Curry Leaf & Celery Soup

You know how you only ever need 1 or 2 stalks of celery, and then the rest rots away in the fridge?  The answer is Celery Soup!  I've made it a few times in the past, I believe following this recipe from Sylvia Fountaine, Feasting at Home.  This time, I decided to mix it up a bit and swap in some different ingredients based on what I had on hand that needed using up.  So, today we have what I'm calling Curry Leaf & Celery Soup:

INGREDIENTS

Items that are grouped by color in my ingredient lists can be measured out into bowls together while getting your Mise en Place, to streamline your cooking process as well as minimize the number of things you'll have to clean later. Any ingredient in the white section should be kept separate by itself.

2 Tablespoons of Earth Balance vegan butter (because I'm making this for our weekly potluck, it needs to be Dairy-Free, but you can of course use regular Butter if you want.) 1 stem of Curry Leaves (about 20-25 leaves)

1 Onion, diced 6 cloves of Garlic, roughly chopped 1 head of Celery (minus those couple of stalks you already used 😉)

1/2 teaspoon of Mustard Powder 1/2 teaspoon of Ginger Powder 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt 1 teaspoon of freshly ground White Pepper 1/4 teaspoon of Kashmiri Chili Powder

unpeeled Yukon Gold Potatoes, enough to make ~2 cups cubed 4 cups of Chicken Broth 1 cup of Water (optional)

the juice of 1/2 a Lime

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a soup pot, quickly fry the Curry Leaves in the Butter, no more than a minute.  Remove them from the pot and set aside for later, leaving the melted Butter in the pot.
2. Add the Onion, Garlic, and Celery to the pot, along with all the Spices, and cook over medium-high heat until the onions are translucent and just starting to brown.
3. Add the Potatoes and Chicken Broth to the pot.  You want the liquid to just cover all the vegetables.  If it doesn't, add some water to top it off.
4. Put the Curry Leaves back in, and bring it all to a boil for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes and celery are soft enough to mush.
5. Puree the soup using whatever tool(s) you have.  I started with my stick blender, and then once the soup was cooled off a bit, moved it all to the Vitamix -- in two batches -- to get it really smooth.
6. Squeeze in the Lime Juice and serve.

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If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below or
contact me directly using the form near the top of the right-hand column.

Around the World in Foodventures (Türkiye: SOĞAN DOLMASI)

Soğan Dolması are stuffed onions, and they are delightful.

Instagram put this recipe in my feed, which was conveniently already Vegan so that I could bring it to our weekly potluck dinner.  I also slightly modified it as described below.

INGREDIENTS
Items that are grouped by color in my ingredient lists can be measured out into bowls together while getting your Mise en Place, to streamline your cooking process as well as minimize the number of things you'll have to clean later. Any ingredient in the white section should be kept separate by itself.

The Stuffing: 1-½ cups of Rice 1 12-oz pack of Impossible ground "beef" 3 Tomatoes, finely diced ½ bunch of fresh Parsley, chopped ½ bunch of fresh Dill, chopped ¼ bunch of fresh Mint, chopped ¼ cup of Pine Nuts 3 cloves of Garlic, minced the juice from 1 Lemon 2 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil 2 Tablespoons of Pomegranate Molasses 1 Tablespoon of Date Molasses (I couldn't find this ingredient, so I boiled a couple of whole Medjool dates in water, then blended that into a syrup consistency) ½ Tablespoon of Salt ½ teaspoon of Black Pepper

The Sauce: 2 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste ¼ cup of Olive Oil the juice from 1 Lemon 2 Tablespoons of Pomegranate Molasses 1 Tablespoon of Date Molasses (Same as above, I boiled a couple of whole Medjool dates in water, then blended that into a syrup consistency) ½ Tablespoon of Salt 1 cup of Water

There aren’t any more ingredients to group....

I just wanted to have a full rainbow....

....in my chart for once

😃😃😃😃

5 large onions

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Peel the onions and the ends of each one. Make a cut from top to bottom, reaching the middle of each onion, but don't go all the way through.
2. Boil the onions until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool them down -- then carefully separate each layer.
3. In a bowl, combine all of the Stuffing ingredients.
4. Preheat your oven to 375º F.
5. Take one layer of onion and place a spoonful of the rice mixture into it, then roll it up. Place the stuffed, rolled onion -- seam side down -- into an oven safe skillet, pot, or baking dish.
6. Repeat with the remaining onion layers and filling.
7. In another bowl, mix up the sauce ingredients. Pour the sauce over the onions.
8. Cover with parchment paper and aluminum foil, then bake for about an hour and a half.
9. Remove the parchment paper and aluminum foil, then bake or broil for an additional few minutes until you see some gorgeous caramelization.
10. Serve warm.

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This post is part of my "Around the World in Foodventures" project.
I originally wanted to expand my culinary horizons by making the national dish, or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal, from every country in the world.

After 3+ years, I decided to loosen those strict parameters but still eventually make something -- anything -- from each country.  I'll no longer be precious about landing on an official national dish or true signature food or something considered by whomever to be traditional or popular.  The foods might be chosen purposefully, just happen to be things I come across or see YouTube videos about, or actually need to be specifically researched.

Countries will be "visited" in no particular order, and there's no set schedule for posting.
I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it.

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone
else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below or
contact me directly using the form near the top of the right-hand column.

Around the World in Foodventures (Belarus: POTATO BABKA)

Just throwing this one in here for posterity.  I made it way back on November 8, 2025 while listening to Novoe Radio FM 98.4 Minsk, Belarus on radio.garden. -- but I never blogged about it.  I don't even know what recipe I followed.  So, it's just gonna be a few pictures for the record:

**********************************************************

This post is part of my "Around the World in Foodventures" project.
I originally wanted to expand my culinary horizons by making the national dish, or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal, from every country in the world.

After 3+ years, I decided to loosen those strict parameters but still eventually make something -- anything -- from each country.  I'll no longer be precious about landing on an official national dish or true signature food or something considered by whomever to be traditional or popular.  The foods might be chosen purposefully, just happen to be things I come across or see YouTube videos about, or actually need to be specifically researched.

Countries will be "visited" in no particular order, and there's no set schedule for posting.
I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it.

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone
else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below or
contact me directly using the form near the top of the right-hand column.

Around the World in Foodventures (Japan: NASU DENGAKU a/k/a Miso-Glazed Eggplant)

It has once again been a loooong time since I've updated this blog.

The original thrust of my "Around the World in Foodventures" project was that I wanted to expand my culinary horizons by making the national dish (or a popular recipe, or some other signature food or traditional meal) from every country in the world.

I don't know if chasing those parameters was maybe putting too much pressure on me to choose something that I thought was appropriately representative for each location, but I can say that I started to feel a bit of analysis paralysis.... and before I knew it, life got away from us and over three years had passed.

Well, I'm back -- still wanting to cook something from everywhere -- but now I'm loosening the "rules" that I operate within.  I'll still eventually make something, anything, from each country; but it isn't going to matter if it's an official national dish or true signature food or considered traditional or popular by whomever.

• Will I be methodical about it, proceeding in some particular order?
  Nope.
  
• Am I going to cook or post on any specific regular basis?
  Unlikely!
  
• Do the recipes need to be chosen purposefully and actually specifically researched; or can they be things I just happen to come across or see YouTube videos about?
  Not necessarily and any way will do 😁

But eventually -- one at a time, on whatever timeframe organically happens, and however the foods come to me -- I will hit all the places.

So far, as of this writing, I have culinarily visited and blogged about the following countries:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Croatia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Guyana, Honduras, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, South Korea, Mexico, Myanmar (f/k/a Burma), North Macedonia, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Spain, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Venezuela.

That's 48 out of the 197 I have on my list.  I did not realize I was just about 25% through already!

So now, after all the fluff I just wrote and without further ado, I will return to my normal brevity -- simply presenting a photo of the food along with the recipe I wrote or followed:

Japan:
NASU DENGAKU a/k/a Miso-Glazed Eggplant

(cooked for our weekly potluck dinner)

Recipe adapted from J. Kenji López-Alt's.

INGREDIENTS

Items that are grouped by color in my ingredient lists can be measured out into bowls together while getting your Mise en Place, to streamline your cooking process as well as minimize the number of things you'll have to clean later. Any ingredients left white should be kept separate by itself.

For the glaze: 1/2 cup of White Miso Paste 2 Tablespoons of Sake 3 Tablespoons of Mirin 4 teaspoons of Sugar
6 approximately-six-inch-long Eggplants (I used what would probably be called Italian or American or small Globe eggplants, because that's what my market had -- these are all dark purple varieties; though you can certainly use Japanese or Chinese as the original recipe calls for, too.) Salt + MSG Neutral oil Sesame Seeds Scallions, chopped into small rings

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cut the Eggplants in half lengthwise, then use a knife to score them in a crosshatch pattern.

2. Season the Eggplants with Salt & MSG.  Set them aside for about 40 minutes to let some moisture get pull liquid out.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F.

4. Meanwhile, mix all the sauce ingredients together.  Set aside.

5. Use paper towels to blot the Eggplants dry.  Coat them on all sides with Oil, then bake until softened (about an hour).

6. Remove the Eggplants from the oven, brush the sauce onto their cut sides, and bake or broil again -- sauce side up -- until the sauce is bubbling and slightly caramelized.  (The timing here will depend on whether you bake or broil; and whether you do this Step 6 immediately after the first Step 5 bake, or -- like I did -- do the Step 5 bake one night ahead and then finish with this second bake/broil the next day.  Just keep an eye on them, and pull them out when the sauce is browned and bubbling 👍).

7. Garnish with Sesame Seeds and Scallions for serving.

**********************************************************

This post is part of my "Around the World in Foodventures" project.
I originally wanted to expand my culinary horizons by making the national dish, or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal, from every country in the world.

After 3+ years, I decided to loosen those strict parameters but still eventually make something -- anything -- from each country.  I'll no longer be precious about landing on an official national dish or true signature food or something considered by whomever to be traditional or popular.  The foods might be chosen purposefully, just happen to be things I come across or see YouTube videos about, or actually need to be specifically researched.

Countries will be "visited" in no particular order, and there's no set schedule for posting.
I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it.

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone
else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below or
contact me directly using the form near the top of the right-hand column.

Around the World in Foodventures (Barbados: CASSAVA PONE)

Cassava Pone is a gelatinous sweet treat found in many Caribbean countries, and there are about a million different recipes for it because everyone’s mother, auntie, uncle, and grandpa each have their own version.  This speaks to how flexible of a recipe it is and how forgiving cooking it can be, which is why I decided to try two different varieties….one traditionally dairy-full with only coconut included, plus another vegan version with some common additions (pumpkin, sweet potato, and raisins) as well.  And they both happen to be naturally Gluten Free.

These recipes are adapted from Alicia’s Pepperpot.  I essentially followed her exact ingredients, proportions/measurements, and method -- other than the part where I added pumpkin, sweet potato, and raisins to the vegan version.  Here we go…..

INGREDIENTS:

Things that are grouped by color in my ingredient lists can be measured out into bowls together while getting your Mise en Place, to streamline your cooking process as well as minimize the number of things you'll have to clean later. Anything left white should be kept separate by itself.

(for Traditional version) 2-1/4 cups grated cassava root    * you can grate it by hand or use a food processor to mostly puree it 1/4 cup grated coconut    * I used storebought pre-grated, frozen coconut – completely thawed 3/4 cup brown sugar 3 Tablespoons softened butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 teaspoon almond extract 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1.5 cups evaporated milk (this is one 12-ounce can)

(for Vegan version with Additional Fruits & Veggies added) 2-1/4 cups grated cassava root 1/4 cup grated coconut 3/4 cup brown sugar 3 Tablespoons vegan "butter" 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 teaspoon almond extract 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1.5 cups coconut milk

1/2 cup grated pumpkin    * I used canned pumpkin puree 1/2 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato 1/2 cup raisins

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. In one bowl, combine the Traditional version ingredients (cassava, coconut, brown sugar, butter, extracts, spices, and milk).  
3. In another bowl, combine the Vegan version with Additional Fruits & Veggies ingredients (cassava, coconut, brown sugar, vegan "butter," extracts, spices, and coconut milk).
4. Stir each one (with separate spoons, of course) until they're all well mixed.
5. Add the pumpkin, sweet potato, and raisins to the Vegan bowl -- and stir to combine.
6. Pour each mixture into its own greased baking pan, and bake for probably at least an hour until golden to slightly dark brown, set/no longer wobbly in the center, and starting to pull away from the edges of the pan.*

* The smaller pan you choose, the more time it will need to bake because it will be thicker.  I used an 8" x 8" pan for the traditional dairy-full version, and a 9" x 13" pan for the Vegan version with Additional Fruits & Veggies added.  Because the latter had extra ingredients but was in a larger pan, both pans ended up with about the same depth of batter.  So, I baked them each for an hour and a half.  The traditional dairy-full version turned out denser than the Vegan version with Additional Fruits & Veggies added, and I think I probably could have baked both of them a bit longer -- but both were delicious and perfectly good the way they turned out, with definitively distinct flavor profiles.  Taste-wise, I personally preferred the traditional (but don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean there was anything wrong or bad about the Vegan version with Additional Fruits & Veggies added).  After spending the night in the fridge, both versions firmed up and were even better.

This post is part of my project: "Around the World in Foodventures" (I decided I want to expand my culinary horizons even further by making the national dish or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal from every country in the world. Maybe it'll happen alphabetically, or by region, in random order, or something else. I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it. It’ll be fun and interesting, but obviously, will take a long time to get through -- as I'll only be doing it once a week or so at most. I am chronicling the journey here.)

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain

Mediterranean Style Quinoa Salad

I went to a potluck-style crafting gathering yesterday.  After Googling for ideas, this quick and easy salad is what I came up with to bring, based on wanting to use ingredients I already had at home and only buying minimal new/additional things (the only thing I had to go out and get were the lemons).  And it's vegan if you put Honey in that category.

INGREDIENTS
Things that are grouped by color in my ingredient lists can be measured out into bowls together while getting your Mise en Place, to streamline your cooking process as well as minimize the number of things you'll have to clean later. Anything left white should be kept separate by itself.

For the Quinoa: 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil 1 cup of Tri-Color Quinoa 1.5 cups of Water

For the Salad: 1/2 cup of Carrots, cut into ~1/2” matchsticks 3 Scallions, chopped 1.5 cups of cooked Pinto Beans, completely cooled (or one 15-ounce can) Note: Pinto Beans are what I had cooked on hand. You really can use any beans you like, or chickpeas. 1.5 cups of Arugula, roughly chopped 3/4 cup of small-chopped Broccoli 2 Tablespoons of chopped Fresh Parsley 2/3 cup of Raisins 1/3 cup of Sunflower Seeds

For the Dressing: 1/2 cup of Olive Oil 6 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice 2 Tablespoons of Honey 4 cloves of Garlic, minced 1 teaspoon of Kosher Salt 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper 1/2 teaspoon of Cumin 1/2 teaspoon of Chili Powder 1/4 teaspoon of Smoked Paprika 1/4 teaspoon of Cinnamon Up to 1/4 teaspoon of Nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat the 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil in a medium pot, then toast the Quinoa in it for 3-5 minutes (stirring occasionally).

2. Add the 1.5 cups water to the pot with the Quinoa and bring it to a boil.

3. Once it's boiling, remove it from heat, cover, and let stand for 15 minutes until the water is all absorbed.  Then cool it completely.

4. While the Quinoa is cooking and cooling, you can combine all the Salad ingredients in a large bowl.

5. Also, put all the Dressing ingredients into an airtight jar -- and stir and shake well to combine.
6. Finally, mix together the Quinoa, Salad ingredients, and (about two-thirds of) the Dressing.  Taste and add more Dressing if you desire.

We really liked this salad.  Next time -- and there *will* be a next time -- I might try adding in some Sumac, too.

This post is an original recipe that I created from scratch.

My goal is to share my love of food simply -- without all the fluff (unless it's Marshmallow Fluff!), long winded stories, excessive and repetitive photos, or incessant rambling that I see on other blogs.  I personally tend to skip over all that, just scrolling straight to the bottom in hopes of finding the recipe right away.  Therefore, I hope you appreciate the brevity above.

** You'll also never find ads here. **

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below or

contact me directly using the form near the top of the right-hand column.

Around the World in Foodventures (Bangladesh: DHOKAR DALNA)

Upon a cursory review, there were several Bangladeshi dishes that caught my eye (and at least one other that I definitely want to make, but I think it will come up for other counties as well). This one, though -- fried lentil cakes in a warm, spicy, tomato based sauce -- literally made me say “ooh, that looks good.” So, here we are.

Dhokar Dalna is a lentil curry, but made in an unusual way. The root word “dhoka” means “cheat/betrayal/deception,” and is apparently used in the name of this dish either because you can’t readily discern what ingredients are in it; or because families eat this on days when they are following a vegetarian plan, sort of fooling themselves into believing it’s meat. Not only is Dhokar Dalna vegetarian, but it rarely (in an effort to maintain a Sattvic diet) contains onions or garlic. Because I don’t want to be too wordy here, I’ll let you delve more into these research rabbit holes if you so choose.

Onward to my recipe, which I wrote as an amalgamation after consulting various sources….

INGREDIENTS:

Things that are grouped by color in my ingredient lists can be measured out into bowls together while getting your Mise en Place, to streamline your cooking process as well as minimize the number of things you'll have to clean later. Anything left white should be kept separate by itself.

3/4 cup of split Bengal Gram Dal/Chana Dal 1/4 cup of Matar Dal (yellow split peas)

Spices For the Lentil Cakes (measure out into a Mortar & Pestle) -     * 1 inch of Ginger, peeled and finely chopped    * 2 Green Chilies, stems removed    * 1 teaspoon Salt    * 1.5 teaspoons Sugar    * 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric    * 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper    * 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder    * 1/2 teaspoon Asafoetida    * 1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon    * 1/8 teaspoon Cardamom    * 1 teaspoon Nigella Seeds

Spices for the Sauce -     * 1 inch of Ginger, peeled and grated    * 3 Green Chilies    * 3 large Bay leaves    * 3 Cardamom pods, cracked    * 1/2 Cinnamon Stick    * 5 Cloves    * 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder    * 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder    * 1/2 teaspoon Fennel Seeds    * 1 teaspoon Salt    * 2 teaspoons Sugar    * 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder    * 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chili Powder

1.5 - 2 cups of Water 2 medium Potatoes, cut into 1" cubes

1/2 teaspoon of Garam Masala Powder 1 teaspoon of Ghee

1 Tablespoon of All Purpose flour 4 Tablespoons of Mustard Oil, divided 1/4 cup of shredded Coconut 2 Tablespoons of Roasted Peanuts, crushed Vegetable Oil (enough to pour about 1" deep in your frying pan) 2 medium Tomatoes, seeded and chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

For the Lentil Cakes

1. Wash all the Dal in water a few times, until the water runs clear.  Then soak it for at least 6 hours, or better yet overnight.  Drain off the water.
2. In a mortar & pestle, create a paste from the Ginger, Green Chilies, and all the Lentil Cake Spices.  Divide this paste in half.
3. Using a minimal amount of water (no more than 1/2 cup), grind the drained Dal into a smooth paste along with with one-half of the Ginger/Green Chili/Spice paste.  Also mix in the All Purpose Flour.  I did this step in a food processor -- much easier!
4. Heat 2 Tablespoons of the Mustard Oil in a frying pan, and add the other half of the Ginger/Green Chili/Spice paste, as well as the shredded Coconut.  Saute all of this for a minute or two -- to toast the spices and the coconut, wake it all up, and remove any rawness.
5. Now, add the Dal paste and the Crushed Peanuts to the frying pan, cooking and stirring until it dries out and forms a dough ball.
6. Remove from the heat, and spread the dough out onto a greased surface (cookie sheet, roasting pan, whatever).  Aim to make it about 1” thick all around.  Put it in the fridge to cool.
7. Wash your frying pan because you're going to need it again.
8. Once the dough cools completely, cut it into 16 diamond shape pieces (or, really, any shape you want).
9. Heat about 1" of Vegetable Oil in the frying pan to 300-350°F -- and fry each lentil cake (turning over as needed) until crispy on the outside and cooked on the inside.  (You can test it like a cake; meaning a toothpick or knife should come out clean and without any dough sticking to it).  Alternatively, you can bake them in the oven until they are golden brown and cooked through (I didn't do it this way, but I'd guess 2-30 minutes at 350°F).
10. Set the cooked lentil cakes aside and make the sauce....

For the Sauce

1. Heat the other 2 Tablespoons of Mustard Oil in the frying pan.
2. Add the Ginger, Green Chilies, Bay Leaves, and all the Sauce Spices -- and lightly saute for just a minute or two until any raw smells dissipate.
3. Add in the Tomatoes and cook (stirring) until they get mushy (starting to look like spaghetti sauce).
4. Pour in the Water and the Potatoes.  Cover, and simmer (10-15 minutes) until the Potatoes are cooked through.
5. Stir in the Garam Masala and Ghee.
6. Finally, place the lentil cakes into the sauce, spooning some over the top so that each cake gets a little moistened -- and let it all simmer together for a couple of minutes until the lentil cakes are heated back up and have absorbed some sauce.
7. Serve immediately, because the cakes are somewhat delicate and can start to fall apart the longer they sit in the sauce.

This was quite delicious (the cakes were even pretty good all by themselves, plain, before going into the sauce).  Also, it really did mimic meat sauce as pieces fell off the lentil cakes and made the sauce a little lumpy.

This post is part of my project: "Around the World in Foodventures" (I decided I want to expand my culinary horizons even further by making the national dish or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal from every country in the world. Maybe it'll happen alphabetically, or by region, in random order, or something else. I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it. It’ll be fun and interesting, but obviously, will take a long time to get through -- as I'll only be doing it once a week or so at most. I am chronicling the journey here.)

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain