gorgonzola and honey ice cream

If you like a bit of blue cheese after dinner, try this ice cream instead. Unlike most of my ice creams, this one was made with egg yolks. In a small saucepan or in a cup in the microwave warm ⅔ of a cup of honey and set aside. Roughly chop 110g (4 oz) of……

bran muffins

These easy to make and delightfully light muffins from Janet Kalman Villada via allrecipes are not too sweet. Perfect for breakfast or morning tea. Preheat your oven to 190ºC (375ºF) and grease or line a standard 12-muffin tin. In a bowl combine 1½ cups of wheat bran with 1 cup of buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk……

ceviche 2.0

Ceviche is a dish of fresh fish cured in citrus. Traditionally Peruvian, many versions of ceviche are found in Central and South America. In Mexico tomato and avocado are often included and the ceviche is served with tostadas. This dish cannot be made ahead of time as the fish will overcook. Make sure the fish……

spicy Mexican beef ribs

These beef ribs are easy to prepare and have an amazing depth of flavour. Dry 2kg (4½ lbs) of beef ribs, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside. Preheat your oven to 180ºC (350ºF). In a blender combine ½ a cup of Chipotles in Adobo (you can buy these in cans……

banana upside-down cake

A deeply caramelised and super delicious banana cake from Melissa Clark via NYT Cooking. Preheat your oven to 175ºC (350ºF) and grease and line a cake tin. In an frypan melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Add ⅓ of a cup of light brown brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice and ¼……

spicy tofu stir fry

Firm tofu lends itself to frying and is a perfect vehicle for a tasty sauce. Cut a 400g (14 oz) block of tofu into flat squares, dry them with a paper towel and dredge with a little cornflour (cornstarch). Heat some peanut or other neutral vegetable oil in a frypan and fry the tofu over……

ikan bilis

Ikan bilis is the Malay name for small dried anchovies. For this wonderfully tasty and moreish snack they are fried with chillies, peanuts and onions. Try it with ice cold beer. You will need a 300g (10.5 oz) packet of ikan bilis and 200g (7 oz) of raw peanuts with their skins. Dry fry the……

Balinese baked fish + asinan sayur

Try this delicious recipe, by Justine Scholfield, with barramundi or snapper. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350ºF). Heat ¼ of a cup of coconut oil in a large frypan over high heat. Add 6 finely chopped purple shallots, 6 finely chopped cloves of garlic, a finely chopped 5cm piece of ginger, 5 very finely sliced……

lemon and basil ice cream

Here’s a flavour combination I tried once and have never forgotten. A delicious summery combination of bright lemon with an intriguing hint of basil. Measure 2 cups of full fat milk, removing 2 tablespoons of the milk to make a slurry with 4 – 5 teaspoons of cornflour (cornstarch). Heat the remainder in a saucepan……

Korean braised pumpkin + green cabbage kimchi

This Korean recipe from Julia Park is a simple and delicious dish of Japanese pumpkin (AKA Kabocha squash). Clean and slice the pumpkin into wedges about 2cm (¾”) thick. You can leave the skin on. Choose a large fry pan which has a lid and heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Brown……