Pork & Ginger Gyoza with Dipping Sauce

Gyoza actually originated in China, but as with many other things it's gotten assimilated into everyday Japanese cooking. Closely related to shumai and wonton, the filling is usually pork- based, with cabbage, spring onion, garlic or garlic chives, and ginger although there are many variations. You really need to have as thin a gyoza skin as possible - and of course you can always make your...

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Ramenarama

Prior to going to Tokyo, and probably as I had been planning the Tokyo trip I had a massive yearning for ramen one weekend. The bf was away, oop north camping with the midget, so I trudged into Chinatown (well slipped and slid, it was peeing down, I’d forgotten an umbrella and was wearing new ballerina’s.. West End pavements seem to resemble ice rinks in the wet: it was a bloody nightmare) to...

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Pork, Thyme, Mustard & Mushrooms with Lemony Beans & Hasselback Potatoes

I feel terrible but I can’t remember at all where the inspiration came from for the pork chops - so if anyone recognises this as an adaptation of one of their own, I do apologise. What I do remember is that I used quark but in hindsight - and what I would suggest - would be to use double cream or even creme fraiche. This is very simple really for what comes out as a visually pleasing and utterly...

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Green Chicken Chilli

After the fish tacos, another Tex-Mex influenced recipe: a green chicken chilli. As is often the case when I come up with something to cook, this was borne out of wanting to use up one of its key ingredients: a can of tomatillo salsa that I had bought a while ago. What you’re looking for here is lightness & freshness: both in flavour but also in colour so use a light coloured bean rather...

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