Sometimes I buy fruit and it just… sits there. Life takes over. I go for hikes, I play catch with my daughter, I eat the candy from my stocking, and… before I know it, I just forget to eat them. I do this a lot with apples because they last so long and are so forgiving. Eventually, the time comes when they lose a bit of shine and a few bruises pop up. If this should happen to you, applesauce is the way to go. I didn’t realize how easy it would be to make until I did it this week. Trust me, you can do this. In countries like Liechtenstein applesauce is the go-to side dish for all sorts of meals, like Schnitzel [recipe] and Käsknöpfle (recipe will be up this weekend). The fresh flavor will totally make you forget that you left your apples just …. sitting there… for so … long. Best part? No fancy equipment required. Just a plain ol’ wooden spoon. That’s love right there. Here’s the easy, peasy recipe: Makes 2 …
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Welcome to my weakness. The mango. If you’ve been paying attention, you may have noticed I make a lot of recipes with this heavenly fruit. Quite possibly I’ve made more mango recipes than anything else. Everything about the mango is perfect. Sweet. Golden. Juicy. And, right now, totally in season. So, go find one (or five hundred). Rain or shine. In Liberia they like to chop them up and cook them with cloves. About four cloves will give the mango an alluring, but not overpowering flavor – reminiscent of pie filling. If the mangoes are perfectly ripe, they don’t even need sugar. Otherwise, a spoonful should do you. Cook for just ten minutes and serve this as-good-as-pie-filling with a big dollop of whipped cream. The whipped cream melts just a little from the heat of the snuggly-warm mangoes… Good luck sharing this with anyone else. I ate the whole thing by myself. Ava was napping. Keith was working. And I, … well, I have no regrets. Here’s how you do it: Serves 1-2 Ingredients: 2 cups …
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Today I’m partnering with your mother. It’s cold outside. Let’s all bundle up in our favorite fuzzy-wild-animal-looking hoodies. Let’s wear face masks and giant mittens. And let’s definitely eat our vegetables. Lots and lots of veggies. Today’s recipe is inspired by moroko, a dish enjoyed in the African country, Lesotho. Typically, Moroko is made with onions and greens, sauteed in oil with a bit of broth, not unlike the Kale (Sukuma Wiki) we made recently for Kenya. Moroko can be made with any dark greens you’d like, such as kale, spinach, chard, or mustard greens. Optionally, beans or potatoes can be added. But I have a secret – the most wonderful mash around is when you add mustard greens to potatoes. And this mash, inspired by Lesotho, is what we’re serving up today. Turns out this is the mashed potatoes your mother always dreamed you would eat. Loaded with nutrients. And really, really green. Serves 2-4 Ingredients: 1 bunch mustard greens, chopped finely 3 fairly large russet potatoes, peeled and roughly cubed stock, as needed – I used …
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I have a problem. Mangoes. I ate an entire crate of mangoes when I was pregnant with Ava. Ten mangoes in less than a week. Or was it twenty? Mangoes are so outrageously good right now. I can barely stop eating them long enough to let them soften up on the counter. I have trouble sharing. Thankfully Laos has a dessert that showcases this crazy fruit in a fun and simple way. Remember that sticky, sticky rice? The staple of Laos? That’s your ticket. Let’s whip up a heaping bowl of warm coconut rice pudding topped with soft, sweet mango. I’m already dancing a Golden Coconut Dream. Ingredients: 4 cups cooked sticky rice (2 cups uncooked) 1 15 oz can light coconut milk 1/4 cup brown sugar, or more to taste milk for thinning, as desired 1-2 small, ripe mangoes, cubed Method: On a sweet sort of day, with just the right sort of bite in the air, when your mangoes are perfectly – tenderly – soft, cook your way to a lovely dream. Simply add the …
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We’re all friends here, right? I need to tell you something important. I’m learning to step out of my comfort zone. Not just once in a while. Once a day. It’s scary but also rewarding. Sometimes, though, you can take too big a step. I’m learning that baby steps are better. Let me put this into context for you. Deciding whether or not to make this recipe caused quite the dilemma. You see, the last time I made lobster was traumatic. Have you ever made live lobster? It’s stressful. It makes me sad just thinking about it. Here’s the reality: I put on a brave face and went for it, but stepped too far out of my comfort zone. The result? I secretly vowed to never make lobster again. Then Kiribati skips into my life and, like a breath of fresh air, Kiribati tells me lobster is normal. That lobster is a way of life. And Kiribati tempts me with a 1 step coconut curry for dipping. <deep breath> Time to step out of my …
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Makes 1/4 cup seasoned salt for lots of corn goodness. Can you squeeze a lime? Can you smash chili peppers into a mini mound of salt? Can you grill corn? This is one of those recipes that you make on a day, much like today, when you want to prepare something impressive, but you can’t be bothered to do very much. We owe it to the lovely people of Kenya: take a walk down their bustling streets and you’ll likely find vendors selling roasted corn rolled in a spicy blend of chili, fresh lime juice and salt. The corn is cooked until deeply roasted. It’s for real good. Ingredients: corn on the cob 1/4 cup rock salt 2 small chilies, sliced or more to taste lime juice (about 1/2 lime juiced, or to taste) Method: Let’s head to Nairobi, where – certainly – inspiration will strike. The beautiful thing about this recipe? Everything is to taste. I ground 2 sliced chili peppers into 1/4 cup rock salt… Then squeezed in the juice of half a …
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Serves 2-4 When I look at this photo, my tummy literally rumbles. My mouth opens a little in expectation. I actually find it as appealing as my Guinness Chocolate Cake with Bailey’s Buttercream that I made for Ireland. Weird, but true. What can I say? Mom taught me to eat my veggies. I’ve been trying to convince Mr. Picky. I’ve been working on Ava. My enthusiasm hasn’t started a wildfire. Yet. Still, I’m here to tell you what every Kenyan knows – the simple truth – green food does a body good. Especially when stewed with juicy tomatoes, rich broth and sweet onion. It’s also a fantastic way to stretch resources throughout the entire week – something built into the Kenyan name “Sukuma Wiki,” which literally means “stretch the week.” I’m into it. Simple, affordable, and delicious. What’s not to love? Ingredients: vegetable oil 1 large onion 1 very large tomato (or 2 small) 1 bunch kale (about a dozen stalks) 1 cup broth salt Method: Let’s get started. First, fly to Kenya and pick up …
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Fills 10 standard silicone muffin liners or pour into 8×8 baking dish It’s wiggly. It’s jiggly. And it’s in your drink. Jellooooo for adults. You can thank Japan for their love of mixing textures – there’s nothing quite like slurping up jello squares into a round straw, along with a bit of milk. Gulp. Slurp. Chew. Note: If you substitute hot cocoa for the coffee, you won’t need the sugar as long as your mix is sweetened. Ingredients: For the jello: 1 1/2 cups hot, fresh brewed espresso (or coffee, or hot cocoa mix) 1/2 cup cold water 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin 1/3 cup sugar, or to taste (not needed if you use sweetened hot cocoa) For the drink: chilled, evaporated milk, to taste extra wide straws Method: First, dissolve gelatin powder over cold water. The water will thicken up into goup. Then, stir that goup and the sugar into freshly brewed (hot) espresso or coffee. Whisk until totally combined. Pour everything into mold(s) and refrigerate until set. A few hours is usually good. To rock out Japanese style, …
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Say “camel” and the first word that comes to mind is hump. Please tell me I’m not alone in this. I don’t even have to be in the desert – I could be standing in a pool with a large, cold drink in my hand – but just thinking about camels makes me incredibly thirsty. And jealous. A camel doesn’t need to hold their drink. They don’t even need to use their mouth to hydrate. They just stand there, continually refreshed by their built-in portable hydration hump. Camel humps are huge (weighing up to 80 pounds) and can keep a camel hydrated for up to seven months in the winter. Seven months without a sip of water! Sigh. Now. Don’t become discouraged. Even though we’ll still need to pick up our glasses to drink from them, there is another clever way to hydrate. And Israel is loaded up with it… we might as well call it the human portable hydration hump. Otherwise known as citrus. Oranges. Grapefruits. Juicy, juicy. So, to combat the thirst-inducing effects of a camel ride (or …
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As far as I’m concerned, the best – and quite possibly the only way to time travel is to cook. Reading gets us only partway there – we dream ourselves into other times, other lands. But they remain just that – dreams. Visiting ruins gets us a little closer. But, at the end of the day, ruins are simply ruins – fragments of the splendor that what once was. But, when it comes to cooking food from ancient times? Instant time travel. In my mouth. When I cook I am potentially eating exactly what someone long ago ate. I can shut my eyes and focus in on the beautiful flavors of that time and place. I might as well be there. Want to join me? Let’s do it. Introducing date balls. One of the world’s earliest treats. Fit enough for a king. The most amazing thing about Date Balls is exactly how long they’ve been around. You’ll find them in Iraq today, but you also would have found them in ancient Babylon, when they were called Mersu. …
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Makes 2 quarts There’s an old Icelandic saying: “Even though you are small, you can still be clever.” Teeny weenie blueberries, fresh from the bush may be small, but they make the most adorable and extraordinary purple ice cream. And, as you drown in bite after bite of cold, sweet, glorious goodness, you also consume a quarter ton of antioxidants. Clever, indeed. So, churn up a batch. Stick around to watch as it freezes in the belly of your ice cream maker – you’ll be all smiles as the violet blue blends with the rich cream and sweetened by a light touch of sugar and cardamom. Make ice cream. Let joy overwhelm you – become a child, yet again. I’m honored that this recipe was featured in Penzy’s Spices’ 2012 early summer catalog. Ingredients: 2 cups blueberries 1 Tbsp water 1/2 tsp fresh, crushed cardamom (the seeds of about 15-20 pods) 2/3 cup sugar 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup milk Method: Ah, blueberries. There’s no quicker way to revive the inner child. Especially when the winter …
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Stars poke holes in the black sky. Crickets chirp. A campfire crackles. A few dear friends sit in a circle, chattering. They laugh until they cry and cry until they laugh. And, since they’re Hungarian, they’re holding bacon. Giant cubes of bacon. On sticks. Welcome to Hungarian summer. Campfire bacon kabobs, a.k.a. Gypsy Bacon (Cigany Szalonna) are an integral part of any Hungarian barbecue. In Planet Barbecue Steven Raichlen states: There once was a time – perhaps it’s true still – when Hungary had the highest per capita calorie intake of any country in Europe. Lard and Goose fat undoubtedly helped Hungary achieve this distinction, but the real culprit was […] grilled bacon. Now I know why mom and brother, Damien, always loved to “chew the fat” – literally. Our Hungarian roots all but require it. Here’s how it works: 1. Buy the biggest piece of rind-on slab bacon you can find. Unsliced. I had to call about 5 butchers before I found it at Perry’s in Tulsa. Even then, they tried to slice it up …
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