I’ve learned over the years that many people misread the purpose of a recipe. This I have discovered from the number of people who have written to me or stopped me in public to tell me that when they follow one of my recipes, the dish never tastes the same as when they sampled it [...]

Filed under: General Posts, Uncategorized, cooking | 2 Comments »

As proof that Thanksgiving is purely American holiday, most immigrants to this country that I know, have gone out of their way to be as American as they can be.  The minute that a federal official swears in a new crop of immigrants as American citizens, one of the first thoughts in their mind is not” [...]

Filed under: Food Allergies, General Posts, Seasonal, Side Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian, gluten free | No Comments »

Except for the Orient, which features rice as a staple with any meal, there are few societies that do not boast some kind of bread as their staple. Even in Latin America, a tortilla is basic.  Even if it doesn’t look much like bread, at least as we know it. I’ve found that most cultures [...]

Filed under: Bread, Vegetarian, gluten free | No Comments »

If you were a visitor from another planet, a professional chef for example, dropping down on Earth and checking our various menus and recipes, you would most likely ask, “why would anyone want to use sheep intestines stuffed with rice?” Or, “Using seaweed as your vegetable instead of lettuce and tomatoes?”. When you think of [...]

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Food peddlers, selling their wares from carts can be found in most Eastern Mediterranean villages and cities.  These carts usually appear in the afternoon, remaining until late evening.  Because in that part of the world everything must be freshly picked, the food peddlers sell only what vegetables or fruit that is in season.  Wintertime brings [...]

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All over the Mediterranean no meal is considered finished until cheese is served.  It is thought to settle the stomach and helps to digest one’s meal.  In good restaurants in Europe the waiter usually brings the cheese tray with a selection of different kind of cheese on it to allow the customer to choose. Food [...]

Filed under: Salads, Seasonal, Vegetarian, gluten free | 1 Comment »

I had never eaten Porcini mushrooms before 1995, but we were on vacation in Italy around this time and each restaurant in Italy made several dishes with tasty mushrooms.  I loved Porcini mushroom so much that I bought dry one to last me for several months. Food historians tell us that mushrooms were used by [...]

Filed under: Food Allergies, General Posts, Salads, gluten free | No Comments »