About Me

Lemongrass and Thyme
From Singapore to Serbia - an Eyewitness Account of World Cuisine

I think of myself as a citizen of the the world: a naturalized U.S. citizen born and raised in Germany who has spent the last 27 years living and working in nine countries in Eastern Europe and South and Central Asia. I am currently living in Falls Church, VA. 

I grew up in a small village in Germany, spoiled by the delicious meals and cakes my grandmothers prepared, but only learned to cook after I married and moved to Singapore. I had never been particularly interested in the rather heavy cuisine my grandmothers preferred, and instead wanted to explore far more exotic dishes than they ever dreamed of tasting, let alone preparing. Here was my opportunity: still looking for a job, I had time to learn to cook and explore the local cuisines. I had prepared a couple of Indian dishes while still living in Germany and really enjoyed the variety of spices and herbs used in Indian cuisine, so I set out to the local bookstore and picked up my first Indian cookbook. Singapore is a melting pot of three main nationalities - Chinese, Malay and Indian, so it was very easy to find a wide variety of Indian spices, rice and pulses to get me started. By the time I left the country, cooking had become a great interest, and as I moved around the world I accumulated quite a collection of recipes and cookbooks. I enjoy exploring local markets, bazaars and restaurants wherever I am and have been fortunate to attend several cooking classes during my travels.

I actually started this blog several years ago under a different name and with different content. Because of my love for cooking and traveling, I have revitalized it to bring you international recipes and other food-related information to try out and enjoy!