You know, it’s always funny how no matter where we live and what we have around us, there are always things we desire that just aren’t in our neck of the woods (but we experienced them somewhere else). For me, traveling to places like Slovakia, Greece, Austria, and Hungary made me appreciate smoked cheeses, natural produce, and even interesting meals one cannot experience unless they seek out ethnic specialty restaurants.

For Zuzana’s mother, it’s orange chicken from the fast food chain Panda Express.  I’ll admit as unhealthy as their orange chicken is, it is quite tasty. Zuzana’s mother first experienced the chain when she came over to America with her daughter to help her get set up here in the states. She was hooked and even makes it a point to get the chicken whenever she’s in America.
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Tags: Chicken, chinese, grilled, orange, Panda Express

OK, so the best laid plans never seem to always happen.  I planned on writing this while on vacation, but Zuzana and I were having so much fun that I just lost track of the time, and now we’re home.  My apologies to anyone who felt abandoned.

While over in Zuzana’s native Slovakia, I was privileged to take part in the preparation of Kotlíkový Guláš.  As explained in the article Anybody Hungary, a goulash (guláš in Slovak) is a soup made much like a stew.  The ingredients you can use can vary, but the traditional goulash usually contains many of the same ingredients one would find in your typical beef stew, only the liquid portion isn’t as thick as in a stew.
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Tags: Beef, goulash, Hungarian, pork, Slovak, soup, stew

One of Zuzana’s biggest desires for this Greece trip was to sample fresh seafood caught from the Mediterranean.  She had fantasies of restaurants all over Greece serving amazing dishes full of flavor and yet light on the stomach.  This fantasy isn’t too far from reality, but a tourist in Athens does need to do their homework if they want to get the good stuff.

Athens is loaded with many eateries, but especially in the touristy area of the Plaka, most of these eateries are the typical tavernas serving the usual fare of gyros and souvlaki.  Seafood has been unfortunately minimized to batter-dipped fried calamari and smelts (small fish), grilled octopus, etc.  Now I’d definitely tell any traveler to try those dishes at least once, but there is way more to Greek food than just those flavors.
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Tags: Greek, Seafood

I want to first start off this post with a short apology.  Before I left for my month-long European adventure, I had planned to post three recipes I learned from my father, but I found myself busy tying up loose ends at work and packing, and thus forgot the notes I had taken.  Rest assured, I will post the recipes as soon as I get home in August.

Currently, I’m sitting at the wonderful Attalos Hotel in Athens, typing on a balcony with the Acropolis in beautiful view.  Zuzana and I just spent five days in Greece’s second largest city, Thessaloniki, with friends of the family.  I also was privy to learning a wonderful dish from our friends.
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Tags: arthichoke, Greek, stew, vegetable

With many cuisines I love to explore, the pub grub of the United Kingdom always fascinates me the most.  For years I’ve heard to death of how bland and dull food from Ireland and England always is, but I beg to differ in this culinary culture of the pub.  Perhaps it’s the beer, or the company, but I’ve enjoyed every authentic dish I’ve ever tried in a pub.

I’ve wanted to touch on what is collectively known as Bangers and Mash, but the idea of mashed potatoes hit with a rich onion gravy and then topped with a few sausages was just a bit simplistic, and I wanted to make something better.  I found it in a few recipes for a beautiful stew made with these sausages as well as apples and cider.
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Tags: apple, bangers, mashed, potato, sausage

A burger that packs protein and taste for under 200 calories? You must think I’m joking…but I’m not.

When I think of burgers I often think of fatty, greasy beef burgers that are slung in diners, pubs, and fast food joints. When I think of vegetarian burgers I often think of tasteless, unfulfilling gray looking form patties. This is not your grocer’s freezer aisle type veggie burger. This packs the flavor while keeping your belt a little looser.
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Tags: Burgers, meatless, Vegetarian

Most people think of turkey and equate it with mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberries, etc., but turkey is not just for Thanksgiving anymore. I find ground turkey to be a great substitute for beef whether it’s for tacos, chili, and burgers.

I feel like turkey is an underrated bird while chicken tends to revel in all its glory. Turkey is an excellent source of lean protein. One serving of turkey provides more than half your body’s protein requirement, with half the fat of beef and 30 percent fewer calories. This high-protein alternative also contains minerals such as selenium, plus niacin and Vitamin B6. The facts about turkey point to a simple conclusion – turkey is a “super” food and one we should cook up more often.
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Tags: American, Barbeque, burger, sandwich, turkey

It’s summer time, and grills all around the world are firing up for the weekly (and for some people daily) return to how our ancestors cooked food…over an open flame. Charcoal, propane, or even wood, herds of cattle will be transformed into delicious meals for the millions. Most favored around the US is the hamburger. Alone or on a bun, with a limitless banquet of possible toppings available, many have quested and explored to create the perfect burger.

In my own search, it’s been around one word: healthy.

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Tags: American, Barbeque, Beef, burger, meat, sandwich

Summertime is all about grilling and chilling. From marinated skirt steak or fresh ahi tuna, salsas accompany my grilled meat, poultry, and seafood.

Most people think of primarily vegetable salsas. However, fruit salsas can add flair to a typically standard dish. Fruit salsas are a fusion of onion, garlic, lime juice, tomato, and typically an acidic or water based fruit (i.e. plum, pineapple, peach).
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Tags: american food, fruit, grilling, salsa

In the last EXPLORE article, I went into the delicatessen’s origins in Eastern Europe and how that culture is alive and strong here in America with the Polish and Russian delis all over the country. Now we explore the change many of these delis undertook when they reached New York City, and how the grocery store aspect disappeared and turned the New York Deli into a cultural landmark of America.  I use the term “New York Style Deli” simply because New York City is where this type of establishment originated, despite that you can find these particular delis all over the world.

Over the late 1800s to the early 1900s, we saw a mass migration of immigrants to the US from all over Europe. The Irish came in droves due to the famine, as well as Polish, Russians, and Germans.  A large percentage of the Eastern European immigrants were Jewish, seeking a better life and a fresh start from what has been some levels of prejudice in their old lands.  With the Jews came many of their customs and traditions, and their kosher dietary code.
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Tags: American, Beef, brisket, deli, delicatessen, Jewish, sandwich