enoki mushroom and bean thread soup

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This quick Asian style soup makes a deliciously satisfying meal. Nothing in this soup takes very long to cook. Prepare a light chicken or vegetable stock and add some finely shredded cabbage, enoki mushrooms and julienned carrots. After a couple of minutes add some bean thread noodles (mung bean vermicelli) broken into 10cm (4″ ) lengths, some sliced…… Continue reading enoki mushroom and bean thread soup

8 hour smoked lamb shoulder

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Cooked by Thomas, following a recipe from AmazingRibs.com, this lamb shoulder was truly amazing. With all the fat rendered, what was left was beautifully moist and smoky meat falling off the bone. You will need a charcoal barbecue or smoker, a thermometer and a free day to cook this. The day before cooking your lamb shoulder, prepare it…… Continue reading 8 hour smoked lamb shoulder

cooking class in Provence part 2

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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

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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

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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

salade niçoise

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I’m enjoying a sojourn in Provence, in the south of France, where the local produce and hot weather make this salad a perfect choice for a meal. Of course, fresh tuna would be fantastic but this version is the kind you can make with ingredients you have to hand. First prepare some potatoes and place them in a saucepan…… Continue reading salade niçoise

cauliflower pilaf + fried root veg + spinach and yoghurt

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This vegetarian meal is loosely based on a Jordanian Maqluba which normally includes meat, rice, and fried vegetables placed in a pot, which is then flipped upside down when served. The recipe is adapted from one by Henry Dimbleby and Jane Baxter which appeared in The Guardian.  Preheat your oven to 200ºC (º400F). Heat 1 litre (34 fl oz)…… Continue reading cauliflower pilaf + fried root veg + spinach and yoghurt

albondigas

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These juicy Mexican beef and pork albondigas (meatballs) are enhanced by a smoky and fiery chipotle sauce. For the chipotle sauce put 1 litre (35 fl oz) of tomato passata (sauce) into a saucepan with ½ a cup of canned chipotles in adobo sauce (available from Mexican food stores), 2 teaspoons of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, ½ a…… Continue reading albondigas