The Pasadena Chef - Travel widely. Cook authentically, Teach generously.

Brined Turkey Breast with Rosemary, Thyme and Lemon

October 25, 2026October 25, 2026Leave a comment

With Thanksgiving approaching, I’m revisiting a simple preparation that changed the way I cook turkey. I’d heard about brining for years before finally trying it, and the result was the moistest turkey I’d ever made, with rosemary, thyme, garlic and a subtle hint of lemon.

This recipe uses a turkey breast crown, a practical choice for a smaller gathering or a table where everyone prefers white meat. A little preparation the day before makes the cooking straightforward and leaves you more time for the rest of the meal.

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Gaeng Hung Lay- Northern Thai Pork Curry

October 21, 2026October 21, 2026Leave a comment

Gaeng Hung Lay is a northern Thai pork curry with Burmese roots. It reflects the long connections between northern Thailand and neighboring Burma, now Myanmar.

Burmese, Shan and northern Thai communities traded, migrated and shared cooking traditions across the region. The name carries that history: gaeng means curry in Thai, while hung lay comes from the Burmese hin le, a curry name that traveled with the dish.

Tender pork, ginger and warm spices come together in a rich sauce balanced with tamarind and a little palm sugar. There’s no coconut milk, so the spices and pork really shine.

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Chinese Pan-Fried Dumplings with Spicy Dipping Sauce

October 15, 2026October 15, 2026Leave a comment

These pan-fried dumplings have become one of my favorite meals. Their crisp, deeply browned bottoms give way to tender wrappers and a savory filling, while the spicy dipping sauce brings everything together.

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Authentic Cajun Catfish Couvillion: A Step-by-Step Guide

October 12, 2026October 12, 20261 Comment

A couvillion is in the same family of the Creole/Cajun court-bouillon and the French court-bouillon. The major difference is that couvillion starts with a medium dark roux and is thick and almost stew-like.

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Beef Bourguignon, Classic French Beef Stew with Red Wine

October 8, 2026October 8, 2026Leave a comment

Beef Bourguignon is one of the great classics of French country cooking. It’s the kind of meal that would have been slowly simmering on a farmhouse stove or served in a neighborhood bistro on a cool evening in Burgundy. While some versions can be quite elaborate, the heart of the dish is surprisingly simple: good beef, red wine, vegetables, and patience.

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Delicious Moroccan Chicken with Honey and Almonds

September 30, 2026September 30, 2026Leave a comment

This is a very favorite dish of mine, which I found in Claudia Roden’s wonderful book, “Arabesque”. It is pure Moroccan simplicity which blends the ingredients to create an end result which is much more than the sum of its parts. This dish never fails to impress and it makes the entire house smell wonderful and cozy.

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Hunan-Style Duo Jiao Chicken with Fermented Black Beans

September 25, 2026September 25, 20262 Comments

I made this chicken because I wanted to give my homemade duo jiao a chance to do more than accompany another dish. I expected it to be good. I didn’t expect it to become one of the best stir-fries I’d made in a very long time.

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Oven-Braised Spanish Bean and Pork Stew (Fabada-Style)

September 15, 2026September 28, 2026Leave a comment

A rich, hands-off mountain stew inspired by Northern Spain’s Fabada Asturiana. Creamy pinto beans, marbled pork shoulder and smoky andouille bake together in a Dutch oven until the meat is fork-tender and the broth naturally thickens into a savory, brick-red gravy.

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Taiwanese 3 Cup Chicken Recipe- San Bei Ji

September 12, 2026September 12, 2026Leave a comment

I’ve made a lot of Chinese food in my life, but I’d never made 3 Cup Chicken-San Bei Ji, which is kind of a Taiwanese classic. I was really missing out. This is one of the best things I’ve ever made and super easy. Absolutely stunning. This is the Taiwanese version with basil.

The name “three-cup chicken” traditionally refers to the three principal seasonings: rice wine, soy sauce and sesame oil. The “cups” describe the balance among those ingredients rather than requiring modern home cooks to use a literal cup of each.

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Goan Pork Vindaloo (Pork Vindalho)

September 8, 2026September 25, 2026Leave a comment

Goan pork vindaloo, traditionally called pork vindalho, grew from the Portuguese vinha d’alhos, meat prepared with wine and garlic. Goan cooks transformed it with local vinegar, dried chiles and aromatic spices, creating a dish in which acidity, heat and the richness of pork remain carefully balanced.

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