A Curry of One’s Own: Murgh Padmavati

Sometimes, one has a flavor or a color or a texture in mind, and one wants to create a dish to showcase it. Sometimes, one has all three of these culinary qualities jostling about in one’s thoughts, all clamoring for expression, leading the cook to dream during slumber and waking, of a dish that will […]

It’s HERE!

Pardon me while I jump up and down (virtually) for a while and do the happy Barbara dance, because a long-awaited cookbook is not only finally out, but it is out a full month earlier than I expected! Yes, folks, Fuchsia Dunlop, the author of the definitive Sichuan cookbook in English, Land of Plenty, has […]

Keeping and Breaking With Tradition: Pork Vindaloo with Coconut and Mango

Vindaloo, which is well-known as the “hottest” of curries available in most American and British Indian restaurants, is not just about tongue-searing heat. The name, which cames from the Portuguese “Vinha d’Alho”, which translates to “with wine and garlic,” does not have anything to do with potatoes (though they are a common ingredient in most […]

Uber-Umami, Part II: Beef And Gai Lan with Ground Bean Sauce

So last week, when I posted my recipe for Pork, Tofu and Gai Lan with Ground Bean Sauce, Rose, who is now living in Taipei, (and thus should not have any trouble finding the uber-umami ingredient!) asked if she could successfully substitute chicken or beef in it, as she does not eat pork. With the […]

Uber-Umami: Chinese Ground Bean Sauce

It is thick, salty and looks somewhat like peanut butter. Everything you cook with it tastes better, but only if you don’t overdo it. It is made from ground up fermented soybeans, rather like miso, but has a deeper, less salty flavor. It is Chinese ground bean sauce, and is a “secret ingredient” in many […]

Powered by WordPress. Graphics by Zak Kramer.
Design update by Daniel Trout.
Entries and comments feeds.