While I am a stuff-my-face-with-turkey-and-gratitude kind of gal, I’m decidedly not a get-up-at-three-am-to-go-shopping kind of gal. Still, I love the satisfaction of finding just the right gift for just the right person. After all, what’s better than a moment like this, when you open up an entire world with a simple book … … or when you can practically smell the flowers of the world when you turn the page… … or when you get lost in a dream of snuggling in a hammock bed… … yes, just the right gift is worth a little looking. But can we just do it after breakfast, please? Or maybe next week? Thanks. YOUR VERY GLOBAL GIFT GUIDE (Click the titles for more information) Welcome to my list of globally inspired holiday gifts. It’s a hodge-podge of items, with a heavy emphasis on gifts for the very young child. Because, let’s face it, that’s my life right now. P.S. See if your local shops carry these items. You might be surprised. 1. COMAL GRIDDLE I purchased a carbon steel comal griddle at my …
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Cranberries. Right now. It’s their time to shine. Latvians know what’s up when it comes to the cranberry. They eat it whipped in clouds of pudding, layered with breads, and beyond. Today, however, is about a mountain of sugar. A squiggle of orange zest. A few minutes on the stove and you’re done. It’s really that simple. Here’s what I did: 4 cups cranberries 1 cup water 1 cup sugar, extra to taste 2 tsp strips of orange zest. Quickly look through your cranberries as you put them in the pot – weed out any squishy, yucky ones. Add all the other ingredients to pot. Bring to a simmer and cook 10-15 minutes. Taste and add more sugar if desired. Refrigerate until cold. Don’t be scared of the popping. It’s just the cranberries saying hello. You can add cinnamon sticks, fresh ginger, or whatever suits you to fancy it up. And then, to eat it, dress up in a pretty bowl and spoon the sweet tart goodness all over a thick pork chop, Latvian-style. Eat …
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Makes at least 1 1/2 quarts (more, depending on how much you dilute it) August has drug on too long. I know because the mosquitoes have given up for the summer. Not a one can be found. They’ve been cooked off. I’ve been shriveling up, too. Thankfully a few of our readers suggested I try sorrel, Jamaica’s perky, often spiked answer to iced tea, typically served at Christmastime. Sorrel is better than pouring a bucket of ice down your back. And it’s (literally) cooler than mulled wine (although I like that too). Imagine: It’s December. The sun has her cheery face on. The tin roofs are hot. Cats hide in the shade while people sip sorrel in flip flops. Christmastime in Jamaica. Prime Sorrel drinkin’ time. I love it! Now, let’s get clear on terminology… (UPDATE: Please check the comments – I seem to have this mixed up a bit…) Sorrel is the Jamaican word for hibiscus, a flower which grows abundantly on the island. Even though this drink is served on ice, sorrel retains the flavors of …
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Serves 4 Hello. I realize it’s summer, but let’s shut our eyes for a moment and daydream about winter. In Guyana. Are you ready for Christmas? Shall we deck the halls? (do people really do that?). Ready or not, today’s recipe is going to take you to December 25th, Guyanese-style. Read this: The kids got their little presents, got their pictures taken on my lap, and everyone ate fried rice, chow mein, and chicken curry. You know, traditional Christmas food. From Mark Hejinian’s travel blog Guyanese Mark My first reaction? I want to spend Christmas in Guyana. Immediately. It doesn’t help that it’s a zillion degrees here, but a nice cool winter day would be welcome right about now. And that menu? Yes, yes, yes. So let’s dig into what this dish is all about. While Chow Mein might sound like a stretch for the South American dinner table, Guyanese love this dish with a passion. It’s not a straight up copycat operation, however – they add plenty of unique touches, to make Chow Mein …
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Serves 1 When I don’t have time for a bubble bath, I like to slip my dreams into a steaming hot cup of cocoa. Imagine my surprise (and joy) when I found out Guatemalans don’t make their hot cocoa quite like we do here, in the USA. Like their neighbors throughout Central America, Guatemalans make hot cocoa out of bars of pressed cocoa. Dry and crumbly, these hot cocoa bars are nothing like the creamy bars of chocolate we snack on. The good news? You can find them in your local Latino market and in the international aisle of some standard grocery stores. For more information and to see “the making of” these cocoa bars… see our post In Search of the Guatemalan Sweet Tooth. PS. Keep this recipe in mind around the holidays – Guatemalans love to sip a nice cup of cocoa with tamales during the Christmas season. Ingredients: 1-2 ounces (usually 1-2 squares) from a hot cocoa bar 1 cup whole milk 1/2 cinnamon stick, or powdered cinnamon to taste Method: First things, …
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Serves 2-4 Welcome to Germany! Mustard, pickles, onions, bacon, and the beefiest beef you can find – all tucked into a luscious gravy and served with red cabbage [Recipe] and potatoes. First, a few tips. Rouladen should be made with wide strips of tough beef -the kind that benefits from slow cooking. Typically this is round steak, but my supermarket only had chuck roast. The meat should be about 4″ wide and very long and thin. Have your butcher cut it for you. If you think of the meat like a brick, they should be cutting strips from the widest part of the brick. They’ll only be able to do it if they have a slicer. Our butcher didn’t have a slicer, so they couldn’t cut wide slices – they had to cut from the skinny side. No problem – we just made mini rouladen. When you get it home pound it as thin as you can. Only simmer the rouladen until the beef is tender. You might want to make one or two extra …
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This is my favorite cake. All 21 layers of it. It has been since my mitten-wearing years. My mom used this intricately layered almond and chocolate cake as an activity for us kids – something to keep us busy on rainy mornings, when crayons had lost their interest. It is single-handedly responsible for my obsession with almond paste (and it’s sweeter counterpart, marzipan). The original recipe might as well be called “the dance of dirty bowls.” I took a hacksaw to the method, removing five extra bowls. Your baby soft hands will thank you. The best part? No cake goodness was harmed in the streamlining of this recipe. NOTE: You need two days to make this cake because the cake needs to chill in the fridge overnight. Serves 12 Ingredients: All ingredients should be room temperature 1 1/2 cups almond paste, tightly packed (12 oz) 6 Tbsp half & half 1 1/2 sticks butter (12 tbsp), softened 1 cup sugar 10 eggs, separated (put the whites in a bowl big enough to whip them up to …
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Serves 2-4 You could glaze a hub cap and I’d eat it. The key is to make the glazed item tantalizingly sweet – leave a little mystery. I’m not into savory foods swimming in syrup. This Finnish recipe shows lovely restraint, striking a delicate balance. In fact, shortly after I took my first bite I decided to make this recipe as often as possible for the rest of my life. Rutabagas come from around northern Central Europe. Maple syrup and butter give the root the most addictive flavor and it makes a great side dish for salmon or roast chicken. A total eye opener. The technique would be lovely with any carb – carrots, potatoes, butternut squash – or even a hearty blend of them all. Ingredients: 2 lbs rutabaga (about 3 average rutabagas), peeled and cubed 4 Tbsp butter (1/2 stick) 1/8 cup maple syrup salt pepper Method: Dearest readers, meet the mighty rutabaga. Often passed up in the supermarket. Rarely grown at home. A gnarly thing of beauty. You’ll need to peel it and …
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Serves 8 Is it a tart? a cake? a cheese cake? All of the above? Whatever you call it, this gingerbread love-fest is the perfect combination for a winter dessert buffet. Special thanks to Nami Nami who’s ricotta cheesecake recipe inspired our version. Nami is an Estonian blogger with a great collection of recipes, both from her home country and beyond. Cheers! Ingredients: 15 oz container whole milk ricotta 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp cardamom 3 large eggs 1/8 cup heavy cream 1/2 gingerbread dough (there will be scraps leftover to make decorative cookies to put on the top of the cake) Garnish: Lingonberry jam, to taste Method: Take a few minutes to build a snowman. If there are no snowmen to be made, sit outside and drink a cup of tea and think about building a snowman. Ok, now you’re ready to bake this Estonian treat. First, place a water bath in the oven (a large pan half full of hot water) and preheat it to 350F. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, …
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Power tools, fireplaces, and an entire town made of “gingerbread” – today is all about gingerbread. First up, the winning entry to our Global Gingerbread Contest: Here’s the story behind her house: As a recent graduate with a degree in European History and a concentration in Slavonic/East European Studies, I really wanted my “international/foreign” house to reflect that region. While I originally hoped to incorporate some designs common to Psyanki or Wycinanki (aka, ornately dyed easter eggs and polish paper cuttings), I eventually settled on creating a little house inspired by the Slovak village of Čičmany. This tiny village is well known for its beautiful folk architecture that has been carefully maintained and preserved over the years–all the buildings are covered in a variety of white-painted patterns and designs. As a result, the houses really do look something like life-sized gingerbread houses! While the village is, of course, quite unique, I believe it does reflect many motifs and values that are common through the last few hundred years of Eastern European folk tradition. It also …
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Mayday, mayday! I opened and closed the fridge about 10 ten times. Nothing to eat. Nothing to offer guests. Each time I peered in, I hoped for a different result (there had to be something in there besides baby yogurt and beets… seriously) but … nope… there I was – December 22 – with a full house and no nom noms or drinks. To be fair, I wasn’t expecting three dear friends to drop by all at once (one of which hadn’t had breakfast or lunch due to a busy, busy morning) … but then again… it’s Christmas week… Now that I am fully traumatized (and my friends half starved to death), I’d like to share some wisdom: During the holiday season, always have an impromptu party on standby! You can learn from my mistakes and have the ingredients for this super easy snack and one of these two traditional Christmas drinks ready to go … you know, should someone decide to pop over to bring you a gift. And then you won’t have to serve …
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