Cooking American food in Cyprus can be a challenge. Cypriots definitely do not eat like Americans (except maybe in portion size). The late lunch in the middle of the afternoon is the big meal of the day, followed by a rest during the heat of the day. The evening meal is taken late, with 9:00pm being the family dinner hour and 11:00 pm not unusual for singles dining out. American fast foods are available, but the flavor profiles are different. Cypriots don't like spicy heat- not even a hint. So while there are some familiar menu items, the taste is bland or spiced in a way that is less appealing to my kids. So most of the time, I cook familiar (to my kids) tastes like Mexican (via Baja California and Tito's Tacos in Culver City- not Taco Bell), Chow Mein, Dim Sum, Sushi, Matzo Ball Soup, Pastrami and Corned Beef. Some flavors are hard to recreate, some much easier. I don't have access to some things that are quite common in the U.S. like vanilla extract or corn meal. Convenience foods like Campbell's soup, cup noodles or Kraft Mac and Cheese are nonexistent- so when we want the flavor, it is from scratch or nothing.
I use Facebook, Pinterest, the small collection of cookbooks I brought with me and just pure experimentation to make recipes. Sometimes they work. Sometimes they fail spectacularly.
Montreal Smoked Meat
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