Dutch Cookies Recipe – Spicy Seasonal Speculaas

Speculaas spicy seasonal dutch cookies

This Dutch cookies recipe is a real treat. Known as Speculaas, it has special spices that reminds me of gingerbread. December 6th is Saint Nicholas’ day, in the run up to which kitchens all over the Netherlands will be humming with the smell of baking speculaas cookies. Speculaas – known as speculoos in France and … Read more

Scottish Steak Pie Ale Hogmanay New Years

Scottish Steak Pie Ale

This Scottish steak pie is made with ale (preferably a dark one!) and uses ready made puff pastry – the result is a deliciously filling crumbly pie! For most countries, the apex of the holiday season circles around the mid-December timeframe. With “big hitter” holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah (and even those like shab-e-yalda), much … Read more

Tteokguk Korean Rice Cake Soup Vegan Seollal Kombu Dasima

Tteokguk Korean Rice Cake Soup Vegan

Tteokguk, or Korean rice cake soup, is at the center of the Korean celebration of the lunar new year, Seollal. Although the origins of the recipe are unknown, it began to make appearances in Korean literature in the 19th century. Since then, tteokguk has grown in popularity, and is now consumed throughout the year. While we can’t dive too deeply … Read more

Calulu De Peixe Angolan Fish Vegetable Stew

Calulu de peixe angolan fish vegetable stew

Calulu de peixe is an Angolan fish and vegetable stew with an interesting, yet somber origin. The history of this stew can be traced back centuries, to the time of the colonial slave trade. Two ingredients in calulu de piexe, okra and palm oil, each have their own interesting story to tell. Okra’s story is one … Read more

Tangyuan Chinese Black Sesame Dumplings Yuanxiao

Tangyuan chinese black sesame dumplings yuanxiao

Approaching a recipe just for its ingredients is often an incomplete story. As is the case with tangyuan, there’s a much deeper meaning and a richer story behind the glutinous rice ball itself. As we’ll see in its relation to yuanxiao, the Lantern Festival in the Chinese lunar calendar, there is far more than meets the eye … Read more