My Syrian Meal: Break Bread, Break Borders

This is a special post for a very special experience. Let me get you up to speed. At school, I'm taking what's turning out to be my favorite English class of all time: a Culinary Literature semester. In the class, we examine the intricacies of how food is used in writing to reflect human emotions …

New Year’s Food

When I was a kid, I was the queen of New Year's resolutions. I remember proudly proclaiming my goals to my family and writing them on post-it notes in my best handwriting, then taping the notes to my bedroom wall so I could admire how diligent I'd been in following them come December. (In truth, …

Hanukkah Food

Happy Hanukkah, everyone! I was very inexperienced with Jewish food until a few years ago, until my family stumbled upon a treasure of a restaurant called Deli News in Richardson. There, I had my first blintzes, knishes, kreplach, and more, and I guess you could say I fell in love. Deli News is still one …

American Barbecue

Let's get one thing straight here: I don't mess around with my Texas barbecue. To me, the best plate in the world is some dry-rubbed brisket and pork ribs with white bread, pickles, and raw onions. Yum, yum, YUM! Now, I'd love that plate to be the barbecue standard everywhere I go, but I know it's …

Tea Time!

When I was about five years old, my parents gave me a toy tea set for my birthday. Dainty and ceramic and plastered with an adorable baby-pink plaid, it captured my little heart the moment I laid eyes on it. Over the years I held tea parties for my grandparents, my stuffed animals, and my …

Japanese Wagashi

This past weekend I went to Mitsuwa Marketplace in Plano, and guys, I'm telling you: if you ever find yourself near a Mitsuwa and have a remote taste for Japanese food or culture, you NEED to check this place out! All its stores, from the food court to the tea shop to the bookstore, are …

Uruguayan Independence Day {Recipe!}

PSA: today, August 25, is Uruguayan Independence Day! Hooray!! I'm the first to admit I know very little about Uruguay. I don't think I've ever met an Uruguayan. Frankly, I found out about this holiday by flipping through the cat calendars at Barnes and Nobles. But now that I know it's Uruguay's Independence Day, how …

Dumplings

If you ask me about my mom's Chinese home cooking, one food jumps to my mind: dumplings. I remember trying to fold the wrappers with her as a kid and invariably letting the half the filling spill out. I'd also insist on making a few "meatless dumplings" for myself while I was at it (aka …

{Recipe!} Cornmeal in the American South

To my fellow historical fiction lovers on the prowl for a new read: I'm partway through Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate and loving it! The novel explores a real-life scandal in which Georgia Tann trafficked thousands of children through a corrupt adoption organization in Tennessee from the 1920s to 1950s. This is a piece of …

Plantains 101

Last week, my local grocery store had a huge sale on plantains. I’d never seen an uncooked plantain before in my life, but the name triggered a memory of the tender, caramelized plantains I’d shared with my family at a Brazilian steakhouse months before. Mmm… I decided to buy some then and there! To my …