I admit I am an addict, a tomato addict. I love the sweet and tart taste of fully ripened tomatoes. Just bought my first batch of local tomatoes this summer! What a treat! I choose tomatoes by the intoxicating aroma at the stem, the fresher the tomato, the more intense the smell. I am intrigued by […]
A Tomato Lover’s Panzanella Read More »
When our daughter Sophia was in elementary school, she spent a month or so each summer with her grandmother Raisa and extended Zelinsky-Oliver-Bulawka clan in Maryland. At the end of her stay, my husband Weldon and I drove out to bring her home to Chicago. But before we headed west, we always drove a 100 miles
Family traditions, especially cultural food traditions, are often passed from parents to children to preserve ethnic identity and heritage. Occasionally, however, a memorable event provides a basis for establishing a new family tradition. The first year I was an associate at Reuben & Proctor, a Chicago law firm, my husband Weldon and I were invited
Memorial Day Picnic á la Reuben Read More »
This chicken with olives recipe is a family favorite. I don’t remember the precise date it became part of our repertoire, but probably in the late 1990’s at a time when my husband, my daughter and I were very busy with schools and careers and being able to prepare a one-pan dish for dinner was
Chicken with Olives Read More »
I am done with winter, which was more severe this year than for many years. And even with three side trips to warmer climates – Dubai, New Orleans and Cuba – the shock of returning to Chicago’s extreme cold and snow was hard to bear. Cabin fever and a winter diet of stews, soups, chilis
Spring Beet Salads – Two Variations on a Theme Read More »
There are many reasons to visit Cuba, but its food is not one of them. Cuba is a poor country whose current diet is limited to a few staple items, and food in today’s Cuba is markedly different from the varied Cuban cuisine available in US-based Cuban restaurants run by pre-Revolutionary refugees. The variety and
Cuba – Restarting the Clock? Read More »
I always loved noodles, perhaps because this was the first dish I learned to cook. Well, not really cook from scratch, but I helped my grandmother drop the fresh dough into boiling water. Watching the transformation of this lump of raw dough into a delicious noodle, I was hooked for life. During my childhood, I
Spaetzle – the Ubiquitous Noodle Read More »
A few nights after the Little India on a Plate tour, we embarked on another Frying Pan Adventure, www.fryingpanadventures.com. Arva Ahmed, Farida Ahmed’s sister, took us on the five-hour Middle Eastern Pilgrimage Food Trail through the streets and alleys of the Al Riqqa section of old Dubai to savor assorted Arabic dishes brought to Dubai
Exploring the Foodways of Dubai — Part 2 Read More »
The modern Arabian desert oasis, Dubai, is a long way for North Americans to taste Middle Eastern and Indian cuisines, but it is a pleasing adventure worth pursuing. Most of Dubai’s 12 million annual tourists are probably attracted by this city’s architectural icons — the world’s largest dancing fountain; tallest building (Burj Khalifa); only 7-star hotel
Exploring the Foodways of Dubai — Part 1 Read More »
I usually plan and specifically buy ingredients for what I intend to cook, but several weeks ago, I impulsively bought beef short ribs without any specific recipe in mind, just because they looked good. So I scrambled for inspiration on how to use this wonderful meat best. Recognizing that short ribs are best cooked slowly
Dark Ale Braised Beef Short Ribs — Carbonnade á la Flamande Read More »