Canh Ga Nuong from Vietnam

Sticky chicken wings are great cooked on the barbecue or under the grill and these Vietnamese delights are no exception.  They are very easy to make and it's best to let them marinade for a while to absorb the flavours.

12 chicken wings
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon chopped or dried cilantro
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 tablespoons sesame oil
4 tablespoons sweet wine
1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
Lay the chicken wings in a container.  Put all the marinade ingredients in a blender and give it a few pulses to blend everything together thoroughly.  Pour the marinade over the wings and use your hands to make sure you rub marinade onto all the wings.  Cover and put in the fridge for 2-24 hours to give the wings a chance to absorb the marinade.  Cook on the barbecue or under the grill for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the wings and heat of the grill or barbecue.  Watch to see they do not burn, turning regularly.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine.  She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B.  All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Garlic Bread from Italy

Garlic bread goes with so many different dishes and is so easy to make yourself.  There is no reason to buy shop-bought garlic bread.  You can make up quite a few garlic breads and keep them in your freezer until you need them as they freeze really well.  You can pile on the garlic, add in more herbs, personalise it.  When you make your own, you have the power.

1 large baguette
100g butter softened
10 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
tin foil
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Divide the baguette into 20cm pieces if very long.  I used a large baguette that I made into three garlic breads.  Add the softened butter, finely chopped garlic, thyme, salt and pepper together.  Using a butter knife, mix it all together so that you have a spreadable paste.  Make 2.5cm slices into the bread but don't go all the way through.  Put a generous dollop of the butter mixture between each slice.  Spread a little of the butter mixture on the top of your garlic bread.  Wrap the bread in the tin foil and heat in the oven for 15-20 minutes.  Serve hot and crispy on the outside, soft and buttery inside.  This is a perfect accompaniment to soups, pastas and barbecues.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv Ukraine.  She is the author of The Colorful Art of Pain, Hush Baby and Defective.  All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format.  http://cindyvine.com