Author: JIN

A home cook and a foodie with a healthy appetite celebrating everything delicious, sweet and spicy in life
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Indian cooking class in Delhi – Spice, Family and Love

I think it’s pretty obvious that I love spices ;-). I truly believe that they bring magic to the dish with smell, color, depth and complexity of flavor. Although I was a fan of them as long as I remember, my passion really began with the Moroccan cooking class I took in Marrakesh. So when I decided to spend over a week in India, I could not plan my trip without signing me and my husband up for a cooking lesson. I always thought I knew Indian food. Living in London for 4 years, having Indian food almost every week here in Hong Kong and watching lots and lots of cooking shows. But now I see that whatever I knew before was nothing compared to what I had seen, smelled, tasted, and learned during my trip and an amazing class with Jyoti at Gourmet Desire. I am planing on recreating a dish or two based on recipes I learned from her soon. This post is a kind of preview, so stay tuned 🙂 Continue reading Indian cooking class in Delhi – Spice, Family and Love

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‘Tteokbokki‘ – Spicy Korean rice cakes with 7 minute eggs

Spicy rice cake, known as ‘Tteokbokki’ is an ultimate Korean street food. Every single one of us grew up eating this and it was the very first dish I ever cooked at home using my little brother as a taste tester. It is still extremely popular anywhere in Korea, where we have countless little joints, street vendors and even one of the streets of Seoul named after it (guess what kind of restaurants you can find there 😉 ). And if you are a foodie planning a trip to Seoul, this area is worth stopping by. Continue reading ‘Tteokbokki‘ – Spicy Korean rice cakes with 7 minute eggs

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Baked ricotta and smoked salmon dumplings in Gyoza skin

I believe almost every food culture in the world has some form of dumpling. It can be essential comfort food sometimes, but it can also be celebratory food for special occasions. The dumpling I grew up with called ‘mandu’ is a great example. It is one of the most popular comfort food you could find anywhere in Korea but it is also something my grandmother and aunts spent all day preparing for big family holidays. They are commonly boiled and served in the soup or steamed and served with soy sauce based dipping sauce. I was a good girl helping my family of course, but only to stay near the steamer and get my hands on delicious piping hot homemade dumplings before anyone else. I have to admit, making dumplings is not the easiest job in the world. Continue reading Baked ricotta and smoked salmon dumplings in Gyoza skin

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Citrus whole wheat penne salad with tomatoes and sweet basil

Recipe for another light and healthy meal today. Although I am dying to recreate my slow roasted pork belly I made 2 days in a row over X-mas and Boxing day, I really feel like I should stay away from a naughty food group for a while (probably just until New Year ;-)). Besides, it is nice to be reminded that simple food made with the freshest ingredients will never disappoint even during the holiday season. This dish is so quick and easy. And you can always add what you like and be flexible with it. As long as you stick with good quality ingredients, the result will always be stunning and refreshing. Continue reading Citrus whole wheat penne salad with tomatoes and sweet basil

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Soybean paste chicken with rice and broccolis

I had the most amazing holiday in New Zealand earlier this month, and thanks to all the delicious meals I had there, I came home feeling like a big balloon :-(. In order to prepare myself for even more rich and festive meals ahead this month (don’t you just love December? ;-)) I decided to take a little break from indulging too much and trying to eat healthy whenever I can. Naturally my mind goes straight to Asian, especially Korean ingredients that I’m familiar with when I plan a healthy meal. And the fermented soybean paste (Doen Jang) is probably the heart and soul of ‘wellbeing food’ in Korea. Continue reading Soybean paste chicken with rice and broccolis

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Between Thanksgiving and X-mas: Easy party platters

Last Saturday, we hosted our annual Thanksgiving/Christmas party. It seems to have become our little tradition now that we have done it for 3 years in a row. And I have to say I really enjoy the whole process from shopping for grocery (especially when I get to go to a cheese corner ;-)), preparing food and setting the table to watching my friends enjoying my food. Continue reading Between Thanksgiving and X-mas: Easy party platters

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Spicy chicken and Kimchi quesadilla with avocado mash

Ever since the success of Korean American chef Roy Choi’s ‘Kogi BBQ taco truck’, Korean and Mexican fusion has been huge. It really is a genius combination of flavors that totally make sense. Both cuisines are saucy, hearty and down to earth. And they are very hot and spicy relying heavily on chilis. Somehow when all those strong flavors get mixed together magic happens and everything becomes even more fiery and tasty. Although I have to say, putting cheese on food in Korea started way before ‘Kogi truck’. Cheese in instant noodle soup, BBQ chicken, rice cake, omelette, Kimbap (Korean sushi roll) and Kimchi fried rice…you name it, we’ve had it as long as I remember. What can I say we are just obsessed with stinky fermented food :-). Continue reading Spicy chicken and Kimchi quesadilla with avocado mash

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Miso and ginger poached salmon with warm soba noodles

Salmon is something I cook at least a couple of times a month, especially when I want a light and nutritious meal with lots of flavors. I really enjoy poaching salmon because it keeps its flesh ever so delicate and moist as well as being healthy. For me the best part is to be able to play with poaching liquid with different ingredients. In this post I will be sharing a recipe with classic Asian flavor combination of miso and ginger. No matter what you have in the liquid, the key is not to poach your fish in a boiling hot water. Let’s face it, there is nothing worse than tough and overcooked fish (well, besides overcooked chicken)… Continue reading Miso and ginger poached salmon with warm soba noodles

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Ricotta and nutmeg purple sweet potato mash on toast

Inspirations for a dish you make can come from anywhere. I often think about what I am going to cook next when I am eating (obviously..;-)), watching cooking shows and reading cookbooks or magazines. But I think the most genuine way to get inspirations is from beautiful ingredients you have in hand. I am so green with envy when I see other food bloggers who live in gorgeous countryside growing their own ingredients for their recipes. So when I got these stunning purple sweet potatoes from a friend, my mind immediately went on thinking what I could do with them. Continue reading Ricotta and nutmeg purple sweet potato mash on toast

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Fried omelette rice with sweet and spicy tomato sauce

Growing up my brother and I probably had at least 2-3 ‘Omurice’ a week. ‘Omurice’ is one of the examples of ‘Yoshoku’, which refers to Western influenced Japanese cuisine. And this type of cuisine is also very popular in Korea. The typical Omurice we used to eat had fried rice with vegetables, ham or bacon wrapped inside thin omelette and topped with tomato ketchup. My little brother loved the combination of these flavors so much that he would ask me to make simpler version at home, which is steamed white rice topped with fried eggs and drenched in tomato ketchup. Continue reading Fried omelette rice with sweet and spicy tomato sauce