Tag Archives: Mains

Bulgarian Meatballs

Regional/Traditional, , , ,

Name: Vennie Muenzen
Class Year: 2010
Country of Residence: USA

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

Growing up in Bulgaria, I eagerly anticipated summers in the countryside with my grandparents once the school year was over. I loved helping my grandma in the garden and enjoyed learning about the herbs and spices we grew and the bees we kept. My grandpa had eclectic interests and experience. A war veteran who worked as wholesaler of textiles, he also took pride in his beehives, garden, orchard, and vineyard. He was knowledgeable about plants and shared with me his books. Our Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, published in 1949, was one of my favorite books. 

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Onion Quiche

Regional/Traditional, , ,

Name: Marcia Mead Lèbre
Class Year: 1971
Country of Residence: France

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

My husband Gérard loves anything with onions and kept after me to make him this quiche from Alsace Region in France. We both liked the result and now make it often. Few ingredients and fast to make. Peeling and slicing the onions bring tears to my eyes!

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Masala Chicken Bread

Home Cooking, , , , ,

Name: Qudsia Ali
Class Year: 1995
Country of Residence: Saudi Arabia

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

I really like bread and testing different bread roll recipes. I have come to really enjoy the versatility of the Turkish Pogaca dough. The yogurt in this dough makes the bread nice and soft. Here I have taken a slightly spicy chicken mixture as a filling in making a stuffed bread. This recipe will make 2 large or 3 medium sized breads. This can be enjoyed with tea or eaten as a meal with a nice salad on the side!

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Pork-and-Paprika Stew (Leskovaccka Muchkalica)

Regional/Traditional, , , ,

Name: Anita Pion Selec
Class Year: 1988
Country of Residence: Bosnia Herzegovina

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

This is the Serbian answer to the French comfort stew of ratouille.  Like most Serbian dishes, the focus is MEAT, specifically pork.  This is the ultimate fall comfort food, traditionally eaten in the late summer or fall when peppers are in season.  Thanks to the modern food supply chain, I love it in the winter.  The prep requires some time, but don’t cut out the steps, esp. cutting the onion into thin rings, somehow this makes it work better than just dicing an onion and throwing the pieces in.  This is a specialty from the Serbian town of Leskovac. You can eat this dish anywhere, from fine restaurants to truck stops. (The name of the dish is pronounced MOOCH-kah-leet-sa.)

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Duck breast with Kumquat sauce

Home Cooking, ,

Name: Tammy Haggard (nee Salazar)
Class Year: 1968
Country of Residence: UK

Note: This recipe is not being entered in the competition, it is simply being shared for you all to enjoy!

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

This is a very easy and pleasing recipe, ideal for small dinner parties as carving the duck might take some time. It looks and tastes good!!

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Black Beans

Home Cooking, , , , , ,

Name: Kate McElwee
Class Year: 2007
Country of Residence: Italy

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

Living in Rome, this is a recipe of necessity. I know, I know, I live in Italy, land of the most cherished pasta and pizza and (okay, everything!) dishes, but sometimes, a girl needs a taco. While you can purchase black beans in a can from speciality import stores, making them at home is not only more economical, it is far more delicious and downright magical. When you transform a hard, little bead of a bean into a juicy, earthy, ticket to another world, you feel incredible.

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Deconstructed Vegetarian Tacos

Home Cooking, , , ,

Name: Courtney Hopf
Class Year: 2001
Country of Residence: England

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

This recipe was born out of a craving for the (completely inauthentic) tacos I ate as a kid and the general dearth of Mexican flavours to be found in the UK.  A few years into my life abroad I found myself desperately wanting an Upstate-NY-backyard-birthday-party taco and discovered I could get Old El Paso taco seasoning mix in my local supermarket.  I have always found crunchy tacos messy and annoying to eat, though, so I decided to turn it into a salad, with the added bonus being I could ramp up the lettuce and tomato content and pretend I was being healthy. 

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Penne in barca con asparagi selvatici (Penne on the boat with wild asparagus)

Home Cooking, , , , , ,

Name: Laura Aimone
Class Year: 2004
Country of Residence: Italy

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

This recipe is a mix of some of my fondest memories as a child/teenager. From 6 to 19 years old, I spent my summer holidays with my parents on the island of Elba, in Tuscany. We were renting a tiny panoramic house overlooking the sea in a village with the same people going there year after year. We had also met a local family with a grandma who was a chef and they were often inviting us to their place. They gave us this recipe and it still tastes like sun, sea, Mediterranean summers, youth, dancing under the stars on the beach and friendships.

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Mexican Squash on a Budget

Home Cooking, , , , , ,

Name: Sarah Carter
Class Year: 2017
Country of Residence: Ireland

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

I recently moved to Ireland to begin my PhD studies. Busy with work and struggling to find the time to go the grocery store, I quickly discovered the joy of grocery home delivery. One time, they accidentally delivered a butternut squash instead of bananas. By the time I noticed the mistake, it was too late. A PhD stipend is not much – and requires one to live frugally, on a budget. I was not about to let any food got to waste. So I dug around in my pantry, found a can of black beans and a few veggies, and – voilà ! The Mexican squash was born. It’s become a regular to cook for dinner – quick to make; very filling; and great for anyone living on a budget!

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Labskaus (German salted meat & potatoes)

Regional/Traditional, , ,

Name: Lynn Meins
Class Year: 1970
Country of Residence: Germany

Why is this recipe great? What’s its backstory? 

This is a traditional North Germany dish.  It was supposedly created by a ship’s cook in the 19th century using what he happened to have on hand.  It is very popular and tastes better than it looks!

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