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 […]
Grape Focaccia – Savory and Sweet Versatility Read More »
This Chicken Curry Kapitan is a product of centuries of migration to, and colonization of, the Malay Peninsula by Indians, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and British and is an inspired adaptation by Malay cooks. I first encountered this curry near Phuket, Thailand on the Malay Peninsula close to the border with Malaysia, a region where a
Malaysian Chicken Curry Kapitan with Roti Jala Read More »
The most interesting experiences often arise from serendipity. I recently shared a kitchen and an evening of Ukrainian cooking with 31-year-old Evgeniy (Zhenia) Klopotenko, winner of the 2015 Ukraine’s Masterchef contest, a graduate of Paris’s Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, a Ukrainian TV personality and producer of jams and marmalades. Young Zhenia is a trained
Revitalizing Ukrainian Cooking with Masterchef Evgeniy Klopotenko Read More »
l never thought of eating cold mashed potatoes flavored with various citrus juices and hot peppers as a salad or appetizer until I discovered la causa rellena (literally translated as “the stuffed cause”) in Cusco, Peru’s imperial city high in the Andes Mountains. Until I traveled in Peru, I was dismissive of leftover mashed potatoes. I
Peruvian Causa – Colorful and spicy mashed potato starters with chicken or shrimp Read More »
I was inspired to bake this Greek Rag Pie after I saw Nigella Lawson prepare a similar pie on a late-night rerun of the BBC‘s show Simply Nigella. She named it Old Rag Pie and said it was the Greek bakers’ way of using leftover phyllo scraps. I don’t know why Nigella named the recipe
Greek Rag Pie – Patsavouropita Read More »
This Spicy Rice Cakes with Pork and Vegetables stir fry resulted from an exploratory shopping trip. I love experimenting with new ingredients, especially from different ethnic cuisines. I refuse to get into a food rut, recycling the same menus repeatedly and I am fortunate that Weldon enjoys trying out new tastes. To get new meal
Spicy Rice Cakes with Pork and Vegetables Read More »
It’s the middle of March and it’s snowing for the fifth time this month. The piles of snow will linger long after spring starts a few days from now. As I watched the white flurries outside the window this morning, I recalled that Scandinavians go to great lengths to keep spirits up in the waning
Success Cake – Norwegian Suksessterte Read More »
Cornish Hens Tabaka are a traditional dish indigenous to the Republic of Georgia, a country of nine million inhabitants in the Caucasus Mountains. Its Georgian name originates from “tapha,” the cast iron pan with a weighted, screw-tightened lid used to prepare this succulent dish. It is sometimes also called Tabaka, Tapaka, Chicken Tabaka, Chicken Tabak,
Cornish Hens Tabaka – a Classic Georgian treat Read More »
Food binds geographically and linguistically diverse Morocco together. Moroccan cooking reflects the influence of indigenous peoples, traders, invaders, immigrants and colonizers, each of whom, over centuries, played a role in the development of local culture and dietary habits with new ingredients and cooking techniques that remain influential today. Today’s Moroccan cuisine is a blend of Berber,
Morocco – A Travelers’ Sampler II — Food Read More »
I returned from a recent family trip to Morocco, flooded with images and emotions, inundated with facts. Finally, I understood why generations of artists, writers, filmmakers and cooks were inspired by Morocco. It took me several months to process what I saw, review photographs, collect my thoughts and decide that Morocco deserves two posts: this
Morocco – A Travelers’ Sampler I — Sights Read More »