There aren’t a lot of things in this world better on a cold winter day than French onion soup. The richness from the caramelized onions. The melted then broiled cheese. The baguette croutons. It’s comfort in a bowl. Deeply satisfying. Wonderfully delicious. Amazing really, that something so good can be so simple. French onion soup is about the onions It seems obvious but it’s critical. Good French onion soup is real work....

Neapolitan ragu is a great alternative to the heavier and more complicated ragu bolognese. It’s all about tomatoes and pork. A bit of veal and some white wine. Maybe an onion. Simple. No garlic, no basil, no oregano. No secret ingredients. Just tomato and meat flavour. Clean. Pure. Delicious. Try it. You’ll be surprised how good easy tastes. It goes pretty much like any other ragu. Brown the meat with some onion, add some wine....

Move over bolognese. Sorry. I found something better. And that something is pork ragu. That’s a bold statement. I know. Bolognese is a classic. One of the greats. Adored by zillions. Maybe more. It’s entirely possible that I’m alone on this one. But I don’t think so. That’s why I’m poking at the most famous pasta sauce of all time. I truly believe pork ragu that good. There’s amazing depth of flavour here....

Spanish lamb stew. A lighter stew. A stew for spring and summer. Winter is about beef and red wine. Summer is about lamb and white wine. Everything in balance Everything in season. Spanish lamb stew is about the lamb and the paprika. Do yourself a favour and use the best of both you can get your hands on. The flavours are delicate so there’s nowhere to hide. Bad ingredients – bad results....

Want the comfort of a nice pasta al forno but you don’t have time to make anything fancy? Baked pasta with sausage alfredo sauce is a fast way to get a fix. Simple. Fast. Easy. Sausage and a bit of crushed red chili kick the flavours up a notch. It’s an Italian spin on mac and cheese with pulled pork. I’m a pasta al forno addict. It’s by far my favourite way to make pasta....

Beef pho is one of the truly epic Asian noodle soups. It’s a perfect balance of rice noodles, beef and a haunting broth. Magic in a bowl. It’s no secret I have a thing for Asian soups. Look around this blog. I can’t help myself. If there was such a thing as Asian soups anonymous there would probably be an intervention in my future. I don’t think I’m alone. You can’t go 500 feet where I live without running into a Vietnamese restaurant....

Indian chicken biryani is a magical thing. It’s party food. And there’s a reason. Everybody loves it. It’s just really tasty stuff. If you have ever made biryani you know what I’m talking about. It’s the moment you crack it open. The aromas reach out of the pot and grab you. You take that first bite. And you know you’ve made something special. Traditional biryani is a labour of love. It’s real work....

Dal tadka is the one of the great Indian lentil dishes. Restaurants serve it everywhere for a reason. It is just really, really tasty. And you can make it at home. It’s not hard. You can even cook the lentils the day before and finish them off when it’s time to eat. Great fast food. They call this Dhaba style in India. Dhabas are restaurants along highways. Comfort food done restaurant style....

If you’ve never had grilled pork belly skewers you are in for a treat. Marinated pork belly. Big Asian flavours. And the kiss of smoke. Good living. I love pork belly. In so many ways. Chashu pork in ramen. As the meat in a really good banh mi sandwich. In kimchi jiggae. And now in grilled pork belly skewers. Fast and easy. And delicious. There’s nothing not to love here. Big southeast Asian flavours....

Never buy curry powder again. Homemade curry powder is easy, cheap and guaranteed fresh every time. And you can customize it if you want to. More chili? Sure. A bit of cardamom? Why not. Hint of cinnamon? It’s up to you. My favourite is Bolst’s mild curry powder. I like it. Balanced flavours. Just tasty all around curry powder. They’ve been around since the 1930s so they must have a following....

This is my riff on kimchi jjigae. It’s a salty, spicy, porky bowl of cabbage and broth goodness. Korean pork stew really. Easier and a bit more approachable than absolutely authentic kimchi jjigae. I took the Korean fish stock out of the recipe. No pulling the guts out of dried anchovies here. Just some simple chicken stock instead. Pork belly I kept. The world needs more pork belly. It’s a bit fatty so it adds a wonderful richness to the stew....

Korean style pork chops are a little bit spicy, a whole lot savoury and loaded with flavour. Try them when your everyday pork chops just won’t do. I love a good pork chop. And Korean style pork chops are one of my favourite ways to serve them up. Something about the umami-ness (like that’s a word) makes me smile. Get to know Korean food I have a thing for Korean food....

Laal maas is a creamy, rich and spicy lamb curry from Rajasthan. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s time to fix that. This is a homestyle curry. Not restaurant style. Slow cooking. Gentle simmering. Tender, flavourful lamb. And a crazy delicious sauce. I do a lot of restaurant style Indian recipes on this blog. But don’t think I don’t love home cooking. It’s not what you get from your local joint....

Nuoc cham is that wonderful dipping sauce you get at Vietnamese restaurants. Salty, sweet, sour and spicy. It’s the perfect sauce for so many Vietnamese dishes. This is about the easiest sauce around. Which is amazing really. I think it’s truly magical. It great with spring rolls. Drizzle it over cool noodle salads. Dip chicken wings in it. It just works. You need nuoc cham in your arsenal I never planned to post a standalone recipe....

Portuguese chicken done well is an absolute delight. Spicy, lemony, spicy and a bit salty. Dripping with grilled chicken goodness. That’s what you’re after here. There are restaurants that specialize in Portuguese chicken. Portuguese grills. They are worth seeking out. The good ones take this up to an art form. Forget Nando’s. That’s fast food. There are way better places. Dual level grilling for perfectly basted Portuguese chicken They have a two level grill....

Chicken stock. Bone broth. It’s a simple thing really. Making stock. Bones. A few aromatics. Water. Time. Super concentrated chicken stock is a whole different thing. When you reduce the stock right down to a syrupy consistency it transforms into a flavour grenade ready to transform any chicken dish. Think chicken demi-glace. If you only ever make one thing from this blog, make the concentrated chicken stock. The best thing about this recipe is it’s dead easy....

This is Thai green curry with home made curry paste. From scratch. Big, fresh Thai flavours. For when delicious really matters. I’m not saying store bought pastes are a bad thing. I use them sometimes. But if you want deep, vibrant flavours then you have to go the distance. Thai green curry paste from scratch. It’s not that hard. It will take a trip to an Asian grocer. At least where I live....

Next time you want to mix up your grilling, try Thai grilled chicken with sweet chili sauce. Smoky, sweet and spicy, it’s a south-east asian flavour explosion. Seriously. Try it. I’m always looking for better ways to grill chicken. Different ways. Anything to avoid serving grilled chicken with BBQ sauce. Thai grilled chicken fits the bill. I’m not saying grilled chicken with BBQ sauce is bad. It’s a staple. It’s easy....

South Indian chicken curry. Ready in 30 minutes. Yes. You read that right. Delicious chicken curry wrapped up in that lush restaurant sauce you crave in half an hour. All the big south Indian flavours. Bold spicing. Green chilies. Coconut milk. Tamarind. And the bite of black pepper. No idea what I’m talking about? It’s time to fix that. Seriously. You need to put this in your mouth. You need to make the south Indian spice mix ahead of time I’m putting this up front....

Bo kho is beef stew with a delicious Vietnamese twist. Wonderful, rich beef stew with the haunting flavours of lemongrass and star anise. Seriously, seriously tasty. It’s not like beef stew you know though. Lemongrass. Star anise. Background notes of curry. And just a hint of heat. So good. Bo kho is comfort food done Vietnamese style. Bo kho is this amazing Vietnamese beef stew It’s not hard to make. It’s braised beef....