Learning to Make Beer Bread, Phase 1

With the acquisition of our microwave/oven combo, my wife and I entered a new phase of our life in Japan. Prior to our purchase, we would watch The Great British Bake-off and swoon over all the tasty baked goods we saw. We vowed to bake and bake hard once we got an oven, and now […]

Red Rock Lavender Festival 2016

Arizona has a large rural community that stretches across the vast expanse that surrounds the larger metropolitan areas of the state. The state grows a variety of crops, one of which is lavender. I was fortunate enough to spy a deal online for a lavender festival in Eastern Arizona, in a small community known as […]

Khorhog

When Mongolians head to the countryside for a vacation, they like to a special kind of cooking known as khorhog. The process involves heating stones and placing them along with meat and vegetables into a metal canister that is sealed shut. The pressure is what ends up cooking it, but sometimes, you don’t have a […]

Children’s Day

The first of June is traditionally Children’s Day in Mongolia. The holiday is known formally as Mother and Children’s Day, but since there is already a big day dedicated to women, most– if not all– of the focus is on the kids. They get to run around, play, and spend time with their families eating […]

Cooking

Flour dusted across wooden cutting boards, A plastic bin with freshly kneaded dough Sits on the edge of the table, cradling A knife ready to cut the rolled strips Into thick buttons. The girl pulls out the rolling pin, A thick wooden dowel with no grips, Grabbing the dough by its love handles, Spins it […]