John Peppin is a physician with over 30 years of clinical experience. John has published over 90 articles and books in the medical field. He has also been a home cook for most of his adult life, taking a great interest in a variety of cuisines and cooking techniques. He is a voracious cookbook reader with an intense curiosity about cuisines around the world. Wrapping and the stuffing of foods has become an overwhelming focus for John, and he has researched recipes from around the world. A self-taught home cook who loves new ways of cooking. Food, good wine and friends, la dolce vita!
Interestingly, this dish is frequently ascribed to Malaysia, but actually it is originally from Brunei, a small country on the island of Borneo. Recipes abound some with fish, some with shrimp and others vegetarian. Pulut Panggant translated into English means BBQ glutinous rice. I did not find this recipe too burdensome. You have to plan…
These Afghan dumplings are delicious and will impress your guests. These dumplings can be made either with meat or vegetarian. I recently served these at a church coffee hour and since we are fasting, it needed to be vegetarian. The dumplings are stuffed with leeks, and the tomato topping can be made with ground beef…
I have been blessed to have a number of Syrian familes in my church. Their food is just wonderful. This recipe is for a “pie” and it is my iteration on the traditional method of making these wonderful packets of flavor. The dough is very unique with the addition of 1 cup of oil. This…
Shrimp can be wrapped in all kinds of noodles and then deep fried. They make a great appetizer or full meal and have a great presentation. These can be a great addition to a tailgate party as well. Using a good dipping sauce will crank up the savoriness of this dish. Wheat Flour and rice…
As mentioned in the blog on Injera, Ethiopian flat bread, there are a numerous different vegetarian dishes that are made in Ethiopia and for which the Injera works very well. Ethiopians are a very pious people. They are Orthodox Christians and fast up to 200 days a year. The vegetarian dishes obviously play an important…
Ethiopia is a fascinating country; one I hope to see some day. It is a very devote country with the majority of its inhabitants being Orthodox Christians. These Christians fast over 200 days out of any given year. Therefore, they have a rich culinary history of vegetarian dishes. In addition, Ethiopia has been invaded, conquered,…
Sushi Rice is used in many different types of wraped dishes in Japanese food. Sushi rice appears simple, but there are aspects to its preparation that are a bit more complicated. Since I cook lots of rice, and like things like congee, I splurged and purchased a great rice cooker. It makes all kinds of…
Years ago, when I was studying martial arts, I developed a deep interest in Japan, it’s history, language and food. I even studied Japanese for about 7 years. I remember thinking I was pretty hot speaking Japanese and the first time I arrived at Norita airport, I asked a worker there where the bus was…
Both Modena and Bologna claim to have originated the tortellini. In Bologna there is an amazing legend concerning the origins of tortellini. Apparently, the goddess Venus’ and the god Zeus were tired after a battle and decided to stay overnight in a small town lodge, sharing a bedroom. The inn keeper decided to peak through…
Empanadas have a long history dating back to Spain. In 1520 the Catalan cookbook Libre del Coch by the Chef author Ruperto de Nola, describes seafood empanadas. However, it has been suggested that their history goes back much further. The Moorish invasion of the Iberian peninsula came with the first “appearance” of something similar to…