There’s something about good food that takes me to another place. Anything that has the ability to transport you out of your body to some special place, hold onto that. That’s the magic. If you’ve never had a kimchi pancake, you’re in for a treat. There are so many directions you can go with these babies, but I chose a fluffy slightly sweet pancake stuffed with kimchi and fresh green onions. Store Bought Kimchi vs. Homemade Kimchi For this recipe, I use a store bought vegan kimchi. A traditional kimchi is going to include fish sauce, luckily it’s 2022 and…
faraway kitchen
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Continue ReadingThere is a very good chance I danced around my kitchen to Buddy Jewell’s “Sweet Southern Comfort” after tasting these. I’m continuously mystified by foods ability to take me anywhere. And lord, have I been missing the Southern United States for awhile now. There’s nothing quite like sitting at a Georgia brunch on a Sunday morning eating a plate of steaming biscuits and gravy. Once upon a time, I was living on the Florida Georgia state line. I spent my days treating and rehabbing injured Florida Panthers (that’s a story for another time), and my nights diving into deep South…
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Continue ReadingIn my humble opinion, corn is the superior vegetable. Like any typical midwesterner, I grew up next to a corn field and my grandpa was a corn farmer… who’s shocked? What can I say, a corn dish just feels like home. When I first started a plant-based lifestyle, one of my very first dishes I made was corn curry. That first bite of sweet and spicy curry made me stop dead in my tracks and think… I could do this for the rest of my life. That’s what daunting though, right? The idea that something is forever, and what if…
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Continue ReadingOh, Budapest, you whimsical, eerie wonderland. Arriving in Budapest is like stumbling through a rabbit hole and stepping out into a confusing alternate dimension. An electric trance of haunted bliss- if you will. Days in Budapest are meant to dive into the other worldly things. It would be a sin not to spend the day floating through ancient bath houses in hot springs and thermal steam. Granted, you may be floating next to rather large Greek men in a speedos… but that’s just the weirdness that is Budapest. The Perfect Hungarian Meal While in Hungary, head down your nearest…
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Continue ReadingEastern Europe is one of my favorite nooks of the world. Growing up I was always requesting this dish over and over again, but of course now I have completely veganized it! This meal takes all of 25 minutes and I swear if you close your eyes, you are going to be transported cute cafe on the Baltic Sea. History of Stroganoff Would you believe that the famous Russian dish is actually French fusion? In the 1800s, the Russian aristocrat Count Pavel Alexandrovich Stroganov brought a French chef back to Russia. He then created this now famous dish specifically because of…
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Continue ReadingPerhaps one of the simplest pleasures in life, is gathering your ingredients at the farmers market. I’m convinced it is a universal joy denominator around the world. Who wouldn’t prefer to gather local ingredients over imported fruits and vegetables from who knows where? What an amazing way to feel like a local when visiting a faraway land. Next time you decide to venture off to an unknown land, I urge you to head to the local farmers market. Maybe you’ll end up in a serene Italian village picking out fresh tomatoes with all the cute grandmas preparing for dinner. If…
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Continue ReadingOnce upon a trip, my brother and I packed our things to hit the European road. We ditched our jeans (maybe not Rob) and cars for the whimsy allure of a European wonderland. Rob, who has never not had plan a day in his life, threw his hands in the air and let me take the wheel. Luckily, I had been mapping this continent since middle school. I had journals full of hand written dotted lines connecting cities and prices of train tickets vs bus tickets scribbled in the margins. My way of thinking was different back then. Thinking about…
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Continue ReadingI have an utter fascination with Colombia, pure captivation by a place I have never met. Somewhere there is a future version of myself sitting on the side of a dirt road, enjoying a hearty bowl of Ajiaco and black coffee. Most likely there will be a stray dog sleeping at my feet, while I swoon over ajiaco soup and stare off into a coffee plantation. Here’s the thing, Colombia is not just one thing. It’s a multifaceted country where one minute you can be lost in The Amazon rainforest and the next you can be climbing a mountain top.…
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Continue ReadingVietnam is perhaps my greatest love affair of them all. I spent several months working at a nonprofit just outside of Hanoi. So for a brief moment in time, Hanoi felt like a place I would call home. I fell in love in between almost being ran over by motorbikes in the middle Old Quarters. Skipping the streets on a Sunday morning with an iced Vietnamese coffee (recipe to come) was my literal love language. Every street was not so neatly organized by what it was selling. You had silk street down one row and medical street down another. Maybe…
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Continue ReadingIf you go to Asia for one reason, let it be the street food. As vast and different all of Asia is, it shares the common denominator of other worldly street food. Anywhere you go, wandering the night market and indulging in local treats is a shared way of life. I highly suggest you don’t go looking for a full meal anywhere, but rather a bite here, a taste there. If you’re anything like me, your eyes will be bigger than your stomach. What a shame it would be if you filled up on a plate of dumplings before you…
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Continue ReadingEchoes of “Ciao, Bella” ring in the back of my mind, while I reminisce on memories of taking the European railway around Italy. I spent weeks bouncing from the Italian Rivera villages to the canals of Venice over the ancient ruins of Roma. Walking into a restaurant in Italy, was like walking into your sweet old grandpas house. I vividly recall walking along the Mediterranean, salivating at the smell of fresh pasta and white wine in the air. The owner of the seaside Italian restaurant ushering us in, and delicately placing each dish down like a newborn baby. Italy felt…
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Continue ReadingMy love of all things raw fish is undeniable. However, I am a believer that you can love something and it still not be worth it. As much as I love the taste of seafood, the problems its consumption in the world perpetuates- just isn’t for me. Effects from the global fishing industry are killing our oceans and our wildlife. My quest to find alternatives to satisfy your love of costal dishes is in full effect. I sincerely hope that you find yourself lost in a Peruvian cantina while you enjoy this ceviche. Heart of Palm The raw fish in…
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Continue ReadingAll things crab take me back to a late summer boardwalk on the Maryland coast. Once upon a time I had a mini love affair with Maryland. I had just quit my job and bought a one-way ticket to Europe, soon to be embarking on what would become a 15 country hiatus. There was just one problem, my then boyfriend wanted to go “find himself” in Baltimore and climb the corporate ladder as they say. I internally folded at the idea of myself committing to Maryland, but I went anyways. My mind was already mapping out all of Europe in…
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Continue ReadingYou don’t want to give up your favorite dishes, but you also don’t want to eat meat. I get it, believe me I do. There is nothing I love more than slow cooking some pulled pork all day and indulging in a feast of potato salad, pulled pork sandwiches, and corn on the cob. The amazing texture of a shredded king oyster mushroom with have you so baffled you’ll be booking the next flight to Texas just to feel closer to this sandwich. It’s the flavors, the spices, the texture, the sauce… it’s a combined effort of all ingredients dancing…
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Continue ReadingWho doesn’t love a good east coast crab cake while they daydream of salt water and boardwalks? I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. Eating vegan does not mean that we have to give up our favorite dishes from around the world. We simply see the change we want to make and pivot with it. There is this fear, especially when you travel, that you aren’t going to have the full experience of a place if you aren’t consuming exactly how the locals are. I believe that there are so many factors that go into giving you that…