Based in Toronto, my husband and I love to eat different foods from different cultures, but there are plenty of culinary traditions that are not showcased, even here in this multicultural city. It was my husband's idea to try cooking a meal from one country at a time, in a random order. As a writer, it was my natural inclination to document the process in a blog called Wooden Spoon Wanderer that has grown along with the project. We have just surpassed 60 meals, and have plenty to go.
We take turns being assigned a country or territory, building a menu, buying ingredients, and cooking a full meal. The other person gets to research the assigned country and we bring together both when we sit down to eat. There is a lot of secrecy involved -- the person who is not cooking has no idea what the other has planned, and it's exciting to step into the kitchen after the house has been filling with delicious unfamiliar smells for hours.
Our meal planning is partly shaped by the fact that we keep the blog pescatarian for my sake. For the most part, this is easy to do, but for some places where meat plays a central role in the kitchen, we have had to turn to meat substitutes like soy and seitan.
Neither of us is a professional chef, and this journey has been as much about learning the ins and outs of meal planning and execution as it has been about exploring different culinary landscapes.
This project is made possible in part because of where we live. Toronto makes ingredients available to us that would be impossible to find elsewhere. We have an abundance of markets selling Asian, European, Middle Eastern, Caribbean, and African foods, and we discover new places all the time.
The project has brought us closer together with this shared project, has encouraged us to explore new corners of our city, and has helped us grow enormously as cooks. Most of all, though, it has opened our eyes to the universality of the pleasure of food. We are having a fantastic time on our journey around the world, and are always excited for our next Wooden Spoon Wanderer meal.
More info: woodenspoonwanderer.com
Marinated tuna on a bed of pineapple salsa is part of a Tuvaluan feast
Shrimp mofongo, from Puerto Rico combines plantain, shrimp, and peppers
Namibian "chicken" potjie is made with seitan-based drumsticks from a vegetarian store in Toronto's Kensington Market neighbourhood
A traditional Uruguayan mate is filled with yerba mate tea, sipped through a special filtered straw
Nasi lemak, the national dish of Malaysia, includes coconut rice, boiled egg, fried sardines, and an anchovy gravy
Norwegian fjellbrød, a dense rye seed bread
Mexican tres leches cake is garnished with colourful fresh fruits
Icelandic crepes are served alongside fresh blueberries, stewed rhubarb, and skyr
A platter for our Egypt assignment includes baba ganoush, green bean salad, and crispy gebna makleyah (deep fried feta balls)
Croatian paprenjaci cookies and narancini (candied orange peels)
