tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54994592231382286942011-07-31T03:45:44.350-04:00or: "Feta, Brie, and Me" in which writer/foodie/mother/wife/daughter Allison Cay Parker shares observations on life in an international family held together by foreign culture, ethnic food, wine, landscape, language, history, the American Dream, and a lot of Band-Aids.A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.comBlogger301100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-75750990557182799202009-12-20T11:30:00.007-05:002009-12-20T12:28:27.839-05:00

Hi. It's been a while. If you were in the habit of visiting "Melting Pot Family" on a regular basis, you've probably been wondering "What gives?" Actually, you probably stopped wondering long ago, given the length of my absence. With no new content to encourage your return, the fact that you're reading this now is actually quite lucky for me. Thanks for stopping by. (Ditto if this is your first

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-25225177476623959042009-08-06T21:46:00.002-04:002009-08-06T21:56:42.646-04:00

Zucchini Fennel Ouzo SoupOK, so this recipe was made about a week and a half ago, but I have not had the time to post it. I still don't really have time, so this is but a preview and a promise to post when I get a breather. I am still tinkering with the quantities of the recipe, but basically it's easy: use the summer bounty of zucchini to make a delicate soup, blending the flavors of squash with

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-49816068208692882862009-07-20T22:15:00.013-04:002009-07-20T22:52:29.161-04:00

Sour Cherry Sorbet with Toasted Coconut Flakes and Fig NewmansUnfortunately, I haven't had much time in the past couple of weeks to cook with my son, though this weekend I did get back into the kitchen with him, as the previous pizza post will attest. Actually, the weekend plan was not so much the pizza as the pizza was the healthy meal excuse for indulging in our frozen dessert fest. Yes, at

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-9885667621762759912009-07-18T21:44:00.001-04:002009-07-20T22:10:10.590-04:00

Well, it's not really Italian, this pizza—it's some crazy, ill-equipped American kitchen version—but it was just so much fun to listen to my son test out his best (and quite good) Italian accent while saying "Pizza Ital-ee-AH-no!" Not to mention the mischief of tossing the dough up in the air and catching it. His eyes grew wide: was I really going to allow throwing food? Not only allow it, but

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-22254002124564600902009-07-12T23:36:00.001-04:002009-07-25T23:19:32.135-04:00

Here's a post I meant to put up a while ago.Meet the Greek Orthodox Saint Phanourios, patron saint of the Lost & Found, if you will. Those of you who know me already, or know me through other social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, are probably aware of my current interest in Saint Phanourios and his phanouropita, which translates as "St. Phanourios's pie" (think of the more familiar

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-16553899301066375212009-06-25T17:00:00.000-04:002009-06-25T17:13:26.812-04:00

Now this satisfied the urge for cocoa/raspberry indulgence!Last weekend's cooking project? Breakfast for Father's Day, of course. The holiday is now old news for another year, but since this dish does not need to be pegged to a specific date, I feel no remorse about my tardy post—you can enjoy this recipe year-round, as our family did on Sunday. It's a keeper.The week leading up to this project,

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-42837697384518962162009-06-16T14:50:00.001-04:002009-06-16T14:53:00.724-04:00

Not what we expected . . .Did you know that June 12 is (was) National Peanut Butter Cookie Day? It's true; you can look it up here, among other places, and also see food tribute days for the rest of June. The odd thing about this—the funny thing, though maybe not funnier than the fact that such a national observance exists in the first place—is that I didn't even know this until last Friday (the

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-77356813347610176522009-06-07T12:30:00.003-04:002009-06-07T20:38:42.650-04:00

My son enjoys going to Indian restaurants for two things: mango lassi and chicken kebab (which I've also heard called chicken tikka—erroneously as it turns out). He also likes mango ice cream, but that will come later in the summer, when I've dusted off my frozen dessert maker. A lassi, for those who don't know, is basically a smoothie. There seem to be several variations: with milk, without;

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-75125246380999312122009-05-24T00:19:00.051-04:002009-05-31T01:15:45.093-04:00

I kind of suspected that when my son chose "mac and cheese" for our second culinary project, he was envisioning the kind that comes out of a box, a kit with powdered cheese. It's true, I confess, that we usually have a box of Annie's brand on hand in the cupboard for those days when cooking from scratch just isn't possible (which happens more than I'd like). It's all natural, which is good, and

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-56512373544366751212009-05-23T22:53:00.035-04:002009-05-24T00:15:14.420-04:00

Welcome to "Cooking with Q" (CwQ) Week 1: Pasta Bolognese. I'm posting a week late, as this was made on May 16, 2009, and somehow I did not end up with a photo of our completed dish. Instead, I photographed the facing page of the recipe, which was taken from the book Italy: A Culinary Journey, published by Collins Publishers San Francisco in 1991 (recipe p. 115).I've had this book since it first

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-9619872457055276042009-05-23T19:28:00.007-04:002009-05-23T22:53:40.820-04:00

I've been thinking about a new thread for this blog. A couple of weeks ago, I decided that I wanted to spend some more quality time with my son, but in a way that also accomplished a couple of other things (yes, I am a chronic multi-tasker), such as getting a meal on the table and teaching some valuable life skills. My son is so active, and I've gotten a bit out of shape, so it's not always easy

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-26253136505630140612009-05-05T23:30:00.008-04:002009-05-05T23:54:21.812-04:00

My family's radar is pretty finely tuned to bias, prejudice, history, and literature. I grew up with socially aware, progressive parents. My father was very active in the South during the Civil Rights Movement; my mother searched hard in a time when there was no market for "feminist" literature, to find books that would open my world and deliver messages that girls/women were every bit as

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-51006485446112404062009-05-05T10:45:00.006-04:002009-05-05T18:40:53.254-04:00

A Southern American Classic . . . updated!One dish I remember well from visiting my paternal grandparents (born and bred Southerners from Georgia and Alabama who retired to Florida before I was born) is carrot-raisin salad. It's classic American picnic fare, and many versions exist. Traditionally it is made with shredded carrots, raisins, and in most cases mayonnaise and perhaps some vinegar.

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-16680999125454729782009-04-18T01:56:00.000-04:002009-04-18T01:56:43.573-04:00

OK, it's about time, I know. I have been promising this and other posts for months, but I have been so busy with daily posting on "365 Memories" that I have simply not had the stamina for more. But, when something's good, it's good, and I have a good bit to say about crackers. Listen up, especially if you are planning to visit Toronto, Canada.A couple of weeks ago, while my son was on spring

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-71465048815141801642009-03-06T21:50:00.000-05:002009-03-06T21:57:08.217-05:00

Dear patient readers,Time flies, and I am still working too much (for the available hours in my day). This is not a complaint; however, deadlines for clients plus the rigors of daily posting on "365 Memories" have kept me too long from this blog. Good news, though: I have three "Melting Pot" drafts in the works, and I hope to have all three posted this month!Stay tuned for:•  Yogurt*•  Breakfast•

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-42554759700760381882009-01-11T21:55:00.002-05:002009-01-11T21:56:56.086-05:00

Today our family confronted one of the toughest moments of any new year: dismantling and disposing of our Christmas tree. I am always guilt-ridden and very sad about doing this, and I try to put it off as long as possible. I am filled with loathing of our culture as I walk down the streets of New York City in early January and see trees at the curb, evicted from their seasonal homes and

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-67043475172022666562009-01-05T11:48:00.002-05:002009-01-05T12:01:14.742-05:00

Sometimes, being part of a multi-cultural family, I feel like a fraud no matter where I turn.  I am, at best, half Greek.  I am second-generation American and have no history with the Greek Orthodox Church, being raised nominally Presbyterian.  In an Orthodox service—although now I've been to quite a few—I still hesitate and watch the women in black for some clue of when to sit or stand or how to

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-65614798297768691672009-01-01T18:37:00.000-05:002009-01-01T18:38:48.599-05:00

In a previous post, I wrote about "Hoppin' John" and the good luck tradition of eating black-eyed peas on the first day of the new year. This year, however, my family is more "bonne année" than "happy new year": we're having lentils this New Year's Day, according to French tradition.Although the dish is different, the symbolism remains the same: we ladle out prosperity in the coming year, along

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-79509715375125343572008-12-25T22:24:00.008-05:002008-12-28T17:21:42.159-05:00

Growing up, I was aware of "yule logs" only as the perpetually burning log in the fireplace.  If you didn't have your own fireplace (which we usually didn't, living most often in urban apartment buildings), there was always the televised fireplace flickering for hours on some public access channel--which my family firmly resisted.  I watched my share of "Frosty the Snowman," "A Charlie Brown

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-12068371546898833512008-12-23T23:13:00.005-05:002008-12-23T23:37:29.247-05:00

A supplemental post tonight, just to reach out to a fellow blogger--someone I have never met but am quite sure I would like very much if I ever had the occasion.It is Christmastime, and while many of us are wrapped up in our plans, our holiday traditions, wanting to stay safe in the illusion that our lives can be, even momentarily, comfortable and festive (and I maintain we must create these

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-26936160804242302752008-12-07T21:20:00.009-05:002008-12-23T23:06:48.671-05:00

All right, it's time I at least checked in to let everyone know my plans, since I haven't been able to post as desired this month.  Consider this a teaser.Since this is a melting pot, I thought it only proper to give the other half of my family tree its due when it comes to Christmas cookies.  I've been focusing a lot on my American traditions lately, but let it be said that the Greeks are no

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-53991249273015351832008-12-07T14:19:00.017-05:002008-12-07T21:14:08.728-05:00

Well, we did it.  We broke with tradition this year.  No trip to the country, to a hayride and hot apple cider and a cut-your-own experience "en famille" out on a tree farm.  But all is not lost.  In remaining city-bound this year, we participated in a time-honored urban Christmas ritual: visiting the "tree man" on the corner.We started out by reading a fabulous children's book that I

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-55196361102126928422008-12-06T00:25:00.015-05:002008-12-07T21:15:34.084-05:00

Here's a bit of holiday cheer!And if you think these cookies have sparkle... You should have seen the twinkle in my kindergartener's eye when he saw the results of today's culinary labor--though I ought not call it "labor," it was simply too much messy fun for all involved.There is nothing like the first batch of Christmas cookies to build a kid's anticipation as we head into the December season.

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-18661918134861190222008-12-02T20:55:00.025-05:002008-12-07T21:16:56.883-05:00

Thanksgiving was just days ago, but already it is so "yesterday," so completely over, and I'm sorry to see it go.  I'm especially sorry when the spirit of thankfulness for what we have is so abruptly hijacked, twisted by society at large into a demand for what we do not have but want, and what we cannot afford but often buy anyway.  I am proud to say that although there have been past excesses in

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-87787014787656643842008-11-26T09:16:00.008-05:002008-11-26T10:44:12.141-05:00

OK, let it be said: Thanksgiving is my top candidate for "favorite holiday."Maybe because it's the only one our family celebrates that is exclusively American, yet not linked so garishly to patriotism as July 4th.  Make no mistake, I am a patriot, if a critical one--more the style of our recently elected president; not of the flag waving, "love it or leave it" sort.  I embrace much in our

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-38114533780177343112008-11-14T22:13:00.030-05:002008-11-20T12:18:40.033-05:00

Greece April 2007: Part I(first of several posts from the journal I kept during my trip to Greece last year)We are being driven out of Athens by Nikos in his yellow Mercedes taxi.  It is a luxury that embarrasses me intensely--I did not order it, would never have done so; I would have attempted more tedious, "everyman" public transportation--yet I admit I am thankful for the comfort.  The drive

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-18488587750319642782008-11-13T23:44:00.001-05:002008-11-13T23:44:24.991-05:00

Underwater Swimmers II, Oil on CanvasIt wasn't this painting, but it belonged to the same series of Underwater Swimmers.  I was on my way to Borders Books in the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle, NYC, looking for something I needed to purchase--not a pleasure read; it was an all-business kind of day--and the painting stopped me cold.  It was, in fact, a cold day.  Last winter I think it was.

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-17977651650427664742008-11-10T21:39:00.010-05:002008-12-07T21:19:31.256-05:00

We are on an Alan Jackson audio binge, my son and I.  I have to admit, it's amusing to hear my native-NYC kindergartener sing, "Where I come from, it's cornbread and chicken…," and he even nails the down-home accent!  He throws his heart into this song, even though he doesn't eat the same kind of chicken as they do in Dixie—we're not big on fried anymore.  But he does eat cornbread, plus another

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-46741704648972575962008-11-05T21:41:00.029-05:002008-11-06T22:14:28.815-05:00

Last night, history was made in America, and I witnessed it.How proud I feel.  It is not often that we are able to know and deeply appreciate, in the very moments of our lives as they unfold, the significance of events in the stream of time.  We all know that history is a revisionist's terrain, an exercise in looking backward, in editing, judging.  How often are we allowed to experience history

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499459223138228694.post-46514520736292863862008-11-03T21:10:00.017-05:002008-11-26T10:36:06.712-05:00

I have been encouraged, strongly, to start a blog, so... here I am.  First post.  Except that it is the evening before the elections here in the U.S., and I am too full of nervous energy to concentrate properly.  When I can't concentrate properly but feel the need to get work done, I start making lists.  Without further preamble, a list of posts/subjects to look forward to in the near future:Dual

A. C. Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06592460231462723301noreply@blogger.com1