So, summer seems to be here and I'm really loving the lower prices on spinach and tomatoes and cucumbers and zucchini. For some reason, I can't seem to go a day without making something with zucchini. I actually started to get sick of it at some point last week after like my third double batch of zucchini-carrot muffins and my second attempt at zucchini mucver and my second or third batch of zucchini sauce. Well, I'm almost ready to make more of the muffins as the last of them got eaten this afternoon. So, I thought I'd share a website with you that has inspired me a lot. Having experienced first hand the culinary traditions of Nepal, India, Thailand and Albania, as well as being influenced by the eclectic culinary traditions of the U.S., I have had the tendency to try to do everything well. This last year I decided to just focus on one cuisine and do it well. I chose the cuisine of Albania - sort of makes sense. So, I learned a couple dishes and just kept on making them till they were fairly consistent. Last summer when I started this trend, I made stuffed peppers and stuffed eggplant every week. This winter I've learned to make yummy beans - the way the Albanians do it and the way the Punjabis do (rajma) and good lentils and great dahl (we're trying to avoid meat) as well as cabbage with meat and burani (a spinach/rice dish). Anyway, I did digress some from the cuisine of this area but overall I'm trying to stay Mediterranean and cook with ingredients that are in season. So, the website I like is called "almost turkish" and what's great is that almost everything she makes has simple ingredients that I can find anywhere, and many of the dishes are also Albanian. The Turks spent a good deal of time here in Albania and seem to have made their mark on the cuisine. A couple dishes for summer I'd like to point out are the ones I mentioned at the beginning - zucchini sauce and baked mucver. These are both really good. The author of the site has great pictures and the recipes so I won't repeat. Please visit the almost turkish site.
Did I mention I love to cook??? Ha!
2 comments:
can I just say that I'd love love love to come eat some of your yummy Albanian cooking? I remember your great stuffed peppers from a few years ago. =) and even more I'd love love love to come and visit with you, my friend. I was just missing Albania the other day and even thinking that I sort of miss the challenge of the different language...can you believe it? =) hugs!
Hey Glenda. My hat goes off to you for your cooking expertise. I have pulled a great recipe you gave me for strawberry delight to make for Nik's birthday this week. come by any time!! Mire arsh. (can't spell.)
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