Mexican food has been my go-to cuisine for special occasions and important moments for decades. I’ve celebrated many of my birthdays at a Mexican restaurant and my husband has taken me several times to a restaurant specializing in this type of cuisine to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I also got into the habit of ordering Mexican take out after the successful completion of important work meetings. While I enjoy cooking, I’m happy we’ve located multiple places in the city of Chicago and in the surrounding suburbs to which we can drive whenever I’m craving this delicious cuisine and don’t feel like cooking. (Feel free to comment below if you’d like…
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20-Minute Ethiopian Doro Wat
I take for granted that my hometown of Chicago is thought of as a world-renown food capital. That is, I do until I visit another state and the fact that I’m from Chicago comes up in conversation with someone I meet. More often than not, they comment on how great the food was when they visited–or lived in–the Windy City. And then they proceed to tell me how lucky I am to have so many great dining options near me. My husband, girls and I have found some wonderful restaurants during the trips we’ve taken to various cities around the country. But, I must admit that I do understand why…
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20-Minute Fish Provencal Soup
If you’ve read any of the travel posts that I wrote about my family’s time in Greece, you already know I’m a fan of UNESCO World Heritage Sites that have cultural or historical significance. Visiting them provides a snapshot into the lives, culture and contributions of former–and sometimes even the current–residents of a given area. This is one of reasons I want to visit France so much. This popular country is home to a few dozen of these sites! My hubby took a two-week trip with his college to France back in the 80s. But, our girls and I have never been there. So, we periodically make our pitch to…
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15-Minute Portuguese Caldo Verde Soup
I once read that caldo verde soup is commonly served during celebrations that are held in Portugal. So, this delicious soup might be served at birthday parties, weddings or other types of important gatherings in Europe’s oldest country. However, there are often so many things vying for a parent’s time and attention that simply finding a way to prepare a tasty and healthy meal for one’s family is reason enough to celebrate! If you’ve been following along since I started sharing my cultural foods recipe hacks last fall, you’ve probably noticed that I try to keep the number of ingredients–and the amount of time–needed for my recipes at a minimum.…
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15-Minute West African Peanut and Chicken Stew
In the past, my exposure to specific dishes that originated in African countries was limited, for the most part, to stories my husband shared about meals he ate during his trips to Nigeria and Uganda or to comments made by a family friend about food she enjoyed when she visited South Africa. However, since setting out on a mission to make preparing cultural foods easier for busy families through recipe hacks, I’ve discovered countless dishes that are native to the world’s second-largest continent, home of some of my ancestors. And, I plan on featuring simplified versions of many of them on my blog from time to time. One recipe that…
