Fresh Dill and Parsley

No Tomatoes in January or Roasted Beets with Walnuts and Gorgonzola

 

There were no tomatoes in January or February for most of my childhood. Not even in March. The supermarkets were mostly empty and eating in season was not another foodie trend but reality. In case you didn't get a chance to read the "About me" page, I was born in Romania sometime before 1989 when things were not so good.  What was going on at that time? In 1981 the Communist leadership decided to pay off foreign debt which meant that most  goods produced in Romania were exported and the revenues from such exports went to the payment of the foreign debt, leaving very little for domestic consumption. Hence the empty supermarkets. And long waiting lines when finally sugar or butter or skinny little chickens were delivered to one the stores. And people always carried their own bag in case such an event unexpectedly occurred, yet another current trend that was a necessity for us. 

Bean Dip

You've probably heard that butter makes everything taste better. Well, garlic is the other ingredient that makes everything taste better. Except possibly chocolate cake. No garlic in chocolate cake! That should be the first rule of baking.  However, I'm not writing about chocolate cake. It's not that I don't like cake. If anything, I like cake a bit too much.  Cake will be the focus of a future post, I promise. This post is about a bean dip that got lots of mmm...so yummy reviews from friends and family. Beans and garlic go well together. Bean loves garlic. Garlic loves bean.

Country-Style Potatoes

It is amazing to me how many ways we have come up with to cook the humble yet delicious potato. I don’t think any other vegetable gets as much attention as the potato. If I were a vegetable, I think I would want to be a potato.  Broccoli is definitely not a vegetable I would ever want to be.  Everybody hates you, especially small children who turn their crying faces away. On the other hand, in the interest of longevity, it might be better to be broccoli than potato. This is a very interesting issue. How about you? Which vegetable would you want to be? Which vegetable do you feel suits your personality best and why?

I don’t think I can ever get sick of potatoes. When I read this recipe in a Romanian cookbook given to me by my aunt, I just had to make it, more than once. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Zucchini Pancakes

Wednesday is one of my favorite days of the week. The world most of us live in, is one in which people's lives (including mine) seem to revolve around the weekend. Monday everyone seems to be getting back into the routine and a bit down (like the fuzzy dude in the picture below).   Is it Friday yet? The mood improves progressively throughout the week until Friday, when everyone is hyped about the much coveted weekend. This means that Wednesday things are looking up and everyone is in a good mood.

Tuna Toast

I love fish, including canned tuna and eat some sort of fish at least once a week.  This is a recipe I once saw on a cooking show on PBS.  The recipe called for the tuna paste being served with tomatoes but for some reason I'm not a big fan of mixing tuna and tomatoes which is why I like to eat this on crackers or toast. This appetizer is quick and delicious and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.