When my grandparents fled the Russian revolution, one of the two servants who came with them was their cook, Katya. She lived with them in Harbin, Manchuria, and then Seattle, and after they were gone, she stayed with my Tyotya … Continue reading
Category Archives: tradition
The art of food is perhaps the most fleeting of all. Books, paintings, sculpture, all are relatively lasting. Live performances can be recorded. But the days and hours we put into the research and planning and shopping and cooking and … Continue reading
I see Trotsky, in his Mexican exile, sitting at a desk in front of a window, looking out on a semi-tropical garden so different from the gardens of his homeland, writing, contemplating (thinking of Frida, perhaps), but always waiting for … Continue reading
Three letters, so many meanings. But today, I’m talking savory. Empanadas, pasties, patties, pork buns, egg rolls, wontons or vegetarian – think samosa or shingara – and that’s without considering the rice paper variations. Around the world, filled dough is … Continue reading