Recipes from cookbooks we review, shared with full permission from publishers.
This bright and colourful Javanese lamb curry recipe is from from Norman Musa’s Bowlful cookbook. He adapted it from Tongseng, a well-known Javanese dish but his version uses pointed cabbage as the sweetest and mildest type, and also ups the amount of cabbage used, providing a healthy balance of protein to vegetables. Freshness from the tomatoes ... Read more »
This fragrant and flavoursome Indonesian chicken curry is a must for anyone who loves the flavours of a rendang but favours a wetter version. It’s quick to cook too, as the liquid ingredients don’t need to be reduced as much as they do in a traditional dry rendang. The recipe comes from Bowlful by Norman Musa. ... Read more »
Chicken Adobo is one of the most iconic dishes of the Philippines, indeed many Filipinos consider it their national dish. This recipe from Bowlful by Norman Musa creates a delicious sauce for juicy chicken thighs that features soy sauce, vinegar, and crushed black peppercorns. Read our in-depth review of Bowlful by Norman Musa. As simple ... Read more »
Salmon, seaweed and sesame seeds are a popular filling in onigiri (rice balls), especially those sold in conbini (Japanese convenience stores). Tim Anderson has created a one-pot recipe for a Smoked Salmon and Seaweed Rice bowl based on these same flavours. He adds his personal touch by using hot-smoked salmon (which isn’t traditional but works ... Read more »
Mabo Aubergine is a popular Japanese variation of the Sichuan Chinese Mapo Tofu (also known as pockmarked grandma’s beancurd). Here, aubergine takes the place of tofu – it’s soft, silky texture and ability to absorb flavours partners perfectly with punchy pork. But this clever recipe from Tim Anderson’s JapanEasy Bowls & Bento is even better, ... Read more »
Following on from Masahiro Kasahara’s Quick Pan-Fried Gyoza Disks, here’s another great idea for anyone yearning for the flavours of Japanese gyoza, but not wanting to spend the time shaping individual dumplings. Gyoza-Filling Rice Bowl is the first recipe we made from Tim Anderson’s JapanEasy Bowls & Bento cookbook. Find out more about the cookbook in our ... Read more »
This is the Van Life Cookbook’s adaptation of a classic Cambodian dish, called Amok. Although it’s commonly made with fish, the richly spiced peanut butter sauce lends itself well to a vegetarian version. Although the ingredients list looks long, many go straight into the curry paste, which can be made in a mini food processor ... Read more »
In Van Life Cookbook authors Danny Jack and Hailee Kukura share a collection of recipes designed to be cooked and enjoyed in the small kitchen spaces of campervans and caravans, or in the great outdoors. They are also budget conscious, and eat a predominantly vegetarian diet. This Budget Supermarket Pasta recipe includes anchovies and cheese, ... Read more »
Although it’s commonly served for breakfast, Menemen – aka Turkish Eggs – is also excellent as a quick lunch or light evening meal. This one-pan recipe comes from the ‘Van Life Cookbook: Resourceful recipes for life on the road: from small spaces to the great outdoors’ by Danny Jack and Hailee Kukura. This recipe is ... Read more »
This delicious dish from Hasan Semay’s Big Has Home cookbook makes a wonderful, summery lunch on its own but also works well as part of a more lavish spread. As suggested, we switched out the pastirma for chorizo (as that’s easier to find in our neck of the woods). The combination of flavours and textures ... Read more »
The Place of Onions, in old Lille. After last night’s rainstorm the intense sticky heat has broken and today is cool, breezy, fresh… I love it! A drop of… [more]
We went to Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire at The Void this morning, an amazing VR experience where we got to be Rebel Alliance members going undercover as… [more]