Master this recipe, and you'll open a whole entire window of possibilities with hummus variations. You'll also start to wonder why you ever thought store-bought, mass-produced hummus was good. It shall also trigger other emotions, such as "why the heck do restaurants charge RM12 per serving for this thing?", because it's super cheap, and super healthy, to make your own.

What You Need:
1 can of chickpeas, or equal amount of chickpeas you soaked and boiled yourself
2 tbsp tahini
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp salt
Juice of 1/3 lemon
​1 small clove garlic
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp water

What You Do:
There is only a single instruction - dump all of them into a processor and blitz until it becomes a puree. Looks too thick? Add a splash of water. Adjust to your taste accordingly.
Note: Keeps for 1 week in the fridge, longer if frozen.

Eating in Japan was like a dream. In fact, right now I’m sitting at my writing desk in the blistering hot weather of Kuala Lumpur and just daydreaming of walking down the clean streets of the Tokyo suburbs on a chilly evening and popping into a small, random, I-don’t-know-what-the-signboard-is-saying neighbourhood restaurant, sitting down at the bar seat and eating a bowl of rice with grilled freshwater eel (unagi) slathered in sticky, caramelised soy sauce marinade, with a bowl of steaming miso soup with some fresh clams.

What was that? Oh yeah. Anyway.

I like to cook, but I’ve never really tried making anything Japanese (except for some dressed soba noodles). So for a while there I practiced making some simple Japanese grub for starters. My favourite has always been gyoza, or Japanese dumplings. It’s made with a filling of white meat and some veg, and what makes it different than the usual dumplings is that it is lightly pan-fried at the bottom before getting a steam – this gives it a crispy, brown bottom that adds more texture to the whole thing.

This recipe makes almost 2 dozens gyozas.

What You Need:
1 packet gyoza wrappers (at the frozen section of the grocery store)
250 gm minced chicken (I make my own, using chicken breasts)
1 handful cabbage, shredded
1 tsp grated ginger
1tbsp grated garlic
1 tbsp soy sauce
Salt
The dipping sauce – minced garlic, chopped chili, light soy sauce, a dash of vinegar

What You Do:

1. Mix minced chicken, cabbage, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and salt in a bowl. You have to be sure the mix is really well seasoned, otherwise it will be bland (I learned this the hard way)
2. Take the gyoza wrapper out from freezer, it should be thawed for a good 20 mins before use.
3. Put 1 tsp filling in the center of the gyoza wrapper, dip you fingers in some water and wet the edges of the wrapper. Fold it into half-moons.
4. You can crimp the edges to make them look nice, otherwise, who cares? They will still taste great.
5. Put a large pan over medium heat, with 1 tbsp oil. Make sure the surface of the pan is covered with a thin film of oil
6. Place the gyozas snugly in the pan, flat side down. After 2 minutes, check one to see if it has already browned at the bottom.
7. Add some water until the dumpling are covered about 1/3 in water, then put the lid on.
8. Allow to steam until all the water is gone.
9. Transfer to a plate.
10. I recommend eating them with the dipping sauce, or if you want to make a whole meal out of it, with some garlicky fried rice.

What’s the big deal about hasselback potatoes? Originating from a Swedish restaurant of the same name in the 1700s (and now this Bugis girl is making them), here are reasons why you should be roasting them.

• They are drop dead easy to make
• They make you look like a first class fancy schmancy cook when you know you’re not
• They are crusty on the outside and soft in the inside

You can top them with herby yoghurt, plain yoghurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, ketchup… you name it. They are amazing as a side to grilled fish, meat, chicken or even balsamic grilled veggies for a meat-free dinner. Or, if you’re going on some kind of downward spiral, I guess you can eat piles of them on their own. Your choice, really (haven't we all been there?).

This recipe serves 2.

What You Need:
4 medium sized russet potatoes OR 2 large sized russet potatoes
3 tbsp. Butter (NOT margarine!)
1 tbsp. olive oil
Dried or fresh rosemary

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. You’ll be cooking the potatoes skin-on, so be sure they are washed/scrubbed clean.
3. Dry potatoes. Slice them in 0.5cm thick slices, almost all the way down but not all the way down so that they stay intact as one whole potato.
4. Melt the rest of the ingredients in a saucepan. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Slather the potatoes with the melted butter mix. Reserve the rest of the butter.
6. Pop in oven for 20 minutes.
7. Take out, give them another good butter wash, and bake for another 10 minutes.
8. The time may vary on your oven and potato size. Keep an eye on them.
9. Take out, let cool. Add your favourite topping. Or not.
10. Eat while hot.

Warning: If you’re on some kind of diet or detox program, walk away NOW.

Let’s talk about the life blessing that is the potato gratin. What is it? Picture this; soft slices of potatoes, arranged side by side in layers, and bathed in gooey, stringy, creamy cheese sauce. Serve them warm and steaming, perfect for a chilly day. Got your attention yet? Okay.

The best potato gratin I’ve had was at a small French restaurant at Lake Annecy, on a summer afternoon. While looking for lunch options, we walked past this restaurant but stopped dead on our tracks and moonwalked back, because we saw a French woman devouring a large bowl of potato gratin, which looked like it was begging us to eat it. So we sat down, ordered a serving, and the next hour was a heavenly memory of scooping up creamy, cheesy potatoes and dipping crusty bread into the sauce. This restaurant uses four types of regional French cheeses in its gratin. For a money-saving, more relevant option, here’s my twist on a potato gratin to make at home. 

Here’s what you need:

300 g potatoes, or 5 Malaysia-sized ones
A packet of instant Mushroom soup
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Cheddar if you have some

Here’s what you do:

1.      Wash, peel potatoes
2.      Slice them into 0.5 cm thick slices
3.      Par-boil them. By that I mean until it’s slightly soft, but not until they break into mush.
4.      Add water to the mushroom soup mix. Taste. Add salt if needed. Make sure it’s runny (it will thicken in  the oven)
5.      Layer the slices of potatoes in a small baking tray. The layer goes like this – potatoes, mushroom           soup mix, cheddar & mozzarella. Keep going.
6.      Make sure the potatoes are submerged in the sauce.
7.      Dust the dish with some ground pepper. Top with mozzarella.
8.      Into oven, 180 deg C for about 15 mins or until cheese melts.
9.      Take out. Eat while sitting on a couch.
10.    That breakup seems ages ago, doesn't it?