I made this Viennese Poppy Seed Torte, Mohntorte, to assuage my longing for poppy seeds. I know it sounds strange. Why of all culinary ingredients available in the United States, would I miss poppy seeds? Well, poppy seed dishes were part of my Ukrainian-American childhood, often used for special occasion treats such as strudels and …
This Moussaka has been a favorite fall meal since I discovered this recipe in adolescence. It is a dish that comforts the soul when summer is waning, markets are brimming with shiny, multi-colored eggplants and the scent of fall is in the air. As a child, I only knew Ukrainian food. During my first decade …
I’ve had an affinity for noodles of all kinds since childhood and when I find a new recipe, I’m eager to experiment.* This Pasta Rotolo with Sausage, Spinach and Mushrooms is another variation on that theme. I’ve made pasta by hand for years. My trusty 35-year old Atlas 150 pasta machine has produced fettucine, linguine, …
Pasta Rotolo with Sausage, Spinach and Mushrooms Read More »
With the holiday season fast approaching, I am determined to ease the stress of entertaining family and friends. As I was preparing for my annual holiday cookie baking, it occurred to me that I should experiment with savory rye crackers, which can be baked ahead like cookies and which can be a base for hors-d’oeuvres …
This Chicken Curry Kapitan is a product of centuries of migration to, and colonization of, the Malay Peninsula by Indians, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and British and is an inspired adaptation by Malay cooks. I first encountered this curry near Phuket, Thailand on the Malay Peninsula close to the border with Malaysia, a region where a …
l never thought of eating cold mashed potatoes flavored with various citrus juices and hot peppers as a salad or appetizer until I discovered la causa rellena (literally translated as “the stuffed cause”) in Cusco, Peru’s imperial city high in the Andes Mountains. Until I traveled in Peru, I was dismissive of leftover mashed potatoes. I …
Peruvian Causa – Colorful and spicy mashed potato starters with chicken or shrimp Read More »
Food binds geographically and linguistically diverse Morocco together. Moroccan cooking reflects the influence of indigenous peoples, traders, invaders, immigrants and colonizers, each of whom, over centuries, played a role in the development of local culture and dietary habits with new ingredients and cooking techniques that remain influential today. Today’s Moroccan cuisine is a blend of Berber, …
This dish of Rice Noodle Soup with Salmon, Snow peas and Shiitake Mushrooms is my nontraditional adaptation of phở cá, a fish phở I enjoyed in Vietnam, a splendid comforting lunch or light dinner for the first chilly, rainy days of autumn. Phở, the national dish of Vietnam, is the street food of ordinary people, …
Rice Noodle Soup with Salmon, Snow peas and Shiitake Mushrooms – A Relative Phở Read More »
This Silk Road Lamb and Dried Fruit Plov is my rendition of a ubiquitous dish I encountered in various forms from the Orient to Europe. Similar rice preparations appear in countries along the Silk Road, that ancient route that brought together civilizations of the East and West for centuries, facilitating the migration of culinary traditions. …
I recently discovered an early recipe for Baked Cheese Babka, a Ukrainian Easter dessert, in an out-of-print 19th century cookbook published in western Ukraine. What intrigued me most was the fact that this Baked Cheese Babka is flourless. After researching other baked cheese babka recipes, I realized the uniqueness of this recipe. Other baked cheese babkas …