Kitchen Epiphanies

KITCHEN epiphanies

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Ukrainian Potato Zrazy — Potato Pancakes Stuffed with Mushrooms

Leave a Comment / Entrees, Potatoes, Savory Dishes, Starter, Ukraine, Vegetables /

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 […]

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Cajun Tourtière – Recreating a Lost Recipe

Leave a Comment / Beef, Dining & Travel, Entrees, Savory Dishes, Starter, Tarts and Pies, United States /

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

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Fideuá — Spanish Noodles with Seafood

Leave a Comment / Dining & Travel, Entrees, Savory Dishes, Seafood, Spain /

I often prepare lighter meals during the first part of November in anticipation of the annual holidays’ heavy meals. So, I added this Fideuá (Spanish noodles with seafood) to my November dinner repertoire this year.   The dictionary of the Spanish Royal Academy defines fideuá as a dish similar to paella but made with pasta

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Rustic Cheesecake

Leave a Comment / Cakes, Cheese, Desserts, Greece, Jams, Jellies & Preserves, Tarts and Pies, Ukraine /

This Rustic Cheesecake illustrates an ancient way of making cheesecake, producing a delectable dessert with simple ingredients.  Unlike most American cheesecakes made with cream cheese, this Rustic Cheesecake (syrna zapikanka —сирна запіканка — which means “baked cheesecake” in Ukrainian) is made from fresh unaged cheese, a staple of Ukrainan home cooking for generations. Although specific

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Tomato Goat Cheese Tart

Leave a Comment / Cheese, Entrees, Savory Dishes, Starter, Tarts and Pies, Vegetables /

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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Yucatecan Grilled Pork

Leave a Comment / Dining & Travel, Entrees, Meats, Mexico, Pork, Savory Dishes, Uncategorized /

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

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