Potato galettes make a nice alternative to the usual starches. They’re not as rich as the more often seen potato gratin. They’re not as fussy either. Easy to make, they’re always a hit. I like to serve them with poultry or roasted meat. A mandolin makes short work of slicing the potatoes. Be careful though. They make short work of fingertips as well. A good knife and some patience works as well....

Yucatan pickled onions are one of those great condiments. They can be used all over the place. Tacos – obviously. In sandwiches. On burgers. With grilled meats, poultry or fish. Pretty much anything that isn’t dessert. And they’re super easy to make. Foolproof really. They keep well in the fridge. For weeks. Ready to brighten whatever you’re eating. I like to keep some on hand all summer long. Yucatan pickles onions are a snap to make Super easy to make might even be an understatement....

Creole seasoning can be used to spice up just about everything. Instant cajun flavour. I’m a fan of creole cuisine. It got way too trendy for a while with cajun fries, cajun chicken burgers, cajun this, cajun that – they took whatever crap they had and called it cajun I think… I even like a few of the pre-mixed seasoning mixes. My favourite is Slap Ya Mama although Tony Chachere’s More Spice is pretty good too....

Japanese garlic ginger grilled chicken brings the clean flavours of soy, sake and sugar to a backyard classic. A little bit of chili sauce adds a bit of bite to what should become a backyard classic. There’s just something about grilled chicken that makes me smile. Not really sure why but I love it. I’m always looking for new ways to spice up the blank canvas that is chicken. Garlic ginger grilled chicken is the latest addition to my palette....

If you want to re-invent your meatloaf, Korean meatloaf with gochujang glaze is a great way to do it. Think juicy pork, Korean spice and a ton of umami. There’s nothing not to like here. This isn’t traditional Korean cooking. Not even close. It’s a Korean flavour freight train crashing into Americana. In a crazy, beautiful way. Korean meatloaf takes a classic into delicious new territory Maybe someday there will be an American style diner in Seoul....

Punjabi dal makhani is a wondrously rich lentil curry from Northern India. This is the restaurant version. You can make it in ten minutes once your lentils are cooked. The traditional version can take a whole day. Dal makhani is celebration food in India. It’s rich. Creamy. Mildly spiced. Not an every day dish. I don’t think they even had a home cooked version originally. It originated in Punjab. In the north of India....

There is a better way to make pico de gallo. There are 7,502,231 recipes on the internet. I counted. All exactly the same. Chop some stuff. Mix it up. Eat. But there’s a better way. No surprise there’s a million recipes on the internet. Pico de gallo is damn tasty stuff. Everybody loves it. It goes with all sorts of things. A burst of bright flavour anywhere it goes. More often than not you get a big watery mess in the bottom of your bowl....

Chettinad chicken curry. Coconut milk. Chili. Curry leaves. And a chettinad masala spice blend. This one hits all the right notes. This is traditional Indian cooking. Homestyle. A staff curry if you live in the UK. Doesn’t matter what you call it though. What matters is that it is seriously delicious. This one is easy. And a crowd pleaser. Scales really well. A little bit exotic. This is not your every day chicken curry....

Chicken with sun-dried tomato. A dish that used to be on every menu. A fad that came and went. It’s too bad. Sun-dried tomatoes are a great ingredient. Little tomato flavour bombs in whatever dish they’re used in. I’ve seen sun-dried tomatoes starting to appear on some of the bigger food blogs. Maybe they are coming back. Maybe it’s retro-cool. I don’t really care why – I’m just happy it’s happening....

French chicken in a pot. It’s a great way to mix up the Sunday roast chicken. It infuses the chicken with rich flavours and creates an unbelievably delicious sauce. This is a simplified version of the poule-au-pot. It’s not stuffed. It’s not poached. It’s roasted. But it’s not really roasted because it’s sealed in a pot. Confused? Just go with it. It’s really, really good. The amazing thing about this dish is how the flavours from the aromatics permeate the chicken....

Want to make Japanese miso soup at home? Want to make it in less than 10 minutes? This is the recipe for you. I love Japanese miso soup. It’s like comfort in a bowl. Salty, complex flavours. Wholesome. Reach down inside and make you happy. Think I’m a bit crazy? How good can something with 4 or 5 ingredients be? Maybe you don’t love it like I do. The thing that has always slowed me down is the dashi....

Kerala chicken curry. Nadan kohzi. Never heard of it? Too bad. You are missing out. Curry leaves. Green chilies. Tamarind. Coconut. And a bold spice mix. Kerala masala is what makes this one special. Big flavours. If you are looking to give your tastebuds a kick nadan chicken curry is a good place to start. Black pepper is the backbone of Kerala chicken curry This isn’t a run of the mill curry....

I live in Canada. I have a taco addiction. That’s a bit of a problem. There are no taco trucks here. No mom and pop taquerias. There are a couple of places doing great tacos in town but there are lineups. For tacos. That’s why I make my own. Loaded carnitas tacos are how I get my taco fix at home. And you can too. Carnitas are the star of this particular taco....

My appreciation for quinoa came late. This was one trend I didn’t pay any attention to initially. Quinoa? Ancient grains? Sounds like barley to me. Who cares! That was a mistake. I finally got around to trying it. Hooked. That mildly nutty flavour is a canvas to play with. It’s healthy. It’s tasty. And you can do all kinds of stuff with it. Salmon with quinoa salad is just one way to use it....

Sambar is this delicious South Indian lentil and vegetable stew that you’ve never heard of. It’s something you need to try for yourself. It really should be popular. I think it’s only on two Indian restaurant menus in town. The two best restaurants. But still. Just not enough South Indian restaurants around. Not yet anyway. But it’s coming. And it’s about time. More restaurants need to serve sambar – seriously I know....

Shaking beef – bo luc lac – is one seriously tasty composed salad. Think super-flavourful sauteed beef on fresh greens, onions and tomatoes. Wonderfully browned bits of beef in a peppery, salty sweet sauce. That’s what this is. The sauce wilts the greens a bit and the whole thing just explodes delicious in your mouth. If you are a fan of the whole warm/cold composed salad thing this could become your new go to dish....

Spicy miso grilled chicken is a Korean inspired dish worthy of your next backyard grilling party. Bright Korean flavours work beautifully here. And it’s no surprise. How long have the Koreans been serving BBQ? I’ve been getting into miso lately. The salty, earthy, savory flavour just seems to add magic to everything it touches. Miso grilled chicken with Korean kick I saw recipe for Japanese broiled miso chicken. Looked really good....

Beef barbacoa. Better than you can buy. I think anyway. Deep beefy flavour. Gentle heat from the chilies. And a little tang at the end. This is how you make tacos people talk about. Hard to beat. But not hard to make. If you can make pot roast, you can make beef barbacoa. Beef barbacoa you will be proud of Better than taqueria beef barbacoa. That’s a tall claim. I know....

I love bun cha. Vietnamese grilled pork and rice noodle salad. The moist and flavourful pork. The cool rice noodle and fresh herb salad. And the nuoc cham. That magic balance of spicy, sweet, sour and salty. It’s just perfect for dinner on a warm summer night. Bun cha makes a great dinner any time It’s actually really good for dinner any night of the year. OK – maybe not if there’s a blizzard raging....

This is ginger beef stir fry with a big nod to Vietnamese cooking. Big, bold tastes meet sizzling beef in a spicy flavour explosion that’s sure to put a big grin on your face. It put a big grin on my face the first time I tried it. Ginger beef stir fry is usually more of a Chinese dish. Soy, cornstarch. Orange zest sometimes. Definitely Chinese. And it’s a pretty good dish....