“Meet the Neighbors” with Chrissy Barua

“Meet the Neighbors” with Chrissy Barua

Welcome to our next “Meet the Neighbors” feature! 🙂  A few months ago I thought it would be fun to highlight some other talented food bloggers and give you a chance to see their recipes and photos.  So grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and let’s meet the talented Chrissy Barua! 🙂

You can find Chrissy on her blog, The Hungary Buddha Eats the World, as well as on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.  You can also sign up for her newsletter here.  So what are we waiting for?  Let’s meet her! 🙂

What is your name, and where are you located? (Hint: if you live in Hawaii, I am packing my bags as we speak 😉

Hi, I’m Chrissy and I just hit 9 years in The Windy City, Chicago!

Tell us a little bit about yourself– what is the name of your blog, and how did you get started?

I blog over at The Hungary Buddha Eats the World. I started it pretty spontaneously without too much forethought (beginner mistake, perhaps)– I had just come back from a trip to Ireland and realized I was tired of eating so well on the road, and so boringly at home. I decided then that I would cook my way around the world from the comfort of my apartment, and two weeks later, the blog was born! I finished the world after 3 1/2 years, and now I just cook whatever I feel like, with the international theme in the back of my mind. My blog name is a nod to both my parents: my Hungarian mom and my Burmese dad.

What is your favorite food? And what is your least favorite food?

It sounds so boring, but my absolute favorite foods are french fries and ice cream! However, as far as cuisines, I love anything Moroccan and Spanish. My least favorites are random: any and all melon, raisins, and almond extract.

What advice would you give someone who is just starting to cook?

Have fun! Don’t take yourself too seriously- it’s just food! If it doesn’t come out the way you hoped this time, it will next time. And most importantly, before you start, crank up your favorite tunes because kitchen dance parties make the whole thing less scary.

What keeps you going, every day? Who are your greatest cheerleaders/supporters?

The biggest driving factor is that I’ve been going too long to give up now! Plus, even on the hardest days, it’s my one creative outlet (I’m a real-life lawyer which is the opposite of creative). My biggest cheerleaders are my best friends; I have a few that have been cooking along with me, and knowing they’re right behind me keeps me moving forward.

Chrissy was kind enough to share one of her favorite recipes with us– Veal Paprikash.  Her words about this recipe make it sound mouth-watering! 🙂

“I’m actually going to cheat and give you [a recipe] that is my mom’s– her recipe for veal paprikash. I picked this one because it is one of my favorite dishes of all time, and one that I request my mom make for me every year on my birthday (which is in August, so not veal stew weather). For me, it also represents so much more than just stew: my family history, my childhood, the beauty of simple but good ingredients. Also, recipes like this that I learned for my mom and my grandmother made me fall in love with food and with cooking and everything that goes along with that. It’s not the most glamorous or challenging or wow-factory dish, but it’s just one of my favorites. Mom food (or grandma food) really is the best food.”

And Chrissy, I couldn’t agree more.  “Mom and Grandma food” really is the best 😉  You can find the full recipe for this yummy dish on Chrissy’s website here.

Thanks, Chrissy, for sharing your amazing work with us, today!  I am hungry for more great recipes! 🙂

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