I love Cuban music, Cuban dancing and all of the Cuban food that I have tried to date. So, I was more than happy when a Latin American restaurant opened in town, where I first ate black bean cakes. In keeping with the Cuban theme, since I have made savory pies with a toasted rice crust that I think is delicious, I decided to serve the corn salsa in a baked rice rowboat. Just don't ask me to dance the salsa...despite lessons taken at the local college, it isn't pretty!

This recipe has BEAN in our family for generations! New Years Day would not be complete without some of these delicious, healthy and LUCKY blackeyed peas!!

An easy vegan Chili

Beans Around The World.

I first ate cassoulet from a Weight Watchers recipe...then I ate it at a French restaurant nearby. No comparison! This recipe falls somewhere between the two extremes, though hopefully, at the tastier end. However, if I ever discover what makes the authentic restaurant version just a little bit higher up the scale, I promise to update this recipe so we CAN CAN all enjoy it!

Grilled Tuna in Rosemary and Garlic, Palermo Style

I was lucky enough to grow up with a family cottage by a lake. And equally as lucky, about 20 minutes north of our cottage there’s a small town called Gimli, Manitoba. And this little lakeside town has an incredible history as an Icelandic settlement....the culture still thrives there today. It was here that I tried my first piece of Vinaterta: a delicately layered Icelandic celebration cake (hey, holidays!). It is a striking confection with its multiple light on dark lines of alternating almond or cardamom cookies stuckfast on deep, rich plum preserves (or jammy prunes if you’re feeling adventurous!). Whatever fruit you choose, this layer is typically flavoured with warm notes of vanilla, cardamom and cinnamon. Give me a slice of Vinaterta with a strong cup of coffee on a cool summer morning or a festive winter night and I’ll give you a big ol’ hug - and maybe invite you out to the lake!

GLOBAL CUISINE
We are fortunate to have recipes and food available to us from many different cultures. From Mexico, we can enjoy tortillas, tacos and fajitas. Who can resist Italian food such as Lasagna, Ravioli and pasta? Then from China, we get won ton soup, stir fried rice and orange chicken. And these delicious foods cannot be made without SPICES.

Comfort and warmth of a cup of hot coco and a blanket with control of the remote and a never ending list of Christmas movies at your touch!

Global Cuisine

It's holiday season already, and I wanted to illustrate a recipe for traditional Russian salad that is still a must-have for New Year's dinner in my family.
It's a layered salad that is usually arranged on the platter in a certain order. Pickled sliced herring is laid on the bottom of the platter, and covered with layers of grated ingredients: fresh onion, boiled potatoes, carrots, eggs, and beets.
Salad is dressed with a mixture of sour cream and mayonnaise and decorated with grated egg yolk.
I was born in the Soviet Union and decided to bring that atmosphere to my illustration.

Global Cuisine - Severnoye Siyaniye (Aurora Borealis) Cocktail is authentic Soviet Union New Year special. It is very strong but festive and delicious drink.

I was lucky enough to visit my sister for a summer when she lived in Rome. It was the hottest summer in 80 years. Forty-five degrees in the shade hot. It was also the summer I fell in love. In love with food. The temperatures soared and our dinners became late, late, like 10 or 11pm late. It wasn’t until the sun had been gone a spell that you could even fathom eating anything. So, we’re at a restaurant near her place and the waiter is cute....really cute. He is flirty and lovely and sparkling eyes and all that. He comes to the table after we’ve ordered our drinks with what he calls, “fiore de Roma!” Quite proudly, quite loudly and sets down a platter of the most perfect posey-shaped pinwheels: layers of fresh basil; that day’s sun dried Roma tomatoes; creamy, delicate buffala mozzarella; and a tissue paper thin ribbon of salty prosciutto. A little dish of olive oil and a little dish of balsamic and a sprinkle of chilli oil on the side. My god. The best bouquet I ever received. Flowers of Rome. Just heaven.

Potato Pancakes are a holiday tradition for Chanukah- the festival of lights

GLOBAL CUISINE: Memories of this dish were brought to mind after all the olive harvesting going on in our village last week I can’t quite get this recipe exactly right, but if make it & we eat it outside on a nice summer day, it can feel pretty darn close to being in Italy😋

Global Cuisine.

My mother recounted her first Christmas with her Italian in-laws as a non-stop party: people always coming over to visit, food always on the table, and drinks always on tap. I imagined an antipasto platter shaped like a wheel that automatically refilled on the way up, which later turned into tire tracks and roads. So I drew the antipasto roads on six of the hills of Rome. The seventh hill is dedicated to the luminarias. At my first Christmas with Nonnie and Nonno, I helped fill the bags for the luminarias and everyone who lived on their hill did the same. When they were all lit on Christmas Eve, I thought I had never seen anything so beautiful!

This is a classic Pennsylvania Dutch recipe - it might sound a little off-putting, but be sure to give it a try!