Eating new foods is always an experience; sometimes it goes really well, and other times – not so much. For example, after my friend from Columbia made me taste a couple of Chocolate Covered Ants (a delicacy in his country,) I had to excuse myself for a few minutes. But when I tried PB&J sandwich
No Cook
Cultured Cream Feta
I love getting out of my bubble, traveling the world: learning new cultures, enjoying different experiences, feeling alive. My favorite part about traveling, though, is trying new cuisines and then bringing home ideas for future recipes. An idea for this post came out of the airport in Romania. My first time in the business class lounge,
Coconut Milk Kefir
If there’s one food I’ve missed since starting my newest diet, it’s Kefir. The last time I got to enjoy it was during the summer of 2015 at Pine Mountain Lake—the same time I came to accept that the delicious dairy beverage would never touch my lips again. My stomach had been flaring up each
Oil-Free Paleo Pesto Zucchini Noodles
I’m the type of girl that shies away from trends. For example, way back when every girlfriend of mine was in love with Brad Pitt, I fancied Angelina Jolie. And when everyone was getting diamond earrings for their birthdays, I was psyched about my new shiny design books. So when the whole world went zoodle-crazy,
Morning Coffee Bowl
I like cooking from recipes, I do! Find a recipe, buy all the ingredients, pour a glass of wine and cook away. However, being a mom of two curious children who want to be a part of every after-school activity imaginable, this way of cooking no longer seems to work for me (most of the time.) So I
Infusing Vodka
I spent the first half of my childhood in Moldova, a tiny republic of the former Soviet Union, rich with fruit, vegetables and wine. It is the Napa of the Eastern Europe! Life in Moldova was simple. Eat seasonally, drink year-round. During summertime, my mom would bring home mountains of produce and my dad would
Quick Scallion Kimchee
No personal anecdotes to share this time. Just One Really Good Recipe, from One Good Dish. You know that the cookbook is good when you frantically bookmark recipe after recipe until you cover most of the pages (or run out of post-it’s.) So, I am temporarily putting all of my other cookbooks on hold until
Chocolate and Brie Panini
I am in love. And he is gorgeous! Long soft curly blonde locks. Kind eyes. Unwavering loyalty. He never speaks back. Always by my side. And never leaves his plate dirty. His name is Toby Gennadich Shpiler but you can simply call him Toby. I’ve only been around two pets when growing up, and for
Homemade Vanilla Extract
The following recipe is a no-brainer and only consists of three simple ingredients Vanilla beans Vodka Patience But it produces One very potent vanilla extract and Lots of sweetness and laughter My little girl, an older child, a dreamer, a Taylor Swift fan, came home from school, dropped her bag by the door, gave
Kimchi
Sometimes I get so frustrated. Just the other day, I was feeling a need for comfort food and decided to make a pot of hearty Korean Kimchi Stew. I drove to Whole Foods, grabbed a pound of beef, a couple of onions and a package of red pepper paste. I reached for a jar of
Sweet Corn Ceviche
I get so excited when I stumble upon a new culinary discovery. I walk around feeling all proud, with a huge smile on my face and a strong urge to share! My latest discovery is corn. No, I’m not talking about having made a brand new grain discovery (that was done for me a long
Very Cherry Chocolaty Larabar Truffles
This post is about all the sweet things in life. It is about cherries and chocolate, figs and coconut, sugar, spice and all the things nice. If you have been following Cucee, then you probably know that I am not much of a “desert” person (see my healthiterian manifesto as a reminder.) Well, a while ago I
Three-Seed Cabbage Salad
The following are observations of a backpacking foodie: Sometimes…. Chicken comes prepackaged in a flashy vacuum-sealed plastic bag. Milk resembles powdered cocaine. It is OK to eat fish out of a can. Granola + cold river water make for an interesting breakfast. Instant coffee and bagged tea in the morning help to wake up… even
Nicoise salad
There has been a lot of excitement around the house in the last few weeks: our daughter was getting ready for her role of Molly in a Tom Sawyer theatrical production. Nervous and excited, she has been rehearsing daily and counting days, no, minutes to the big premiere. On the day of the show she
Blueberry Surprise Salad
Every member in my family takes a great pride in being good at something. My daughter is really good at reading clouds, ignoring her brother’s orders, spilling milk all over her new dress, reading books in the doorways, matching outfits, and conjugating verbs. My son is very natural at making friends… and making funny faces
Salmon Sashimi with Blue Cheese and White Miso Puree
The birthday season has officially been kicked off at our house. My hubby opened it with his yesterday and I will close it with mine in January. In our family, birthday parties are loud, with lots of friends, wine and food. But this year, the birthday boy was feeling melancholic and asked for a more private celebration. No loud toasts,
Fermentation Experimentation
Yep, I make my very own milk Kefir (Кефир.) An Eastern European-style yogurt, Kefir is loaded with lots and lots of tummy-friendly bacteria. Not to brag, but I also curdle farmers cheese (Творог): a creamier, smoother, and milder form of cottage cheese. Surprisingly, fermenting dairy products at home is super easy, fast and fun! A
Almond Butter Pear Honey Pocket
If you were born and raised in the United States, you may find it hard to imagine that there are people out there who never had a PBJ sandwich. Here goes my epicurean Cucee Confession #3: until very recently, I had not tried the All-American Peanut-Butter-and-Jelly sandwich. (Confession #1: I am obsessed with anything-cauliflower, Confession #2:
Marinated Cauliflower Salad
My name is Cucee Sprouts and I am addicted to Cauliflower. There are many chocoholics, carboholics, sushiholics out there. Well, I am a Cauliholic. I have all the signs of being an addict: I cannot go for more than a week without a cauliflower dish I cannot be trusted around cauliflower – I can finish
Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
I am Cucee Sprouts and I am proud to be a Sprouts. I come from a family of many distinguished vegetables and I can trace my roots all the way back to the early days of farming, to the time of Sprouts Senior. This is Sprouts Senior, named Brussels, the first member to be recorded
Healthy Back to School Snacks and Lunches
School is about to start and I hope that you are as excited as I am about the beginning of the new school year. My son is entering Kindergarten and, now, both of my kids are on their way to become the next US presidents, big time CEOs and world-renowned doctors, lawyers, and scientists (ok,
Almond Butter Kefir Breakfast Smoothie
From pancakes to waffles to power shakes, our weekend always starts with a special breakfast. What’s a special breakfast? Pretty much anything that is not cereal or oatmeal – we are easy to please… With my kids, the tradition of a special breakfast now spans more than one generation. When I was little, my mom