Cheremsha, also known as Tjeremsha and Черемша are a wild allium used to make one of the most interesting traditional foods I’ve tasted to date. Essentially, you can think of them as lacto-fermented ramp leaves, although the traditional plant used to make the ferment is Allium victorialis-the victory onion, reputed to have been brought to…
Appetizers
Huitlacoche Elotes
Huitlacoche elotes, or corn brushed with black mushroom puree with cheese and hot chili is my heartfelt, smutty love letter to Mexican street food and mushrooms. Sweet corn season is in full swing here in the Midwest: stands filled with green spears of golden kernels dot the roadsides, parking lots of neighborhood watering holes, private…
Huitlacoche Quesadilla
A simple quesadilla with huitlacoche / corn mushrooms / corn smut is probably a contender for one of the best quesadillas I’ve had, especially if you’re new to cooking with huitlacoche, or, you like it and you want to sneak it into a meal to convert people. A traditional meat substitute Huitlacoche is a traditional…
Huitlacoche Choriqueso
Choriqueso, the ultra-rich appetizer/dish of chorizo sausage baked with cheese or cheese sauce on top is good on its own, but it’s incredible with huitlacoche / corn mushrooms thrown in the mix. It’s a really unique appetizer for feeding a crowd, and a great way to introduce people to huitlacoche. Grated cheese or sauce? Order…
Wild Fennel Cakes
Wild fennel is one of the most invasive plants I’ve ever seen, growing in massive stands on the West Coast. It’s similar to your garden variety fennel, looking near identical, but with one big difference: there’s not really a bulb. Wild fennel cakes are one of the best things I’ve made with them, and, unlike…
Georgian Walnut Spread / Phkali
The foods of the Caucuses are fascinating. One of the most interesting things I’ve found is Phkali–a sort of spread that might remind you of pesto made from nuts, herbs and spices. I think I found my first version of the recipe in Dara Goldstein’s book on Georgian food, and from there I made some…
Korean Acorn Jelly / Dotorimuk
Have you ever seen packages of acorn starch in your local Asian market and wondered what it’s used to make? Acorn starch is used to make dotorimuk (doh-tohree-mook) a sort of traditional Korean jelly, and, as far as I can tell, it’s probably the most widely consumed acorn recipe in the world. Acorn starch vs…
Marinated Feta with Golpar and Herbs
I’d struggle to think of anyone I know that doesn’t like marinated cheese. This marinated feta is probably my favorite recipe from my book using golpar / cow parsnip seed. Typically the seeds are ground and mixed with cumin or another spice and used to season beans and a few other traditional dishes like whole…
