Plachinda (плачинда in Ukrainian; plăcintă in Romanian) is a ubiquitous pastry with sweet or savory fillings, prepared in countries along the western coast of the Black Sea. Before current country borders were established after World War II, Bessarabia (Romanian: Basarabia; Ukrainian: Бессарабія; romanized: Bessarabia), as this region was known, served as a trade route between …
This Poppy Seed Honey Babka is my variation on a traditional makivnyk (маківник) a poppy seed roll baked throughout Ukraine but has special significance during August harvest celebrations. This year’s Russian invasion interrupted the annual agricultural cycle in many parts of Ukraine. In the east, where hostilities were concentrated, farmers and gardeners planted when they …
The Ukrainian word palianytsia (паляниця) means a simple, rustic bread, commonly baked from rye, wheat, buckwheat or whatever flours are on hand, leavened usually with sourdough or yeast. Since the Russians invaded Ukraine this year, this word became more than just a name for a bread, it became a shibboleth — a password that distinguishes …
On a recent visit to my daughter Sophia in New Orleans, I discovered in her pantry nine tiny tins of anchovies she purchased several months ago to add rich umami flavor to certain savory dishes but she was unsure how to use the remaining tins. Various recipes came to mind for sauces, dressings and pasta– …
Pissaladière – French Onion, Anchovy and Olive Tart Read More »
I discovered Musakhan — Sumac-Spiced Chicken with Onions on Taboon Bread– several years ago when I was preparing for a family trip to Jordan. I often make lists of sights to visit and foods to try before traveling and the adjectives describing Jordanian food – festive, peasant, rich, rustic, simple, meltingly tender, lemony, zesty, scrumptious, …
Musakhan — Sumac-Spiced Chicken with Onions on Taboon Bread Read More »
Having just run out of bread a few weeks ago (and running to the grocery store for one loaf is out of the question in this age of coronavirus), I roamed the internet for a quick bread recipe that did not require yeast. I stumbled on a beer bread recipe with three ingredients –self-rising flour, …
This Pulled Pork Vindaloo with Indian Coleslaw on Naan combines the pulled pork preparation of America’s South with the flavors of Goa, an Indian state located along the west coast on the shore of the Arabian Sea. Recently I hankered for pulled pork, a dish I hadn’t prepared in a long time. As I fantasized …
Pulled Pork Vindaloo with Indian Coleslaw on Naan Read More »
My inspiration for blog topics often comes from unusual origins. The idea for preparing this Turkish flatbread —pide (pronounced “pea-day” in Turkish) — was born in an airport business lounge. Over the years, I’ve traveled to Istanbul dozens of times and enjoyed pide throughout Turkey in various forms, but I never considered baking pide until …
With the holiday season fast approaching, I am determined to ease the stress of entertaining family and friends. As I was preparing for my annual holiday cookie baking, it occurred to me that I should experiment with savory rye crackers, which can be baked ahead like cookies and which can be a base for hors-d’oeuvres …
This grape focaccia was inspired by crates of deep purple, vibrant green and ruby red grapes which caught my eye at the farmers’ market in September, a welcome sign of approaching autumn after a blistering summer. In the early morning light, the glistening grapes еstablished a gorgeous image highlighting nature’s abundance. It was impossible to …