Building a Perfect Meal

Cooking can seem like a mind-
numbingly boring task to many
and may require every ounce
of energy to draw an eater
(rather than a cook) into the
kitchen. Nightmares of producing
unappetising and unpalatable
dishes can scare a novice cook and
force him or her into the hands
of take-out menus and to eat
out. But before you seek refuge in
the pizza joint down the road or
even call upon mum to send over
her home-made casserole, delve
into the recipes that make up this
unique collection of delicious eats.

The secret to cooking begins
from basic skills and then
perfecting them to make your
meals worth sharing with family
and friends. As a person who
loves food and enjoys cooking,
I find that there is something
truly insatiable and pleasurable
in creating food that suits all
occasions. Being able to play in
the kitchen and being my own
chef at the wok whilst meeting
the demands of hungry eaters
encourages me to teach fellow

food lovers the same pleasures.
With this book as a guide, I hope
you will become an aficionado
of Building a Perfect Meal!

It is easy not to have an
appreciation for cooking because
of a bad childhood memory or not
having the fortunate upbringing
of being surrounded by those
who have unique talents in the
kitchen. Some of you might be
great at the technical side of
chopping and mastering one-pot
wonders, whilst others with a
creative side might find solace in
crafting food that look too good to
eat, sending any artist to shame.
What ever your strengths, likes or
dislikes, with my recipes, you will
love cooking for your family and
friends whilst chilling over a glass
or two of bubbly. The dishes in
this book are delicious and made
with simple ingredients. Those of
you looking to take the plunge to
develop skills in the kitchen can
also look to build a more elaborate
meal using the same ingredients.
The collection of recipes I have
gathered here will hopefully

inspire, educate and encourage
you to step outside of the usual
everyday meals found in the kitchen.

I have been to many far-flung
destinations and eaten many
memorable meals thanks to my
job as a food and travel writer and
food and beverage chemist. These
experiences have inspired me to
recreate the dishes, which I have
tested and perfected. I hope you
will be inspired to use them in
your cooking repertoire on a
regular basis.

These recipes come straight from
the heart with a twist on classics
to suit both Western and Asian
palates. My background as a food
and beverage chemist has allowed
me to build on simple ideas from
Asian cooking whilst re-inventing
recipes that combine both
traditional and modern cooking in
the same dish. I hope you will enjoy
these scrumptious dishes. Say good-
bye to the usual lemon chicken and
fried rice and a tasty hello to new
dishes such as Michelle’s Mess and
Mochi French Toast!