When a white-jacketed Italian waiter brought in a golden, crusty tower of pasta on a silver platter, it was love at first sight! After all diners admired this creation, as he cut and served the wedges, he announced that this was pasta al forno con spinaci, pomodori e quanciale – Baked Pasta with Spinach, Tomatoes, and Bacon. […]
Baked Pasta with Spinach, Tomatoes and Bacon. Read More »
These Carrot Oladky (morkvyani oladky – морквяні оладки in Ukrainian) are one of many dairy-based dishes eaten during Masnytsia or Syrny Tyzhden (translated as Butter Week or Cheese Week). Masnytsia is Ukrainian carnivale which takes place a week before the start of Lent, which often occurs at the end of February or in the first
Carrot Oladky – Tender Carrot Pancakes from Ukraine Read More »
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
Plachinda – Sweet or Savory Read More »
Mounds of multi-hued pumpkins at a local farmer’s market are a sign that fall has arrived. Unlike in America, where pumpkins are eaten primarily in the fall, pumpkins in Ukraine are an important year-round dietary staple featured in soups, pies, combined with millet or rice for porridge, baked with honey, savory tarts, cheesecakes and desserts.
Crustless Pumpkin Cheesecake from Ukraine Read More »
This Rustic Cheesecake illustrates an ancient way of making cheesecake, producing a delectable dessert with simple ingredients. Unlike most American cheesecakes made with cream cheese, this Rustic Cheesecake (syrna zapikanka —сирна запіканка — which means “baked cheesecake” in Ukrainian) is made from fresh unaged cheese, a staple of Ukrainan home cooking for generations. Although specific
This Tomato Goat Cheese Tart is my home lockdown project. During the pandemic lockdown, I expanded our small low-maintenance, urban perennial and shrub garden in Chicago by tucking in a few pots of tomatoes and herbs. This small pot enhancement to our garden provided a welcome diversion between streams of on-line activities. The herbs —
Tomato Goat Cheese Tart Read More »
This Strawberry Corncake with Labneh and Cream is my re-creation of a menu description I imagined but never tasted. On a recent trip to Louisiana, the New Orleans Museum of Art was advertising a fundraiser in City Park with food catered by Pat White, a local chef. The inspiring four-course dinner menu was filled with
Strawberry Corncake with Labneh and Cream Read More »
Several years ago, as I was searching through youtube’s food videos in the middle of the night during a bout of insomnia, I stumbled upon a Pizza Rustica recipe on Silvia Colloca’s Cook Like an Italian channel. What caught my attention was that this pizza was not the usual red-sauced, mozzarella-covered disk, but a crispy-crusted
Pizza Rustica – an Italian Indulgent Easter Pie Read More »
In exploring the cultural histories of diverse foodways, it’s fascinating to discover how common ingredients traveled across the planet from their place of origin to distant locations, opening new vistas for cooks worldwide. This Torta Polenta is a product of such migration and is one of my beloved fall dishes. Its elegant preparation brings together
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,
Cheesy Herby Beer Bread and Alternatives Read More »