Raw foodists will scoff at fermenting and then boiling this hot sauce. Why go to all the trouble creating that healthy bacteria if you're just going to kill it and drown it in vinegar? Well, raw foodists, I do it because the recipe says so, and in a pickling or fermentation … [Read more...] about 3 Days for Fermented Sriracha (and Chinese chili paste with sesame oil)
Thai
Bad Grasshoppers, and Sweet and Sour Pad Thai-Style Pasta with Cabbage
All you need is balance. No, I'm not feeling particularly philosophical today. I am, however, hungry. For Thai. Specifically, gelatinous noodles coated in a creamy, salty, sweet, sour sauce. Want to know a secret? It's easy. It's my go-to, last minute, bad grasshopper, "I … [Read more...] about Bad Grasshoppers, and Sweet and Sour Pad Thai-Style Pasta with Cabbage
Sustainable Shrimp and Chicken Pad Thai and the Elements of Thai Flavour Balancing
I never seem to make Pad Thai the same way twice. Sometimes I'm feeling all traditional and I keep it dry and mild, and other times I'm craving that sweet-and-sour tomato saucy, spicy mess you get at most Thai takeaways. But there are some constants, whatever way I do it. It has … [Read more...] about Sustainable Shrimp and Chicken Pad Thai and the Elements of Thai Flavour Balancing
Thai Green Curry Eggplant
I was speaking with someone a few weeks ago about how ridiculous it is to buy curry pastes. I remember when I first got into Thai cooking how impossible it seemed to make your own curry paste. There were so many ingredients and so much oil and it seemed so complicated. And then … [Read more...] about Thai Green Curry Eggplant
Thai Pumpkin Curry with Mackerel and Fish Sauce
I wrote about how I was gifted a pumpkin at a farmers market. Well, a girl can't live on pumpkin smoothies alone, try as she might. And I didn't try very hard. So I ended up with half a pumpkin to cook. And that, dear reader, called for pumpkin stew. but I don't really like your … [Read more...] about Thai Pumpkin Curry with Mackerel and Fish Sauce
DIY-Buddha Bowl and Thoughts on Vegetarian Cookbooks
I was speaking with a friend about writing cookbooks a few weeks ago. Because of my healthy eating mentality, I read a lot of vegetarian restaurant cookbooks looking for a balance between gourmet and budget-friendly recipes that taste good and don't take a year to make (unlike … [Read more...] about DIY-Buddha Bowl and Thoughts on Vegetarian Cookbooks
Fermented Green Sriracha Chili Pepper Sauce
Homemade Sriracha Chili Sauce Know when you go for Vietnamese food and there's a bright red bottle on the table with a green tip? It's called Sriracha sauce, aka "rooster sauce", and it's made from fermented red chili peppers with vinegar, salt, and sugar. The problem is it's … [Read more...] about Fermented Green Sriracha Chili Pepper Sauce
Malaysian Breakfast: Coconut Rice with Red Curry Sambal and Swiss Chard
Since realizing that green curry paste was as easy as tossing cilantro, Makrut lime leaves, onions, garlic and a few spices in a blender, I've been making a lot of green curry. But red curries were another matter. To get that red colour you'd need a LOT of red hot peppers, … [Read more...] about Malaysian Breakfast: Coconut Rice with Red Curry Sambal and Swiss Chard
Quebec Nordic Shrimp in Green Curry Sauce
I've made this simple, blended green curry paste before and decided it was about the easiest thing in the world and never again should I buy a bottled green chili paste. And I never have. This time, same curry paste, fewer vegetables. I replaced the blanched broccoli (also so … [Read more...] about Quebec Nordic Shrimp in Green Curry Sauce
Almost-Thai Mango, Almond and Red Rice Salad
This would have been Thai, except I hate shredded coconut. And then I forgot to drizzle this dish with the coconut milk with which I was planning to replace the shredded (dreaded?) coconut... ...And my mangoes were Mexican. The best you can do right now in terms of mangoes is … [Read more...] about Almost-Thai Mango, Almond and Red Rice Salad