Have you heard of umami? Umami is a word that recently made its way into the worldwide culinary vernacular. Its origin is Japan and the definition loosely implies ‘good taste’ or ‘deliciousness’. There are all kinds of chemical reasons that trigger this sensation. They involve words I don’t understand like glutamate, ribonucleotides, inosinate and guanylate.
Suffice it to say, if I ever use it…I mean it in the gastronomical sense and as it has conventionally become known: “the fifth taste” to its counterparts sweet, sour, salt + bitter. Beef and sweet potatoes are considered umami-rich foods.
I loved this dinner for its combination of sweet, savory and salt…which definitely speaks umami to me! Continue Reading
Looks like Turkey moved up the proverbial travel wishlist for a lot people during this stop on our Culinary Tour. I encourage you to click on this link — you’ll see 25 compelling photos that will have you re-thinking your next vacation destination.
And if you need further inspiration, there’s the food. From soup to desserts, we got some wonderful-looking dishes from bloggers around the globe. I know I will be making a few of them in my kitchen.
I’ve been to Turkey twice. It was both a taste and a tease — times 2!
Food was not an important factor during those brief visits so my personal knowledge of Turkish food comes from restaurants in New York and it’s similarity to Mid-Eastern countries, like Lebanon and Syria.
For this stop on our Culinary Tour, I’m sharing a few of my travel photos and a delicious vegetarian dish called Imam Bayildi.
With no other inspiration to start this post, I give you the lyrics of Alaska’s song by Marie Drake…and, of course, the delicious dishes presented by bloggers all over the globe.
Eight stars of gold on a field of blue
Alaska’s flag. May it mean to you
The blue of the sea, the evening sky,
The mountain lakes and the flow’rs nearby;
The gold of the early sourdough’s dreams,
The precious gold of the hills and streams;
The brilliant stars in the northern sky,
The “Bear”—the “Dipper”—and, shining high,
The great North Star with its steady light,
Over land and sea a beacon bright.
Alaska’s Flag—to Alaskans dear,
The simple flag of a last frontier. Continue Reading
Welcome to Alyeska…”the great land”…”the last frontier”…the 49th state.
Alaska is the home of six distinct groups of American Indians/Alaskan natives; European settlers; families of gold-miners, lumberjacks, oilmen, fishermen, and…you betcha, Sarah Palin. Continue Reading
As the de facto tour planner and group leader, I’m very pleased with my group who gathered to visit Panama. Bloggers arrived from New York, Toronto, Vancouver, The Netherlands, Texas, Italy, Germany, Dubai and me from Fla-la-la. 
They brought some luscious dishes. But they didn’t stop there. I encourage you to click through to the individual blogs…you’ll find interesting dialogue, personal remembrances, historic information, original poetry, fashion and a lively musical video that will make you want to shake your booty.
First stop on our virtual Culinary Tour and I guess I’m anxious. I arrived early.
Panama was a tough one for me. I wanted to do something challenging, but it turns out the cuisine is pretty similar to the rest of Latin America. Where it diverged from the familiar, like in carimañolas (stuffed yuca with meat), the suggested meat was iguana or gatosolo (racoon). Hell, I wanted to stretch my skills, but I just couldn’t go there…even though, living in FL, there are lots of iguanas around that I’d like to get rid of!
So, I kept looking for an idea. Then I found arroz con tities y coco. I must admit, much like a pubescent school boy, I was intrigued by ‘tities’ (giggle), but the recipe turned out to be baby shrimp and rice cooked in coconut milk. I wanted something more adventurous, so I went back to the carimañolas. Yes, I did!
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