Whatever happened to liver and bacon? Liver and bacon used to be a popular dish amongst home cooks back in the 19th and early 20th century. Other than my grandmother making the occasional liver and onions dish, I can’t remember my mother ever touching the meat. It seems that it has gone out of favor…
Read More
Pasta, my greatest love… I can’t think of anything more comforting than curling up on the couch after a long day with a big bowl of pasta. It’s my ultimate comfort food and nothing fires up the serotonin in my brain quite like carbs tossed in a tasty sauce and generously dusted with finely grated…
Read More
Why Roasted Onions? Is it just me or have people forgotten about roasted onions as a side dish? Sure, they are quartered and spread with other root vegetables at the bottom of a roasting tray alongside a gigantic roast where they are cooked until dry, burnt, and no longer edible. But as a stand-alone side…
Read More
Lamb bone hot pot Nothing ever hit the spot quite like a Chinese lamb bone hot pot. When it was cold and dreary outside or when everyone succumbed to the same nasty flu, off we went to the lamb bone restaurant. There, huddled around a large bubbly vat of long stewed lamb broth, we put…
Read More
What’s a cassoulet? Cassoulet is just a fancy French word for casserole. However, this is not your neighborhood weird casserole made from condensed soup and God knows what else. No, this is a FRENCH casserole with meat and white beans slowly cooked together in a, you guessed it, casserole dish which is a traditional deep…
Read More
What’s on your shopping list? For me, I always buy chicken thighs. No offense to the rest of the chicken, but these parts are effortlessly sumptuous. Not only that but thighs (and dark meat in general) are budget-friendly, versatile, culinarily forgiving and beloved by kids. Chicken nuggets are great and all, but crispy roasted chicken…
Read More
Nothing is easier than a fruit crumble Crumble is one of the easier desserts to make in a short amount of time. Take some fruit, toss it with butter and spice, sprinkle some floured crumble mixture on top and bake in the oven until it is brown and bubbly. Nothing is more beautiful to look…
Read More
Pork Shoulder, Belly or Jowl? Which part of the pig is the most flavorful? Well, pork shoulder is always a tasty treat either slow-cooked in a ragu or stir-fried with king oyster mushrooms. It provides just the right amount of hearty meat to fat ratio that makes it oh so delicious. Then again, you can’t…
Read More
My favorite comfort food Chicken tenders are my weak spot when it comes to food. I simply can’t resist them. As a child, they were my favorite and even now as an adult, I still crave that long chunk of chicken heavily coated in crispy batter and dunked in a creamy ranch sauce. The only…
Read More
Whatever happened to pork chops? Do people still eat pork chops? Are they celebrated with great joy and gobbled down with sheer food lust like Homer Simpson? Granted it has been over 13 years since I have lived in my home country so I am not sure if they are still quite as popular…
Read More
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…
Read More
The extraordinary lightness of a delicious salmon salad 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,…
Read More
How my love of curry began 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…
Read More
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!…
Read More
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 I have…
Read More
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…
Read More
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.…
Read More
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? …
Read More
Why do we need a base gravy for this dish? It’s tough to pick the “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…
Read More
What is a Rogan Josh? Rogan Josh is a delicious red curry most notably made with lamb or mutton. The name, Rogan Josh, 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…
Read More