I have just been craving crème brulee a while ago, and what do I get once I opened my laptop? A friend e-mailing me this recipe from Allrecipes.com.

These little desserts are the best way to enjoy after a heavy dinner. They are light, and they are absolutely the most delicious and heavenly concoctions on earth.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

450ml cream

1 bunch basil, leaves and stalks roughly torn

4 medium-sized egg yolks

1 tablespoon caster sugar

1 teaspoon cornflour, blended with a little water

1 punnet raspberries, washed

30g soft brown sugar

Procedure:

- Gently warm the cream in a heavy based pan until bubbles appear at the edge. Do not allow it to boil.

- Remove from the heat and stir…

This Asian cuisine is one of the best comfort foods in the world. And although I am not usually a fan of spicy soups, I daresay this is one of the best soups I tasted in recent years.

Here’s the recipe from Andrea Lynn.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

1 package mushrooms, sliced

1 to 2 teaspoons ginger, minced

1 cup chopped cooked meat (pork, chicken, beef)

6 to 8 cups chicken stock

Salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Sriracha, to taste

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 eggs

1 can bamboo shoots, drained

1 package tofu (I prefer soft tofu but use whichever type you prefer), cut into squares

2 scallions, finely chopped

Procedure:

- In a medium pot, sauté mushrooms and…

Anything from Jacques Pepin tastes good, that’s why I decided to whip this dish up after seeing it from Pepin’s recipes. When done correctly, this chicken dish should taste a little sweet and sour with a hint of spiciness.

Here’s the recipe from Jacques Pepin’s Food And Wine.

Ingredients: (serves 2)

2 chicken legs, skin removed

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Dash of salt

Dash of dried thyme leaves

Dash of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon flour

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 strips lemon zest

2 strips orange zest

2 teapsoons fresh ginger, minced

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 cup sweet apple cider

1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Procedure:

- Mix together the salt, chili powder, ground cumin, dried thyme, cayenne pepper, and flour in a…

I’ve always been a rice eater, so there’s a hundred percent chance I am going to love this recipe I found on the Internet. I recently dined in a Thai restaurant and ordered their Chicken Thai Fried Rice. I definitely loved it, but it’s not that helpful if you’re in a diet like me.

Here’s something “healthy”  and delicious I found from ThaiFood.com.

Ingredients: (serves 2 to 4)

1 small can pineapple chunks, drained, OR 1 whole pineapple (see instructions below)

3 cups cooked rice, preferably several days old (Tip: if fresh, leave for an hour or more in the refrigerator uncovered)

3-4 Tbsp. vegetable or faux chicken stock for stir-frying (or regular chicken stock if…

Whenever I don’t have time to prepare anything for dinner, I usually take out a pouch of ramen noodles and pop it into the microwave oven. But the problem is I don’t usually like how it tastes like coming from an aluminum pouch. So, the solution is to make this into something more tasteful for me.

This recipe is good for four persons, and it actually involves a pot for you to cook a microwaveable, ready-to-eat noodle cup. I know you probably think I’m crazy but you gotta try this one.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

2 packages ramen noodles (discard the flavor packets)

1/2 cup dried mushrooms, chopped

20 raw shrimp (medium to large), peeled and deveined

1/2…

Mac and cheese has become the staple food for most Americans; mainly because it is easy to make, and anyone can whip it up (thanks to boxed and ready-to-cook meals). Yet, there’s nothing that can beat homemade mac and cheese, especially one that is healthy like the recipe I am about to feature.

This one mixes broccoli and chicken with the mac and cheese for that perfect balance of carbohydrates and proteins.

Ingredients: (serves 6)

2 broccoli crowns (6 ounces), broken down into florets and chopped

6 ounces of a short, curved pasta shape, like elbows

3 tablespoons butter, plus more for preparing the baking dish

1 shallot, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

3 tablespoons of flour

2 1/2…

I haven’t gotten over my chocolate cravings for Valentine’s Day after all, it is the one day where I can binge on chocolate without having to feel guilty on the amount of calories I put inside my belly.

This recipe, from myrecipes.com, is allegedly a “healthy” chocolate because of the ingredients they used for the cake.

Ingredients: (serves 6)

Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

2  teaspoons  cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or ground Mexican chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup cold water

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Chocolate glaze

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

6 tablespoons water

10 small fresh strawberries

Procedure:

* Heat oven to 350° F. Lightly coat…

Valentine’s Day may be over but that is no reason for us not to indulge ourselves on some homemade chocolates such as these. Store-bought chocolates are great but nothing beats the true flavor of melted chocolate at home. Also, you get to enjoy the delicious aroma of chocolate cooking.

Here’s a recipe from Chocolates and Confections by Peter Greweling.

Ingredients:

Dark chocolate truffles

8 ounces (1 cup) heavy cream

1 1/2 ounce (2 teaspoons) light corn syrup

1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) butter, unsalted, soft

14 ounces (2 1/3 cups) dark chocolate, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces

12 ounces (2 cups) dark chocolate, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces for coating

Milk or white chocolate truffles

4 ounces (1/2 cup) heavy cream

1 1/2 ounce…

They say that all the nutrients in potatoes are on their skins, and I say yes. Aside from the fact, of course, that they are also tastier with skins than without. This recipe might not be the fanciest dish you can cook for your partner this season of hearts, but it is so delicious, you must not miss it out.

This recipe is adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.

Ingredients:

4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed

8 ounces bacon, chopped fine

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup minced fresh scallions

1/2 cup sour cream

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Procedure:

- Light a chimney 3/4 full of charcoal. While the charcoal is lighting, thoroughly…

It may not be the season for cherries today, but we can’t deny the fact that we just sometimes crave for these fruits. And what better way to incorporate them into our dessert than through a form of cake?

Here’s a recipe from The Grand Central Baking Book by Piper Davis and Ellen Jackson.

Ingredients: (serves 12)

Batter

1 1/2 cups (12 fluid ounces) whole milk

1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) packed light brown sugar

10 tablespoons (5 ounces, or 3/4 stick) unsalted butter

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

3 eggs

3 1/2 cups (1 pound, 1.5 ounces) all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Topping

1 cup pitted black cherries, fresh or frozen

2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen

1/4 cup (1.75 ounces) turbinado or brown…