When I was in high school, I used to go to my friend’s house almost every day after school. His mom was Filipino, and she would be so excited that guests were over. She was always so eager to cook and feed her guests. It got to a point where she would just make me meals without knowing I was ...
When I was young, tea was my thing, I absolutely hated coffee. It wasn’t just about “tea” though; for me it was mostly about understanding the flavors and herbs used for each bag. There was a point at which I lightly studied herbs and their medicinal properties, but my interest slowly faded away. Now I am an avid coffee drinker ...
In some places, a singular phrase can illustrate a really complex emotion that can only be described in sentences or even paragraphs. For instance, “wabi-sabi” in Japanese is a word to describe finding beauty in imperfection or things that are unfinished or suffering. Then there is the word “petrichor” to describe the smell once it begins raining after days of ...
It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone here that I am obsessed with food. Why write about cookbooks if I don’t cook or bake a lot of food? “Liking food” or being “obsessed with food” seems to have a negative connotation in American culture especially. It’s as if we are at war with eating and with our bodies on a ...
Have you ever wondered why there are a million cookbooks for bread? It’s something that our ancestors seemingly mastered as early as 8000 BC, but we still somehow need help. Bread is an ever growing art, especially as cultures begin meshing together. Everyone is experimenting with different ways of creating beautiful loaves. But is it possible we are forgetting the ...
I never grew up with upside down cake. I feel like I was robbed of the experience, because upside down cakes are quite tasty and pretty! Though, my first experience with upside down cake almost ruined the whole idea for me. It was the traditional pineapple with cherries decorated on the top, but it was so dry and flavorless – ...
Admittedly, I interchange the word “Mediterranean” and “Greek” all the time when it comes to food – It’s wrong! I know! But, did you know that Mediterranean food encompasses areas in Greece, Italy, Egypt, Spain, Turkey, and Syria? The area is so vast that I assumed the flavors don’t overlap, but they do! When we talk about “Mediterranean” the staples ...
Cooking is a glimpse into the history of mankind. We can learn from the foods that we eat from we are from, or by who our influencers are. But it goes deeper than that. The ingredients we use are a narrative of the lands we originated in. Certain crops can only live in certain regions on Earth. Sharing food is ...
I like to pride myself on trying new foods, but I have a confession – I’ve never tried Indonesian food. In fact, I feel like Indonesia is overlooked by many in the Western world. Now, with globalization, we have more adventurous palates than ever and chefs from all around the world who are eager to show us the food they ...
It’s only been a couple of days since changing up my diet and I’m already looking at cake. I am justifying this by telling myself that after a month of being good, I can be rewarded with a delicious sweet treat. Having a decadent dessert once in a while isn’t a bad thing! (Disclosure: Some of the links in this ...