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 »
Sometimes an unconventional combination of simple ingredients produces a winning dish. So, it was with a savory pastry known in Ukraine by two names: Potato Kasha Knysh or Yavoriv Pie. The common thread between the two is a mashed potato-buckwheat groat (kasha) filling. No one knows the name of the cook who first combined mashed
Potato Kasha Knysh (or Yavoriv Pie) Read More »
These Ukrainian Potato Zrazy – Potato Pancakes Stuffed with Mushrooms — are traditionally eaten by Ukrainian families in the spring, especially during Lent, which many Ukrainians consider a time for cleansing, penitence and fasting. This year this tradition was disrupted by war, and I am posting this Ukrainian Zrazy recipe to honor Ukraine’s culinary traditions
Ukrainian Potato Zrazy — Potato Pancakes Stuffed with Mushrooms Read More »
I embarked on recreating the Cajun Tourtière after learning that this traditional dish vanished many decades ago. When our daughter Sophia settled in New Orleans, I became interested in learning about Christmas traditions brought to French-ruled Louisiana by Acadian emigres after their expulsion by the British from Nova Scotia in the 18th century. Those French-speaking
Cajun Tourtière – Recreating a Lost Recipe Read More »
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 —
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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 »
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 »
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
Some people remember the places they visited by what they saw or the people they met. I catalog my travel memories by locations of memorable food and those without. History and culture often draw me to explore a place, but I rarely travel for just a specific dish or restaurant. Once there, however, food and
Bergen Fish Soup — Bergensk Fiskesuppe Read More »
I’ve had an affinity for noodles of all kinds since childhood and when I find a new recipe, I’m eager to experiment.* This Pasta Rotolo with Sausage, Spinach and Mushrooms is another variation on that theme. I’ve made pasta by hand for years. My trusty 35-year old Atlas 150 pasta machine has produced fettucine, linguine,
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