole chicken laid flat for your cooking and eating pleasure. Why would I do this? There are several advantages to spatchcocking chicken….
My Nana made the best stuffing. It was dark brown, mushy and looked like something the Adams Family might have a conversation with before eating it, but it was also damn good. Digging into it was quite the adventure. What was that I just found? A bit of celery? Sliced mushroom? A scrap of turkey? …
A curry here, another curry there… Compare a local mamak (eatery) here in Malaysia with an Indian restaurant back home and you will be puzzled. Granted, a mamak serves a wide range of different Malaysian foods from three (or more) different ethnic groups, not just food from the subcontinent, but if you fancy a curry…
Why do we need a base gravy for this dish? It’s tough to pick a “biggest difference” between British Indian food and “real” Indian cooking – beyond the fact that one has come through the lens of the restaurant industry rather than the homes and street stalls of the subcontinent. At home, most curries are…
Rogan Josh is delicious mutton or lamb curry: the name literally means ‘stewed in butter’. No wonder I love it so much. I can’t think of anything that I wouldn’t like if it was slow-cooked in butter. Especially if that something was tender bits of lamb with spices. The entire dish is as comforting…
How do I describe this pork and king oyster mushrooms stir-fry? Well, it’s difficult to put in words. Have you ever eaten something that made you question why you don’t eat that exact same thing every day? A food that is so tasty, so layered in flavor, succulent, juicy, salty and just a little…
I dream of calamari. Crispy, tender, salty calamari with a dipping sauce I could pour all of my troubles into. Pair it with a pitcher of quality margaritas and it’s a delicious happy hour fantasy. I don’t know why I always picture this scenario alone. Probably because I would enjoy the solitude but…
I like Kung Pao Chicken and I like chicken wings but I absolutely love these Kung Pao Chicken Wings. Why? Well, for one thing they are delicious. Tender on the inside and coated in a mouthwatering salty, sweet and spicy sauce. They don’t take much prep or an extensive amount of time to throw…
We’re big fans of carbs in this house. Can’t get enough of them. I know in this day and age, a statement like that can be controversial given the popularity of low carb diets and cauliflower everything. However, my husband is an avid cyclist who needs to (seemingly constantly) carb load for race…