Appetizer Recipes
Budinca de Dovlecei is a traditional Romanian dish that is similar to crustless zucchini quiche. The difference is less eggs, more vegetables, and a lot more cheese. In order to pack a lot of zucchini into the recipe, the vegetables are shredded. Excess water is squeezed out of the zucchini and then mixed with … Read more
These traditional Romanian meatballs, called chiftele, are pretty unique, as well as being absolutely delicious. Most cuisines have their own version of ground meat rolled into a ball, but there are many regional differences in meatballs The ingredients and the spices in meatballs are a great indicator of the flavors that dominate a region’s cuisine. … Read more
Zacusca is a slow cooked eggplant and red pepper spread. This traditional Romanian dish is made in Autumn when its main ingredients, eggplants and gogosari peppers are in season. Gogosari peppers very similar to red bell peppers, which is what I use in this recipe. During our time in Romania, we came to enjoy having … Read more
Cajun BBQ Shrimp is one of the many unique and ubiquitous foods for which New Orleans is known. The Crescent City has many famous dishes — Jambalaya, Shrimp Creole, Étouffée, Gumbo, as just a few examples. Seafood really shines here. Crawfish, oysters, and of course, shrimp, play leading roles in Cajun cuisine. This barbecued shrimp … Read more
I’m a bit of a buffalo wing nut — I love wings. But I’m very particular, too. Wings need to be crispy, the hot sauce must be the perfect mix of heat and flavor, and the accompanying sauce should be blue cheese dressing with chunks of real blue cheese. This hummus recipe takes all of … Read more
Hummus is a versatile dish that is easy to love. It makes a wonderful dip for toasted pita squares, tortilla chip or veggie sticks or can be used as a spread for toasted crostini or sandwiches. The basic recipe, featuring pureed garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, combined with the mild nutty flavor of toasted sesame seeds … Read more
Slow cooked pork cheeks are a Spanish secret that I can’t believe we hadn’t discovered before a recent trip to Sevilla, Spain. We had ordered Cola de Toro, which is a braised oxtail that is cooked until it’s falling apart, at a small but well-reviewed tapas restaurant. The waiter explained to us that if we … Read more
Gambas al Ajillo (shrimp in garlic sauce) was one of our favorite dishes while traveling in Spain. It was served as one of many selections of tapas, or small plates, served in restaurants and designed to be shared with friends. The smell of garlic filled the air when waiters rushed by with sizzling plates of … Read more
A Spanish Tortilla is a deceptively simple dish. This potato, onion and egg dish has just a few very familiar ingredients. One taste will tell you all you need to know about why you will find this dish in most restaurant menus when traveling throughout Spain. Don’t forget to pin or bookmark the recipe for … Read more
New visitors to the Country of Georgia will quickly discover that the people of this region have a vast love of bread and cheese. Restaurant menus are loaded with several kinds of fresh baked bread, with the most popular stuffed with cheese. We sampled all kinds during our visit to the Caucasus country, and found … Read more