General | hungry sofia

Oct 25

Back InStyle

While I love having my own site, it makes for a quiet office Christmas party. That’s only one of the reasons I was so excited to be included in InStyle’s list 223 Sites You’ll Love in their current November issue. It was so thrilling to find myself in the company of blogs I follow like Cannelle et Vanille while discovering new ones like Sprouted Kitchen. The list also highlights great resources like ChefShop, The Party Dress, MeriMeri, and ReForm School Rules (the name alone warrants a visit). With so many good shopping and entertaining options it may be my best virtual holiday yet. Read more

Oct 22

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Fairy Tale Soup

It was supposed to be a fairy tale. I found a recipe for pumpkin and crab soup that I couldn’t wait to try, a Cinderella pumpkin I couldn’t wait to photograph, and pound of fresh lump crab meat I couldn’t help but splurge on. Using a recipe that seemed pretty straight forward if a little vague, I roasted the pumpkin and scooped out a few cups – careful to leave the shell in tact so it could it be used as a tureen – then pureed it with scallions and coriander. Combining the puree with broth, I added way too much curry (the wooden spoon I used still looks gold plated). I made some adjustments but it only got the soup madder. I was moments away from throwing good crab meat into bad recipe when I decided to give up on it altogether. Read more

Oct 1

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Changua

I’ve written a lot about comfort food this past summer. It must be natural when so many things I make are from my childhood and it is a childish season after all. This week I got a take on comfort food I hadn’t considered before. I was talking to one of my oldest friends who’s going through a difficult time. Wanting to make some small gesture of support, I offered to make her something, anything. If she could think of a great dish she had growing up, I’d work out the ingredients and write it up for her. She suggested changua, a milk-onion-egg soup from the central Andes of Colombia. Loved the name, but it didn’t sound very appetizing, especially for breakfast when it’s typically served in Bogotá with a piece of calado or almojábana bread to soak it up. I had images of cracking open coconuts and frying fish but she wanted changua. Milk soup, really? Read more

Sep 30

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Catching Up In September

I considered skipping this month’s September catch-up but didn’t let it go by without letting everyone know what’s been going on. My pan de medianoche was chosen by three guys from Miami as their food photo of the month which is great since they were nice enough to let me use their recipe in the first place. Hungry Sofia was also featured on the Food Network‘s Food2 site with more to come and received a great write-up in Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs’ Food52. Of course, when anything good happens on my site, Steven Shaw, eGullet founder and Director of New Media Studies at The International Culinary Center, is the first person I let know. Read more

Sep 13

Fall Break

It’s been an incredible summer. An incredibly hot summer, but fun and busy nonetheless. I’ll be on a short break until next week and feel a little apprehensive at the the thought of going away. I’m happy to disconnect for a few days but anxious about doing it in a city where food inspiration is on every corner. Here’s how I plan on going about it – strictly tourist.

Sep 6

Happy Labor Day

To celebrate the official end of summer, here’s a recipe for a Technicolor Labor Day: combine a pink dress, light clapping down a short flight of steps, William Holden, and lots of moonglow. Stir until smooth and easy. Serve.

Sep 2

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Gnocchi di Susine

My monthly ñoquis del 29 post is either very late or extremely early. Meant to bring luck when eaten at the end of the month, I was unlucky the first time I tried to make these gnocchi di susine or plum gnocchis. A Triestian recipe similar to pierogis, they reflect the region’s blend of Mediterranean, Austrian, Hungarian, and Slavic cuisine. I thought it would be a great way to use the late summer plums that are filling the markets and fulfill my August gnocchi post – two birds, lots of stone fruit. Read more

Aug 31

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Catching Up in August

August seemed to come out of nowhere then in a flash it was gone, taking summer with it. You’d think I would have learned last year. Still, there’s plenty of great things to read, try, and eat over the long weekend. The Miami Herald did a great story about Jorge Bravo’s Hispanic Kitchen, a site I’ve enjoyed being a part of that’s definitely worth checking out. Venezuelan chef Terry Hope Romero talks to the Daily News about making Latin American food animal and dairy free in Viva Vegan! A book I’ll have to buy just find out how she managed the tres leches cake. The heat may be giving way to fall but there’s still time for late summer gazpacho, chicken marinated in mojo, and smoked chocolate and tequila ice cream. Read more

Aug 23

The Hook

It’s hard to know what to get someone for their wedding, so I was thrilled when my friend Achy invited me to guest blog on her site, CityLife: Adventures, Large and Small, In Urban Living, while she enjoyed her honeymoon offline. A journalist and writer based in Chicago, I took advantage of the city crawler theme to finally visit Red Hook’s Mercado. Click here for the complete post. Read more

Aug 13

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Summer Streets Break

I realized today that it was August, not that it was much of a secret. I had a hint of it last week when I went to the farmer’s market to stock up on fruit and there were no peaches anywhere. I’m sure there will be plenty in the weeks to come, but it was the first sign that end of summer was in sight. Summer Streets, the three days in August where the city closes Park Avenue to cars and opens it to just about everything else has become my end of summer consolation. Read more