Category: Food

Fourth stop: France (Provençal Bouillabaisse)

Someone should have warned me how long it takes to clean mussels and clams. It’s actually the most time consuming part about making a Provençal bouillabaisse. It makes me wonder how much time restaurant kitchens spend cleaning shellfish. I imagine, they don’t brush every single mussel or clam to make sure it’s clean (and cooks …

Third stop: Morocco (lamb tagine)

A tagine is an earthenware pot which, if you tried to purchase one made by Le Creuset, you’d think you could never own one and maybe even mistakenly think that you could never prepare a dish like Lamb Tagine. You’re lucky you don’t actually need one. Will it turn out differently? Absolutely. Although, that doesn’t …

Second stop: Mali (a very different Maffe)

Peanut sauce is not uncommon in the Philippines. I grew up eating oxtail peanut stew, Kare-Kare, and one of our more traditional eggrolls topped with peanut sauce, Lumpiang Sariwa, so when I took on the challenge of cooking Malinese food, I didn’t think twice about Maffe. Much like most other dishes I make, I read …

A Culinary Trip Around the World

I’ve always been lucky with planning other people’s birthdays. Making a party happen isn’t magic, it’s just logistics. Friends are in town, a mid-week Happy Hour is approved, there’s transportation, live music, good food and great beer. A few of those components may present a small challenge every once in a while but, it’s never …