Coaxing local ingredients to put on an accent (and maybe a disguise) so that you can approximate exotic, international cuisine is a gift some chefs are born with and a skill some of us garden-variety-gourmets labour and aspire towards. Having said that, once you approach mastery of this art not only do you save money at the fancy deli,

With a baby in the house, steam has become an all important part of our lives.

Fresh fruit and meat are an irresistible combination. Using fruity enzymes to marinate fish or lamb or beef or even (that vegetable of the animal kingdom) chicken, works beautifully. There’s a sublime joy in eating a mutton curry that’s been tenderized by a long stay at Hotel Raw Papaya (a common marinade) or tenderloin succulent from a

And the mercury has risen; wham! Brace yourselves folks, here comes summer! Most mums I know are secretly dreading the school vacations: that wonderful combination of having restive kids in the house all day, the inhospitable heat outside and the constant demand for snacks and drinks is enough to make even the most

This week is dedicated to those marine cephalopods of the order Teuthida or calamari or as the pickiest eater in the family used to squeal when offered a menu in Goa, “ummmm squiggg!” Squig, sorry, squid is one of those ingredients like beef, corn niblets and some others that peaks twice in the cooking process: early on or later.

Mums are the busiest women I know. The day strains at the seams trying to contain the ever burgeoning amount of absolutely essential tasks at hand.

So you’re planning to slump in front of your flat screen over the coming silly season of sport, give or take some friends, some beer and some high-fat, super-salty, zero nutrition snacks. Yes boys, I’m talking to you. Then you’re going to order in some really terrible take-away; a tongue-searing, lurid concoction of meat (if you swing that way), too many spices, too much oil and too much time left out to nicely incubate some bacteria. My question is; are you going to respect yourself the morning after?

And I don’t eat my friends,” but we’ll ignore that today.) Valentine’s Day is not quite the soulless-greetings-card-company invention people make it out to be.

Some things can only be eaten after being treated with heat.

It’s probably not the most mature reaction, but I find fruit and vegetables presented in not their ‘usual’ colour very exciting.