Xiao Chao (Jia Chao Rou) (Pork and green pepper stir fry) (Southern Chinese)

I first had this fiery pork stir-fry at one of my favorite Chinese restaurants (still ordering it from time to time), and immediately decided this deserves to be made from scratch as well. The preparation requires a bit of focus and moving stuff in and out of a pan, but it's very quick and straightforward.

Recipe source: here. 

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Baked salmon on fennel.

Five years ago: Café con leche (Spanish strong coffee with milk).

Six years ago: Peach and vanilla cream pie.

Seven years ago: Lemon and artichoke spaghetti (vegan).

Eight years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).

Cock-a-leekie soup (Scottish)

I know, I know. It's a very funny name for a dish. The Scots are creative people and definitely have a sense of humor. :)

As the name might suggest, this soup is made mostly with leeks and chicken meat. It sounds simple, but it's actually very hearty and quite yum. 

Recipe source: here.

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Brie walnut spread (French-style).

Five years ago: Pa amb tomàquet (Spanish/Catalan tomato bread) (vegan).

Six years ago: Field salad with parsley and breaded Camembert.

Seven years ago: Gyeran-Jim (Korean fritata with green onion).

Eight years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).

Tattie scones (Potato pancakes) (Scottish)

A simple appetizer, starter or side from Scotland, these tattie scones are easy to throw together and surprisingly delicious for such simple fare. 

Recipe source: here.

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Pizza Pollo affumicato con Brie (Italian-American).

Five years ago: Banana brownie cake.

Six years ago: Chickpea and ras-el-hanout cous cous (Moroccan-style) (vegan).

Seven years ago: Raspberry-chocolate brownies.

Eight years ago: baby making and no cooking :)

Scottish Cranachan (Oat, raspberry and cream dessert glass)

Cranachan is an embarrassingly simple dessert, ready in a chinch and extraordinarily delicious. In Scotland you can also find fun variations, like treating some of the ingredients with whiskey for a longer time before using, or adding whiskey cream as a topping, but this is the classic version. 

Since last month I visited Scotland, for the first part of this month I will go into a few Scottish dishes and share with you some glimpses of what's cooking over there. :)

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Coffee and brown butter banana bread with caramel coffee topping.

Five years ago: Drunken spaghetti (Italian-American).

Six years ago: Moules frites (Belgian and French).

Seven years ago: Turmeric-fried chicken with three chili marinade and tomato raita (Indian).

Eight years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).

Musaca (Romanian moussaka)

Part of the traditional Romanian cuisine, this Musaca is actually an adapted import from the Greek and generally Balkan Moussaka dish, but made only with potatoes (and no eggplant). 

Alternating layers of pillowy mashed poatatoes and flavorful ground meat, this is comfort food at its best.

 

This is my mom's recipe exactly as she makes it, but keep in mind that in Romanian cuisine it's more common to encounter musaca made with beef or pork instead of chicken or turkey (as my mom uses).I will give you the classic recipe below (using beef), so that you can stick to the original if you want to delve into a Romanian food trip. 

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Migas (Scrambled eggs with bread and chorizo) (Spanish).

Five years ago: Paprika mackerel with olive and orange salsa.

Six years ago: Spuma di Ricotta al Cafee (Ricotta and Coffee Mousse) (Italian).

Seven years ago: Herb-mustard-beer pancakes with cottage cheese and bacon.

Eight years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).

Clătite cu fragi (Crepes with fresh wild strawberries) (Romanian)

I already shared here the basic recipe for Clătite (Romanian pancakes). They're not that different to how crepes are made in the rest of Europe. But this filling of fresh wild strawberries (known as fragi in Romanian) and honey is a truly unique local treat and you won't find it in any other European cuisine. 

These little and strongly flavored fruits are not grown industrially and they're therefore difficult to come by. They grow in the mountainous regions, high altitude forests and the like, and if you find them for sale in markets, it's a rare treat; it means that the person selling them probably hiked and picked them up by hand. 

When I was little (about 12), I spent about 3 weeks outdoors with my parents, on a prolonged vacation to the mountains. We had some camp cooking equipment so we could make pancakes, and these Clătite cu fragi are one of the things I remember fondly about that trip. They were just there, ripe and ready to be picked up. The best foraging-based snack ever :). 

If you manage to get your hands on these somehow, do try these crepes. They're amazing. :)

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Espaguetis con atún y alcaparras (Spaghetti with tuna and capers) (Spanish).

Five years ago: Goat feta bits in pesto and walnut crust.

Six years ago: Chili cheese nachos (Nachos con queso) (Mexican).

Seven years ago: Fruit chaat (Indian fruit salad) (raw vegan).

Four years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).

Conopidă pane (Breaded cauliflower) (Romanian)

The crunch of freshly fried cauliflower florets is something I associate with my childhood. These are made by my mom, so the recipe is authentic. The soft inside of each morsel and the slight tang of the lemon juice you squeeze on top of your plate make a really good counterpart to the crunchy and fried taste.

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Smoked salmon quesadillas with three-color cherry tomatoes.

Five years ago: Whole wheat goji berry pancakes.

Six years ago: Chicken scallopini (Italian).

Seven years ago: Fruit chaat (Indian fruit salad) (raw vegan).

Eight years ago: Baby making and no cooking :)

Sonhos de banana (Banana doughnuts) (Brazilian and São Toméan)

These traditional fritters (beignet-like) from São Tomé are considered traditional island fare, but they're also highly popular in Brazil, another former Portuguese colony. They resemble banana pancakes, only with a more liquid batter and more deeply fried.  

Recipe source: 196flavors.

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Ciulama de pui cu ciuperci (Romanian chicken and mushroom roux).

Five years ago: Toasted bread with za'atar and olive oil (vegan).

Six years ago: Mini filled paprikas (raw vegan).

Seven years ago: Beer lemonade (Radler) with strawberries (German) (vegan).

Eight years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).

Webo Yena (Aruban deviled eggs)

A not very spicy deviled eggs recipe from the Caribbean island of Aruba, this take on the international classic starter gets a nice kick from Worcestershire sauce and a pleasant salty tang from the olives. Part of any Aruban feast, they can be prepared in advance and keep well for a couple of days in the fridge.

Recipe source: here.

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Gogoşi (Romanian doughnuts).

Five years ago: Salade au chevre chaud (Warm goat cheese salad) (French).

Six years ago: Sun-dried tomato and cauliflower dip (raw vegan).

Seven years ago: Lasagne verde (Green lasagna with aubergine and zucchini (Italian).

Eight years ago: baby making and no cooking. :)

Pan bati (Sorghum corn pancakes) (Aruban)

Pan bati means 'smashed bread' in Aruban, the name caused by how flat these sorghum, wheat and corn breads are. Born from the confluence of Creole, native Indian and Spanish cultures, the pan bati flatbreads are richer and more delicious then regular bread, and really easy to make. 

They can be eaten as bread, accompanying a main dish, but also as a dessert (like a pancake), if topped with sugar or jam.

For example, here I served it topped with a pear and rosemary jam and the result was great (especially if you have them while still warm). The pan bati comes together fast, all you need is the specialty flour (sorghum), but once you have that you can throw them together as often as you want. 

Recipe sources: here and here.

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Kopi Jahe (Indonesian coffee with ginger) (vegan).

Five year: Chia oatmeal breakfast with fruit (no cook).

Six years ago: Căpșune cu smântână (Simple Strawberries and Cream) (Romanian).

Seven years ago: Chicken, olive and preserved lemons tagine (Moroccan).

Eight years ago: baby making and no cooking. :)