by Paul on February 10, 2010
“Fa cosi caldo qui o e la tua presenza?”
For those of you who don’t know, I’ll be entering a full-time culinary diploma program starting in April. I’m using my remaining months to continue to eat at great restaurants, travel, and take all the short-term cooking courses I can find. One of the more exciting courses I found while searching for classes in Singapore was offered out of Basilico’s at the Regent Hotel, Singapore. Each month they are focusing on a different Italian food region and teaching signature plates from said region. Having previously gorged ourselves enjoyed the sprawling Italian brunch, I knew that the chefs knew their regional foods and had the fresh ingredients required to pull something like this off. For February they went with a theme instead of a region… teaching a 3-course romantic meal that was every bit as indulgent as it was sensual. And as you prepare for your Valentine’s Day, you might consider cooking this rich, romance inspiring meal at home, rather than going out. [keep reading…]
by Paul on January 27, 2010
Healthy Spa Recipes from our favourite holistic spa
As part of our Health & Wellness 2010 Series
From the age of 5, Kai had a passion for cooking. He started early with his first job in the kitchen at an Austrian ski resort at the age of 16 and from there moved on to London where he worked at Mossimann’s who pioneered healthier cooking through Cuisine Naturelle, healthy foods which do not sacrifice on taste. From there, Kai went to Thailand in 2006 to take the position as Executive chef at Kamalaya. Evolving his approach to healthy cuisine by blending it with Thai culinary traditions, Kai worked with Kamalaya to develop a healthy, spa cuisine menu that is shockingly good and good for you. [keep reading…]
by Paul on January 15, 2010
The Epicurean Concept of the Week is back from holiday vacation 
This week I was reading a Mark Bittman recipe for tri-tip steak. It called for an ingredient in the sauce I’d never heard of – pimentón. I wondered at first if it was an interesting spelling of pimento or something else entirely. It’s actually the world for Spanish paprika, an essential ingredient to many classic Spanish dishes. [keep reading…]
by Paul on January 8, 2010
Signature dish “Surf & Turf Indiana” recipe after the jump.
When working for Lookeast Magazine I had the chance to sit and talk with many Bangkok chefs. One of these was Arijit Ghosh, then new Executive Chef at Café 11. He’s a soft-spoken, gentle chef in an age of increasingly more exaggerated “personality chefs”. [keep reading…]
by Paul on November 17, 2009
While the flavors of Sri Lanka may not yet be as widely known as those from Thailand, Sri Lankan cuisine has a lot to offer the world. Take this Rambutan Chutney Recipe from The Sun House. This recipe takes a fresh, regional ingredient and adapts it to make a wonderful condiment for any meal. [keep reading…]
by Paul on October 14, 2009
This will be the last of my recipes from the Blue Elephant Cooking School in Bangkok, Thailand. This recipe blew me away, and completing this dish gave me new confidence in the kitchen. It seems difficult due to the number of steps and for some reason fish has always seemed harder to me… but the finished product is a complex fish that would wow any dinner party guest who ever visited your home. [keep reading…]
by Paul on October 7, 2009
Here’s another recipe from the Blue Elephant Cooking School. This is not a dish I was intimately familiar with by name. However, the flavors are instantly recognizable. This dish would be perfect accompanied by an ice-cold beer while sitting out on the beach at sunset . The dish is very simple to prepare and, while featuring a complex flavor profile, easy for those newer to Thai food to appreciate. You’d have no trouble serving this to anyone ranging from kids to picky adults.
[keep reading…]
by Paul on September 17, 2009
I first heard of “no knead bread” thanks to the famous NY Times post and bookmarked it for a later attempt. I forgot about it until I saw the Cook’s Illustrated Video (via their free podcast). The video seemed so simple and I knew I could trust these guys to deliver a solid, tasty recipe. So I set about trying it out in my new Le Creuset French Dutch Oven. The results were better than I could have hoped for and tastier than breads I’ve been served at some restaurants lately. [keep reading…]
by Paul on September 9, 2009
Hey all,
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Sun House in Galle, Sri Lanka. One highlight of the stay had to be the Sunday Curry Night. Our hosts were gracious enough to not only show us the kitchen during their preparations but also to share a few recipes to pass along to our readers.
[keep reading…]
by Paul on August 19, 2009
I just got the OK from Blue Elephant Cooking School to share some recipes with you. This first recipe was a bit of a surprise for me and also my favorite. Before moving to Thailand I had tried numerous incarnations of Penang, Red Curry, and Green Curry in Thai restaurants around the US. Those living in the US must think Thais eat nothing but curries and Pad Thai (they don’t! I saw one Thai person order Pad Thai in 4 years in Bangkok when not ordering it for a foreigner friend). I had never heard of Yellow Curry though….and it’s too bad because it just might be my favorite.
[keep reading…]
