I love all things Greek, but by far am most enamored with the isle of Hydra. Wheeled transportation is prohibited, so all travel on the tiny island is by foot, or donkey, with hundreds of languid local cats sunning themselves everywhere. The boats unload at the harbor straight to the restaurants, from sea to kitchen to your plate in an instant. The sun, the sea, the seafood, citrus from the trees, the air scented with flowers and food, the tables at street side cafes filled with artists, musicians and travelers, elbow to elbow. Hydra sates all the senses and is Heaven.

GLOBAL CUISINE - Here are a few festive cookies that would add much joy and deliciousness to any holiday celebration! So many to choose from across the world - but these from Sweden, Italy and Austria caught my eye (and tummy).

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.

Do you also have a cabinet full of hot sauce jars, tubs and tubes? Sometimes I panic not knowing which one I want to use. These are just some of the tasty spicy sauces I've tried. What about you? Do you have a favorite?
(Global Cuisine Challenge)

Global Cuisine

An illustrated compendium of (a few) global curries, ranging from India, Thailand, Japan, Kenya, and Indonesia. The formula of an excellently cooked protein in a spicy sauce with a side of rice (or naan) is a multinational pleasure.

Global Cuisine, Feast of the Seven Fishes is an Italian-American tradition on Christmas Eve. A large meatless meal is common in Italy, but the Italian Americans gave it a theme of 7 Fishes. There are no rules on what dishes make up the seven, just lots of seafood!

There are 3 special ingredients to make your festive dinner magic: love, joy and peace :)

Global Cuisine - Osechi-ryōri are traditional Japanese New Year feast.
The tradition goes back centuries, to the Heian period (794-1185).
Osechi is served in a special box called jūbako, and all of the Ingredients have fortunate-meaning.

The soup called ozōni contains rice cake and vegetables.
Every new year, I was so excited and waited for my moｍ to make delicious dishes.
We eat the special feast with our family, and pray for good health and great harvest for the new year!

My aunt would store these crispy light cookies in a coffee tin to keep them as fresh as the day she made them. And we got to enjoy them around the table with coffee, fruit, and nuts. yum.....

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 -- The heat of Indian food... the sweetness of French pastries... the bite of wasabi... how exciting it is to be able to dine from so many cuisines. I could never pick a favorite. Where I live, we have an abundance of global restaurants so I can try something new almost every night!

To be honest, I've never been to the Kentucky Derby and the last time I watched a race was during the Secretariat era. However, the rocking horse mounted to the rooftop was a family tradition. We named the horse "Fast Eddie", but he proudly displayed a license plate bearing Nonnie's name, so I named Fast Eddie's dream horses in her honor. While each iteration of the horse hopes for just a little bit more, the jockey has thoughts only for a traditional Kentucky Derby buffet.

I traveled to Israel with a group last year. Our breakfasts and dinners were usually served buffet-style in the hotel, so I really looked forward to a more local experience at lunchtime. In Safed, we had a Yemenite wrap that was positively delicious! I was particularly interested in the technique of adding the zatar to the oil in the pan before adding the batter. Mental note: Must Try This. When I got home, I Googled the wrap. Turns out the batter is called "lachuch" and recipes are available. However, without access to the special local cheeses, I'm afraid that any attempt to recreate this dish at home will be disappointing. I guess a return trip to Safed is in order!

I attended a Diwali celebration a few years ago, which culminated in a buffet that was easily 36 feet long, followed by fireworks. We like to pick up Indian food for take-out and then have a buffet at home that is, obviously, on a much smaller scale. I drew the dishes that we tend to order every single time, because they're that good. I recently read about a controversy involving the traditional Diwali fireworks from an environmental perspective. So I chose to show "our" buffet among a rangoli, wherein "our" fireworks are actually flowers with fallen petals.

Pequi pulp is a very popular food in the Cerrado area of Brazil. Pequi with rice is an especially popular preparation.