Discovering the greenery in Belgrade

Belgrade reminds me of Bratislava, in that it’s an interesting, often very pretty capital city, overshadowed by its more famous neighbors. And I was especially taken by its greenery, and the lovely riverside. I will admit, when I passed over the Hungarian border, and out of the European Union, I realized I felt a little...

Yes, Virginia, I do have issues with wheat

Making fun of gluten-free food is just about as trendy as eating it. And honestly, I’m really dang tired of random acquaintances, family, co-workers, exes and people in my Facebook feed suddenly becoming nutritional experts and lecturing me about what I should and shouldn’t eat. (A word: most of my friends and close family have...

Savoring the spice, nightlife and vegetarian food in Budapest

Don’t let it’s location in the heart of bread and meat country fool you— Hungary may be the land of goulash, but at its heart, goulash is a mixture— and so is the food in Budapest. With a handful of great vegan (and one gluten-free) restaurants, not to mention plenty of takeout Thai, Vietnamese and...

Final morning in Hradec Králové

I'm typing this right before I get on a train to leave Hradec Králové— my home in the Czech Republic since February— and I'm sending myself off with a gluten-free cream puff from Bazalka. Very short post— and it's almost impossible to capture that transitional moment of leaving anyhow. So, it's off to the next adventure...

Bubble and squeak (vegetarian and wheat-free)

I first had bubble and squeak in a restaurant in the Heathrow airport, and was totally charmed by it’s simplicity and heartiness. Also, the name. Ever since I had read Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett, I had been curious about bubble and squeak. How had a food earned such an odd moniker? What’s great about...

Bike trip to a castle

  Lovely day for a bike ride— warm, sunny, but not too hot— through woodsy paths and little winding roads in the Czech Republic. Our destination: the castle Kunětická horawhich was near-ish to Hradec Králové. We did make a pitstop at the recently opened lookout tower Rozhledna Milíř, which had a great view of the...

Let’s do lunch: Hradec Králové

From the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: "The History of every major Galactic Civilization tends to pass through three distinct and recognizable phases, those of Survival, Inquiry and Sophistication, otherwise known as the How, Why and Where phases."For instance, the first phase is characterized by the question “How can we eat?” the second by the...

Camping, and thoughts on cultural similarities

After feeling like an alien last week, I discovered one thing that Americans and Europeans have in common: when confronted with vegetarians, their reaction is OMG QUICK GET THEM HEALTHY THINGS. I’ve sat through piles of steamed zucchini at weddings, iceberg lettuce salads at work functions and well-intentioned but slightly bland lentil concoctions. Let me...

Best day ever: gluten-free gingerbread!

When you’re gluten-free, finding a new wheatless product can make your day. Which is how it was with these cookies: I had been told that the area of the Czech Republic I’m in, near Hradec Králové, is known for their gingerbread. Of course, I figured I couldn’t eat any. Til I wandered into my favorite shop,...

Goulash: vegan, gluten-free, and possibly Polish

Seeing signs for “authentic Czech goulash” all over Prague brought back memories of my grandmother’s goulash, which I’d always assumed was a Polish dish. What “goulash” means is a bit vague— and as my research and conversations with other relatives points to, that goulash is less about a specific recipe and more about what’s in...