It is Christmas, the time we celebrate the birth of our Savior. During this time, Hot cocoa offers a wonderful treat for Christmas morning, after church, when the family comes together and opens gifts. Hot cocoa is not Hot Chocolate, they are different, though frequently used interchangeably.Hot cocoa, traditionally, is made from cocoa powder, milk,…
There are a plethora of garlic knot recipes on the web, the following is my iteration. It is claimed that these were first made in New York City in the 1940s and since have exploded throughout the country and world. They make great rolls for a Christmas or other party. You can make these fairly…
Mpanagtigghi (pronounced “Mep-an-a-tig-ge”) is a very unusual cookie made with cooked ground meat. This sounds odd, but the taste is tremendous. The Mpanatigghi is a Sicilian chocolate and meat cookie. The origin of these cookies is thought to be from the Spanish empanada. In fact the name is derived from Spanish meaning to wrap or…
The amazing number of ways you can make a dough, form it into a shape, fill it and serve it is beyond counting. The galette is one of those forms. Coming from the Norman word “gale” meaning flat cake, the term galette is usually associated with French cuisine and designates a round crusty baked dough…
An empanada is a baked or fried turnover. These can be savory or sweet. They are found throughout Spain, Southern Europe, Latin America and South America. The name comes from the Spanish word “empanar” which means to “coat with bread”. Empanadas are described in a cookbook in 1520. They are however thought to have originated…
The bolillo is a popular bread made in Mexico and eaten plain or stuffed. It was introduced into Mexico by the French and is similar to the French Baguette. In Mexico it has been claimed that the bolillo comes only second to the corn tortilla.Bolillo’s can be served as bread, made stuffed, as in this…
Brazil has a number of different types of hand pies. The Esfirra that sold as a popular street food. It can be made open faced, Esfirra Aberta (Open Esfiha), or closed Esfirra Fechada (Closed Esfiha). The open faced pies are formed in circles or squares. In Brazil the square shape is the most popular. The…
Shumai dumplings have become very familiar to hungry Americans. In China they can be found in numerous variations, although the Hong Kong variety is the most well known in the west.Shumai originated, from all we know, in northwestern China in Zinjiang from the Uyghur culture. Historical documents suggest that this dumpling originated in the capital…
Chinese chives are used in a number of different dumplings and pies, as well as numerous other dishes. Pies are obviously larger. The Chinese Chive Dumplings are formed in a basic half-moon dumpling shape. These dumplings are also called Chinese Chive Pockets, Chinese Chive Pie (which can be a different shapoe), or Chinese Chive Boxes.The…
Recently I was asked to speak at the Georgetown Kentucky Rotary Club. This club has been in existence for decades. The folks were great and this was a foray into speaking on a topic that is my hobby, Wrapping food. Although I have spoken around the world on medical topics, this was a very different…