As a child, and being one of the eldest grandchildren, I was lucky enough to enjoy leisurely breakfasts with my late nani (maternal grandmother) whenever I visited my grandparents’ home. For me, this was my time with my grandmother, sitting at the kitchen table and being served a portion of doi chira in an enamel bowl…

In the last 10 years, I have noticed how Chinese-style chilli oils have become a staple in many households’ pantries. This is thanks to the rise in international students from China, more specifically central China, travelling abroad to study or start new lives. Because central Chinese flavours are so unique…

Every region in China will tend to have their own version of this dish; however, the one I constantly crave is the garlicky spicy kind. The simple mix of soy sauce, chilli oil and raw garlic is such a classic central Chinese flavour that has grown to be very popular in the West too…

I came up with the idea for this dish after listening to two friends talk about instant noodles – a subject that is dear to my stomach. Peter reminisced about eating instant noodles, sprinkled with the seasoning mix, straight out of the packet, without cooking them first. Carol said that she hadn’t ever tasted one of my favourite instant noodles, Nongshim Shin Ramyun…

Our lamb chops have become a signature dish at Cassia. We have guests who come in each week to just have their Cassia lamb chop fix. This recipe uses a key spice blend called chapli kebab masala, which was introduced to the north of India by the Mughal kings. The spiced cream is inspired by Goan cuisine, which is in turn influenced by Anglo-Portugese flavours…

This recipe was an essential part of my growing up and has been handed down through generations, so I really felt that it was essential to include it. Brawn was considered a real treat when my mother made it after my father killed a pig. Traditionally we had it sliced on toast with Worcestershire sauce for breakfast…

We love burgers. A lot. We made SO many burgers to perfect this recipe. Basically, it’s a turbo-charged cheeseburger. And, well . . . yeah, it’s pretty perfect. If you can’t find mortadella, don’t sweat it — it’ll still be fantastic without it…

This was the beginning of our home-made hot sauce journey. One day Sarah said, ‘You know what? I could probably make a hot sauce that would go perfectly with our flavours . . .’ Habanero was our favourite sauce, and we wanted to start HOT so that one came first. But how hot? How thick?…

People often mistake salsa verde (green sauce) for pesto — but once you’ve tasted this tongue-tickler, you’ll want to put it on everything! Use it on pork chops or steak, blob it on schnitzel, drizzle it on cauliflower cheese, stir it through pasta and eggs. It also makes a great dip for corn chips…

Growing up in Korea, fried chicken was a special meal that we didn’t get to have often. Back then we had two choices — plain or gochujang — but these days, there are fried chicken shops all across Korea, doing their own flavours and styles. Fried chicken can seem incredibly simple, but in fact it’s quite complex…

Pork was such a treat for our family when we were young, as we grew up on a sheep farm and were more used to lamb and mutton. Pickled pork was especially beloved and would always feature on our Christmas table, so I’ve always been fond of the flavour…

In Hue, Vietnam, these pancakes are known as banh khoai, which translates as ‘happy cake’, and happiness is certainly what you’ll experience when you master this classic street dish. The key to replicating it at home is to get your frying pan nice and hot and to spread an even layer of the batter across the pan…

These Javanese-style fish cakes are simple to prepare, easy to cook and packed with flavour. Any white-fleshed fish will work and, while we’ve gone for snapper, by all means substitute with what’s freshest, sustainable and well-priced at your fishmonger or supermarket. No chilli required here – just whip up a batch of cucumber pickles and you’re away!…

We love the old-world, gruff charm of Kao Rou Ji restaurant in Beijing’s Houhai precinct. This gorgeous area is right on the lake and although it has been hijacked somewhat by souvenir shops and pizza joints, it still speaks of a time when life was a little less polished and a lot less Westernised. The dining room is filled with the smells of cumin and lamb and barbecued meat and this dish reminds us of being there…