May 2025 favourites list

Hello my foodie chums!

This month’s collection is all about being in the kitchen. In a good way, of course! From kitchen tips based in science, to recipes from Korea and Malaysia, to making your own salsa without a recipe, it’s all here and more.

This month’s photos are of my recent cooking exploits. It was only when I collected them together that I realised I have been obsessed with rice dishes! Is this something which happens to other people? I thought I just jumped from one idea to another when choosing what to cook and eat. I didn’t think there was any particular theme… but the evidence which will follow really does suggest otherwise! It isn’t even that all of the dishes come from the same tradition, either. But it has been fun exploring Spanish style rice with chorizo and prawn, Hainanese chicken rice (where the rice is cooked in the poaching water used for the chicken), a pork mince rich Ma po tofu, and rice with the Sausage Yachae Bokkeum recipe shared below.

Whatever you have been cooking and eating, I hope it has given you sustenance, satisfaction and joy. 

Spanish bomba rice with chorizo, prawns and peas

 

Food writing

This month, my food writing fix has come from Issue 1 of Vittles magazine. After 5 years as an online entity, Jonathan Nunn has finally pulled off the feat of a printed paper edition of the freewheeling, innovative, and thought-provoking newsletter. The list of contributors will surprise you, as will the variety of food topics covered. The initial run sold out, but thankfully, they have restocked. Get yours here: https://vittlesmagazine.myshopify.com/products/vittles-magazine-issue-1-spring-2025-preorder

Recipes

Sausage Yachae Bokkeum or Korean Ketchup Fried Frankfurters from Su Scott’s book “Pocha” is a recipe I tried making recently, thanks to Kavey’s blog post recipe. It’s a fun and easy dish you could have as a snack with beer, or a lunch, but I maxxed it up with rice to make it dinner: https://www.kaveyeats.com/korean-ketchup-fried-frankfurters

Sausage Yachae Bokkeum with steamed rice

This Chinese style sizzling oil sauce can be used on almost anything and is not the same as your Chilli crisp oil (although I often have a jar of Lao Gan Ma in the kitchen): https://lifehacker.com/food-drink/sizzling-oil-sauce-recipe

The Roti King recipe for Malaysian roti (flatbread), the street food classic, shared by Sugen Gopal, who has finally put together a long awaited Malaysian cuisine cookbook: https://www.ft.com/content/30f2161e-c41c-4047-9436-a02898e3ff86

Archived here: https://archive.ph/lZxCA

More Sugen Gopal Malaysian  recipes here – chicken rendang and rasam: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/apr/29/chicken-rendang-and-rasam-recipes-sugen-gopal-malaysian-recipes-comfort-food

A plant based alternative to smashed avo on toast – crispy chickpeas on “green toast” (green pea mash) from Dr Rupy Aujla: https://www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/vegan/crispy-chickpeas-on-green-toast/

 

Hainanese chicken rice - more flavourful than the colour suggests

Kitchen tips

Scientific paper on fluid dynamics considers how to reduce the tears when cutting onions – the verdict? Keep your knife as sharp as possible: https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.06016

I’m not a fan of boiled broccoli, I steam mine instead (5mins al dente, 7mins fully cooked). But this article recommends roasting with instructions for both ovens and air fryers: https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/boost-your-broccoli-cooking-one-35206401

Would you cook steak in the dishwasher? I’m deeply sceptical, but apparently, once vacuum packed, and with no detergent tablet, it works: https://www.vice.com/en/article/dishwashers-can-cook-the-perfect-rare-steak-meat-lover-claims/

 

A pork mince version of Ma Po tofu

Rick Martínez, author of Salsa Daddy: Dip Your Way Into Mexican Cooking shares his tips for making homemade salsa: https://www.realsimple.com/homemade-salsa-tips-11722298

I’ve never worked in a restaurant, but I have always used the “back to front” rule of loading the dishwasher. Here is the guide to how to load the dishwasher, as gleaned from working in a restaurant: https://www.foodandwine.com/right-way-to-load-a-dishwasher-11726925

Please note: as with every monthly Favourites List, all of these items have been selected by me simply because I love them. I do not receive any money, benefits in kind or other incentive for posting these links or recommendations.

April 2025 Favourites list

Hello my internet friends! Welcome to this month’s list of food related stuff. I’m going heavy on the tips and advice this month, as I’ve been wanting to broaden my cooking horizons and knowledge. I hope you enjoy this month’s selections. 

 

Food writing

It’s a ubiquitous tabletop condiment, known by everyone. But what actually is “ketchup”? https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-ketchup

Food advice and kitchen tips

Mis en place (or “meez” as it is often referred to) is a kitchen skill chefs swear by; getting everything ready in advance and having it to hand(In terms of “manliness”, no, I don’t think this is just for men, it just happens to be where I found this piece): https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/advice/mis-en-place/

Some of my experiments with Gochujaru and Szechuan cooking have led to some incendiary dishes. This advice on how to fix a dish which is too hot is something I’ll be keeping in mind: https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-fix-a-dish-thats-too-spicy-article

The celery in my local Turkish grocers comes with a healthy and vibrant head of leaves and it always seems like a shame not to use them. Other than putting them in salads or stock, here is a very handy use, especially if you love a Bloody Mary: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/mar/22/how-to-turn-excess-celery-leaves-into-celery-salt-recipe-zero-waste-cooking

The “Just One Cookbook” website, written by Namiko Chen, is an excellent source of Japanese recipes and know-how. Here Nami sets out the difference between Soba and Udon noodles. https://www.justonecookbook.com/difference-between-soba-and-udon-noodles/

Many of us need to think about reducing our sodium intake. While both soy sauce and MSG contain sodium, they can deliver lots of flavour while still reducing your overall sodium intake. Lifehacker’s resident food expert Allie explains all here: https://lifehacker.com/food-drink/reduce-salt-intake-with-soy-sauce-msg

If you’ve ever seen the Chinese Cooking Demystified YouTube channel, Steph and Chris give detailed and careful explanations about ingredients, techniques, and dishes. Their guide to rice cookers is every bit as helpful and informative as you’d expect, and there is a video of an epic 7 minute rant which is well worth your attention: https://chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/rice-cookers-a-guide

Chris’s 7 minute rant on rice cookers and cooking equipment can also be found here: https://youtu.be/OpDh_O473Ms?si=8iXfgVYOiG45p7ep

 

Recipes

The Vietnamese dish “Shaking beef” is a well known one, and I’ve enjoyed it at a Viet café close to my workplace. Here’s a variation for you all, served with pasta: https://www.thekitchn.com/shaking-beef-pasta-recipe-23714820

José Pizarro’s recipe for spring lamb and asparagus rice with saffron and fino: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/apr/15/spring-lamb-asparagus-rice-saffron-fino-recipe-jose-pizarro

Yari Club, on London’s St Martin’s Lane, specialises in Yakitori (Japanese grilled skewers) and cocktails. This is their take on Otoso (spiced Sake): https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/mar/14/cocktail-of-the-week-yari-clubs-spiced-sake-recipe

 

What you might have missed at Snig’s Kitchen

My most recent instant noodle review – Itsu’s chick n ramen (vegan) instant noodle in a pot: https://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2025/03/itsu-chick-n-ramen-instant-noodle-review.html

Please note: as with every monthly Favourites List, all of these items have been selected by me simply because I love them. I do not receive any money, benefits in kind or other incentive for posting these links or recommendations.

March 2025 favourites list

It is late March and here in the UK spring is springing. With it, lighter mornings and a little bit of sunshine. The brash colour of the early spring flowers are such a joy to behold after the dreary winter months. 

 

I hope you enjoy this month’s selection with some photos I have taken of this spring’s flowers.

Food writing

Olive Magazine picks the best places to eat in Shoreditch, London: https://www.olivemagazine.com/restaurants/shoreditch-foodie-guide-where-to-eat-and-drink/

Asma Khan is the creator of Darjeeling Express, a unique restaurant empowering women. In this interview, she speaks about sexism in the hospitality industry and why it doesn’t have to be this way. https://metro.co.uk/2025/03/08/female-chefs-kept-quiet-years-need-call-toxic-kitchens-22690539/

This is childish, but I couldn’t resist… Why do beans make you fart? https://www.self.com/story/why-do-beans-make-you-fart

 

Food advice and kitchen tips

Made one of those recipes requiring only half a can of coconut milk? Found yourself throwing away the other half? Don’t do this again – freeze it! https://lifehacker.com/food-drink/yes-you-can-freeze-coconut-milk

This How To guide from BBC Good Food has given me ideas on how to shake up my home cooking – the ingredients which will change how you cook. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/ingredients-that-will-change-the-way-you-cook

Andrew Wong shares his wisdom on Chinese cooking sauces, plus his recipes for Beef XO, ginger and spring onion relish, and black bean sauce: https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/andrew-wongs-chinese-sauces-masterclass/

 

Recipes

Spring means the start of salad season. To bridge the gap, here is Nigel Slater’s recipe for a raw winter slaw with herby mayonnaise: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/feb/11/nigel-slaters-recipe-for-raw-winter-slaw-with-herby-mayo

If you follow me on Bluesky, you’ll know about my Chaat obsession. Here is Dishoom’s Tandoori chaat charred sweet potato recipe: https://www.dishoom.com/journal/recipes/dishoom-tandoori-chaat-charred-sweet-potato-recipe/

Easy healthy Indian curry recipes for midweek recipe inspiration: https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/wellness/midweek-meals-recipe-indian-curry-easy-healthy-cooking-b1209098.html

 

Food and health

There are a lot of food scares out there. This seems like a balanced and helpful look at the issue of mercury levels in tuna: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/mercury_in_tuna

I have joked about how there’s a second stomach for dessert, and it seems this has some basis in science. Who knew? https://www.npr.org/2025/03/15/nx-s1-5328768/sugar-brain-cravings-dessert

What you might have missed at Snig’s Kitchen

My latest instant noodle review – Itsu’s chick n ramen (vegan) instant noodle in a pot: https://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2025/03/itsu-chick-n-ramen-instant-noodle-review.html

My beginners guide to Chaat: https://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2025/02/chaat-beginners-guide.html

TV

Unforgotten, Season 6

Sanjeev Bhaskar returns as DI Sunny Khan working with DCI Jessica James (played by Sinead Keenan) investigating a “fresh” cold case involving body parts found on Whitney Marsh. Taking in themes of what it is like to be a carer, neurodiversity, incel culture, right wing news channels, tensions in contemporary academia, and the timeless matters of human nature. It has received unfair criticism for being “political” but as writer and creator Chris Lang said “I like to hold up a mirror to the UK, and reflect where we are".

Available on ITV player:

https://www.itv.com/watch/unforgotten/2a3372/2a3372a0031

Please note: as with every monthly Favourites List, all of these items have been selected by me simply because I love them. I do not receive any money, benefits in kind or other incentive for posting these links or recommendations.

Itsu Chick N Ramen instant noodle review

Wandering around, idly gawping at the shelves of ingredients and food items at Longdan (the Vietnamese grocery shop in Lewisham which specialises in east Asian food products and plant based eating) is something I relish. On a recent visit, I spotted some instant cup/pot style noodles from Itsu. Itsu runs east Asian inspired take away/restaurant outlets in the UK, but have diversified into food products available in some supermarkets and speciality grocers. The packaging promised noodles in “hand crafted broth” which immediately grabbed my interest. I paid £1.95 for one pot of Itsu Chick N Ramen.

 

The product

Itsu have, according to their packaging, collaborated with a “highly respected food entrepreneur” from Japan named Yoshihiro, who has created the sesame miso broth paste in this pack. The broth paste is, they say, inspired by the ramen chefs of Tokyo. They have put Yoshihiro’s picture on the container, and he looks like a kindly uncle who is very particular about his noodle broth. Either that, or I’m a sucker for cutesy marketing. 

 

The “Chick-n” labelling on the packet is misleading, as these noodles, when made up are vegan and vegetarian. The packaging clearly states the product is suitable for vegans. I would suggest that since the main flavour here is miso, that the product should be renamed, the current name is just confusing! Unfortunately, this product, because there is a small amount of alcohol in the broth mix, is not Halal. 

 

What’s Inside

Once I popped off the lid, I found a sachet of sesame miso based broth paste. 

 

As a set out above, it does contain alcohol, making it unsuitable for those eating a Halal diet. There was insufficient information on the packet to determine if it is kosher. (Wine can be kosher if produced correctly, and unflavoured sake is capable of being kosher). The broth has miso paste, sesame paste, yeast extract, and a number of other flavourings and spices.

 

There was also a cake of rice noodles which were fairly narrow, but very thin, which lend themselves for quick cooking/reconstitution in the pot. These noodles, being made from rice flour, are suitable for those on a gluten free diet who normally miss out on noodle products. They are also very low in fat. Obviously, they contain carbohydrates, being made out of rice. But as I have said many times, I’ve never met a carbohydrate I didn’t like!

What does it taste like

I made the noodles according to the instructions and as a result they were soft, but not squidgy or too yielding. 

 

I enjoyed their texture, which is reminiscent of the Vietnamese rice noodles used for Pho. There’s a touch of chilli heat thanks to the dried red chilli and dried spring onion which come with the noodles. If you were to forget about these noodles when reconstituting and return much later, I think that they could become soggy rapidly because they are so thin. Put your timer on!

 

I should mention that these noodles are not ramen noodles, nor do they taste like ramen noodles. Again, the product name doesn’t truly reflect the nature of the product itself, but Itsu are popular enough that this is unlikely to matter. 

 

The broth, however, is the true highlight. It has richness, a touch of creaminess, umami savouriness, and feels much more luxurious than you’d expect from an instant noodle product. Is it “hand crafted” as claimed? I can’t say. But it is definitely flavourful and makes this product worth the price.

 

I modded my noods (as you do!) by adding toasted sesame seeds and chopped spring onions. The freshness of the spring onions added crunch and the green aromas and flavours I love from spring onions (a hero ingredient in east Asian food). Toasted sesame seeds can’t be eaten by everyone because of concerns about nut allergies, but I love their rich smell and nutty flavour. Because I made these noodles at home, I was able to toast the seeds immediately before eating, but if eating instant noodles at home, I would buy some pre-toasted sesame seeds from an Asian grocery shop.

I use Gingey Bites’ rating system for my noodles. For Alex’s scoring method and an index of all of her instant noodle reviews, please see: https://gingeybites.com/guide-to-instant-noodles

Texture 7/10

Flavour 8/10

Ease of making 10/10

Would I buy them again: Yes

For my previous Instant noodle reviews please see:

You can read my review of Nissin x Shoryu “Ramen Masters” Cup Noodle: https://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2024/01/nissin-x-shoryu-ramen-masters-cup.html

You can read my review of Maruchan spicy chicken and prawn noodles here: https://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2024/05/maruchan-spicy-chicken-and-prawn.html

You can read my review of Nongshim brand’s “Chapagetti” noodles here: https://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2024/09/nongshim-chapagetti-noodle-review.html

If you follow my instant noodle reviews, you will know I love to add ingredients and flavours to instant noodles. Here, at Kavey Eats blog (run by the brilliant food, travel and cooking enthusiast Kavita – AKA Kavey) is a new spin on modifying Korean instant noodles from Su Scott’s new cookbook Pocha: https://www.kaveyeats.com/tomato-kimchi-ramyun-instant-noodle

This review represents the genuine opinions of Snigdha, who has received no incentive to write this review, and who purchased the product with her own money.