Julia Holland
School
University Of Texas - Austin
New Mexico State University
Expertise
Mexican Cuisine, South American Cuisines, Gastronomy And Travel
- Julia lived in a 100-person housing cooperative for four years while attending college, during which she cooked dinner for the entire co-op once a week and planned breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus for two years.
- Her mother was a pastry and dessert chef and caterer, instilling in her a love for cooking, recipe developing, and adventurous eating from a young age.
- One of Julia's favorite books and movies is "Like Water for Chocolate," which she has read in Spanish and English, and seen countless times. She used passages from the book and scenes from the movie in a grad school research paper and oral presentation as part of a deep dive into the subject of aphrodisiac foods.
Experience
Julia has been a travel and food writer since 2019 in conjunction with a career as a professional circus performer. She worked as an anthropologist in the Mexican state of Chiapas during her master's program and developed a special bond with Mexico, which drew her back to live off and on for the past 15 years. After graduate school, Julia spent a decade traveling around the world to perform circus acts. Performance and training contracts required her to live for months at a time in various countries on the American, European, and Asian continents. Her extended stays in exotic destinations allowed her to experience everyday life like a local, shopping in open food markets, sampling native cuisines, and cooking with local ingredients and recipes. She began writing a travel blog for a European travel site about her experiences living and traveling around Mexico. Most articles were dedicated to the vast and elaborate subject of Mexican food, delving into detail about regional dishes, snacks, spirits, and street food culture. She then began writing SEO articles and blogs for numerous clients through a writing agency, specializing in niches like food and drink, recipes, restaurants, and bar scenes. She joined Tasting Table in 2023, where she continues using her travels and cross-cultural experiences as inspiration for her research and writing on gastronomy.
Education
Julia has a bachelor's degree in anthropology and Latin American studies from the University of Texas at Austin and a master's degree in anthropology from New Mexico State University.
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Stories By Julia Holland
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If you soup is too runny and thin, then you need to thicken it up. You could use flour or corn starch, but egg yolk can thicken your soup and improve the taste.
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Soufflés are delicate creations that are easy to mess up, but that doesn't mean you should be afraid to use mix-ins. Use this simple trick to do it right.
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Brussels sprouts often need a bit more attention than other vegetables to unlock their full flavor potential. Let pomegranate molasses do the heavy lifting.
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In cooking, texture matters. Even when the flavor is spot on, you can still make a dish better by focusing on how it feels when you eat it.
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There are many ways to use up your stale bread, like bread pudding or panzanella. Next time your loaf goes stale, try whipping up a trifle for a twist.
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If pumpkins are in short supply and canned puree isn't an option, these squash varieties can make excellent substitutes in your favorite pumpkin soup recipe.
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Whether or not you're a fan of American shaved ice, you should give the Korean version a shot. Bingsu is ultra-creamy and provides endless flavor variations.
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If you're looking for a new way to jazz up your chicken dishes, tomato relish might be exactly the tangy condiment that you have been searching for.
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Do seriously delicious birria tacos need an upgrade? Maybe not. But the melty deliciousness of gooey cheese is always welcome on our plates.
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A hot breakfast quesadilla is well worth getting up for — try this trick to ensure your eggs cover the whole tortilla when cooking your morning meal.
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If you're seeking a change from the usual steak sauces, you can't go wrong with romesco — this sweet and smoky Spanish beauty enhances all sorts of dishes.
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Decades as a fine dining chef and restaurant owner have equipped Emeril Lagasse with plenty of tips. A case in point is his luxurious twice-baked potato.
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Beef stew and bánh mi sandwiches are both great, so why not combine them? If you have leftover beef stew, the meat will work perfectly as bánh mi filling.
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American pretzels come in many varieties, but the options are nothing compared to the buttery perfection of Bavarian pretzels and their various permutations.
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Ricotta is a surprisingly versatile ingredient that can singlehandedly kick numerous dishes up a notch. Just one dollop can give risotto an ultra-creamy touch.
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If you went crazy with the baking and prepared a way-too-large amount of biscuits, fret not. We know exactly what you should do with the leftovers!
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We let readers in on the secret to perfectly charred vegetables. Scope our expert tips for irresistible flavor and crunchy texture in every bite.
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If you are in the mood for a sophisticated upgrade to your classic Reuben sandwich, you should absolutely try blue cheese in its many varieties.
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Fans of Greek food, and Greek desserts in particular, are sure to love diples. However, they are typically reserved for special occasions and hard to make.
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The traditional way to eat a southern lowcountry boil is piled atop a newspaper that acts as serving tray and plate. But why did people start doing this?
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If you are searching for a way to give classic turnovers an exciting, savory twist, then look no further than the addition of your choice of mushrooms.
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Often described as a cross between spoon bread and soufflé, Awendaw is a Charleston-born grits-based side dish that you can easily make at home.
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You've heard of fried gnocchi but what about their fluffier cousins? Potato pillows are a tasty hot treat that can be served in many different ways.
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In the states, we have our fair share of doughnuts, but have you ever seen or heard of Munkki, a Finnish fried confection with loads of cardamom?
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While Mexican folks traditionally eat birria with warm corn tortillas, it would also make the perfect addition to your next grilled cheese sandwich.
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Enjoy the savory delights of a bifana - Portugal's irresistible pork sandwich. Unearth the history, variations, and marinades that make this dish a local icon.
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Molly Yeh is known for fusing different cuisines together in perfect harmony, and her turkey burgers inspired by falafel are a great, delicious example of that.