Portugese Aletejana: A Bold Dish of Pork & Clams

As melodious food pairing names go, "pork and clams" just doesn't have the same ring as, say, "champagne and caviar," "wine and cheese," or even "peanut butter and jelly." But don't be put off.  The poetry on the plate that results when these two ingredients come together in one dish more than makes up for its slightly clunky name.

The Lighter Side of Křenovou Pěnou (Horseradish Cream), an UnRecipe Recipe

In Prague last year, my husband (Poppa Trix) and I became addicted to a relatively simple dish: Prague ham with horseradish cream. This has proven to be a bit of a problem for two reasons: 1. Until recently, we despaired of finding a fair approximation for Prague ham in these parts, and 2. What with the cream cheese and whipped heavy cream, that horseradish cream is seriously fattening. Not that I usually obsess about that sort of thing, but ... I can't stop eating the stuff. Completely powerless.

Chard and Pecan Stuffed Pork Roast with a Boozy Tart Cherry Sauce for FrenchFridays with Dorie

I have one word to describe this week's French Fridays with Dorie dish, a chard-stuffed pork roast: bland. No, wait, I have another: boring. Hang on, here are some more: a waste of perfectly good ingredients that would have been much more interesting used in another way.

But what do I really think?

Chicken & Pork Posole with Avocado, Radish, Cilantro & Lime for the International Incident Mexican Breakfast Party

Welcome to this month's  International Incident Party, hosted as ever by our plucky foundress, Penny aka Jeroxie.  Having recently posted machacado con huevos, or Mexican dried beef with egg, I felt a bit silly when I found out that the August theme is Mexican breakfast!  If only I had remembered, I would have saved that post, as that dish is one of my new favorite things. But no matter: That's why they call these things challenges, after all.

From Philly Hoagies to Baltimore Crabs: Two New Twists on Classic Local Cuisine, a Guest Post Exchange with Emily Malloy

Please welcome the always awesome and frequently hilarious (only when she intends to be, I assure you!) Emily of Cleanliness is Next to Godliness. We've worked up a fun little guest post exchange highlighting the iconic dishes of one another's cities, as you'll see below. She's come up with a very cool twist on a Baltimore classic, while I've deconstructed a Philly hoagie and turned it into something completely different. Hint: My dish is on the right above, and if you want to learn more, you'll have to go check out my guest post on her blog. And now, without further ado, heeere's Emily!

Hello all! My name is Emily of Cleanliness is Next to Godliness and it's an absolute pleasure to be with you today! When Madame Trix and I were brainstorming our guest post exchange, we thought it would be a ton of fun to tackle each other's local cuisine. Trix hailing from Baltimore and yours truly from Philadelphia, this made for a fun task! Such. Fun. I am so glad that we were able to do this. However, being the foodies that we are, we each consequently did the local dishes with a twist! Because we're twisty people!*

Thanks again to Trix for this fun experience!!

*Please take note that I did not say twisted people. There is a big difference. :o)

Spicy Tequila and Peach Habanero Chutney Ribs for an Inspired-By French Fridays with Dorie

Today's French Fridays with Dorie recipe was supposed to be a jam and cola spareribs dish, but ... well, you know me, right? While I am sure that Dorie's glaze is fine, it sounded a bit too sweet for my taste. I love the spices she used - Chinese 5 spice and ginger - but the jam and cola combo sounded, if I am being honest - cloying. When there's a sweet component to my food, I need it to be balanced with something sour or spicy.

Enter these tequila ribs, which actually started with a jar of peach habenero chutney. The label claimed it was spicy, but I have learned to grow suspicious of such claims. I bought it anyway, hoping to be proven wrong, and I was - this stuff was gooey fire all the way, and I loved it.

Eating Prague, Part 1: Traditional Czech Cuisine (and the Cookbook Giveaway Winner!)

Hanging out in a tower in the Old City Hall in Prague's Old Town Square ... and thinking about all the good food down there. The smells of smoky cooked pork were actually wafting up from below. For real.

While Prague is undoubtedly a top tier sightseeing, cultural, and historical destination for many travelers,  it is not generally mentioned along with the other great culinary meccas of Europe. I think that's a shame. Many people assume that traditional Czech cuisine is an unvarying parade of hearty and heavy variations on the same theme of big piles of meat.  But the traditional Czech cuisine I had in Prague was anything but monotonous, as its unfounded reputation would seem to imply.  Is the food hearty? Sure. Meaty? Often! Heavy? Sometimes. But unvarying or boring? Not at all, as you'll see here. (Of course, Poppa and I didn't only eat traditional Czech food. We had some very surprising meals, as you'll see in future posts.)