Sweet Potato and Stilton Knishes
I have a list of blogs that I typically cycle through for inspiration - recipes, travel and photography. Leading upto Purim, the interweb was flying wild with hamantaschen on every platform. I see them as basically jam cookies in a cool shape. That's it. Then Molly posted a savory potato version that caught my fancy and my hands twitching. I was inspired.
During a casual conversation with a barely Jewish friend, I realised there was a story to hamantaschen, that is named for Haman's Ears, and why it is baked for Purim. Here is the story, if you like, and expectedly, it is filled with Old Testament, love and persecution. And yet....
Spaghetti and Meatballs : Italian after all?
Italian cuisine is one of America's favorite ones and, indeed, Italians constitute 6% of the US population. But, the forever question has been is "Is the Italian food eaten in the US really Italian?"
Does the infamous spaghetti-meatballs dish really have no Italian origins?
The truthful answer to that is that is "It's complicated"...
Sweet Potato Scones with Hints of Cheddar
If you follow me on Instagram, I posted a few days ago one of the reason from my quiet around here - not having a kitchen! These scones were one of the few things I actually thought about and baked in my kitchen. And, then, actually shot. So, here we are, as the festive season comes running up to us..
Festive Beginnings - Pairing Notes Sonoma-Cutrer Wines
The Holiday season is here! And, it is my favorite part of the year! This year in particular I have much to celebrate and be thankful for - life, friends and family. I have been blessed, I have been tested and I have triumphed. And, oh! There have been so many new beginnings to toast and raise a glass. The wines and whiskeys have been flowing free and unchecked and I cannot be more thrilled. It is of course not to say that there haven't been trials but hey, a good glass of wine is well and nice for when its a good day and even better when it ain't so nice! :D
Read on for tasting and food pairing notes on a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards.
And I Came Home...
Just over a year ago, I decided I needed a hiatus. A change. A chance. Something new. Utterly different. Something to slap me in the face and wake me up. A few months ago, an opportunity landed on my lap; it sounded too good to be true. And, it was! Too Good and Too True! :)
The long and short of it, is that I spent 9 months living outside US, for the most part based in Italy, traveling Europe, Asia and collecting information about cultures, peoples' values, real life experiences, what food means to people in different spaces in life and the world,.... and, yet how similar we all are.