Indian Inspired Black Radish & Mung Bean Salad

When I read 'The surprise of a winter radish' by Emily Horton at The Washington Post Food section on Wednesday I felt antsy. I couldn't wait for Sunday to arrive to make my excursion into the farmers market in DC for this elusive, new to me radish. All week I fantasized about....black radish!

Meatball & Rice Dumplings Soup, A Romanian Style Chorba (Ciorba)

It felt like spring today and I spent it mostly outside picking up debris and sweet gum balls in the backyard. The birds were chirping bright and early, just before the crack of dawn, building a nest just outside our bedroom window sill. The daffodils are full of buds almost bursting with flowers and the mossy grass is speckled with glory of the snow blooms. Nature is coming alive, entirely confused.

Multigrain Oatmeal Bread

Occasionally I pick up healthy multigrain and seeds breads at various markets and bakeries. The density of these loaves is perpetually disappointing. Although I bake with yeast for many years now,  tackling home made multigrain and seeds breads has been on my to do list for awhile. This particular recipe yields such a light and airy loaf that I can see pairing it perfectly at any meal during the day. A toasted slice of multigrain oatmeal with a homemade jam or marmalade in the morning, or a freshly baked slice with a vibrant yolk fried egg for dinner at night, or paired with avocado and alfalfa sprouts or arugula on a picnic lunch.

Apples - Photography

A Wintery Balkan Cannellini Stew Comfort

Come winter, I crave hearty, comforting dishes and I pull out my Balkan food cookbook, sitting lonesome, shunned and tucked away the rest of the seasons. As earthy as the Balkan dishes are, they possess their own intricacies and flavor pairings sensibilities, and every winter I look at the cookbook for a refresher on the Balkan cuisine subtle flavor pairings brilliance.

Sardines - Silent Sunday

Cinnamon Buns, a College Care Package & a Giveaway!

This is the second post in the series of my professional collaboration with Red Star Yeast. It fits beautifully with my love for breakfast and brunch pastries. As you already know from my first post in the series, Marbled Rye Bread, I mostly like baking with yeast. More importantly I decided to bake cinnamon buns for my beautiful son away in college. He would be so happy to get this care package with his binoculars for his Natural Resources Conservation field work, some folders he had at home, granola I packed in individual small bags as snacks and these cinnamon buns. He will probably share the buns and granola with his roommate and floor buddies. He's got a generous spirit and a big heart. He is proud of my 'concoctions' and thrives on company, so feasting together and sharing  makes him so happy, even when I say save some for yourself for the next day.

Tabouleh - A Lebanese Parsley, Bulgur Wheat, Mint, Onion & Tomato Salad

This tabouleh was inspired by my recent essay 'A Chance Encounter with Ed Hyder's Mediterranean Marketplace' post. I have made tabouleh plenty of times in the past, but never from a recipe. For the purpose of this post, I had to backtrack and come up with one. I usually add the basic ingredients and adjust lemon, mint leaves and salt for flavor as I go. I adjust oil as I go for consistency's sake. I have different quirks, I call them quirks, but they are sound advice that I think help achieve the best tabouleh.

A Chance Encounter with Ed Hyder's Mediterranean Marketplace

Worcester, an obscure place that didn't even earn an honorary spot along the Mass Pike. A place I was thrown into in the midst of winter without proper insulating attire. Just off the boat, so to speak, directly from Israel, I slowly came to respect and grow to take joy in it. As we scooted hurriedly out of town I had to make those last pit stops for lunch. I am shaking off images of this dreary town and want to dig deeper into the charmed every day life. A pocket of working and middle class college town out in central MA, a mere hour west of Boston.

Kale, Cannellini Beans & Potato Soup

I was not planning on posting this recipe, if not for the folks at Whole Foods asking me to share it with them out of curiosity, when they saw what my son said: “it tastes like Whole Foods minestrone.”

Majdool Dates & Tamarind Chutney, Sweetened Yogurt & Red Swiss Chard & Dinosaur Kale Chips Chaat

A couple turn of events inspired this post. The first involves a case of childhood thievery. While I was never the type to shoplift a Bazooka at the corner shop, I was known to sneak off tamarind**, well hidden at the cupboards, and eat it all. Risking a tummy ache and my mom's most horrid threats of most severe consequences and punishment, unless someone fesses up, but I never did.