My love for Italian food began, as Ed's grandmother had taught him what her mother had taught her and her mother before that .... you know how it goes in regional Italy. One of my favorite - and one of the simplest - dishes remains Nonna's pesto, which we often make with walnuts, but in the hills above Genoa where she lived, pinoli were used.

Gochujang is a Korean red chili paste that's sweet, spicy, and savory all at the same time, perfect for sauces and marinades. You can find it in many Southern California supermarkets and Korean specialty stores. If you live outside of SoCal, you can probably order it online.

Bangers and Mash is a traditional English dish made of mashed potatoes and sausages, generally prepared with flavored pork sausage. The dish is sometimes served with rich onion gravy and fried onions.

Ever heard of a Sgroppino? Well, it’s a lemon-flavored, creamy-smooth, frothy alcoholic beverage. More a digestivo (digestive) or liquid dessert than an aperitivo (cocktail), the Sgroppino was created by the inventive and masterful Venetians back in the 16th century.

Latke (pronounced LOT-keh, LOT-kah or LOT-kee) is Yiddish for “pancake.” On Chanukah, it is traditional to serve latkes (most often potato) fried in oil to celebrate the Chanukah miracle, which involved the oil of the Temple Menorah lasting for eight days instead of just one. Jews eat foods that reflect the significance of a holiday — such as matzah on Passover …

This recent collection of holiday recipes from the Switzerland Tourism Media Team (myswitzerland.com) was just too irresistible not to post. You’ll find very personal holiday recipes from Team Switzerland’s staff: Ursula, Paolo, Matthias, Jade, Jeamine and Divine. Thanks gang for sharing it with Traveling Boy.

This recipe came to me from culinary Maestra, Jo-Ann Gaidosz of Active Gourmet Holidays. I adored her stuffed clams recipe which clearly enhances any Thanksgiving meal. It’s even more fun when your pack of friends and family congregate at the beach, and dig together for the rewards of the mouthwatering crustacean holiday harvest.

My friend and I really love hot food. It was 1987 and we were on assignment in Southern India with a group called The Bible League. We had visited remote villages in the interior and had returned to Andhra Pradesh and needed a rest. This particular region of India has the reputation of having the spiciest and most deadly cuisine on the continent.

If you love bread, Switzerland is the country for you. There are over 200 different traditional breads, including 22 special cantonal bread varieties. When in Zurich, you might want to try Seri's baguettes or croissants. A very popular bread, which you get everywhere in Switzerland, is a soft white loaf called "Zopf". The dough is made from white flour, milk, eggs, butter and yeast, plaited into a braid and then brushed with egg yolk before baking. It's traditionally eaten on Sunday mornings.

This delectable soup comes to us byway of Ms Susanne Servin of Vienna. Her heartwarming soup is easy to prepare, and proves to be the ideal component for battling a cold winter's day. I know, I just made it. – Audrey