Colombian Cornmeal Cakes with Cheese (Arepas de Queso)

What I remember best about a trip to Colombia many years back was the arepas, especially those bought from street vendors. In my view, arepa is to Colombia what pão de queijo is to Brazil. Great for breakfast or for a snack, arepas are made of precooked cornmeal and can be eaten plain, with cheese or many other variety of toppings.

Brazilian Cheese Puffs (Pão de Queijo)

If you have ever been to Brazil you know that there is nothing better than a cup of coffee and a pão de queijo in the afternoon.

The other day I was reading the latest Saveur and saw an article on Cassava (we call it Yuca in my house), a root that I really enjoy and use at home. I think it is worth a read and you can find it here. I was a bit disconcerted by the corresponding recipe for the famous Brazilian cheese puffs, pão de queijo. I’ve seen many recipes for pão de queijo and I myself make at home a non-conventional recipe without eggs, as you know one of my twins has egg allergies. However I had never seen a recipe asking for yeast and flour. But, I decided to keep an open mind and give it a try. It was a disaster. The dough was not thick enough to roll and the end result was cheesy cookies as my children called them.

Gougères (Cheese Puffs)

Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not, having the day off is a great excuse to get friends and family together. We had a very ethnic potluck at my house that included dishes from Spain, India, France and even traditional American fare, albeit no turkey.

I greeted my guests with fresh, out of the oven cheese puffs, not the Brazilian pão de queijo which one of these days I will post a recipe, but the French kind, gougères. 

Bosnian American Croissants

When people think of fusion food a likely first thought is of elaborate, exotic main dishes. However, this next recipe, the third in our series on celebrating the diversity of our Muslim American community, surprisingly melds two very different traditions in the form of a wonderful baked good.

Bosnian Muslim cuisine exudes hearty warmth and comfort. While the flavors are subtle, the ingredient combinations fill you with down-home goodness. Some of the staples of Bosnian recipes are potatoes, traditional cuts of meat, peppers and hearty beans. But a Bosnian meal is never complete without the addition of a lovely home-baked good of some sort.

Batbout (Moroccan small pita bread)

Batbout is a small, Moroccan pita bread that is great for small sandwiches when entertaining. They are also great for an afternoon snack for your kids - mine love these filled with cream cheese. Unlike other breads this is made on top of the stove instead of baked.