Yum kai dao (roughly translated to ‘fried egg spicy salad) is a perfect example of that rare type of recipe which combines everyday ingredients into a magical dish far more…

Thai basil minced pork, or ‘pad kra pao moo saap’ (ผัดกะเพราหมูสับ) , is one of the most famous of all Thai dishes – and for good reason. Minced pork is…

Chinese sesame paste, or zhi ma jiang (芝麻酱) is a rich, nutty and aromatic paste made from heavily roasted and ground white sesame seeds.  It is used as an ingredient…

Red pepper and chilli jam is the sweet, sour and spicy condiment that you didn’t think you needed until you try it – then you’ll start having it with everything! …

I want to share this simple but delicious Italian roasted peppers recipe, a classic in ‘British’ home-cooking history, because I have turned to it more than any other recipe I…

If you enjoy flavouring mayonnaise like me, then this nduja mayo recipe might become your new obsession for the next few months. Nduja is a chilli-sausage paste that comes specifically…

Have you ever thought about baking rice? If not, then this Mediterranean rice recipe will change the way you think about cooking basmati rice forever. Instead of just boiling it…

Taiwanese cold noodles, or liang mian (涼麵) is a simple but delicious meal that is served all across Taiwan. Don’t confuse simple for unsatisfying however; this hearty bowl of noodles…

If you come to Taiwan and are in need of some comfort food, then you can’t go wrong by ordering a steaming bowl of Taiwanese sesame noodles. ‘Ma jiang mian’,…

Sambals, or Indonesian chilli sauces, are central to Indonesian cuisine. There are literally hundreds of types, and I would say sambal terasi (or Indonesian shrimp paste sambal) is the most…

Indonesia is the home of sambal – a large and diverse family of chilli-based sauces and relishes. One of the most unusual (and my favourite) is sambal matah – a…

You know a side-dish is impressive when it is more memorable than the dish it was supposed to support.  This was the case with an incredible Taiwanese cucumber salad I…

Pork larb is a dead-simple Thai salad that is bursting with fresh flavours. For me, is the perfect summer dish when served with plain white rice (and perhaps a few…