2013 was a year of many things, most notably adventure, experimental cooking, and curious eating. Over the past year, I was exposed to more than new foods. While hitchhiking and cycling, I was introduced and became accustomed to skipping, an environmentally friendly and completely free way to eat-unless you’re arrested in a country where it’s illegal. Luckily, I wasn’t arrested…well, at least for that. When we embarked on our rafting adventure, we were completely reliant on traditional (and time-consuming) preparation methods such as cooking over an open fire or a beer can stove fueled with some type of spirit sporting a Dutch/German/Slovakian/Hungarian label. Some countries showed me better meals than others, but, overall, I had the most spectacular foodie experience of my life. Here’s to the last year of my culinary adventures.
January
Mercimek Köftesi (Lentil Balls)-Istanbul, Turkey
February
A perfect gyuvech and shakshouka hybrid-a rural mountain village in Bulgaria
March
The first pizza I ever made completely from scratch- Istanbul, Turkey
April
Chickpeas and Potatoes in a Tomato Onion Sauce topped with Turkish Yogurt and Dried Mint-Istanbul, Turkey
May
Perfected Homemade Olive Bread-Istanbul, Turkey
June
Homemade Pasta and Pesto- Rural Northern Italy (near Belluno)
July
Veggie Burgers and Stuffed Mushrooms- An Original Recipe by J and I in Castle Acre, England
August
Vegan Sushi at Bemba, my First Raw Restaurant- Bratislava, Slovakia
September
Cooking Potatoes-On a Raft, Somewhere in Hungary
October
Farmer’s Feast- Rural Romania
November
Blue Cheese and Pecan Dip with Homemade Flatbread- My Original Recipe in Detroit, Michigan
December
Bibimbap, my first taste of authentic Korean cuisine- Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, South Korea
This year will be difficult to match in terms of resourcefulness, creativity, and diversity of flavor, but I’m hoping that 2014 will step up to the challenge. Happy New Year!
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