Types of Pizza in Italy and the US
Filed Under Food History Italy, USA
Happy National Pizza Day! Is pizza the most popular food on the planet? I haven't done any research on the subject, but I'm sure it has to be. You can find it pretty much anywhere, and it is always recognizable as pizza, no matter how varied it may seem from place to place. Some people are pizza purists, and they tend to like the pizza they grew up with. I'm… Read
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Recipe for Roman Carbonara
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes Italy
Carbonara is one of the most famous of Roman pasta dishes, but also one of the most argued about. Even in Italy, there are passionate disagreements about the "true" recipe for carbonara. Should you use guanciale or pancetta? Should you use parmigiano or pecorino? Does it have onion? Whole egg or only the yolks? If you head out of Rome and the Lazio region, you'll find even more variety in… Read
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Mediterranean Food Tours: Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipe from Greece
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes Greece, Israel, Turkey
Stuffed grape leaves are a staple throughout many eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries. They are delicious and versatile, can be stuffed with meat or with rice (or other grains), can be served hot or room-temperature, with or without a sauce. There is little you can't do with this tasty treat! Learn more about Middle Eastern cuisine. I make stuffed grape leaves every year for my husband's birthday to celebrate… Read
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Russian Tea Cake Recipe for National Cookie Day
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes, Special Occasions
December 3 is National Cookie Day, so why not dedicate a blog to everyone's favorite sweet treat and a fabulous Russian tea cake cookie recipe? The word "cookie" originally comes from the Dutch word "koekje," meaning cake. Of course, much of the English-speaking world calls them "biscuits," but that just shows how influential Dutch immigrants were on the development of American English. Cookies were originally made as a way to… Read
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Happy National Chocolate Day & A Recipe for Easy Chocolate Mousse
Filed Under Food History, Recipes, Special Occasions
Happy National Chocolate Day! Surely one of the best food days of the year, National Chocolate Day celebrates this wonderful product. Whether you like yours hot or cold, liquid or solid, bittersweet or milk, chocolate remains one of the most beloved of foods. We're feting it ourselves with a delicious chocolate mouse recipe, below, but first, let's talk about chocolate! A History of Chocolate What exactly is chocolate? Chocolate is… Read
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How to Make Homemade Sauerkraut and Fermented Carrots: Fermenting 101
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes, What's Up at TIK USA
Fermentation is all the rage in foodie circles. From kombucha to kimchi, yogurt to sauerkraut, it may seem like the next new food fad. Fermented foods have been getting press lately as doctors and dietitians promote it as a path to better gut health. Instead of taking a probiotic pill, why not try naturally fermented foods that you can make at home? It is easy, delicious, and good for you.… Read
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