This Kung Pao Shrimp recipe, or 宮保蝦仁, is a Westernized variation on a Chinese classic, featuring Shrimp and Cashews in a sweet but fiery sauce. I have mentioned elsewhere that Kung Pao style dishes come in two basic forms. There is the classical Chinese version, and then there are more Westernized interpretations that tend to […]

What is XO sauce, why is it called that and how do you use it? Read on to find out about this decadently rich Chinese seafood sauce. The very richly flavored, and rather expensive Chinese product known as XO Sauce, has only been around since the early 1980’s. One occasionally sees it as a component […]

The Squid Steamed at Hum Sung in Ottawa was prepared with Scallion and Ginger. It was decent overall, and deserved a Rating of 3 out of 5. I love squid cooked just about every way possible, and steamed squid is something I enjoy making at home. I often order it in Dim Sum restaurants and, […]

The Ham Sui Gok (鹹水角) at Yimin in Ottawa were well made and quite tasty but had hardly any filling. They only earned a Rating of 3 out of 5. The Yimin Dim Sum House in Ottawa’s Chinatown is still relatively new to the area and, while decent enough, is not likely to win away […]

Gourmet Garden™ Basil Paste in a Tube Gourmet Garden™ Basil Paste Review Commercially produce spice and herb pastes can be a boon to home-cooks in terms of ease of storing, handling, and all-around convenience, but when it comes to taste, many fail at reproducing the full flavor and nuances of the fresh article. Gourmet Garden™ […]

LKK Chili Black Bean Sauce Review When it comes to using Chinese Salted Black Beans, I generally prefer to use the actual beans when making a sauce as most of the commercial Black Bean Sauces are not very good, in my opinion.  Fermented black beans have a rather distinct ‘chocolaty’ under taste that is usually […]

This Shrimp and Vegetable Korma is an Indian dish of Shrimp, Cauliflower and Carrot braised with spices in a creamy Coconut Milk based Sauce. In Indian cuisine, a Korma (which can be spelled many different ways, including Qorma, Khorma, or Kurma), is a braised dish to which either stock, yoghurt, cream, or coconut milk is […]

This Basic Beef Tataki Recipe illustrates a Japanese grilling style which produces lovely rare beef slices that can be used in many dishes. You could probably call this a Japanese Carpaccio, but the proper appellation is Beef Tataki, where the ‘Tataki’ is actually the name of the specific cookery technique involved.  This technique was originally […]

Spiced Eggs with Shrimp, or 香辣虾仁炒蛋, energizes scrambled eggs with marinated Shrimp and the umami-rich flavors of Chili Paste and Fish Sauce. Scrambled eggs with shrimp is one of those fairly common combinations in Chinese cuisine that can easily be served as a light repast, or as one of several dishes in a more substantial […]

Thai-Style Pork with Pineapple combines two complimentary ingredients in the hot and sour flavors of Thailand’s famous Tom Yum Soup. A while ago, I reviewed the commercially prepared Jack Hua Brand Sour Shrimp Paste from Thailand. The culinary paste is primarily intended for making the perennial Thai restaurant favorite Tom Yum Soup, but I rarely […]

The Squid Deep-fried at Hong Kong Express in Ottawa was sloppily presented but well prepared and tasty. It got a Rating of 4 out of 5. I previously published a post on the Pot-stickers at the Hong Kong Express and described them as being about the ugliest Pot-stickers I had ever seen, but also very […]

The Hundred Leaf Beef Tripe (牛百葉) at the Palais Imperial in Ottawa was well-prepared, really tasty, and well worth a 4 out 5 Rating. When I saw this dish labeled on the dim sum menu at the Palais Imperial Restaurant in Ottawa as ‘Beef Stripe’, I was rather at a loss. The Chinese characters on […]

Sichuan Pickled Mustard Beef, or 川味酸辣牛肉丁, is a Hot and Sour dish combining Pickled Greens, Peanuts and diced Beef with Chili Bean Paste. There is nothing subtle or refined about this dish. Indeed, it is a much bolder variation of my Beef with Pickled Mustard Greens 酸菜炒牛肉絲 , in that the Beef and tangy Pickled […]

These Oven ‘Barbecued’ Beef Ribs produce the smokiness of the barbecue and carry an extra flavor punch with a unique dry rub spice mix. I created this recipe one weekend afternoon out of a frustrated desire to have Barbecued Beef. At the time, it was the dead of winter in Canada’s Arctic and I had […]