France - Dessert - Chocolate Macarons

Macarons are my obsession. My friends constantly send me pictures if they ever see something macaron related in a store (and tease me about my emphasizing the difference between macarons and macaroons, which are a completely different, traditional Jewish pastry). My family has caught onto it too and since then I have received macaron pajamas, macaron baking kits, macaron phone cases and pretty much anything else you can think of. I don't know where this obsession came from. I can't even remember the first time I had a macaron. When I went to Paris, I had only a couple minutes on the Champs-Elysées to shop, so I dragged my friend to Ladurée. Unfortunately, we couldn't get in in time and we had to turn around. I was morbidly upset, but luckily got to spend the rest of my euros at the Ladurée in the Paris airport. I bought a box of 16, and it was the best decision ever. They were gone in a couple days. I was in heaven. I have tried making macarons before sophomore year, but they didn't turn out all too well. Here is my attempt to make them again, of course chocolate using this recipe. Enjoy!

India - Dinner - Chicken Tikka Masala

A few days ago, my friends and I went to this amazing Indian café in Wellesley. We got the lunch buffet and the dish that I enjoyed most was the chicken tikka masala. I had never had it before, and was already planning to make it for my senior project. I loved it so much, especially when I dipped their naan in the sauce. I had it over white rice and was full for the rest of the day. Here is a healthier version of chicken tikka masala that I found. The recipe includes veggies, and I incorporated whole wheat rice (even though I like white better oops).

Japan - Dessert - Green Tea Crêpe Cake

In all honesty, I've never really liked green tea at all. I tried my friend's green tea latté once and fought the desire to spit it out. For me, the green tea flavor was way too strong and having it iced made it even worse. That's why I was so hesitant to try out this green tea crêpe cake. Matcha powder (which is flipping expensive from Whole Foods) is present in both the pastry creme filling and the actual crêpe, so I was scared to have that overwhelming green tea flavor. Boy was I wrong. I found myself slabbing the pastry creme onto the flopped crêpes and having them as a mini dessert. The texture is so light and airy, as is the green tea flavor, so you get the essence and not a punch of matcha powder to the face. This recipe made the process super easy, and I've adapted it below to how I worked it out.

Greece - Lunch - Pita Bread

My favorite kind of food that isn't dessert is anything with carbs, especially bread. I love bread. A lot. There are so many different kinds and can be used in so many different ways. Nothing is better than bread to soak up the juices from meat at Christmas or Easter, or just warmed up and eaten straight. Unfortunately, bread isn't the healthiest option ever and there are many fad diets that discourage you from eating bread at all. A great, healthy solution to this is using whole wheat flour in place of bleached, white flour. Whole grain flour is full of nutrients and fiber, and it still retains that bready goodness that we all love. In Greece, Pita bread is traditional and used in lots of meals. I found this lovely recipe that makes the whole bread making process super simple! Use this as a base for pizza, sandwiches and as a dip into hummus or even salsa.

Greece - Breakfast - Greek Easter Bread

Another recipe that I discovered from my resident Greek friend is Greek Easter bread! This may be traditional for Easter, but I'm having no problem eating it right now at midnight as I'm writing up this post with a little bit of honey drizzle. My brother just came in and tore off a giant chunk for himself, and I got the nod of approval. I can't wait to eat it for breakfast tomorrow morning and share it with all my friends. Here is the recipe I followed, so you can share it with your loved ones! I'm going to grab some more...

Japan - Dessert - Japanese Cheesecake

I have a lot of friends and family who are gluten free, whether by necessity or by choice, and I always make sure to find gluten free recipes that are also delicious. Gluten free creations are often seen as flat, tough and sometimes inedible. In my experience, if you do a little research and buy the right ingredients, gluten free can be just as good or even better as recipes that use gluten products. This gluten free recipe that I followed is for Japanese cheesecake. Japanese cheesecake is a combination of the classic New York style cheesecake and sponge cake, using a meringue base to create a fluffy yet creamy cake. I hope this satisfies your tastebuds, whether you're gluten free or not!

Greece - Dinner - Pastitsio

Before this senior project, I didn't really know that much about Greek culture except what I watched in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Mamma Mia, 300, Clash of the Titans, Troy and Disney's Hercules. I went to my resident Greek friend and asked what I should make for dinner. She immediately said pastitsio, which I discovered is essentially Greece's lasagna. There are many different versions of pastitsio depending on which Mediterranean culture you're cooking for (Italy, Greece, Malta, Cyprus and Egypt all have their own versions). We're going to stick with Greece for this project, but feel free to research and explore different recipes! I used this one, which I adapted below.

France - Dessert - Gâteau Chocolat

When I was in Paris, I had the most amazing chocolate cake for dessert. Since then, I have been searching for recipes to try and recreate it. This recipe is one of my attempts, taken from a cooking blog of a French mother and cook. Classic chocolate cake is my go to birthday cake or pick me up food. It's amazing just by itself, or topped with whipped cream and fruit or powdered sugar. As you can tell, most of my dessert recipes are chocolate. I was born loving chocolate, and I don't see myself changing anytime soon. There's more to come, but for now try this one!

India - Lunch - Garlic Naan

I always knew that I wanted to try and make naan one day, but I never knew it would be this easy! Naan can be made in a variety of ways, but the recipe that I followed gave it a garlic, whole wheat twist. I was so happy with how it turned out. It was the perfect dinner side bread, and I know that it will be a nice breakfast, lunch or afternoon snack. Naan is very versatile. I know that I can eat the leftovers with hummus, cooked veggies, and cheese. In the future, naan would make an amazing pizza crust or sandwich bread (just open up the top and stuff it!). Click "Read More" to follow the steps to make your own naan.

France - Dinner - Coq au Vin

I chose to do two dinner recipes for France because in France it is traditional to serve a three course meal consisting of an entrée, main course and a dessert. French onion soup was my entrée, so coq au vin is my main course. Coq au vin is a dish of chicken braised with red wine, lardons and mushrooms. When searching for recipes, in my mom's extensive cookbook collection, I came across a vintage copy of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which was given to my mom after it's owner, my grandmother's cousin Ellen, passed away from cancer. The book was found in her house, and it was stuffed with little mementoes from the time period, including a Time Magazine cover with Julia Child on it and a handwritten family recipe for French croissants. It was so lovely to enjoy this meal and toast her with my family, and I hope you can give it a try!

Spain - Dinner - Vegan Paella

My family never really got into Spanish food (we basically have Italian food every night), so I relied on my friends' recommendations when asking what I should make for my senior project. Paella was one of the first dishes that came up, and I butchered the pronunciation at first but figured it out eventually (who knew two L's make a Y sound? I guess I knew because of the word tortilla...). This dish I created following this recipe is so healthy and delicious, using vegetable stock and all kinds of good fruits and vegetables. It was fun and easy to make and made the whole house smell good. Enjoy!

India - Dessert - Strawberry Kulfi with Chocolate Shell

Before researching for this senior project, I didn't even know what kulfi was. Honestly, I had never really had much Indian food at all, but anything with the word ice cream in it sounded good to me. I wasn't sure how this recipe would turn out, but I'm so happy with it. Traditional kulfi calls for cardamom pods and pistachio, but because my dad is allergic to nuts and I couldn't find any cardamom pods and don't have a mortar and pestle to crush them, I omitted them from the recipe I followed. I chose a strawberry recipe because my favorite flavor, chocolate, goes perfectly with it. I made this healthier, self hardening chocolate shell I've made countless times before to harden on top of the kulfi, and it worked perfectly and tasted delicious. Here is my recipe!

Japan - Dinner - Sushi

When I was in third grade in Connecticut, we did a project on Japan, and my mom came in and made sushi for our whole class. I don't think I had any then because I immediately wrote off sushi as disgusting since it was made out of seaweed, but I really should have had it. I had sushi for the first time in the fall, and I fell in love and now crave it weekly. Homemade sushi, I think, can be so much better than restaurant made, and it's a lot cheaper. We made about eight rolls with all our ingredients, which added up to maybe $40. At a restaurant like Takara, eight rolls could cost you $80! Here is how I made my sushi. I didn't follow a recipe, so I will try and explain how to make it the best that I can!

India - Breakfast - Mango Lassi

When I was brainstorming recipes with my friends, I was told I have to make mango lassi for breakfast and that it would completely change my life. I was not lied to. Making this smoothie like yogurt and fruit concoction was so easy and the end result is so delicious and healthy! It's perfect for a hot spring or summer day as a breakfast or afternoon snack. I had mine lying in the sun on my back porch. Even though they are widely available here in the US, making it yourself allows you to know exactly what's in it and what you're putting in your body. Here's how you can make yours (I adapted from this recipe).