Spicy Sichuan Stir-Fry

"China is a big country, inhabited by many Chinese" - Charles de Gaulle I have always been skeptical of those introductory sections in cookbooks on how to stock one's 'larder' (although I like the implication that we all live in Downton Abbey). The ones that pretend that if you maintain a decent supply of pulses, anchovies, soy sauce and jarred sun-dried tomatoes, you will always be able to rustle up something utterly delicious with whatever decaying ...

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Squid, Bean & Chilli Salad

"The only thing that will make a souffle fall is if it knows you're afraid of it" - James Beard Post frequency levels have taken something of a battering the last few weeks. I wondered today whether I should just have done what they used to do over at Goop and simply announce that the blog is going on holiday until September. But then I got a grip and realised that ...

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david lebovitz chocolate cake dulce de leche

Salted Caramel Molten Chocolate Pots

"I love the smell of juice boxes in the morning" - Robert Duvall I was at a seminar thing recently where one of the speakers was Martha Swift, who turned her home cupcake operation into the hugely successful Primrose Bakery. I asked her whether she thought that her business, and those like it, were being negatively impacted by the War On Sugar that is currently being waged left right and centre. ...

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Vietnamese Turmeric Fish (Chà Cá Há Nôi)

"U.G.L.Y. You ain't got no alibi! You ugly!" - Daphne & Celeste No, not you. I probably haven't even met you so how could I possibly know that? Monkfish. They are ugly. If you've ever had the pleasure of seeing a whole one - fishmongers often just have the tails on display - you will know what I am talking about.  Their heads are as wide as their bodies are long, they have 7 ...

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Incredible No-Knead Bread

 "A lot of people don't eat gluten because somebody in their yoga class told them not to" - Jimmy Kimmel You should make this bread. You really should. Really. That is, of course, if you haven't done so already. Because you probably have. Because, unlike me, you probably don't live in a cave and you found out about this amazing no-work bread technique around 150 years ago. Or at least at some point since 2006 ...

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Bill Granger Pork Cashew Nut Salsa

Pork with Cashew & Mango Salsa

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia" - Charles M. Schulz I have fallen off the wagon this past week.  It was largely down to my own complacency - I started to let myself think that I had this healthy eating thing down and that, without any actual planning, shopping or thought I would just be able to whip up some wonderfully tasty ...

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Zuni Café Roast Chicken & Bread Salad

“Los Angeles? That’s just a big parking lot where you buy a hamburger for the trip to San Francisco” – John Lennon Why am I telling you about a roast chicken?  BORING! Well, we are having this chat for three reasons as it happens. First, this really is the ultimate home-cooked roast chicken - perfectly tender meat, brown crispy skin - the best us mere mortals can achieve unless we have a brick oven in the ...

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Salmon Tartare & Rye Crackers

"In 1998 a poll revealed that 54.4% of Icelanders said they believed in elves"  - Michael Booth, The Nearly Almost Perfect People I had intended to introduce this recipe with something about the prevailing mania in the UK for all things Scandinavian, when I came across this statistic in Michael Booth's recent book about the supposed "Nordic miracle". And how could we possibly talk about Borgen, minimalist furniture, Angry Birds, cinnamon buns and Lordi when we ...

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jamie oliver kedgeree

Jamie’s Rescue Me Kedgeree

"In England, you're allowed to have an opinion - as long as it comes out of your mouth" - Jamie Oliver I hadn't intended to put a Jamie Oliver quote on this post but there really haven't been many great witticisms uttered about smoked fish. Odd, huh? It did make me remember though how much I bloody love Jamie Oliver. He's not everybody's cup of tea I know, and he does have ...

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Chicken Satay Brown Rice Bowl

"Is this chicken, what I have, or is this fish? I know it's tuna, but it says "Chicken of the Sea" - Jessica Simpson I really can't think of anything to say about these wise words from Jessica (what is there to say?) so let's get straight down to business today. Bowls of brown rice with something stuck on the top have become quite a regular feature in our house, principally ...

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José Pizarro’s Sautéed Squid

"Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways" - H. Jackson Brown Jnr Octopus can recognise and remember humans. TRUE ACTUAL FACT OF SCIENCE. They can also do puzzles, respond to their own name and have friends and nemeses. According to this article in the Daily Mail, Octopus are probably going to be ...

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Baharat Lamb & Tabbouleh

"Eating what stands on one leg is better than eating what stands on two legs, which is better than eating what stands on four legs" - Chinese Proverb I came across this little bit of traditional Chinese wisdom in Michael Pollan's brilliant book Food Rules (which I have been meaning to do a proper post on and will do soon, but in the meantime buy it and read it. It is ...

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