Clams, Sausage and Spaghetti in white wine sauce

by Norman

Feb 28, 2008

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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… Read the rest of this entry »

Negitoro with Baugette

by Norman

Feb 24, 2008

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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? Read the rest of this entry »

Fried Prawns

by Norman

Feb 9, 2008

Fried Prawns

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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. Read the rest of this entry »

Caramelized Onions and Roasted Garlic

by Norman

Feb 5, 2008

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The recipes posted so far haven’t involved much in the way of prepared ingredients, but I’m going to take one step back today and show you how to make roasted garlic and caramelized onions. These prepared ingredients will keep in the fridge for a couple of days and help give your food an extra bit of flavor. Read the rest of this entry »

Scalloped Potatoes

by Norman

Feb 5, 2008

Scalloped Potatoes

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So simple that a monkey could make it… and if they could, I bet you they would because it beats eating bananas any day. A flavorful cheese works out really nicely here Read the rest of this entry »

Portobello Mushroom Open-faced Sandwich

by Norman

Feb 2, 2008

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Portobello mushrooms are a great way to get vegetarian whiners to shut up. It’s made as a sandwich here, but makes for an excellent substitute for burger patties. It’s freezing cold outside right now so I’m going to give instructions for the oven, but these mushrooms can easily be grilled with a little olive oil. Read the rest of this entry »

Japan Trip Day 2 - The good, the bad and the deep fried

by Norman

Jan 31, 2008

Breakfast at Omborato

I never thought that I’d be awake at 7:30 am while on vacation, but that’s where I found myself on Day 2. Dragging ourselves from the warm beds of the Century Hyatt Tokyo, we groggily dressed and headed out the door. Destination: Omborato. Read the rest of this entry »

Choosing a kitchen knife

by Norman

Jan 17, 2008

If I had a limited budget to spend in a kitchen, the one thing that spend a decent amount on would be the ubiquitous chef knife. Why? Because it’s used for everything. From slicing tomatoes to dicing fish to everything in between, your chef knife will see more use than any other knife in your collection. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you decide what you want to buy. Read the rest of this entry »

Goat Cheese + Chicken Toast

by Norman

Jan 17, 2008

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A quicky recipe that is guaranteed to please. The smoothness of the goat cheese balances per.. it’s good. Read the rest of this entry »

BBQed Ribs… without the BBQ

by Norman

Jan 17, 2008

Ribs

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Remember those BBQ ribs you’d have as a kid during the summertime? Juicy, sweet with tender fall-off-the-bone meat? Well, here’s a quick (well, kind of quick), easy recipe that requires no BBQ, but tastes almost as good. Read the rest of this entry »