Semiserious Chefs

Ceviche is a traditional dish made using an acid, typically a citrus juice, to marinade raw fish. It is believed to date back to the Incan Empire, but with so much immigrating in and out of the area, and the basic-ness of the idea, it’s pretty unrealistic to allow one civilization full credit. There were […]

This mashed plantain dish hails from Peru. Amazonian Peru. This is a relatively important note, as different parts of Peru produce different staple foods. For instance, in the mountainous Andes regions (Sierra) you are more likely to see crop based dishes with potatoes or quinoa, and slow roasted meats, commonly guinea pig. Along the coastline, […]

Because quick pickling doesn’t require a bunch of time to be delicious, (not even overnight,) this is a FANTASTIC last minute dinner party recipe. It’s the perfect addition to the classic holiday dinner, but they are also just as good served with toothpicks along side your charcuterie board or other hors d’oeuvres. As for the […]

This sauce (pronounced greh-no-blue-os) originates comes from the French town of Grenoble. Very tangy by itself it pairs well with mild fish, and is perfectly rounded off with a topping of fresh parsley. Although most commonly cooked with fish or seafood it can, however, be served over a huge variety of dish choices, (see below) […]

Somehow I think it is my life’s mission to discover the best way to serve cranberries. It’s like it calls me. I mean, who cares about cranberries, right? Perhaps that’s why I feel so impelled. Whatever the reason, I came pretty close last year with the Mulled Port Cranberry Sauce, but this year I stumbled […]

Sigeumchi-namul 시금치나물, from sigeumchi for spinach and namul because it is a vegetable dish, is one of the most common banchan (Korean side dish), and also one of the easiest! Best of all it isn’t spicy, so everyone can enjoy it! It’s funny to me that even as a family that isn’t particularly fond of […]

“What is the Korean name for this dish?” you ask. Well that depends on what kind of bean sprouts you use. First and foremost this dish is a namul (나물) , referring to a steamed, stir-fried, or marinated vegetable dish. However, sukju-namul is the name for bean sprouts in general. Now soy bean sprouts are […]

Many years ago our local grocery store started marking down the produce that was beginning to age. In a place where you will NEVER pay last than a dollar and usually easily more than 2 dollars a pound for anything other than potatoes and carrots, getting 3 or 4 pieces of fruit for a dollar […]

Now, I am by no means a vegetarian, however I am a very happy ‘meat-on-the-side’ eater and love all manner of vegetarian proteins.  One of the most fascinating things about world cuisine is how many people, (a majority of the world population actually) eat little to no meat on a regular basis. This does not […]

I kid you not, when I made this recipe a child in our daycare nearly ate an entire pound of asparagus, horseradish dressing and all. If you like horseradish you will love the simple flavor of this dish. If you think you might like horseradish if it wasn’t so darn hot that this recipe is […]