Let’s Talk Woks

I have always invited readers to email me with any questions they may have on matters culinary; every now and then the questions I get give me the idea for a post.
This is one of those times.
I have talked about woks here in the past, holding forth on my opinion that thin Cantonese […]

It’s HERE!

Pardon me while I jump up and down (virtually) for a while and do the happy Barbara dance, because a long-awaited cookbook is not only finally out, but it is out a full month earlier than I expected!
Yes, folks, Fuchsia Dunlop, the author of the definitive Sichuan cookbook in English, Land of Plenty, has taken […]

New Pretties For the Kitchen

I have to admit that one of the most fun things about visiting the Smithsonian, is that the museum shops rock. Especially the shop at the Sackler.
While I am in a confessional mood, I will also cop to the fact that I like dishes. Tableware. Serving pieces. Plates, bowls, cups, glasses, silverware, you […]

Asian Kitchen Equipment Essentials

A reader recently posted a request on my Ten Steps to Better Wok Cookery essay, asking that I do a post on what I consider the most necessary pieces of Asian kitchen equipment are, what they are used for and where to find them.

Before I jump right into the list, I want to remind […]

The Key to Indian Cooking: Making Spices Friendly With Each Other

The more I cook Indian food, the more I realize how much more there is to learn. Every time I think that I have it all down, I find out something new, or I try something different, or I get an inspiration, or a read a book, and the curiosity all begins again, and I […]