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Easter was the one time every year we visited our Armenian Orthodox Church. It's a small community in Syracuse, but the follow is strong and spans generations, a place that's kept alive by families who share a loyalty to tradition, Armenia, and their belief.
If you've never toasted a grain in oil or butter on your stovetop, you're in for a real treat.
There is nothing like her tomato sauce-- this is a 'last meal on earth' type of situation.
Sometime before the holidays when we were on a 3-way call, our meal plan for Christmas started at paella, and ended at me screaming at about where, in the vast depths of the world wide web, all the brothy lobster pasta recipes were hiding.
2017 has been the weirdest year ever. We will all remember it fondly as the year when we were preoccupied with giraffe's giving birth, unicorn frappuccinos, solar eclipses, salt bae, and Donald Trump.
'May contain giblets' is something that probably scared me away the first few times I perused the poultry section...
Let's chat for a minute about our love of all things spicy. If adding extra spice to a meal is an option, we're choosing it every time.
"No one who cooks cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, and the wisdom of cookbook writers."
Do you have a highlight reel of the best things you've ever eaten? This will forever hold a spot in mine.
When it comes to ingredients, I have no higher expectation than that of the quality of the August tomato. This is the veggie that can not and will not ever let me down. It has to be perfect every single time. And its my job to make that tomato baby shine.
There comes a point in late August where I start to get a little itchy for Fall. I love the sun and the long days, but I am ready for cool nights and comfy sweaters.
I'm sort of a homemade elitist. Even I find myself pretty annoying when I can hear the way I talk about how so many things are better when they're made from scratch (they are, but no one cares Mandy)..
At the end of every summer, our church would hold a park picnic to eat great food, raise money for building restorations, and honestly just celebrate being Armenian. Highlights included competitive oriental rug raffles, interesting musical offerings, 4,000 pieces of baklava, and someone trying to arrange a marriage between Hillary and a man fresh off the boat.
Do you ever let yourself become obsessive about something because of how amazingly wonderful you feel it's going to turn out (even if only in your mind)?
Baking is like therapy for me. But better. Because at the end of the measuring/stirring/waiting, there is something amazing to eat.
I'm big into the recommended guidelines for sleep, so for 10 months of the year, my bedtime is promptly 9:30 PM. This is probably because I'm up at the crack of dawn to spend a full day hanging out with 15 year olds... a task that definitely requires a full 8 hours if you want to retain your sanity.
I'm pretty weird about dessert. When summer rolls around, I feel morally obligated to take advantage of seasonal produce at it's finest, and so this means I should be whipping up cobblers and pies and galettes. Only problem is, I don't actually love any of this stuff.
As Hillary previously called me out for my one pan recipe week, she was correct in that I was merely being lazy and unmotivated to cook. No one is down for a cumbersome cooking project more than I am, but some weeks, I have absolutely no desire to be tied to my kitchen. This generally starts to happen when the sun is out, and I long for a grill, and a patio, and a yard to lay in... the list goes on. Always a lady with needs.
I love bánh mì. It's one of those small joys, like yoga or lattes or true crime documentaries -- I don't know how I lived so much of my life before realizing it existed.
Anyone else on Master of None right now? About to up and forgo all of my responsibilities, move to Modena, and spend my time making pasta with beautiful Italians.