Wednesday, November 30, 2011

AUSSIE BURGERS

We arrive at Australia...and boy! Are my arms tired! Sorry...

I decided that I wanted something a little less time intensive tonight, so I went with Aussie burgers. In Australia, grilling is a big deal. Also, sheep are plentiful. All the lamb I purchase was imported from Australia.

Pineapple is also plentiful in Australia, which is lucky for us, because nothing makes a hamburger fun like a slice of pineapple.

Here's our grocery list: ketchup, mayonnaise, Asian chili paste ( I keep Sambal Oelek on hand. Lucky me...I live near a large Asian Market.), a pound and a half of ground beef (I use extra lean), kaiser rolls, pineapple rings (I used canned), vegetable oil, eggs and pickled beets.

You can grill these outside. Since my grill is rusted out, and I haven't purchased a new one yet, I used the broiler in my oven. Since we are going to grill the burgers for a short period of time, it is best to get the sauce ready before hand. For this, combine a quarter cup of ketchup, a quarter cup of mayonnaise and a teaspoon of Asian Chile paste.

Mix a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of pepper with the beef. You have to use your hands to kneed this for a few minutes to keep all the salt or pepper from concentrating in one patty. A pound and a half can be formed into 4 good sized patties.

The kaiser rolls are split and toasted.The pineapple rings are patted dry, and brushed with olive oil.

If you are grilling, oil the rack. If you are broiling, cover a cookie sheet with foil, and spray with Pam. Once it gets hot, broil the patties and pineapple rings about 4 minutes , turning once. This will depend on how you like your meat done. I am in the habit of eating raw beef, so 2 minutes on each side is plenty. Many need their meat cooked more. Also, you want the pineapple rings to glaze.

Fry one egg for each burger.

Assemble the burgers by spreading the sauce on each roll, then putting down the burger, a pineapple ring, beets, and egg. If you want, you can also add lettuce and tomato. I did not.

This burger is going to be large, messy, and fun to eat. Oh yeah...it's also delicious!!

Bon Appetit, Mates!

Photobucket

Monday, November 28, 2011

DUCK: A BLACK FRIDAY TRADITION

I am not a fan of white meat, and I find turkey basically tasteless. So, Thanksgiving was always something of an overblown holiday, for me. Yes, time with family and friends is fun. And, after meeting my wife, it was a pleasant day of drinking, smoking and playing poker; but, gastronomically, it left me kind of flat.

So, a few years ago, I began an annual Black Friday tradition of preparing a duck. Each year, the recipe is different. This year was the absolute best, to date. If my wife is to believed, she has not had better duck "even at a restaurant". Dining in New Jersey and New York, high praise, indeed.

So, how did I prepare this year's bird, you ask? Well, firstly, I bought a duck. A single duckling is anywhere between 3 and 5 pounds. I accidentally bought a kosher duck. I am not sure if this has anything to do with it, but it was not defeathered all that well. I pulled as many of the quills out as possible. Fortunately, after cooking, it was not a problem. This bird was cooked, at 300 degrees, for four hours. Every hour, it was flipped over. After this slow treatment, I raised the heat to 400, and cooked each side for four minutes. This method cooked out a lot of the fat, and gave the skin a crispy finish. The skin was rubbed with a mixture of 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, half a teaspoon of turmeric, 2 teaspoons of garam masala, half a teaspoon of sea salt, and black pepper mixed 3 tablespoons of melted ghee. Obviously, this is an Indian recipe.

The duck came out wonderfully! One word of warning, however. The odor of duck fat can be very nauseating. Luckily, it was warm outside, so we opened the doors and windows.

ARUBA CHICKEN

I just discovered the best way to make chicken...ever! When you try it, you will know that is no hyperbole.

This stop in my World Kitchen Domination is Aruba. You may remember that I already stopped in Aruba, but was very dissatisfied with the results. The shame finally overcame me, and I went back. Man! Am I glad I did!

First, I used a pound and a half of chicken leg cutlets. I also diced half a pound of pork butt. I sliced a sweet onion, and sauteed it with some olive oil in my dutch oven. Then, I added the chicken and pork butt. I added the chicken one piece at a time, so that I browned each side first. I had to add a little extra oil with each piece. I then added a cup of water, an 8 ounce can of tomato paste, and half a cup of shredded coconut.

Of course...what's life without a little spice? In goes half a teaspoon of salt, some crushed red pepper, 4 whole cloves, half a teaspoon of thyme, and a bay leaf. This was brought to a boil. Lower to a simmer for 15 minutes. I stirred it every five minutes, mainly as an excuse to taste the sauce. I also thinly sliced a yam. This was added after 15 minutes. I put a lid on it, and relaxed for 40 minutes, losing...I mean playing a little online chess. Then, I sliced a couple of bananas, and added them. Then, 4 sliced green onions. After 5 minutes, the chicken was ready to enjoy.

The spiced, tomato paste, and sweetness from the fruit threw this chicken into hyper drive...and my taste buds followed!! This one is a keeper.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

SUCCESS IN ARMENIA

After last week's fiasco with leg of lamb, I felt the need to exonerate myself. I am proud to say I did so rather nicely. I wisely chose a pound of lamb chop shoulder cuts. This was half the price of lamb chops.

In a bowl, I mixed a small can of tomato paste, about half a cup of diced onion, and a mixture of allspice, cayenne pepper, fennel seeds, a dab of maple syrup, and paprika. I also added a diced green pepper. All of this was mixed in a bowl, and applied to the washed and patted dry lamb. I preheated the broiler, put aluminum foil over a cookie sheet, sprayed it with Pam, and broiled the lamb.

I garnished this with stuffed grape leaves. I do admit that I went with canned grape leaves, as it was very late before I was able to start dinner. Generally, Armenian food does not rely on spices for its flavor, but, rather, fresh herbs. I learned my lesson, when it comes to spices. We do not like bland food. I tried a couple of dishes last week, cut the meat in half, so I cut the spices in half, as well. This was a big mistake. When I cut the meat in a recipe, I have found it is best to use the full dose of spices. I did not want to take a chance on another bland meal, so I went ahead and spiced this recipe up. If the tomato paste is too much, as it can cause heartburn, yogurt also makes a good base for lamb marinade. If yogurt is used, I would suggest using some minced garlic, some fresh parsley, and just a hint of lemon juice. Also, if you can find it, you can use fenugreek.

ARMENIAN LAMB:

1 pound Lamb Chops, or Shoulder Cut
1 can Tomato paste
1 cup mixed Minced Onion and Diced Green Pepper
equal parts: Allspice, Cayenne Pepper, Fennel Seeds, Cumin
2 parts paprika
a dab of Maple Syrup

Friday, November 18, 2011

CEVICHE

While I am planning tonight's (I am at Arube in my quest for World Domination) , I thought I would write about a dish that my wife requests on a weekly basis...ceviche. This is an easy dish to prepare.

Ceviche is a fish dish that is "cooked" in lime juice. We discovered this a couple of years ago in a Cuban restaurant, in Baltimore, during Restaurant Week. The use of cilantro causes the taste buds to shout for joy! But, beware...if ever you give them a taste, they will never leave you alone unless you give them their food fix on a regular basis...and nothing else will quell the storming of your mouth.

Begin by deciding on the fish you wish to use. You want a firm fleshed fish, as a softy will turn to mush. This can be halibut, swordfish, mahi-mahi, shark...to name a few. I use a pound of fish to feed 2. Buy 3 limes, 2 ripe avocados, some pitted green olives without pimento, 1 or 2 tomatillos, a sweet onion, fresh cilantro,and a jalapeno pepper. Cube the fish into 1/2 to 1 inch cubes. Put this in a bowl and squeeze the juice from the limes over it. It helps if you apply pressure to the limes and rolling them over a hard surface before hand. The fish will marinate about half an hour. Toss frequently. Sprinkle some sea salt onto the fish before using the lime juice. Meanwhile, chop the remainder of the ingredients into very small cubes. After the fish marinates, and looks white and "cooked", mix it with the remainder of the ingredients. This can be eaten immediately, or refrigerated.

My personal favorite is is swordfish ceviche. I also find shark a fine substitute, at half the price. I have eaten tuna ceviche, and will use halibut from time to time. While salmon is a firm fleshed fish, I have never used it for this recipe. Feel free to experiment, and tell me about the results via "comments".

CEVICHE:

1 LB. Firm Fleshed Fish
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
Juice of 3 Limes
2 Ripe Avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
3/4 cup Green Olives, sliced
1/2 cup Tomatillos, diced
1/4 cup Onion, very finely chopped
1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves
1 Jalapeno Pepper, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

OKRA TO THE RESCUE!!

If ever my novice status in the kitchen has been proven, it would be last week, when I made an Armenian dish using leg of lamb. I have used lamb numerous times...lamb chops...stew lamb...lamb shank. Each and every time it came out great! I was convinced that the gamey reputation was either overblown; or...what I thought more likely...my wondrous abilities overcame it as if by magic. Wrongo!

Leg of lamb needs preparation. fat needs to be cut off. Voodoo overlords need to be paid off. None of which I did before creating an Armenian disaster. I decided to cool my heels for a brief period of time and stick to things my wife and I enjoy very much. And by things my wife and I enjoy very much, I mean okra! We have eaten it three days in a row, and have yet to tire of it's greenly goodness. It is as if Mother Nature said, "Sorry about screwing up on that whole getting old thing. Here...have some okra with your beer". To which I say, "It's all good, Mama N! It's all good!"

Preparing okra is insanely simple. You can cook it whole. You can cut it up into rings. You can put it in any vegetable or beef stew. You can fry it up in butter with some cumin, salt and pepper. You can roll it around in corn meal and deep fry it. Sure it's a bit slimy...but what awesomeness is not?

Tonight is okra and shrimp. heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet until the butter is melted. Add 1 medium onion coarsely chopped, and 1 green bell pepper, also coarsely chopped. Toss so that it is coated with the oil and butter. Wash, trim and slice a pound of okra. Add this to the skillet. Heat over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent.

Now, add4 large tomatoes that are peeled and chopped. If you want, you can substitute with 32 ounces of canned tomatoes. Also add1/2 cup of dry white wine. By "dry white wine", I mean a California Sauvignon blanc. Also add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, a tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped, salt and pepper to taste, and a pound of peeled, deveined shrimp.

Once the shrimp has been added, do not cook more than 3 or 4 minutes. You do not want to overcook shrimp.

This can be served over rice. Congratulations! You are now eating soul food!

OKRA AND SHRIMP:

1 lb. Okra, trimmed, washed and sliced
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
3 tablespoons Butter
1 medium Onion, chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
4 large Tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup Dry White Wine
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon fresh Parsley, chopped
slat and pepper to taste
1 lb. Shrimp, peeled and deveined
cooked rice

Photobucket

Friday, November 11, 2011

ARGENTINA

Between the Andes mountain range and the Atlantic Ocean lies the second largest country in South America...Argentina. This country boasts not just a musical where Madonna asks her not to cry; but, a cuisine that mixes European with indigenous foods. The result is deliciousness. Set aside that mate, and jump in.

I made a variation on the empanadas theme. Empanadas are small meat pies, often sold by street vendors with chimichurri, a parsley sauce. Instead, I made 2 large meat pies, using pie crust; and, made the chimichurri with cilantro.

I melted half a cup of shortening in a skillet, and added 2 chopped onions, cooking just until they started turning a golden color. I took this off the heat, and added 2 teaspoons of sweet paprika, 3/4 teaspoon of regular paprika, half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes and some salt. I spread out a pound of extra lean ground beef in a sieve, and poured boiling water on top of it, getting the cooking process going. I let the meat cool, then put it in a bowl and mixed in some salt, a teaspoon a cumin and a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar. and the onions.

After mixing well, I flattened this in a large plate, letting it cool and harden. Now is the time to preheat the oven to 350 degrees. I also unrolled one of the pie crusts onto a new large terracotta plate I bought for this, and working on fish. In the middle of the pie crust went half the meat, some raisins, a quarter cup of pitted green olives and a chopped up hard boiled egg.

I put some aluminum foil on a pie pan, sprayed it with Pam, and put the meat pie to one side of it. I repeated the process with the second pie crust. Make sure to wet the edges so that you can seal the crust. It should be shaped like a half moon when finished.

I glazed the pies with an egg, and put them in the heated oven for 25 minutes. While this was cooking, I put the following in a food processor: 1 bunch of cilantro chopped, 8 cloves of garlic crushed, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, between 1/4 and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne, a teaspoon of salt1/3 cup of red wine vinegar, 3/4 cup of olive oil and the juice of 1 lime. Do not puree. You want it to still have chunks.

When the pies were done, we cut them open and put the sauce right in the pies.

In the spirit of full disclosure...my wife did not like the raisins in the pie. She felt it made it too sweet. I could have done without the olives, and i would have put half the garlic in the sauce. Oh well...next time.

MEAT EMPANADAS (PIE):

1/2 cup Shortening
2 Onions chopped
1 pound Extra lean Ground Beef
2 teaspoons Sweet Paprika
3/4 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 tablespoon Distilled White Vinegar
1/4 cup Raisins
1/2 cup Pitted Green Olives chopped
2 Hard Boiled Eggs chopped
Salt to taste
Pie Crust

CHIMICHURRI:

1 bunch Cilantro chopped
8 cloves Garlic crushed
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar
3/4 cup Olive Oil
Juice of 1 Lime

Photobucket





Wednesday, November 9, 2011

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA...A TALE OF TWO ISLANDS

Formerly a part of the British Empire, the national dish of these Caribbean islands is fungie and pepper pot. That does not read "fungi". Nope! Not a scrap of mushrooms in that stuff.

Pepper pot has a variety of ways it can be made. It can be as complex, or as simple as you would like. I went for simple. In essence, pepper pot is a meat and vegetable stew with s kick to it. Tubular vegetables are often used, increasing the cooking time. Meat can be a combination of beef, and pork, including pig snouts and beef hooves.

I began with half a pound of ham hocks and a pound and a half of stew beef. You might as well just use ham, because I ended up cutting the rind off of the hock, leaving very little meat. The meat was browned with a large sliced onion. Then, these were put in a large stew pot, along with 10 sliced okra pods, 4 cups of beef broth, 1 seeded and sliced habernero pepper, 3 cloves of garlic sliced, 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme, canola oil and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour. After the hour, I put in half a pound of fresh spinach leaves. Stir this up so that the spinach wilts. Bring to a boil, and simmer another half hour to an hour. Give it a taste, and adjust the salt and pepper as necessary.

While the pepper pot was cooking, I made the fungie. Fungie is very simple to make. All you need is 2 cups of corn meal, 3 cups of water, salt, 3 sliced okra pods, and 2 tablespoons of butter.

In a pot, boil the water with salt and the okra. Boil for 3 or 4 minutes. Now, scoop about 2 cups of water out, and set aside. While the remaining water and okra is boiling, add the corn meal, and begin to mix. Add the 2 cups of water you set aside a little at a time. Once the mixture is thoroughly mixed, put the butter in a bowl, and spoon out balls of the mixture, and roll it around in the butter. Set these aside.

Now, the pepper pot will be hot and spicy, and the fungie will be bland. I put the fungie in a bowl, and spooned the pepper pot on top of it. Essentially, we have corn meal dumplings. The mixture is absolutely delicious. Since this is an island food, you need an island drink. Anything with rum in it should do the trick. Drink enough of it, and you may begin to see island girls dancing around...or so I am told.

FUNGIE:

2 cups Corn Meal
3 cups Water
Salt to taste
3 Okra Pods sliced
2 Tablespoons Butter

PEPPER POT:
1/2 lb. Ham...or cheap pork of your choice
1 1/2 lb. stew beef...or cheap beef of your choice
1 large Onion sliced
1/2 to 1 lb. Spinach
10 Okra Pods sliced
1 Habernero Pepper sliced
3 cloves Garlic sliced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh Thyme
2 tablespoons Canola Oil

Photobucket

Monday, November 7, 2011

ANTARCTICA...BRAIN FREEZE!

Well, next on my list of countries is Antarctica. Know what the national food is in Antarctica? Nothing! There is no food native to Antarctica that is legal. All the wildlife is protected.

There are, however, always aliens on the ultimate tundra. At any given time, there are between 2000 and 5000 researchers who take advantage of the nearly permanent night down under. They bring with them what food they can, either frozen or dried. There are also hydroponic gardens and food brought in from New Zealand. I bet you did not know there were penguins on new Zealand, did you? You did? Okay...never mind then. Obviously, New Zealand and Antarctica were once part of a greater land mass many years ago.

I did what any good Antarctic research person would do. I opened my refrigerator to see what I could do. We were in dire need of comfort food, so I pulled out a bag of spinach and some shiitake mushrooms. I pulled the stems off the mushrooms, rinsed the spinach, then put a skillet over high heat. A little olive oil in the pan, and in goes the spinach. The mushrooms are added. Some soy sauce and sesame oil for flavor, and hot chili flakes, and there is instant comfort in 2 or 3 minutes. There was also some nice mixed olives available, as well as cheese and crackers. Thanks to the crock pot, it was split pea soup with a smoked ham shaft and left over bacon for the next day. Potatoes and onions, along with 4 cups of beef broth and a cup of water were added.

All in all, I think I survived the cold, isolation, and randy seals rather well...but I would NOT want to live there!

Photobucket

Friday, November 4, 2011

ANGUILLA...ISLAND PARADISE!

Last night's stop was in Anguilla. After extensive research, i have learned that the word "Anguilla" is from the Latin that translates, roughly, "small island out in the middle of the ocean where you can drink really cool drinks with those small umbrella thingies".

I began with an appetizer that can be found at a resort and spa called Rendezvous Bay...except I changed it a little bit. I wish i could say I changed it on purpose using my culinary skills to improve it. The truth is, I was so tired that i accidentally put the shrimp in the mixer, instead of using it as a garnish. The good news is, it worked. Also in the blender went 2 coarsely chopped scallions, 2 large cucumbers peeled and diced, a quarter cup of yogurt, a half cup mixture of basil, mint and cilantro, a half inch piece of peeled ginger, 1 chopped garlic clove, and 3 tablespoons of olive. Mix this for about a minute. Then, dice a half cup of melon...I used cantaloupe...Add this to the mix, along with 3/4 teaspoons of kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of hot sauce, and 8 large shrimp peeled and cooked in a little olive oil. Chill and serve with a garnish of fresh herbs you may have left over. Like i said, even if you accidentally add the shrimp to the mixer, this still makes a nice appetizer. Yum yum!

The main course was curry shrimp. I peeled and diced 2 medium potatoes, and 1 large onion. I also chopped 4 cloves of garlic. These went into a large pot with half a cup of water, a quarter cup of canola oil, a teaspoon of curry powder, a teaspoon of kosher salt, a teaspoon of hot sauce ,half a teaspoon of dried thyme leaves, half a teaspoon of sugars ,and half a teaspoon of ground pepper. This was simmered on medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the potatoes are still hard, heat some more. Then, I added a pound of large shrimp, and stirred. At this point, I put a lid on the pot so that the shrimp would cook through. I ended up adding more oil a couple of times, so that nothing stuck to the bottom of the pot. The result was delicious!

The choice of libation is entirely up to the reader...though I do suggest something with rum in it.

Photobucket

CUCUMBER GAZPACHO WITH SHRIMP AND MELON:

2 Large Cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
2 Scallions
1/2 cup Mixture of Basil, Cilantro, and Mint
1/2 inch piece of Ginger
1 Garlic clove
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 cup Plain Yogurt
3/4 teaspoons Kosher Salt
1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Hot Sauce
1/4 pound Large Shrimp
1/2 cup Melon

CURRY SHRIMP:

2 Potatoes
1 Large Onion
4 cloves Garlic
1/2 cup Water
1/4 cup Oil
1 teaspoon Curry Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Hot Pepper Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Thyme Leaves
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 pound Peeled Large Shrimp

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Angola...

This meal comes straight from the Mother Land. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Angolan cuisine features fish, seafood, indigenous vegetables and imports from Portugal, as Angola was once a Portuguese province until she won her independence in 1975. Things have been unstable ever since. The one constant, however, is good eats. I decided upon the fish.

Fish calulu calls for dried, salted fish. I have trouble with overly salted food, so I left that out. The result was more of a fish stew. I purchased a pound of cod, and cut it into four pieces. I did marinate this in a sea salt. No salt can be bland in such dishes. I also squeezed the juice of 1 lemon on the fish, and added 3 cloves of garlic.

While the above fish was marinating, I sliced 1 onion, 1 zucchini, 3 ripe tomatoes, 1 hot chili, and okra. I also washed off 1 bunch of collard greens. It is very important to remember to blanch the collards. I forgot this step, and the result was tough, chewy greens. They still tasted good, but dominated the dish too much. I would also recommend using only half a bunch of collards...maybe less. Once the fish are ready (after 20 minutes of setting), take a large pot, and layer the fish, onions, zucchini, tomatoes, okra and collards. On top of this I put the chopped chili, and poured in some canola oil. Put on a lid and simmer for about an hour. About half way through, I turned the heat up just a smidgen. The result was a nice fish stew, without too much liquid. Like I said, it could have done with half the collards.

All in all, I enjoyed my culinary visit to this ancient continent, yet young country. Adeus!

Photobucket

ANGOLAN FISH STEW:

1 Pound Fish
1 Onion Sliced
3 Ripe Tomatoes Sliced
1 Hot Chili chopped
Okra...1/2 to 3/4 pound
3 0r 4 Large Whole Collard Leaves Blanched
3 garlic Cloves Minced

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

The Epicurean Dilettante: ANDORRA...NOT SAMANTHA'S MOTHER

The Epicurean Dilettante: ANDORRA...NOT SAMANTHA'S MOTHER

ANDORRA...NOT SAMANTHA'S MOTHER

I was very excited to meet Samantha Steven's mother...then I found out how important spelling is. Andorra is a small principality between Spain and France. Culturally, it is Catalan.

The dish I chose to represent this country is a mainstay...Trinxat, which is a Catalan word that means "chopped". It is mashed cabbage and potatoes, it is beyond easy to make, and it is a tasty dish. The type of cabbage to use is up to you. That brings up a funny story...I was very distracted when I went shopping for the ingredients. I meant to buy savoy cabbage. When I got home, I found that I had bought bok choy instead. Guess what! It was still good! That proves a point when it comes to this dish, it varies from place to place, depending on what is available in the area. So use whatever cabbage you have.

I had two pots boiling at the same time, both with a small handful of sea salt. In one pot, I put a pound of bok choy; in the other, 3 peeled russet potatoes. I turned the bok choy down to low, and simmered for 45 minutes. The potatoes, I let boil for 20 minutes. I mashed the potatoes, and added the bok choy when it was nice and soft.

Then, I put 3 tablepoons of olive oil in a skillet, and heated 1 minced garlic clove until golden brown. The garlic and oil were added to the mash, and mixed in.

Setting this aside, I browned a quarter pound of bacon...about 12 strips. I let it drain on a paper towel while I finished with the mash.

I divided the potato and cabbage mash in half. Olive oil was heated on high, and one half of the mash was added, and flattened like a pancake. Add salt and pepper to taste. After 5 minutes, I flipped the pancake onto a plate, and slid it back into the skillet, browning the other side another 5 minutes. The same was repeated for the other half. This was garnished with the bacon.

This was probably the cheapest and homiest meal I have made thus far. Think of it as Andorran comfort food...and watch a nice episode of Bewitched, while you're at it.

Photobucket


TRINXAT:

Salt
1 Head Savoy Cabbage (or other cabbage of your choice)
3 Peeled Russet Potatoes
12 Strips Thick Bacon
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil (plus as needed)
1 Clove Minced Garlic
Pepper

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

AMERICAN SAMOA...WHERE IS MY LOIN CLOTH?

Looking at the cuisine has taught me 2 things...they eat a LOT of pigs and seafood; and, I don't have the legs to wear a loin cloth. So, since I do not want to spoil any appetites, I will NOT post proof of the latter.

I actually used ground beef to make a Samoan dish. I stuffed 2 green papayas with ground beef. I found the 2 greenest papayas I could. These are sliced in half, from top to bottom. Using a spoon, I scoop out the seeds.

In a bowl I mix a pound of extra lean ground beef, 1 chopped onion, 1/2 cup of bread crumbs, 2 whole eggs, and 2 tablespoons of milk. Divide this, and stuff the papaya halves. The oven is preheated to 350, the halves covered with foil and baked for 45 minutes. Take off the foil, and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Being island food, I made banana fritters for desert. Combine 1 and 3/4 cups of all purpose flour, 2/3 cup white sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 ripe banana, squished using a potato masher, and 1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. All of this is is mixed well.

Now, get a pot that is rather deep, and put about 3 cups of cooking oil in it. You want to spoon in about a tablespoon at a time, using one spoon to hold the mixture, and another to push it off into the hot oil. They need to be able to first sink, and then float. When they float, give them a minute or so more to really get a golden brown color. Then, turn them, over and cook another couple of minutes. if you want, you can roll these in powdered sugar. I did not.

It was storming and cold outside; but, inside, it was Island fun!

Photobucket

STUFFED GREEN PAPAYAS:

2 Green Papayas, split and seeded
1 Pound Ground Beef (extra lean)
1 Medium Onion, chopped
1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs (plain)
2 Whole Eggs
2 tablespoons Milk

ALGERIA...A MELTING POT

Algeria is one of those countries that I was drooling to get at...literally! This is truly a melting pot of cuisines. Northern African meets Turkish. Chicken, lamb and lentils are main features, and each region brings something different to the table. The heavy Muslim influence promises delicacies made during the month of Ramadan. Add some influences from Europeans, and you have a cornucopia of gastronomic delights. Let's dig in!

I have noticed that I already made dishes from lamb over the past week, so I opted for a fish dish. I purchased 2 pounds of cod. For some reason, The smell of cod does not appeal to me, so I only use it when I am going to be using a lot of spices. That made it the perfect fish for this dish...Fish and Celery Tagine; or, Hut Bil Karfas. I think that is Algerian for "Good Eats". I cut a pound of celery into 2 inch chunks, and lined the bottom of a casserole dish with them. I then ground together a mixture of spices...2 garlic cloves, salt and pepper to taste, 2 teaspoons of paprika, 1 teaspoon of cumin, a pinch of saffron, 1/2 a teaspoon of cayenne, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. I lay the fish out, sliced a few minor cuts into the flesh, and applied the above poultice. I let this set for about an hour, during which time i worked on the side dish...couscous. When the hour was up, I put the fish on top of the celery, and covered with the juice of 1 squeezed lemon1 chopped large tomato and about a tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley. Covered with foil, i baked this at 350 for half an hour; then removed the foil and baked an additional 15 minutes.

The couscous was beyond simple. Follow the directions for cooking couscous, and add raisins and fresh mint. Yum yum!

Photobucket

FISH AND CELERY TAGINE:

1 Pound Celery Stalk
2 Cloves Garlic
Salt And Pepper -- To Taste
2 Teaspoons Paprika
1 Teaspoon Cumin
Saffron -- To Taste
1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Pounds Cod or other firm flesh fish
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 large Tomato Chopped
1 Tablespoon Parsley -- Finely Chopped