Baklava

This past weekend, my friend Nina came to visit me from Chicago.  We had a good time exploring Chapel Hill and the surrounding environs and, of course, we ate pretty well.  Both of us love to bake, and we each come from cultures where baklava is a staple food group.  Basically, there was no other option on a rainy Saturday but to bake some of that flaky, buttery dessert.

With our two powers combined, we came up with a four-layer single-nut baklava drenched in sugar and butter.  Is it good for your body?  Probably not, though I can think of worse things to eat, dessert-wise.  But it is definitely good for your mood and your tastebuds, so I'd recommend you give it a try the next time you're feeling gloomy.  This kind of moist baklava can't be bought (or is extremely hard to find).

Bahamian Macaroni and Cheese

My sister came home for spring break on Friday night with one request: A home-cooked meal.  Until she went to college, Junior consumed a very limited diet, consisting mainly of cinnamon-raisin bagels.  Since then, she's become a much more adventurous eater.  One of the first more flavorful meals I ever cooked her was Bahamian Macaroni and Cheese, so I decided to make it again for old time's sake.

The original recipe for this delicious pasta dish comes from my high school friend Eva's family.  Eva brought it to a potluck supper and it instantly broadened my macaroni and cheese horizons: Who knew you could put vegetables in mac 'n' cheese?  I've tweaked the recipe a little bit to add some whole wheat pasta and a little more veg, but it's pretty much the same recipe from five years ago.  So: Thanks, Eva!  For my money, your macaroni stands up next to the gourmet versions of Manhattan and it's still one of my (and Junior's) favorite recipes ever.

Greek Roast Chicken

Cooking for my family can be a bit of a balancing act: My dad is more-or-less carnivorous (though he doesn't eat pork) and my mom doesn't really like strong flavors (read: garlic) or massive amounts of meat.  So what to make for my first home-cooked supper in North Carolina?

It's decidedly spring here and, as such, a young girl's fancy turns to thoughts of Greece.  "Ah-ha!" I thought: Roasted chicken with lemon, olive oil, and scads of oregano—simple, fresh-tasting, and delicious. Basically, this is my take on a dish that is often on offer at tavernas called kotopoulo fournou (κοτόπουλο φούρνου), which is served with pan-roasted potatoes and a green salad.

Goodbye New York, Hello Again Chapel Hill

New York, it turned out, was not for me.  The everlasting winter, the crowded subways, the shock that registered on peoples' faces when I was polite: None of these things really agreed with my system.  As much as I enjoyed the people that I worked with and the overwhelming access to culture, the past nine months have taught me that I'm cut out for a somewhat slower pace of life.

So on Saturday, I drove back with my dad to Chapel Hill.  I'm hoping that I'll be starting a master's program in library science in the fall, but if I don't get in this year, there's always the next.  New York lent me some perspective on what I want to get out of life and I made some fantastic friends, so I will always be grateful for this past year.

One thing that was rough about New York was that I rarely had anyone to cook for (I don't blame anyone for not wanting to make the trek out to Flatbush) and, when I did, I was too exhausted to do so.  Returning home will hopefully also mean a return to cooking, with my family as my culinary guinea pigs and a more relaxed schedule.  So look for more blog posts in the near future.