Leela Cyd's Recent Articles
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5 Entertaining Souvenirs I Bring Home from My Travels
I travel a lot for work and fun, and shopping while abroad is one of my favorite things to do. With all the idiosyncratic treasures out there to be had, and the thrill of the hunt, bargain, and score, I actually prefer shopping in foreign locales! Plus, the items I bring home evoke fond memories every time I use them. Here are the five souvenirs I always bring home in my suitcase. I love tea and the magic of tea salons all over the world, so whenever I go somewhere, I seek out these hideaways.
Leela Cyd
May 24, 2019
Vegetarian Cooking in Cinque Terre, Italy with Tim the Girl
Seasonal, vegetarian, farmer’s market–driven cooking lessons taught by a personal chef in Riomaggore, one of the picturesque towns of Cinque Terre, Italy, overlooking a never–ending clear blue ocean? Si, grazie! Tim McDiarmid led myself and a few other eager “mangionas” (Italian for “eaters”) in an unbelievable culinary class last week. The finished meal and the landscape came together in what can only be described as la dolce vita.
Leela Cyd
May 24, 2019
Goodbye Summer Recipe: Malaga Gazpacho
Before you kiss summer goodbye, during these last days of sunny early evenings, make a batch of this unusual, tomato–less gazpacho. It’s smooth, satisfying and refreshing. Have you ever tried this version of the much–adored chilled Spanish soup?I first tasted this ‘blonde’ variation of gazpacho while living in southern Spain.
Leela Cyd
May 24, 2019
Breakfast Tacos from Jenna & Mark of Sweet Fine Day
We were lucky enough to get in touch with Jenna and Mark of Sweet Fine Day. Their quick recipe for a batch of sweet potato, pickled onion, and scrambled egg tacos is easy, tangy and induces a sweet fine morning!Jenna and Mark are a multi-talented duo–Jenna, a graphic designer and blogger and Mark, the man behind the gorgeous confections of their acclaimed bakery business, Whimsy & Spice.
Leela Cyd
May 24, 2019
Ciabatta French Toast from Tricia of Eating is Art
What do our fellow bloggers, writers, and online friends eat, first thing in the morning? We are asking some friends to share their favorite morning nourishment with us. I will cook and eat it too, and bring you their thoughts on what to eat first thing in the morning. Here’s Tricia from Eating is Art. Tricia’s recipe for French Toast is about as basic and elemental as they come, except for one clever adjustment. I’ll give you a clue–the holes in the bread.
Leela Cyd
May 24, 2019
Heavenly Porridge from Tim of Lottie and Doof
What do our fellow bloggers, writers, and online friends eat, first thing in the morning? We are asking some friends to share their favorite morning nourishment with us. I will cook and eat it too, and bring you their thoughts on what to eat first thing in the morning. Here’s Tim from Lottie and Doof.When Tim described this delicious porridge recipe as, “tasting like a melted muffin,” I knew I was in for something special.
Leela Cyd
May 24, 2019
Shredded Apple Muesli from Shelby of Bone, Mugs & Harmony
What do our fellow bloggers, writers, and online friends eat, first thing in the morning? We are asking some friends to share their favorite morning nourishment with us. I will cook and eat it too, and bring you their thoughts on what to eat first thing in the morning. Here’s Shelby from Bone, Mugs & Harmony.Shelby first passed along this recipe with a caveat, “Isn’t muesli kinda boring?
Leela Cyd
May 24, 2019
Tofu Veggie Scramble from Marshall of Read Write Web
Marshall delivers up–to–the minute news on the widely–read, New York Times–syndicated, technology blog, Read Write Web, where he acts as co–editor and writer. He also delivers us the most savory, ‘oh yeah’–inducing, veggie–laden tofu scramble and a recipe for the perfect day.Read Write Web covers technology news in an engaging, meaningful and relevant way, even to a beginner (like myself) in the tech–blog world.
Leela Cyd
May 24, 2019
The Perfect Tartine from Anne of Pret a Voyager
What do our fellow bloggers, writers, and online friends eat, first thing in the morning? We are asking some friends to share their favorite morning nourishment with us. I will cook and eat it too, and bring you their thoughts on what to eat first thing in the morning. Here’s Anne of Pret a Voyager. Ooh la la! This elegant breakfast left me feeling fabulous all morning long.
Leela Cyd
May 24, 2019
Peanut Butter Ginger Muffins from Hannah of Bitter Sweet
What do our fellow bloggers, writers, and online friends eat, first thing in the morning? We are asking some friends to share their favorite morning nourishment with us. I will cook and eat it too, and bring you their thoughts on what to eat first thing in the morning. Here’s Hannah of Bitter Sweet This muffin combines two of my favorite pantry staples: crunchy peanut butter and spicy candied ginger.
Leela Cyd
May 24, 2019
Apple Bettelman (French Bread Pudding) from Clotilde of Chocolate & Zucchini
What do our fellow bloggers, writers, and online friends eat, first thing in the morning? We are asking some friends to share their favorite morning nourishment with us. I will cook and eat it too, and bring you their thoughts on what to eat first thing in the morning. When Clotilde agreed to contribute a recipe to this series, I was absolutely thrilled.
Leela Cyd
May 24, 2019
Egg in a Basket from Joy of Oh Joy!
What do our fellow bloggers, writers, and online friends eat, first thing in the morning? We are asking some friends to share their favorite morning nourishment with us. I will cook and eat it too, and bring you their thoughts on what to eat first thing in the morning. Is there a better way get your morning started than with this ahem, joyful, Egg in a Basket breakfast from Joy herself? No way! Join this fabulous graphic designer/style blogger and I for this delightful dish.
Leela Cyd
May 24, 2019
Strawberry-Nutella Pop Tarts from Kasey of Turntable Kitchen
What do our fellow bloggers, writers, and online friends eat, first thing in the morning? We are asking some friends to share their favorite morning nourishment with us. I will cook and eat it too, and bring you their thoughts on what to eat first thing in the morning. Do the words “homemade pop tart” strike a chord within your soul? Kasey of Turntable Kitchen illuminates our minds and our bellies with this amazing recipe.
Leela Cyd
May 24, 2019
Pistachio & Marmalade Breakfast Cake from Cara and Phoebe of Big Girls Small Kitchen
What do our fellow bloggers, writers, and online friends eat, first thing in the morning? We are asking some friends to share their favorite morning nourishment with us. I will cook and eat it too, and bring you their thoughts on what to eat first thing in the morning. This breakfast cake, brought to us by two talented ladies, is as fragrant and divine as it sounds. Pistachios, a dash of cardamom, marmalade and corn meal— these flavors will definitely wake up your palate.
Leela Cyd
May 24, 2019
Poached Egg over Polenta with Olive-Herb Pesto from Danielle of The Trail of Crumbs
What do our fellow bloggers, writers, and online friends eat, first thing in the morning? We are asking some friends to share their favorite morning nourishment with us. I will cook and eat it too, and bring you their thoughts on what to eat first thing in the morning. Danielle and her husband, Adrian, author a gastro travelogue describing their international culinary adventures as well as insights into their adopted city of Paris, France.
Leela Cyd
May 24, 2019
Cranberry-Chia Granola from Roséline of This Is Glamorous
What do our fellow bloggers, writers, and online friends eat, first thing in the morning? We are asking some friends to share their favorite morning nourishment with us. I will cook and eat it too, and bring you their thoughts on what to eat first thing in the morning. Roséline authors one of the most glamorous blogs out there and her breakfast, a homemade granola featuring surprising ingredients, is nothing short of divine.
Leela Cyd
May 24, 2019
David Lebovitz’s French Breakfast: Honeyed Cereale Toast
What do our fellow bloggers, writers, and online friends eat, first thing in the morning? This is a series Leela Cyd designed for us a couple years ago, and in honor of Breakfast Week we’re bringing back five of our favorites! David Lebovitz’s eponymous blog is one of the wittiest, most insightful, and delicious food blogs around. Join us in digging into a simple, yet extraordinary, way of eating toast.
Leela Cyd
May 24, 2019
Scrambled Egg Toast from Deb of Smitten Kitchen
What do our fellow bloggers, writers, and online friends eat, first thing in the morning? This is a series Leela Cyd designed for us a couple years ago, and in honor of Breakfast Week we’re bringing back five of our favorites! This morning Deb shares a recipe for scrambled eggs with chives and goat cheese on toast. It sounds simple, but as with all things wonderfully delicious, it’s all in the details of this divine preparation of a breakfast classic.
Leela Cyd
May 24, 2019
The Ultimate Cluster Granola from Melissa of The Traveler’s Lunchbox
What do our fellow bloggers, writers, and online friends eat, first thing in the morning? This is a series Leela Cyd designed for us a couple years ago, and in honor of Breakfast Week we’re bringing back five of our favorites! Melissa’s breakfast recipe reveals the mystery of how to create clusters in homemade granola, one of the great culinary questions — in this home cook’s mind, anyway! Like all great cooking tips, the cluster effect is all in one tiny detail.
Leela Cyd
May 24, 2019
Recipe: Tempeh Deli Salad
Need a new lunch idea for school days (or still at work days)? You know the usual brown bag suspects — tuna, egg, chicken salad, pb and js — well this tempeh deli salad might be just the dish to shake up your mid-day meal.What is tempeh exactly? This fermented soybean cake originated in Indonesia and is still used in a variety of dishes within the country’s cuisine — think of it as a nutty, hearty, blank canvas that needs sassing up.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Recipe: No-Cook Tomato Sauce
Late summer tomatoes finally turning red and orange, check. Basil plants still producing loads of leaves, check. Garlic cloves and fruity extra virgin olive oil, check and check. These are the only ingredients you need for the easiest and tastiest 5-ingredient tomato sauce of all time. The results are simple and spectacular. How is it that when tomatoes meet olive oil, garlic, and basil, gastronome poetry is created?
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Sweet South Indian Soul Food: Kesari Bath
It’s flowery, creamy, yellow, studded with pineapple and flecked with aromatic cardamom. Have you ever had the South Indian breakfast, Kesari Bath?spices for Kesari Bath include saffron, cardamom and vanillaKesari Bath is a traditional sweet creamed wheat dish served in many South Indian States. I had the best versions of this perfumey grain in Karnataka, India. It was served to me, as well as hundreds of other guests before a grand Indian wedding–a celebrated “love marriage.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Savory South Indian Soul Food: Khara Bath
Khara Bath, the savory preparation of Kesari Bath (featured Monday) is so satisfying, tasty and delicious, you may become addicted! This past weekend, I made it for dinner two nights in a row. Have you tried Khara Bath?Grits, polenta, Cream of Wheat, risotto, bulgur, oats, wheat berries, barley — every culture has their way to transform an innocent little grain into something sublime, but it’s the South Indian Khara Bath that steals my heart.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
The Best Hot Chocolate on Earth? Café Angelina
Last spring I was lucky enough to indulge in the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had. At Café Angelina in Paris, the rich hot chocolate is served in its own pitcher alongside a small pot of fresh and perfect whipped cream. Have you been there? Why is it so good?After sitting down to what would be one of the most superb gastronomic experiences of my life, I ordered the most expensive hot chocolate of my life. It was worth every Euro and then some!
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Sweet Potato Cakelets from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce
With Harvest Colors being the theme for this month here at The Kitchn, my mind immediately leaped into a bowl of whipped sweet potatoes. Is there anything more fragrant, brightly colored, happy and inherently Fall than a baked treat with a base of the delightful tuber? I made some sweet potato muffins from Kim Boyce’s Good to the Grain, and while I deviated a little from the recipe I wound up with fantastic results.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Dessert Recipe: Easy Key Lime Pie
This Key lime pie is full of clean and bright notes, and it’s surprisingly simple to make — and easy to love. Key limes originated in Southeast Asia then were subsequently cultivated in North Africa, the Middle East and Spain. They have been grown in the Florida Keys since the 1500s, when Spanish explorers were trading in the Carribean and Americas. Now you can find Key limes in Florida as well as many other regions — Mexico, California, Texas and parts of Central America.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Love Sugar Cookies? String Them Into a Necklace!
I did not grow up in a household that baked endless rounds of holiday cookies. In my family, if it wasn’t death–by–chocolate cake, it wasn’t considered a real dessert. I’ve been making up for lost cookie–making madness for many years now, and recently I have taken to sporting a variety of confections on my head and over my heart. Perhaps a stylish (and tasty) addition to your holiday–party ensemble?
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Making Your Own Baby Food: Teja Keeps it Healthy & Fun
During a recent visit with my old pal Teja and her darling ten-month-old, I was amazed and delighted at the foods she prepared for her little one. I just so happened to taste a little bit of baby’s breakfast: persimmon, pear, rice and cardamom puree, and I had to pause, narrow my eyes and nod my head several times cooing, “Oh yeah,” — the flavors were so harmonious. This baby mush was like a mellow version of South Indian pudding.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
The 10 Foods and Rituals That Keep Me Happy During Winter
Now that we’re well into the new year, I’m full of optimism, as well as a few pairs of ill-fitting pants. While many food magazines and blogs are still promoting eating light, I’ve turned my thoughts toward eating happy. Here are the 10 foods and rituals that keep my spirits up in the winter. Having grown up in Southern California, the winters of Portland, Oregon, have been — how can I put this exactly? — VERY DIFFICULT. It’s dark, wet, gray, gloomy, and sad.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Sweet Recipe: Gluten-Free Cherry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies
This chewy, dense, full–bodied baked morsel is my holy grail of oatmeal cookies. For the past year, I’ve been squirreling away extra batches of frozen dough, just in case the mood strikes during my afternoon cup of tea (as it often does). The recipe does require a pantry stocked with many different types of flours, but it is so worth the trouble. Did I mention it’s gluten free?What do I mean, “holy grail” of oatmeal cookies?
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Marvelous Valentine’s Recipe: Strawberry Milk Cake
Here’s a cake that’s bound to make your Valentine, pal or kiddos squeal with glee. I just couldn’t resist the combination of old–timey strawberry milk and ridiculously pink frosting.This cake is full of wonder. While in California for winter break, I spent an afternoon cooking with my fairy godmother. She spoke to me in hushed tones of desserts her aunties used to make, one of which stuck out to me — it was the ‘scalded milk cake.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Gorgeous Recipe: Blood Orange Crostatas
Need an unusual, show–stopping recipe for your next dessert? These individually–sized blood orange crostatas with mascarpone, almond cream are reason enough to throw a party.After seeing this gorgeous creation up on the site last week, I was immediately inspired. With my mind aswirl with bright colors and patisserie, I quickly decided on my own variation. I love the free-form, casual elegance of a crostata, but wanted my own serving (I’m bad at sharing sweets).
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Craving Summer Recipe: Gluten–Free Peach Crisps
I know fresh peach season is still quite a ways out, but when I strolled past the frozen section of my little grocery, a bag of frozen peaches sweetly whispered their summer siren song. I couldn’t resist, and honestly, I’m glad I caved. I realize it’s not ideal to eat out of season, and usually, I’m in the mood for whatever nature’s bounty is offering. In early April however, those of us in Northern parts of the country may be hankering for the delights of summer.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Recipe: Matzo Brei with Bananas and Pecans
Matzoh brei is just the comforting, homey dish you want to eat the morning after your Passover Seder. My grandmother would never have added pecans, bananas and maple syrup (she was more of a salt and pepper gal), but I believe she would have surprised herself, raised an eyebrow, and enjoyed this delightful variation.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Weekend Snack Recipe: Walnut-Cranberry-Ginger Power Bars
When the hours between lunch and dinner stretch on too long, these power bars are just the thing to break up the afternoon. They are perfect with a cup of tea, full of strong flavors and complex textures. Hitting the sweet, salty, crunchy notes of taste, they really make a satisfying little morsel. I’d recommend one of these bars for a good on-the-go breakfast as well. Best of all, this recipe is very adaptable to variations based on your own preferences and what you have on hand.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Recipe: Lemony Pesto Pasta with Edamame & Almonds
Longer days and outdoor picnics call for an easy pasta recipe that everyone will enjoy. This dish is easy, healthy, and very elegant. In the height of summer, I love to make fresh pesto from the garden, but during the rest of the year, I cheat a little with my favorite store-bought brand. Having a nice dollop of the verdant sauce on anything from homemade pizza to sandwiches — it’s the brightness and intensity of flavor that I crave!
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Recipe: Poached Rhubarb Royale
As rhubarb makes its sweet, tart, hot pink, and sassy way into our farmers market baskets, here’s one easy recipe to transform the odd vegetable into a silky compote. I dare you not to put a blob of this delightful mess all over everything! My mouth is still puckered from eating so much of this glorious dish. Rhubarb is one of my favorite seasonal ingredients.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Recipe: Classic Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese
I have a serious thing for diners and their intrinsic Americana nostalgia. Sometimes the food isn’t even so hot, but I still pop in for a basic sandwich and cup of mediocre coffee every now and again. Chef Trevor Rudd of City State Diner in Portland, Oregon, walked me through one of my most beloved — and America’s most beloved! — diner specials: the wedge salad. Want to know the secrets behind this iconic dish? You know you do!
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins from Vegan Desserts: Sumptuous Sweets for Every Season by Hannah Kaminsky
After a lot of internal debate on which recipe I should try first from Hannah Kaminsky’s Vegan Desserts: Sumptuous Sweets for Every Season, I’m very pleased to have settled on these Springtime muffins. Chunks of strawberry and flecks of rhubarb turn one of my favorite pie fruit-pairings into a delightful treat for the morning. Read on for more about the recipe and new cookbook.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Simple Summer Recipe: Roasted Tomato Tartine
Summer has hit the rest of the country like a ton of bricks, but here in the Northwest our tomatoes have hardly ripened due to late rains and cloudy days. Craving that uncanny summer tomato taste, I broke down and bought some Romas — to bring out real flavor, I got down to roasting. This summer recipe couldn’t be any easier or more delightful. Read on for the details . . .
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Recipe: Lucky Charms Ice Cream Sandwiches
Need a new, easy way to stay cool this summer, and stay in touch with your inner child? Look to the end of the rainbow for this pot-of-gold recipe! These ice cream sandwiches will make you do the happy dance and perhaps give you leprechaun-spotting powers too. As a kid, my brother and I referred to Lucky Charms as “Saturday morning cartoon cereal.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Quick Recipe: Broccoli Salad with Carrots and Currants
In need of a healthy, tasty side at your next dinner? Or just looking to break out of a lunch rut? This fresh twist on the classic combination of broccoli, carrots and raisins will satisfy with big crunch and big flavor and takes just minutes to prepare.This broccoli salad honors the flavor profile of its picnic lunch style cousin but is lightened up significantly.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Family Recipe: My Dad’s Legendary Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
I have a confession: Trying new recipes for Thanksgiving is not my thing. In fact, when the time comes to prep my dad’s legendary pumpkin chiffon pie, nothing delights me more than the same old same old.There are certain dishes that pull so hard at our heartstrings, the secrets to conjure the foods that define us and our family traditions, they nearly barrel us over with love. This pie is one of those dishes, a dessert that signifies togetherness.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Holiday Breakfast Recipe: Cranberry Sauce Quickbread
As a vegetarian, Thanksgiving is all about the side dishes, and one in particular gets me weak in the knees every year: the cranberry sauce! I can just eat it by the spoonful while I gaze into the fridge deciding what to eat for lunch. If I manage to squirrel some away, I throw it into pancakes or fold it into a quickbread recipe and slather it with, you guessed it, more cranberry sauce.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Jewish Holiday Recipe: Mom’s Simple Savory Kugel
Growing up on the coast of Southern California, I was pretty far removed from my father’s native Brooklyn neighborhood. However my Mississippi-born mother made sure to close some of that distance with one delicious Jewish recipe she adapted from her mother-in-law. Savory noodle kugel is as comforting and cozy as it gets.Like all great casseroles, kugel has many variations, incarnations and riffs.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Recipe: Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Bread Pudding
Elvis and I were born on the same day. Perhaps this connection explains my unyielding, everlasting, over–the–top love for all things banana and peanut butter? At a young age, I listened to our Graceland tour guide explain that the King used to love banana, peanut butter, and bacon sandwiches. Instead of being repulsed, I was downright inspired! Here’s an easy breakfast bread pudding bursting with salty sweetness, just perfect for a lazy morning.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
How To Make Marshmallow Peeps at Home
I’m not sure where the harebrained idea to make my own marshmallow Peeps came from, but I’m sure glad it did. Yes, they are a lot of work. Yes, they involve gelatin (an ingredient I don’t often use). And yes, they are loaded with sugar and not much else. Oh, and yes, they are a tremendous amount of fun to make and eat! Happy Easter, my friends! g-cdn.apartmenttherapy.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019
Appetizer Recipe: Empanadas with Corn
Empanadas are endlessly variable depending on region, season and how you’re grandmother may have made these delightful filled pastries. While traveling through Argentina, I sampled my favorite iteration of them all, “Empanadas Humitas” which translates to “Empanada with Corn”. During my week-long trip to Argentina, I sampled a different empanada every day; some were filled with salty cheese, others beef, occasionally the humita filling I describe here.
Leela Cyd
May 2, 2019