Eat your way around the world
"Water, water, every where. But not a drop to drink." This week we're stovetop traveling through the lush, greenery of 115 African islands, whose soft sands and coral beds peep out between the waves of the Indian Ocean. This is the Seychelles. In this tree carpeted and sand brushed landscape, fresh water is so scarce, it's presence is officially designated as "negligible." Looking outward towards the turquoise ocean, there's a sense of calm. Looking inwards towards the granite … [Read more...]
Oh, goodness. Where to start? As you may already know, tremendous, life-changing things are in the works with National Geographic. I don't have all the details yet, but what I do know I shared our Facebook page, so go take a peek. Friends, this is pure insanity. All I can say, is that it's amazing where a little imagination - a little stovetop travel - can take us. Rest assured, when I know more, I'll be writing it up here on the blog. Until then, we'll have to settle ourselves with … [Read more...]
Although the air still hangs crisp with winter, seed sowing season is nearly upon us - that time of year when the window sills of the industrious are stocked with small, peat lined plastic containers. With careful gifts of water and radiant window light, small seeds will crack open and send vivid green shoots through the black, crumbling soil, into the glow. In a few months time, these brave seedlings will make their way outdoors, into the deep, hot sunshine, where they will mature into edible … [Read more...]
Every once in a while we need chow down on good, ol' fashioned home cooking. The kind that reminds us of mom, checkered aprons, and creaky kitchen chairs. We all need this edible comfort, especially when the wind chill drops down into the single digits. Keith informed me that, against all odds, I happened upon one such recipe when I selected Potato Musaka for our Serbian Global Table. "This is kind of like my mom's 'Hobo dinner,'" Mr Picky said, after his first taste. "Hobo what?" I … [Read more...]
If there was a giant table strewn with every cake, brownie, custard, and pie, ever, I'd be the first in line. But I wouldn't be there to eat them. Not initially. I'd be there to soak in their beauty, to enjoy the geometry. Circles, rectangles, towers of truffles. Cubes, even. I'd languish to revel in the colors - chocolate browns, raspberry reds, vanilla-cream whites, mint-leaf greens, passion fruit golds. I'd eat with my eyes until ever bit of my spirit was nourished. Then I'd … [Read more...]
This week I'm on the hunt to create a little balance in this, our freshly pressed New Year. I found exactly what I was looking for in Serbia. Our menu is equal parts comfort and nutrition, capped off with a ridiculously indulgent dessert. (Do I need to defend that choice?) In other news, I have huge, exciting, mega things going on that will affect our family (and potentially yours). I leaked a bit about it on our Facebook Page. More details as they come. For now, thank you for believing in … [Read more...]
In the Balkan nation of Serbia you'll find sleeping giants. They lounge under thick forested coverings, along murmuring streams and shimmering lakes, with nothing but winding roads and wildflowers upon them. In flatter areas, carefully stacked stone walls, forgotten castles, and sagging huts live happily shackled to sunflower fields and lush grasses. Places like this will find a permanent home in your dreams... In this cool, sometimes foggy land - this is where you'll find hearty … [Read more...]
"Little by little one catches the monkey in the jungle." - Senegalese Proverb* A reader recently asked me what my New Year's Resolutions were. I'm almost loathe to admit that I spent New Year's Eve fast asleep, head pressed firmly into my dreams, but the reality of the matter is that the only place I wanted to be at midnight was fast asleep in my cozy nest of blankets. Our bedroom holds steady at 64 degrees, guaranteeing that the tip of my nose stays cold all through the night, which makes … [Read more...]
