A paw full of spice makes everything nice
Years ago I decided to expand my culinary horizons by attending a Pakistani cooking class. At that time, I knew nothing about Indian and Pakistani cuisine. I wasn’t even a big fan of it back then. However, if an opportunity arises to expand your horizons, take it. Never turn down the chance to learn. The…
The Holiday Hangover Happy New Year everyone! For many people in the Western world, the holiday season is over and thank God for that. Yes participating in all the festivities was fun, imbibing in all those specialty cocktails was treat and gorging on that decadent food was a sumptuous pleasure. I bet right now, you…
Release the Cranachan…. This Scottish dessert (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 I…
Stock the fridge with lots of food now… The holiday season is upon us. Bring on the booze, roast dinners, and baked goods. No wonder everyone gains weight this time of the year. The amount of food and libations thrown at you is truly sinful in its abundance. Not to mention all the leftovers. There…
What is a 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…
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? …
No two curries are the same… It can be a little odd talking about food in Malaysia – and Malaysians do love to talk about food. Dishes that are popular in China, such as Lazijiding (dry fried chicken with chili peppers) simply don’t exist here. The little bottles of black vinegar that are ubiquitous in…
Rogan Josh is a 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…
Have you ever eaten something that made you question why you don’teat that exact same thing everyday? A food that is so tasty, so layered in flavor, succulent, juicy, salty and just a little sweet that you want to eat it again and again? Something in which there are no more leftovers. You might even…
Every mother has a secret ‘mom’ fantasy. A personal happy place in her mind she goes to when it all becomes too much. Don’t get it twisted – we love our families. We would die for our children if need be. But after a day full of whining, throw up and tantrums…well, off…
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…
Story goes that when Chinese immigrants settled in Malaysia, they married locals who learned to cook Chinese recipes but put their own twist on them by using local ingredients. Hence, Peranakan cuisine (aka Nyonna cuisine) was born and still remains a delicious staple in Malaysia today. One of the more…
Ah, beautiful Thailand. Crystal clear water, sandy beaches, lush forests and of course, amazing food. The first time I visited Thailand, I was young, single and free. I stayed in a hostel in Phuket, spent my days on a boat – off day tripping everywhere and somewhere and, of course, eating at the local…
Oh, dinner salad. The often overlooked attempt at a healthy green side dish. Most of the time it is an after thought, following on to more glamorous main entrees like a lasagna, pizza or a roast: “just throw together some lettuce, tomato, cucumber, maybe go crazy and add some sliced onion or bell…
What do you think of when you think of vegetables? Do flashbacks of your childhood spring up? A stern parent pointing their finger at you while threatening no dessert if you don’t finish your greens? Does your imagination conjure up something dull, lifeless and tasteless? Something frozen or from a can? Something you eat…
I never was a refried bean girl. Sorry, I know that is an incendiary statement but I just wasn’t all that into them. Although tasty, refried beans were viscous, like lava, spilling over and expanding on my plate capturing little grains of rice in its wake or worse, how it completely over…
I know what you’re thinking….rice, fish, eggs? Why? How can this be good? AND why is it eaten for breakfast? Well, I hate to shatter your prejudices about British cuisine but I have to say that it can sometimes be surprisingly good and kedgeree – a breakfast dish that contains exactly those…
I don’t know about you but my 2 year old is my biggest critic. If the scrambled eggs aren’t to her liking, she’ll leave them untouched. If the roast chicken isn’t freshly cooked, it is not up to snuff. She doesn’t like leftovers. She won’t eat any pasta in a cream sauce. …
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: no one does vegetarian food better than the Indians. The way they carefully and lovingly work with vegetables and spice is genius. I always judge a new Indian restaurant by it’s vegetarian Thali. Why do I order that specific dish (or…