This vibrant Hunan seafood dish pairs shrimp with Duo Jiao—a pickled relish made from crisp green chilies, garlic, and ginger. Flash-fried over high heat, the chilies create an aromatic, savory-sour glaze that clings to the shrimp without the need for heavy cornstarch sauces.
Continue reading “Hunan Stir-Fried Shrimp with Chopped Green Chilies (青剁椒虾)”
This Hunan pork belly recipe was suggested by a friend and is adapted from a recipe by UK based site, School of Wok. It’s delicious.
This dish belongs to a family of Hunan stir-fries known as xiao chao rou (小炒肉), literally “small stir-fried pork.” There are many variations, but the combination of fatty pork, fresh green chilies and fermented black beans is classic Hunan cooking.
Continue reading “Hunan Pork Belly with Seared Peppers – Xiao Chao Rou”
This braised chicken recipe comes from Jennifer Brennan’s wonderful The Original Thai Cookbook, 1981, one of the pioneering English-language books that introduced authentic Thai cooking to Western home cooks. Brennan describes first discovering Gai Tung after an afternoon wandering Bangkok’s bustling Sam Peng market, where a simple neighborhood restaurant served her a fragrant braised chicken over rice that became one of her most memorable meals. After making this recipe for years, I understand exactly why it left such an impression.
Continue reading “Gai Tung – Thai Braised Chicken with Aromatic Spices”
I learned how to make demi-glacé from the legend Anthony Bourdain. I followed his wonderfully written step-by-step instructions in his Les Halles Cookbook, and the results were excellent.
Demi-glace is one of the foundations of classic French cooking. Made by slowly reducing rich brown stock until its flavors become deeply concentrated, it adds remarkable depth, richness, and body to sauces, stews, braises, and even soups. Just a spoonful can transform an ordinary pan sauce into something that tastes like it came from a fine restaurant.
Continue reading “Demi-Glacé: The Workhorse of the French Kitchen.”
When you think of Spaghetti al Pomodoro, you probably picture a slow-simmered sauce of crushed San Marzano tomatoes cooking for hours until rich and dark.
At Ristorante Quattro Passi, the three-Michelin-starred restaurant perched on the cliffs of Nerano along Italy’s Amalfi Coast, Chef Fabrizio Mellino proves that sometimes less really is more.
His signature Spaghetti al Pomodoro abandons canned tomatoes, heavy purées, and long cooking times altogether. Instead, sweet cherry tomatoes, whole cloves of garlic, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, and just enough water are gently simmered together, creating a fragrant golden tomato broth rather than a thick sauce.
Continue reading “Spaghetti al Pomodoro: The 3-Michelin-Star Tomato Sauce That Breaks Every Rule”
After years of making Chinese recipes at home, I found myself measuring the same ingredients over and over. Eventually I started mixing a jar of sauce ahead of time. It isn’t meant to replace the unique seasonings that make each recipe different, but it gets me halfway there on a busy weeknight.
Continue reading “Three Foundation Sauces That Make Chinese Cooking Easier at Home”
This pasta from Norcia, in the Umbria region of Italy, is made with a crumbled fresh sausage which is traditionally made without fennel and seasoned with garlic and white wine.
Continue reading “Pasta alla Norcina: Authentic Creamy Sausage Pasta from Umbria”
Super rainy here today, so time to bake. Here’s a great recipe to bring the wonderful smell of spices into the house. These cookies are addictive and really do make the house smell wonderful.
Continue reading “Ginger Spice Cookies -Recipe for Rainy Days”
Calling this a salad is using the term rather loosely, but it does fall into the broad family of Thai salads. Unlike many Thai salads, this one isn’t especially fiery, making it perfect for a light lunch or simple dinner.
Continue reading “Authentic Thai Minced Shrimp and Pork Salad (Lon Kung Moo Sub)”
Sometimes the best Italian meals are the simplest. This rustic rigatoni pasta combines smoky bacon or flavorful Italian sausage with sweet peas, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and just enough cream to bring everything together into a silky sauce.
Continue reading “Rigatoni with Peas and Bacon/Sausage “