Food Wine Sleep

The Italian words for garlic and oil are aglio and olio respectively. Not hard to see where this dish gets its name or its ingredients for that matter. If you love both of those things on their own you will love them together in this recipe. Someone once asked me what are the things I could not do without in the kitchen and after my knives of course, I would whole heartedly say I wouldn't even want to be a chef without quality olive oil and fresh garlic. Most people I know make their aioli with raw garlic but I like to roast the garlic first to give it that sweet nutty flavour as well as that lovely garlic flavour. Like I said you can throw out your jar of plain o...

A delightful dip, which holds it's own without needing to be part of the Mezzeh (Please also see the recipe and description of Hummus in this category) Perfect on grilled Bruschetta, or with savory crackers, Lavosh or crisp Papadums.

Bearnaise and Hollandaise are, I believe, a couple of the major reasons many people dine out. I suppose they feel that these beautiful rich sauces are too difficult to make at home, what with all that clarifying, whisking, reducing and incorporating, but don't let these words or the actions they represent, scare you. Like all things cooking, it's all about practice and once you've done it a few times you'll wonder why you never tried it earlier. So go on get to it, it's easy!

I know some people who say "any idiot can cook; it's the sauces that make the meal!" Of course most of these people are Saucier Chefs and I've only heard them speak with this blasphemous tongue at 4:30 am on a Sunday morning in the last pub that will still serve us after a busy Saturday nights service in the restaurant. Just in case there is some truth in what they say though, you would do well to learn a few classic sauce recipes and what better place to start than Beurre Blanc. This sauce can be used on any number of dishes and is very adaptable to new ideas and styles of cuisine, infuse it with some unique spices, add some citrus or virtually any herb you can...

Every time I make this stuff I end up putting it on virtually every meal I have and it never lasts in my fridge more than a couple of days. The sweetness of it compliments many vegetables perfectly, try it on grilled eggplant. And the spiciness is the perfect addition to eggs any style, as well as virtually all meats, particularly roast chicken. I think I might start making double batches from now on.

Some of the best beef comes from Argentina and with it comes one of my favorite steak accompaniment. This thick parsley-olive oil paste is as commonly eaten in Argentina as ketchup is in the rest of our world. There are several variations and I guess every chef in Argentina has his own special twist to it. However it always features Italian flat parsley, virgine olive oil, vinegar and garlic.

Firstly to help us understand what clarified butter is, let us begin with what butter itself is. Butter is made up of three main components; around 80% fat and around 20% milk solids and water. When butter is heated, it melts. If it is heated for any length of time these components split apart from one another and settle into different layers. At the bottom of the heating vessel you will have a white cloudy substance; this is the milk solids and water. On top you will have the golden liquid known as clarified butter or what is know in Indian cuisine as ghee. Since the milk solids are what cause butter to burn, clarified butter can be heated to much higher temperatures...

A good pesto has got to be one of the most versatile ingredients one can have in their fridge. Liven up that boring old sandwich, a welcome change from tomato and cream sauces for pasta, a great addition to any soup and of course, great for a quick entertainment help as a dip, or spread on crostini's with a bit of melted parmesan cheese. This pesto recipe, although not a traditional European one, is equally versatile and then some, use it on most Asian rice dishes, a spoon full in your laksa, toss it through you stir fry at the last minute or dollop a little on your pizza before you serve it.

Dukka, a.k.a Dukkah, is an Egyptian spice blend comprising of toasted nuts, seeds and spices. It can be sprinkled over cooked meat, poultry or vegetables, as a seasoning mixture, but mostly is used as a dip for bread. Dukka/Dukkah seems to be one of these recipes where every chef has his own take on what is best. There are very lightly toasted to heavily roasted varieties and there are some that include walnuts, chickpeas and even pistachios. Personally I feel that this is great, as it gives some creativity and individuality to our recipes. For best results; dip bread into a quality virgin olive oil and then into the dukka mix. Alternatively, combine the dukka into...

Guacamole is one of those items that everyone and their dog has a recipe for. This of course is the best version (haha), it is my version. I find avocado and lime have very distinct flavours so I tend to keep mine very simple and not overwhelm the guacamole with a 1001 ingredients. You'll also notice that some people make their guacamoles chunky and others smooth. Depending on the dish I am serving it with I may make it chunky but overall I prefer to make it smooth as a ripe avocado really lends itself really well to that silky smooth texture.

I learnt the recipe for this versatile marinade/paste/rub/dip from one of the worst head chefs I have ever worked for. I know, that's probably not going to make you want to cook it, but allow me to explain; Do we judge Rocky I on the fact that Rocky IV and V were subsequently made? No. Do we judge our favourite one-hit-wonder bands on their, mediocre follow up albums? No. Do we judge Bruce Willis or John Travolta on Armageddon and Battle field earth? No, we try to remember Moonlighting and Welcome Back Kotter instead. Well this is the logic I use to judge the head Chef in question and original source of this recipe. The man lets call him "Carl" may not have k...

Bearnaise and Hollandaise are, I believe, a couple of the major reasons many people dine out. I suppose they feel that these beautiful rich sauces are too difficult to make at home, what with all that clarifying, whisking, reducing and incorporating, but don't let these words or the actions they represent, scare you. Like all things cooking it's all about practice and once you've done it a few times you'll wonder why you never tried it earlier. So go on get to it, it's easy!

I like the Middle Eastern Mezze or appetizers. Mezze almost always consists, of Hummus (chickpea - sesame spread) and Babaganoush (eggplant- sesame dip) served with warm pita bread. Other items such as Sambousik (pastries filled with minced meat and nuts) Tabouleh (Cous cous and parsley salad) and more are also added, but Hummus and Babaganoush are omni present when Mezze is served. The rich creamy sesame paste called Tahini is really the "main ingredient" in both spreads and the strong, nutty, almost smoky taste of it, is what makes this spread so flavorful and distinct.

There is nothing better than a homemade dressing. This one lives in my fridge all the time as I find it indispensable. I use it as a dressing on salads, on steamed vegetables, on virtually any seafood and even dress my chicken with it when once I take it off the barbecue. It will last about a week so don't bother making too much if you don't plan on using it.

The Philippines pride themselves to have the best Mangoes. In parts I must agree, a Philippine "Carabao" mango, just at the peak of it's ripeness is both sweet with the right amount of acidity and very juicy. At that time the Philippine mango certainly is one of the best in the world. This salsa recipe is great with barbecued fish, seafood or chicken. I often use it as an accompaniment with Cajun spiced seared tuna or chili dusted prawns, and it also makes a great condiment with deep-fried oysters.

I usually make pesto when basil is at its best, fortunately when basil it at it's best it's also abundant and cheap so I usually end up making it in big batches. I leave some in my fridge, jar some up for friends and freeze the rest. The freezing affects it slightly but in winter when there is no fresh basil I've still got better pesto than I can buy from any deli or shop. In those colder months I toss it through my pastas, dollop it in my soup or spread it on toasted French bread.

This pineapple salsa is ideal for summer barbeques. Serve it as a dip with white corn chips, on top of grilled fish, throughout a salad of prawns or along side any chicken dish. The best time to make this is about 1/3rd of the way into pineapple season as that is when they are at their sweetest and luckily also when summer is in full swing.

Next time you prepare a dish that leaves you with a lot of crustacean waste i.e. lots of prawn (shrimp), crab, lobster, or bug heads and shells do not throw all those wonderful bits out, instead knock up this oil and you will regret every time you did throw them out. With this oil in your fridge you will be able to add a beautiful richness to a plethora of dishes.

A Chef I used to work with once said, 'A jus prepared correctly and served with a crusty bread roll is a 5 star meal to me.' In fact I've seen many a Chef call that dinner. Usually when the head Chef wasn't looking of course. Jus's are like liquid gold in restaurant kitchens. Most kitchens have one stove and sometimes even entire kitchens designated to the slow process of making these decadent sauces. First the veal bones are roasted golden brown in high temperature ovens, then the vegetables are chopped, herbs are selected and then it's all put in a pot and covered with water and simmered for days on end. The resulting stock is then, strained numerous times, red wine is...

Reduced Balsamic is one of those incredibly simple items to prepare, it is simply Balsamic Vinegar that has been thickened by way of evaporation over heat. This is a great ingredient to have on hand in any kitchen. It's sweet yet slightly tart flavour not only is the perfect complement to many dishes but makes a very visually appealing garnish. Try it over grilled vegetables or salads and even on some desserts. When preparing this item I would not recommend you use your best and most expensive Balsamic vinegar as you will lose about 2/3rds to evaporation, however I would also avoid using a very cheap and acidic variety, as no matter how much you reduce these; they remain...

This dish is great to cook if you are vegetarian and just as good if you are not. As a person that is completely content in their carnivore ways, I can happily attest that this is one vegetarian dish that I am more than happy to put in front of me in place of a meat laden dinner plate. The grilled polenta provides a delicious and substantial foundation, the roasted mushroom is a tender and juicy centre piece, the fresh beans offer the crisp spring factor while the roast pepper and port reduction is the perfect naturally sweet and slightly decadent sauce to unite it all. Enjoy this dish, no matter what side of the carnivore/vegetarian fence you are on.

This sauce is so simple and tasty that you'll find yourself making it over and over. Try it with coconut crumbed fish, or grilled chicken. Play around with it and you will find uses for it as a canape or mix it with some sour cream and serve as a cold dip. The possibilities are endless.

One of the nicest things about dining out in restaurants is experiencing foods you can't make at home, having said that, it doesn't have to be that way. All chefs during their first year of training are taught how to make perfect stocks, stocks from which they are later taught to make virtually every sauce possible. Once you learn to make the perfect stock, all those restaurant sauces that make the meal worth paying top dollar for will be well within your reach.

Tzatziki, is a wonderful addition to many meals. I like to use it on virtually any grilled fish or chicken dish. Use it as a dip for vegetables, or a replacement to mayonnaise. Of course traditionally it is served with Greek dolmades or chicken souvlaki.

The French have a name for it and the Italians have a name for it. I'm not sure who created it (and who really cares?) it tastes great, is simple to make and can turn any fruit into a rich and impressive dessert. Ok, my money is on the Italians, but if you know otherwise drop us an email.