Spicy Things

  • Chicken Soup Cure for Sino Black Lung

    This was originally going to be my ode to caldo xochitl, the soup I first had in a tiny little cafe in San Cristobal de las Casas about 3 years ago. I should note that thereafter, I had it again…

  • The Hundred Beans Campaign: Red Chili For China

    Shanghai’s frigid and grim season has landed with a cold, heavy thump. Last night in bed, my hands went kind of numb as I tried to read a book under my two thick duvets, with just my head and fingers…

  • 5-Spice Qiézi: Fun with Aubergines

    I should be trying to sleep right now. It’s nearly 10pm and I have an 8am train to catch tomorrow morning, whisking me off to the glittering metropolis of Hefei, the esteemed capital city of Anhui province which is about…

  • Spicy 卡罗来纳州 Style Crock-Pot Pulled Pork

    I should preface this one by noting that I’m sick today. Part cold, part sore throat, part achy dopiness. Which is why I kind of screwed up some key parts of this recipe. If you look below at the recipe,…

  • Autumn’ish Roasted Garlic and Pumpkin Soup

    This one is technically a two-parter, as I made the soup at the same time as I threw together the Xinjiang Irish stew. The stew will come later. I don’t want to confuse everyone with too many different things under…

  • Salma, the Ancient (and Awesome) Pasta!

    My unemployment is showing. I haven’t done a lick of work since the end of September.  I’ve kept myself occupied with bursts of scone-baking (using the leftover whey from the ricotta cake topping from last week), minestrone-cooking, tortilla-wokking and waaaay…

  • Niúròu Biryani in a Wok, 中国烹饪风格

    So I’m cheating a bit on this one. I have a secret weapon. A secret Canadian weapon. A secret, um, Surrey, BC, weapon. Which is also, technically, an Indian weapon. Or Pakistani, depending on which one I use.  My aunt…