Emanuela wrote to me from Italy about how they eat chestnuts there in the fall.  She’s a teacher and they cook them at the school.  Here’s what she wrote: Hi Lisa, We eat chestnuts in November for autumn.  Grandfathers and their friends come to cook the chestnuts. (1st they need to have an x cut into...

A Herman Cake is also called a Friendship Cake.  It’s a sourdough coffee cake.  But it’s also a kind of game.  Here’s how it works… It’s made with a starter dough that’s passed along from friend to friend like a chain letter. You’re given a piece of dough by a friend.  You add ingredients to it...

My daughter’s class had a multicultural celebration recently where each kid interviewed a relative about a recipe that’s been handed down in the family.  My daughter interviewed my Mom about her manicotti recipe. Here’s part of what she learned: "Manicotti is from Italy, and it’s been in my family since 1810.  It was passed down from...

My daughter’s 5th grade class had a Multicultural Feast this week.  The feast was about both writing and exploring one’s cultural heritage.  The students had to ask a relative for a recipe that’s been handed down within the family and then to interview that person about the history of the recipe.  All of the recipes...

There are different theories about where the American Red Velvet Cake is originally from, ranging from the South (perhaps the time of the Civil War?) to a creation of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. No one seems to really know for sure!  What’s certain is that this cake feels special, and in fact,...

Yuzu is a citrus fruit they enjoy in Japan especially near the Winter Solstice and the New Year.  I’ve never seen the actual fruit here to try it.  But today I found a Yuzu drink you can buy at the American chain store Trader Joe’s.  You simply empty a packet into a cup, add hot...

Ayako wrote from Japan about special New Year’s traditions and the food they eat… "I visited my mothers home yesterday and ate osechi ryouri which is a new years special meal and went to a shrine too." "This is my yuzu dish I made this new year… Yuzu is a spcial citrus fruit...

Ayako Egawa wrote from Japan about Kamaboko, a sort of gelled fish cake that’s eaten there.  The one pictured below was made for the New Year.  The character on these Kamaboko is called Kizuna (meaning bond) which is the symbol for 2011.  (A character is chosen annually in Japan that best symbolizes the year that...

Kourabiedes are Greek shortbread cookies that are eaten for Christmas, Easter and Christenings.  Sometimes at Christmastime, they’re made with a clove in the middle to represent the spices the three magi brought to Jesus as a gift.        There are many variations of these cookies – so feel free to tinker with the recipe.  Here’s how...

Cuccìa is a dish made in some regions for Santa Lucia in Italy, especially in Sicily.  The word itself is Sicilian.  Cuccìa is typically made with wheat berries, ricotta and sugar. On Santa Lucia people eat a variety of dishes made with wheat berries.  It’s said that there was a famine in Sicily several centuries...

I’ve been corresponding with Gian Carlo Macchi who’s from Italy about foods eaten for Christmas and Santa Lucia in Italy and how they differ from food eaten by Italian Americans the US (I’m an Italian American).  We’ve also been discussing gift giving in both countries and greetings for the season.  These comparisons are interesting!  ...

Watermelon radish is a cool-looking vegetable that has a tiny tiny hint of radish taste… it’s a little bit sweet too. We peeled them, sliced them and ate ‘em.  Even my 10 year old liked them.  So if you see these gems, pick ‘em up and eat ‘em! You’re never too old or young to try new...

A candle apple is called a "pomme d’amour" in French.  That’s literally "apple of love"!  How cool is that?! What’s it called in your language?  Please let us know in the comments below.

Monique Palomares sent me this recipe from France for gluten-free and lactose-free Quince and Apple Crumble.  The measurements aren’t precise so you’ll need to play around with the quantities.  Here’s what Monique wrote: "This is a gluten and lactose-free quince and apple pie.  But you could make it with either apples or quinces. Here’s how I...

My nephew Nick creates his own recipes. How cool is that!  Here you’ll find his Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake recipe with a note he wrote about cooking from scratch… Dear Mama Lisa, I made this peanut butter chocolate cake for my mom, on her birthday. Her two favorite ingredients are peanut butter and chocolate. Her birthday is...

One of the Moms in my daughter’s class made this hand out of ice to put in the Halloween punch.  It’s simple! All you do is put water in a clean disposable glove and seal it with a rubber band.  Then let it freeze.  When it’s done you can put it in water to make it...

Mate is a drink from South America that’s made by steeping yerba mate leaves in hot water. It’s traditionally drunk out of a gourd (called a mate) with a straw. Mate is usually shared with family and friends in a social setting. It’s the national drink of Uruguay. A Traditional Mate Gourd Oscar Teliz sent me a...

Monique wrote from France: "La pâte d’abricot is apricot paste.  It’s like candy.  Here’s how you make it: Recipe for Apricot Paste 1. Peel apricots and cover them with water in a pot.  2. Cook them until heated.  3.  Purée the mixture until smooth.  4.  Weigh the mixture and add sugar in an amount equaling the weight...