Traveling Tuesdays

Food. It’s a necessity. When we were children the menu generally consisted of two items: Take it or leave it. We quietly rebelled against monotonous dishes. Instead of eating our green beans, we'd slyly spit them in our glass of milk and hope our parents wouldn't see the dark green beasts bumping against the side. Our mothers are not bad cooks. In fact, they embody perfection in the Southern kitchen. And they're also sisters, making our culinary upbringing similarly polished and similarly cynical. We’re the biggest critic of what we eat. Too Bland. Too Hard. Too soft. Too Salty. Too Spicy. Maybe, we were just too picky.

We finally reached the dire state of being "Grown-Up". We can tell you how much rotors cost to replace and what APR really stands for. Even more abhorrent, we are too poor to travel. Our months abroad as students unleashed a crazed conquistador within us, hungry for the next adventure, longing for another land. The smells, the music, the language, the sound of our feet walking on stone streets or dirt paths. Travel shows became painful to watch as our envious explorer boiled, trapped inside us. Foreign films helped, Pandora quenched our thirsty ears, but still we restlessly waited for the next adventure.

We diagnosed ourselves with Culinary Complacency. Causes: Drab Dishes and Tasteless Takeout. Why not spice it up? So was born ‘Traveling Tuesdays’. Each week a different country. We’ll go from France, to Thailand, to Russia and back without ever leaving the kitchen. All we need is a recipe, music, creativity – and of course- a high speed internet connection. Each week we escape. The cabinets become store fronts peddling exotic herbs and garnishes. The counter tops become fruit stands. Everything comes alive. The smell of curry, red wine and lentils transform an ordinary kitchenette into something magical.

However, let us point out that we aren't professional chefs. We can't flambe, only one of us owns an apron, and each time we cook there's a significant chance of a kitchen fire. We must also reiterate that wine, beer, and spirits are integral parts of each week's travels. After all, we wouldn't want to compromise the authenticity of each country. Australia needs Shiraz, Japan needs Saki, and Russia needs Vodka. Creativity needs a catalyst. Let our catalyst be the earthy undertones of a nice Chilean Carmenere.

Grab your passport. Maybe pack an extra pair of utensils? (Don’t worry, there isn’t TSA where we’re going). Kick start the imagination. As we travel to over 200 countries trying different cuisine and sampling the local fare – all from our own kitchen. This is “Traveling Tuesdays” written by the Culinary Conquistadors.