Tag Archives: Mains

Pīrāgi (Bacon Buns)

Regional/Traditional, , , , ,

Name: Katrina Strikis
Class Year: 2010
Country of Residence: USA

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

Pīrāgi are small bacon and onion pies which originate from the Baltic state of Latvia. They are baked in large batches and served year round, but especially at every large gathering and festival. I’m from the USA but my family on both sides emigrated from Latvia, so I grew up baking these in the kitchen alongside my grandmothers at every holiday. Each household has their own variation of the recipe so it’s able to be tweaked (one of my grandmothers included SPAM in her recipe), but however you make them, your kitchen is guaranteed to smell amazing!

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Carbonnade à la flamande

Regional/Traditional, , ,

Name: Jessica Spengler
Class Year: 1995
Country of Residence: UK

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

Belgium has beautiful scenery, amazing medieval architecture and fabulous food. Belgian waffles, chocolates and fries are the obvious examples, but my favorite Belgian recipe features one of Belgium’s other great gifts to the culinary world: beer.

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Pilau (Turkish rice with spices)

Regional/Traditional, , ,

Name: Jessica Spengler
Class Year: 1995
Country of Residence: UK

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

One-pot spiced rice dishes can be found everywhere, from Indian pulau to Turkish pilav to Spanish paella and countless others. But many people don’t know that the south-eastern United States has its own traditional spiced rice dish, often spelled pilau but pronounced “purlow” or “purloo”.

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Yiayia Effie’s Moussaka (Baked Eggplant)

Regional/Traditional, , ,

Name: Sarah Poniros
Class Year: 2013
Country of Residence: USA

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

This recipe is very near and dear to my heart.  My family is Greek-American, and we loved my yiayia’s cooking.  However, when I was 12, she began to lose her memory.  We found that most of the recipes she had written down were all incorrect—she didn’t want anyone to be able to replicate them! But even though she could not remember much, she could tell us exactly what she changed on her recipes.  She taught me all her tips and tricks and told me the proper recipe, which I make all the time now.  Everyone loves her recipe and people ask me to make it for almost every occasion!

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Grits Cakes with Country Ham and Bourbon Mayonnaise

Home Cooking, , , , ,

Name: Debra Marmor
Class Year: 1980
Country of Residence: United Kingdom

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

As a little girl, I seemed to really enjoy doing fiddly things – unknotting my mother’s necklaces, decorating devilled eggs, frosting and decorating cakes, etc. So she nicknamed me her ‘kaltMamsel’ (she who prepares cold dishes) and it was my job to make/ decorate this stuff when she entertained.

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Potato Pancakes

Home Cooking, ,

Name: Laila Kienel (Buligina)
Class Year: 2008
Country of Residence: Belgium

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

This is a recipe I learned from my maternal grandmother who passed away this winter at the age of 95. She was an amazing cook and baker and could whip up the most amazing dishes in no time using very few simple ingredients. Even though she was so good at it, she actually did not really enjoy spending time in the kitchen, and preferred reading poetry or playing the piano when she had the time.

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Sheet Pan Gochujang Shrimp and Green Beans

Home Cooking, , , ,

Name: Eleanor Chang
Class Year: 1978
Country of Residence: USA

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

My husband has been the cook since we got married  38 years ago. I am an enthusiastic amateur baker although I usually bake for dinner parties and the holidays only. I call myself a “foodie” not because I cook much, but I like to eat and have a palate that craves and welcomes new and different foods.

Every now and then, when I feel like Asian food, I would try to make something that is totally different than the standard western fare my husband cooks. This recipe is my go-to dish when he is out of town and I need to fend for myself. The dish is wonderful because it is so easy to cook with little to clean up afterwards. The taste is incredibly intense (hot, salty, slightly sweet) as the chili spices in the gochujang wake up your taste buds. Served over rice, you really don’t need anything else for dinner. Well, maybe a dessert afterwards. It is the ultimate recipe for women who don’t like to cook or don’t have time to cook. 

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Lynn’s Favorite Fish Recipe

Home Cooking, ,

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

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

When my grandparents arrived in the United States after fleeing from Nazi Germany, my grandfather asked my grandmother if she wanted a cook or a car. They couldn’t afford both. My grandmother answered that they were now in America and here they needed a car, so she would just have to learn to cook. She always claimed she couldn’t cook very well, but we always loved what she served us. My grandfather was Prof. Frederic Sell, Head of the German Dept. at MHC from 1941-1956, and my grandmother was a German language assistant at MHC until 1967.

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Salmon with Lentils

Home Cooking, , ,

Name: Jane Zimmy
Class Year: 1974
Country of Residence: USA

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

I’m living alone and getting delivery from various sources – lost weight since my husband left me (15KG) so I try to order fish from my delivery service. Recipe is for Icelandic Steelhead Salmon (but I think any salmon or thick filet would work) – I’ve also ordered more shelf stable items (beans, lentils, pasta, etc) than I could ever use in a year. I found this recipe online and adjusted it for one (and have leftover lentils which I will use today). If you’re serving more just increase the salmon filets. I’m trying to find recipes that take <30 minutes from start to finish (I did the leek and carrot mis en place earlier!).

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Vitello Tonnato (Cold sliced veal)

Regional/Traditional, , ,

Name: Ellie Shulman Bartolozzi
Class Year: 1975
Country of Residence: Italy

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

This speciality from the region of Piemonte (in northwest Italy) is traditionally served cold or at room temperature as a starter. However, it makes a great main course in the warmer months, served with a side of string beans in a vinaigrette sauce. Every cook has his or her recipe and swears it is authentic! Variations include boiled rather than oven-cooked meat, or using homemade mayonnaise instead of olive oil. The bottom line: it’s a classic regional dish that has spread in popularity and is appreciated by everyone!

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