There are many pedestrian streets in Athens lined with travernas selling grilled meats and souvlaki. If you venture off the beaten path you’ll find quieter places where the pace is much slower, and the food is prepared with a bit more care. At one such place, I had the most delicious mint sauce, made in a mortar and pestle at the table.

If there is just one dish I can make with my eyes closed it’s bolognese. I first made it with Francesca Tori in Bologna, Italy. She explained that it is best served with tagliatelle pasta, and never spaghetti. “Americans invented spaghetti and meat sauce. We would never put spaghetti with meat sauce”, she told me.

In parts of southern Italy pine nuts and oranges grow in abundance, and are used in many different dishes, both sweet and savory. I happen to love the combination of chocolate and oranges, so this is one my favorite desserts. It uses no flour, so it’s perfect for those who are gluten-free. The eggs cause the cake to be light and airy with a fudgy texture that is impossible to resist, especially covered in whipped cream!

Bolognese is traditionally made with slow simmered beef and rich tomato sauce, but I’ve broken that tradition with this version that isn’t often found in Italy. Every ingredient in this sauce brings a unique element of flavor that blends perfectly, and is particularly perfect on a chilly day.

When I was in Cusco, Peru I had the opportunity to participate in a “pisco tasting” of thirteen different piscos. Pisco is a clear or light colored brandy made from Peruvian grapes, and depending on the way it’s made, the flavor differs just like other fine brandies. Perhaps the most famous cocktail in Peru is the pisco sour.

Marcello took me to the city of Parma in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. It was only an hour from his home in Bologna, and he surprised me with a private tour in a salumificio (prosciutto factory). Prosciutto de Parma can only be made in the province of Parma, and the pigs eat on grains and the whey from Parmesan cheese, also made in Parma.

The Gimlet cocktail was reputedly first created in Great Britain on a ship for sailors to get their daily source of citrus to prevent scurvy. I’ve added some simple syrup and club soda to make a more festive version for the holidays. You could even add a splash of cranberry juice to give it a hint of pink. Cheers!

Peloponnese is a region of Greece about an hour’s drive from Athens. There are coastal villages and rustic villas on cliffs overlooking the Aegean Sea. The cuisine is simple and fresh, with lots of fresh fruits, nuts, and some of the best wine and olive oil in Greece. While visiting the area, I had my share of baklava in various cafes and restaurants, and was eager to try something new for a sweet snack.

Potato soup is one of the easiest soups to make, and I because I love a loaded baked potato, I make my soup with all the toppings I would use on a loaded baked potato, including cheese, bacon, and chives. If that isn’t enough, I add chopped tomatoes and a dollop of sour cream.

It’s rare that I post a recipe where most of the ingredients are not home-made, but sometimes it’s just not necessary to go to the trouble. My favorite gingerbread mix is from Williams Sonoma, but I’m sure there are other great boxed mixes.

Many cultures have some version of rice pudding, but this one from Indonesia has become one of my favorites. It is typically served at breakfast, but it's also a nice dessert treat. It's made from glutinous black rice, a common ingredient in Indonesia that can be found in most Asian grocery stores. I first had this dish in Bali at the home of Nina, a beautiful woman who cooks all day for her entire extended family.

I’ll never forget the narrow alleyways of Lyon, France where small restaurants called bouchons were crowded with small tables and chairs teetering on the cobblestone street. People were eating sandwiches, soups, and the frisée salad that was named after the city.

It was a rainy day in Paris, and I decided to dry off by tucking into a little bistro in the St. Germaine neighborhood where I was staying. Inside, there was one vacant table waiting just for me. Everyone was happily drinking wine and snacking, while laughing in spite of the rain. I asked the maître d’ what he thought I should order. “The steak tartare, madame, without question.”

I never got the recipe for my mother’s pot roast, and I’m not even sure she followed a recipe. My fondest memory was the pan in which it was cooked. It was bright yellow, and nearly too heavy for me to carry when I was a young girl. I only recall having roast on Sundays when she cooked it all morning while we were at church.

My maternal grandmother, who we affectionately called “Nina”, was an incredible artist. Her passion was painting canvases with brightly colored flowers. She could also throw fabulous dinner parties for her friends, where she served food on hand painted tablecloths with place cards sketched with each guest’s name. When I asked my family what Nina’s specialty was in the kitchen, everyone mentioned her chicken and homemade noodles.

Causas are a unique layered potato dish that is served chilled as an appetizer or light meal. I first had them in Lima, Peru and I loved the artistic presentation and slightly spicy flavor in the different layers.

The Italians made lasagna famous with their hearty dish layered with rich ragu and sheets of pasta. But the Greeks’ ziti and spicy meat sauce tastes equally outrageous. It is a savory pie wrapped in pastry that originated in Italy but was adopted by the Greeks in the 1800’s by a chef who created his own version using cinnamon and cloves in the meaty layers.

While I was in Bali I spent a day cooking with a woman named Nina. Her kitchen was outside, covered with a tin roof and surrounded by coconut trees. Next to the house was a huge pile of dried coconut shells the family used to burn for fuel to heat the house. One of the dishes we made was grilled shrimp satay, which is marinated shrimp on a skewer grilled over fire.

It had been raining all day in Barcelona, and it finally let up at nightfall. The streets were filled with people strolling and enjoying the evening after a late-night dinner when I spotted a line of people standing in front of a small stall where a woman was filling paper cones with hot fried churros. As she handed out the bundles of fried dough her daughter poured hot chocolate sauce into small cups for dipping the churros. I learned that churros and chocolate are not only a treat for ending the day, but they’re often enjoyed for breakfast.