Curries, Stews, And Soups - Arousing Appetites

Caponata: Cooked Sicilian Aubergines

January 31, 2023August 18, 2015 by Janine @ Arousing Appetites

This is caponata, a classic Sicilian dish of stewed aubergines or eggplant, complete with loads of vegetables, fresh herbs and spices and lovely balance between sweet and sour

This was a cuisine we’ve been really looking forward to exploring. Sure, Sicily is technically part of Italy these days, but the island’s history has endowed it with a culture so unique, so incredible and so distinct from the mainland. In this way, pairing Sicily and Italian together would be quite the misnomer. One area that … Read more

Encebollado: Ecuadorian Tuna & Onion Soup

January 13, 2023August 14, 2015 by Janine @ Arousing Appetites

This is Encebollado, a spicy tuna and onion stew, widely regarded as the national dish of Ecuador

Every once in a while, you come across a dish that is really special. It’s hard to explain the what and particularly hard to explain the why, but certain dishes seem to symbolize something more than just the sum of their ingredients. There’s true symbolism nestled into each and every bite. As integral as anything else … Read more

Pochero: Filipino Beef Stew

January 7, 2023July 22, 2015 by Janine @ Arousing Appetites

This is Pochero! A Filipino Pork Stew with baby corn, bok choy, tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, green beans and chorizo

Sometimes it simply doesn’t do a dish justice to try drawing parallels for it. Sure, pochero is kind of sort of “like Spanish cocido,” except that it’s simply not. While conceptually the same thing, the Filipino version of pochero has evolved into something far more exquisite than that. Pochero, Spanish Influences, and Unique Filipino Tastes In … Read more

Chili Crab: Singaporean Shellfish in Spicy Tomato Sauce

February 4, 2023July 10, 2015 by Janine @ Arousing Appetites

It’s funny how a dish can, in effect, go “viral” and gain massive popularity… almost like a YouTube video or the next hot meme. And yet, that’s exactly what happened to Singapore’s now-signature dish: the chili crab. Take one delicious recipe, the ever-powerful word of mouth and some entrepreneurial savviness from its creator, and you … Read more

Mohinga: Burmese Fish Soup

February 13, 2023July 8, 2015 by Janine @ Arousing Appetites

For some nations, the national dish offers nothing more than hollow symbolism for the cuisine as a whole. For others, however, the national dish holds a far greater significance and lends a far deeper meaning to the overall national identity. The country of Myanmar (formerly Burma) falls into this latter category. For a once proud nation … Read more

Bougna: Kanak Yam and Seafood Curry

February 9, 2023May 29, 2015 by Janine @ Arousing Appetites

New Caledonian Bougna, a Kanak dish, featuring prawns and yams

This recipe is made with full shrimp (head on and not shelled) – combined with some yam, tomatoes, and onions simmering in some full fat coconut milk and topped with shredded coconut, served on optional banana leaves.