Many years ago, my sister Maria Oliver and her family spent one year in Potchefstroom, South Africa, where Jim, her husband, had a research project. Upon their return to Maryland, Maria entertained us with bobotie (pronounced ba-boo-tea), a spiced minced-meat pie topped with custard, recognized as South Africa’s national dish. Maria’s Bobotie was my first […]
In our household, December meals are not usually vegetarian. But this year I included a dinner of Crispy Potato Pancakes with roasted carrots, labneh, and hot honey, inspired by Samin Nosrat’s recent podcast of Home Cooking, where she answered a question from a listener seeking advice on how to use four gallons of honey. Samin, a honey enthusiast, excitedly
Crispy Potato Pancakes — a New Twist on an Old Classic Read More »
On a business trip to Istanbul several years ago, I was introduced a Turkish culinary treat –a steaming bowl of manti, tiny dumplings, nestled in garlick-flavored yogurt and drizzled with peppery oil. I was intrigued by their diminutive size. As I was eating Manti with Garlic Yogurt Sauce and Peppery Oil, I studied each spoonful
Manti with Garlic Yogurt Sauce and Peppery Oil Read More »
Easter is cheesecake time at our house. I prepare Ukrainian cheese desserts for the holiday each year and experiment with cheesecake recipes from other cuisines. This year, I am adding melopita to my dessert repertoire. Its Greek name, comprised of two words – mela, which means honey, and pita, which means pie, implies that it
Melopita –Greek Honey Cheesecake in Phyllo-Nut Crust Read More »
Ukrainians love soup — hot, cold, meat or vegetable-based. It’s served daily in homes and restaurants regardless of season. Borshch, the quintessential Ukrainian soup, is a culinary staple recognized worldwide and inscribed on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2022. While borshch is consumed year-round, cooler weather restores the taste for
Kapusnyak – Ukrainian Sauerkraut soup Read More »
I became curious about salting and fermenting vegetables when I lived in Ukraine and this post summarizes what I learned and provides my adaptation of classic recipes to small batches. The first summer I worked in Ukraine, a female colleague returned to the office with red-stained hands after a weekend in their family village. When
Making Summer Last — Salting and Fermenting Vegetables in Ukraine Read More »
This Chilled Crayfish Soup (холодник з раками – cold soup with crayfish) is one of many cold soups enjoyed by Ukrainians and their Eastern European neighbors. On a hot summer day, Ukrainians substitute a hot meal with a cold soup – kholodnik (холодник from the root word холод, meaning cold in Ukrainian) to refresh and
Chilled Crayfish Soup from Ukraine Read More »
Serendipity often affects what I cook. So, it was with this Watermelon Radish, Citrus, Cucumber & Feta Salad. Recently the local produce market started carrying watermelon radishes. Seeing a basket of these unusual radishes reminded me of a trip to Beijing. As a radish lover since childhood, I had to try them. I first saw
Watermelon Radish, Citrus, Cucumber & Feta Salad Read More »
I recently enjoyed Yucatecan Grilled Pork –poc chuc (which means “toast over wood coals”) at a restaurant serving regional cooking (comida regional) in Playa del Carmen on Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula. The complex salty-sour flavors of this dish was quite a surprise. After having visited several Mexican regions and its restaurants for many years, I thought I’d
Yucatecan Grilled Pork Read More »
This Moussaka has been a favorite fall meal since I discovered this recipe in adolescence. It is a dish that comforts the soul when summer is waning, markets are brimming with shiny, multi-colored eggplants and the scent of fall is in the air. As a child, I only knew Ukrainian food. During my first decade