I’ve been totally addicted to the combination of honey and sesame lately. The bitter-sweet combination of tahini paste and honey with apples, or on toast – or straight out of the jar. Crunchy almonds drizzled with honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds. The nutty-sweet sesame candies they sell in the Turkish supermarket. I can’t get [...]
Last week, two friends of mine came to visit Berlin. They’ve both been living out of the US, for over a year, which means they haven’t had decent Mexican food in at least that long. And I’d been dying for an excuse to cook for a bunch of people.
The Menu:Shredded pork, refried beans, mild salsa, [...]
Last week I found a recipe on 101 Cookbooks that piqued my curiosity. It was a gluten-free brownie recipe, using pureed black beans as the base. Always willing to experiment, I made a batch for a friend’s birthday party.
They were delicious. As promised, no one detected the slightest hint of bean-flavor. The combination of sweet [...]
This was supposed to be an Easter post. I was even going to make a cute reference to the egg-like shape of the celery root (celeriac) that I picked up the other day… but then life intervened, and the Easter-egg reference is now all-but-useless.
I had a giant celery root (celeriac) forcibly gifted to me [...]
I eat a lot of Middle Eastern food here. Falafel, schawarma, döner… I can’t get enough of them. And the hummus you get with a plate of schawarma meat: the creamy, mild sweetness of the chickpeas blending with tart lemon and sharp garlic. The little drizzle of olive oil over the top. I could eat [...]
Last week at the Turkish Market, I walked by one of the spice stalls and noticed a small sign in front of the cashier: “Real Saffron from Iran. Available only while supplies last. Half gram, €3.”
I didn’t know what I would use it for, but I’d never seen saffron for sale before. I couldn’t pass [...]
I’m generally known for having a penchant for odd vegetables. Some of my friends appreciate this, but there are others who run screaming every time I suggest making Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, or whatever else happens to be on the menu. Which is why I find the following conversation even more amusing than it would otherwise [...]
A friend of mine collects bath products. Not just bath products, but bath products scented like food. A quick glance in her shower finds things like “Moisturizing Maple Syrup Scrub,” “Pecan Pie Body Wash,” and “Vanilla Butter Cream Body Frosting.” They smell astonishingly close to the real thing. Mouth-wateringly so. I’ve been known to occasionally [...]
Over Christmas, as I first started suspecting that my life-long allergies might be related to gluten, I tried my hand at a loaf of artisan-style gluten free bread. The recipe, from Gluten Free Girl, got rave reviews from her readers, and the photos were mouthwatering. I assumed that, with all my past baking experience, there [...]
Every Tuesday and Friday, I peer out my window and watch one of Berlin’s more unusual cultural events unfold. The Maybachufer Market, which locals lovingly call the “Turkish Market,” is like stepping into an open air bazaar in the heart of Istanbul.
Twice a week – come rain, shine, or snow – a whole city [...]
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