What a beautiful winter salad! If you haven’t tasted fennel, then you’re in for a treat. It has a crunchy texture with a licorice flavor that will entice you to discover more ways to utilize it (roasted at high temperatures, slowly sautéed, braised with tomatoes and olives, pan fried, fennel gratin etc.). Fennel is closely…

It’s been a while since we had homemade pizza and even longer for calzones. Calzone (Italian for stocking or trouser) is an Italian turnover made from pizza dough. For more calzone recipes, click here. Of all the calzone recipes out there, I thought the use of artichokes mixed with chicken was a bit suspect at…

My husband and I were in Hanoi last April (click here for that posting) and fully enjoyed our meals there but we didn’t get the chance to experience this local dish. This recipe hails from chef Bobby Chinn. We had the pleasure of chatting to him while we were in his Hanoi restaurant. An amazing…

This is one of the easiest recipes to make and is low in calories. Serve this as an appetizer and make sure to have on hand fresh bread to mop up the juices! Fresh mozzarella should have a sweet, creamy, milky taste and should have a soft, yielding, pull apart texture. Water packed fresh mozzarella…

Looking for a light and healthy dinner tonight? This one hits the spot and is relatively easy to make. Salsa verde, an Italian name, is a cold rustic sauce which was traditionally chopped by hand but today most people use a food processor to make the sauce. For other sole recipes, click here. Serves 2recipe…

I love anything with avocados in it (salads, sandwiches, wraps) but did you know that avocados can help in weight control? The monounsaturated fat in an avocado speeds up the basal metabolic rate, as compared with saturated fat. The high fat content gives a quicker feeling of satiation which helps to reduce overeating and being…

I know it’s winter back home but this recipe will bring a bit of southern comfort for those cold evenings! Mojo (pronounced mo-ho) sauce originated in the Canary Islands and the most typical use of this sauce is papas arrugadas con salsa mojo (potatoes with mojo). Mojo sauce is also popular in Cuba and throughout…

Tagine (an aromatic stew) is a North African dish (Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia) and was traditionally used by nomads. Tagine is also the name of the pot the food is cooked in. The cone shaped cover is designed to return all of the condensation to the bottom which helps to intensify the flavors of…

This dish looks like a lot of time was spent in the preparation but it’s quite easy and simple to make. This soft and creamy pie is great when having your friends over for lunch or dinner as it can be served as the main meal or as an appetizer. Zucchini (aka courgette) contains Vitamin…

This is one of my favorite Chinese dishes which originates from the Chinese province of Sichuan. Sichuanese cuisine is well known for its spiciness due to its geographical proximity to Southeast Asia. Thai, Burmese and Indian cuisines are responsible for the hot and spicy cuisines of this region. Chili and pepper flavored food stimulates sweating…

Today is the beginning of the Chinese new lunar year; the Year of the Rat. Chinese New Year lasts 15 days and eating is a big part of celebrating the new year. More food is consumed during this time than any other time of the year. Each region in China has its own specialties such…

The term ‘slice‘ originates in Australia and there are few things more proudly Australian than the slice! The humble slice can also be seen as a culinary, or even cultural, identifier of Australia’s Anglo-Celtic heritage. The slice is not as ostentatious as baking a cake for visitors and yet it says you’ve made so much…