Category Archives: Food

Don’t let a little Cullen skink scare you

Posted on 31 Jul 2013 by lornaofarabia

Scottish cuisine gets an undeservedly bad rap. Everyone likes to poke fun at haggis (see the video clip in this post from my old food blog if you’re into haggis humor). But the great chieftain of the pudding race gets … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere, Food | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Danish modern

Posted on 26 Jun 2013 by lornaofarabia

Restaurant food has changed radically in northern Europe since the 70s and 80s.  Globalization is usually a depressing thing, and if the spread of modern food culture only meant more Burger Kings, then I think that would be truly sad. … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere, Food | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Henry VIII

Posted on 20 Jun 2013 by lornaofarabia

I’ve been having a grand time revisiting some of my favorite London places, but I  also wanted to see a few new sights in this glorious city.  When I posted on Facebook that I was planning a trip to London, … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere, Food | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Kaldi’s

Posted on 18 Jun 2013 by lornaofarabia

Ethiopia is not only the cradle of mankind, it’s the birthplace of coffee. According to historian Antony Wild in Coffee: A Dark History, Lucy and her prehistoric friends might even have been chewing on the beans. Later, the first roasted … Continue reading →

Posted in Addis Ababa, Background, Food | 1 Comment

The raw and the cooked

Posted on 2 Jun 2013 by lornaofarabia

It’s hard to believe 30 years have passed since fellow campaigners at Walter Mondale HQ introduced me to Ethiopian food at the (now, sadly, closed) Red Sea restaurant in Adams Morgan.  My first time there I fell in love with … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethiopia, Food | 4 Comments

Mushroom farmers v. 2

Posted on 26 May 2013 by lornaofarabia

Mushrooms are not a part of the traditional Ethiopian diet.  I base this assertion on 30 years’ experience eating in Ethiopian restaurants in the US; 10 months in Addis Ababa have not revealed mushrooms as a component of Ethiopian cuisine … Continue reading →

Posted in Addis Ababa, Food, Shopping | Tagged | 2 Comments

This is just to say

Posted on 23 May 2013 by lornaofarabia

This is just to say I have eaten the can of American tuna that was hidden at the back of the cupboard and which you were probably saving for lunch on a hard day. Forgive me it was delicious creamy … Continue reading →

Posted in Expat experience, Family, Food, Home life | Tagged | 4 Comments

Grow your own

Posted on 19 May 2013 by lornaofarabia

I love cooking with fresh herbs. Unfortunately, the selection in stores here is pretty limited.  I can almost always find parsley, cilantro, and rosemary, but that’s about it. The infamous Varnero pot plant delivery included mint, oregano, and thyme.  Our … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Home life | 2 Comments

Easter feasting

Posted on 8 May 2013 by lornaofarabia

There is a 55-day Lenten fasting period before Fasika during which Orthodox Ethiopians adhere to a strictly vegan diet: no meat, eggs, or dairy products are allowed.  On top of that, they only get to eat one meal a day … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethiopia, Food | Tagged , | Leave a comment

When life gives you lemons

Posted on 23 Apr 2013 by lornaofarabia

There’s no substitute for fresh lemons. Where I grew up in California we always had a lemon tree in the yard.  After I moved to Oregon, we ended every visit to my in-laws in LA by loading the station wagon … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere, Food, Shopping | Tagged , , | 2 Comments