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Several years ago I had the pleasure of having a Vietnamese roommate for a little while. In the short window of time we had together she taught me how to make pho. At the time, I’d never had pho before. The warm comfort of the soup and the freshness of the heap of condiments on…
In slavic Europe, Easter is arguably the biggest of all the Christian holidays. In Poland, Easter-related traditions take place for over a week. Palm Sunday to Wet Monday is marked with religious rites and practices, some of which have their origins in pagan times. The decorated Easter egg, for instance, is a pagan symbol for…
Here is a recipe that combines several Jewish favourites into one beautiful breakfast dish. The wonderful eggy deliciousness that is Challah bread is comparable to the French brioche and lends itself very well for day-old bread dishes. According to mitzvah (Jewish law) Challah is bread that has been ‘separated’. Part of the dough of each…
Running the risk of putting you all off my writing, today I’ll give you a love it or hate it recipe: Po Cha, or Tibetan Butter Tea. In the highlands of Tibet this is a staple drink, served three to four times a day to warm the bones and provide enough sustenance (caffeine, fat) to…
Nothing says Christmas like a mug of warm spiced wine. At least, that’s the case in many European countries. You might know it as gluhwein or mulled wine, but the process comes down to the same thing: heating wine and spirits to just below boiling point to infuse the taste of spices into the drink.…
In this issue, I share with you some lovely Korean side dishes. Traditional Korean cuisine will typically have several of these ‘banchan’ to complete a meal. These tasty side dishes will spice up any barbecued meat, but they work just as well with some rice as a vegetarian lunch. Soy and honey glazed potato •…
A typical Nepali meal consists of Dal, Bhat, and Tarkari: lentils, rice, and a (vegetable) curry. This flexible trifecta of dishes is commonly served with roti, chutney and pickles. To add to the dal recipe that I’ve shared with you earlier this year, here’s a warming vegetarian curry, made with seasonal veggies. Ingredients • 1…
Spain is one of those countries I wish were closer to Canada, now that I’ve made the big move across the pond. For a young Dutch girl, travelling to the south of Spain is a complete culture shock only a three hour plane ride away. I visited Sevilla and it’s surrounding countryside with my parents…
What better way to celebrate the summer than with a nice dinner from the BBQ? This summer salmon is cooked en papillote (in parchment) which makes for juicy and flavourful fish, cooked with aromatics. It is served with funchi, a starch that is a staple in the Caribbean, noticeably eaten on special occasions in the…
Congee is a rice based porridge that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and is praised for its therapeutic value by traditional Chinese medicine. It’s very easy to make and stretches a little bit of rice a long way. This congee is made with short grain rice. Short grain rice provides an abundance…
Back before the Second World War, when Indonesia was called the Dutch East Indies and moving abroad was still the decision of a lifetime, my great grandmother put on her ‘naughty shoes,’ as we say in Dutch, and went. She bravely moved around the world by herself, fell in love with the country and her…
Several years back I had a Chinese roommate who taught me how to make Kung Pao Chicken, a dish that I’d never had before. I didn’t know this dish is one of North America’s favourite take out dishes, or as my current Chinese co-worker informed me “the whitest Chinese dish around”. Chinese take-out in Holland,…
The word okonomiyaki can be translated as: grilled ‘whatever you like’. Japanese comfort food at it’s best, these savoury pancakes can be whipped up easily for a nice weekday meal with the do-it-yourself component of adding the toppings at the table. There are several versions of Okonomiyaki, originating in different areas of Japan. Most famous…
