Chkmeruli – Georgian Garlic and Walnut Chicken
In my recent trip to Sakartvelo, also known as Georgia, the country not one of the 50 states, I was introduced to so many dishes from different regions; by the end of our travel, my head started to spin from foreign names. It also might be from all the Qvevri wine and chacha generously poured by our hosts, but who counts your drinks in Georgia. Regardless of our drinking schedule, for four days, I did my best to remember the nuances, and soak up all the smells and flavors to later recreate ...
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Vegetarian Borscht
Borscht is the ultimate Ukrainian comfort food. It's perfect for every mood and season. Red, purple, green, vegetarian, pork, duck, mushroom, with smoked pears, or kidney beans. The list is endless. You name the ingredient, and there is a high probability we have a special Borscht recipe for it. The magic of Borscht is that it's great in any color and interpretation, and with a dollop sour cream and a piece of garlic Pampushki (Ukrainian savory buns), it's an utter delight.
In Ukraine, ...
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Ukrainian Kotletki Recipe x FoodSaver
I'm not quite sure about the origin of kotletki, but you can definitely find a slightly different version of it in every Slavic cuisine. Even in various parts of Ukraine, they make them differently, using elaborate combinations of meat, bread, spices, and even grains. Usually, we serve kotletki without any sauce and consider them a lowbrow everyday dish. It's simple, straightforward, and delicious.
Kotletki is the dish I grew up eating quite frequently. My mom usually served it with a side ...
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The Veggie Feast Shakshouka Recipe
For me, Shakshouka is a truly international dish. As with every brilliant food, it was embraced by different cultures and modified according to their's tastes and culinary traditions.
Even though Shakshouka's roots go as deep as Northern Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia), most of us know it as a Middle Eastern classic or as Jerusalem favorite egg dish. And for me, that's unique the beauty of cooking. It allows us to spread great ideas without limits or borders, and adopt them for oursel...
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Beet Pkhali – Favorite Georgian Appetizer
Pkhali is a traditional Georgian dish which comes in many forms and colors. It's usually made with different vegetable, fresh herbs, garlic, and of course plenty of walnuts. In Georgian they make it with beans, beet leaves, and chard, but two of the most famous variations, which were adopted by other countries, are Beet and Spinach Pkhali. Those saturated vegetable juices add not only distinguished flavors but also attractive bright colors to a dish which otherwise may look like a plain ...
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My One and Only Falafel Recipe
Since the weather is getting hotter and hotter every day, I started to crave more simple veggie dishes to include in my diet. I thought about something with Mediterranean vibes like hummus and Greek salad but wanted to add something a bit more substantial to my vegetarian meal. It didn't take me a lot of time to figure out that nothing can be better with hummus than crispy homemade falafel. It's easy to make, delicious, and look so beautiful on a plate!
As I mentioned before, falafel is ...
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Sous Vide Steaks Recipe x The FoodSaver
I wanted to make this post for a long time and for some reason kept putting it for later. But since a lot of you guys have recently asked me to share my favorite sous vide steak recipe, I thought the time has come. There no special secret behind my steak. There two essential things you need to have - high-quality meat and reliable equipment. Other than that everything else is pretty straight forward.
I got my sous vide machine as a present a few years ago. At that time it was a hot new ...
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My Grandma’s Roasted Duck
If you'd ask me what's my favorite dish. I would answer in a heartbeat - My grandma's roasted duck, of course! I know that duck is not a typical food here in the US. People rarely cook it at home, and only occasionally order it in their favorite restaurant. For me, it's an entirely different story. I grew up in Ukraine, and roasted duсk was one of the centerpieces of our holiday table. We had it for Christmas, birthdays, and family gatherings. My grandma was always in charge of it, and she ...
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Delicious and Easy Crab Cakes Recipe
This Delicious and Easy Crab Cakes Recipe is a result of my first all-day fishing trip in California. People who know me personally can tell you that I'm a real seafood lover. And after going hunting for crabs in Halfmoon Bay, my love grew even more. Seeing that connection between nature and food you eat and love, is a magical experience that changing one's perspective. You learn how to handle the food with respect and care it deserves. My husband and I cleaned, shelled, and cooked those crabs ...
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Okonomiyaki (Japanese Cabbage Pancake) Recipe
Okonomiyaki is one of those funky dishes that at first you don't even want to try, but once you had your first bite, you can't stop eating. It's almost too much going on in this dish. It might overwhelm you with a robust smoked smell of katsuobushi, an intensity that comes from pickled ginger and sweetness from okonomiyaki sauce. But somehow all those strong flavors can harmoniously coexist in a peaceful marriage in one bizarre but unpretentious dish, and although Okonomiyaki is a very casual ...
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