Salsa Verde Origin Story Salsa verde literally means “green sauce” in Spanish, which is an apt name given the abundance of green vegetables and herbs it contains. There’s no single agreed-upon backstory for this Mexican sauce, but most concur that it was a common condiment of the Aztecs because it was documented by the first…
Category: Pantry Staples
How to Make Nut Butters
For a long time I never considered that I could make something like peanut butter or almond butter at home. I assumed that nut butter had to be processed in a factory, that it was time-consuming and difficult, perhaps requiring specialized equipment. I’m happy to say that I was wrong! A few years ago I…
The Dulce de Leche Cook-off: Part 2 (What Happened?!)
Sometimes great success and great failure come hand in hand. Last week I wrote about Dulce de Leche and tried two methods to make it. This week, we’re going to put all that dulce de leche to use and make alfajores! But first – My Instant Pot arrived this week, so I decided to try…
The Dulce de Leche Cook-off: Part 1
Dulce de leche was one of the first foreign foods that I fell in love with. It is ubiquitous in Argentina, the first foreign country I lived in. Translated to “milk’s candy” in English, it’s used in cookies and candies, as a spread for toast, as a filling for desserts, an accompaniment to fruit, an…
Why You Should Pop Your Own Popcorn (And How to Do It)
When I was growing up, popcorn was something you either had at the movie theater where it was scooped out of a large popcorn machine, or came in a butter-drenched bag that you threw in the microwave and watched carefully to avoid burning. I had heard of hot-air popcorn poppers, but didn’t own one. That…
Traditional Chimichurri Sauce
I absolutely cannot write anything without first addressing the events of this week with the horrific death of George Floyd because it lays so, so heavy on my heart. One of the reasons I started this blog was to share my experiences of cultures and people around the world through food. Of course, my perspective…
5 Spices You Can Make At Home
Is anyone else feeling super stressed every time you have to go to the grocery store these days? I know I am. Social distancing in these tiny Manhattan shops seems impossible, even with limiting the number of people inside, trying to manage traffic flow, and the new requirement that we wear face coverings in public….
How to Make a DIY Test Tube Spice Rack
As an avid home cook I have A LOT of spices. And as a Manhattanite, I don’t have a lot of counter or cabinet space to spare or fill with innumerable spice containers. When I moved into my most recent apartment, I immediately began looking into spice rack solution and was disappointed with my options…
Homemade Nando’s Peri Peri Sauce (South Africa)
Have you ever tried to recreate something by taste only? I recently had this experience after discovering Nando’s peri peri sauce for the first time. I love going to grocery stores in foreign countries to see what products I can find that are different from home. So when I arrived in Cape Town, South Africa,…
Ethiopian Spiced Clarified Butter (Niter Kibbeh)
Last week, I explored the key spices in Ethiopian cooking by making homemade berbere. Today, I’m focusing on another staple: spiced clarified butter, called niter kibbeh. This is easy to make and really gives your food an Ethiopian taste.
Marissa Makes Food 