Meals

1. Start by forming the base of your sauce and add the saffron along with 1/4 cup hot water into a small bowl and let sit for 15 minutes
2. Meanwhile, in a wide, deep saute pan (or a paella pan if you have one), heat the oil over medium heat and add the rock shrimp (lightly seasoned with salt and fresh ground black pepper) and cook until golden brown. Remove the shrimp from the pan, transfer to a plate and set aside. Then, add the chorizo to the pan and saute until browned, removing and transferring to a plate once its finished cooking
3. In the same pan that had cooked in the shrimp, add the tomatoes, peppers, onions and paprika and stir often, until the onions are soft and translucent (about five to ten minutes)
4. Then, add the saffron "water" and bring to a boil. Once the pan is boiling, scatter in the rice and distribute through the pan with a large, slotted spoon. Add the fish stock and white wine and simmer for ten minutes, gently moving the pan around but barely stirring with a spoon. Be sure during that time to rotate the pan over the burner every few minutes to make sure the different parts of the pan and rice are being cooked through
5. Reduce the heat to low and then add the reserved shrimp, chorizo and calamari to the pan and continue to cook (not by constant stirring but by giving the paella a "good shake") until the rice has again absorbed all the juices and is al-dente, or firm to the bite, about ten to fifteen minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, set aside and cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and let sit for five minutes before eating
6. Finish the paella off with a few wedges of lemon squeezed on top and on the sides for garnish and sprinkle the chopped parsley over the whole dish for a lasting, fresh bite

1. Ground peppercorns, garlic and coriander roots briefly in a mortar, then transfer into a blender, add some oil and process until a smooth and well combined paste forms.
2. Cut the pork in bite-sized slices.
3. Heat a wok, add oil and fry the paste on medium heat until it smells. Add the meat and stir-fry until golden brown, then reduce heat. Fry for about 5 more minutes or until the meat is done. Season with soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar.
4. For the dip, combine garlic, chilies, lemon juice, fish sauce and sugar and stir well. If you like, add chopped coriander or chopped spring onions.
5. Arrange the meat on rice and garnish with some slices of cucumber and some lettuce leaves. Serve with the dip.
6. This dish can also be part of a Thai menu. In this case, serve the rice separately.
7. Squid can be substituted for pork

Instructions

1. Heat a large saucepan and add one tablespoon of the vegetable oil and then the lamb. Cook over a high heat for 3-4 minutes, or until the lamb is golden-brown all over, then remove and set aside.
2. Reduce the heat and add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the onions, garlic, chillies and ginger and fry for 2-3 minutes, until golden and softened.
3. Add all the turmeric, garam masala, cumin and chilli powder and fry, stirring well, for one minute.
4. Add the flour and cook for a further minute.
5. Add the tomatoes and coconut milk and heat to bring to a simmer.
6. Add the lamb and enough chicken stock to just cover the lamb. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze and release any residue at the bottom of the pan.
7. Heat the mixture until simmering, then cover and cook on a low heat for about one hour, or until the lamb is tender and cooked through.
8. Skim off any excess fat from the surface of the sauce, then add the spinach and pomegranate. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the spinach has wilted.
9. Add the yoghurt, season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir well.
10. Serve onto warmed plates with steamed basmati rice alongside.

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Instructions

1. Stir peanut butter with vinegar, garlic, sugar, 1 tsp (5 mL) chili flakes, ginger, soy sauce and coriander root, if available. Stir in water and coriander leaves. Cover and let mellow at room temperature for an hour. Then taste; add more chili, if needed. Thin by stirring in tablespoons of additional water, 1 at a time until sauce can be drizzled. (Sauce can be covered and refrigerated for a week. Bring to room temperature; thin with water as needed.)
2. Preheat barbecue to medium to mediumhigh. Open chicken breasts like a book by flipping tenderloin to the side (if present). Lightly rub chicken with oil; season with several sprinkles of salt on each side. Grill 4 to 5 minutes per side or until cooked through but not overcooked and dry. (Tip: cut into thickest part of breasts to check for doneness.) Cool.
3. Liberally pour boiling water over rice noodles in a bowl. Let soak for 5 minutes or until tender. Or if using capellini pasta, break in half and cook in boiling salted water according to package directions, usually 3 to 5 minutes or until al dente. Rinse noodles or pasta under cold tap water; drain. (If making ahead, thoroughly toss with an extra drizzle of peanut oil, cover and refrigerate.)
4. Place chicken between plastic wrap; lightly pound with a mallet or rolling pin to start shredding. Then pull apart into bite-size pieces; there should be about 3 cups (750 mL).
5. Finely julienne cucumber and carrot. Thinly slice bok choy leaves including ribs; diagonally cut green onions. There should be about 6 cups (1.5 L) of cut vegetables. Toss vegetables with mint to mix. (If making ahead, cover chicken and vegetables separately and refrigerate for up to half a day.)
6. To serve, divide noodles among cool serving dishes. Layer with julienned vegetables and chicken. Drizzle with some of peanut sauce; garnish with coarsely chopped coriander. Pass remaining peanut sauce at table.

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Instructions

1. Without shaking the coconut milk can, remove the lid and spoon off a 1/4 cup of the thick cream on top. Transfer this to a 12-inch non-stick skillet, and turn the heat to medium-high. When the fat separates and liquid starts to sizzle, stir in the green curry paste and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the paste is very fragrant, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the green beans and eggplant and stir well with the curry paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until coated in the curry paste and starting to soften, about 3 minutes.
3. Pour in the remaining coconut milk, stir to combine, and then bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer, and cook for seven minutes. Add the frozen peas and fish pieces, and continue cooking until they are almost cooked through, about 3 minutes.
4. Add fish sauce, chicken stock, and sugar and stir to dissolve sugar. Simmer for 1 minute longer. Remove from off the heat, add most of the Thai basil. Add lime juice to taste. Serve the curry in bowls with white rice on the side. Garnish with remaining Thai basil.

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Instructions

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
2. Pour over flank steak and marinate in a covered container or freezer bag overnight in the refrigerator.
3. Preheat broiler on high. Broil steak for 3 minutes on each side for rare (5 on each side for medium), then remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
4. Combine all dressing ingredients and set aside.
5. Thinly slice steak
6. Arrange tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and steak slices over salad greens, sprinkle with crushed peanuts, top with dressing and serve

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Instructions

1. Place chicken in a shallow baking dish. Purée salt, garlic, scallions, parsley, thyme, Scotch bonnet chile, half the green bell peppers, and 1/2 cup water in a food processor and pour over chicken. Chill for 4 hours.
2. Heat oil in a 6-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Scrape marinade from chicken; reserve marinade. Add chicken to pot and cook, turning once, until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside. Add remaining green bell peppers, onions, and red bell peppers to pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until soft, 8–10 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Return chicken to pot, along with reserved marinade and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover pot slightly; cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is tender, 25–30 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

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Instructions

1. Rub fish evenly with half of the salt, turmeric, and cayenne; set aside. In a bowl, stir remaining salt, turmeric, and cayenne with powder and 1/2 cup water; set paste aside.
2. Heat oil in 12″ skillet over medium-high heat; add mustard seeds; cook for 1–2 minutes. Add cumin and fennel, cook for 30 seconds; add paste and chiles. Add fish, and cook, basting, until done, 10–12 minutes.

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Instruction

1. Step 1 Prepare the tofu: Cut the tofu into ¾-inch cubes and put into a bowl. Bring a kettle of water to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat and when the boiling subsides, pour hot water over the tofu to cover. Set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Step 2 Meanwhile, in a large (14-inch) wok or (12-inch) skillet over medium heat, toast the peppercorns for 2 to 3 minutes, until super fragrant and slightly darkened. (A wisp of smoke is normal.) Let cool briefly, then pound with a mortar and pestle, or pulse in a spice grinder.
3. Step 3 Set a strainer over a measuring cup, then add the tofu to drain; reserve 1½ cups of the soaking water, discarding the rest. Set the tofu and reserved soaking water near the stove with the peppercorns and other prepped ingredients for swift cooking.
4. Step 4 Reheat the wok or skillet over high. When hot — you can flick water in and it should sizzle and evaporate within seconds — swirl in the oil to evenly coat, then add the meat. Stir and mash into cooked and crumbly pieces, 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Step 5 Add 2½ tablespoons doubanjiang, the douchi (if using), ginger and red-pepper flakes (if using). Cook about 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until things are vivid reddish brown. Add the soy sauce and sugar, stir to combine, then add the tofu. Gently stir or shake the pan to combine the ingredients without breaking up the tofu much.
6. Step 6 Add the reserved 1½ cups soaking water, bring to a vigorous simmer, and cook for about 3 minutes, agitating the pan occasionally, to let the tofu absorb the flavors of the sauce.
7. Step 7 Slightly lower the heat and taste the sauce. If needed, add the remaining ½ tablespoon of doubanjiang for heat, a pinch of salt for savoriness, or a sprinkle of sugar to tame heat.
8. Step 8 Add the scallions and stir to combine. Stir in the cornstarch slurry, then stir in enough to the mapo tofu to thicken to a soupy rather than a gravy-like finish. Sprinkle in the ground peppercorns, give the mixture one last stir to incorporate, then transfer to a shallow bowl. Serve immediately with lots of hot rice.

Instructions

1. Rinse the konbu under running water, then combine it with the water in an 8-quart stockpot. Bring the water to a simmer over high heat and turn off the heat. Let steep for 10 minutes.
2. Remove the konbu from the pot and add the shiitakes. Turn the heat back up to high and bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat down so the liquid simmers gently. Simmer for 30 minutes, until the mushrooms are plumped and re-hydrated and have lent the broth their color and aroma.
3. Heat the oven to 400°F.
4. Remove the mushrooms from the pot with a spider or slotted spoon. Add the chicken to the pot. Keep the liquid at a gentle simmer, with bubbles lazily and occasionally breaking the surface. Skim and discard any froth, foam, or fat that rises to the surface of the broth while the chicken is simmering, and replenish the water as necessary to keep the chicken covered. After about 1 hour, test the chicken: the meat should pull away from the bones easily. If it doesn’t, simmer until that’s the case and then remove the chicken from the pot with a spider or slotted spoon. (After I let the chicken cool off, I shredded all the meat to save for future use and tossed the bones in the freezer to make a future chicken stock)
5. While the chicken is simmering, put the pork bones on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan and slide them into the oven to brown for an hour; turn them over after about 30 minutes to ensure even browning.
6. Remove the chicken from the pot and add the roasted bones to the broth, along with the bacon. Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the broth at a steady simmer; skim the scum and replenish the water as needed. After 45 minutes, fish out the bacon and discard it. Then gently simmer the pork bones for 6 to 7 hours—as much time as your schedule allows. Stop adding water to replenish the pot after hour 5 or so.
7. Add the scallions, onion and carrots to the pot and simmer for the final 45 minutes.
8. Remove and discard the spent bones and vegetables. Pass the broth through a strainer lined with cheesecloth. You can use the broth at this point, or, if you’re making it in advance and want to save on storage space, you can do what Momofuku does: return it to the pot and reduce it by half over high heat, then portion out the concentrated broth into containers. It keeps for a couple of days in the refrigerator and up to a few months in the freezer. When you want to use it, dilute it with an equal measure of water and reheat it on the stove.
9. In either case, finish the broth by seasoning it to taste with taré – or – 2 or 3 tablespoons of combined kosher salt, soy sauce and mirin, per quart. Taste it and add more seasoning to get it right. It should be very seasoned, almost too salty. Under-seasoned broth is a crime. I made a seasoning mix of salt, soy sauce and mirin to season the entire 5 quarts I ended up with, but you may have to add additional seasoning after the broth “sits” overnight.