I like to travel with my tastebuds so while visiting Korea my food choices are local. Gimbap is Korea’s version of sushi. The toasted seaweed (gim) is sometimes brushed with sesame oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Instead of using vinegared rice as the Japanese do, steamed rice (bap) is mixed with sesame oil and…… Continue reading gimbap
Category: travel
Korean bbq
I’m making sure I try everything Korean while I’m visiting Seoul. Gogigui (Korean barbecue) refers to the method of cooking meat. The meal is prepared at the diner’s table on gas or charcoal grills. The most representative form is bulgogi which is made from thinly sliced marinated beef. Galbi (beef short ribs) are also popular. We decided to try…… Continue reading Korean bbq
fine dining in Aukland
The Sky Tower in Aukland, New Zealand is a distinctive landmark. Thanks to Nicolas who generously gave me a voucher, I ate there with 6 others at The Sugar Club on the 62nd floor. We tried many dishes from chef Peter Gordon’s degustation menu. First there was an amuse-bouche of turmeric cured salmon over an anchovy paste with crispy…… Continue reading fine dining in Aukland
cooking class in Provence part 2
In my last post I detailed 2 amuse–bouches, a first course and main course I learnt at Jean-Marc Villard’s hands-on French Cooking School. Now for the dessert, a strawberry frangipane tart. The pastry was a very short shortcrust, easy to cut, firm enough not to break and wonderfully crumbly. This was made from 200g (7 oz) of plain flour,…… Continue reading cooking class in Provence part 2
cooking class in Provence
While in Provence, I took the opportunity to participate in a hands-on cooking class with chef Jean-Marc Villard at his French Cooking School. After shopping for local and organic ingredients, we returned to the specially designed teaching kitchen, where Jean-Marc guided us in preparing and cooking a traditional French meal which we later enjoyed on the terrace with the chef and his…… Continue reading cooking class in Provence
fine dining and tomatoes
Provence has the most sunshine in France which is probably why the tomatoes here are so abundant and fragrant. When I dined at Christian Etienne, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Avignon, I was excited to see a 7-course tomato menu. Unfortunately, in my excitement, I failed to photograph the first course, a ceviche of smoked mackerel with a Black Russian…… Continue reading fine dining and tomatoes
desserts in Vietnam
Before leaving Vietnam it would be remiss of me not to mention the sweet courses which are not necessarily eaten after dinner but often as an afternoon snack. Some of the most popular desserts are chè, a term which describes sweet drinks, soups and puddings. The various ones I tried were multi-textured, delicious and not…… Continue reading desserts in Vietnam
cooking class in Hoi An part 3
In my last post ‘cooking class in Hoi An part 2’ I included the first two recipes we cooked in our day class. But what would Vietnamese food be without it’s salads? The next dish we learnt how to make was a grilled chicken and banana flower salad. Sliced chicken breasts were first marinated in…… Continue reading cooking class in Hoi An part 3
cooking class in Hoi An part 2
Our second cooking class in Hoi An started with a visit to an organic vegetable village where all the gardening and watering is done by hand, the vegetables are fertilised with local river seaweed and the only pesticide used is ground clam shells. From there we went shopping for our ingredients at the local market.…… Continue reading cooking class in Hoi An part 2
secret recipes
On every menu in Hoi An you will find the local speciality of bánh bao vac or white rose dumplings. The recipe remains a secret which is held by one family. The current keeper of the secret is Tran Tuan Ngai whose grandfather first started making these dumplings for his family. He now supplies every…… Continue reading secret recipes
michelle picker cooks 