Sauce vierge is the Mediterranean version of a tomato salsa. This no-cook and no frills sauce is fabulous with shellfish. Also great with clams, grilled tuna and pasta. Use fresh herbs, good extra virgin olive oil and sun-ripened tomatoes. This recipe is adapted from BBC’s Good Food magazine. Scallops are a good source of B12,…

This a traditional dish of Rome which became popular after WWII when many Italians were eating eggs and bacon supplied by troops from the US. In the original recipe, cream was never an ingredient. For more information as to the origins of this recipe, click here. What I like most about this recipe is that…

Risotto (little rice) is a classic dish of Northern Italy. This recipe is from BBC Good Food magazine. Originally risotto was eaten by the poorer working classes of Italy. It was just rice cooked in a broth with whatever other ingredients were available (usually not much) and was used as a means of a cheap…

Involtini is an Italian word used to describe small bundles of food stuffed into a rolled food wrap. Usually I use chicken, beef or eggplant to stuff so I was interested to see how the swordfish would work in this regard. This recipe is adapted from ‘What to Drink with What you Eat‘ by Andrew…

The dragon boat festival is a popular annual event held in various venues throughout Hong Kong. The biggest venue is held in Stanley where there are over 140 teams. The special boats, which measure more than 10 meters, have ornately carved and painted “dragon” heads and tails” and each carries a crew of 20-22 paddlers.…

I have been a fan of Italian food for a very long time and I enjoy learning why certain foods were used in one region of Italy and not in another. Vegetables were often used to replace meat when it was scarce or too expensive (or both). After eating this dish you’ll forget all about…

My daughter usually calls me on her way home from school wanting to know what’s for dinner and when I say a salad, she normally groans! However, after tasting this salad there wasn’t any pushing of food around in hopes the salad would magically disappear! This recipe hails from an Australian magazine called, ‘Sumptuous‘. Sweet…

This Moroccan-inspired soup is enjoyed best in cool weather but the air conditioner is on so this soup is still a good option. This recipe is adapted by Dean & Deluca’s book, ‘The Food and Wine Cookbook‘. Saffron is expensive (it takes 75,000 handpicked blossoms of saffron to make up 1 pound) but adds intense…

Chicken wings are economical, quick and easy to prepare when time is of the essence. Another great recipe adapted from Kylie Kwong’s book ‘recipes and stories‘. Serves 41kg chicken wings1 tablespoon brown sugar1/3 cup honey1 teaspoon fish saucecoriander for garnish Sauce3 garlic cloves, chopped1/4 cup light soy sauce1/4 cup dark sauce1 tablespoon fish sauce1/2 teaspoon…

This fresh, aromatic salad highlighted by a sharp dressing is full of flavor and color! Thai basil used here works well in Asian cooking (there are over 60 varieties of basil). Interestingly enough, basil, which grows in many regions throughout the world, was first native to India, Asia and Africa. Thai basil has small leaves,…

The sweetness of the onions along with the distinct flavor of rosemary infused in this dish will have everyone asking for more. The regular consumption of onions has, like garlic, been shown to lower high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. Onions also help maintain healthy bones and are a very good source of vitamin…

The past few days have been very hot and humid (click here) and even though I am used to the heat, the other day was really too hot to cook. Something cool, refreshing and healthy was in order and this liquid salad was just what I was looking for. Traditional Gazpacho is made in a…