Deanna
My blogs
| Location | New York |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Growing up in a bicultural household (that's one part Italian, one part Iranian), I was exposed to a lot of spicy and flavorful dishes: kabobs, pastas, chicken/eggplant/everything parmesans, meat stews, and a whole lotta rice. When I went off to college I broke my meat-loving parents' hearts and proclaimed my vegetarianism. It was around this time that I met the lovely Alessia, daughter to Mamaloutie. One night, said college friend cooked the most delicious pasta with a mushroom cream sauce: it was scandalously simple. Just the right combination of baby bella mushrooms, onions, butter, and spices. Little did I know, I had stumbled upon my first Mamaloutie dish. As a twenty-something, I admit I am still learning how to cook. This past year I picked up Mamaloutie's "Monday to Friday" cookbook and *actually* fell in love with cooking for the first time. No longer a chore, cooking became a wonderful art form, and Mamaloutie's cookbook a sort of sacred text for the practice. Her dishes are no-fuss, but also totally gratifying and unique. My favorite cuisines and foods are Ethiopian, "California cuisine" (whatever that means), crepes, artichokes, and cheese. |