When I first visited my mother-in-law Solveig Johnson’s house at 4821 N. 14th street in Tacoma WA, I knew I was at the home of serious cook. Her large sunny yellow eat-in kitchen that overlooked a vegetable garden was fully equipped with plenty of counters, ample storage space and a big pantry. The kitchen also …
Over the years, I spent more time in Istanbul than any other foreign city. Some visits were for business, some for fun. Istanbul, located 657 or so miles south of Kyiv, provided an easy escape from the Soviet dreariness that I encountered when I began working in Ukraine in 1993. Usually, at the end of …
There is wide discretion in recipe nomenclature. You can pretty much name a recipe anything you want. The usual practice, however, is that the name should indicate something about the ingredients and style of preparation. I named this dish a clafoutis despite knowing that the French are persnickety about naming classic recipes. Académie Française, the renowned …
I’m often surprised by what triggers autobiographical memories that spontaneously link today with yesterday: A wall painted burgundy in Lviv, Ukraine, reminds me of an old-fashioned recital dress my grandmother made for me when I was 11; the gait of a stooped-shouldered, white-haired Chinese woman in Beijing dressed in grey pants and a green sweater …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …