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Savor Afghanistan: Qabili Palau AKA Kabuli Palau

Aerial views of Afghanistans' craggy mountains and expansive valleys is an ideal way to savor Afghanistan. Image is by Reinis Melioraskis./Attribution NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/

Food is more than what we put into our bodies… It’s the feel of a place, something language can’t get at, the memory of a place as it forms. Wherever I am, food is what takes me there. —Jessica Fechtor, Stir

You say Kabuli, I say Qabili. Whatever we end up calling it, we’ll likely agree that Afghanistan’s national dish, Qabili (Kabuli) Palau, is delicious.  

The secret to Qabili Palau’s allure is Afghanistan’s unique geography and history. The country lies along what was once THE crucial trade route between Persia and India.

As a result, for thousands of years, caravans from these two great empires traveled through this mountain country. And Afghan cuisine, in a very literal sense, soaked up Persian and Indian culture.

…

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Filed Under: Asia, Destinations, Dishes, Inspiration, Savor 196 Tagged With: Afghan culture, Afghan food, Afghanistan, Kabuli Palau, Qabili Palau, Savor 196

Zalèti Recipe ~ Venetian Raisin Cookies [Recipe]

Make a plateful of sugar-dusted, raisin-studded Venetian cookies like these with this simple zalèti recipe, and celebrate the season!

Abigail wasted no time. She quickly gathered … nearly a bushel of roasted grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 fig cakes.  ~ 1 Samuel 25:18

When it came to catering, Abigail of Carmel was no slouch. This wise woman of ancient Israel knew that a meal worthy of a future king had to include flavorful grains and lots and lots of raisins.

So guess what, beloved of the King? That means you, too, are worthy of a treat overflowing with the kind of sweetness that only plump raisins can give.

All you need is a good zalèti recipe.

What, you ask, are zalèti?

…

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Filed Under: Dishes, Recipes, Sweets Tagged With: cookie recipe, Italian desserts, Italian food

Exquisite French Pastry & the Top Chefs Who Create It

Exquisite French pastry in Paris; photo by Zhu.

A party without cake is just a meeting. ~ Julia Child

When you mention France, most people think of Paris, the capital city. This is both a blessing and a curse.

A curse because the portion of France located outside of the capital city is gorgeous, too. It has delicious nooks and crannies worth exploring but few people think to look.

And a blessing because …

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Filed Under: Culinary Tours, Dishes, Inspiration, Sweets Tagged With: food and travel quotes, French hot chocolate, Julia Child, macaron, Paris-Brest, Pierre Hermé, Sébastien Gaudard, Sebastien Rouxel, viennoiserie

Superstars of Northern Italian Cuisine: A Regional Tour

 

Risotto alla milanese, this one decorated with red saffron threads, is one of the most colorful superstars of Northern Italian cuisine; image is "Italian saffron risotto" by kuvona.

Italian food really reflects the people. It reflects like a prism that fragments into regions. ~ Lidia Bastianich

If you’ve grown up believing fabulous plates of pasta, pizza, and bread were the greatest pleasures Italian cooking had to offer, hold on to your hats, dear foodie explorer, there’s MORE.

The foods of Naples and other cities in Southern Italy, from where the majority of Italian families in the U.S. hail, are just the tip of the iceberg….

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Filed Under: Culinary Tours, Destinations, Dishes, Inspiration, Savories Tagged With: canederli, fonduta, Italian food, Northern Italy, pesto, ragù, regional cuisine, risotto alla milanese, speck

Your Solo Trip to Paris in 7 Easy Steps

Never did the world make a queen of a girl who hides in houses and dreams without traveling. ~ Roman Payne

If you’re a twin or a triplet, you may have experienced something different, but few of us came into this world holding someone else’s hand.

Maybe you needed one or two good pushes from Mom but in the end, you took off boldly ~ and alone ~ on the biggest trip of your life to date.

And you’re still here!

So don’t let being “alone” keep you from traveling where you want to go now.…

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Filed Under: Destinations, Europe, Inspiration, Popular, Travelogues Tagged With: airbnb, English-speaking church in Paris, independent travel, Musée de Cluny, Paris, solo travel, tips, Tour Montparnasse, Virtual Tourist

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Hello!

~~~~~I'm Melodie, a destination-inspired storyteller and good food adventurer. Traveling, to experience the wonder of other cultures, has been my lifelong passion. Now, I want to share what I've learned so you, too, can nourish your traveler's heart, explore the world, and eat crazy good food on the regular. It's like this...


She’s like a trading ship that sails to faraway places
    and brings back exotic surprises.
Proverbs 31:14

 

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