My knowledge of the Eastern Orthodox church is limited, aside from their fantastic food festivals and some basic history about their split with Catholicism in 1054. Given their continued practice of strict fasts throughout the year, countries with ties to this church have developed some delicious (and even indulgent) vegan-friendly dishes. I happily produced a delicious Georgian recipe in my own kitchen.
Coming into 2026 I wanted to make a concerted effort to eat less dairy. Coming into Lent, I was curious to learn more about how religion has influenced one of my favorite vegan-friendly cuisines: Italian. Not all heavily Catholic countries lend themselves to plant-based diets, so I’m kicking off a Lenten exploration of culinary adaptations to religious limitations (and religious adaptations to culinary limitations).
Love it or hate it, McDonald’s is a global powerhouse in the food industry, and from a business standpoint, it does an amazing job of balancing menu consistency with cultural relevance across its 119 host countries. I have visited locations in at least 16 of them and make a point of checking out the locally inspired menu items whenever I’m abroad.
“Good vs. evil” stories may be fun and comforting to watch, but they aren’t representative of reality and therefore don’t prepare us to navigate reality effectively. Historical fiction, especially, is full of embellishments and details that have been changed for a reason. That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy art, but it does mean we should consume it with our brains turned on.
I was thrilled to discover that a friend in Germany baked the same Christmas cookies my family has for generations. The popular origin story of the cookie has been debunked by food historians, but what’s far more interesting is how beloved recipes persist with only small variations across centuries and continents. With no kids to receive my family recipes, I’m starting to share them.
Many widespread Christmas traditions originally come from Germany, including some that are especially dark (or fun, depending on your inclinations), such as Krampusnacht. One of our favorite shows highlighted this out-of-the-ordinary Christmastime festivity in an out-of-the-way location. Consequently, in an effort to better understand how culture spreads across national borders, we wound up visiting the curious German-speaking Italian province of South Tyrol.
Giving up animal products entirely may not be a feasible option for many of us, but more people are eating less meat and cheese – and really making it count when they do. While I may never be a full vegan, it is important to me that I try to match my behaviors to my values, and that means eating less cheese more often.
For years I’ve incorrectly believed that sheep cheese has a lower carbon footprint than cow cheese because sheep emit far less methane than cows. They also produce far less milk, which balances the scales. In reality, cheese has an extremely high carbon footprint, higher than some meats. For that reason, it seemed like time to reevaluate whether my actions are still aligned with my values.
They say that low expectations are the key to happiness – and there is some truth to that. While I didn’t have low expectations for Italy, I tried to keep them realistic. As is the case when traveling, we encountered inconveniences, setbacks, and even some scary moments during those two weeks, but keeping perspective and flexibility helped us laugh about them, if only in retrospect.
It is impossible to travel without creating an impact, and the one I talk about most frequently is carbon footprint. Ecological impacts from travel can be significant, which is why if and when I do visit new places, I want to make sure that my other impacts can be positive ones, such as supporting the local economy and being a good cultural ambassador.