Food and memories are inextricably linked, and these memories have emotions in the mix as well. This will come as no surprise to anyone who has smelled baking cookies or tasted the first bite of stuffing at Thanksgiving dinner. Food nostalgia is the term used by scientists to refer to how thinking of or eating …
The scent of Spanish rice brings warmth to the kitchen and promises a satisfying dish. I recall my mother making this recipe many times, steam rising and the sizzling from liquid hitting a hot pan. My appreciation for Spanish rice truly arrived, however, after I myself became a mother. Turns out my son loves the …
As a journalism major in college, research was the somewhat dreaded yet necessary component of writing a story, whether it came in the form of interviewing people or analyzing data. Writing came naturally though speaking to strangers did not. Fortunately, I got over my hesitation to approach people and now add conversational skills to those …
While on a recent trip to the Monterey Bay area in California, I enjoyed an excellent seafood meal at the Sandbar & Grill, with the restaurant’s scenic locale on Monterey Harbor. Seafood typically isn’t my first choice when dining out, and more than once have I gotten a too “fishy” order of salmon. I am …
Some foods are classic, earning their status due to being loved across states and demographics. Apple and cherry pie come to mind, as does grilled cheese, tacos, and spaghetti. If you like hot dogs, you’re bound to have enjoyed a coney dog too. I enjoyed a classic coney recently, appreciating its simplicity and satisfying flavors. …
Popular in Costa Rica, an Afro-Caribbean stew called rondón is named after the American phrase “run down” referring to how anything that can be “run down” or collected can be used to make it. The concept behind this dish reminds me of a game my sons and I like to play on evenings when nothing’s …
During the course of my work writing and editing food content for World Trade Press, I’ve become a keyboard traveler who has crossed the globe. In the process, I gradually became aware of links between cultures in the foods they enjoy. This truth surprised me, as some of the same foods are enjoyed across the …
Zingy, zippy, and full of bright flavor, I actually can’t say enough about my love of lemons. When I was a kid, I thought my mom was some kind of crazy to salt her wedges of lemon—until the day I tried it myself. As it does with most things, salt enhances the citrus fruit, and …
For years, my time in the kitchen was about creating big pots of food that I could feed a hungry family. Casseroles with a cheese lid were what the kids wanted when they got home from soccer practice, so I dished up what they loved, and we never argued about cleaning your plate at our …
A big surprise in Brazil was churrasco, or Brazilian barbecue. The churrascaria we went to had a poured concrete floor set with long tables and chairs, a corrugated metal roof, and no walls, so it had the feeling of a picnic pavilion. The food was served rodizio style, which means it was one price for all we could eat and …
