Every summer I used to have a contest with my nephew to decipher who could make the best guacamole. He was convinced he had the better recipe, and naturally I was convinced otherwise. Our families were always (more…)

Tabbouleh Salad (or tabouli) is one of my favorite Mediterranean dishes. It’s tart and tangy with an abundance of herbs, veggies and the healthy craze of quinoa (pronounced ‘kin-wha’). A typical tabbouleh is made with bulgur wheat, but I choose to make mine with quinoa because it’s gluten-free and vitamin-rich.

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I fell in love with Italian Pasta Salad the first time I tried it. It’s my favorite kind of pasta salad. I can eat it non-stop and I never seem to get full from it.

Italian Pasta Salad is not known here in the Netherlands, and neither is (more…)

I’m going to help you out with your next dinner party by giving you the best appetizer recipe. It’s called the Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta. It’s fresh, really delicious, and the recipe is very forgiving (meaning it will come out unbelievably tasty every time (more…)

I grew up calling them egg rolls, and then into my adult years started calling them spring rolls. I think somewhere in between I even called them summer rolls. I know there is a difference in the wrapping, filling, size, and whether they are fried or not, but which is for which? Does anybody know? I live in (more…)

When I think of Thai food I always have to think about Penny’s Noodle Shop in Chicago. It was there that I had my first Thai food experience. I was just out of college and worked nearby, so it was a popular lunch destination, one where my co-workers and I visited often. And when I think (more…)

I have a ranch dip story. It happened in my first week living in the Netherlands. I was at the supermarket and when I realized I forgot to get a bottle of ranch dressing i asked my husband to quickly go get it while I stand in line. He came back empty-handed. He said he couldn’t find it. (more…)

I think the first thing I ever ‘cooked’ was Sapparo Ichiban original flavored ramen noodles. There was always a big box (a box included 21 packages!!) in our kitchen pantry. It was one of my favorite meals as a child. (more…)

Do you remember sometimes where you had a particular dish for the first time?  I remember exactly where I was when I had my first taste of (more…)