I'm a food and travel writer from the shores of Lake Erie, now based in Berlin. I attempt to send out weekly essays on my latest mishaps and travels around the globe and in the kitchen. If you would like to support my work, please consider sharing this newsletter with a friend or acquaintance (Iām not picky).
Places like Sicily recalibrate my ego. Itās easy to get lost in oneās ambitions. You want something to go your way and hope āthe universeā makes it happen.
Sicily, with its ancient foundations, puts me in my place. Empires have come and gone. Physically, theyāre still there. But as ruins. Itās a reminder that, at best, weāre all just droplets of water in an ocean of time.
And thatās okay. Might as well enjoy the view, which Sicily has in spades with all the carbs you need to keep you moving from one spot to the next.
I thoroughly enjoyed every meal I had during my five days on the island. There was only one meal I wasnāt nuts about. (Next time, Iāll just trust that anchovies really arenāt my jam.) But I still relished that dinner. I was in Sicily, for godās sake!
Thatās the power of Italy. The bar for a bad experience is high. Because even if the dish in front of you isnāt technically the best ever, there are other ingredients at play ā the ambiance, the language ā that make it the best dish for that moment.
I donāt know, maybe all the conquerors of the past (the Greeks, Romans, Normans, Arabs, Spaniards) can take some credit for that in Sicily. The subtle mark they left.
In any case, itās all Sicily to me.
Litvak Jewish Cuisine Lives on in Vilnius
After paying homage to Fania Lewando and visiting Beigelių krautuvÄlÄ (a bagel shop run by the local Jewish community), Chef Rita KerÅ”ulytÄ-RyÄkova of Lokys in Vilnius tells me about the history of Litvak Jewish cuisine and its heavy influence on everyday Lithuanian food to include my four-part Vilnius series.
Fight the Winter Doldrums With These Fruity Pickles
From my November trip to Riga, unlock new flavors with this simple, fruity pickling recipe from Latvia's Chef of the Year. Full story at Lifehacker.com.
Bringing Jewish Baking Home to Europe
In her new cookbook, Berlin-based American expat Laurel Kratochvila glimpses a revival of Ashkenazi recipes. Full story at TabletMag.com.
Next Stop: Sicily š®š¹
Italy is my go-to place as well. In six years of nomading, it's the only place I've been tempted to think about settling down....
Take me with you next time!