We were introduced to Sodd, a Norwegian soup made with chunks of cooked lamb or mutton, lamb and beef meatballs, potatoes, and carrots in a clear broth, several years ago in Oslo, Norway, at dinner with Weldon’s cousin Jan Erik Bangsund and his family. A bowl of hot Sodd on that cold October night was […]
Sodd, A Comforting Norwegian Meal Read More »
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 »
This Plum Mascarpone Tart continues a family dessert tradition, incorporating spectacular dark plums from the farmers’ market and pairing them with luscious mascarpone cheese. Each year, as a child at summer’s end, my Aunt Hanna made the best plum tart. She prepared it from memory, recalling happier times when she baked plum tarts as a
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This Grilled Caponata with Balsamic Vinaigrette is a summer vegetable dish inspired by caponata, the classic Sicilian sweet-and-sour vegetable stew.* Here, the vegetables shine without the need for heavy tomato sauce or copious amounts of olive oil. It is a versatile dish, delicious at all temperatures. After seeing this year’s crop of eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash,
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After a cold spring, summer has finally arrived, and it’s time to lighten meals and reduce time at the stove. This Cucumber Gazpacho with Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil and Mint is my idea of perfect summer cooking – easy, quick, adaptable to many occasions. It’s my re-creation of a cucumber gazpacho that I had at a
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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
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Fish soup, called yushka or ukha (юшка or уха), is a classic dish, popular throughout Ukraine. This Black Sea Fish Soup, called Chornomorska (Black Sea) yushka, a version prepared along Ukraine’s southern shore where saltwater fish are abundant, can be easily prepared anywhere where fresh saltwater fish are available. Yushka is one of the oldest
Black Sea Fish Soup with Spicy Sauce -Chornomorska Yushka with Salamur 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 »
Enough winter! It’s February, and we are spending several weeks in New Orleans, away from Chicago’s lingering cold. Here, spring is coming early. Spring fruits and vegetables and baskets of seafood—crawfish, shrimp, scallops, and finfish—are filling local markets. Eager to take a break from months of meat stew, pasta, and chili diet, I am inspired
This Chocolate Mocha Karpatka is my adaptation of a Polish cake that became popular in western Ukraine during the final decades of the 20th century. The original Karpatka is made from choux pastry with a vanilla crème pâtissière filling. My version flavors the cream puff dough with chocolate and the filling with coffee, a delightful
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