Here’s the perfect dish for a cold night and several subsequent cold days as tasty planned-overs. I use an ‘authentic’ (supposedly) version, rather than the Lutheran church cookbook version that has all kinds of crazy things in it, like macaroni and tomato sauce. In this version the only thickening comes from the potatoes as they […]
Eastern European
Kasha Varnishkes
Here is a fantastic side-dish that has the added benefit (?) of smelling like every Jewish home I visited as a kid. It also uses buckwheat groats (when cooked, called kasha), which is a nutritional and agricultural powerhouse. Like quinoa, buckwheat is a seed rather than a grain, and contains tons of high-quality protein and […]
Eggplant Salad (aka Baba Ghanoush) – Zamos style
This recipe has countless variations, so I present the version that mom taught me. Some people add tahini, but I think that ruins it–I like the zingy flavor this version has. This recipe is best made in late summer, when you have the grill going. 2 or more pounds eggplant, preferably small tender ones 3 […]
Porky Kraut
This recipe has one of the greatest deliciousness:ease ratios that I know of. I learned it from our Hungarian cousin Kriszti, and I can’t remember the Magyar name for the life of me, so I made this one up myself. All you need is: 1.5 lbs pork shoulder roast, cubed or sliced fresh Polish sausage […]
Beef Borscht – Lillian’s Way
This week we got beets from the CSA. They’re still small but already perfect for borscht! These ones have light-colored insides, so they’re better for beef borscht (rather than the all-veggie cold borscht, which I prefer to be magenta). First I made beef broth from scratch. I think this step really makes the soup, but […]