Garam Masala: What Is It and How Do I Use It?

Garam Masala is a spice mixture often used to add flavor and heat to Indian and Pakistani dishes.  There is no official list of spices in Garam Masala, but you are likely to find some combination of cardamom, chili, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, curry leaves, fennel, nutmeg, black pepper and salt.

Turn Green Beans into an Athenian Delicacy

Years ago I spent a summer in Greece as a high school exchange student and learned a lot about Greek cooking.  I didn’t put it into practice, though, until I finished college and moved into my own apartment.

My first attempt was making Spanakopita, which are small pastries stuffed with spinach and cheese. I liked eating them, but making them was a disaster because I had no clue how to handle phyllo dough.  I still can’t do it well, so I order them at a restaurant.

The Joy of Greek Salad

When I was a teenager, I spent the summer in Greece as an American Field Service Exchange Student.  I drank goat’s milk (not my favorite beverage) and picked fresh figs off trees (don’t eat too many at once because there are consequences).

The one thing I didn’t do was eat a Greek Salad.

Feta Cheese: What Is It and How Do I Use It?

When I was growing up, the only cheese regularly in my family’s refrigerator was a block of processed Cheddar.  It felt like modeling clay, and it was fun to play with.  I ate it and liked it because I didn’t know what else was out there.

Occasionally my father would ask my mother to buy Swiss cheese, but I never really cared for it.  Then I spent a summer in Greece as an exchange student and discovered feta cheese.  It was very salty, but it was the perfect accompaniment to a dish of sliced ripe tomatoes.

When I came back to my Pennsylvania small town,

Does Size Matter?

I’ve seen pictures of potatoes the size of Volkswagons, but only recently have I stumbled across potatoes large enough to feed six people.  It was one of the unexpected benefits of not paying attention while I was shopping. 

Russet potatoes were on my list.  Twenty-pound bags were on sale for $5, so I heaved one into my cart without really looking at what I was buying.  Hours later when the dinner hour was approaching, I reached inside and pulled out a 2-pounder.

Mystery Meat

Greek Roast Leg of Lamb

Like most home cooks, I fall into ruts.  The same old stuff is easy to make, everyone eats it and I can prepare it in my sleep. It’s comforting, but where’s the thrill of the new and exciting?  

It’s not that I want to dine on exotic animals, but when a mountain lion crept into the Los Angeles Zoo recently and gobbled up a koala I did wonder what it tasted like.  I had venison once as a kid but have no recollection of its flavor.  A friend shot a bear recently, and his wife filled the freezer with bear meat.  I never got to try it because they live 3,000 miles away, but she said it tasted fatty.