A Plain Cake With Passionfruit Buttercream
Plain cakes are the ones I grew up with. They are not only my comfort zone, but my happy place, too.
Read MoreTommy Pham’s Bò Kho
There’s a reason why my son Miles will eat bowls and bowls of this – you just can’t beat a bowl of juicy, melt-in-your-mouth beef in a thick and flavoursome sauce. You just can’t.
Read MoreGreek Egg and Lemon Soup
This is the soup of my childhood. Every time I was sick with a cold or flu this would be the soup my mum would make for me. Simply eating this soup would actually make me feel less sick; it was home in a bowl. It would make me feel loved and cared for, nurtured,…
Read MoreEva Grinston’s Chocolate Walnut and Sour Cherry Cake
Sometimes a recipe is more than just a recipe. It comes with a family story and memories. It can transport you to another time and place. To your grandmother’s kitchen. To another country. To a more innocent era, before you were forced to leave your home.
Read MoreSteamed Fish
In Chinese culture, we always share food and the table is full of a mix of vegetables, meat, fish and rice, so that the food is varied for good health. At each meal, fish is the most important dish. The fish must be very fresh, and well-chosen in an Asian fish market. We prepare it…
Read MorePotatoes With Curry Leaves and Turmeric
I used my sensory memory to create this recipe based on the curry leaf tree in my paternal grandmother’s garden. Each time I went to her home, the leaves of this large tree would be heavy with the fresh, zesty and distinctly mouth-watering scent of curry leaves.
Read MoreShaking Beef
Mum’s recipe for Shaking Beef was amazing, and I’ve adapted it here. With your parents’ cooking, they know your palate and how to season for your taste. Mum was not a big sugar person, so her recipe isn’t as sweet as when we went to restaurants. I think that’s what made me fall in love…
Read MoreCorfu’s Pastitsada Chicken
Corfu, one of the lush green Ionian islands, sits west of mainland Greece. Historically, the island was ruled by the Venetians, so it retains a strong Italian influence in both food and architecture. Pastitsada, one of Corfu’s most iconic dishes, is a pasta dish I grew up on. The tomato-based stew is made with chicken…
Read MoreBaked Cheesecake
Over time, I’d wonder how to make a better version of items sold at coffee shops, as I would think I could make them cheaper – and maybe better! – as they wouldn’t be mass produced. A cheesecake was one of those items.
Read MoreMonti Thoke Noodles
I remember running home after playing and asking Mum for a little money, and we sat together sharing these wonderful fresh noodles and everything was perfect.
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