Clams make quick, hassle-free meal for busy Hongkongers
It’s hard to make a clam taste bad. The bivalves, which come in many varieties, have so much inherent flavour that all the cook has to do is enhance it – and not overcook the meat, which makes it...
View ArticleAperitifs kir and kir royale bring French joie de vivre to even mediocre wine...
Kir and kir royale are well established aperitifs – particularly in France – for people who wish to add a touch of élan to ordinary wines. The recipe could hardly be simpler: just add a little crème...
View ArticleCookbook brings Mexico City’s colourful street food into the home
Like many descendants of immigrants to the United States (and if you go back far enough, everyone there is a descendant of immigrants), Lesley Téllez was eager to know more about the culture of her...
View ArticleIron Chef Judy Joo on quitting a high-flying career in finance to pursue her...
What are your childhood memories around food? “Dad would only eat Korean food, so my mom forced my older sister and me to help cook things in copious quantities.” “I grew up in New Jersey, back when...
View ArticleThis underrated Australian wine region produces outstanding chardonnay and...
Although only an hour’s drive from Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula is under the radar for most wine lovers. The region is home to more than 200 vineyards and 60 wineries, however, and renowned for...
View ArticleRice cake recipes: warming dishes to chew over in chilly Hong Kong
The rice cakes in Chinese, Korean and Japanese cuisine are made from pounded glutinous rice, giving them a chewy texture. The fresh ones are delicious, with a soft texture, but they aren’t easy to...
View ArticleCookbook serves up family-style Taiwanese and Asian dishes from much-loved...
The Myers and Chang of the book’s title (and of the so-named restaurant in Boston, Massachusetts) are the husband-and-wife team of Christopher Myers and Joanne Chang. He is a well-known restaurateur in...
View Article12 drinks for the 12 days of Christmas – plus a recipe for mulled wine
“Twelve wines (mostly) of Christmas” isn’t as hummable as the song of a similar name, but the drinks below are practical, affordable (have you seen the price of a partridge in a pear tree lately?), and...
View ArticleA memorable holiday roast recipe: look beyond turkey
It’s time once again for a dish that’s suitable for a Christmas feast. Most people choose turkey because it ticks the boxes of being fairly easy to prepare (although making the insipid meat taste good...
View ArticleHow wars were once fought over spices - cookbook looks at history and modern...
Nowadays, we tend to take spices for granted but, in the past, wars have been fought and countries have been colonised because of the spice trade. In Spice (1999), Australian chef and author Christine...
View ArticleHow Japanese salaryman discovered Buddhist temple cuisine, and why he loves...
What is shojin ryori? “People generally think of [the cuisine] as vegetarian dishes, but it’s not just vegetables. The main thing is the focus on plant life because we cannot live without it. It’s the...
View ArticleAffordable, last-minute sparkling wine buys for toasting the New Year
Sparkling wine – champagne or otherwise – will help ring in the New Year. Here are three easy-drinking options, at various price points, that some of you may be quaffing this evening. Badet Clément Vin...
View ArticleThe son of Hong Kong’s ‘king of melon seeds’ keeps the family name alive...
In 1949, Luk Kam-lee migrated from China’s Zhejiang province to Hong Kong in search of a better life. In the years after his arrival, he sold roasted melon seeds and five-spiced beans from a hawker...
View ArticleThe best xiaolongbao in Shanghai: where to eat soup dumplings in China’s...
Legend has it that Huang Mingxian, owner of a snack shop and bakery in the village of Nanxiang, now part of Shanghai, set out to reimagine the meat-filled steamed buns he and his competitors were...
View ArticleSusan Jung makes the most of choux pastry’s versatility in craquelin-topped...
Pâte à choux, or choux pastry (so named because when baked in rounds, it resembles small cabbages, “choux” in French), is something I make when I need a nice dessert but don’t have much time. The dough...
View ArticleNew York City chef couple’s escape to Mexico a recipe for reinvention
Many of us dream of getting away from it all, leaving behind the hustle and bustle of city life and living in some idyllic paradise. Husband and wife Eric Werner and Mya Henry did just that. In their...
View ArticleIrreverent Tokyo restaurant’s cookbook shuns the intimidating formality of...
A meal at a traditional kaiseki ryori restaurant in Japan can be fraught for someone who’s not used to the formality and etiquette. While the food is beautiful and delicious, it’s not a relaxing...
View ArticleThanks sémillon: the underestimated grape that’s increasingly sought after
Sémillon is a greatly underrated grape. Wine people usually think of it as a supporting cast member, rarely as the star. So it’s perhaps surprising to learn that there are more than 11,000 hectares of...
View ArticleStar bartender on kicking ‘spoiled’ Justin Bieber out of bar, and having his...
When did you first taste alcohol? “Legally, when I was 18 years old but, in real life, when I was about four years old. My parents were hosting a party with friends at home, and I ran to the kitchen. I...
View ArticleOn the tofu trail: bean curd a versatile staple in Chinese recipes
Bean curd is a versatile ingredient, and good when braised, pan-fried, sautéed, fried or even raw. It comes with varying moisture content, giving it a texture that’s anywhere from very soft to very...
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