Lemon Drop Martini
Some cocktails have a way of taking you back to a particular place and time. For me, the Lemon Drop Martini will always be Hong Kong. I first made one in 2004, when we were living there. Hong Kong nightlife was buzzing.
Tapas
Tapas are finger food which originated in Spain. Dinner in Spain is usually served between 9pm and 11pm and therefore, Spaniards often go bar hopping and eat tapas in the time between finishing work and having dinner. The word tapa means lid or cover in Spanish. An item (be it bread or a flat card)…
Handmade Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli
Homemade pasta really sets the stage for a very good meal! Fresh pasta is very limited in Bangkok so when I’m in the mood for making my own, nothing tastes better. Ravioli is a type of filled pasta composed of a filling sealed between two layers of thin pasta dough. The filling may be meat-based…
Grilled Pear and Cheddar Stuffed Pork Tenderloins
The pork industry is undergoing an evolution in order to meet changing consumer palates. On average, the most common cuts of pork have 16 percent less total fat and 27 percent less saturated fat than they did nearly twenty years ago. In fact, pork tenderloin is now as lean as the leanest type of chicken…
Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti
I was in the bookstore the other day and spotted Martha Stewart’s book on cookies. Even though I have enough recipes on cookies, I flipped through the book and found this intriguing one on biscotti. No one in my house refuses chocolate and since I made cranberry and pistachio biscotti last Christmas, which every one…
Roman Chicken (Pollo alla Romana)
Cooking in Rome has very old traditions and is based on simple and inexpensive ingredients. The poor Roman, living in cramped quarters, often ate in the streets, which later transformed into eating out while seated, and the great trattorias and osterias of Rome burgeoned. These were small family-run restaurants that served perfectly cooked, but simple…
Halloumi wrapped in Red Pepper
Yesterday’s Formula One Grand Prix race in Bahrain was exciting to watch. My husband has been following F1 for many years and the lucky boy actually got to see the Melbourne Grand Prix live! He never misses one unless it happens that the race is well past his bedtime (time zones). Anyway, I usually make…
Halloumi wrapped in Red Pepper
Yesterday’s F1 race was exciting to watch. My husband has been following the Formula 1 circuit for many years and he never misses one unless it happens that the race is well past his bedtime (time zones). Anyway, I usually make some sort of appetizer for hubby to munch on whilst watching the race. Halloumi…
Chicken and Chorizo Paella
Paella is a family favorite but I don’t always have the time to prepare or the recipe feeds more than 4 people. However, this dish is easy to make plus it’s the right size for my family. There are three widely known types of paella: Valencian paella (green vegetables, meat, snails, beans and seasoning), seafood…
Cheesy Cauliflower Pasta
I love dinners that are easy on the budget and delicious! The ingredients are simple in this dish but when all combined, the taste is amazing! Mark Twain said that cauliflower was “cabbage with a college education,” and, indeed, it is a member of the cabbage family. Cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamin C…
Stuffed Aubergine (Eggplant) Steaks
This looked and sounded good so I thought I’d try this recipe. As much as my family loves Indian food, I have to say that I only own two Indian cookbooks: The Food of India and Indian Essence. The Food of India was my first cookbook and I would highly recommend it as gives the…
Lasagne with Meatballs (Lasagne con Polpette)
It seems to be a bit of an Italian week of meals for the Culinary Chase household! I love lasagna and meatballs but I’ve never had the two together in one dish. There are oodles of meatball recipes from different countries. Check out In Mommas Kitchen for the list. Lasagna has been around for ages…
Cannelloni with Saffron Sauce (Cannelloni allo Zafferano)
If you’ve been following my blog you know I’m usually highlighting recipes that are relatively fast and easy to make and I mention a bit of history or nutritional notes, too. But, there are times when I just want a meal that’s sinfully delicious, full of calories and always leaves me wanting more. This dish…