Cayman Islands

One of the things that make the 3 island Caribbean territory known as the Cayman islands unique is that it has more registered businesses than it does people. It is a major international financial center. What it shares with the rest of the Caribbean is great food, highlighting fish, seafood, and fruity accompaniments. I chose to prepare salmon with mango salsa, and an avocado salad to represent this vacation spot. Grab your snorkeling gear!

The salmon is made using a jerk recipe. Jerk is a seasoning usually associated with Jamaica. I made it using a mixture of salt, ground allspice, ground cumin, dried thyme, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon. I can give you precise measurements; but, the truth is, I eyeball it. I will list measurements below, as a guide. I use more than listed, because we like things spicy. Fell free to experiment.

Peel and dice 2 mangoes. Core and dice half a pineapple. Chop about a fourth of a cup of cilantro. Now, mix this all up in a bowl, and throw in a pinch of salt. If you wish, you can also add a cup of rinsed canned black beans, and 3/4 a cup of finely chopped red onion. I leave out both.

Now mix up a pinch of kosher salt, the allspice, cumin, thyme, cayenne and cinnamon, and rub all that good stuff all over the salmon. Broil it anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how much you want to burn it.

Plate the salmon, and cover with the salsa. 

JERK SALMON AND MANGO PINEAPPLE SALSA:

2 mangoes, peeled and diced
1/2 pineapple, cored and diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp cinnamon
4 salmon fillets (5 ounces each), skin on

Serves 4

On the side, I had an avocado and hearts of palm salad.

For the dressing, mix together a tsp of minced garlic, a quarter cup of chopped cilantro, 3 Tbs of freshly squeezed lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a half cup of olive oil. If you like, you can add half a tsp of sugar. I did not.

For the salad, pull apart 2 heads of Boston lettuce. Place the leaves real nice like on a salad plate. Divide a 14 ounce can of hearts of palm, and 4 ripe but firm avocados, and place them nicely on the lettuce. Drizzle with the dressing. Mmmm mmmm.

Add you own Island fun!

AVOCADO AND HEARTS OF PALM SALAD:

14 oz can of hearts of palm
4 firm ripe avocados
2 heads of Boston lettuce

DRESSING:

1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil

Blame Canada!

But seriously, folks...

There is one ingredient that I knew I HAD to use in representing Canada...maple syrup! That, and salmon. This was a simple, yet delicious dish to make. I decided to make salmon with orange Zest. Here's how you do it...

Buy a big, beautiful filet of salmon. Any variety will do. I picked siverbrite, for two reasons. One, the cost. Sliverbrite is half the cost of other salmons. Two, silverbrite has less oil that other varieties. Not everyone can handle an oil rich fish. depending on where you live, this may be called chum slamon. The down side is that this salmon also has less flavor. For what we are going to do withy it, that is just fine. I bought a 2 and 1/4 pound filet. It fed two, with leftovers.

Preheat the oven to 350. Put rack in center of oven.

Wash and pat dry the fish. Lay on a cutting board, and cut into small enough pieces to fit on a baking sheet. Line a baking sheet with foil. Put a second layer of foil over the first, and create a boat, or bowl effect, leaving enough to spare to cover the fish. Lay the fish out on this, and sprinkle with kosher salt. Now, drizzle fish with maple syrup. Sprinkle on some ground coriander. Take an orange, wash it, and grate the zest onto the fish. Use the outer skin of the whole orange. The fruit can then be peeled, and served as an appetizer. Finally, pour a shot of Absolut Mandarin Vodka onto the fish.

Snap the tough ends off a bunch of asparagus. Lay this on top of the fish. Fold the foil over the fish, and pinch the edges, creating a closed pocket. Bake for 20 minutes.

There now...wasn't that delicious. You can Blame Canada!

Cameroon Chicken

Okay...it's been a while. One of the reasons is that there has been a major change in the Chicken Coop. My wife and I have moved toward a gluten free, low carb diet. This has meant some catching up with the learning curve. Below is an example of a dish made famous in Cameroon, with some tweaks to make it Paleo friendly. It is known as Poulet DG. Poulet is chicken; and DG stands for "Director General". This African dish was once reserved for dignitaries. Now, it is enjoyed by the rank and file.

I used 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Traditionally, a whole chicken is used. From the produce department, I used 3 tomatoes, 3 ripe plantains...and I mean RIPE! They were were soft, yellow, with a few black spots. This is the major source of sweet goodness that goes oh so well with chicken. 1 small onion, three bell peppers. I used red, orange and yellow. I tend to stay away from green bell peppers. I chopped up a bunch of organic carrots, and some cilantro.

I cut the chicken into bite sized pieces, and browned it in some coconut oil. Then I added all the chopped veggies, and a couple of teaspoons of minced garlic. After a few minutes of softening the vegetables, I added a couple of cups of chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste, simmer for 20 minutes, and we had a dinner so good, it would make you want to slap your mamma, yes it would

Ingrediants: (serves 4; or, less, with left overs)

2 lbs Chicken
3 Tomatoes, chopped
3 ripe Plantains, sliced
1 small Onion,diced
3 Sweet Peppers, sliced
5 Carrots, sliced
2 teaspoons Minced garlic
chopped Cilantro
2 cups Chicken Stock
Black Pepper
Salt
Coconut Oil

Communing with Cthuhlu

Deep within the recesses of our ancient history lies a tradition so old that it may well have been practiced by those who knew their gods as only "The Ancient Ones". I am speaking of the practice of taking in the essence of our source of power through the medium of food. Vestiges of this edible edification can still be found in the Roman tradition known as Catholicism. There it is called communion. I invite you to call upon that Ancient One who has, and may again, rise from the deep. Bring to the surface this wonderful offering, Octopus and Olives with Linguini. Cthulhu will be well pleased.

Boil a pot of water, with enough to hold 2 pounds of chopped octopus. I purchased my frozen octopus at an H-mart, a chain Korean grocery store. Add some kosher salt, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and the octopus. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer, and allow the pot to heat for 45 minutes. You will know that the octopus is ready when it is easily pierced with a fork. Drain the octopus, and set aside.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin oil in a skillet, over medium heat. Add a clove of minced garlic, and sprinkle in some dried pepper flakes. The amount will depend on how hot you want it. I like mine spicy, so I added a couple of teaspoons...and then shook kin some more. Saute this for a minute. Then, add the octopus, and a quarter cup of oil cured black olives. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour in a quarter cup of dry red wine. I used Merlot. Again, I did add more later. Cook this for about 5 minutes, to reduce the liquid. Then, cover, and simmer for 10 more minutes.

While the octopus is simmering, boil a pot of water with some kosher salt. When it boils, add 1 pound of linguine, and cook until al dente. Add the linguine, and a couple of tablespoons of chopped parsley. Truth be told, I actually use the whole bunch of fresh parsley. I don't want to let the remainder go to waste. At this point, I add a little more olive oil. Toss all of this together.

Serve with a glass of Merlot, or Rose Red wine.

There...Cthulhu is well pleased.


INGREDIENTS:

Salt
3 cloves minced garlic
2 pounds of sliced, cleaned octopus (frozen is fine)
2 tablespoons plus extra-virgin olive oil
Dried red pepper flakes
1/4 cup oil cured black olives
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 pound linguine
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Salt

Ingredients

• Salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 2 pounds octopus, cleaned (or substitute frozen), sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra
• Hot red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup oil-cured black olives, pitted
• freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup dry red wine
• 1 pound linguine
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

- See more at: http://lacucinaitalianamagazine.com/recipe/spicy_linguine_with_octopus_and_olives#sthash.uQldJDdM.dpuf

Ingredients

• Salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 2 pounds octopus, cleaned (or substitute frozen), sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra
• Hot red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup oil-cured black olives, pitted
• freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup dry red wine
• 1 pound linguine
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

- See more at: http://lacucinaitalianamagazine.com/recipe/spicy_linguine_with_octopus_and_olives#sthash.uQldJDdM.dpuf

Ingredients

• Salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 2 pounds octopus, cleaned (or substitute frozen), sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra
• Hot red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup oil-cured black olives, pitted
• freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup dry red wine
• 1 pound linguine
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

- See more at: http://lacucinaitalianamagazine.com/recipe/spicy_linguine_with_octopus_and_olives#sthash.uQldJDdM.dpuf

Ingredients

• Salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 2 pounds octopus, cleaned (or substitute frozen), sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra
• Hot red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup oil-cured black olives, pitted
• freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup dry red wine
• 1 pound linguine
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

- See more at: http://lacucinaitalianamagazine.com/recipe/spicy_linguine_with_octopus_and_olives#sthash.uQldJDdM.dpuf

Ingredients

• Salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 2 pounds octopus, cleaned (or substitute frozen), sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra
• Hot red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup oil-cured black olives, pitted
• freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup dry red wine
• 1 pound linguine
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

- See more at: http://lacucinaitalianamagazine.com/recipe/spicy_linguine_with_octopus_and_olives#sthash.uQldJDdM.dpuf

Ingredients

• Salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 2 pounds octopus, cleaned (or substitute frozen), sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra
• Hot red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup oil-cured black olives, pitted
• freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup dry red wine
• 1 pound linguine
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

- See more at: http://lacucinaitalianamagazine.com/recipe/spicy_linguine_with_octopus_and_olives#sthash.uQldJDdM.dpuf

Ingredients

• Salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 2 pounds octopus, cleaned (or substitute frozen), sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra
• Hot red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup oil-cured black olives, pitted
• freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup dry red wine
• 1 pound linguine
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

- See more at: http://lacucinaitalianamagazine.com/recipe/spicy_linguine_with_octopus_and_olives#sthash.uQldJDdM.dpuf

Ingredients

• Salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 2 pounds octopus, cleaned (or substitute frozen), sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra
• Hot red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup oil-cured black olives, pitted
• freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup dry red wine
• 1 pound linguine
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

- See more at: http://lacucinaitalianamagazine.com/recipe/spicy_linguine_with_octopus_and_olives#sthash.uQldJDdM.dpuf

Cambodia

This weeks stop is in Cambodia. Nestled between Thailand and Vietnam, Cambodian food is known as Khmer cuisine. This is one of the world's oldest cuisines. Khmer food is very uncomplicated. It relies on food that is both fresh and local. Like other Asian cuisines, Khmer cuisine relies on rice as a staple food. The use of spices is minimal.

To represent Cambodia, I chose to prepare Khmer beef, and Poat Dot, or, Cambodian Grilled Corn. I had some thinly sliced beef that I purchased from a Korean grocer. It was perfect for this recipe. If you use a whole piece of beef eye round, you may want to put it in the freezer for a bit. This will make it easier to slice thinly. Heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil, using medium high heat. Brown the beef for no more than a minute. 

Peel and thinly slice an Asian pear. Add this to the skillet, along with six sliced scallions, five cloves of minced garlic, four tablespoons of soy sauce, a tablespoon of agave syrup, two tablespoons of homemade curry powder (recipe to follow), and dry chili flakes. Stir fry for two to three minutes.

If you choose, you can serve this over rice. 

Homemade Curry Powder:

Combine the following in a small grinder, and grind for one to two minutes:

4-5 tsp Ground Coriander
2 tsp Turmeric
1-2 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/2 tsp Black Peppercorns
1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 tsp Ground Cardamon
1/2 inch Cinnamon Stick
1/4 tsp whole cloves
1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
  

    

Burundi...Beef and Greens in Peanut sauce

It's been a while; but I continue my trip around the world through my own TARDIS...my kitchen. This week, I found myself once again in Africa. This time, in the country of Burundi. The dish I chose is as simple as it is delicious.

Beef and greens in peanut sauce is part soul food, part Thai, and 100 % African. You can use any type of greens you choose...collards, kale, turnip greens, or something else along those lines. I chose kale.I boiled the greens for about 20 minutes, after taking off the stems and any tough veins. You may want to shred the larger leaves.

In a large saucepan, heat some vegetable oil, and brown the meat. Add the greens, a couple of table spoons of smooth peanut butter, and some hot sauce.

The meat and greens are simplicity itself. Add to this the peanut butter earthy sweetness, and the heat from the hot sauce, and you have a taste treat without having to fly to the Mother land.

INGREDIANTS:

1 lb. Beef Cubes
1 large bunch of Greens
2 Tbs Smooth Peanut Butter
2 tsp Hot Pepper Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste

Indian Shepherd's Pie

The other day, I decided that I did not want to go to the store, so I scrounged around to see what I had on hand. There was a pound of lean ground beef that I had purchased, meaning to make Korean burgers. A day later, this did not appeal to me. I also had some spinach and potatoes, along with my various spices. I decided that I would experiment and make an Indian version of shepherd's pie. I liked the result. My Hen was not as thrilled. I cheated and used instant mashed potatoes, and used too much water. The result was soupy.

Begin by boiling the potatoes, for mashing. I am constantly making the mistake of not letting the potatoes boil long enough. Do not do this. You can't mash a hard potato. Let the potatoes boil a bit before you begin to prepare the rest of the food. Once the potatoes have been mashed, set them aside. In a skillet heated on medium heat, add some oil. I used vegetable oil. I should have used ghee; but alas, I could not find it. Olive oil can also be used. Once the oil is hot, add a chopped onion, some minced garlic, and your spices. I used cumin, turmeric and garam masala. I like a lot of spice. Using a spatula, mix the spices with the onion and garlic. Then, add the lean ground beef. You can also use beef or lamb cubes. Once the meat has been browned, add the spinach. Okra would also be nice. Add the mashed potatoes to the skillet, and mix well. Add spices as needed and desired. I try not to use a lot of salt; but, many will want to add sea salt. If you feel the need for pepper, you can add that...but I like to let the other spices speak for themselves. You may also want to put the meat mixture in a casserole dish, and top with the mashed potatoes, making for a more traditional look.

The above is not the exact recipe I used; but, represents the improvements I will make the next time. I should have made real mashed potatoes.  I mixed some tandoori masala into the meat, and was less than thrilled with the result.

You can be as simple, or as complicated as you want with this dish. I chose simple. You can add yogurt, ginger, celery, tomatoes, lentils...the list goes on. Also, other spices and herbs can be added, such as paprika, basil, oregano or thyme. Cheese can also be added. This is a great recipe for using those odds and ends you have in the refrigerator.

I think you will enjoy this Indian touch to a much enjoyed dish. Namaste!

 

BURMA

The cuisine of Burma, now known as Myanmar, is a delightful blending of Chinese and Indian. You may wonder, at first, how the spices of these very different foods will blend. Let me tell you...wonderfully! Bring on the ginger powder and masalas...there's a party in the kitchen! The special guest is beef and okra, Burmese style!

I began with some vegetable oil heating on medium heat. I chopped up a sweet onion and added this with a lot of minced garlic, some ginger powder, turmeric. hot Hungarian paprika, chili powder garam masala, sesame oil, cumin and chopped chives. Saute the spices until the neighbors pound on the front door, drooling like zombies to get in. Then, add a couple of cups of beef stock, some cubed beef and a cup of rice and trimmed okra. Bring to a boil. Then, simmer with the lid on the skillet. I let this simmer for about 20 minutes. Just long enough to board up the windows.

The result? Intestinal happiness! As usual feel free to experiment with how much spice you use. I tend to use a lot.

Western Africa

My next stop was to Burkina Faso. This is a Western African country. Rather than trying to come up with something specific to Burkina Faso, I decided to cook food that would represent Western Africa. There are differences between the countries; but, with enough similarity for me to find something I liked. I decided to make peanut soup.

While I prepared the rice, I diced 2 large onions, a green bell pepper and a red bell pepper. Also a large sweet potato was peeled, and diced. A couple inches of ginger root was peeled and sliced. I used a can of crushed tomatoes, with the juice. All of this was cooked with a little oil in a large soup pan. After 5 minutes, I added a couple tablespoons of crushed garlic. This was cooked for 5 more minutes. Then, I put in 4 cups of water.

The above was cooked for 25 minutes. Then, I added about 4 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter. You can put in more or less. I prefer more. While this was cooking, I threw in some salt, freshly ground black pepper and cayenne pepper. I don't generally make exact measurements when cooking this type of food. personally, I like hot food; so, I put a lot in...stirred it...tasted it...and put more in. The amount you use is purely a matter of taste. About this time, the rice was done; so, I threw that in there too. If you want, you can throw in a cake of soft tofu and green onions. I did not. You will find that the more peanut butter you use, the thicker will be your soup. Mine ended up being a thick stew. In fact, I could have put on a plate instead of a bowl.

I ate this with lamb that was spiced hot, using salt, pepper, cayenne and minced garlic. I put about half a teaspoon of garlic on each lamb chop. This was broiled for about seven minutes. The inside was very red, and warm.

I love...love...LOVE the peanut soup. I think you will too.

BULGARIA

After being downed for a bit, I have finally made a new stop in my quest for World Domination. This week's stop was in Bulgaria. This Slavic Republic sits next to Romania; and, was one of the Gothic nations. Chock full of archeological treasures, Bulgarian cuisine is known for its rich salads, which hold a place of prominence at every table.

I decided to represent Bulgaria by making Gyuveche. This dish does not have any set ingrediants, other than some kind of meat, vegetables and Feta Cheese. This is a dish you make when you want to get rid of left overs. I used browned, lean ground beef for the meat. For the vegetables, I used tomatoes, mushrooms, a diced onion, whole black olives, and fresh parsley and basil. Of course, I topped this off with Feta cheese. I also added a thin layer of sharp cheddar cheese. The ingredients are layered, with the feta cheese going on top. After baking for about 20 minutes, in a preheated oven at 375, a whisked egg is added to the top, and cooked for about 5 more minutes. This will create a glaze. Two eggs would be good for a larger casserole. Mine was small.

The result is a nice meal, that doesn't cost much; and, there should be left overs. In fact, it is better the second time around. There are a couple of things I would have done differently. I would fry the onions before adding them. A lot of people cannot tolerate onions that are near raw. Frying them will make them palpable to just about anyone. I would have cooked it about 10 minutes longer, and covered it in foil, until the eggs were added. My result was good; but, the ingredients did not seem to exactly blend. Putting the leftovers in the fridge, and reheating it the next day took care of the problem. That's not to say my result was not good...but it could have been better.

If you decide to make this dish, experiment with the ingredients. This is your chance to get rid of some odds and ends in the fridge.

HEART FRIENDLY

Lately, I have been focusing on meals that are more heart friendly. The meals I have been making are actually pretty healthy; but, hey, we're not getting any younger you know.

Basically, I have been cutting down on that amount of salt that I use, along with using less butter.

I have discovered this, while shopping with a semi-vegan friend: http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/product/original-buttery-spread/. It has a nice, slightly nutty flavor. I use it in place of butter for sauteing. I will admit that I still put a little butter in the mix when making shrimp scampi...but even small improvements help.

I have also begun using Skim Plus milk and Half and Half.

BRUNEIAN CHICKEN

Brunei is a Southeast Asian sovereign state on the island of Borneo. It shares Borneo with Indonesia and Malaysia. Brunei is predominantly Muslim. This, and it neighboring countries gives Brunei an interesting cuisine. I have learned that they can do crazy things with a chicken and coconut milk.

I went with a Bruneian chicken recipe, based on a dish called "Beriani". I started with a pound of chicken thighs. I ground together a clove of garlic, a 2 inch piece of ginger, 2 Serrano peppers, seeds included, a tablespoon of poppy seeds, 10 cashew nuts and 10 almonds. In a skillet, I heated some ghee. You can find ghee at an Indian market. You can also use olive oil, or vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, fry up 5 cloves, a 2 inch piece of Cinnamon and a cup of sliced shallots. In goes the chicken, a little salt, and a teaspoon of curry powder. Stir this up, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes.

Here comes the fun part...I put a can of coconut milk in a pot, and added a little more than a cup of basmati rice. Add in a little salt. I can't describe how good rice is when it cooked in coconut milk. Heat until the rice absorbs the coconut milk. After a little bit, I added just a little bit of water. The coconut milk is a little thick, and needed to be thinned out a bit. Then, I put the rice in the skillet with the chicken, and simmered it for about fifteen minutes.

This is a very tasty meal. To make it VERY tasty, add larger amounts of the spices.

BRAZILIAN SHRIMP STEW

The dish I prepared to represent Brazil is shrimp stew. I upped the cayenne and coconut milk factors, creating a dish that, after a little cilantro was added, could have just as easily been found on a Thai menu.

I have finally come to the point where I view recipes as suggestions, as opposed to strict instructions. This view would not work with baking...which may be why baking has never appealed to me. This particular recipe was not my first attempt at making a Brazilian dish. The others were rather bland; so, I decided to take a Brazilian dish, and pop up the volume by adding three times the cayenne.

I thawed out a pound of raw shrimp and removed the tails. In a bowl, I mixed some black pepper, salt, garlic and lemon juice. I rolled the shrimp around in this, and let it set while I prepared the rest of the ingredients. In olive oil,I sauteed one medium onion chopped and a green bell pepper chopped, for about eight minutes. I then poured in the cayenne...about a teaspoon and a half...maybe a little bit more. A little chopped cilantro followed. Stir this up and cook for a minute or two. Then, I added a can of diced tomatoes, juice and all. I let this simmer for about ten minutes. I added a can of coconut milk and boiled; then, added the shrimp. This was alowed to boil for about five minutes. On the side, I was preparing some basmati rice. After the rice came to a boil, I added some cayenne, and a little coconut milk. I have found that it is a good idea to introduce a little of the spices you use in a dish to the rice. Put a little garlic in there too. Now, get a bowl, put in some rice, and spoon some of the shrimp stew on top of the rice. The result is pure wonderfulness!

This recipe belongs on my personal list of favorite dishes. It is both hot, and a little sweet. It could work equally well as a Spanish dish; or, as an Asian side, served with a broiled whole fish, spiced up.

BOTSWANA BEEF

As I travel through Africa, I feel like Livingstone, who has stumbled upon a secret known by few. The secret is this...African food rocks! Along with Korean and Indian, African food is met with anticipation in my house. The spices are out of this world. If you take the earthiness of Indian spices, and combine it with the heat of Korean food, you have a pretty good idea of what African food is like. Yes, there are examples of bland food; but, seriously...do you really expect me to go there?

To represent Botswana, I made a beef marinade, with eye of round steak; and, added a side of okra and tomatoes. Here is what I did...

To make the marinade, I sacrificed a dark beer. In a bowl, the beer was combined with olive oil, soy sauce, crushed garlic, grated ginger root, 2 sliced Serrano peppers, hot paprika, ground black pepper, and coriander seeds. After whisking together, I added four eye round steaks in a gallon size zip lock bag, and poured the marinade in. I put this in the fridge for six hours.

Six hours later, I heated a skillet on high, and poured the steak and marinade in. I boiled the steaks for a few minutes and removed. Then, I added a little corn starch to the marinade, and reduced it to a nice, thick sauce. This was spooned onto the steaks.

For the side dish, I trimmed and sliced a pound and a half of okra, then ran it under hot water for a few minutes. I used my cast iron skillet, heated to moderate high, and heated some vegetable oil in it. Once hot, I sauteed a medium onion, roughly chopped, for about three minutes.I then added two large, ripe tomatoes, diced, juice and all. In went a Serrano pepper, with some holes cut in with a fork, and the whole was boiled for 5 minutes. Now was time to add the okra, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Take out the chili, add salt and pepper, and enjoy.

I have made this meal a few times, and it has become one of my wife's favorites.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

I will be honest here...I was not greatly impressed by my options for making a dish representative of Bosnian cuisine. I am not sure why. Maybe it is because I prefer food that has a lot of spices; and, Bosnian food does not swing that way. It was also hard to find something that was distinctive, as Bosnian food borrows a lot from its neighbors. It is a country caught between the East and the West.

I decided to go with the Cevapcici...meatballs made with ground beef and lamb, served with pita bread. Pork is not often used, because of the Moslem influence; but I included ground pork with mine. I began by heating a tablespoon of butter in a skillet, and added half a chopped onion and a clove of chopped garlic. This was stir fried for about seven minutes, allowing the onions to soften. I mixed the meat mixture in a large bowl, and mixed in an egg and a tablespoon of hot Hungarian paprika. Once the onions and garlic were finished, these were added.

Make small meatballs with the above mixture. We are talking a couple of inches. I also flattened mine, making mini-burgers. I fried these in butter, and placed then on pita bread. As a side, I made a yogurt, cucumber mixture...mixing yogurt, diced cucumbers and salt. I mixed my meat into this, and it worked well with the pita bread. Bosnie is heavily influenced bu turkey, so other turkish side dishes would be appropriate. My wife really seemed to enjoy this meal. I found it to be okay. Looking back, I think I would have added a little cinnamon in with the meat. Perhaps some allspice and nutmeg would work, as well. Typically, this meal would be served with a salad. I also made some homemade stuffed grape leaves. The result was so-so. I am not sure how the restaurants keep the leaves from being tough. I will have to research that when I find the time. So...while this meal didn't exactly thrill me, it was still better than your typical meat and potatoes affair.

Breakfast Mex

Over the weekend, I made tacos for me, my wife, and two teenagers. I made a lot of fixings, sure that the two youngsters would devour them. I was wrong. It seems that one of those handheld computer whatyamathingies was more interesting than eating. I have always stated that this computer jazz is nothing but a fad...and time will bear me out...but now I realize that it is also a device of the fashion industry, insuring that our children remain size zeros so they can fit in those pencil thin clothes they try to hock off. Refusing to to give in, I ate six tacos, with extra sour cream. But I still had zip-loc bags full of leftovers. What to do?

I put a taco twist on a household favorite...breakfast mess...and came up with Breakfast Mex. It's very simple...very good...and will guarantee that you don't become a size zero fashion zombie.

Dice up a couple of potatoes, and deep fry them in oil. Remove, once they become as crispy as you like, and set aside.

Dice a large onion, and heat in a little oil until they begin to become translucent. Add the crispy potatoes, some diced tomatoes, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin. When this heats through, add some grated cheddar cheese, or some of that pre-mixed Mexican cheese stuff. Stir in, and add a few eggs. Now, mix it up. Give the eggs time to set; but, do not expect anything to get any crispier. There is too much juice from the tomatoes for that.

If you want to get fancy, place some of the mess on a warn tortilla wrap, and garnish with a whole jalapeno.

Enjoy!

Bhutan...Fire in the Himalayas

There is a saying in Bhutan...If you visited Bhutan, and did not eat Ema Datshi, you haven't been to Bhutan. The national dish of this Himalayan country, Ema Datshi is a dish so hot, it is almost impossible for a Westerner to eat without being toned down quite a bit. I was forced to use only half the chili peppers this dish customarily has. I only used a quarter pound of the little fire crackers.

I cut up a quarter pound of green chili peppers. Do not seed. This dish is supposed to be HOT! Next, I chopped a large sweet onion. These were put in a cup and a half of water, and boiled, with 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil. Boil for about ten minutes. Then, 2 chopped tomatoes, and five crushed cloves of garlic are added, and boiled for a couple of more minutes. Then eight ounces of feta cheese is added.

This needs to be served with rice so that you don't literally burn your mouth out. If you want to make this more authentic, you would have to double upon the peppers. That's right...half a pound of the hot stuff is used for this dish. I also put a pound of beef cubes in mine. This is traditionally a vegetarian dish. The majority of the population of Bhutan is Buddhist; but some do eat yak meat. They also eat yak cheese. I have no idea where you will find authentic yak cheese, unless your neighbor happens to have a yak laying around somewhere. The Bhutanese eat rice with every meal; and, they put peppers in everything. I have noted that countries that have historically suffered from poverty...Bhutan...Korea...parts of LA...use a lot of spices in their food. I imagine that is because it makes you feel full faster. Also, in places like India, it helps you cool off. At any rate...it sure is delicious!

EMA DATSHI:

1/4 pound Green Chillies, seeds left in
1 chopped large Onion
2 tomatoes, chopped
8 oz Feta Cheese
5 cloves Garlic, chopped or pressed
2 tsp Vegetable Oil

Benin...Hot Stuff In West Africa!

I have received a new calling in life. That is the making of curry powders. I received that call after I mixed up a West African powder that raised my taste buds from the dead. A voice came from the Pits and demanded that I bring Hell upon the earth in the form of ground chili peppers. What can I do but obey?

The making of the perfect curry powder is a lifelong endeavor. The willingness to experiment boldly is the only rule. Here is how I made this particular batch. I put a tablespoon of cumin seeds, 3 tablespoons of coriander seeds and 2 tablespoons of black peppercorns in a dry skillet and heated until fragrant. This was put into a grinder, along with a teaspoon of cinnamon, a teaspoon of whole cloves, half a teaspoon of ground cardamon, 6 dried chili peppers, including the seeds and 2 teaspoons of turmeric.

After being ground to a fine powder, the above mixture was used to spice my Beninese beef stew. Four tablespoons of butter was melted in a skillet, and used to brown two pounds of angus beef cubes. I removed the meat from the skillet, and used the butter to saute a large chopped onion and five minced garlic cloves, until the onions began to brown. I added a tablespoon of flour, three tablespoons of the West African curry powder, tow teaspoons of salt, a pretty good amount of cayenne powder and four tablespoons of smooth, unsweetened peanut butter. This was heated for a minute, when twelve ounces of coconut milk was slowly stirred in, and eight ounces of water. This was stirred until it began to thicken. The meat was then added, along with 3 whole chili peppers. Cover and simmer. I simmered mine about ninety minutes; but, you can go until two hours. Twenty minutes before the end of the simmer, add severalokra with the tops cut off and about eight chunks of deep fried sweet potatoes. Make sure that you serve this on rice.

WEST AFRICAN CURRY POWDER:

1 T Cumin seed
3 T Coriander seed
2 T Black Pepper
1 t Cinnamon
1 t Cloves, whole
1/2 t Cardamon powder
6 dried Chilies, with seeds
2 t Turmeric

SOMETHING FISHY IN BELIZE!

What do you get when you mix Central American food with Caribbean food? Tacos...coconut milk...and, as I found out for myself, something fishy. I got to baker two whole rainbow trout! I liked it.

I used two trout that were about a pound and a half apiece. They were gutted; but, I cooked them with the heads on. First, I mixed some chili pepper, black pepper, celery salt, minced onion, paprika and garlic powder. This mixture was rubbed liberally on both the outsides and insides of the fish. Then, I diced a tomato, a green bell pepper, and a small onion. Even though the fish were already seasoned, I ground some more black pepper on them. I cut a large piece of foil, put the fish on it, and stuffed it with the diced vegetables. I repeated the process with the other fish. I wrapped them nice and tight in the foil. The oven was preheated to 400 degrees, and I cooked the fish for twenty minutes.

I cooked some Jasmine rice to go with it, and made a large avocado and tomato salad. I quartered ten vine ripened tomatoes. I peeled 4 ripe avocados with a potato peeler, halved and pitted them. The oven was already hot, so I just put the rack on the top shelf, and turned on the broiler. I placed the avocados on a baking sheet, flat side down, and drizzled with olive oil, squeezed the juice of one lemon on them, and ground some pepper over them. These were broiled for 45 seconds. A red onion was then diced, and placed in a separate bowl . The juice of another lemon was squeezed over the onion, and salt, pepper and some olive oil were added, and mixed. Lay the quartered tomatoes out on a large serving platter. Line the avocado up on the tomatoes, and scoop some of the onion mixture into each half. This is a LOT of salad, so leftovers are almost assured.

The result? I enjoyed the fish; but, got heartburn from the onions in the salad. My wife enjoyed the salad, but not the fish. It was too fatty for her. It may have worked better if I had used fillets, and still baked the fish in foil, with the vegetables. It may also have been better if I used another kind of fish, such as snapper. Each person is different; and, not everyone enjoys the same kind of fish. In fact, there are many people who simply do not like fish, or seafood. I know! Crazy!

That's it! Enjoy!

BELGIUM: MEAT AND POTATOES THAT GO TO 11!!

I was so looking forward to my stop in Belgium...and I was not disappointed! Belgium cuisine is French cuisine; but without the stingy portions. It is rich deliciousness that goes to Eleven! Bon Appetit!

I went with the Entrecote Bordelaise...Steak in Red Wine with Shallots, Frites...Belgium Fries. I went ahead and bought two good rib steaks, at a little over ten dollars a pound. It was well worth it. They were salt and peppered on each side. I sauteed the steaks in three and a half tablespoons of butter...between two and three minutes per side. Then, I set the steaks aside, so I could prepare the wine sauce. I used the same pan to cook 2 shallots that were diced. These are are stirred periodically until they just start turning brown.

Now, add half a cup of red wine, and stir it around a bit. I used a dry red wine. Next, I put in a cup of beef broth, and stirred to blend the flavors. This was simmered for five minutes. You can simmer it longer, depending on how reduced you want your sauce. I was fine to use a runnier sauce, so five minutes was sufficient. Besides, the smell was making me feel like I just couldn't wait any longer to dig in. After five minutes, I cut another three and a half tablespoons of butter into patties, and melted one at a time in the sauce. Lastly, I put in 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley. I had put each steak on a separate plate. Now, I sliced each into several strips across the grain, and divided the sauce between the two. I put the sauce on the steaks, and allowed the excess to fill the bottom of the plates. I then piled on the fries that I had made by thinly slicing two large baking potatoes, and deep frying them, in small batches, until they were a brown a little darker than golden, and crispy. They were great soaked in the sauce!

That's it! Meat and potatoes Belgium style, which is actually French style, but with a lot more! Enjoy!

Entrecote Bordelaise:

2 good Steaks
7 tablespoons Butter
2 Shallots finely chopped
1/2 cup Red Wine
1 cup Beef Stock
1 tablespoons fresh Parsley chopped
salt
black pepper