Food Minia

Last week I listened to an interview of Alice Waters on NPR (by Terry Gross on Fresh Air). It was so inspiring that it got me dreaming about opening a place of my own all over again. (This is a recurring fantasy... which shouldn't surprise you too much). I spent last night in my Dream Café, welcoming patrons with delicious yet simple, healthy, affordable food made from the freshest ingredients, presented in a short, ever-changing seasonal menu, and featuring a fun selection of small plates for children, and a place for them to quietly play and read after their meal, so grown ups can have a few minutes of respite. Sigh... As I was listening to Alice, two thougts came to mind. First, she mentioned that she stopped seeing her friends when she got into the chaos of opening Chez Panisse . She also said that she stopped cooking there when she had her daughter... So this dream business of mine sounded quite incompatible with my dream life of the moment. Unless maybe I could have a cafe ...

Yang Rou Pao Mo 羊肉泡饃 The weather has suddenly turned cooler. I was craving for something filling and warm. I bought a piece of lamb shoulder last week, time to make some yang rou pao mo. I can eat some and store the rest in the freezer for later. Yang Rou Pao Mo 羊肉泡饃 is a famous xiao chi 小吃 (small eat or snack) from Xian, warm and comforting. Yang Rou 羊肉 is lamb, Pao 泡 is soak and Mo 饃 is a

I did not update this blog for a very long time, was feeling lazy and uninspired. Today recipe is a moreish spicy beef with cumin. Zi Ran Niu Rou 孜然牛肉 Cumin beef originates from the Muslim populated North-West of China. This dish is popular in many parts of China like Sichuan and Hunan, over here in UK I believe this has become very popular in many Sichuanese restaurants and home cooking

Beautiful Red Velvet cookies that are easy to make and delicious too. 1 package of Duncan Heinz red velvet cake mix 1 large egg 1/4 cup of oil 1/4 cup of water 1 cup of white chocolate chips 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts (optional) Preheat oven to 350ºF Combine cake mix, egg, oil, and water. Beat until well blended. Stir in remaining ingredient(s). Drop by tablespoon full about 2 inches apart on to parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until done. makes about 3 dozen cookies.

My pear cake recipe ( here ) works well with other fruits. Tonight, my daughter and I made a plum version of this cake with the following proportions: 5 ripe plums 4 eggs 180g (less than 1 cup) sugar 1 stick (114g) butter 170g (about 1 1/3 cups) flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon We beat the eggs and sugar until foamy. We added the melted butter, then the sifted flour, then the baking powder, vanilla extract, and cinnamon, mixing well (with a whisk) while adding each ingredient. We poured the dough in a buttered, round metal pan (the same old   10" x 2" I used in the pear cake recipe) . We placed the plums, halved and pitted, on the dough, cut side up. We baked for about 50 minutes in a  340ºF oven.

From July 21, 2011 I finished my post yesterday on my visit to the Second Annual New Orleans Oyster Festival last month! I had a wonderful time meeting and hanging out with Seth McMillan of Bourbon House Seafood Restaurant at the event! Check out the post here: New Orleans Oyster Festival 2011! Lots of great mouth watering pics! Be sure and check out my ever growing Index of Creole & Cajun Recipes which provides links to all of the recipes featured at Nola Cuisine !

Thai Translation – Laab = Minced Meat Salad, Moo = Pork Laab is a very tasty, and healthy salad that is quick and easy to make. It is common in northern Thailand and Laos with variations on the ingredients depending on the region. You can make laab it with any kind of minced meat, including fish and tofu and it can be made as spicy or as mild as you like. It is traditionally served with sticky rice which you form into a ball in your hand and flatten before scooping up some of the meat. Cooking Time – 5 minutes Preparation Time 10 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients 250g pork mince ½ cup coriander leaves 1/3 cup mint 2 shallots ½ red onion 1tsp – 1Tbsp dried chilli flakes (depending on your own taste preference) ½ lime 2 tsp fish sauce 1/3 cup water 1/3 cup rice Snake beans to garnish Method Heat a wok over medium heat and add the uncooked rice to the pan. Roast the rice for 2-3 minutes until the rice changes colour. Remove from heat. In the same wok, add the chilli flakes and roast for a ...