Someone’s grocery list consisted of a jumbo can of instant coffee, 72 rolls of double-ply toilet paper, 36 brown eggs, and four 10-kilogram bags of all purpose flour…or so I guessed, while staring into the yawning chasm of an empty flour shelf. While ramen and baked beans are go-to items in this time of isolation…
Almost Knead-less Bread (Recipe)
After deciding to stop buying bread earlier this year and start baking it instead, I’ve done a lot of experimenting with different recipes, flours, hydration percentages, proofing methods, and more. I’ve developed this recipe that suits my cool-ish Toronto kitchen and requires almost no kneading. A wrist injury in the summer left me unable to…
Assignment 79: Poland
Location: Eastern Europe Population: 38.4 million Capital: Warsaw Geography: A country of plains and mountains, with a coast on the Baltic Sea Language: Polish Signature flavours: Mushroom, potato, apple, beef, pork, chicken, fish, poppy seed, dill, dairy products The Menu Toronto is a great city to live in — it’s safe, contains a fair bit…
Assignment 78: Russia
Location: Northern Europe and Asia Population: 146.8 million Capital: Moscow Geography: Varied mountain, steppe, tundra, forest, and coastal ecosystems across the largest country in the world Language: Russian Signature flavours: Dairy, pork, dill, cucumber, beet, hazelnut, beef, fish, mushrooms The Menu Eric’s parents met and married while studying abroad at university in Moscow (in what…
Assignment 77: Myanmar
Location: Southeast Asia Population: 53.6 million Capital: Napyidaw Geography: A country of lowlands and coastal mountains, with a tropical climate Language: Burmese Signature flavours: Seafood, rice, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, lime, pandan, coconut, chilli peppers, onion, shallot The Menu When we first began the Wooden Spoon Wanderer blog (way back in Bhutan…remember that?), we relied almost…
Assignment 76: Tibet
Location: Central Asia Population: 3.2 million Capital: Lhasa Geography: Extremely mountainous and receiving little precipitation, and host to the sources of several of Asia’s major rivers Language: Tibetan Signature flavours: Barley, beef, garlic, szechuan peppercorns (also called prickly ash), blue cheese, daikon, dumplings, scallions The Menu Eric and I fondly remember our trip to New…
Wheat Belly
In the spring of 2019, I decided to stop buying bread. I felt that we could eat better bread for less money and with less packaging, and the only thing it would take was a few hours each week, most of which would be time spent waiting for the bread to rise. I didn’t know…
Assignment 75: Costa Rica
Location: Central America Population: 4.9 million Capital: San José Geography: A forested, mountainous, highly biodiverse country with coasts on the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea Language: Spanish Signature flavours: Rice, beans, root vegetables, corn, cilantro, seafood, chicken, dairy The Menu I built most of my menu from a great little book called A Taste of…
Assignment 74: Botswana
Location: Southern Africa Population: 2.3 million Capital: Gaborone Geography: A flat landlocked nation, most of which lies in the Kalahari desert Language: English, Setswana Signature flavours: Sorghum, beef, corn, beans, nuts, marula, mopane (silk worms), melon The Menu It has become habit for us when a new assignment comes up to log on to the…
Assignment 73: Georgia
Location: Western Asia, between Russia and Turkey Population: 3.7 million Capital: Tblisi Geography: Mountainous, with areas of fertile valleys Language: Georgian, Abkhazian Signature flavours: Dairy, lamb, beef, tarragon, egg, nuts, shallot, plum The Menu Georgia’s culinary tradition tells the story of its geography: nestled at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. This…
