. a blogumn by Roya Hamadani Quinoa (KEEN-wah) has been called “the super food of the Incas” but to me, that’s really not a selling point.  I wouldn’t pick up a bottle of mead because it was marked “the choice inebriant of the Vikings” or dig into spelt because it’s “the favorite breakfast food of [...]

. a blogumn by Roya Hamadani After a long winter of soups and stews, I crave the freshness of crunchy greens.  I have been on a major salad kick lately, enjoying many tasty combinations such as baby beets and mild goat cheese with a little asparagus.  I found iceberg lettuce boring until my sister suggested [...]

. a blogumn by Roya Hamadani Arkansas has never been on my list of places to visit.  There’s this X-Files episode about cannibalistic chickens…Anyway, a good friend of mine is based in Fayetteville for her job, and so I decided to make the trek down South.  I didn’t have great hopes for the cuisine.  I [...]

. a blogumn by Roya Hamadani It’s taken me many a ruined dish to learn to feed myself.  For instance, some spices can be tossed in with abandon while others ruin the whole pot if used indiscriminately.  Fenugreek powder, once overused, cannot be undone, even if you strain the dish, wash the vegetables thoroughly and [...]

. a blogumn by Roya Hamadani In my family there is one food that is kind of like the king of dishes.  We make it for big deal occasions, request it for birthdays and reunions, sing songs and make up stories about it.  One family legend tells of how a young girl once ate half [...]

. a blogumn by Roya Hamadani Can I get a close-up on that cupcake? Have you ever noticed how in the vast majority of movies people never eat?  Or when they do, the plate sits just out of focus as they talk and gesture without actually ingesting anything?   As if we don’t know it’s a [...]

. A blogumn by Roya Hamadani I’ve always been fascinated by dollhouses, especially their miniature kitchens filled with itty-bitty fake food.  A little Googling during a slow work day introduced me a world of tiny food enthusiasts.  These are people who meticulously hand craft miniature foods perfect in every detail, down to the tiniest blemishes.   [...]

. A blogumn by Roya Hamadani Every time December rolls around, I think, “This is the year.”  This is the year that I’ll get my presents and cards in the mail on time, I’ll budget my shopping perfectly, I won’t forget anyone, and every present will be matched to its recipient with a care that [...]

. A blogumn by Roya Hamadani Some foods fit your insides like a glove.  From the first time you eat them, their biochemical components seem to click into place like Tetris squares to produce a nearly audible hum of satisfaction in your brain.  It’s pure food love, it’s got nothing to do with nutrition and [...]

. A blogumn by Roya Hamadani No, it’s not the name of a new indy band you should have heard of.  Nor is it the list of ingredients in an amazing facial mask or foot scrub.  Seaweed and peaches refers to one of the main influences on my culinary tastes, and for better and worse, [...]