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Romanian Stuffed Cabbage Leaves | Sarmale

Cabbage patch kids always seemed creepy to me when I was little. What kind of baby grows out of a cabbage? Could you still eat the cabbage once you harvested the baby? This doll raised lots of questions. Not to say this stopped me from wanting a cabbage patch doll more than Rainbow Brite leggings, because I did. The urge was major. Now that I am a couple (few) decades older, I know exactly what was going on – mostly because it’s starting to happen with Ava. I wanted those dolls because all the other kids wanted them. They were collected in the 80’s quicker than Michael Jackson gloves. As a rather “thrifty” family living in a “thrifty” part of Boston (I slept in one corner of our apartment’s living room while my brother slept in the other), I wanted nothing more than to play with these dolls that rich kids littered their deluxe playrooms with. It all seemed so fancy and grand. And I thought maybe having a doll would make me popular – like the kids who had them. …

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White Cucumber Salad | Mizeria

Misery. When I get out of a steaming hot shower in the icy heart of winter and frost settles onto my damp neck before I can towel off. When I eat too much food at the fair and go to bed immediately afterwards. When my feet are tired and hot after a long, long day but – for whatever reason – I can’t take my shoes off yet. When I eat cucumber salad? I feel fresh. Happy. Not exactly miserable. But misery is the Polish name of this crunchy, creamy cucumber salad made with sour cream, dill, a bit of sugar and a splash of vinegar. As for whether or not it lives up to its name? I’ll let you be the judge. Serves 2-4 Ingredients: 2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced medium thinly sour cream 1/2- 3/4 cup, to taste 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill 2 tsp sugar, or to taste 2 tsp vinegar, or to taste Method: Don’t blink, or you’ll miss the instructions. Toss everything together and serve. Enjoy the misery.   Preferably …

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Lithuanian-Inspired Deviled Eggs with Mushrooms

Once, when I was in my first decade of life, I stared at a platter of chilled, “eyeball eggs,” as I called them, and vowed to never, ever eat one. A temper tantrum may, or may not have been involved. Now, two decades later, here I am, on the other side of the fence, albeit somewhat mystified how it came to be that I now scan buffets for the little suckers. I think the name says it all; like the neighborhood bad boy, the deviled egg is a love-it or hate-it treat. And, as with wine and coffee, appreciation almost always comes later in life. Unless… you live in Lithuania. There, eggs are as adored as apples, and more so on a cold buffet with additives like fish or mushrooms – the stinkier the better. For this week’s Global Table, I made a Lithuanian-inspired Deviled Egg, complete with fried mushrooms, dill, and sour cream. Why mushrooms? As one Lithuanian reader noted, “Mushroom foraging is like a sport in Lithuania (especially in the South) and I …

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Scandanavian Mustard & Dill Sauce

Makes about 1 1/2 cups Mustard-lovers unite. This tangy, spicy Scandinavian recipe goes great with meaty salmon. Take the time to buy really excellent mustard – the spicier the better. If you have leftovers try spreading a little on a sandwich. That’s what I did! Ingredients: 3/4 cup (7 oz) spicy dijon mustard 1 1/2 ounces fresh dill, stems removed and chopped (about 1 cup) 1/8 cup vinegar 1 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp sugar 3/4 cup oil Method: First things first. Start a small herb garden and grow a mound of dill. You’ll be glad you did because this recipe calls for a lot. About 2 of those insanely expensive plastic containers the supermarkets carry. Once you have your dill, take the stems off. The chop it up nice and fine. Measure out the spiciest-mustard-you-can-find into a small bowl. I used a true Dijon, but take a gander in local specialty shops. I’m sure you’ll find something just as lovely. Add the vinegar. Mr Picky and I are so different. At this point he pinched …

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