Asian Recipes

Ca Ri Ga – Vietnamese Chicken Curry

By Amy @ cookbookmaniac

Hello Everyone. I hope your Christmas and New Years were as heartwarming and fun as mine. I've been very quiet on this blog and on various social networking sites lately. However, I've been making a lot of noise and mess in the kitchen. This is the first time I've moved out of home and therefore I've been cooking up a storm trying to discover my favourite recipes for spaggy bol, lasagne and stir fries. Nothing too interesting to blog, but very important recipes for easy, tasty weeknight meals. What are your favourite weeknight recipes? I was overcome with a funny feeling a few nights ago. My dearest younger sister asked if she could stay with us for a few weeks while she worked nearby for a work project. I became very excited and realised that I really miss my sisters and parents. I miss their crazy, quirky, outrageous personalities. I also missed mum's homecooking. Ca Ri Ga is one of my favourite things to eat and I love my mum's version of it. She would sometimes use sweet potatoes or taro in place of the potatoes, just for something different. This recipe is very good, but it doesn't have the nurturing feeling of a warm hug like my mother's version. Perhaps nothing will ever measure up to the memories. "This recipe is milder and lighter than Indian or Thai curries. Depending on your mood you can serve this with a warm crusty baguette (a french influence), steamed rice, or rice…

Asian Recipes

Chairman Mao’s Red Braised Pork Belly – Hong Shao Rou by Fuchsia Dunlop

By Amy @ cookbookmaniac

Hello Everyone. I've been missing-in-action for a couple of months now. Those that follow me on twitter will know that Pizzaboy and I have finally bought a home. It was the right size, in the right suburb, in the right location and at the right price. This is the first time both of us have moved away from home and so far it's been fun. We are both so happy and we can't help but be playful whilst unpacking. I am also delighted that the kitchen is flooded with sunlight from dawn to dusk. This will make photography and blogging so much more easier and pleasant. I've been stocking my pantry full of all the things that I love and marking recipes in cookbooks that I want to try. One of these recipes is Chairman Mao's Red Braised Pork Belly. I doubled the recipe because Pizzaboy and I are greedy foxes that either eat more than we should or appreciate leftovers the next day. Chairman Mao's Red Braised Pork Belly Recipe adapted from Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook by Fuchsia Dunlop 500g pork belly 2 tablespoons peanut oil 2 tablespoons white sugar 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine 20g fresh ginger, skin on and sliced 1 star anise 2 dried red chillies a small piece of cassia bark or a cinnamon stick 5 black peppercorns 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon white sugar spring onions 1/ Place the pork belly into boiling water for 4-5 minutes. The pork belly should…

Asian Recipes

Chinese Five Spice Duck with Bitter Salad by Karen Martini

By Amy @ cookbookmaniac

This recipe was the easiest thing to put together and photograph. I didn't prep, nor expect it to turn out quite like it did. It's funny how the harder I try, the less successful the outcome. No matter how often this happens I still love that little surprise at the end when I am astonished by my own cooking. This is my first attempt at five-spice anything. It must seem silly that I've started off by using a Chinese recipe from an Italian chef - even when I have quite a few Asian cookbooks in my collection. This particular recipe jumped out at me and I decided to give it a try. I am glad I did. I made some slight alterations (because I was lazy), this turned out to be super easy, delicious and pleased my toughest critic... Mum. Recipe adapted from Where the Heart Is by Karen Martini Ingredients 3 duck breasts on the bone 1 tablespoon salt flakes 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder 1 head radicchio, trimmed handful of watercress leaves 1/2 red onion, finely sliced 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil your favourite mash potatoes [1] Wash the duck breast, pluck away any stray hairs and pat dry with a paper towel [2] Place ducks on a tray, uncovered, in the fridge for 12-24 hours before cooking [3] Preheat oven to 225 degrees [4] Combine salt, pepper and Chinese five-spice powder in a mortar and pestle…