Much to the neglect of the “Global Food Challenge”, I have become a relatively prolific brewer in the past 6 months.  I have made about 9-10 different beers since then and I have to say that as I gained understanding of the processes of brewing, I have begun to churn out some of the tastiest beers I have ever consumed.  No seriously, fresh homemade beer is a superior product to even the most delicious craft brews available that have the disadvantage of being less fresh.  I have even started a mead recently which requires much longer than the average 1 month required to make a good brew…I should be able to sample that in about 6-12 months.  Additionally, when you make a small batch Ale, you cut no corners with ingredients and avoid adjuncts and similar discrepancies.

The part of the process which I have little love for is the act of bottling.  Yet it is a necessary part of the process, perhaps the most important.  A good sealed bottled properly primed is the key to those little tickly bubbles that dance on the tongue carrying the delicious golden beverage to it’s natural resting place.  My belly.  But it is tedious.  And sticky.  Seriously.

The point of my rambling is that I am bottling today.  I have a batch of India Pale Ale or I.P.A. finished with secondary fermentation and it is time to give it the bubbles.  It will be ready to consume in two weeks.

For those of you who enjoy good craft beers, you are probably familiar with Bell’s Brewing’s “Two Hearted Ale” .   This Michigan based brewery started as a home brewing shop and eventually evolved into a favorite regional brewery.  The 2 hearted ale is considered by many to be one of the finest examples of American Style IPA available on the market.   I would tend to agree although American craft brewing has produced many many great beers.  Today’s beer is a clone recipe I devised to mimic Two Hearted.  I have been working on the recipe for months.  In the meantime I have studied, ahem, our nations finest craft brewers.  For innovation and consistent high quality I am a fan of the Dogfish Head Brewery from Delaware.   For a dedication to the ancient Belgian arts, try Upstate New Yorks Ommegang Brewing.

Belgium is famous for their 150+ local breweries (in a tiny country) that produce everything from farmhouse ales to Trappiste Monk open air fermentation and blended sours, the list goes on and on.  Belgium is Mecca for brewers.  My favorite trip with my wife was to Brugges in Belgium where we fell in love with a simple local brew called Brugges Zot or Fool of Bruge.  Anyway, I digress…

In the past 25 years, America has experienced a glorious resurgence of craft and regional brewing.  This could be compared to the French revolution in that the giant corporate brewers (Budweiser, Coors, Miller etc.) had aggressively bought out and diluted the American breweries (1400 or so) since prohibition, until the average American beer had become a pale, watered down, adjuncted lager with little flavor and almost no character.  It would take a genuine organic grassroots revolution to break these chains.  It has begun!  In the past several decades, the number of brewers (it had shrunk to less than one hundred) has rebounded to something like 1400 breweries.  Vive La Revolucion!  But the challenges have been immense with the monarchy hurling every nasty corporate trick in the way of progress…

This is not just my opinion.  Watch this trailer…

http://beerwarsmovie.com/trailer/large/

In recent times, small local and regional beer makers have literally burst free from the chains of substandard brewing to emerge as a global force of reckoning, with establishment of companies that cater to the beer lovers of this country. In so doing they have begun the fight against the big boys and have begun to revolutionize craft brewing, putting the US back on the map and brewing some of the most delicious beers available anywhere on earth in the process.  Hooray Beer!

I cannot stress enough that, although bottling is a drag (easily avoided with a kegerator), home brewing is a simple delicious process that requires little more than some basic equipment and some motivation (easily found when drinking one’s own brew).  If you want to give it a whirl, follow this link and you will get a good lesson in the basics.  Click here to start your journey…:)

In the wise words of Charlie Papazian, “relax drink a homebrew” and be a part of the Great American Craft Beer Revolution…

Photo of Delicious American Craft Beers by David Jensen

Image source: http://beer47.com/2010/05/second-annual-craft-beer-in-can-tasting-sf-beer-week/

"Photo Copyright © 2011 by David D. Jensen. Used with permission." http://beer47.com

The truth is that I HAVE been cooking, just not writing.  I have been creating recipes and some have been fabulous.  Today is mothers day and breakfast in bed for my wife consisted of Mango, Banana and Orange fruit salad, fresh Costa Rican coffee and Breakfast Burritos made with scrambled eggs, feta, Berkshire applewood smoked bacon and seasoned hashbrowns topped with vine ripe tomatoes.  This afternoon we went strawberry picking and I will be putting up a small batch of jam and some different purees for toppings.

To top it all off, I have been building toward an experiment in the kitchen and today was the day I took the plunge.  I have officially begun homebrewing.  If you know me, you know how much I appreciate a quality craft beer and I am fortunate enough to have  a great local brewery right around the corner from my house.  I know the head brewer and partly through his encouragement I decided to take on brewing.  It does make the task easier when you have a professional brewer as a reference.

In many ways, this is the closest thing I have done to a national dish in awhile.  Many of the countries we have visited so far and many that we have yet to cook count beer as a national beverage.  Germany for instance is famous for its many delicious brews and of course Belgium, Scotland and the list goes on and on.  Beer has been with us almost as long as we have been with us.  Well, 5000 years or so before Jesus walked the earth and changed water into wine, if you so believe.  Ancient Iraq and ancient Sumerian writings record beer as a tradition.  The oldest known barley beer was recorded in ancient Iran about 3500 B.C..

I could go on and on about this most dear of culinary subjects, but basically I wanted to quickly touch base with the world and let everyone know that I have not been inactive, I simply do not have much time to write.  I plan to post some updates as my first attempt at beer progresses.  So far it looks very promising.  Cross fingers that I kept everything sanitary enough and that my yeast begin to bubble at a rapid rate…

Here are a few pics of the first steps, cooking and 1st stage fermentation…

Cooking the malt and hopping the beer takes about 1.5 hrs

Fermentation in a carboy lasts between 1 week and 2 mos on average

More to follow!!!!!

“Canada is still technically ruled by Queen Elizabeth 2 of England. For all intents, Canada acts and is governed as an independent state, but is still technically a constitutional monarchy under the control of England. Most of the government is fashioned after England’s parliamentary system and the Queen is the basic ruler of this system.”

This is wrong, and some basic Google work would have told you so. The Queen of England is not the same as the Queen of Canada; they are separate thrones which currently have a shared succession. Should England decide to abolish the monarchy tomorrow, the monarchy in Canada remains. England – more accurately, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – has no control over Canadian affairs at all.

The Queen is also not the ‘basic ruler’ of the Canadian legal system. There’s this thing called Crown in Parliament, but I’ll let you learn about that on your own. By the by, England’s parliamentary system – the Westminster system – is the basis for the vast majority of western democratic systems, including that of the USA. Please don’t live up to the stereotype of the ignorant American.

Edit

• 
  Eric Ackerson PERMALINK*

  March 13, 2011 8:08 pm

  Hello John,

  I tried emailing you rather than replying on my blog, but you left me a fake email address. I would have enjoyed being able to reach out to you and in so doing learn more about a country I also love (having spent much time in Canada). I appreciate your clarifying the issue of the throne in Canada. I found this interesting. My Google search did not turn this up so it is nice to have someone who knows point it out.

  BTW I spend several days on each of these postings but as I point out several times in my blog I do make errors and overlook things. This is a labor of love and something that most people will never attempt. You should bear that in mind when reading my blog.

  I have to tell you that the “Please don’t live up to the stereotype of the ignorant American.” comment was uncalled for and off the point. I don’t know you and you don’t know me.
  If I came into your house and said something similar, you would be rightfully offended. Bear in mind that in showing me your knowledge (which I appreciated) you also showed me some of your ignorance (which I did not).

  I appreciate your clarifications and wish you a good day.

  Regards,

  Eric Ackerson

I have clearly been on hiatus recently.  I do not want anyone to think I have forgotten them or given up the journey.  Not so.  I am simply recharging the batteries after a long year and a sort of rough start to 2011.  I promise to return to the journey very soon.  Hang tight…

Eric

BTW here is a video you might enjoy in the meantime…I owe Cameroon a better representation

Just wanted to stop by on this delicious feast day and wish everyone a wonderful holiday season and prosperous new year.

Thanks to you all for being great supporters of this adventure and for taking the time to regularly leave comments etc.

Just so everyone is aware, the HungryTum global adventure has had about 50K visitors this year with another 15K downloading the recipes.  That number staggers my mind.  Who’d have thought that so many folks would be hooked by our search for global cuisine.  We are nearly 1/3 completed in our journey.  Germany is next at number 67.  Did you know that it was German immigrants that first brought the Christmas tree to our American shores? Danke, for that.  It brings great cheer and seasonal beauty each year…

To all persons who have and who are still celebrating the Christmas holiday, good cheer to you all.  To those that do not participate in this holiday, may your celebrations be as joyful and peaceful in this and the coming year…

Here’s to good food and cheer in 2011!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_tree

This is my daughters first recipe that she discovered while surfing cooking sites at age 8.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Center Cut Pork Chops (4-8)

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 tsp Cumin Powder

1 tsp Chili Powder

2 Nectarines Diced w/ seed removed

2 Onions Diced

1 Tomato Diced

1 bunch Cilantro Chopped

1/2 cup Parsley Chopped

Juice from 1 lemon

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place nectarines, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, red pepper flakes and lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl.   Blend with a fork.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Blend salt, pepper, cumin powder, chili powder in a small glass bowl.

Season pork chops with the blend of spices.

Place pork chops on a grilling rack and place in the preheated oven baking until center of pork chops reaches 160 degrees farenheit about 20 minutes.

Place the pork chops on to dinner plates and ladle the salsa over top of each.  Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

Click here for the audio version of this posting:

Today we are invited to a feast of sorts.  That is, a feast in so much as the author is prepared to cook a complete meal from our next destination.  There is good reason to prepare this feast, as our destination country has a long tradition of gatherings and feasts as we are about to see.

To reach our target country, we must sail from Gambia north to the Mediterranean then east to the shores of Turkey.  From here we make our way north to the Black Sea then east by small boat to Georgia, our destination.

Georgia is a country of about 4.5 million people.  It is one of the first places to adopt Christianity as its national religion in the 4^th century.  It was claimed by the Russian Republic in the 19^th century and remained that way until the Iron Curtain fell.  As with most former Soviet states, political turmoil was rampant during much of the 1990’s followed by a period of economic boom and currently by a decline.

Georgia contains two de facto independent regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Georgia considers the regions to be occupied by Russia.  Russia considers them to be independent countries allied with Russia.  This was the gist of the factors that launched the 2008 War between South Ossetia and Russia against Georgia.   After several days of heavy fighting and confusing media reports, Georgian troops were made to withdraw from South Ossetia.

Jvari, a Georgian Orthodox Monastery

On a more peaceful note, Georgia is a nation with a love affair with all things food, wine, art and dance.  With long histories and traditions of all of these, it is a pleasant place for a hungry adventurer to visit.

In Georgia, a Supra or Georgian Table is both a way to enjoy classic cuisine and a way to socialize with the family unit.  The Tamada, or head of the table, is the host of the evening and is largely responsible for the toasting and enjoyment of his guests.  No Supra is complete without this important role being filled by a worthy individual.

A variety of classic Georgian cuisine would be served at Supra and tonight we will sample a few of these dishes.  Officially, (at least for the sake of this blog) the national dish of Georgia is Khinkali, a dumpling made with meat filling and dough of wheat flour.  This dish has its roots in the Eastern Mountains but is thoroughly enjoyed throughout the country.  In addition, we are preparing two other dishes.  Chicken Bazhe is a roasted chicken with a ground walnut sauce and Beet Pkhali is a blended salad of beets, walnuts and other veggies that is seasoned with vinegar salt and pepper.  Beets are one of my favorite vegetables and visiting Eastern European cuisine gives us a chance to eat this delicious vegetable since it is common throughout much of the region.

A few notes I thought I would mention before we sit down to eat.   The top twist of the khinkali is not traditionally consumed.  It is dense and not terribly palatable.  It is also placed on the corner of the plate to let the eater know how many khinkali he/she has consumed.

The Chicken Bazhe is delicious!  I love the flavors of the walnut sauce.  For todays recipe, I used roasted boneless skinless chicken breast instead of a whole bird.  For one thing, I had some chicken breasts in the fridge and for two with the other dishes we did not need a whole chicken.  If you choose to do chicken breasts, simply season and roast them for an appropriate amount of time (15-20 mins) and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before slicing them for service.  You may also wish to cut the sauce recipe in half as it makes a good amount.

The Beet Phkali is good, but in the future, I might skip the food processor and go with a bite sized chop of the veggies.  I prefer the texture of sliced or diced beets to blended ones.

Finally, I would like to propose a toast to you, my loyal readers:

“To my dear friends and loyal fellow adventurers, although this voyage is long and requires a commitment of time and energy, I could not imagine doing this without each of you.  May you always find safe harbors and friendly roads and may each day end with a warm meal and pleasant conversation…”

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

The rating is for the Khinkali only as it is the dish of the day.

Rating:

Appearance: 4 out of 5

Aroma: 4 out of 5

Flavor: 3 out of 5

Total:  11 out of 15

Khinkali (Georgian Dumplings)

Ingredients

Makes 25 dumplings

4 cups of unbleached white flour

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 1/4 cups of warm water

1 pound of mixed ground beef and pork (not too lean)

1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

1 1/4 teaspoons of salt

Pinch or two of cayenne

1/4 teaspoon of ground caraway seed

3 small onions, peeled

1/2 cup of warm water or beef bouillon

Preparation

Combine the flour, salt and warm water to make firm dough. Knead for 5 minutes, then let it sit, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Mix the ground meats and spices. Grind the onions and stir them into the meat mixture. With your hands, knead in water or bouillon.

Divide the dough into 25 pieces. On a floured board, roll each piece out to a 6-inch round. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each round. Make accordion pleats all the way around the filling by folding the edges of the dough in toward the center. Move in a clockwise direction, allowing each fold of dough to overlap the previous one until the filling is completely enclosed in the pleated dough. Holding the dumpling firmly in one hand, twist the pleats together at the center to seal, breaking off the excess dough at the topknot.

Cook the dumplings in salted, boiling water for 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Chicken Bazhe

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups walnuts

5 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

3/4 cup boiling water

2 tsp. red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground marigold (if available)

3/4 tsp. ground coriander seeds

1/4 tsp. paprika

Dash cayenne

One 4- to 5-lb. roasting chicken

Butter or olive oil

Preparation

In a food processor, grind the nuts coarsely. Add the garlic and continue to grind to a paste. Transfer to a bowl and beat in the boiling water, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in the vinegar and spices. Allow to sit for several hours to meld.

About 1 1/2 hours before serving time, rinse the chicken and wipe it dry. Rub the skin with a little butter or olive oil. Place on a rack in a shallow pan at roast at 375°F for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, basting occasionally. Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before carving.

Serve the bazhe sauce over slices of hot roast chicken.

Red Beet Pkhali

Ingredients:

Walnuts-200 gr.

Beets- 1 kg

Garlic- 4 cloves

Celery-1 bunch

Parsley-1 bunch

Coriander- 1 bunch

Salt, pepper and vinegar to taste

Preparation

Wash and boil the red beet with leaves. While boiling add celery and parsley. Chill, strain and put this through the meat grinder or food processor. Then add minced walnut, garlic, new and dry coriander, salt, pepper and wine vinegar to taste. Mix the ingredients well and serve.

Serves 6.

http://www.aboutgeorgia.ge/cuisine/meats.html?page=10

http://www.darragoldstein.com/bazhe.html

http://sisauri.tripod.com/ref/cuisine/cuisine.html

As you can already tell, this posting is a bit different than the usual MHT posting.  I am trying out the WordPress.com, “post by phone” feature for the first time for a main posting.   Please leave your feedback if you like, dislike this method.   I am, as always posting the text version of the article and recipe.  If this turns out to be a popular method, I will continue to post by phone and text.  Let me know your thoughts!

PLEASE CLICK THE LINK ABOVE TO HEAR AN AUDIO TRANSCRIPT OF THIS BLOG POSTING.

Our destination today is another African nation.  If the bulbous northwest portion of Africa were a head looking across the Atlantic at South America, then Gambia would be approximately where the nose is.  To get there from Gabon we simply sail north from the Gulf Of Guinea around the point, past Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and finally to the shores of Gambia.

Gambia was first colonized by the Portuguese in the mid fifteenth century.  Like many of its neighbors, Gambia was a lucrative port in the international slave trade.  At this time in history, the slave trade was controlled by several western European powers including France, England, Portugal and Holland.  Slaves were first brought to Europe to perform domestic tasks in wealthy European households.  As the West Indies and North America began to emerge as agricultural powerhouses, the trade soon moved west and continued throughout the eighteenth century.  Eventually the land near the mouth of the Gambia River was ceded to the English who maintained control in the country until independence was declared in 1965.

The English outlawed slavery in the British Empire in 1807 making them the first European power to do so.  As history shows, the awful trade in human chattel continued throughout the Atlantic basin for years afterward.  To this day there remains a lucrative slave trade in many parts of the world.  Although it is a more subversive and hidden practice today, it still affects upwards of 27 Million people globally. To read about it, follow this link.

Gambia is the smallest nation on the African continent.  In area it is slightly smaller than Jamaica.  The population is largely Muslim, English speaking and economically focused on agriculture.  The national dish of Gambia is called Domoda.  It is essentially a groundnut stew made with tomatoes, and peanuts along with some type of meat although it can be made as a vegetarian or vegan dish.

I have appreciated using the Congo cookbook as a reference for regional dishes from this part of Africa.  Their explanation of this dish is posted here.

“Domoda (or Domodah) is Gambia’s version of Sub-Saharan Africa’s ubiquitous Groundnut Stew. In its simplest versions, made without meat, it is basically a Peanut Sauce. It can be made with meat of some sort; usually beef or bushmeat. If made with chicken it is quite similar to Chicken in Peanut-Tomato Sauce.  Whatever form it takes, it is usually a peanut sauce, served over rice.”

This popular dish has spread throughout much of the region.  Peanuts are not native to Africa.  They first arrived sometime after 1560 when the Portuguese and Spanish landed on western Africa’s shores bringing the now popular legume with them.  Today, Peanuts are a major part of Gambia’s economy representing nearly 6.8% of GDP.

This dish and others from the region represent the crux of the thesis for this blog.  It is a popular local dish, created from BOTH local and imported ingredients, that provides not only staple nutrition including large amounts of protein, but also a dish that has become a part of the local culture through its popularity.   Variants of the dish can be found in nearly every sub-saharan African nation in and around the Congo and Gambian river basins.  In turn, Domoda and other dishes like it were brought to the Americas with the slave trade and form a part of the culture of the Caribbean and American culinary histories.  You can find variants of this and other West African dishes in the Americas, especially in areas where slavery was prevalent and where peanuts are a part of the local agriculture.  Evidence to this point can be found at this link which is one of many Americanized versions of a peanut stew that can be found with a quick Google search…

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

Rating:

Appearance:  4 out of 5 (beautiful fall colors)

Aroma: 5 out of 5

Flavor: 5 out of 5

Total: 14 out of 15

Ingredients:

2 cups of peanut butter

1 large onion (chopped)

2-4 diced whole chili peppers (depending on your preference for heat)

2 liters water

2 whole lemons

2 cubes Maggi or Bouillon

4 medium bitter tomatoes (if available) or 4 tbsp tomato paste or 1 can diced tomatoes (1 of the three)

2lbs beef or chicken

1/2lb pumpkin or other squash/gourd

2 medium fresh tomatoes chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Wash and cut meat into bite size pieces (chicken should be cut into larger pieces).

Lightly sear the meat in vegetable oil with the onions

In a cooking pan, boil the meat, onions and chopped fresh tomatoes in water for 10 minutes.

Add peanut butter and other ingredients, bring to boil stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat after 10 minutes and simmer for 45 minutes.

Serve with plain boiled rice.

I adapted this recipe to include elements of the Congo Cookbooks version of Domoda.  Here is the link to that recipe.

http://www.congocookbook.com/meat_recipes/domoda.html

NOTE: If you are using chicken then make sure you sear the chicken in a little oil or fat before boiling. The dish is also referred to as ‘Durango’ in Mandinka and as ‘Mafe’ by the Wollofs of Senegal.

Main recipe source: http://www.accessgambia.com/information/domoda-peanut-stew.html

add’l sources: http://www.ehow.com/about_5503519_history-african-peanut-soup.html

http://www.history.org/almanack/life/food/fdpnutsp.cfm

http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1RNNN_enUS374US374&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=American+Peanut+Stew#sclient=psy&hl=en&rlz=1C1RNNN_enUS374US374&source=hp&q=American+Peanut+Stew+recipes&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=9b84a0f9b294c817

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours…

Eric Ackerson

France is such an important stop on a culinary journey.  This goes without saying.   As we digest the delicious Coq au Vin, think of the other 19o-something countries on this journey and remember that many of them were crafting dishes long before the French were French and long before Escoffier wrote down his discoveries and thoughts.  It is both France AND the other countries that brings us out of our Lazy-Boy recliners and pulls us away from the TV as the smells and tastes of so many diverse cultures pulls us ever onward.  So today we travel to the equator and back to the Slave Coast of Western Africa.   This nation we are to visit was at one time a French territory and is still influenced by France to this day.

Gabon is situated on the Gulf of Guinea.  Neighboring nations include Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and the Republic of Congo, all of which we have visited before.  To get there from France, we sail due south from Western Europe around the bulb of Western Africa and into the Gulf of Guinea landing int he southeast corner of that body of water.

Originally this area was populated by members of the Pygmy tribe who were displaced by the Bantus as they migrated to the West.  Europeans arrived first with the Portuguese in the 15th century from whence the name derived.   ”Gabão”, means cloak which is roughly the shape of the estuary of the Komo River by Libreville, Gabon’s capitol.  The French settled here first in 1875 then officially occupied it in 1885.

This excerpt from Wikipedia tells of the next period in Gabon history and the influence the French had there.

Omar Bongo Ondimba in 2004

“In 1910, Gabon became one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa, a federation that survived until 1959. These territories became independent on August 17, 1960. The first president of Gabon, elected in 1961, was Léon M’ba, with Omar Bongo Ondimba as his vice president. French interests were decisive in selecting the future leadership in Gabon after Independence; French logging interests poured funds into the successful election campaign of M’ba, an ‘evolué’ from the coastal region.

After M’ba’s accession to power, the press was suppressed, political demonstrations banned, freedom of expression curtailed, other political parties gradually excluded from power and the Constitution changed along French lines to vest power in the Presidency, a post that M’ba assumed himself. However, when M’ba dissolved the National Assembly in January 1964 to institute one-party rule, an army coup sought to oust him from power and restore parliamentary democracy. The extent to which M’ba’s dictatorial regime was synonymous with “French Interests” then became blatantly apparent when French paratroopers flew in within 24 hours to restore M’ba to power.

After a few days of fighting, the coup was over and the opposition imprisoned, despite widespread protests and riots. The French government was unperturbed by international condemnation of the intervention; and paratroops still remain in the Camp de Gaulle on the outskirts of Gabon’s capital. When M’Ba died in 1967, Bongo replaced him as president, and continued to be the head of state until his death in 2009, winning each contested election with a substantial majority.”

"Jock" a Western Lowland Gorilla in Bristol Zoo England

In other news, Gabon has had many successes as a nation.  Due to its geographic location on the equator, the climate is tropical with nearly 85% covered in rainforest.   Governmental policies in 2002 created by then President Omar Bongo Ondimba created a vast national park service over nearly 11% of the nations territory.  This allows species such as Lowland Gorillas and Forest Elephants to thrive with Gabon having nearly 20,000 gorillas and 60,000 Elephants, the largest population in Africa.  There are also over 700 species of birds found here.  These preservation efforts make a Gabon a uniquely beautiful place to visit.

Generally speaking, Gabon is considered a successful country.  Relatively high wealth, much of which is created by petroleum reserves found offshore, has helped create stability throughout the country.

Gabons national dish is one which we are familiar with.  In Gabon it is called Nyembwe.  It is a stew made from meat and the distinctive Red Palm Oil.  The last time we met this African specialty, it was called Muamba de Galinha in Angola (also visited by us before) also known as Mwambe (Democratic Republic of Congo) and is popular along the Congo River Basin and throughout western Africa.  Since we cooked this dish already, I am posting it with its new name and the picture I took the first time.  I love the colors in this dish.  They are vibrant and the flavor is so unique and unusual that I encourage you to track down some Red Palm Oil and try it yourself.

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

Nyembwe – Gabon National Dish – Day 264/Dish 64

-AKA-

Muamba De Galinha – Angola National Dish – Day 9/Dish 5

Rating:

Appearance:  4 out of 5

Aroma: 3 out of 5

Taste:  3 out of 5

Ingredients:

1 Chicken, cut into serving-sized pieces

Juice of 1 Lemon

250ml (about 1 cup) Palm Oil (or groundnut oil with 2 tsp Paprika)

3 medium Onions, chopped

3 Garlic cloves, minced

1 Scotch Bonnet or other Chili Pepper de-seeded and chopped or left whole if you prefer milder

3 Tomatoes, quartered

1 Squash (eg Butternut) or Sweet Pumpkin de-seeded, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces.

250ml canned Palm Soup Base (‘Sauce Graine’ or ‘Noix De Palme’) or homemade Nyembe Sauce (this can be omitted)

15 small, tender, Okra washed and ‘topped and tailed’ or sliced into coins

Salt, to taste

Preparation:

Squeeze the Lemon juice over the Chicken and allow it to marinate for about an hour.

Add the Palm Oil to a deep frying pan and heat on medium-high heat.

A splash guard is recommended (IKEA $3.99) for covering the pan since this oil really pops and sputters and is a intense red orange that will stain.

Place the Chicken in the pan and brown on all sides then add the Onion, Garlic, Chili and Tomato.

Stirring occasionally, simmer over low-medium heat for about 30 minutes then add the Squash and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Remove the Chicken from the pan and place on platter.

Add the canned Palm Soup Base and the Okra stirring well to incorporate the soup base.

Add Chicken back to pot.

Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the Okra is tender.

Season and serve with Rice or a Maize Fufu.

http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-muamba-de-galinha

Gabon version:http://www.congocookbook.com/chicken_recipes/poulet_moambe_poulet_nyembwe.html

To get there from Finland is simple.  Head southwest and use your nose.  You will smell France before you come close.  Essentially we can head overland through Poland, and Germany before crossing into the mountainous northwest, or we can approach by boat landing somewhere near Brittany.  Regardless, the moment we are on French soil, we are surrounded by delicacies and regional creations that have graced kings tables for many centuries.

Le Cordon Bleu, Foie Gras, Mise en place, vin de table, beurre mane, rotissieur, the list of French cooking terms and accomplishments in the kitchen is endless.  Any chef worth their salt has at least a rudimentary understanding of this romance language and a working knowledge o f the contributions of Escoffier and thousands of other French culinary innovators.  Alright, I had better stop before I inflate the already legendary egos further.

The Eiffel Tower

Today’s posting is going to highlight less about the country of France and more about the embodiment of peasant cooking within the national dish of a country that has done things to and with food that resonate through the hearts of every gourmand.

If you are following our journey closely, you will see that the vast majority of our national dishes are in fact worthy of a king, but have origins much closer to the earth.  Peasant dishes make up many if not all of our symbolic “Nations Best”.  This is fitting since these nations would not be if not for their people, and generally it is the people who identify and perfect these same dishes over hundreds and thousands of years.

In the case of France, it might seem odd that the national dish is something as simple as chicken cooked in red wine.  Considering the lengths that the French have gone to dig flavors out of the ground(literally in the case of truffles) and develop some of the most challenging techniques known to the culinary world yet a dish as simple as Coq Au Vin becomes the dish that most exemplifies the cuisine of the country.  Seriously, this simple braised meat dish with gravy winds up here on this website because it is the pinnacle of the countries cuisine?  Yes.  Simply put, yes.

Here is the reason why.  Coq Au Vin has that strange elemental thing that creates a magnetic reaction in people patient enough to prepare it, namely flavor!  Huge, massive, crushing, yet oddly subtle and perfect amounts of flavor mark this and many other French dishes.  I surmise that it is the simple aspects of this dish that make it so perfect and revered.  It is the farmer-peasant in all of us that cries out for simple delicious dishes such as this one.

Thus Coq Au Vin has outpaced dishes like Foie Gras Terrine for its place at the culinary winners table and a place in the annals of My Hungry Tum’s archives.

Foie Gras - Fattened Goose Liver

Julia Child is a name that most of you know and likely either love or hate.  Probably love.  She was the original food blogger, before there was anything called the internet.  An upstart, large woman (and by that I mean big in both body and heart) with a passion for all things French and cooking related.  From her seemingly misguided days in a cooking school in Paris back when only men trained as chefs, to her zealous search for perfectly prepared classic dishes, including this one, to her ability to send this passion across the pond to the hearts and stomachs of the American housewife, Julia made her mark on culinary tradition and journalistic history with her much loved TV programs and much thumbed through cookbooks.

I respect her immensely and it seemed only fitting to use her recipe for this dish.  I have adapted the dish since I had no Cognac (another great French discovery) with which to flambé and wish I had some, but this will have to do.  It was rich earthy and wonderful, albeit a bit time consuming and labor intensive.

When you prepare and eat this dish, think of all the thousands of peasant dishes that deserve credit for creating complex unique and satisfying flavor out of local at hand ingredients such as those found in your own farmyard.  That is what we are aiming for here and I believe accomplishing.

Coq Au Vin is from Burgundy.  I suggest using a red wine from this region and especially one that does not have big oaky flavor like a Cabernet, for example try a Burgundy, Chianti etc.  I chose a nice Chianti and next time I will use a burgundy.  I will also have cognac next time to get that flambed flavor that cannot be recreated without lighting the alcohol on fire.  Plus it is fun!

And so, without further delay…..Bon Appetite!

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

Rating:

Appearance: 5 out of 5

Aroma: 5 out of 5

Flavor:  5 out of 5

Total: 15 out of 15…..a perfect score!!!

Julia Child’s Coq au Vin

Ingredients:

2 1/2 to 3 pounds cut-up frying chicken, skin on and thoroughly dried (I used skinless boneless breasts and thighs instead)*

4 ounces lean thick-cut bacon

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup cognac

2 cups red wine (Pinot Noir, Burgundy, Beaujolais or Chianti)**

2 cup homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken stock or broth

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, mashed or minced

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon thyme

Brown-Braised Onions (see recipe below)

Mushrooms (see recipe below)

3 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons butter, softened

Parsley sprigs  (chopped fine)

Preparation:

Dry the chicken thoroughly on a towel. Season chicken with salt and pepper; set aside.

Remove any rind off the bacon and cut the bacon into lardons (rectangles 1/4-inch across and 1-inch long). In a saucepan, simmer the bacon sticks in 2 quarts of water for 10 minutes; remove from heat, drain, rinse in cold water, and pat dry.

In a large heavy frying pan, casserole dish, or electric skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil until moderately hot. Add the bacon and saute slowly until they are lightly browned. Remove bacon to a side dish. Place chicken pieces into the hot oil (not crowding pan), and brown on all sides. Return bacon to the pan, cover pan, and cook slowly for 10 minutes, turning chicken once.

If you have the cognac: After browning the chicken, uncover pan, pour in the cognac.  Flambé by igniting with a lighted match. Let flame a minute, swirling pan by its handle to burn off alcohol; extinguish with pan cover.

Pour the red wine into the pan and add just enough chicken broth to completely cover the chicken pieces. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then cover pan, and simmer slowly for about 30 minutes or until the chicken meat is tender when pierced with a fork or an instant-read meat thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the Brown-Braised Onions and the Mushrooms.

When the chicken is done cooking, remove from the pan to a platter, leaving the cooking liquid in the pan. Increase heat to high and boil the cooking liquid rapidly until approximately 2 cups of liquid remains.

While the liquid is boiling, in a small bowl, blend the 3 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons softened butter into a smooth paste; beat the flour/butter mixture into the approximately 2 cups hot cooking liquid with a whisk. Simmer and stir for a minute or two until the sauce has thickened (the result will be a sauce thick enough to lightly coat a spoon – just thick enough to coat the chicken and vegetables lightly). If sauce is too thin, boil down rapidly to concentrate; if sauce is too thick, thin out with additional spoonfuls of chicken stock. Taste the final sauce, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.

Before serving, reheat the onions and mushrooms (if necessary).

Storing: Chicken is now ready for final reheating, but can be set aside in the sauce until cool, then covered and refrigerated for 1 to 2 days. To reheat, simmer slowly, covered, over low heat. Baste and turn chicken every 2 minutes until thoroughly warmed through (6 to 8 minutes). NOTE: Do not overcook chicken at this point.

To serve immediately: Shortly before serving, bring the sauce and the cooked chicken to a simmer, cover and simmer slowly for 4 to 5 minutes, until chicken is hot through. NOTE: Do not overcook chicken at this point.

To serve: Either serve from the casserole dish or arrange the chicken on a large platter. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Arrange the Brown-Braised Onions on one side of the chicken and the Mushrooms on the other side. Decorate with sprigs of parsley. Accompany with parsley potatoes, rice, or noodles; buttered green peas or a green salad; hot French bread; and the same red wine you used for cooking the chicken. NOTE: This dish is traditionally served with wide egg noodles.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Brown-Braised Onions:

12 to 24 small white onions, peeled (or double the amount if you want to use tiny frozen peeled raw onions)*
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste

* If neither frozen nor fresh pearl onions are available, substitute one large onion cut into 1/2-inch pieces. (Do not use jarred pearl onions, which will turn mushy and disintegrate into the sauce.)

While chicken is cooking, drop onions into boiling water, bring water back to the boil, and let boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and drain. Cool onions in ice water. Shave off the two ends (root and stem ends) of each onion, peel carefully, and pierce a deep cross in the root end with a small knife (to keep onions whole during cooking).

In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil, add parboiled onions, and toss for several minutes until lightly browned (this will be a patchy brown). Add water to halfway up onions and add 1/4 to1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover pan and simmer slowly for 25 to 30 minutes or until onions are tender when pierce with a knife.

NOTE: Onions may be cooked in advance, set aside, then reheated when needed.  Season to taste just before serving.
Mushrooms:

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Prepare mushrooms. In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat butter and olive oil; when bubbling hot, toss in mushrooms and saute over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat.

NOTE: Mushrooms may be cooked in advance, set aside, then reheated when needed.  Season to taste just before serving.

recipe source: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Poultry/CoqAuVin.htm

Hello hungry travelers!  We are heading to Skandinavia today and the region of one half of my heritage.  The other half lies in the Emerald Isle and we will get to Ireland eventually.  Today we explore the country and flavors of Finland!  In truth my family most likely traces back to Norway or Sweden, but who is counting anyhow?

To get to Finland from Fiji we must circumnavigate the globe.  The best route takes us through the Indian Ocean heading westward and through the passage of the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean Sea and into the Atlantic Ocean where we turn to the north.  The British Isles lie in our path and after we bypass them we head through the channel above Denmark and into the Baltic Sea.  The northern most part of the Baltic is the Bay of Bothnia and the eastern shore of this body of water marks the border of Finland – land of Christmas.

Finland is regarded as the home of Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus, living in the northern Lapland region. Above the Arctic Circle, there is a polar night, a period when the sun does not rise for days or weeks, or even months. Lapland is so far north that the Aurora Borealis, atmospheric fluorescence, is seen regularly in winter.

Overall, Finland is a world leader in many categories including health, economic dynamism, education, political environment and quality of life. Finland has also been ranked the second most stable country in the world and the first in the 2009 Legatum Prosperity rating.  In 2010, the World Economic Forum deemed Finland the 7th most competitive country in the world.

A relative latecomer to industrialization, Finland was primarily agrarian until the 1950’s.  Today it is the least populated nation in Europe and one of the largest in terms of landmass.  Most of the population lives in the southern part of the country near the capital of Helsinki.

Finnish history is tied to the two great superpowers that neighbor it, namely Russia to the east and Sweden to the west.  Prior to 1809, Finland was part of the greater Sweden and composed all of modern day Sweden and Finland and the land surrounding the Gulf of Bothnia.  From 1809 to 1917 Russia invaded the area known as Finland and it became a grand duchy of the Russian Empire.

The Finnish famine of 1866–1868 killed 15% of the population, making it one of the worst famines in European history. (The Irish potato famine 1845-1852 killed 1,000,000 of the population and caused another 1,000,000 to emigrate, reducing the country’s population by 20-25%.) The famine led the Russian Empire to ease financial regulations, and investment rose in following decades. Economic and political development was rapid. The GDP per capita was still half of that of the United States and a third of that of Britain.

In 1918 the series of conflicts between Finland and Russia that would culminate with full autonomy and independence from Russia began.  The civil wars between the Whites(supported by Germany) and the Reds(soviet sympathizers) tore the country in two and the victory of The Whites saw thousands of Reds thrown into internment in camps.

Independence in Finland was official in 1919 with the borders between Russia and Finland drawn in the Treaty of Tartu in 1920.  Finland fought Russia twice in World War 2 but remained officially neutral during the Cold War period.  Despite a few periods of economic recession, Finnish life has been one of agriculture, equity and peace.

Lake Pielinen seen from a hill in Koli National Park

The national dish of Finland is called Hernekeitto, or Finnish Green Pea soup.  I grew up with this simple peasant stew and love its rich earthy flavor.  It is traditionally served with a hearty peasant bread and we often serve it over white rice.  Simple to make and wonderful to eat (if not to look at) Finnish folks might add a mustard to finish the soup ladling it into the salty stew to give it some acidity.  I am using a stone ground brown mustard.  It is an excellent addition!

I could easily see this dish being served by Mrs. Claus the day after Christmas…

Sinterklaas says YUM!

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

Rating:

Appearance: 2 out of 5 (what can I say, it’s green pea soup)

Aroma: 5 out of 5

Flavor: 5 out of 5

Total: 12 out of 5

Ingredients

6 – 8 portions

2.5 liters water (or substitute chicken stock for more flavor)

500g dried peas

500g smoked bones or knuckle (savupotka)

(2 dl cream) (about 1 pint)

2 onions

3 carrots

2 laurel leaves

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp marjoram

1 tsp salt

Preparation

Steep the peas in water over night. (Some peas require no soaking) Pour out the water, rinse the peas well and strain the remaining water from them. Pour water into a saucepan. Add peas and smoked bones or knuckle. Cook at a low heat for approximately 2 ½ – 3 hours or according to directions on peas.

Remove the smoked bones or knuckle from the saucepan, separate the meat and cut into small pieces. Peel and chop the onions and carrots and add them to the saucepan together with the meat pieces, cream (for a smoother taste if you wish), black pepper, marjoram and salt (as much as needed for your liking).

Cook at a low heat for 30 minutes. If you wish, you can season the soup with a little mustard.

http://www.finnguide.fi/finnishrecipes/recipe.asp?c=5&t=&p=163

This posting was created on October 16 2010, World Food Day in celebration of that event.  Due to the nature of this challenge (it took all day) I am posting the results today, October 17th.  I will be adding a short video made during the process as soon as it is finished.  Enjoy!

Hello Foodies!  Happy World Food Day 2010 to you all.  I am very happy to be able to present the national dish of Fiji today in honor of World Food Day, but I want to take a moment to reflect on the word hungry.  Hungry is of course one part of the name of this blog, but it is also the daily state for so many human beings globally.  I am curious why, if we are able to produce enough basic food to feed the whole planet, do so many people go to bed hungry every night?  The answer of course is multifaceted and worth pondering.  I feel like any little thing we can do to help promote the sustainable development of food stocks for the planet, especially encouraging local, high value agricultural projects (teach a person to farm) can overcome the issues facing our poorest places globally.

The group Save the Children asked me to consider posting a neat interactive quiz they have designed for this days events.  I agreed to post the quiz, but the code would not incorporate properly with a wordpress blog, so I am simply going to post the link to the Save The Children website and the quiz itself.  Try to guess the answers to the questions while learning some shocking facts about world hunger and food production/consumption and the numbers of children who are without the basic food necessary for survival.  It is sobering to realize how good we have things compared to so many others…

www.savethechildren.org/worldfoodday

On that note, we are going to visit an area of the globe we have barely touched on today.  I am truly fascinated by the geography culture and food habits of this region.  It is such a vast and underinhabited region that it cannot possibly have the amount of time in this blog as other more populated areas such as say, Africa with its numerous nations.

That being said, I don’t know that many people who wouldn’t want to be on the beach in Fiji right now getting ready to eat a traditional feast (Lovo) with the locals, smelling the slow roasting essence of BBQ cooked underground.  My tummy just rumbled typing that.

Fiji is an island nation in Melanesia about 2000 miles from New Zealand.  Nearby islands include Vanuatu, Tonga, the Samoas and Tuvalu.  The largest Island is Viti Levu.  The following excerpt describes how the Islands got their current name and discusses English Colonization that continued in Fiji from the 18th century till 1970:

Fijians first impressed themselves on European consciousness through the writings of the members of the expeditions of Cook who met them in Tonga. They were described as formidable warriors and ferocious cannibals, builders of the finest vessels in the Pacific, but not great sailors. They inspired awe amongst the Tongans, and all their manufactures, especially bark cloth and clubs, were highly esteemed and much in demand. They called their home Viti, but the Tongans called it Fisi, and it was by this foreign pronunciation, Fiji, first promulgated by Captain James Cook, that these islands are now known.

Although the word Fiji may inspire immediate thoughts of tropical paradise embodied and undisturbed tranquility, the political climate of Fiji has been anything but tranquil in recent times.  In fact, Fiji has been the site of uprisings, military coups and charges of political brutishness by the self appointed leader.  Since independence there have been four coups in Fiji, two in 1987, one in 2000 and one in late 2006. The military has been either ruling directly, or heavily influencing governments since 1987.

Culturally, Fiji is a blend of regional island cultures and imported ethnicities.  The majority of the population is of ethnic Fijian heritage.  The British brought Indo-Malaysian contract laborers to the islands during occupation that now account for about 38% of the population.  Small percentages of Solomon Islanders brought to Fiji as indentured servants account for a small but strong minority group.  This combination of cultures has brought a unique blend of culture to Fiji making it a very interesting destination from a culinary standpoint.

Today’s recipe is more of a menu than a recipe.  It combines several of the elements of Fijian cuisine in a unique cooking style that characterizes the beach BBQ probably better than any other culture.  This method is oft repeated in other places but qualifies as the National Dish of Fiji for the sake of this challenge and is firmly rooted in the history and culture if this beautiful and troubled place.  Lovo literally means Lava and is an underground oven using heated rocks to bake the food.  It is as Fijian as it gets, and also the largest cooking challenge from a technical standpoint that we have undertaken to date.  I will be photographing the steps of this recipe and I hope that some of you are inspired to build your own Lovo some day…

The Menu:

Fish – Whole Red Snapper rubbed in spices and wrapped in banana leaves

Chicken – Marinated in coconut milk, ginger, spicy chilies and lime

Curried Pork Short Ribs

Root Vegetables baked in foil

My version of Yaquona (Cava Root) beverage – In this case, Rum and Coconut Juice

Tropical fruit salsa

Rating:

Appearance:  3 out of 5

Aroma: 5 out of 5

Flavor: 5 out of 5

Total: 13 out of 15

Ingredients:

This entire meal is subjective.  It can be made with chicken, pork or seafood and various root vegetables.  Recipes can be altered and adjusted for each item to achieve the flavors you are interested in.  Using authentic local ingredients will give you the most authentic result, but as with all global recipes, some adjustments may be made based on your local supply of ingredients.  Try finding an Indian or Hispanic grocery for many of these items such as banana leaves.  Also you can substitute foil if you cannot find banana leaves.

1 whole 3-4# fish scaled and gutted with slices across the sides

1 whole chicken

Salt

Pepper

Ginger Root

Chilies

Coconut Milk 2 cans

Limes

Root Vegetables (traditionally dalo (the potatolike root of the taro plant), cassava (the root of the tapioca plant) and Uvi (wild yam).

We will use:  Yam

Pineapple

Mango

Tomatoes

Onions

Fresh Coriander/ Cilantro

Plantain Leaves about 10#

Round Dry River Rocks (be very careful as most rocks will explode if heated)

A round hole in the ground about 2 ft deep by 2.5 feet in diameter

Firewood

Tin Foil

Directions:

Dig a large hole in the ground, about 2.5 feet in diameter by 2 feet deep.  Start a fire in the bottom of the hole and add the rocks to the top of the fire when it has burned for awhile.  Be careful while the rocks are heating as they can explode causing severe injury!!!

Wrap all of the food items in either Banana leaves or some similar wrap and laythem carefully on layers of banana leaves over the hot rocks.  Start with the meats and build up with the root vegetables on the top layers.

Cover the entire hole with more banana leaves and dirt and allow the food to cook for at least 3 hours.

Unearth the pit carefully with a shovel.

Carefully remove the wrapped food items with tongs and place on banana leaves to cool.

Open and serve!

I have been trying to figure out how to celebrate World Food Day 2010 this Saturday October 16th.  I think I have it figured out now and in this case it is the proverbial two birds, one stone scenario. 

Our next dish is Lovo from Fiji.  What is Lovo you ask?  Click here to read more and to understand just why this particular dish is a 5 for difficulty.   I have yet to have to construct an entire cooking oven for any dish in this challenge, although I have cooked on several firepits in my day.  Just not underground!

Come celebrate World Food Day 2010 with Myhungrytum as I cook and photograph a traditional Fijian Feast in an underground oven!  Assuming I survive the process and do not burn down my house, I hope to have a new favorite, if rarely attempted style of cooking.  In the event that it fails miserably, I claim only my ignorance and lack of quality time spent in good Fijian company as an excuse.

Also while you are at it, if you care to donate to my favorite charity that provides food and other aid to groups around the world, please surf on over here and donate!   BTW this is the charity for one of my favorite bands, Incubus.  In case you wanted to know.

I do not like to over commercialize this site for fear that it will detract from the goal of promoting and exploring global food.   However, I have something to tell you about.  Since we share a love of great food perhaps you will be interested.

I have started a business that will provide consumers with access to some of the Meats, Seafood and Specialty items that I sell in my daily work to many of the finest restaurants and retailers in the southeast.  It doesn’t matter if you live in California because I am Fedexing my products to anywhere in the continental US.  Overnight delivery makes it possible to offer what was only previously available to corporate clients.  These food items are better than 90% of what you can buy at a grocery store.  I promise.

I offer Domestic Wagyu (Kobe Beef), Kuraboto All Natural Pork (Berkshire Black Pig), Domestic and NZ Lamb, Peidmontese Beef and All Natural Angus Beef, the freshest seafood cut from the bone (fresher than any grocery store, and a variety of other fine premium meats and specialty foods like caviar, olive oils etc.  If it is not on my list, I can probably secure it anyway.  I have access to over 3000 items.  Also I do not inflate my prices above what is fair just because I can.

My goal is to have a small company that provides the best food items at a fair price that arrive faster than your grocer could get them.  It has been tested and it works!  Check it out and if I can help outfit your next big event or dinner party, it would be my pleasure…

To sum it up, you can sign up for my mailing list here  MAILING LIST by clicking the mailing list link on the home page.  Add your email address and every Sunday or Monday I will send you my updated price sheet and product list.  Instructions for ordering are on the website.

I accept all major credit cards.

Thanks………..Eric

To get there from Estonia we need to retrace the route we took out of Eritrea.  Sailing south from the Baltic Region, we pass the British Isles then Western Europe and Spain/Portugal before reentering the Mediterranean Sea.  Sailing east we reach the Suez Canal and enter the Red Sea.  We anchor at the borderlands of Eritrea and Djibouti and cross overland into the mouth of the Rift Valley and Ethiopia.

Ethiopia is the place where the first Homo Sapien allegedly appeared.  It is a country steeped in history and bloodshed.  It was the place of conquests and battles and the rise and fall of Empires.  In fact the history of Ethiopia is so dense that summarizing it in a few paragraphs is impossible.  Suffice it to say that better historians than I have tackled this task to better results.

My summary would include such interesting facts as the emergence of Rastafarianism in Ethiopia after the reign of Haile Selassie, whom they see as Jah incarnate.  Haile Selassie was a charismatic and powerful leader during his time even making Time Magazines Man of The Year in 1935.

Ethiopia was one of only four African members of the League of Nations and was a founding member of the United Nations.  It is also the location of several Pan-African Organizations including the Organization of African Unity and was a founding member of the Non Aligned Movement.  It was one of the only countries that maintained independence in the European Scramble for Africa.

In the eighties when I was a child, I remember reading of the horrible famines that were happening in Ethiopia.  Over 1 million people died during that period of trouble.  It may have been my first view into the post colonial period in Africa.  It still resonates as I watch other African nations struggle with poverty, famine and genocide.

Ethiopia was the first country to declare Christianity the national religion, in the 4^th century.  Today it maintains a Christian majority with another 35% percent Muslim.  This is reasonable considering its history and its location in relation to the roots of all three Abrahamic faiths as well as its relative geography along the Red Sea.

As a result of this geography, it is no surprise that the food culture in Ethiopia reflects both its Arabic and African roots.  Doro Wat or spicy chicken stew is the national dish of Ethiopia.  The use of north African spice blend Berbere has been seen in Eritreas Zigini and is popular throughout northern Africa.  In fact, Doro Wat is very similar in makeup to Zigini except that it uses Chicken instead of beef.  Also the addition of the spiced Ghee (clarified butter, see also Bangladesh) adds an element that is not found in the Zigini recipe, but is used throughout the countries on the spice routes and originated in India.

Traditionally in Ethiopia, Wat(stew) is served with either Injera Bread (see Eritrea) or over rice.

I am giving this recipe a  4 out of 5 for difficulty if you prepare the ghee and the berbere from scratch.  You can substitute butter and a premade berbere to reduce the difficulty significantly.  The actual preparation is not hard.  Ideas for a less spicy version are found below the recipe…

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

Rating:

Appearance:  3 out of 5

Aroma: 4 out of 5

Flavor:  4 out of 5

Total: 11 out of 15

Doro Wat (Spicy Chicken Stew)

About 4 servings

Ingredients

2 ½ to 3 pound chicken, cut in pieces

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 onions, chopped

¼ cup niter kebbeh (see recipe this page)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

½ teaspoon ground ginger, or 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

¼ teaspoon fenugreek

¼ teaspoon cardamom

½ cup berberé (see recipe this page)

2 tablespoons paprika

¼ cup dry red wine

1 cup water

4 hard-boiled eggs

Preparation

1. Mix lemon juice with salt in a small bowl, and rub over chicken pieces. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

2. Heat oil in a large, heavy or non-stick skillet and add onions. Simmer over moderate heat about 5 minutes, until onions are beginning to soften.

3. Stir nitir kebbeh into skillet and heat until melted. Add garlic, ginger, fenugreek, cardamom, berberé and paprika. Stir well after each addition. Cook, stirring, over low heat for about 5 minutes.

4. Pour in wine and water, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for five more minutes, until mixture is beginning to thicken.

5. Add chicken to sauce, turning to coat on all sides. Cover tightly, lower heat and simmer 15 minutes.

6. Pierce holes all over the eggs with a fork, then add to the sauce. Cover and simmer another 15 minutes on low heat, until chicken is cooked through.

Serve with injera or rice.

Note: Doro Alecha is a milder version of Doro Wat. To lighten up the spices you would omit the berberé. You could also omit the paprika and use ghee or butter instead of niter kebbeh to make this dish even milder. You can add ½ teaspoon of black pepper to the doro alecha.

http://www.africanchop.com/chopwa.htm#wa2 – Excellent recipe with great detail. Thanks to the creators!

The following condiment recipes are also from the above mentioned link…

Niter Kebbeh (Spiced Ghee)

Makes about 2 cups

2 pounds unsalted butter
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger, or 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1 ½ teaspoons turmeric
½ teaspoon cardamom
1 stick cinnamon
1 whole clove
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. In a heavy saucepan, heat butter very slowly over low heat until it has melted completely without any browning. Increase heat and bring melted butter to a boil just until top is covered with foam.
2. Stir in onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. Lower heat to lowest possible setting, and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes. A clear layer of liquid will be at the top of the pan, and golden brown solids on the bottom.
3. Pour clear liquid into a jar, straining it through several layers of cheesecloth. Discard seasonings and solids. Cover tightly and store in refrigerator, or at room temperature.

Berberé (Spicy Red Pepper Paste)

This recipe makes about 2 cups of berberé.

1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon cardamom
½ teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon fenugreek
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons dry red wine
2 cups paprika
2 tablespoons ground red pepper
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ cups water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Toast ginger, cardamom, coriander, fenugreek, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and allspice in a heavy skillet for one to two minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let spices cool.
2. Combine toasted spices, onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon of salt and the wine in a food processor or blender and process until mixture is a smooth paste. You can also pound mixture together in a large mortar and pestle.
3. Combine paprika, red pepper, black pepper and the other tablespoon of salt in the heavy skillet. Toast over low heat one minute, stirring constantly.
4. Stir water into skillet slowly. Add the spice paste. Cook, stirring vigorously, over low heat for about 10 minutes.
5. Store berberé in a jar or crock. After it has cooled to room temperature, cover with a thin layer of oil. This layer should be replenished after each use to help preserve the spice mixture. Store in refrigerator.

ver·sa·tile

http://sp.dictionary.com/dictstatic/d/g/speaker.swf [vur-suh-tl or, especially Brit., -tahyl]  Show IPA

1. capable of or adapted for turning easily from one to anotherof various tasks, fields of endeavor, etc.: a versatile writer.

The Next Movement – The Roots In the eighties and nineties I listened to all kinds of underground music including punk rock, hardcore and hip hop.  I think it was The Roots who had a lyric about being versatile and various.  I loved The Roots and saw them perform several times with De La Soul and other great groups of the time.  Today I am experiencing musical versatility by listening to the music that my daughters find enthralling, namely Justin Beiber, Disney artists galore, The Wiggles etc.  I think it is good for my soul to watch them blossom into music lovers travelling down whichever path presents itself, although I admit I would prefer other musical selections.

Today I received a comment from Dan of IslandEat’s blog, awarding this blog the Versatile Bloggers award.  Of course to appreciate it I had to research the word and its meaning.  Thus the definition above.

Speaking of versatility, this year has required me to be extra versatile due to the many unforeseen and unfortunate things that have befallen my family and my normally regular life.  I’m not complaining, as it has certainly made me stronger.  However, I would have preferred to have been less versatile in that sense.

As I type this I am suffering through a second bout with an unusual eye condition that causes me to lose sight in my eye for 3-4 weeks and is incredibly painful and disorienting. Also the aforementioned unfortunate things threw me off my schedule with this whole blog in the first place.  I have never quite regained that momentum.  However, I am pressing on at the pace I can afford.  Does that make me versatile?  Or is it as Dan very nicely comments, the nature of this blog in the first place to be a versatile blog?

However it came to be, I am grateful to Dan for a kind comment and the award in the first place.  It always pleases me to know that I have never been alone in this adventure.

On that note, not being alone means I pay homage to the community of bloggers that have both inspired me and given me countless great ideas for recipes as well as techniques (Photos were a problem when I began this journey for example).  I will award the 10 bloggers I feel show versatility at the close of this posting.

The award conditions stipulate that I also mention 10 things I like.  This should be fun.  In no particular order:

1.  Music -

I admit I am a plugged in music junky.  Often to the consternation of my wife who, while driving in a vehicle, just cannot understand why “Immigrant Song” must be turned ALL THE WAY UP!  P.S. Here is why it should be!

2.  Movies-

I especially like sci-fi and action flicks with lots of gore.  This probably has something to do with my childhood when I was not allowed to watch such things.  AH Dreck!

3.  Travel-

As you may be able to tell from this blog, I like to travel.  I have been around the world several times.  I someday hope to hit every country or at least every continent, but for now I am cool with being the first Ackerson to visit Asia since my great uncle in WW2.  I am fortunate to have married a woman from Belize, so I get to visit there regularly, which does not suck.  I especially love Europe with its history and food culture.  But I am also partial to the middle east with the flavors and smells of the spice routes of old.  Really, truly I just love to travel.  Oh yeah, Iceland is really cool, both literally and figuratively.

4.  Old Pickup Trucks-

Old Ford and Chevy Pickup Trucks lovingly restored with that gutteral earth rumbling sound they make are a guilty pleasure.

5. Books-

I have always been a reader.  Curling up with a book on a day like today(cloudy rainy) is about as self indulgent as I get.  Getting lost in a novel, in particular a great work of fiction has helped me imagine time spent travelling or life other than my own and captivated my senses since youth.  I owe it to all the authors I admire that I ever picked up a pen.  And I owe it to Microsoft that I continued into typing. I hate hand cramps…

6.  Dogs-

I love them.  I have a cat, but I love dogs…

7.  Hiking, Climbing and Skydiving-

Yup I am a bit crazy, but I love all of the above.

8.  My daughters-

They can be challenging as any parent will understand.  Yet, there is nothing so sweet as a child’s hug.  I know many people claim that a child’s laugh is the best, but I prefer the quieter moments.

9. My wife-

She is amazing.  You should meet her!

10.  Cooking and Writing-

A twofer to close it out.  It seems appropriate that I mention this facet of my life.  Obviously I cook.  Obviously I write.  Little did I realize growing up how important this would be to my life.  We ate well as kids but I really discovered my love for cooking after I left our house.  The writing is a direct genetic inheritance from my father who is an English Teacher.  Again, thanks Dad.

Now that you know me a little better, I turn my attention to the cast of characters that have driven me to be a better blogger.  Thanks to each and every person who reads this blog and please take a few minutes to get to know some of my friends:

1. CiaoFlorentina – Peace Love and Food:

Florentina has made a name for herself in creating an online space that is truly versatile.  She reaches out to foodies of all stripes and provides a space for everyone to express their love of food.  Great images, a warm environment and a welcoming place to gather is her goal, one she succeeds at in spades I might add.

2.  Kitchen Confidante – Liren has been versatile in her search for great flavors as captured and presented in excellent images since she first started.  I have personally cooked several of her recipes to great result and can report that they look as good as they taste.  Also she runs one of the more polished blogs I have seen.

3. Shizuoka Gourmet – There is only so much one can say about this wonderful blog that ahs not been said before.  i was lucky enough to find this blog while on Food buzz in the early days of MHT.  When I finally reach Japan on our journey, I will be consulting SG for info on Japanese food.  This is a veritable encyclopedia of information and great photos.  I get hungry every time I stop in…

4.  The Spice Garden- In addition to being a very good friend and regular commentator on MHT, Susan at The Spice Garden will leave your mouth watering with her step by step recipes and great photos.  Her versatility shows in her two word photo recipes.  It shows in her range of topics.  It shows in the fact that I know her voice, even though we have never spoken.  Nuff said…

5. What’s Cooking In Your World – Just came across this blog recently and to tell you the truth, I was pleased to see yet another intrepid foodie cooking the globe in similar fashion to MHT.   Sarah has a deft touch with the global cuisine.  She has not tied herself to the national dishes angle, (note to self: more versatility) and is flying through the list of countries.  I wish her godspeed and good winds…

6.  Global Table Adventure – We global foodies are a tight bunch and Sasha Martin is a great example of what TO DO in blogging the planet one dish at a time.  Sasha is doing one meal per week (multiple courses) that rivals my best efforts and shows that all important word, versatility!  She helped me locate “Whats Cooking in Your World” and has suggested a global foodie seminar in the future.  I like it.

7. Weave Thousand Flavors – Devaki Das is awesome.  I can taste her food in her words.  I love that she is not stuck one thing.  She epitomizes versatile.  I want her to cook for me some day.  Oh please cook for me some day!?  See I am begging.  I have no shame.  I don’t care…

8. Culinary Schmooze - A social network for foodies.  But not the stuffy too many buttons friend everyone in hopes of promoting yourself type of social network.  This site seems like it was made by and for foodies.  Designed to bring a bit of each participant into play, it is versatile and homey at the same time.  I Approve The Schmooze….

9. The Pioneer Woman – There is no denying the versatility and skill with which Ree has made her name in this blogiverse.  She ranks up there with Michaelangelo in my book.  In fact maybe better.  Am I getting carried away?

Thank you Dan for thinking of me, and in a final showing of versatility, my list of 10 is only 9 this time around.  Love to you all!!

Our next country is Estonia and this leg of our journey will bring us back to the Baltic Sea and northern Europe.  To get there from Eritrea requires us to sail westward out of the Mediterranean Sea and then turn north along the flanks of Western Europe.  North of the UK we turn eastward into the Baltic sea passing once again between Sweden and Denmark. 

 Estonia lies south of Finland and north of Lithuania and Latvia on the Eastern edge of the Baltic Sea and shares its eastern border with Russia.  In fact much of the last century found Estonia a principality of the former Soviet Union as well as Nazi Germany.  It was not until 1991 that Estonia found its independence from Russia and launched one of the most successful and rapid economic reforms in European history.  Acting as a mediator between East and West in the days following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Estonia forged an economy that is versatile and utilizes both technological advances and societal innovation to achieve prosperity.  Estonia famously enacted a flat income tax of 26% in 1994 regardless of a citizens income.  This was followed by a reduction on 3 occasions of the tax rate to its low point of 21% in 2008. 

Not all has been golden for post-Soviet Estonia however.  In the 2008-2009 Financial Crisis, Estonia was the second hardest hit European nation.  Estonia will become an official member state of the European Union in 2011.

View of Tallinn Estonia's Capitol City

Estonian history dates back to 6500 BC, based on fossil evidence of fishing villages in the north of the country.  Its language, Estonian is similar to Finnish.  Since early in its history, Estonia has been invaded and ruled by larger more powerful neighbors.  Danes, Swedes, Germans and Russians have all conquered or been ceded the land of Estonia.  Invariably aspects of each invader have become part of the culture of Estonia. 

Since our journey centers on the food of each nation, let’s discuss the national dish of Estonia.  Verivorst is more regularly known as Blood Sausage.  Made from blood and barley, it is very similar to black pudding as in England, or in Finnish as Mustamakkara.  Versions of this can be found throughout this region of the world and are a tribute to the use of the whole animal and readily available local ingredients found in everyday cuisine. 

This is not a dish that is likely to sit well in the minds of people who did not grow up with it.  It is a challenge for me as well.  However, as this entire journey has shown, some recipes can surprise you even when you have made up your mind to dislike them.  This will make the next paragraph seem like a copout, but I assure you, I have and will eat scarier things in my life than carefully cooked sausages full of pigs blood.  After all, sausages are made from scraps and detritus to begin with aren’t they?

In this case, sadly I was unable to obtain the necessary ingredients to make Verivorst.  Also it is not something found regularly in finished form in grocery stores in my area.  I substituted a Polish Keilbasa which tasted delicious but is not Estonian.  If you can provide feedback on Verivorst, I know readers, and myself will appreciate it.  I promise to try the dish and report on it here when I have the opportunity.

To add authenticity to this dish and my substitution, I did in fact find an authentic Estonian recipe and make Mulgikapsad, which is basically Estonian Sauerkraut with Barley and Bacon.   This dish is a winner and is similar to Armenian Harissa in its use of both cabbage and whole grain.  I am including the recipe below which is adapted from the recipe I cited.  For example, I used ½ cup of barley groats instead of the ½ glass that was called for.  Anyhow it worked out and is really quite delicious!

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Rating:

Appearance: 3 out of 5

Aroma: 5 out of 5

Flavor: 5 out of 5

Total: 13 out of 15

Mulgikapsad (Estonian Sauerkraut)

1 kg sauerkraut

half a cup of barley grouts

500g bacon (1Lb)

2 onions

salt, sugar, water

Directions

Dice the onions and fry them with a little fat or oil in a medium stock pot

Add the diced bacon and fry till cooked through (the onion will soften significantly)

Add the sauerkraut to the pan

Add water till just covered stirring to deglaze the bottom of the pan

Add barley and bring to a boil

Cover and stew it under the lid for 20-30 minutes

Make sure the water doesn’t boil off

Add salt and sugar to taste

Serve with boiled potatoes and pork or Verivorst

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/thorgal67/tallinn-2005/1121406000/tpod.html

Today we head back to the land that brought us among other important things, human existence.  It is from our destination that scientists believe mankind as we know it first emerged from Northern Africa to begin settling what we now know as the Middle East then onward into the European landmass and so forth.  This land from whence we emerged has been a land of cultural clashes and battles for territory and ideology even to this day.  Eritrea is a relatively young country that falls directly in the heart of this ancient place. 

To get there from Equatorial Guinea, we sail north and east around the top of Africa and into the Mediterranean Sea.  Continuing east we reach the head of the Suez Canal and pass into the volatile yet crucial Red Sea crossing that separates much of Europe and Northern Africa from the Middle East before reaching the Indian Ocean.  It was not so long ago that we visited these shores when we ventured to Djibouti.  Eritrea is the Northern neighbor of Djibouti and also borders Ethiopia and Sudan. 

Eritrea declared independence from Ethiopia in 1991 and was recognized as such in 1993.  Since this time, there has been tension and fighting between the two as well as between Sudan and Eritrea over their shared yet non-demarcated border.  The country of Eritrea claims nearly 1000 kilometers of shoreline on the Red Sea, a highly strategic position in the region.  Eritrea has also been in dispute with Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula over the Hanish Islands located in the Red Sea.  To this day Eritrea controls several of these islands while Yemen controls the others.

In addition to its strategic importance, Eritrea falls in the mouth of the Great Rift Valley, the region of Africa most known for its incredible mineral wealth.  Most of Africa’s current conflicts in some way are tied to the battle for these resources and the violence has claimed millions of lives.  From the mouth of the Valley located on the Red Sea, the Nile River and the secondary rivers extend south several thousand miles to Mozambique and Malawi.  These river waters have been stained by the blood of conquest and pillaging for many centuries and the conflicts continue to this day.

Eritrea is a country of approximately 5 million people that are nearly evenly divided between Christianity and Islam.  Mosques and churches neighbor each other in the capital city of Asmara. 

The culture and food are influenced by the occupation of the land by Italy then UK and finally by Ethiopia, which lies at the core of the fighting with that country that has claimed nearly 70,000 lives.  Other influences include the Arabian Peninsula which lies so close and from which have come invaders for many centuries.   The blend of pepper spice known as Berbere, highlights the tastes of the region and is used extensively in both Eritrean and Ethiopian cooking.  It is a main ingredient in today’s recipe.

The dish Zigini is the national dish of Eritrea and can be found throughout the region and in Ethiopia as well.  It is a hearty tomato based stew with cubes of meat either lamb or beef that is made spicy with the addition of the Berbere pepper blend.  I am including recipes for the dish as well as how to prepare the spice blend.  The rich aromatic blend of flavors finished with the fires of the northern African pepper blend is a truly authentic way to experience the flavors of the region.  Warning, this dish is not for the weak at heart.

Zigini is often served over a bread called Injera which is a low gluten flat bread prepared similar to pancakes from a batter cooked quickly on a griddle or stone.  This bread is distinctive in that it can be used as both bread and as a utensil with which to consume the delicious but fiery stew.  In Eritrea the bread is made using flour ground from Teff.  This grain is the smallest grain on earth with nearly 150 grains needed to yield the same amount as one grain of wheat.

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Rating:

Appearance: 3 out of 5

Aroma:  5 out of 5

Flavor:  5 out of 5

Total:  13 out of 15

Ingredients:

2 lb stewing beef, in cubes

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 large onion, chopped

4 clove garlic, crushed

2 can tomato, with liquid

salt, pepper

fresh coriander (cilantro) (optional to garnish)

Berbere Pepper 3 tbsp  (If you would like a milder stew, use 1/3 of the Berbere in the recipe.)

A child friendly version can be made by leaving the black and hot peppers out of the spice blend until after the stew is prepared and dished out for the kiddies (or those who don’t like spicy food).  This will give the aromatic quality of the stew without the fire.  If you take this route, make sure you toast the peppers separately and add them to the stew, simmering another 5-10 minutes for the flavors to incorporate before serving.

Recipe for Berbere

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground coriander

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/8 teaspoon ground fenugreek

1/16 teaspoon ground cloves

1/16 teaspoon ground allspice

1/16 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 tablespoon salt

1 1/4 tablespoons cayenne pepper

1/2 tablespoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions

For the Berbere, combine the spices and roast in a dry skillet on low to moderate heat, stirring constantly, for about 5-10 minutes, or until roasted.

To store extra spices place in an air tight jar.

For the stew, fry the meat on high heat until brown, add the onion stirring for 3-5 minutes till translucent, and eventually add the garlic and 3 tbsp Berbere Seasoning.

Add the tomatoes with their liquid and boil slowly until the meat is tender and the stew has thickened (30-60 minutes).

Garnish with coriander and serve hot on Injera (Ethiopian flat bread).

Injera Recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup teff flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour  (1 cup of all purpose if you don’t have teff)

1 cup water

a pinch of salt

peanut or vegetable oil

a mixing bowl

a nonstick pan or cast-iron skillet

Tip

If you have teff grain instead of flour, first grind it in a clean coffee grinder, or with a mortar and pestle.

Tip

Many Ethiopians in America use square-shaped, electric, nonstick pans. These heat evenly and make it easy to remove the Injera once it is cooked.

Did You Know?

Teff is extremely high in fiber, iron, and calcium.    

Preparation

Put the teff flour in the bottom of a mixing bowl, and sift in the all-purpose flour.

Slowly add the water, stirring to avoid lumps.

Stir in the salt.

Heat a nonstick pan or lightly oiled cast-iron skillet until a water drop dances on the surface. Make sure the surface of the pan is smooth: Otherwise, your injera might fall apart when you try to remove it.

Coat the pan with a thin layer of batter. Injera should be thicker than a crêpe, but not as thick as a traditional pancake. It will rise slightly when it heats.

Cook until holes appear on the surface of the bread. Once the surface is dry, remove the bread from the pan and let it cool.  

What’s Going On?

If you’ve ever cooked pancakes, making Injera might seem familiar. In both cases, tiny bubbles form on top as the batter cooks. Keeping an eye on these bubbles is a great way to see how close the pancake or Injera is to being ready without peeking underneath.

These bubbles come from the carbon-dioxide produced by the leavener—usually baking powder or soda in the case of pancakes, “wild” yeast in the case of Injera. Neither batter contains much gluten. Most pancake recipes tell you not to mix the batter too much. If you do, gluten will develop, making them too chewy.  Teff, the grain used to make Injera, contains very little gluten to begin with. In both cases, the result is the same: With no gummy substance to “blow up,” most of the carbon-dioxide from the leaveners rapidly escapes into the air, leaving the little popped bubbles that contribute to the distinctive textures of these breads.

Finished!

Cooking, notice the bubbles....

http://cookingaroundtheworld.co.uk/2010/05/15/eritrea-%E2%80%93-zigini/   This recipe came from my friend at cooking around the world. 

http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/bread/recipe-injera.html  Thanks for the great insight into Injera and the yummy recipe.  Despite my lack of Teff, I enjoyed the results.

On a side note, when I was preparing the Succotash, I happened to glance over at my counter top and saw the sun shining into the bag of vine ripe tomatoes I had just purchased.  I g rabbed the camera and this was the result.  It is better than the shot of the Succotash!

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Rating:

Appearance: 3 out of 5
Aroma: 3 out of 5
Flavor: 5 out of 5
Total: 11 out of 15

Ingredients
1 cup butter, divided
2 cups fresh lima beans
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons white sugar
4 ears fresh corn kernels, cut from the cob
Directions
Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in lima beans and salt, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan heat tomatoes, sugar and remaining 1/2 cup butter. Cook until tomatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Stir tomatoes into lima beans and add corn; cook 10 minutes more.

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/succotash/Detail.aspx

Cous Cous with Portobello Mushrooms and Toasted Pignolias (Pine Nuts)

Ingredients:
2 cups Iraeli Cous Cous, AKA Cous Cous Pearls
1 cup diced Portobello mushrooms
½ cup toasted Pignolias
Chicken Stock or Water (Check Cous Cous package for amounts)
Dash of Salt
1 clove garlic
½ cup minced shallots
1-2 tablespoons butter or Olive Oil

Directions

In a large frying pan or a Tagine bring the butter or oil to high heat. Sauté the shallots for 3-5 minutes till softened and transluscent.
Add minced clove of garlic to the pan and fry an additional 30 seconds to release the garlic oil.
Add portobellos and cook for 1-2 minutes till they begin to soften
Add water or stock and bring to a boil
Add cous cous and toasted pine nuts and cook according to cous cous instructions
Allow to sit off heat for 2-5 minutes after cooking.
Serve hot. Serves 6-8

*Source for nutrition information: http://www.foodreference.com/html/artbeans.html

A special thanks to @GreenMarketGirl for the beautiful wooden platter in the photo above!  For more info and to purchase this platter or her signature ECOcuff reclaimed wooden bracelets/cuffs, visit:   http://greenmarketgirl.com/, all products made from 100% reclaimed/recycled wood scraps!

El Salvador is a small nation on the southern edge of the Central American landmass.  It is surrounded by Guatemala to the north and Honduras to the South and East.   To travel to it from Egypt, we sail west out of the Mediterranean Sea and west to the Panama Canal.  Crossing through the canal we then turn north and sail past Costa Rica and Nicaragua before landing in the department (state) of La Libertad where the coastline is due south from the capital city of San Salvador.

El Salvador is the smallest nation in Central America, similar in size to Belize.  However, unlike Belize, El Salvador is Spanish speaking and is also the most densely populated nation in Central America.  Interestingly the official currency of El Salvador is the US dollar, which was adopted in 2001.  The previous currency, the Colon, is still legal tender.

In the 16^th century, the Spanish colonized the area calling it Provincia De Nuestro Señor Jesus Cristo, El Salvador Del Mundo, or roughly translated, Province of our Mr. Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, a lengthy title for a small nation.  Eventually it was shortened to El Salvador.

El Salvador was under Spanish rule until the early 1800’s when in 1821 it became a part of the newly independent “First Mexican Empire”.  El Salvador resisted the unification of what is now Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Chiapas State, Mexico and insisted on independence from Mexico.   This was met by suppression for about 2 years until the formation of The Central American Republic, when Chiapas joined Mexico and the remaining 5 territories joined together.  In 1839 El Salvador became an independent republic when the C.A.R. dissolved.

From the mid 19^th century onward, the economy of El Salvador relied on Coffee as a single or monoculture agricultural commodity and oligarchies rose up out of the plantation system that was established.  This class system would lead to periods of wealth and poverty as world coffee prices rose and fell.  Eventually the systemic suppression of the campesinos (field workers) would lead to discontent and cause political unease.

The 20^th century in El Salvador was marked by several coups and in the 1980’s and early 1990’s a civil war that was waged between government forces and several guerilla revolutionary groups of both leftist and communist persuasion.  This war has been blamed in large part on the U.S. involvement in creation of a second Junta on the heels of the 1979 coup d’état that overthrew the then sitting government.   This second Junta was to be headed by Napoleon Duarte who was recalled from exile in Venezuela.  However, the people saw this move as opportunistic which ultimately resulted in its failure and the start of the 1980 Civil War.

El Salvador has begun to see improvement in its standard of living.  Economic reforms and the exposure of governmental corruption have balanced some of the inequities in Salvadoran society.  However, poverty is still widespread and unemployment is a continuing problem.

Much of the food of El Salvador is reminiscent of the rest of the region.  Spanish influence and regional produce have helped create the Salvadoran cuisine.  However, the national dish of El Salvador is believed to predate the arrival of the Spanish.  One of my favorite names for a dish is Pupusa.  It is a challenge to say this without a smile.  Pu-Pu-Sahhhhhhh!  Essentially this dish is made from pan roasting the dough of Maiz Harina, or Corn Flour also called Masa or Maseca that has been stuffed with various items.  Unlike tortillas, the dough is thicker and is stuffed before cooking making a derivative of the empanadas that are found throughout Central and South America.  Standard topping include: the also fun to say Chicharone, or fried pig skin, queso blanco or white cheese, and a vinegar based coleslaw called Curtido.  Refried beans are a common topping as well and variations on the recipe are limitless.

I have included the recipe for curtido which is a delicious take on a standard American Slaw, minus the mayo or cream dressing.  In my case, I chose to leave the ingredients unblanched (as called for in the recipe) and was thrilled with the result.  It is the epitome of simple whole and delicious food.

I might also recommend deep frying the pupusas instead of pan baking them.  I have eaten them this way before and i think it adds flavor.  Of course it adds fat as well so choose wisely!!

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Rating:

Appearance: 3 out of 5

Aroma: 4 out of 5

Flavor: 3 out of 5

Total: 10 out of 15

INGREDIENTS

Masa harina–Powdery corn meal, found at most Mexican groceries. 2 cups

Water – enough to create the correct consistency (See below)

Filling (see variations below) 1 cup

METHOD

Basic Steps: Mix → Knead → Rest → Portion → Roll → Pan-bake In a large bowl, mix together the masa harina and water and knead well.

Knead in more water, one tablespoonful at a time, to make a moist, but fairly firm dough. (It shouldn’t crack at the edges when you press down on it.)

Cover and set aside to rest 5-10 minutes.

Roll dough into a cylinder then cut into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball. You can alos use a tortilla press but be sure to not over compress the dough, it should be around ¼ inch thick.

Press a hole in each ball with your thumb. Put about 1 tablespoon of desired filling into each ball and fold the dough over to completely enclose it. Press the ball out with your palms to form a disc. Be sure the filling doesn’t spill out.

Place the dough between plastic wrap and roll it out with a rolling pin.

Heat an ungreased skillet over high heat. Cook each pupusa for about 1-2 minutes on each side till lightly browned and blistered. Remove to a plate and cover till all pupusas are done. Serve with curtido. (See recipe below)

Hint:  You can also form the pupusas by using two circles of dough with the filling between and the edges sealed with a fork or by hand.  Or, using only one circle, fill ½ of the dough and flip the other side over to form a half moon shape with the filling in between like an omelet, again sealing by fork or by hand.

VARIATIONS

Pupusas can be made plain or filled with any number of ingredients. Cheese, chicharrones (fried pork rinds) or refried beans are the most common fillings. For a cheese filling, use grated farmer’s cheese, mozzarella, queso fresco or Swiss.

If you can’t find chicharrones, grind 1 cup of cooked bacon with a little bit of tomato sauce in a food processor. Cooked potatoes or finely minced, sautéed jalapeño peppers are also tasty fillings. Try a mixture of different fillings.

The above recipe uses masa harina, a special dried cornmeal flour used in making tortillas, tamales, etc. If you are able to get fresh masa, definitely use it instead. The flavor will be much fresher. Just substitute the masa harina and water with fresh masa. One pound will make about 8-10 pupusas.

NOTES

Pupusas are a particularly Salvadoran food. Salvadoran restaurants that serve them are called pupuserías.

Curtido, a type of coleslaw, is typically served with pupusas.

Pupusas are traditionally made by slapping the dough from palm to palm to flatten it out. A Tortilla press might be quicker and easier for beginners. Just line the tortilla press with plastic and press out each ball to about 5-6″ wide and about 1/4″ thick.

CURTIDO

El Salvadoran cabbage salad

Makes about 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

Cabbage shredded 1/2 head

Carrot peeled, grated 1 each

Water boiling 4 cups Scallions minced 3 each

Vinegar, white 1/2 cup

Water 1/2 cup

Oregano, fresh or dried minced or crumbled 2 T or 2 t

Crushed red pepper flakes 1 t

METHOD

Basic Steps: Blanch → Mix → Chill

Place cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. cover with boiling water and let set for 5 minutes. Drain well.

Mix with the rest of the ingredients and chill.

VARIATIONS

A pinch of sugar and a little oil can be added to the salad if you like.

Thank you to the following site for the excellent recipe and information:  http://www.globe-hoppers.com/pupusa-recipe.html
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It seems fitting that the return of this global adventure comes on the heels of the finale of the World Cup in South Africa.  This one sporting event more than all others signals the unification of mankind in a common endeavor with relatively peaceful methodology.  I have learned to love the grace and the underlying message of the World Cup.  If only every NFL or baseball match began with a pledge and commitment to end racism in its ugliness.  It did not come without a physical toll however.  Some of you soccer fans may be slightly tone deaf like myself, from the incessant buzzing of the now famed Vuvuzela, a constant at South African football matches.  Painful indeed, yet oddly hypnotic at the same time.

Hearty congratulations are in order to Spain for their fast paced and exciting victory versus the Netherlands.  Both teams fought hard and long to bring home the cup for what would be the first time in either of their nations history.  New records were set in penalties with a veritable hail storm of yellow and red cards for both teams.  Yet no fists were thrown and no one wound up badly injured.   In all it was an enjoyable and entertaining match and a wonderful World Cup.  Thank you to South Africa for being a gracious and fantastic host country!

As I originally stated in the thesis for this blog, “the universal language” food is the true universal language. Unlike sport, everyone must eat.  Therefore a common bond exists throughout mankind through the food we consume and the culinary tradition we pass on to our children or share with our guests.  The dishes that sing to our souls become part of the legacy of our culture, community or even nation.  Exploring those traditions is the goal of this blog and it is time to pick up where we left off several months ago.  I am grateful to my readers for being supportive and understanding during my absence and I hope I bring you the same level of enjoyment as before from here on out.

Our next nation happens to be another African nation although it is located all the way to the north of the continent from South Africa.  To get there from Ecuador(our last stop) we sail north through the Panama Canal and across the Atlantic Ocean.  We then sail into the Mediterranean Sea all the way to the mouth of the Suez Canal where we land at Alexandria, one of Egypts most famous cities and just north of the capital of Cairo.  One of the oldest nations on the planet with written records extending back thousands of years, Egypt is home to a rich history and fantastic food.  Bridging the gap between the Middle East and Africa, Egypt is home of the famous Suez Canal through which we have navigated countless times thereby saving a grueling journey around the Cape of Good Hope.  Bordered to the east by Saudi Arabia, Israel and Jordan and to the west by Libya as well as Sudan to the South, Egypt is of critical strategic importance in global affairs and is a regional mediator in various conflicts that affect the region. 

A photo of the Nile River

Egypt has a population of 77 million people. While the area surrounding the Nile River contains the population centers of the country, the majority of the landscape is dominated by the Sahara and Libyan Deserts.  Egypt is popular with tourists for its scenic landscape and architectural feats such as the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx.   

In recent times, although much criticism has been leveled at the government for their often “tough” crackdowns on dissidents both real and perceived, Egypt has also helped model the concept of democracy in the region.  The overall stability of the country has been an attractant to foreign investment and has encouraged economic growth.  Egypt’s economy is one of the most diverse and influential in the Middle East although many of its people still live in poverty.  

The influences of both the Arab world and Africa can be found in the culture and cuisine of Egypt.  Home to many famous and delicious dishes, the food of Egypt is nothing not flavorful.  Dishes have evolved over millennia and each favorite dish can be made or interpreted in many ways.  

The national dish that we will prepare is Kushari, a rice and pasta dish made with a spicy tomato sauce and lentils as well as chickpeas.  In this case we will prepare a vegetarian/vegan version which can be altered by adding meats etc.  It is likely that this dish originated with the vegetarian Coptic Christians who number between 15 and 18 million people in Egypt.  Also the lack of meat may reflect the high cost of meat for the lower classes.  This is truly a dish for the masses.  However despite its humble origins Kushari has become a national dish in the spirit of so many other dishes we have explored.  It is quite simply a delicious meal that is accessible to many and loved by most. 

Variations on the vegetarian recipe are found below the recipe.

Note:  I have added some Baharat to my recipe.  I wanted to capture the essence of the region which is in my opinion one of the most haunting of the asian spice blends.  There are many takes on Baharat as there are with most spice blends, but the simple baharat recipe is what I used.  Start with a few pinches and increase to taste. It also helps to lightly toast the spices in the hot oil during the first part of the sauce making phase in order to pull all of the aroma from the various spices included in Baharat.  Simply add it to the hot oil after the onions have cooked for 4-5 minutes then continue with the remaining steps.  The aromas will be incredible.

Also, due to the nature of this dish, preparation will involve 5-6 pans and burners.  Since most home kitchens have 4 burners on the stove, build the dish in stages by cooking the starches and lentils first, then setting them aside in a covered bowl until you have prepared the fried crispy onions and the sauce.

Rating:

Appearance:  3 out of 5

Aroma:  4 out of 5

Flavor: 4 out of 5

Total: 11 out of 15

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Ingredients:

Makes 4 servings

Rice — 1 cup

Macaroni pasta — 1 cup

Lentils — 1 cup

Oil — 2 tablespoons

Onion, chopped finely — 1

Garlic, minced — 2 to 3 cloves

Tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes — 2 cups

Pepper flakes — 1/2 to 1 teaspoon

Baharat – 2-3 pinches or to taste (I used quite a bit more)

1 can Chick peas or 1-2 cup cooked according to directions on package

Salt and pepper — to taste

Oil for frying

Onion, sliced thinly — 1

Salt and pepper — to taste

Method

Cook the rice and 2 cups of water in a covered pot until done, about 20 minutes. Cook the macaroni according to package directions, or until al dente. Simmer the lentils and 2 cups of water in a covered pot until tender, 30-45 minutes.

While the rice, pasta and lentils are cooking, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent and wilted, 4-5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, chick peas and pepper flakes as well as the Baharat spices (if you choose to add this spice blend), reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, add a little water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat about 1/2-inch of oil in a heavy skillet.  Add the sliced onions and fry until they turn brown and crispy.  Drain on paper towels.

Place the rice, macaroni and lentils in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper and stir together gently with a fork. Portion the mixture into individual bowls and spoon some tomato sauce over each portion. Top with crispy fried onions and serve hot or at room temperature.

Variations

Try other types of pasta: penne, bucatini, ditalini.

Kushari is often served with a spoonful of cooked chickpeas on top. ( I chose to add these into the sauce)

Stir in some meat like cooked chunks of schawarma, chicken or lamb.

Serve with slices of lemon for individual diners to squeeze over their portions as they like.

Add a little ground cumin, cinnamon or baharat spice mix to the simmering tomato sauce if you like.

Recipe adapted from:  http://www.whats4eats.com/pastas/kushari-recipe

As you know, I have been taking time off to tend to family matters.  Well, enough already!  I need to eat some of the worlds greatest dishes.  I am hungry. 

Get ready for the return of MYHUNGRYTUM!!!

New post to follow almost immediately…..

Eric

I am still smiling...I mean, look at that beautiful waterfall! How can you not smile

I feel like I have been neglecting everyone.   Family circumstances have required me to pause for awhile.

I want to say that I have not forgotten or given up on this blog.  In fact I am really anxious to start again in the kitchen.

I do have a request for my friends and readers.  If you have a family version of any of the recipes in the list or any suggestions for accuracy in this venture, please send them to me at myhungrytum@gmail.com.  I always appreciate feedback and constructive criticism.  My goal is to introduce some of the flavors of each country.  There is no better reference than a person who grew up eating the dish I am trying to prepare.

As always my apologies if any of the recipes are not wholly accurate.  It is entirely my fault.

Good Eats and continued exciting culinary travels to you all…
Eric

I have a few minutes and thought I would touch base with everyone.  Thanks for the kind words and continued support during this time.  I hope to someday relate the experience as it has been a real eye opener for me.  Until then, I would like to simply say, never take any day for granted.  Never rush through life. Remember what your real priorities are.  Above all take the time to tell your family how much they mean to you.

MHT will return as soon as things are back to normal.  Although I may not reach my goal of one year to complete the tour of the world, I promise to get the whole thing completed.

Many thanks for the support,

Eric

In the past week I have been silent on my social networks and on this blog.  I have been dealing with a fairly serious family medical emergency with my wife that has kept me awake at all hours and worried throughout.

It has caused me to think closely about my priorities and how best to honor my commitments while remembering what really matters in life.  I can firmly say that family is the most important detail.  There is nothing more threatening to me than the imminent health problems of a member of my family.

I am fortunate to have a very close family AS WELL as fulfilling pursuits such as this blog.  I have made many new friends and learned interesting recipes and facts along the way.  I have come to realize that a pursuit such as our journey is more than just fun.  It is hard work that requires dedication and focused attention.  It can even take priority over other things if you let it.

So how does one balance the pursuit of interests versus the interests of life?  The answer is of course, balance.

I will be taking a break from MyHungryTum in order to nurse my wife back to health.  She is more important than a blog and is a key part of the drive that makes this journey possible.  If you know her, you know what I mean.  She is a rock and now she needs my love and help.  Also our daughters need a dedicated parent here to assure them that all will be well with their world.

So,  I will see everyone in a couple of weeks.  Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers (if you pray).  The good news is that with rest, she will to make a full recovery.  I can hardly wait.

Happy adventures,
Eric

Ecuador is a land of incredible biodiversity.  In fact, a young Charles Darwin set sail from England on the second voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle to conduct surveys of South America.  Upon arriving in the Galapagos Islands Darwin conducted much of the research that would make up his “On the Origin Of Species” and the “Theory” of evolution, specifically dealing with natural selection.   This was based on observations he made of endemic species of birds and other animals and fossils throughout the islands that suggested specific adaptation to unique environmental factors.  He is possibly the most widely recognized pioneer of the research of evolutionary science.

Ecuador was a colony of Spain from the middle 1500’s till 1830 when it joined the Union of Gran Colombia, as we discussed while visiting Bolivia.  In fact, it was from the city of Quito that the first calls for independence from Spain in Latin America came.  Quito was the site of the first independent and local government which lasted only a few short months but launched the possibility of true independence and governance in the region.

Prior to Colonialism, Ecuador was part of the powerful Inca Empire for 100 years before Spanish rule.  The two sons of the Emperor Huayna Capac ruler of the Incas, held joint control of Ecuador with Atahualpa in the north and Huascar in the south.  Eventually the two fought for control and Atahualpa defeated Huascar claiming the entire country in 1530.  The Spanish invaded the following year and ruled Ecuador for nearly 300 years.

From its perch in the Andes Mountains of Northern South America,  Ecuador fought a long campaign against Peru for control of the Amazon Basin.  While the rest of the planet was fighting World War 2, these two neighbors fought each other.

After the war, Ecuador suffered through coups and dictatorships and civil unrest.  It was not until 1979 that democracy returned with the election of Jaime Roldos Aguilera who was later killed under suspicious circumstances in a plane crash.  In subsequent years, indigenous people have moved to take political action seeking accountability by the government for land reform promises and social services to the poor.  This has somewhat destabilized the political arena in modern day Ecuador.

The national dish of Ecuador is called Encebollados.  The root word of Cebollas means Onions in Spanish.  The base of this seafood soup is called Sofrito and is a pungent mix of Tomatoes, Onions, Cumin, Chili and Cilantro (coriander).  The protein element and foundation for the stock is Tuna.  The starch element is Yuca a starchy root vegetable that requires time to cook down the coarse threads found within its stalk.  The result is a delicious aromatic savory and spicy soup that is traditionally topped with pickled onions and tomatoes.

I give this dish a 2 for difficulty.  It is not difficult to assemble and the challenge is to not eat too soon as you smell the incredible aroma filling your kitchen.

I would like to assert a tongue in cheek addition to the manuscript “On the Origin of Species”.  I firmly believe that people who have the widest knowledge of great traditional food, are the most likely to survive global catastrophe.  So start cooking.  Encebollados is a great place to start!

It's all about the slow food in Ecuador.

Rating:

Appearance: 3 out of 5

Aroma: 5 out of 5

Flavor: 5 out of 5

Total: 13 out of 15

Note:  I served this with some chewy European style mini-baguettes with seeds atop.  It was a great departure from tradition as the bread soaked up the powerful flavor of the dish.  The pickled onions served on top were absolutely bright and a perfect way to highlight the greatness of this dish.

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Ingredients:

2 lbs fresh tuna

1 lb yuca, fresh or frozen

2 tbs sunflower oil

2 tomatoes, diced

½ red onion, diced

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

8 cups of water

5 cilantro sprigs

Salt to taste

Curtido de cebolla y tomate or pickled red onion and tomato salsa to serve on top

To make the pickled onions:

Thin sliced ½ red onion

1 tomato sliced thin

Cilantro chopped about 1/3 cup

½ cup apple cider vinegar

3 tsp cane sugar

1 tsp kosher salt

Mix the liquid ingredients together stirring to blend.

Add the Tomatoes, Cilantro and Onions to the liquid and set aside for ½ hr.

Preparation of the Soup:

Heat the oil on medium heat to make a refrito with diced onion, tomato, cumin, chili powder and salt.

Add the water and cilantro springs, bring to a boil.

Add the tuna and cook for until the tuna is fully cooked, about 15 minutes.

Drain the tuna and keep the broth to cook the yuca.

Separate or break the tuna into small to medium size pieces.

Bring the tuna broth to a boil and add the yucas, cook until tender but firm, about 30-40 minutes for the frozen yuca.

Take the yuca from the broth, remove the strings and cut into bite size chunks.

Add the yuca chunks and tuna pieces to the broth, taste and add salt if needed.

Re-warm the soup if necessary and serve topped with a good amount of pickled onion and tomato salsa, if desired can also be served with avocado slices and extra lime slices.

http://laylita.com/recipes/2008/03/01/encebollado-de-pescado-or-tuna-soup/

Timor Leste as it is officially known is an island nation in the southern part of the Indonesian Archipelago that includes several islands and has its capital city Dili on an Island called Timor which it shares with Indonesia.

Timor Leste was a territory of Portugal from the late 1700’s although exploration of the area by the Portuguese can be traced back to the 1500’s.

In 1975 Timor Leste was effectively abandoned by the Portuguese and declared independence from Portugal.  Nine days later they were invaded by Indonesian forces and a battle began that would last 25 years and would claim 102,800 lives.  I try to be specific in the numbers of people killed in conflicts rather than estimate as I think it pays more respect to the victims.

The killings and the starvings or disease related deaths fell on the hands of the Indonesian invaders and the Fanitil Guerilla forces eventually earned a victory when Indonesian forces withdrew in 1999.  Afterward a referendum was held to determine the future for the nation.  78% voted for independence from Indonesia.  Violent clashes with Pro-Indonesian elements resulted and the transition took nearly three years with the guidance of the United Nations.

Oddly the currency of East Timor is the US dollar.  This is the result of a transitional treaty in post independence East Timor.  So if you travel there from the states, you will not need to change your cash.

East Timor was declared a member of the UN and an internationally recognized nation on September 27^th 2002, becoming the first new nation of the 21^st century.

The food of East Timor is similar to the cuisine of Indonesia and contains local produce such as fish and rice with spiced curries, lemongrass, ginger, chilies etc.  The national dish is Ikan Pepes.  Ikan means fish and Pepes refers to the method of steaming in banana leaves then cooking over a grill.  I have modified the recipe thanks to a rainy day.  I steamed the fish, then finished it under the broiler for about 5 minutes.  If I cooked it on the grill, I would have left the fish wrapped in the banana leaves which would aid in keeping it moist.

This dish gets a 3 for difficulty.  The ingredients are exotic and include some hard to find items like candlenuts.  This particular ingredient is similar to a large macadamia and should not be eaten raw for any reason!  I found this in a Thai Grocery.  The resulting curry paste is similar to many dishes in the region.  It is sweet and spicy with incredible citrus notes and pungent earthy aromas.   It makes my tum hungry!!

By way of promoting a friend and her uber-cool and environmentally responsible business, I would like to point out the gorgeous platter that the fish is served on which was given to me by my friend Susan.  This platter is made entirely from the scrap pieces of her partners woodworking business.

The link to her website is: http://greenmarketgirl.com/ and you can follow her on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/greenmarketgirl.  She is the designer and builder of the Eco-Cuff a bracelet design also made from the lovely scraps of the woodshop.

Although they do not advertise the platters as safe for food, they would make fantastic decorative pieces or service platters with a surface liner.  They hope to launch a certified Food Safe line very shortly.  Please support my good friend in her growing business.  Thanks Susan!

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Rating:

Appearance:  4 out of 5

Aroma: 4 out of 5

Flavor: 5 out of 5

Total: 13 out of 15

Ingredients

2lb whole fresh Red Snapper or similar fish  (I used an American Red Snapper and also Mahi Mahi portions)

For Curry paste

1 Tsp tamarind pulp, soaked 5 minutes.

2 Tbsp warm water

6-10 large chiles, chopped   (I used 5 and it had plenty of heat.  6-10 will be quite hot)

1 stem lemongrass (only the inner part of the bottom 10 cm), thinly sliced

5 candlenuts

1 small, ripe tomato

1/2 Tsp ground turmeric

1/2 Tsp dried shrimp paste

1 Tbsp finely chopped palm sugar

1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves

For fish pre marinade:

1 lime sliced in half

1 Tsp salt

Preparation

Score the fish several times and marinate it with salt and lime rubbed into the surface.

Grind all of the curry ingredients in a processor till they are smooth (about 2 minutes)

Rinse the banana leaves and place about 1/3 of the curry in the bottom of the sheet of banana leaf.

Rub about 1/3 of the curry into the belly of the fish.

Ladle the remaining 1/3 of the curry over the fish and seal up the “packets”.

Steam for 20 minutes in a bamboo steamer

Grill for an additional 6 minutes to impart a smoky finish to the dish (Sadly the weather didn’t allow this step)

Unwrap the packets and serve over rice with chopped basil.

Adapted from: http://chezannies.blogspot.com/2008/09/ikan-pepes-indonesian-spiced-fish.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+HouseOfAnnie+(House+of+Annie)

I have returned from the death defying wilds of urban Vancouver (really quite tame actually) on Canada’s west coast.  This is a brief update before we resume the journey.

I have emailed the winner of the latest MyHungryTum/EZ-Red contest giveaway.  I will give them a reasonable amount of time to reply before choosing a new winner.  Since I was choosing from email addresses, I have limited contact info for the winner.  For the record, our winner is named Beverley (no last name known).  If you are Beverley and are reading this, please email me at myhungrytum@gmail.com to claim your prize.

Vancouver is a lovely and exciting city.  If it weren’t for the fog and rain that plague the Northwest (also helping create one of the most unique ecosystems on earth, the Coastal Northern Rainforest) it would likely have a population of 6 Billion.  It is a great place to visit and for foodies it is a sort of Mini Mecca.  I highly encourage anyone who is able, to visit this place and bring your appetites.

While in B.C. (British Columbia) I had a great dining experience with a friend who writes on food, culture etc and who has a gifted palate.  If you have never been to an Izakaya before, imagine Tapas Japanese Style.  Beautiful small plates of the freshest and tastiest ingredients in a comfy and inviting pub environment.  Presentation and freshness are fundmental to the cuisine and Izakayas compete for interesting menu choices that change regularly.  Make sure to ask about daily specials.  You will not be disappointed.

I also got to experience a truly “Canadian” pastime by attending my first ever National Hockey League game which happened to be a playoff game between the Canucks and the LA Kings.  One word description:  Deadly!!!

I have been suffering a malady of the eye over the last couple of weeks.  As I write this I think of how valuable each of the senses is to our experiences.  I am grateful to have all of my senses generally in tact but have been reminded how intregal the sense of sight is to everything we do each day.  It amazes me when someone has learned to adapt to a permanent loss of vision, as even a temporary condition can be debilitating.  My balance has suffered alongside my patience.  Even thinking becomes difficult when the distraction of a malfunctioning cornea sets in.  Fortunately, I have a solid diagnosis now and with the aid of some pharmaceutical “big guns” as the Optometrist put it, I expect to be back on my feet soon.  In the meantime, my time table has been set back by this and by my travels, so my apologies for slow updates.  We will resume in high gear shortly.

In ongoing news, I am going to be doing a live internet based radio program with Florentina Liles of www.ciaoflorentina.com which will be based at her excellent website.  We are considering a live call-in format or a listener chat forum where we will reply to questions comments etc.  Should be lots of fun.  I hope you will all join us. Details to follow soon.

Finally, I am grateful to each of you for the continued support of MyHungryTum and the Universal Language Series.  It has been so encouraging to read the comments and feedback of my favorite folks.  Please keep it up.  I do not think I could continue without each of you.

Our next destination is in Asia deep in the Indonesian Archipelago.  This seafood recipe looks fabulous so stay tuned for an update most likely to come tomorrow.  I plan on getting back in the kitchen tonight after a long hiatus.  I can hardly wait!!

Cheers…..Eric