Steak Doneness Guide: Rare vs Medium Rare vs Well Done
Roasting large joints of meat to the correct doneness can be fairly difficult at times and once the roast is over done, there is no turning back. The difficulty starts...
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All posts by Thomas Wenger
Born in Bern, Switzerland, Thomas followed in the footsteps of his mother and entered a three-year cooking apprenticeship program and graduating it at the age of 20. Working a few short stints in a winter ski resort and a city hotel in Basel/Switzerland during the following years he took the opportunity to work in New York in 1986. What was originally planned as a one-year experience in New York lasted three years and went on to a global career, which led him to Australia and on to Hong Kong in 1990. For the past 15 years, Thomas has explored South East Asia and it’s cuisines and regional specialties. He worked in some of the most exciting cities in the world - Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok and his culinary style reflects the many experiences and the people he worked with. Throughout his career, Thomas liked the challenges and diversity of hotel operations. He recently joined a Hotel & Restaurant Management school in Manila, Philippines as Senior Culinary Faculty.
Sugar Cane Shrimp
There are numerous variations of this dish throughout Vietnam, southern China and Thailand. This particular recipe calls for a cuttlefish and shrimp mousse that is breaded and deep-fried while other...
Nuoc Cham: Vietnamese Dipping Sauce
Many recipes for "Nouc Cham" are calling for the garlic and the chili to be crushed in a mortar. You will need to find your own balance on that. The...
Orange and Beet Smoothie
Beetroot, in my view, is a much underrated vegetable. With the exception of the Scandinavian countries, where beetroot is a staple, it seems that beetroot is cheap and perhaps used...
Homemade Ranch Dressing
There must be as many Ranch dressing recipes as there are chefs, culinary enthusiasts and hobby cooks. I use this recipe since a number of years and recently I had...
Cured Salmon Recipe
This recipe is a staple in many kitchens and really an old way of preserving the freshly caught fish. It is all based on the marriage of salt and sugar,...
Cured Venison Appetizer with Feta-Green Olive Salad
Air dried venison or other game meat is considered a specialty throughout winter in many European countries. In order to preserve the meat gained during the short hunting season, for...
Temperatures for Serving Red, White, and Rosé Wines
Serving wine at the correct temperature is about as important for pleasure of drinking it as correct storage and handling. Wine served too cold cannot develop its full bouquet, but...
Why and How to Truss a Chicken
There are quite a few reasons why you might want to truss chickens ahead of roasting it, if not just because it has always been done that way and sometimes...
Food & Wine Pairing Tips from a Chef
Part of every great meal prepared and served is, of equal importance, the choice of beverage served with the individual dishes. Matching the great flavors of a dish with the...
How to Decant Wine
Let’s start with the why first: why decant wine to begin with? Decanting wines is primarily done for two purposes. Firstly, to pour off any sediment that may have formed...
Tapenade
I like olives in any shape and variety. For me, Tapenade, is the best you can do with an olive. This Mediterranean sauce/dip gives you the full, earthy, rich and...
Steamed Prawns with Papaya-Honey Salsa
Fruity goodness with a prawn – this is how I would describe this recipe. Personally, papaya or pawpaw is one of my favorite fruits. I like it for breakfast with...
Tempering Chocolate: Quick Guide on How to Temper Chocolate
Tempering is the process by which chocolate (couverture), when cool and solid after melting, becomes glossy, shiny and has that certain crispness that cracks, even at room temperature. This technique...
Hummus Recipe by Chef Thomas Wenger
I like the Middle Eastern Mezze or appetizers. Mezze almost always consists, of Hummus (chickpea - sesame spread) and Babaganoush (eggplant- sesame dip) served with warm pita bread. Other items...
Tabouleh Recipe by Chef Thomas Wenger
Tabouleh like hummus and babaghanouj has its origins in the Middle East, it is a salad made of parsley, wheat bulgur, tomato and lemon. I have some Lebanese friends and...
Normandy Apple Tart
Imagine a Sunday afternoon, somewhere in a idyllic little town in Normandy France, sipping "Cafe au lait" on a small marble table in front of a side walk cafe. Acompanying the cafe, a freshly...
What is Chiffonade?
Chiffonade, a French culinary term, is used to describe a specific cutting technique for green thin leaf vegetables and large leaf herbs. The end result or “chiffonade” is very finely...
Prawns in Carrot, Lime and Cilantro Dip
The recipe for this dip has been with me for a few years now. It combines the best of both worlds, the "Asiatic" spices of ginger, chili and lemongrass with...
Homemade Dukkah Recipe w/ Hazelnuts
Dukka, a.k.a Dukkah, is an Egyptian spice blend comprising of toasted nuts, seeds and spices. It can be sprinkled over cooked meat, poultry or vegetables, as a seasoning mixture, but...
Tuna Kinilaw (Kilawin) Recipe
Kilawin or kinilaw is a traditional Filipino dish of marinated/cured fish or seafood in vinegar and a souring agent such as the juice of calamansi or Kamias. Calamansi is a...
Salt Lassi Recipe & Mango Lassi Recipe
Lassi's are traditional frothy Indian yoghurt drinks, originally salty/savory but also served sweet; perfect for that hot summer afternoon. Lassi's in general are made by blending yoghurt with water (ice),...
Vegetables à la Grecque (Greek-Styled Veggies)
This is one of those recipes where it is really up to the chef that prepares it to add or remove the one or the other ingredient. The vegetables an...
Pâte à Choux (Choux Pastry) Recipe
Pate a choux is also called Choux paste or pastry or Chou dough and is a basic dough for many savory and sweet dishes. Pate a chou is the base...