Easy Coriander & Lime Rice

I love the fragrance and flavor of limes and other citrus fruits. In fact, my favorite scent is Extract of Limes. And after zesting and juicing the fruits, I often take a moment to sniff my hands: these are the original freshmakers.

And there’s nothing like Coriander & Lime to add a surprise twist to otherwise mundane rice.

Posted on 4th Mar 2013 in Mexican, Recipes | Post a comment

In each hand a cutlass, the Faerie Imp comes to lunch and asked a question that stumped me

For a while, I’ve had a few vegetarian recipes circling in my head that I wanted to try but I’ve never really had neither the opportunity nor the time. This is because I believe that vegetarian dishes require complex flavors otherwise it’s boring. So this means a lot of work.

And if it’s going to take a lot of work, I will have to make it worth the effort. So when she asked if I was inviting anyone over, I sent the Faerie Imp an invite. And to my delight, she and her Man was available.

Like any other guy with friends and loved ones coming to lunch, I worry a lot: will there be enough to eat? Will they like the dishes? Do they mind using their hands? Is the China pretty enough?

Posted on 26th Feb 2013 in Food and Drink, Fun, Lunch Bunch, Recipes | Post a comment

Roasted Garlic & Anchovy Mousse

I was to cook Sunday lunch (more about that later) and I was worried that there won’t be enough to eat and most of the dishes I was making were rather mild, so I needed something with a little punch.

I’ve always liked roasted garlic and I like aged Anchovies, but while the two have very strong flavors, they are one-dimensional. So I did a little thought experiment and decided that the principle was sound and hence I combined the two.

Verdict: One of my guests said he would like to dive and swim in it.

Posted on 7th Feb 2013 in Mediterranean, Recipes | Post a comment

Pickled Grapes

This is easily the most contentious thing that I’ve ever made. Just the description alone made people pucker up and cringe. Until they taste it.

My first taste test with a Euro-centric group garnered high praises, so much so that one actually reserved the pickling liquid to reuse at home.

Posted on 4th Feb 2013 in American, Food and Drink, Recipes | 2 comments

Plum & Apple Tart

I am not a baker and I suck at making pastry. However, I like cooking meals that end off with dessert. Most of the time I’ll do a jelly or an ice cream but sometimes I’d like to have a bit of baked something.

There’s nothing like sweet delicious fruit that’s in season baked on a crumbly shortcrust pastry. I was looking for figs which are in season now, but I could only find ripe plums and extremely sweet Candy Apples (in time for Halloween).

Posted on 14th Dec 2012 in Fun, Recipes | Post a comment