Just a switch from the standard tuna in a classic Niçoise salad gives this composed salad a new twist. It is also a great way to use up leftover potatoes or hard-cooked eggs. If you are not a fan of tarragon, substitute finely chopped fresh chives.
This calamari is speckled with flecks of sweet nori and served with a tasty dipping sauce that packs a punch. Add the wasabi paste to the mayo a little at a time so you can adjust the amount to suit your taste. Deep-frying is best done in batches for the most consistent results; adding too much calamari at once will bring down the temperature of the oil.
Our Acadian ancestors prepared many of their dishes with fresh, salted or dried seafood. The dishes had to use what was available locally from the sea and land and be fairly easy to prepare. My inspiration for the Acadian Seafood Chowder comes from the culinary creative legacy of these early acadian ancestors. The chowder is served in large clear glass soup bowls accompanied by cheese/garlic butter toped grilled french baguette slices and a glass of canadian riesling wine.
Tinola, a favourite on Filipino dinner tables, is made in many variations. The most traditional vegetables used in this soup are green (unripe) papaya or chayote squash, but other green squashes and melons are used, too. Zucchini makes a fine substitute; just make sure to take out the seeds and soft core. The soup is traditionally finished with herbal leaves, such as those of the native malunggay tree, or with chili leaves, the small tender leaves of hot pepper plants, which are tasty but not hot; watercress lends a similar flavour. Use a free-range chicken; if you buy the poultry at an Asian market, you get the head and feet, too, which add lots of extra flavour to the broth.
Summer is not summer without corn on or off the cob. Here's a new way to enjoy it – in a salad with a hint-of-heat jalapeño dressing and some crispy glazed salmon.
Homemade red curry paste strikes a nice balance between sweet, salty and spicy, and brings out the best in the squash and the pork. Serve with Coconut Ginger Rice for an elegant meal.
Grilling shrimp in their shells both protects the delicate meat from the direct heat of the barbecue and seriously boosts the satisfying barbecued shellfish flavour. It’s definitely worth the extra effort of peeling them at the table.
