Travel Inspirations: The Lavender of Provence (Plus a Recipe)
Filed Under Destination Features, Recipes
Every summer tourists flock to Provence to see a sea of beautiful, purple fields ripping in the breeze. The lavender fields of Provence are so famous that most years you need to book well in advance if you want the chance to see these gorgeous blossoms in bloom. This year is of course an exception – if you could get to France (and those of you in Europe can!), you… Read
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Spanakopita from a Greek Cooking Vacation
Filed Under Food History, Recipes
As one of the iconic dishes of Greek cuisine, most people have seen, and even tried, spanakopita at some point in their lives. This tasty savory pie is served at weddings, parties, and banquets throughout the world, and it's easy to see why: they are delicious, easy to prepare as a hand-hand pie, and able to prepared ahead of time, as they tasty eaten either hot or at room temperature.… Read
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Meringue Roulade with Strawberries
Filed Under Recipes
We love baking in our house, and when we discovered this tasty meringue dessert watching an episode of Britain's Best Home Cook we knew we knew we had to try it. I think it's originally a Mary Berry recipe, but we've adapted it slightly based on the ingredients we had at hand - and in the end only needed 5 ingredients to make it! The advantage of a meringue roulade… Read
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Recipe for Salt Cod Fritters from our Spain Cooking Vacations
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History, Recipes
In honor of our new virtual cooking class in Madrid offered with our friend and partner Mireia, we're exploring one of our favorite Spanish tapas dishes: salt cod fritters. Salt cod has a long history in Europe, including in the Mediterranean basin. It might seem odd to some - where this so much fresh seafood and fish to be harvested from the sea, why develop a culinary tradition around dried,… Read
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Supplí al Telefono - Recipe for Fried Roman Rice Balls
Filed Under Destination Features, Food History, Recipes
One of our favorite types of Roman street food to eat are Supplí al telefono, a type of fried rice ball that is very like the more widely known arancini, which hail from Sicily. Supplî are a perfect and hearty little snack, consisting of leftover risotto formed into an oblong ball, stuffed with cheese, and then breaded and fried. You can find supplí throughout Rome in local "Pizza al taglio"… Read
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Mussels with White Wine (Cozze al Vino Bianco)
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes
We love mussels. We love them with a clear broth or a tomato broth, baked or steamed, stuffed - even raw. What's more, we like them with an Italian flair, or French, Spanish, Thai, or Mexican - we pretty much just like mussels. I've eaten mussels so many times during my travels to Italy and France in particular, that they have become a favorite dish of mine when traveling. You… Read
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Recipe for Rice Pudding
Filed Under Food History, Recipes
Rice pudding is at heart a type of porridge like any other. It incorporates a grain (rice), a liquid (usually milk or milk and water), a sweetener (sugar, honey), and spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom, ginger). It can include fresh fruit, fruit zest, dried fruit, nuts, and egg (which gives it a custard-y texture). I've read it hearkens back to Tudor times in Great Britain, but it is popular where… Read
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What Are Crêpes? And a Recipe for Savory Crêpes
Filed Under Food History, Recipes
What is a crêpe? Many cultures have a form of pancake, and the French are no exception. crêpes are a thin, unleavened, and can be served in a multitude of ways! They originally hail from the Brittany region of France, where they are made of Buckwheat flour. The recipe below, like many others, uses wheat flour, but if you are gluten free, using a buckwheat flour is a great alternative.… Read
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Pappardelle with Mushrooms and Sage
Filed Under Food History, Recipes
We love pasta in almost any shape or size, and homemade egg pasta, or "pasta all'uovo," is one of our favorites, and one you will probably learn during our cooking vacations in Italy. There are versions of this pasta made from Tuscany to Puglia, from Sicily to the Veneto. You can use the same pasta recipe for lasagna noodles, or cut the pasta sheets to make long noodles of different… Read
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Recipe for a Classic Croque Monsieur Sandwich
Filed Under Food History, Recipes
These days we're all about comfort food at The International Kitchen, and there are few sandwiches more comforting than a classic Croque Monsieur! We're using Richard's favorite croque monsieur recipe today. The classic croque monsieur sandwich has been around in French cafes for over a hundred years and always combines a delicious mixture of ham and cheese. But from there the preparations can vary. Sometimes it is grilled, sometimes baked,… Read
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