Organic Food Joys (Eggs eggs eggs eggs eggs...)

After last year when I grew my own tomatoes on my balcony, I had a sudden new found love for fresh and organic food. The tomatoes I bought in stores were just watery sacks of starch compared to what I grew last year - sweet and plump, zingy and colourful - beautiful fruits of the gods. Then of course came winter and being stuck with only a balcony and the harsh snow of winter - grew nothing else. However my neighbour who raises geese came over with these beauties you see at the top here. First of spring. I was starving so I got on to frying.... eggses and chipses!

Home Made Tofu (recipe)

I tend to find that tofu sold in most places is either too damned expensive, silken type only or has a foul bitter taste to it. The bitterness is something which often is unavoidable as they use a solidifying agent which has to be washed out. It also has the side effect of having calcium in it which makes it brittle and hard to cook with. Here's my homemade recipe with a citrus zing!

Spanish Omelette / Tortilla de Patata (recipe)

Spanish omelette is something that gets done SO HORRENDOUSLY WRONG so much of the time. The dry and flaky air-filled nothingness that is Spanish omelette which is served in Tapas chains across the world is an insult to this dish! Try making it this way and I guarantee you it will come out perfect every time.

Red Curry Paste Isaan Style (recipe)

During many of my travels I found that red curry pastes differed in their ingredients, some have star anise in them, others have fennel seeds and some have palm sugar.

To be perfectly honest, I think the best tasting paste to me is the Isan variant of Khaeng Phed (hot curry or red curry) which is quite strong (and not for the faint hearted) and can be added or subtracted to in order to make a variety of other dishes. I learned this recipe from my neighbours in Nong Khai.