Dear readers, as you know I’ve been eating out a lot lately. Summer travel is the best excuse to overindulge. And, I have.

It is time to re-enter my kitchen and get back to cooking.

First to give back a bit. Sandwiches at the Lafayette Urban Ministry Homeless Shelter last Thursday night. Turkey Sandwiches. I struggled with my choice of condiments. I put mayonnaise on the sandwiches to dress the lettuce/tomatoes, keep it moist but neutral. I also recognize a lot of people don’t enjoy mayonnaise. Is a better option to make plain sandwiches and offer jars of mayonnaise and mustard, separately?

Friday night was Brazilian “Try the World” box night that included:

• Beef Churrasco : Flavorful marinated steak. I would order more of this spice mix.
• Pao de queijo: Eggy, cheesy bread with a popover like consistency. Also surprisingly, gluten-free (made with tapioca and potato flour).
• Romeu and Julieta: Soft cheese with guava paste.
• Brigadeiro: a sweet confection made with condensed milk, chocolate and ground nuts. Has the consistency of soft, chewy caramel and tastes of fudge.
• Cookies and coffee: small nutty short bread cookies with dark roasted coffee. Yum.

Back in the kitchen. I have many travel tastes to bring home! Here is my list so far:

• Srilankan Khutto (NYC)
• Chia seed pudding with tumeric and ginger (Breckenridge)
• Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce (Santa Fe)
• Black beans and rice (Cuba)
• Ropa Vieja (Cuba)

Stay tuned for recipe experiments to come.

Happy eating,

Hungryphil