Posts by The Culinary Chase

Chocolate (cacao) was cultivated in Mexico, Central and South America and dates back to around 1100BC. It was not until the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs that chocolate could be imported to Europe in the 16th century and before that no one in Europe had ever heard of chocolate. The first chocolate house opened in…

It seems like forever since I last had a Chinese meal. Pork belly is very popular in Chinese cuisine and it was in Hong Kong that I had my first introduction to this humble cut of meat.  If you are still not sure what pork belly is, it’s where our bacon comes from. Braising makes…

Making your own pesto is quite easy and using a mortar and pestle is by far, the best way to achieve a good-tasting pesto. The circular movement of the pestle squeezes rather than crushes the basil leaf thereby helping to release its aromatic oils. In John Dickie’s book, Delizia!: The Epic History of the Italians…

I love homemade preserves and grew up with my Mom making her own jams, jellies and assortment of pickles. The idea of preserving the flavor of fresh produce from our garden and the taste kept my Mom very busy between August and September. For some, it’s a hobby as well as a sense of accomplishment.…

Tenderstem (aka broccolini) is a member of the Brassica family and related to Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage and is is a cross between broccoli and Chinese kale. Tenderstem originates in Japan.  The flavor is sweet, with notes of both broccoli and asparagus. For more tenderstem recipes, click here.  A deliciously light meal that was…

A hearty stew to welcome the onset of Fall! Lamb is a staple in cuisines throughout the world including Turkey, Greece, New Zealand, Australia and countries of the Middle East. It is usually available in five different cuts including the shoulder, rack, shank, loin and leg. If you enjoy stews, click on any of these…

It’s been a sweltering heat wave the past two weeks and to be honest, cooking in a non-air conditioned kitchen when the temperature inside is 32c makes me less an enthusiastic cook. However one must eat so this dish was very easy to prepare and less to clean up afterward. Pork is an excellent source…

Have you ever looked at a recipe and felt you understood how to make it and then prepared according to what you thought you read? Hmmmm, well that’s exactly what happened to me as I did not follow the instructions!  For some reason, sun-dried tomato pesto stood out in my mind and I merrily went…

Hard to believe the name, which my husband coined, was conceived in a coffee shop in Hong Kong and here I am four years later still enthusiastic with 569 food postings. People ask me why I do it and to be honest, it’s to help people see that for food to be good and healthy…

Yes, I know, it’s that time of year when the days are getting shorter (heck we lost 16 minutes from last week until now……sunset tonight at 20:02!) and the evenings are definitely cooling down. This gorgeous soup, ready in 35 minutes, makes good use of left over chicken and will leave you feeling satiated and…