From Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Stir Fried Smoky Bacon With Bean Curd

Back when I reviewed Fuchsia Dunlop’s new cookbook on Hunan cuisine, Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook, I promised to present several recipes from the book as an example of the fine riches that await the avid cook and reader. And I did present two recipes: Beef with Cumin and Peng’s Home-Style Bean Curd. However, two recipes are […]

From Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Beef With Cumin

Cumin is one of my favorite spices; however, it is not a flavor one overwhelmingly associates with Chinese food. Rather, it is better known as an ingredient in Indian curries, Mexican braises and Mediterranean stews, so I was intrigued to see this recipe when I first got my hands on my copy of Revolutionary Chinese […]

From Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Peng’s Home-Style Bean Curd

This is actually the second recipe I cooked from Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook, but I am presenting it first because so far, it is my favorite. It is a simple dish, though it does require the extra step of deep-frying the tofu. However, the results are so very worth the extra time, trouble and mess that […]

A Curry of One’s Own: Murgh Padmavati

Sometimes, one has a flavor or a color or a texture in mind, and one wants to create a dish to showcase it. Sometimes, one has all three of these culinary qualities jostling about in one’s thoughts, all clamoring for expression, leading the cook to dream during slumber and waking, of a dish that will […]

Keeping and Breaking With Tradition: Pork Vindaloo with Coconut and Mango

Vindaloo, which is well-known as the “hottest” of curries available in most American and British Indian restaurants, is not just about tongue-searing heat. The name, which cames from the Portuguese “Vinha d’Alho”, which translates to “with wine and garlic,” does not have anything to do with potatoes (though they are a common ingredient in most […]