Two delicious recipes that use autumn’s colourful tomatoes
Tomatoes are often considered a summer fruit, but I think they’re at their best in the autumn, at least in Hong Kong. At other times, I buy only the small oval or pear-shaped tomatoes that are sold by...
View ArticleHow soy sauce became a staple in Mexican kitchens
Walk up to a taco stand in Baja California, Mexico, and in the tray of condiments, you will likely find a bottle labelled “salsa de soya” – soy sauce. Soy sauce has become so common in Mexican kitchens...
View ArticleSimple French Cooking, a cookbook that pays tribute to the ‘mothers’ of France
When they gave their 2001 cookbook Simple French Cooking the subtitle Recipes from Our Mothers’ Kitchens, authors Georges Blanc and Coco Jobard were not being literal. Rather, they were referring to...
View ArticleGarlic shoots: three delicious recipes that make the most of them
Garlic scapes – also called garlic shoots – are the long, thin, sturdy stems that grow out of the garlic bulb. Many vendors trim off the elongated flower bud at the tip of the scape, but if they are...
View ArticleYes, we’ll have no bananas: scientists race to save the world’s most popular...
In a hot, dry field near a place called Humpty Doo in Australia’s Northern Territory, scientists are racing to begin an experiment that could determine the future of the world’s most popular fruit, the...
View ArticleThree wines from Stellenbosch, South Africa, worth seeking out
Stellenbosch is a town in South Africa’s Western Cape province. Boasting a Mediterranean climate, its winemaking history dates back to the 17th century, and the area is currently home to about 170...
View ArticleVietnamese loempia: the spring roll’s long journey from Jin-dynasty China to...
A stroll through the markets and along the canals of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, will usually pass food carts serving “Vietnamese loempia”, supercharged spring rolls. Variations on the spring roll...
View ArticleBlood sausages: delicacy or disgusting? Try these two recipes and see for...
Blood is eaten in many cultures, mostly in the form of sausages: boudin noir in France, soondae in Korea, black pudding in Britain, morcilla in Spain. If you eat it with an open mind (and perhaps,...
View ArticleBad boy chef Tim Raue, who went from gang member to owning Michelin-starred...
Few will admit to having been a thug but German chef Tim Raue goes further and credits his gangster past with helping him prepare for the relentless grind of a top kitchen. At the age of nine, Tim...
View ArticleSusan Jung’s Japanese cold noodles with dipping sauce
When I was growing up in California, our Japanese neighbours would often invite us over on hot days for a lunch of cold noodles. Although ethnically Japanese, the family hailed from Hawaii, and...
View ArticleWhat fine wine and good vinegar have in common
The discovery of the winemaking process apparently coincided with that of the vinegar-making process, which is hardly surprising. One of the most important steps in winemaking is limiting exposure of...
View ArticleWhy vegetables are way more exciting than meat for a top chef
What was your childhood like? “We had three generations living under the same roof in Strasbourg in Alsace, France. Our family was in the coal business and growing up was like being in a mini...
View ArticleSusan Jung’s recipe for apricot and raspberry tarts with almond filling
These small tarts use two complementary fruits, although they take different forms: fresh apricots are used because they are in season now while the raspberries are made into jam. When I can't get...
View ArticleMr Chenin Blanc and three of his must-try South African wines
Widely known as Mr Chenin Blanc, Ken Forrester is a charismatic and tireless ambassador for South Africa’s unofficial national grape, and his drive and determination have increased international...
View ArticleCookbook celebrates Cebuano cuisine of the Philippines
In the preface to this book, Louella Theresa Eslao-Alix seems torn about the effect globalisation has had on the cuisine of Cebu. “Cebu is rapidly succumbing to a globalization of the palate,” she...
View ArticleHow army life gave Korean chef behind Jungsik brand his passion for food
How did you become a chef? “In 1998, I enlisted in the Korean army, where I stayed for 26 months. The cooks at the military base I served at were on holiday for two weeks and I was asked to take over...
View ArticleSusan Jung’s recipe for sweet and sour pork with lychees
Sweet and sour pork is almost ubiquitous in Chinese restaurants specialising in the various regional cuisines, but the type you are most likely to encounter – at least at the inexpensive places – is...
View ArticleCookbook explores the Middle East’s obsession with sweets
Sweets play an important role in the cultures of the Middle East. If you’re a tourist in the region, you’ll experience this as you wander through stores – if you display even a remote interest in a...
View ArticleCookbook: Donabe, the mystery of the Japanese clay pot revealed
Many cultures around the world use clay or earthenware pots for cooking, and this method of preparing food has a long history. Our early ancestors most likely wrapped clay around raw ingredients before...
View ArticleSusan Jung’s recipe for Chiu Chow-style marinated cockles
Cockles are sometimes called blood clams because the liquid that the raw (or lightly blanched) bivalves release when opened is dark red. They look similar to clams, except that cockle shells have deep,...
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