Thai Lamb, Sausage, Vegetable & Cashew Soup

The perfect spicy soup recipe for a cloudy day, made with lamb, Thai sausage, Asian vegetables, coconut milk and cashew butter. Perfect as is, or serve over rice or potatoes for a hearty main course. [...]

Lamb Biryani

The secret to a great Biryani is layering. It takes some time and extra effort, but the depth of flavor is well worth it. Layering makes all the difference between a luscious, sophisticated one-dish meal where distinct flavors and textures abound, and a mushy mass of rice and meat in a homogenous sauce. Obviously, the former is preferable to the latter! This Biryani is not complex, but it does require your attention at half hour intervals. [...]

Salt Cod, Black-Eyed Pea & Egg Salad

At home in Switzerland, I can’t match Spanish weather most of the year, but I can cook foods that fill my kitchen with the flavors of Catalonia or Andalucia. Among those are bacalao (salt cod), olive oil, eggs, black eyed-peas, onions, capers, and garlic. Today I made a salad that uses all of them, and is a meal-in-a-bowl. [...]

Not A Graham Pie Crust

Christina is the pastry chef at the Momofuku Milk Bar. I just bought the cookbook and have been laughing my ass off at her prose and her attitude — she’s my kind of madwoman in the kitchen. Tosi’s Graham Crust recipe looks delectable, but I modified it to suit my needs and the almost version came out perfectly. [...]

Gluten-Free Chestnut-Corn Flour Pie Crust

I’d planned to make Goat Cheese Tarts and a Lemon Chess Pie, both of which called for wheat flour in the crust recipes, but my friend eats a gluten-free diet because he has celiac disease. I used chestnut and corn flour to create a crust that could be used for both sweet and savory dishes. [...]

Oven-Braised Raspberry Chicken, Carrots, and Beets

I unearthed a bag of frozen chicken leg quarters, and I had fresh carrots and beets in the kitchen. I decided to experiment with a very good raspberry vinegar, and it turned out to be an inspired choice. I also had the impulse to braise the chicken in the oven instead of boiling it on the stove, and this caramelized the carrots, onions and beets perfectly. It was a winter night’s dream, served over fragrant Jasmine rice. [...]

Pork Shoulder in Cognac Sauce with Carrots & Onions

I tried invented a new recipe for braised pork shoulder today. Cognac was the main ingredient and nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce and apricot jam were perfect complements. The result was a rich mix of flavors. The carrots, especially, were wonderfully perfumed. I suggest serving this with Jasmine or Carolina rice, to soak up the sauce. [...]

Hare Stew with Mushrooms & Leeks

When I’m counting my calories, I find that soups and stews are a great way to go. I’d love to just bake the hare and eat it, but I’d have to settle for a paltry 200 grams when a stew will provide me with a rich, meaty 550g bowl of tasty goodness. You’ll notice that this recipe calls for hare, and not rabbit. In my opinion, rabbit isn’t really flavorful enough in a stew. [...]

Easy Homemade Yogurt

The first time we made yogurt, it was by accident. We live in Switzerland where even the boxed milk is tastier than anything fresh off the farm in the U.S. I never used to like drinking milk, but I’ve become a real convert since we moved here [...]

Miso, Seaweed & Egg Flower Soup

This particular recipe is for a low-cal rich-tasting soup with a Japanese flair, and it takes about 5 minutes to make. I use red miso, but you can also use yellow with great success. The quality of the miso makes a difference because it provides most of the soup’s flavor, so don’t stint. The nori should be as fresh as possible — old, stale nori tastes like cardboard. [...]