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, …

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 …

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 …