Author Archives: Jasmin
Kringel – Estonian Sweet Bread
I have to admit, when choosing some movie to watch with friends, I will always prefer some black and white old classic, a film made in some smaller country from a new director, or an inspiring documentary, rather than last Hollywood hit – not that they are no good, on the contrary, It’s just me and my wish to see this art form from all the offered angles. So, one rainy Friday afternoon, I was on the internet, looking for a documentary film to watch with my friend, and I stumbled upon interesting short film named Ode to Kringel, made by Kaisa Pitsi. In a second I was charmed …
Turmeric
Turmeric is a magical spice with the warm flavor similar to saffron, slightly bitter and aromatic, with just a hint of ginger heat. It comes from a plant called Curcuma longa, which roots are peeled, boiled, dried and then ground into an aromatic vivid yellow powder. This plant grows mostly in India, where it was used in the traditional culinary, medicinal uses, spiritual rituals and as a textile dye as well for centuries. An exquisite importance of this plant to Indian people proves one traditional wedding ceremony, where bride and groom apply a paste of turmeric on each others forehead (in India it is considered to be the third …
Pinto Bean Balls
Pinto beans are such beautiful legumes; looking at them, it seems like each bean has different numbers and positions of dark red spots. Many, many years ago Spanish people named these legumes pinto beans, which literally means painted beans. And they really do look like some great artist decorated each one of the fabulous tiny seed. Unfortunately, people eat only cooked beans, and during the cooking process pinto beans loose their crazy spots. Nevertheless, they still offer us many nutritive goodies. Pinto beans are especially rich in dietary fibers and proteins, and being low in cholesterol, these bean balls are just the perfect food choice for vegetarians and vegans. …
Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
I know that a butternut squash soup taste the best when the squash is first roasted and then cooked with other ingredients. But, I have to admit, I usually skip that step. Fortunately, there is a little catch that I learned, which makes cooked squash to have pretty similar taste as the roasted one, and I am satisfied with the end result, and other people that tried the soup says it too – I just hope that they were sincere ;)… So when you want to make beautiful vegan butternut squash soup, and for some reason you do not have the time to bake the squash (or as me, just …
Savory French Toast
I am pretty sure, that when you mention to someone French toast, they will imagine one Sunday morning, grandmothers kitchen and themselves, some age six or seven, cup of hot tea in one hand, slice of French toast in other and a big smile on their faces. Or maybe that is just me… Anyway, I was fairly surprised to find out that the French toast got his name, not because it originated in France, but because it is made mainly out of the French bread kinds. Most of the French breads stale quickly, but when they are sort of dried-out and little bit crumbly, they are just perfect for this …
Vegan Moussaka
Moussaka is well known traditional Mediterranean main course dish. Those of you, who are not from that part of the world, did not yet visited some of these countries, or are not familiar with the Mediterranean cuisine, I can say that moussaka is one type of layered casserole, and the Greek moussaka is probably the most famous and delicious moussaka throughout the world. If you had a chance to visit this beautiful country, you surely know that there are many types of this dish, and they differ not just from country to country, but from household to household as well. However, most of the moussaka recipes call for eggs, …
Vegan Coconut Apple Pie
Historians claim that the people baked pies since ancient times. Egyptians made the first pie, but the pies that were baked back then quite differed from the ones we enjoy today. The pie dough they made was almost inedible, and served them only as a protecting wrap from the direct fire impact during baking, and the pie filling was always some kind of meat. But luckily, the Romans carried on with this baking invention, and they were the first people that made a sweet pie. Gradually, the pie dish become known in entire Europe, then the rest of the world, and each country made a contribution to their perfect taste, …
Chickpea Spread
Chickpeas, among many other legumes, were staple food of the Middle East since ancient times. They were first grown in the ancient Egypt, from where they have spread to Middle East, Africa, India, and today this humble crop is grown almost everywhere. However, until recently, these little peas were called “the food of the poor”, and they were mostly eaten by the lower class citizens. The famous hummus was also a peasant food until the twentieth century, when its popularity spread over the world. Now everybody enjoy it, you can purchase it pretty much everywhere, order it in a restaurant, or simply pick it from a supermarket shell. But when …
Carrot Soup
There are times, when you wake up during the winter, and the morning is all tucked in in some kind of melancholic atmosphere. There is no snow, no wind, birds calmly sit on their tree branches, and the sky is all dressed up in some kind of mono grey cloud-coat. And that is exactly the main thing for this kind of days. There is no sun… Well, in those days I like to make this simple, creamy and delicious carrot soup to cheer everybody up. And all that you need for this soup are few ingredients that can always be found in your kitchen, it is done in almost no …
Canning and pickling
When we start with the preparation of canned food for the winter, we do not usually ask our self why. After all, we are living in a high-tech society and we have reached the stage of evolution when any kind of fresh food can be obtained any time of the day and throughout the whole year. But, the history of food tells us that since the ancient times, when the cultivation of plants began, people were trying to save some of the food for the winter months. And for few thousands of years, they sun dried their fruits and veggies. Back then, this was almost the only way to preserve …
