Coto (also spelled Soto) is a category an Indonesian soups that are stew-like in nature, and usually feature meat, broth and vegetables. This Makassar Coto, hailing from Sulawesi, combines slow-cooked beef cheeks with herbs, spices and peanuts to create a rich, thick stew that is beautifully tender, delicious and filling. The recipe is from The ... Read more »
This Indonesian Spiced Beef Stew reminds me of a classic British beef and vegetable stew but in this case there are warming spices, herbs and other additional ingredients that provide an unmistakeably South East Asian flavour profile. Taken from Petty Pandean-Elliott’s The Indonesian Table, traditionally semur daging has a thinner sauce. Pandean-Elliott has added flour ... Read more »
This quick and delicious chicken curry with pineapple hails from South Sumatra in Indonesia, and is one of the many delicious recipes to be found in Petty Pandean-Elliott’s The Indonesian Table. It’s a mild and soupy curry with delicate flavours and a fragrant aroma. Read my in-depth review of The Indonesian Table by Petty Pandean-Elliott. ... Read more »
Growing Up In A Nonya Kitchen is an ode to author Sharon Wee’s mother. In it she shares her memories of growing up in a Peranakan Chinese family in Singapore, and a meticulously researched collection of recipes and cooking advice learned not only in her mother’s kitchen but from older relatives and experts in the ... Read more »
Right next to Tottenham Court Road tube station, where the neighbourhoods of Holborn, Bloomsbury, Fitzrovia and Soho converge, and at the foot of the iconic Centre point building is the Arcade Food Hall, which opened in 2022. Upstairs within the food hall is Plaza Khao Gaeng, a Southern Thai khao gaeng (rice with curry) restaurant by ... Read more »
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 »
Often I choose books that focus on a single cuisine but in the case of Bowlful by Norman Musa, I was drawn in by the promise of fresh and vibrant dishes from across Southeast Asia. Born in Penang, Malaysia, experienced chef and author Musa has spent much of his life exploring the cultures and cuisines ... 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 »
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]