Comfort in a Bowl: Authentic Cod Soup (Bakalar) My grandmother’s kitchen always smelled faintly of the sea. Not a brash, overpowering maritime scent, but a gentle, comforting whisper carried on the breeze from the nearby coast. Her Cod Soup, or Bakalar, simmering on the stove was the source of that aroma. It was more than … Read more
Christmas Eve Zapraska Soup: A Taste of Tradition The scent of simmering vegetables, a whisper of sauerkraut, and the anticipation hanging in the air – these are the memories that flood back to me every time I make Zapraska Soup. As a child, Christmas Eve meant hushed voices, flickering candlelight, and a table laden with … Read more
Sopa De Capirotadas Hondurenas: A Taste of Lent The scent of toasted cornmeal and salty cheese always transports me back to my abuela’s kitchen. During Lent, while many families prepared intricate seafood dishes, her focus was on feeding everyone with what we had. This Sopa De Capirotadas Hondureñas – a comforting cheese and cornmeal cake … Read more
Capirotada: A Taste of Abuela’s Kitchen The memory is as vivid as the scent of cinnamon still lingering in my grandmother’s kitchen: Abuela, with flour dusting her apron and a twinkle in her eye, carefully layering toasted bread, cheese, and plump raisins soaked in brandy. The air would be thick with the sweet aroma of … Read more
Yeshimbra Assa: Ethiopian Chickpea “Fish” and Sauce The aromas alone transport me back to my tiny apartment in Addis Ababa, the scent of berbere spice clinging to the air. I first encountered Yeshimbra Assa during a particularly challenging Lent season, yearning for something flavorful and satisfying amidst the fasting restrictions. A generous neighbor, sensing my … Read more
Hearty Lent Soup: A Bowlful of Comfort The aroma of simmering vegetables always transports me back to my grandmother’s kitchen. She had a way of coaxing incredible flavor from the simplest ingredients, and her vegetable soups were legendary. One such soup, a hearty concoction brimming with beans, vegetables, and pasta, was a staple during Lent. … Read more
Ethiopian Split Pea Mild Stew (Kik Alicha) I still remember the first time I tasted Kik Alicha. It was at a small Ethiopian restaurant tucked away in a bustling neighborhood, the kind of place where the aroma of simmering spices hung heavy in the air. The server brought a platter piled high with injera, the … Read more