Cookbookmaniac
  • Ca Ri Ga – Vietnamese Chicken Curry
    Ca Ri Ga – Vietnamese Chicken Curry
    Asian Recipes

    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…

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

    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…

  • Chinese Five Spice Duck with Bitter Salad by Karen Martini
    Chinese Five Spice Duck with Bitter Salad by Karen Martini
    Asian Recipes

    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…