Cassandra Burdick
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With a Side of Rice

The first moment…

my parents blended their cultures wasn’t when they got married, nor was it when they had children—it was when my dad cooked my mom dinner for the first time. The only item on the menu that night was lasagna; a traditional Italian dish made with blood, sweat, tears, and ground beef.

Straight out of the oven came the cheesy pasta—however, my mother only had one issue,

“Where’s the rice?” she said.

Confused but eager to please, my father quickly whipped up a pot of basic white rice before serving to my mom and her family of 6 in a tiny pre-war apartment on the Upper West Side.

Call it my mother’s Ecuadorian heritage remaining prominent in our lives, but still to this day it’s a tradition in my family to serve white rice as a side for lasagna—and practically every meal we have together.

An homage to the melting pot of cultures that I am, I’ve created ‘With a Side of Rice’. The perfect representation of my love for food from all over the world.

Buon appetito. Disfrute de su comida. I hope you enjoy.

The Breakfast of Champions

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Potatoes for breakfast may be a tried and true classic for Americans all across the country, however, consuming such a filling plate before your afternoon espresso doesn’t reign supreme for other cultures around the world.  

I remember meeting 3 vivacious Italian men in a discoteca in Florence. Language barriers aside, our excitement for life translated quickly. Three vodka sodas in, we all decided to leave the bar and wander the narrow cobblestone streets. 

9 o’clock turned into 10 o’clock, 10 o’clock turned into 11 o’clock. Within the blink of an eye, it was 2 am. 

Smashing wine bottles on church steps in the dark of a Florentine night may be the most freeing experience you’ll ever come meet—and it’s an excellent way to get lost in time. 

My newest European companion promised me breakfast if I could make it to sunrise. My energy was fleeting but the thought of sustenance kept me treading along throughout the night. 

 As the sun rose atop the Duomo, all bets were off and we made our way to the first open cafe we could find. “Un cornetto con crema e un espresso per favore,” my friend asked the barista.

That’s it? At that moment I experience what they like to call “culture shock”—no one eats a breakfast that’s over 200 calories in Italy. I immediately went home to make eggs and toast. 

Here, I present the most nourishing yet “homey” Americana breakfast dish (with a spicy twist): sautéed golden potatoes, red onions, kale, and Moroccan red pepper sauce.

Cassandra Burdick