After 8 years Online, Sybaritica experienced a catastrophic upheaval in February of 2020 and ALL content was accidentally deleted. If you are here, then one of three things has happened and the content you seek: Has been lost forever; Was lost, but will eventually be restored; or, Has been restored, but with a new link. […]

The Seafood Chowder at Peter Devine’s Irish Pub in Ottawa was a bit too light on the seafood,, but decent enough for a 3 out of 5 Rating. Seafood Chowder is one of my favorite soup dishes. It can be made quite lightly, and served as a pleasant appetizer or simple lunch, or it can […]

Red-Cooked Pork with Bamboo, or 紅燒竹筍猪, simmers Pork Belly in a Chinese Master Sauce before it is stir-fried with Bamboo, Chili and Rice Wine. Sweet Red-Cooked Pork with Bamboo is an interesting and delicious variation on the Chinese classic Twice-Cooked Pork – 回鍋肉, except that, rather than the meat being simply boiled with a few […]

In Methi Masala Chicken, bone-in chicken pieces are marinated in Yoghurt with Dried Fenugreek Leaves and other Spices before being roasted. In Indian cookery, a ‘Masala’ is a spice blend and ‘Methi’ refers to Fenugreek, with the dried leaves being specifically called ‘Kasoori Methi’. The Methi Masala Chicken you see in the above picture doesn’t […]

The Scallops Pan-Seared at Minato Sushi in Halifax managed to avoid being disgusting, but only barely. I gave them a 1 out of 5 Rating. I it is a pity my dining experience at Minato Sushi Restaurant in Halifax was so disappointing, especially as the place has otherwise had some decent reviews. None of the […]

Chicken Wings Steamed with Sichuan Pickle, or 香辣榨菜蒸雞翅, pairs the wings with Mushrooms and 榨菜 packed in a chili oil., to make a rich sauce. Chicken wings are wonderful when steamed so that their own juices blend with added flavorings to produce a rich and savory sauce. In this recipe, the ‘drumette’ section of chicken […]

These Two Sambal Chicken Wings are like most Chicken Wing appetizers, except the sauce is made from two very different fiery spice pastes. When you order Chicken Wings in a restaurant or a bar, they are typically deep-fried and then tossed with some sort of sauce. It maybe a BBQ sauce, or a Teriyaki sauce, […]

Dry Fried Beef with Pickled Bamboo, or 香筍干烧牛肉, is Beef double-fried to a dry, chewy texture, with fermented Bamboo, Bell Pepper and Scallion This dish uses the same technique for double-frying Beef to a delightfully dry, chewiness that I introduced in my similar Dry-fried Sour and Spicy Beef. Here, though, the Beef is complimented by […]

This Kombu Tsukudani Recipe simmers seaweed in a rich sauce to produce a Japanese condiment that can be used in cooking, or at the table. Kombu Tsukudani is a Japanese preparation, similar in some ways to a Korean Banchan, along the lines, of my Namul of Daikon Greens. Here, though, this Tsukudani uses the edible […]

Panch Phoron is a Bengali spice blend essential to a wide-range of dishes. You can buy it of course, but it is easy to make your own. Panch Phoron, sometimes spelled ‘panchpuran’ along with a host of other variations, is a blend of whole spices that is native to the north-east regions of the Indian […]

Madras Curry Paste Recipe for Home-cooks This Madras Curry Paste Recipe builds upon my Homemade Madras Curry Powder recipe to make a tangy, versatile and easy to use Curry flavoring. Read More → Bengali Fenugreek Potatoes is a dish that enhances the pairing of Potatoes and fresh Fenugreek with the Bengali spice mix, Panch Phoron […]

Chili Bamboo Pickle Shrimp incorporates a commercially prepared bamboo pickle with chili. It makes a quick, easy, and delicious stir-fry. Servings: 4 as one dish in a Chinese meal 1/2 lb. Medium Shrimp, peeled and deveined; 1 cup Chili Pickled Bamboo Shoot slices; 1 cup baby Cucumber cut on the bias in thickish slices; 1 […]

Dried Abalone (乾鮑) is much prized in Chinese cuisine, but is expensive and not easy to prepare. Read here to learn how to prepare and use it. Like Dried Shark’s Fin, or the famous ‘Bird’s Nest’, much of the cachet of Dried Abalone is less about the taste than it is the fact that, being […]

Ribs Steamed with Curry Leaves is a fusion dish of Pork ribs made using a Chinese cooking technique, and flavoring ingredients from India. The major component of the flavor profile for this dish is Curry leaves, and the rest of the aromatics are kept to a minimum in order for the Curry Leaf flavor to […]