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Even before you buy the ingredients, walk.. no, run to your local store to buy a blow torch. Now the purists will say that you should only use a butane torch as it’s the only thing that is safe for food. Apparently, if you use a propane torch, it will leave all sorts of residue on your creme brulee which is bad.

I look at things a little more pragmatically. For $40, you can buy a little, and I do mean little, creme brulee torch that will take forever to caramelize your sugar or you can buy a big propane torch from a hardware store that’s so powerful you could do some welding while waiting for your creme brulees to set. Given that I’ve seen the propane torch used in some very good restaurants, I have no qualms about using it for my own cooking. It’s also very convenient when you just want to be a pyromaniac.

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Prosciutto as we know it in North America refers to raw ham that has been cured using a combination of salt and/or nitrate. In Italy though, prosciutto is a general word for pork cut. If you want the dried stuff, you would ask for prosciutto crudo (”raw ham”) . If you want ham, then you would ask for prosciutto cotto (”cooked ham”). (more…)

Superstars are the key to building great legacies. What would happen if Jordon didn’t lead the Bulls? Would the Oilers have been the same without Gretzky? Could Yamaha dominate MotorGP without Rossi? No!

The same thing applies to food. You need a little Mojo to make things taste better. With regards to French Toast, that secret ingredient is Rum. Lots of it.

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I’m a big fan of one pan dishes because they’re fast and they facilitate easy clean-up. Miso in this dish is used to add a bit of a Japanese flair to the dish, but it’s entirely optional as it is a pain in the ass to acquire if you aren’t in a town with a Chinese Supermarket. What’s more, it only comes in this rather large tubs that take forever to go through. Down the road, I’ll be writing an article to explain the different types of Miso, but for now, just pick up whatever strikes you fancy.

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I came up with this when I got annoyed at the recipes out there that call for a million and one ingredients. Pancakes are supposed to be simple comfort food! Nevertheless, this base recipe gives you a lot of room to experiment and play around. I’ll probably post derivatives of this recipe down the road, but for now, enjoy! (more…)

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If you’re in a hurry, then this recipe will help you eat right in only 10 minutes. This dish uses no salt instead relying on the ingredients to provide the flavor. (more…)

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By using minced meat in this recipe, prep time is cut down as you don’t need to waste time marinating. Though this recipe uses beef, feel free to use any other types of minced meat.

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With the scares of red tide and various other maladies associated with shellfish, it comes as no wonder that people tend to shy away from cooking these little bastards. In keeping with my theme of making food accessible to all, here’s my take on things… (more…)

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A favorite of me and my friends, this simple appetizer is the perfect dish to bring to a dinner party. If you’re from Vancouver and have been to Hapa Izakaya Downtown, this dish here was heavily inspired by the dish they serve with the same name. We think we’re close, but there’s just a little bit missing. A little daikon perhaps? (more…)

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Probably not the best idea to use frozen prawns here as the dish’s flavor is really held up by the sweetness of fresh fresh fresh (did I mention fresh?) produce. Medium sized prawns work nicely here as the really huge ones take too long to cook. (more…)