It was time for beef. It took me awhile to like beef. As a child, i never did -- then i was 12 or 13 and i could not get enough. Puberty, I guess. Of course eating beef is tough (ha ha) in Sri Lanka. Its a taboo for many Buddhists and Hindus. But my mother at the time was ...

Yes, again. This time, I did it in the simplest way possible; but plated it differently, from my previous attempts. Simple, because its just cream and mango cordial, mixed (half and half), a heaped teaspoon of dissolved gelatin added, to each cup's worth of mixture. (Fresh fruit reduction gives a more complex flavor, and takes more time). Usually I pour ...

This is variation on a previous post, steamed garoupa and i cooked it at night, thinking I wouldn't be blogging it, but it turned out so well, i really thought i must -- just to remember what i did. The photos were taken this morning, and so the fresh grilled texture of the dish, doesn't really come through -- but ...

Bak kut teh (Hokkien: 肉骨茶) is a Chinese soup popularly served in Malaysia, Singapore, China, Taiwan (where there is a predominant Hoklo and Teochew community) and also, cities of neighbouring countries like Batam of Indonesia and Hat Yai of Thailand. The name literally translates as "meat bone tea", and, at its simplest, consists of meaty pork ribs in a complex ...

My half life has been quiet for some time, but not going hungry. Much has been cooked, tested and eaten. Yes paws have been tried at new dishes, new directions and techniques. All will be revealed slowly, and some teasers have been trickling through our tight security. But here is some thing official that is new; simple and yet ...

This is more about the potatoes, really.I've blogged about roasting chicken at high heat before, at 500F (260C) -- which keeps the chicken moist, and the skin ultra crisp. This time i did the same, with some improvements. I made a puree of garlic, shallots, salt, white pepper, vinegar and olive oil (yes, 1 whole bulb of garlic, 1 large ...

Readers of my blog know I like to use stocks as a base to secure the solidity of flavors. My lentil soups are an example of this, the idea being that lentils are cooked, reduced in a chicken stock, perhaps with a vegetable like red pepper, and then pureed and creamed. And of course, my basic chicken soup, which i ...

Steamed Garoupa Originally uploaded by pradeep jeganathan. this is the simplest of dishes, if you can find fresh Garoupa. I've found it at fresh fish from time to time, but perhaps readers would know of other markets where its available.Have it cleaned in the store, or do so at home, (that is: descaled, gutted, well washed) -- marinade it ...

Thanks to the wonderful interest and sensitivity of Smriti Daniel, I had the pleasure of one of the coolest interviews I've ever given; what's more the article in the Sunday Times is succinct, deft and makes me look a lot better than I am.Thank you Smrithi

Ashan de Silva is a flickr buddy, I'm looking forward to meeting. He is a great photographer, and also I think, a cook. he also knows a lot about where to get what, and what's what :) He's been exchanging cooking tips with me for awhile, and some time ago, I asked him if there was a Sri Lankan equivalent ...

I wasn't going to photograph this, much less blog it. It wasn't all that very well planed; I was craving sausage rolls though -- and I had half packet of store bought dough, and a few food city garlic sauages. It turned out fine, the sausges were ever so juicy. I've written up the method before, and its simple -- but I think Pusella lingus is much better, really.

Roasted or braised, or some where in between, I think high heat is the answer to focusing on the moist taste of chicken. Curries are all very well, but in Sri Lanka cooks often smother the taste of chicken out -- which is good in it own way, of course.But then, its a different dish, not chicken really, its the ...

my-halflife as been quiet, as I was ill for a little while, and then was too upset by the war to do food posts. i've been posting on my other blog on that stuff though.i think we are well over the worst of it now, and i hope we can start again, and get it right, this time.new food posts will be coming up soon..:)