My cooking classes on The Big Trip just keep getting better! Last week we took a class at Cappadocia Home Cooking in the small rural town of Ayvali, Turkey. We had a terrific evening getting to know a local family, learned quite a bit about traditional cuisine, and cooked to our hearts content. The evening began with a tour of their beautiful … [Read more...]
Feta Cucumber Salad
This is one of my favorite late summer dishes. I had a version at a wedding shower years ago served with smaller cucumber chunks and corn chips for dipping. I was hooked and have since turned it into a stand-alone salad that I make almost weekly in late August and early September. It never disappoints! This year, it was a treat to make while … [Read more...]
Zucchini Mint Fritters (and Tomato Basil Fritters)
We made tomato fritters in one of my Greek cooking classes and they were outstanding - simple, whole foods ingredients and lots of flavor! Unfortunately they were also deep-fried, so I decided to try making a similar version at home that could be cooked in a pan - none of the deep-fry and all of the deliciousness, well, almost all. Zucchini … [Read more...]
Three Herb Pesto with New Potatoes and Green Beans
I'm officially obsessed with pesto! It is one of my favorite things to make, is packed with nutrients, and literally tastes good on everything. I begin the summer each year by making (and freezing) as much garlic scape pesto as possible, and then proceed to spend the summer making batches with all the other herbs I grow on my roof deck or find at … [Read more...]
Peppers Stuffed with Curried Vegetables
August is a time of abundance! No other month has more variety or overstuffed bushel baskets, when it comes to produce at the farmers markets. It is the best time of year to enjoy all the bounty of summer through vegetable heavy meals. These stuffed peppers use many of the seasonal vegetables of August, but don't feel limited by my choices. … [Read more...]
Pickle Extravaganza
One of the things I miss most while on The Big Trip, is canning and preserving in my kitchen at home. I have the preservation bug! I think it is a derivative of my nesting instinct -- I always want to be harvesting and putting up food to use during the cold winter. My problem is finding time to actually use everything I preserve! Anyone want … [Read more...]
Fish Cakes with Chive Yogurt Sauce
As we’ve traveled through Northern Europe and Scandinavia we have seen lots of fish cakes! They come in all shapes and sizes with various sauces and flavorings. Here is my favorite version, which also happens to be ridiculously easy to make at home. Fish Cake Ingredients 2-3 large potatoes 1 pound of fresh cod 1 egg 1 red onion (grated … [Read more...]
Curried Chickpeas with Feta Cheese
We are loving Portugal. It is filled with nice people, beautiful landscapes, and delicious food. The food is fresh, flavorful, and healthful (just like my Portuguese Fish Stew). We took a break from our Portuguese food adventures the other night to make dinner in our apartment. There are only so many meals I can eat out before I'm ready for … [Read more...]
Indian Yogurt Chicken
One of the highlights of my time in Paris has been reconnecting with my old friend, Shaunaq. Shaunaq and I worked together about eight years ago, but haven't been in close touch since he moved to Paris in 2006. Not only has it been super fun to hang out with him, he's also been our "translator-extraordinaire" and helped tremendously with our visa … [Read more...]
French Lentils with Chanterelles
We moved into our Paris apartment on Tuesday and celebrated by cooking our first french meal. We spent a lovely afternoon walking through the markets on Rue Mouffetard and stocked our kitchen. This meal really felt like "One Beet goes to Paris" -- lots of french ingredients, but definitely my cooking style and focus on healthy, delicious, simple … [Read more...]