• Rendang and the Minangkabau people

    For this post, I will be reviewing rendang – a dish I discovered while browsing through recipes on the New York Times. On a chilly early summer day (yes, I am very late…

  • Barbarian Head Dumplings? The Mantou/Baozi

    Growing up my family used to go to Windsor, Canada for dim sum (a traditional Chinese meal made up of small plates of dumplings and other snack dishes, usually accompanied by tea). About…

  • Arancini and Cultural Identity in Sicily

    Arancini, meaning “little oranges,” are fried rice balls with various fillings, both savory and sweet. They originated during the Islamic era of Sicily when North Africans controlled the island and parts of the…

  • Greek Moussaka and the History of Eggplants

    Moussaka (or musaka, or musakka) is “a meat and vegetable stew, originally made from sliced aubergine [eggplant], meat and tomatoes, and preferably cooked in an oven.” Moussaka is a flexible dish, versions of…

  • Pickles of the World

    “Heaven knows, a civilized life is impossible without salt”–Pliny I recently realized I am very behind in posting! Work has been very busy, as it usually is in the summer. So, I thought…

  • Polynesia and the Peopling of the Pacific

    To celebrate Polynesia I decided to make Poisson Cru (a Tahitian ceviche) and Faikakai Malimali (A Tonga sweet dumplings served with coconut syrup). Both of these dishes are common in Polynesia and represent…

  • Brazil: Moqueca and Pão de queijo

    Last year I learned how to make moqueca, a Brazilian seafood stew from the Bahia region. This May cold snap in Colorado made me crave something warm, so I decided to re-visit this…