SIA Around the World

Never thought in a million years that I’d be traveling to Wellington but of course, life trajectories happen and have lead me to this beautiful city. Wellington was the highlight of this trip to the Pacific Islands and I am glad I made the trek out there. Wellington, although small, is completely doable in a day or two. Its best enjoyed starting off the day at one of the many artisanal coffee shops, people watching by the bays and ending with a cocktail or two. One of the most hipster cities I’ve seen as a whole and I loved it all. Read on to find out why!

I know winter has come and gone already BUT I’m a little backlogged on posts, okay!? I had made this lentil shepherd’s pie in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day and was eating this by myself for almost a week - and I was not mad about it. So comforting and such a breeze to make. Honestly, you won’t miss the meat in this one!

Who knew you could make French meringues out of…bean liquid? Seriously guys, it’s a thing. I’m no stranger to the aquefaba movement but I just had to share this basic foundational recipe with you guys. Completely convincing and 100% vegan - don’t even think about wasting another carton of eggs to make meringues ever again! Recipe after the jump!

Is there a better combination of pear and bleu cheese? It’s such a classic combination and can gravitate equally to both a savoury and sweet scale. In this application, it’s best served as a dessert. Instead of presenting a simple cheese plate, why not marry both fruit and cheese into a a beautiful crumble? Your guests will be asking you for the recipe for days (as mine did!).

There’s something about marrying Asian and European food together. The flavours of the east lend an interesting element in otherwise very traditional European recipes. Now, this can either work or fail – there’s no middle ground. Luckily, a recipe I had found for gochujang spaghetti which worked marvels. This spicy and cheesy Bolognese sauce is tongue-tinglingly delicious. Finally, a use for that tub of gochujang you’ve been dying to use up!

Saucy. Glossy. Noodly. Jajangmyeon is a Chinese-Korean dish that will soon be making regular appearances in weeknight dinner roster (mainly because that jar of chunjang sauce is so large). This easy traditional and nostalgic Korean dish will want you coming back for more. Oh, and did I mention that this can all be done in under 30 minutes?

Pear and ginger pair so eloquently together. Like apple and cinnamon, this underdog pairing is perfect for a rainy day in or even to simply fill your house with the addictingly intoxicating aroma. Makes for a great breakfast, snack or dessert. Just try not to eat the whole thing in one sitting, okay?

Yakiudon has always been a go-to in my kitchen. It was one of the first meals I’d ever made when I was growing up - one that didn’t involve any condensed soup or onion soup mixes! It has been such a staple in my house and something that I crave out of all other Asian noodles. Big, fat udon noodles and a chock of vegetables…yum!

Stuck with leftover candy canes from work? Throw them in some chocolate cookies and call it a day. That’s what I did when I whipped these bad boys up. Fudgey and gooey with bits of crunchy candy canes, you definitely will not want to share this with Santa this holiday season!

When you have random ingredients in your kitchen that you don’t want to go to waste, you are forced to improvise and hope for the best! In this case, I married Quebecois cretons, mascarpone, dessert wine and red wine to create a wonderfully savoury and rich ragu. I would definitely call this one a winner! Recipe after the jump!

I have a new blog, hooray! After a long year of thinking about making this blog, I've finally taken the leap and just did it. This blog is centred around my two of my biggest loves: travel + food.