Recipes + Food Guides 🍳

NYT's 2008 Jacques Torres recipe. Brown butter + both sugars + 36-hour dough rest + Valrhona chips + sea salt on top. The gold standard. Double the recipe — they'll disappear.

Dry and season chuck beef, sear in batches in a Dutch oven until deeply browned — do not rush this, it is the flavor foundation. Deglaze with cognac, add a full bottle of Burgundy wine + beef stock + tomato paste + bouquet garni, braise at 160°C for 2.5 hours. Separately sauté bacon lardons + pearl onions + mushrooms and stir in the last 30 min. The braising liquid reduces to a silky, wine-dark sauce that coats each piece. Better the next day — always make it the day before.

The broth is everything: char onion and ginger directly on an open flame or under the broiler until blackened on the outside — this caramelization is the flavor backbone. Simmer beef bones (knuckle + marrow) with the charred aromatics, star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom, and coriander seeds for 6 hours, skimming constantly. Season with fish sauce and rock sugar. Strain the broth until crystal clear. Assemble in bowls: flat rice noodles + thinly sliced raw beef (it cooks in the boiling broth) + beef balls. Serve with a plate of Thai basil, bean sprouts, lime wedges, hoisin, and sriracha — each person builds their own bowl.

White fish fillets coated in coconut curry paste (kroeung), wrapped in banana leaves, steamed. Kroeung = lemongrass + galangal + garlic + shallots + turmeric + kaffir lime. Top with coconut cream + chili. Served over jasmine rice.

Pork bones simmered 10-12 hours until broth is milky-white. Topped with chashu pork belly, soft-boiled egg marinated in soy, scallions, nori, corn, butter. Labor-intensive but unbeatable. Shortcut: pressure cooker 4h gets you 80% there.

Dark chocolate + butter melted together. Cocoa powder for depth. Brown sugar for chew. Chocolate chunks folded in. Bake 25 min — err slightly underdone for that fudgy center. Let cool before cutting (patience).

Salt (kosher + flaky finishing), pepper, olive oil, neutral oil, vinegars (rice/sherry/red), soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, flour, sugar (brown + white), baking soda/powder, honey, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, stock cubes, tuna, beans (chickpeas, black), rice (jasmine + short-grain), pasta (long + short), onions, garlic, ginger, lemons, limes, parmesan, Dijon, hot sauce.

Pat ribeye completely dry, season aggressively with kosher salt and pepper 30 min ahead (or overnight). Sear in cast-iron at max heat — 2 min per side untouched for crust. Reduce to medium, add 3 tbsp butter + crushed garlic + thyme and continuously baste for 2 min. Rest 5 min before slicing — this step is not optional. Slice against the grain. Internal temp targets: 54°C rare, 57°C medium-rare, 63°C medium.

Base: 60g rolled oats + 1 scoop whey + 250ml milk + chia seeds. Shake, refrigerate overnight. 5 flavor variations: peanut butter + banana, chocolate + cherry, apple + cinnamon, blueberry + almond, PB&J. Make 5 jars Sunday = week of breakfasts.

Bone-in chicken thighs braised in red wine with bacon lardons + mushrooms + pearl onions + garlic + thyme. Low and slow 90 min. Reduces to silky, rich stew. Serve over mashed potato or crusty bread.

Thinly sliced pork shoulder marinated overnight in coconut milk + garlic + fish sauce + palm sugar, then charcoal-grilled at dawn until caramelized. Served over broken jasmine rice with a side of pickled daikon-and-carrot and a clear ginger broth to sip. The coconut marinade creates a golden crust unique to this dish — no grill means no authentic Bai Sach Chrouk. Every Cambodian food market opens before 7am for this reason.

Season cooked short-grain Japanese rice with sushi vinegar (rice vinegar + sugar + salt, dissolved and folded in while rice is warm). Fan the rice to cool and achieve the characteristic sticky-glossy texture. Top with sashimi-grade salmon, tuna, and yellowtail sliced against the grain, plus cured tamago (sweet rolled egg), cucumber, avocado, tobiko (flying fish roe), pickled ginger, and sesame seeds. Drizzle with soy and a line of wasabi on the side. The key is rice quality and vinegar balance — everything else follows from that foundation.

Bibimbap = "mixed rice" — the ritual is the stir. Prepare banchan-style toppings individually: sauté spinach with sesame + garlic, blanch and season bean sprouts, julienne and sauté zucchini and carrot, cook thinly sliced bulgogi beef in soy-sesame marinade. Add all over warm rice in a bowl with a fried egg (yolk runny) in the center. Mix gochujang, sesame oil, and rice vinegar into a sauce and drizzle over. For dolsot bibimbap: heat a stone bowl until screaming hot, grease with sesame oil, add rice, let it sizzle 3 min to form a crispy bottom crust (nurungji) — this is the best part. Stir everything vigorously tableside.

Pan-sear 150g sliced chicken breast with garlic + soy + ginger. Serve over rice with steamed broccoli + sriracha mayo. Classic gym-bro lunch. Meal prep 5 portions in 30 min.

Cubed beef marinated in soy + oyster sauce + sugar + pepper, wok-seared hot and fast (shaking in the pan). Served over lettuce + tomato + onion with a dipping sauce of lime + Kampot pepper + salt. With rice.

1 scoop whey + 1 banana + 250ml milk + 1 tbsp peanut butter + oats + ice. Perfect 3:1 carb-to-protein ratio for recovery. Consume within 30 min post-workout. Add creatine 5g while you're there.

400g pasta + roux + 500ml milk + 200g gruyere + 200g aged cheddar + Dijon + nutmeg. Top with panko + butter + parmesan. Bake 20 min at 200°C. Triple cheese, crisp top, pure joy.

Thin rice vermicelli in a clear pork-bone broth simmered 6+ hours with dried shrimp, squid, and rock sugar for sweetness. Topped with pork slices, pork balls, shrimp, fried garlic, scallions, and crispy shallots. Served with a plate of fresh bean sprouts, lime wedges, Thai basil, and chili slices — you customize the heat yourself. The broth is the star: sweet, savory, and deceptively simple.

Simmer a whole chicken with onion halves, celery, carrot, garlic head (halved), peppercorns, and bay leaves in cold water — starting cold extracts more collagen and produces a clearer broth. After 2.5 hours remove the chicken, shred the meat, strain the broth. Return shredded chicken + fresh diced carrot + celery + onion + egg noodles or rice to the strained broth for 15 min. Season with salt and fresh dill at the end. The fat layer on top is flavor — do not discard it.

The flavor balance is the dish: sour (lime), sweet (palm sugar), salty (fish sauce), spicy (Thai chili), umami (dried shrimp). Pound 2 bird's eye chilies and 2 cloves garlic in a mortar until broken, not paste — texture is part of the experience. Add palm sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, and a few long beans and cherry tomatoes — bruise, not pulverize. Add 200g julienned unripe green papaya and toss with peanuts and dried shrimp. Taste and adjust — it should hit all four notes simultaneously. Eat immediately; green papaya wilts fast once dressed.

The French omelette is a technique test, not a recipe. Beat 3 eggs with a pinch of salt just enough to combine — do not over-beat. Heat a small non-stick pan over medium-high, add 1 tbsp butter and wait until the foam subsides and just begins to turn golden. Add eggs and immediately start scrambling with a rubber spatula in fast circular motions while simultaneously shaking the pan. The moment the eggs are 80% set (still slightly wet on top), stop stirring, let the omelette set for 5 seconds, then roll it out onto a plate using the pan's edge. It should be pale yellow on the outside, custardy inside, with no brown spots. Fill with fresh fines herbes (chives, tarragon, chervil) if desired. Total cook time: 90 seconds.

Layer 200g Greek yogurt + 30g granola + handful berries + honey drizzle. 30g of protein, keeps you full till lunch. Prep 7 at a time in Mason jars for grab-and-go breakfast week.

Fresh rice noodles in a yellow-green fish-based coconut kroeung broth. Topped with fresh raw vegetables: cucumber, banana flower, bean sprouts, herbs. Breakfast staple across Cambodia.

Cubed sashimi-grade tuna + soy + sesame + ginger + scallion + chili. Over rice with edamame, cucumber, avocado, pickled ginger, seaweed, sesame. Sriracha mayo drizzle. Healthy, fast, beautiful.

1) Rock chop (fine herbs). 2) Julienne (thin sticks). 3) Dice (cubes). 4) Chiffonade (ribbons — basil). 5) Mince (garlic). Sharp knife + claw grip (knuckles guide blade) + don't rush. Better knife skills = faster prep = cooking more at home = saving money.

Cold day-old rice is non-negotiable — fresh rice turns mushy from the steam. Heat wok until smoking, add oil, fry 2 eggs until just set and break into chunks, push to side. Add the cold rice and press flat against the hot wok surface for 60 seconds without stirring to develop a crust. Season with soy sauce + sesame oil + white pepper. Add scallions off heat. Optional: diced char siu pork, frozen peas, shrimp.

A distinctly Cambodian sour soup built on a base of tamarind and fish sauce — the souring agent sets it apart from Thai tom yum or Vietnamese canh chua. Bring pork ribs or whole prawns to a boil with lemongrass stalks and sliced galangal. Add tamarind concentrate, fish sauce, palm sugar, and fresh pineapple chunks for natural acidity. Finish with sliced tomatoes, bean sprouts, long beans, and fresh basil leaves added off heat to preserve their brightness. Taste should be sour-first, then savory, with the faintest sweetness at the back. Served with jasmine rice.

Chicken strips + bell peppers + onions on a sheet pan. Olive oil + cumin + chili + paprika + garlic + lime. 425°F for 20 min. Serve with warm tortillas, lime wedges, avocado.

Chicken + sweet potato + eggplant + long beans in a coconut red kroeung broth. Less coconut-heavy than Thai red curry, more aromatic with herbs. Serve with baguette (colonial French influence).

Rice noodles stir-fried with egg, tofu/shrimp, bean sprouts, chives, peanuts. Sauce: tamarind paste + fish sauce + palm sugar + chili. Garnished with lime, crushed peanuts, banana flower (if available). Street-stall authentic vs Americanized — real one has NO ketchup.

Jasmine rice slow-cooked 45 minutes in chicken or pork stock (4:1 liquid-to-rice ratio) until grains fully dissolve into a velvety porridge. Season the base with fish sauce and ginger. Top with shredded chicken, soft-boiled egg, crispy fried shallots, sliced ginger, scallions, and fresh cilantro. A splash of lime juice at the table brightens the whole bowl. Cambodians eat this for breakfast, after illness, or as late-night street food.

Spread mayo (not butter) on the outside of the bread — mayo has a higher smoke point and creates a more uniform golden crust. Cheese combo: sharp cheddar + gruyere + fontina for pull, flavor, and melt. Cook on medium-low heat for 4 minutes per side with a lid on to melt cheese fully before the bread burns. Press gently with a spatula. Add extras inside: caramelized onions, Dijon, jalapeño, or thinly sliced apple. Pair with tomato soup for maximum comfort.

Glutinous rice flour kneaded with water into a soft dough, filled with a mixture of palm sugar and toasted sesame seeds, then rolled into small balls and boiled until they float. Served in warm coconut milk sweetened with a little palm sugar and a pinch of salt. The contrast between the chewy outer shell, the molten palm sugar center, and the fragrant coconut broth makes this one of the most beloved Cambodian desserts — sold by street vendors in the late afternoon across Phnom Penh.

The two rules: (1) medium heat — the cheese must fully melt before the tortilla burns, which means patience; (2) do not over-fill — a thin, even layer melts better than a stuffed quesadilla that falls apart. Spread a flour tortilla with refried beans, add shredded Monterey Jack + sharp cheddar, then any of: cooked chicken, sautéed peppers and onions, jalapeños, corn. Fold in half. Cook 2.5 min per side, pressing with a spatula, until deep golden and crisp. Rest 1 minute before cutting into wedges so the cheese sets slightly. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.

Heat olive oil in a pan, cook half a diced onion until soft, add 3 garlic cloves minced, then 1 tsp smoked paprika + 1 tsp cumin + half tsp chipotle chili powder. Add 2 cans drained black beans + a small pour of water, simmer 8 min until sauce thickens and coats the beans. Season with salt and a squeeze of lime. Serve over rice with sliced avocado, pickled red onion, fresh cilantro, and a drizzle of sriracha. The smoky-spiced beans do all the work — no meat needed. Meal-prep the beans and they keep 4 days refrigerated.

250g pasta + 500ml stock + 200g baby spinach + 4 garlic cloves + 150g mushrooms all in one pan. Simmer 12 min until pasta absorbs stock. Add 100g parmesan + cream. Minimal dishes.

Shrimp + broccoli + carrots + snow peas + garlic + ginger. Sauce: soy + sesame oil + rice vinegar + cornstarch + brown sugar. Wok hot, in and out in 5 min after prep. Serve over rice.

6 egg whites + 1 whole egg + spinach + tomato + bell pepper + 30g feta. Fry in non-stick with spray oil. Serve with side of berries. Bodybuilder staple, low-cal protein bomb.

Glutinous rice flour mixed with palm sugar, coconut milk, and a pinch of salt, poured into banana-leaf cups and steamed until set. The surface is brushed with coconut cream mid-steam to create a silky sheen. Best served warm — the outer rim is slightly chewy while the center stays custardy and fragrant. A street market staple found across Phnom Penh and Siem Reap markets.

Cook 200g spaghetti. While pasta boils, heat olive oil + 4 garlic cloves + chili flakes + 2 cans drained tuna + capers + olives in a pan for 3 minutes. Toss hot pasta into the pan with a ladle of pasta water to emulsify. Finish with lemon zest, parsley, and a heavy hand of black pepper. The pasta water starch is the sauce — do not drain it all. Zero cream, zero cheese, fully flavored.

Mash 2 very ripe bananas until smooth — the riper the banana (black-spotted), the sweeter and more flavorful. Mix into batter: 1.5 cups flour + 1 tbsp baking powder + 1 tbsp sugar + pinch salt + 1 cup milk + 1 egg + 2 tbsp melted butter + 1 tsp vanilla. Do not overmix — lumpy batter makes fluffier pancakes. Cook in butter on medium heat, flip only once when bubbles form across the surface. Top with sliced banana, maple syrup, and toasted walnuts.

Drain 2 cans of tuna and mix with mayonnaise (generous), finely diced celery, a little Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Taste it — it should be tangy and well-seasoned on its own. Spread thickly on thick-cut bread (sourdough or white sandwich), top with sliced tomato, then pile sharp cheddar over everything. Broil for 4–5 minutes until cheese is bubbling and the edges of the bread are crispy. Eat open-face while the cheese is still molten. Simple, satisfying, done in 12 minutes using only pantry staples.

Toast sourdough. Mash half an avocado with lemon + salt. Top with poached or fried egg. Generous everything bagel seasoning. Chili flakes. Fast, satisfying, Instagram-able.

3 tbsp chia + 250ml milk + 1 tbsp peanut butter + cocoa + honey. Shake, refrigerate overnight. Thickens to pudding. Breakfast or dessert — healthy enough either way.

The single rule of stir-fry: wok must be screaming hot (smoking) before any ingredient goes in. Work in batches — broccoli + carrot first (2 min), remove, then bell pepper + snap peas + mushrooms (90 sec), remove. Sauce: 2 tbsp soy + 1 tbsp oyster sauce + 1 tsp sesame oil + 1 tsp cornstarch + splash of water. Return all veg, add sauce, toss 30 sec. Serve immediately — resting kills the texture.