This was by far the crowd favourite at the annual Christmas party. Turns out that KFC is a traditional Christmastime treat in Japan, so I reinvented it for the "International Christmas" menu. If you have time, marinate the chicken overnight instead of 10 minutes beforehand and … [Read more...] about Japanese Kentucky “Fried” Chicken
Jamaican Black Rum Cake
This is a Jamaican version of fruitcake is usually just called "Black Cake," with the dark colour coming from burnt sugar and/or molasses. I decided to do the traditional burnt sugar version. Boy did it burn. That was a bit of a gong-show. And having played in a lot of … [Read more...] about Jamaican Black Rum Cake
British Trifle: Strawberries, Custard and Dairy-free Cream
I've secretly always wanted to make trifle. It's such a rich, creamy, heavenly, luxurious (...) dessert. The ultimate treat. But once lactose intolerance hit about 9 years ago I figured I was SOL. Even when I figured out that coconut cream could be whipped into something that … [Read more...] about British Trifle: Strawberries, Custard and Dairy-free Cream
Bacalhao No Forno: Portuguese Baked Salt Cod
I really thought this was going to be less than spectacular. How great can a recipe seasoned with basically nothing but a sprinkle of parsley and a single bay leaf be? It was awfully silly of me to forget how amazing salt is—even after a day and a half of soaking this fish (my … [Read more...] about Bacalhao No Forno: Portuguese Baked Salt Cod
Dutch Letter Cookies and the Family Name
In the Netherlands, one special Christmas tradition is apparently to make a big cake in the shape of the first letter of the family's last name. That got complicated in my family, where my mom's name is Volk and my father's is Watson. Instead of making two cakes, I figured … [Read more...] about Dutch Letter Cookies and the Family Name
How to Make a Smorgasbord
Gravlax, cheese, cucumber, sweet mustard, pickles, boiled beets, and rye bread - check. Reindeer? Yeah, I couldn't find any of that, but I did find some French Rosette de Lyon sausage that worked alright. And I threw in some Dijon while I was busy being so French. Lutefisk? … [Read more...] about How to Make a Smorgasbord
Homemade Lithuanian Poppy Milk
You've probably heard of almond milk. Probably also rice milk, hemp milk, flaxseed milk and soy milk. And if you frequent "raw" restaurants you probably also know all about brazilnut milk, macadamia nut milk, and maybe even hazelnut, cashew, and pecan. Take any nut, seed, or … [Read more...] about Homemade Lithuanian Poppy Milk
“Rosolli” Pickled Herring Salad
Any time you mix beets into something, the whole dish is going to turn pink. This salad can get pretty ugly... But leave it in layers, and only add the dressing to the fish, and you'll be alright. Heck, it might even be pretty. It's a Finnish dish involving pickles, cooked beets … [Read more...] about “Rosolli” Pickled Herring Salad
Karelian Pasties: Savoury Finnish Pastries with Creamy Rice Custard Filling
I didn't know a Finnish person was coming to the annual Christmas party! I made these Finnish pastries, pinching the edges as I rolled the dough over the cooled rice and egg filling, thinking that no one would mind if they were ugly and bland. I didn't expect someone to walk into … [Read more...] about Karelian Pasties: Savoury Finnish Pastries with Creamy Rice Custard Filling
The 2013 Holiday Party: International Christmas Smorgasbord
The party...whew, that was fun. The theme was "international Christmas traditions" or "international smorgasbord" and the idea was to make foods from all over the world that people from each country make for Christmas: Danish letter cookies made in the letters of the last name of … [Read more...] about The 2013 Holiday Party: International Christmas Smorgasbord