You don't have to step a foot in another country to become fluent.
Because the only way to truly understand a culture is to eat their food and drink their wine, and you can do that right from your very own kitchen.
My husband and I were inspired to create a place on the web for great adventurers at heart to indulge in their far-flung fantasies of exotic corners of the world, but who are limited in time, funds or both.
American life is one rushed appointment after another, with an hour of traffic in between. And glimpses of spice markets in an old copy of National Geographic or a collage of Parisian cafes on Instagram pull at your heartstrings, making you wistful for passport and a backpack.
We believe Wanderspice is your temporary cure until life makes a way for you abroad.
As you shop for ingredients and prepare them in your kitchen and cook with your loved ones and serve them a richly historic and authentically prepared meal, you connect them to people and places despite time and distance.
There's a Argentinian abuela who wants you to dance the tango like this.
And there's an Okinawan Shinto priest who wants to whisper a Kami blessing in your ear and hand you a steeping hot bowl of miso to warm your soul.
And there's an Italian man who wants you to let your hair loose, slather on fire red lipstick and devour this bowl of Pici with such passion that rosemary-tinged tomato sauce drips from your chin.
The passion of culture simmers in the food. Taking a bite is rejuvenating.
Because food is an experience, not grub to be shoveled out of a slow cooker.
Sure, time is pressing and not every night can be a five-course excursion around the globe. But another meal pulled out of frozen Ziplock bag deadens the soul a little at a time.
Affordability is not the issue here, either. Don't let anyone tell you, you can't have an extraordinary life, world experiences or escape a rut because Buffet isn't your last name.
And nothing can make you feel worthy and worth it than an exotic meal, resplendent with spices, accompanied by decadent wine (under $7 a bottle, you bet).
After all you're an adult – your food should have more than one texture.
Inviting the world into your kitchen requires just four simple ingredients – you, your curiosity, what's already in your fridge and the time it takes for you to daydream about your favorite destination.
We've chosen authentic recipes and created fresh, new originals that honor the flavor profiles and cooking techniques of their home regions, all with an easy-to-make approach.
Our intention is to give you the confidence to indulge in your food fantasies, with understandable recipes, and clear-cut instructions that only a chef can give. (That would be Eddie. You can read more about us here.)
And we’ll also approach our explorations by delving into one region at a time. This gives us the opportunity to deeply research spices and herbs, common and popular dishes, the history of ingredients and their very best use.
We turn to the best chefs of each region to absorb their knowledge as we test the recipes in our kitchen. And we also look to the people of a place for not only their best methods of cooking but how their food and their lifestyle influences the best parts of their culture.
We take all those details and present to you not only the best recipes we can possibly develop, but the best advice on how to incorporate positive lifestyle changes, whether it be regional spices that improve your health or new habits that help you connect more deeply to the people and things you really love.
All this is topped off by fun inspirations with décor and style tips inspired by some of the most breathtaking places in the world.
The planet is overflowing with a flavor kaleidoscope and you get to taste each shimmering facet.
Eddie and I often joke about the first people to have ever tasted an avocado, or chew on a cinnamon stick or popped a lycee by surprise. Just imagine their stunned reaction at the oddity they’d uncovered and rushing to a friend with the proverbial “you gotta try this!”
While even the most unusual ingredients are not as unusual as they used to be, every herb, spice, fruit and vegetable can mixed, melded, blended and infused in more combos than the world has color.
And each one of these concoctions is a virtual passport stamp. Ready?
Because you are not meant to eat processed food out of a laboratory. You were born to luxuriate over steaming bowl of Bouillabaisse or to rejoice in the tangy heat of a Mole Poblano.
You are meant for Wanderspice.
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Hey, a quick note for parents:
You don't have the whole world in our hands, but your kids think they do.
Don't tell them any different.
It wasn't until I became a mother that I truly understood human nature. Through my babies, I saw what we are all meant to be – unquenchably curious, explorative and creative.
That is our basic human nature and somewhere, somehow, our vision narrows to a tunnel, the kaleidoscope of creativity dims to darkened shades and tones of whatever path we've chosen and our exploration is hindered by our own withering imagination.
To us, Wanderspice is more than just a blog about food or different cultures. Each time we are either researching, testing recipes, cooking, taking photos and of course, eating, our kids are with us asking a million questions. Questions they may not have asked had we not given them a spoonful of the new, the unusual and the curious.
We do this for them so that their minds remain joyfully receptive and inquisitive.
As this blog evolves, we'll develop content for you to use in your own homes, to expand the borders of your kitchen table and start your kids on the adventure of their lives.
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[button type="default" color="#4c3f54" target="" link=""]Around the World in 10[/button]
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[button type="default" color="#4c3f54" target="" link=""]Coming Soon[/button]
Lifestyle Advice:
Culturally Curious People are Healthier, Happier and Brave
Five Essential Ingredients to Get at Any International Food Market
Super Easy Ways to Cook with Spices
10 Essential Oil Blends that Transport You to Exotic Places
How to Throw Dreamy Dinner Parties:
From Tuscany
From the Thai Islands
Photo credit: gwilmore via VisualHunt.com / CC BY-NC-SA