New Year’s resolutions are bullshit and fake, just like all those “miracle” life changes.Gyms and similar places, the entire industry built around healthy lifestyles and self-care, see a sales spike in January.And of course, food is part of that too. And of course, already in February, gym memberships and kale chips sales drop … Read more
Sandwiches built Germany. Actually, not just Germany. All of Europe and North America. Sandwiches that workers took with them to work. And these weren’t sandwiches with fancy cold cuts — workers couldn’t afford that. But, for example, with various spreads, because those were easy to make tasty out of scraps, leftovers, and the cheapest ingredients. Here’s another … Read more
My latest culinary fascination is… German cuisine. Yes, the very same German cuisine I regularly bash. More precisely, something I consider to be a true German specialty. And no, it’s not Bratwurst or oatmeal. It’s Brotaufstrich! Which means all kinds of spreads and pastes for bread. INGREDIENTS: 200 g canned or cooked chickpeas 50 g capers 50 g … Read more
Hail Seitan (Not to be confused with Satan. I had to — the phonetic similarity still cracks me up. Though honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone out there took it seriously and saw in seitan a satanic conspiracy.) Ingredients: 200 g seitan powder 50 g hemp flour 50 g sun-dried tomatoes in oil 50 g oil from sun-dried … Read more
The subject of pâté is fascinating — surely worthy of a treatise… That’s how it might begin. Imagine a cookbook penned by Czesław Miłosz. If “The Year of the Hunter” had a culinary appendix. What cuisine would he have described? Most likely Lithuanian, naturally — perhaps specifically the dishes from the manor in Šeteniai, where he grew up. A … Read more
A recipe from the Easter menu. Cakes and all kinds of sweets are well represented on Easter tables, just like eggs. So why not sweet eggs?Of course, 100% plant-based eggs. Coconut Milk & Tofu Eggs INGREDIENTS: 150 g soft/silken tofu 300 g coconut milk 1 tsp ground lemongrass 1/4 tsp cardamom 100 g agave syrup … Read more
Appendix to the Tofu Egg Recipe: Chickpea-Based “Yolk” Sauce INGREDIENTS: 200 g cooked or canned chickpeas 1/3 tsp black salt (Kala Namak) 1 tbsp mustard (20 g) 50 g mayonnaise 1 tsp turmeric 2 tbsp vegetable broth 1 tsp agave syrup PREPARATION: Blend all the ingredients until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more or less … Read more
Have you already accepted into your heart our Lord and Savior, the Easter Bunny?** Well, I had to. Even though I know not everyone shares my religious sense of humor. But the Easter Bunny is not so far removed from the Sacrifice of Christ—and that doesn’t diminish Christ; quite the opposite. But more on that … Read more
The Easter Menu is part of my project “The Ritual Year,” dedicated to food and culinary customs connected to the traditional ceremonial yearly cycle. Designing a Christmas Eve menu has been great fun for me for years. Christmas Eve is a fasting meal, and a properly strict one, at least in the most orthodox version—meaning … Read more
This soup has a bit of an Advent feel — it’s something quick, made with what’s on hand and what you know you won’t use otherwise. For example, I didn’t end up using the sweet potato for a salad. I originally bought it with soup in mind, but I also had leftover kaffir lime leaves and yuba. … Read more
