Like a local the Food issue
travel in the kitchen like a local mag’s first mini issue is dedicated to fueling our post-new year adventures through food.
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The start of the new year can be a tough time for travel. If you’re like us, after all the holidays and gift-giving your budget has been busted and you can’t afford to spend much on a plane ticket or week-long getaway. But don’t worry: Like a Local Mag is ready to help readers like you travel the world without leaving your own kitchen. Like a Local Mag is proud to release its first mini-edition: the Food Issue. We’ve two recipes from Russia (Autumn 2014), Armenia (Winter 2014), and location #3 (Spring 2015). Each city is represented by one authentic dish and a symbolic cocktail recipe. From a cocktail warm enough for the coldest Moscow nights to a sweet pie with a mysterious history, we’ve been tearing up our own kitch at Like a Local Mag HQ and are ready to present you with our findings. In this issue we’re also happy to introduce the magazine’s third location: Richmond, Virginia. Yes, Like a Local Mag is coming to the United States for the first time and we can’t wait to get started. Issue #3 will be out in mid-March, full of things you never even knew you wanted to explore in Virginia’s capital. Until then, though, you’ll just have to wait.
Polly Barks Editor-in-Chief
the food issue
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Bon appetit!
The food issue LIKE A LOCAL
Blini Blini
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LIKE A LOCAL The food issue
Symbolically considered a symbol as the sun to the early Slavs, blini are traditionally served at the end of the winter celebration called Maslenitsa. Don’t worry if the first few are a mess; as the Russians say, pervy blin vsegda komom – the first pancake is always lumpy.
2 eggs 2 cups kefir 2 tablespoons spoon ½ teaspoon salt 1 ½ cups flour
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl until it’s smooth. Spoon about ¼ cup of batter per blini onto a non-stick skillet. Cook until brown (about 2 minutes), then flip. Add a pat of butter after removing from heat. Serve warm with sour cream, jam, caviar, etc. 3 Blini The food issue LIKE A LOCAL
2 cups water 1/4 cup honey Zest of 1 lemon 5 cloves 2 shots of vodka Lemon slices (to taste) Russian cure-all
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Pour water, honey, zest, and cloves into a small saucepan. Heat until boiling and then simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool for about 5 minutes then strain the concoction. Put one shot of vodka into each mug and distribute the honey mixture evenly. Add 2-3 lemon slices, stir, and enjoy.
LIKE A LOCAL The food issue
Russian cure-all Feeling a little off with the onset of cold weather? Nothing this potent mix of honey, lemon, and vodka can’t fix!
Cognac Noted as one of the primary tipples of WWII-era leaders (Churchill himself estimated he had drunk enough Armenian brandy to fill three railway carriages), brandy is one of Armenia’s most important exports. Armenia’s finest liquor only gets better with age and really ought never to be mixed into a cocktail; instead, try it with a few slices of dark chocolate to truly bring out the flavor.
5 Cognac The food issue LIKE A LOCAL
Eggplant Dolma Eggplant dolma
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LIKE A LOCAL The food issue
While grape leaf dolma are the most popular of this stuffed vegetable dish in armenia, we’ve chosen a simpler but equally delicious alternative: eggplant dolma. Don’t forget to source as many fresh herbs as you can before you start: armenians love tossing any and all herbs into their dishes is a great practice to take up. (NB: For the more carnivorous readers, the rice in this recipe can be replaced with ground lamb.) 7 Eggplant dolma
3 large eggplants 2 tablespoons oil ½ cup cooked rice 1 small can crushed tomatoes ¼ cup chopped green pepper 2 cloves garlic, diced 1 small onion, chopped ¼ cup fresh chopped greens (parsley, mint, basil, dill, etc) Salt and pepper to taste Cut the eggplant in half, scoop out the insides, and fry the shells in 1 tablespoon of oil until browned on all sides. Fry eggplant innards, green pepper, garlic, onion in the rest of the olive oil until tender. Mix in the rest of the ingredients, leaving aside a small amount of tomato. Fill the eggplants with the mix, topping them with the rest of the crushed tomatoes. Bake the eggplants for about 45 minutes at 350F (175 C). With 10 minutes left, top the eggplant with feta cheese.
The food issue LIKE A LOCAL
Chess Pie
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Chess Pie
A true southern farmstead delight, Chess Pie is one of those recipes that you can make from what’s readily available even in an understocked kitchen. Where the name comes is a bit of a mystery: some hypothesize that it’s a mutation of a deep southern drawl proclaiming it ‘Jes’ pie’. Chess pie is also wonderful as an extremely versatile pie – add coconut, lemon, or chocolate to really ramp up the flavor.
LIKE A LOCAL The food issue
9 Chess Pie
Pre-prepared pie crust 2 tablespoon cornmeal (or other coarse flour) 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 ¾ cup sugar Pinch of salt 1/3 cup butter, melted ¼ cup milk ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon white vinegar 4 large eggs
To make things easier simply place a store-bought pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish and bake according to instructions. Most need about 4-5 minutes at 425F (215C). After you remove the crust, reset the oven to 350F (175C). As the crust cools, mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and stir well. Pour the runny mixture into the pie crust and bake for 45-50 minutes until the top is golden brown. The food issue LIKE A LOCAL
Bloody Mary
Bloody Mary
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LIKE A LOCAL The food issue
Here’s your random fact of the day: tomatoes are one of the most profitable crops for Virginia farmers. You’re welcome. To honor our third issue’s farming achievements and reintroduce ourselves to a much-loved American concoction, we’re bring you the classic Bloody Mary. We’re cocktail purists so enjoy our classic with a little twist.
Juice of 2 limes Juice of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons horseradish (fresh or paste) 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce (to taste) 3 cups tomato juice Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Vodka Celery sticks
9 Bloody Mary
Mix all the ingredients (minus vodka) together. Prepare immediately or – better yet – let chill for about an hour to make sure the tastes are mixed well. In a tall glass, add one shot of vodka and approximately 1/3 of the tomato mix. Garnish with a celery stick, top with some freshly ground black pepper, and enjoy.
The food issue LIKE A LOCAL