A Food, Fitness & Cooking Blog!
Jamaican run down is a classic Jamaican dish, one you’ll find in just about any Jamaican restaurant or cookbook. I love the creamy mouthfeel, delicate flavors of this tofu run down that I developed. This dish, as near as I can gather, is called “run down” because you start by cooking out the water from … Read more
Curry powder is one ingredient you won’t find in this brightly flavored, deeply satisfying curry. Curry powder is made from a blend of spices, and there can be at least as many variations on it as there are kitchens throughout India and South-east Asia. Some curries, like this one, are made on the spot with … Read more
Maybe. You should know that its glycemic index is the highest among all the popular low-calorie sugar substitutes. So it does raise your blood sugar, sorry to say. But it’s nowhere close to the GI of sugar. On the other hand, maybe not. A gram of maltitol provides 2.1 calories — less than the 2.4 … Read more
Pogača: pronounce it POH-gah-cha. In the Cyrillic alphabet: Πогача. A simple, staple Serbian bread. Pogaca is a yeasted flatbread that’s quick and easy to put together, and simply delicious. It’s fuller, higher and more tender than pita; more like a bakery loaf, but round and short. It’s great with butter, even though that’s not a … Read more
January 6 is celebrated as Christmas Eve in the tradition of most Eastern Orthodox churches, including Serbian, which is my heritage. Technically, in Serbian this day is called Badnji dan during the day, and in the evening, Badnje Veče. If you guess that “Dan” means day and “Veče” evening from this, you’d be correct. But … Read more
These whole-wheat prune-bran muffins are fantastic for what ails you, if what ails you can be resolved with prunes and bran — if you catch my drift. They’re also deliciously hearty and tender, with the mellow, subtle sweetness of whole wheat and bran amplified by the natural nectar of prunes. (Dried plums, for the wonks … Read more
The most fundamental heirloom recipes are often most at risk for being lost in the sands of times. Why? One reason is that “everyone knows” how to make them, and so nobody writes them down. Another is that they’re so close to us, so intertwined with daily life and the act of ordinary eating, that … Read more
Djuvec (pronounced JOO-vech, with a hard “j” as in “jingle”) is a hearty Serbian casserole of veggies, meat, and rice that comes together easily with just a few simple ingredients, and will impress your friends as it nourishes them. Serve it for folks coming over, or take it along to a potluck and get ready … Read more
This recipe for kolac (pronounced KO-lach) is my most cherished recipe — in fact, I’d even say it’s one of my most cherished possessions, period. This bread, which is sort of like a rich brioche — the word “kolach” actually translates as “cake,” although Americans would definitely consider it a bread — is a true … Read more
These vanilice are classic Serbian nut crescent cookies, perfect during the Christmas season or any winter holidays. They’re rich with the heavenly fragrance of vanilla. I’ve made them with the traditional walnuts, and more recently with almonds. They’re excellent made with either nut. I suspect they’d also be great with pecans, so I included that … Read more
