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 […]
This King Cake with Tangzhong is the result of a culinary challenge. Several days ago, our daughter Sophia, who lives in New Orleans (NOLA) and is visiting Chicago while Weldon is recovering from knee surgery, said she missed New Orleans, where in February she would be eating king cake and partying at Mardi Gras events.
King Cake with Tangzhong Read More »
After celebrating the holidays with our daughter Sophia in warm New Orleans, we returned to Chicago’s cold, snowy weather. Here, winter will hold us in its grip for another three months. After indulging in traditional Scandinavian dishes for several weeks, we are ready to put rich holiday fare behind us. We will sustain ourselves through
Comforting Black-Eyed Pea Soup with Spicy Cornbread Read More »
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 »
This elegant Poppy Seed Coconut Cherry Cake is a perfect holiday dessert for a large gathering. Poppy seed and coconut layers filled with cherry-flavored pastry cream and cherries, topped with chocolate glaze, are worthy of celebration. This creation is based on plyatsok, a sweet pastry beloved in Western Ukraine. What is a plyatsok? Plyatsok (plyatsky,
Poppy Seed Coconut Cherry Cake –A five-layer plyatsok from Ukraine Read More »
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
Plum Mascarpone Tart Read More »
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,
Grilled Caponata with Balsamic Vinaigrette Read More »
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
Cucumber Gazpacho with Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil and Mint Read More »