Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“I am always deeply influenced when I go to Korea. It is an endless source of inspiration for me. I have ties there, so it is special. But I also approach it as an outsider and learn new techniques and cooking traditions. I always look forward to going back again and again.” — Chef Edward Lee, star of “Culinary Genius” and “Fermented.”
My mother doesn’t like overly sweet desserts. So, for her birthday, I made this delicious Matcha (Green Tea) cake. It tastes like the ones I used to buy from the Japanese bakeries. Honestly? I may even like my version a little better.
When I was young, I went through a phase where I hated Korean food. My mother would make fresh, home-cooked meals from scratch. And instead of realizing what a treat that was, I would ask why we couldn’t just eat TV dinners like all my friends. But these days, there’s no cuisine I enjoy more than Korean. And if someone else is willing to cook it for me, all the better! So when my family and I traveled to South Korea this fall, eating well was a top priority.
My favorite breakfasts are Korean – with rice, soup, banchan and kimchi. It’s something that many Westerners think about and say, “Ewww! Not for breakfast!” But if you haven’t tried it, you don’t know what you’re missing out on.
Iron Chef Cat Cora says she would advise people to travel to Greece: “I would tell them to visit Athens first and go to the many historical sites — Acropolis and Acropolis Museum, Olympic Stadium and the many other incredible sites spread throughout the city.”
One of the things I really love about the onset of Fall is making dinners in the oven. Tonight’s meal was simple, rustic and delicious. Served this with some rice. For dessert, we had strawberries. So good!
I don’t really know what a tomato tarte is. I’ve never eaten one before, and I’ve never made one, either. But the other night, I had nothing ready for dinner. We had been planning on going out to eat. But then my husband had to stay at work longer than anticipated; I was sick (literally — thank you, allergies!) and tired of eating leftovers; and I had a small child who was (rightfully) complaining that he was hungry.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Yes, I know this. But, I am not a breakfast fan. I don’t usually like to eat in the morning. I’d much rather drink a cup of coffee or tea (or even a glass of water) and call it good.
This has been our go-to dinner as of late. And so much of it is from our garden. We had a delicious caprese salad with our homegrown tomatoes (nothing like them!) and basil, fresh mozzarella and my balsamic vinegarette drizzled on top. The kid and I made pizza dough in our bread machine, and it tastes so much better than the dough we used to buy from Trader Joe’s.
