Day 134: Palau and Pichi-Pichi

Good evening, Raffies!

Today we are going to Palau to try yet another dessert: Pichi-Pichi. The reason why I chose this dish is quite silly, I thought the name was hilarious.

In consistency, Pichi-Pichi reminded me of some mochis from Japan and my Japanese husband agrees, so maybe I am not completely insane. However, the method is slightly different since no rice flour is used in Pichi_Pichi. It is a glutinous, gelatinous pastry, though.

The recipe is simple, just remember that you will need a steamer.

2 c grated cassava
1 c sugar
2 c water
1 c coconut, grated
1/2 tsp starch
1/2 tsp buko-pandan essence

Start by grating your cassava. For this, I watched this video on how to proceed. It helped me out a lot, even though I understood only the word "cassava":

Now mix your grated cassava with sugar and water in a bowl. Add the starch and stir vigorously.
Add the buko-pandan essence to the bowl. I could not find it, therefore I used 1/2 tsp of spirulina powder to get a nice green colour. Unfortunately, it was not as bright green as in the photos I had seen.
Once all the ingredients are well mixed, pour individual cup molds in your steamer. Steam for 45-60 minutes. Then cool down until they get to a translucent colour. You can put them into the fridge to cool them down well. Now you remove them from their molds and roll them on the grated coconut.

This is a common dessert or a mid-afternoon snack.
The flavour reminded me a lot of the Japanese sweets. Since I am not much of a sweet tooth, I liked that it was not too sweet.


Love,

Raffi

Day 133: Pakistan and Matar Keema

Good evening, Raffies!

Today we are going to another country with far too many delicious dishes to choose from..so this one was tough..but I remember from my childhood that I liked this Pakistani dish with minced meat and peas..thus, Matar Keema it is!

The recipe is very simple.

500 g minced lamb
250 g matar (peas)
1 onion, finely chopped
6 tbsp oil
freshly ground black pepper
6 clovers
1 black cardamom bud
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric
2 tomatoes, chopped and peeled
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp garam masala
salt
fresh coriander
lemon
naan to serve

Sauté the onion in oil until golden. Add all the spices and the tomatoes. Add some water and cook on medium heat until dry. Now add the minced meat and 2 cups of more water. Cook until the meat is done and the water is almost completely absorbed. Add the peas and cook until done. Garnish with fresh coriander and drizzle with some lemon juice. Serve with naan.

The dish is really easy to make and you are done in less than 15 minutes. The spices make the whole flavour simply perfect. You should really try it if you haven't already! What other Pakistani dishes do you like?

Love,

Raffi

Day 132: Oman and Omani Chicken Maraq

Good evening, Raffies!

Today we are going to Oman and we are enjoying some Chicken Maraq.
This dish contains the colours and the flavours of Oman.
The recipe is simple, just takes some time to cook:

1 chicken, cut into pieces
2 tbsp ghee
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 1/2 tbsp Omani mixed spices
2 tomatoes, peeled and diced
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cubes chicken stock
1/2 c coriander, chopped
5 c water
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 dried limes

Heat the ghee in a large pot and stir fry the onions until golden brown.
Add chicken and fry for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, Omani mix spices, tomatoes, tomato paste, dried limes, chicken stock and coriander. Cook for a few minutes, then add water. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, until the meat is almost completely cooked.
Now add the potatoes and let it simmer for another 20 minutes, until the potatoes are done.
Enjoy!

The dish was lovely, it was so flavourful and the meat was soft and delicious. The sauce was just amazing.

Love,

Raffi

Day 131: Norway and Fårikål

God kveld, Raffies!

Today we are going to Norway and we are going to enjoy some traditional Fårikål. This is a very popular meat stew all over Norway. Back in the 1970's, this dish was crowned as the national dish of Norway and it still is really popular all over the country. This stew is incredibly simple, but it's flavour is fantastic. This dish is said to go back to the Vikings. nowadays it is often accompanied with boiled potatoes and beer. If you want to go all Viking, you can even have some Aquavit with it!

Fårikål even has its own day: the 30th September is the Day of Fårikål. Well, I guess we are a bit early..

For the recipe:

1 kg lamb
1 kg cabbage, the leaves
water
peppercorns
salt

In a Dutch oven, layer a slice of lamb, cover with cabbage and repeat layering as many times as possible. Cover the ingredients with water and add the peppercorns on top. Add one teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Now let it simmer for 2.5 hours. If you want to cheat like I did, you can cook it in a pressure pot (here it will only take 30 minutes).

This is a perfect dish for cold days and to enjoy with your family. God Apetitt og Skål!

Love,
Raffi

Day 130: North Korea and Mul-naengmyeon

Good evening, Raffies!

Today we are going to North Korea. This time, my husband chose the dish, for he had been to a North Korean restaurant, when he was living in China: Mul-naengmyeon!
This noodle soup is a typical dish for war summer days. It is a cold noodle soup, that reminded me of the Japanese cold soba.

The recipe is easy and straight forward.

Ingredients (for 2):

300g Dried naengmyeon noodles
1 Chicken bouillon cube
2 clove of garlic, ground
1 small piece of ginger, ground
1 Cucumber
1 Pear
½ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Sugar
1 tablespoon Apple vinegar
2 Hard-boiled egg
Toasted sesame seeds
Ice cubes


For the broth:

Bring a medium sized pot with water to a boil. Add a cube of chicken bouillon, garlic and ginger. Mix well and add some ice cubes to cool down.

Vegetables:

Cut the cucumber into thin strips. Mix them with vinegar, salt and sugar and set aside.
Peel and cut the pear into halves. Cut one half into thin strips and soak them in sugar water.
Grate the other half and squeeze the pear juice.
Mix the pear juice with the broth.

Noodles:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until the noodles are not too hard nor too soggy.
Rinse the noodles in cold running water until they cold.

Eggs:

Hard boil the eggs and cut each in halves. Set them aside.

Mix:

Pour the broth into a small or medium bowl and add the noodles.
Add the cucumber and pear on top.
Sprinkle with some sesame seeds.
Place the eggs on top.
Enjoy the cold noodles!

It was a very nice and refreshing noodle soup. That after a lot of filling dishes, did not lie heavy on my stomach.

Love, Raffi

Day 129: Nigeria and Beans and Plantain pottage

Good evening, Raffies!

We are going to Nigeria today and we are going to enjoy some warm Beans and Plantain Pottage.
This dish is a staple food in Nigeria and also in most of its neighbour countries. The ingredients can vary greatly. You can use different types of beans, vegetables, make a meaty version out of it or a vegetarian one. Some versions are sweeter, depending on the beans or peas you are using.

The recipe is quite easy, as usual:

300 g Black Eyed Beans or Nigerian Brown Beans
2 plantains
2 smoked dry fishes
150 ml  beef stock
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp dried crayfish
150 ml red palm oil
2 chilies
1 onion, chopped
40 g grated ginger
50 g Ugu (pumpkin leaves)

Place your beans in a bowl with water over night. Cook your beans in abundant water for 2-3 hours or in a pressure pot, like I did, for 15 minutes. If you are left with a lot of water, remove most of it, until you have like a finger left that is covering the beans.
Now add the plantain, dry fish and the crayfish. Adjust with salt and pour the beef stock.
In the meantime, sauté the onions with the ginger and the chilies in oil. Add the onion paste to the beans and stir well. Add the Ugu leaves and cook for a few minutes. Serve warm.

The dish was really nice, slightly sweet and spicy through the chili and very filling. Lovely!

Love,

Raffi

Day 128: Niger and Suya

Good evening, Raffies!

Today we are going to Niger and we are going to enjoy some nice marinated kabobs.
To be honest, I really wanted to make palm nut soup, but I couldn't get any palm nut cream. Therefore, I had to go for the backup: Suya!

These lovely skewers are common all over Western Africa. Since it is the barbecue season, I would highly recommend these, if you are looking for a new marinade for your meat.

The recipe is quite simple and on this link, you even get a nice video to help you out:


400 g chicken or beef
wooden skewers
peanut oil

For the suya spice:
1 c peanuts, powdered
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 tsp onion, powder
2 tbsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp powdered chili
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp paprika

Shred the spices in a food processor or in a nut grinder. Cut the meat into thin strips and place it on the skewers. A nice tip: if you do not want to get your skewers burnt, place them in a bowl of water for approximately 5 hours. Brush the meat with the oil to make the spices stick better to the meat.
Place on your barbecue and grill them or, alternatively, preheat your oven to 200° C on grill mode and grill 10-15 minutes on one side, turn over and grill for another 5 minutes.
Serve with tome tomatoes, cabbage, onions and cucumbers.

They were amazing! The peanut marinade made a lovely crust around the juicy meat..it was a heavenly experience.

Love,

Raffi

Day 127: Nicaragua and Indio Viejo

Buenas tardes, Raffies!

Today we are going to Nicaragua and we are going to enjoy a traditional dish from this country: Indio Viejo. Translated, it means "Old Indian". Why this name, you may ask?
Well, there is a legend to this dish: Long long time ago, when the first Spanish settlers had come to Nicaragua, this dish was called Marol. Once day, two Spanish travelers were passing by a house. The two were very hungry and a wonderful smell was coming from the house. So they went in and saw a family sitting at the table eating a soup. They asked what it was the people were eating.
The oldest man at the table stood up and said: "we're eating an Old Indian. Would you like some?"
"What is that?", they asked.
" You know, the eldest in the village passed away this morning and we..."
Disgusted, the Spaniards said they weren't hungry after all and left the house as quickly as they could. At that's why this soup is now called "Indio Viejo".

Well, here goes the recipe:

1. For the meat:
500g beef
1 onion
1 green chili
1 clove of garlic
salt

2. For the dough:
5 tortillas
1/2 tbsp oil
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
orange juice
5 stalks basil for garnish
3 green tomatoes

3. For the fried meat:
1/2 c lard (I used butter)
1 onion, chopped
2 tomatoes (chopped)

4. For the Creole sauce:
1 tsp oil
1 sliced tomato
1 sliced onion
3 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 c water
salt
pepper

Start by tearing the tortilla apart and placing it in a bowl with water for an hour.
Boil the meat with the chopped onion, the chili, the garlic and salt. Remove the meat from the water and pull it with a fork. Keep the broth, for you will need it in a minute.

Now put the tortilla with its water together with the broth you had kept, add the ingredients from 2. (apart from the basil, which will be used for garnish). Cook it until thick and melted together. Put aside.

Stir fry the ingredients from 3. together with the pulled meat in the lard - or butter. After a couple of minutes, add the tortilla mix and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. It should get a golden-yellowish colour.

Mix the ingredients from 4. together. Now you can adjust with salt and place the basil on top. Pour the sauce on top of your Old Indian soup.

This soup had a very rich flavour, that for some crazy reason reminded me of working on a farm or in the fields. Very savoury and nourishing.

Love,

Raffi

Day 126: New Zealand and Hāngi

Kia ora, Raffies!

Today we are going to New Zealand. We are going to this beautiful country with its incredibly culture. And since the natives in New Zealand and the Māori people, we are going to pay tribute to their culinary history, we are going to make: Hāngi.

In this traditional cooking method, the ingredients are cooked on heated rocks, that are buried in an excavated pit oven. This is a dish you eat on special occasions and that requires a long preparation, or well, cooking. The food gets cooked through steaming. This method is very old and is used all over Polinesia, all the way to Latin America known by the name of Umu.

It all starts with digging the hole in the ground. You then place stones in the pit and heat them with a big fire. Once the fire has died out, you throw water on the stones to make steam. You then place baskets of food or food wrapped in leaves on top of the stones, cove with vegetation and earth and leave it to cook for several hours.
The following article describes the procedure in detail: genuinemaoricuisine.com.

Nowadays, you can buy gas heated stainless steel machines, to make hāngi at home, without the need of a pit, fire and stones.

Unfortunately, our landlady did not like the idea of digging up half of the garden for a hāngi, we cooked it in the oven over rocks for 2 hours.

I chopped up the ingredients, placed them on cabbage leaves, wrapped them in aluminium foil and placed them in the oven with some water next to my stone. Otheriwse, if you have a crock pot, you can cook it in it too.

For your hāngi you'll use different vegetables and meats. I used lamb chops, chicken thighs, salted pork, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and cabbage.

Actually anything is allowed.
Even though I missed the pit, I really enjoyed my hāngi. The ingredients had an intense flavour. Next step will be enjoying a real one in New Zealand!

Love,
Raffi

Day 125: Netherlands and Hete Bliksem

Good evening, Raffies!

The great weather is sticking with us and we are going to the Netherlands - well, we are actually already in the Netherlands, but details..
The dish we are going to make is a traditional recipe, which is falling a bit into oblivion.
We actually talked about Dutch dishes that were dying out in our Dutch class. That is were I knew I had to dig deeper.

Hete Bliksem is a typical dish for the region of the river Rhine. It was common in Germany in Nordrhein-Westfalen and in the Rheinland. You still find it in Saxony, but like in the Netherlands, it is also being slowly forgotten in Germany. The German name "Himmel und Erde" (sky and earth) define the apples hanging in the trees and the potatoes in the ground, often called Erdäpfel (appel of the earth) or aardappel in Dutch.

The recipe is quite heavy for the 32° C, but here it goes:

300 g minced meat
400 g potatoes
300 g apple sauce
1 apple, sliced
1 shallot, chopped
Milk
Nutmeg
Salt
Pepper
Butter

Peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces. Boil the potatoes in hot water. Drain and mash them with some milk, butter, pepper and salt.
In a pan, fry the shallot in butter, add the minced meat and fry until done.
Preheat the oven on 160° C. In a buttered form, spread the apple sauce at the bottom. Add the minced meat over it and cover with the mashed potatoes.
Place the apple slices on top and add some butter to the top. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown.

I must say that I was skeptical about mixing apple sauce with meat, but the result was really nice. Of course, it would have been better to enjoy on a cold winter night.

Love,

Raffi

Day 124: Nepal and Thukpa

Good evening, Raffies!

Today was another great summery day with the perfect temperature.
We are going to Nepal and we are making Thukpa. This easy soup is perfect for warming your bones in the cold winters. It is a traditional soup in the Northern region of the Himalaya. But we are going to make it with 32° C warming us up also from the outside.

First of all, today my husband went to a farm only 3 minutes away from home to pick his own vegetables. A colleague of mine who shall remain unnamed - but you know who you are out there - suggested we go get fresh vegetables from the field. Ditto. Since the farm is only open for the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I sent my husband to try it out first. When I came home from work, I was welcomed by a mountain of fresh veggies! Rhubarb, salads, sweet peas, beans, onions, cucumbers and cabbage were piled up on the table.

Needless to say, I had to use some of the ingredients in tonight's dish.

For Thukpa you'll need:

For the paste:
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
1/4 tsp timur powder (Szechwan pepper)
1 pinch asafoetida
1 green chili, chopped
200 g tomatoes, chopped

For the soup:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1.5 l chicken stock
300 g chicken meat
300 g rice noodles
100 g carrot, julienned
1/2 red pepper
salt
pepper
coriander

Start by making the paste. Combine all ingredients, apart from the tomatoes and process them in a blender or food processor. Add the tomatoes and combine them.

Heat the oil in a skillet and add the paste. Cook for a few minutes, until it gets creamy. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the chicken meat and cook for about 10 minutes on a medium flame. If your chicken had bones, roughly pull the chicken off the bones.

Now boil the noodles in water as written on the package. Rinse with cold water to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
Add the carrot and the pepper to your stock and cook for about 5 minutes until tender. I added some fresh beans from the farm, too. Pour the lemon juice into the stock and salt and pepper. Divide the noodles between the serving bowls and top with the stock and coriander.

The soup was delicious! Spicy and savoury. I'm looking forward to cold winter evenings now :)

 Love, Raffi

Day 123: Nauru and coconut crusted fish

Good evening, Raffies!

Today was such as great day: it was finally warm enough for me to say that I am not cold. And we are having fish for dinner!

We are going to Nauru and enjoying a very simple dish: coconut crusted fish with white rice.
Fun fact, Nauru is the smallest country in the world! Most of its food has to be imported, which leaves the country with little more than fish and coconut as a staple food.

All you need is:

4 fillers tilapia (or any other white fish)
1/2 c shredded coconut
1/2 c breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 lime
salt
pepper
oil to fry

Start by placing the coconut and the breadcrumbs into a bowl or plate and mixing them. Crack the egg into another plate and stir it. Salt and pepper the egg.
Salt and pepper the fish, pass it through the egg and the coconut mix. Then fry it in oil in a pan. After 2 minutes, flip it over and fry for another 2 minutes. When it is golden brown, you are good to go.
Sprinkle with lime juice and serve either alone or with rice.

The coconut breading was amazing! The fish was crunchy and juicy and the lime enhanced the flavour.


Love, Raffi

Day 122: Namibia and Vetkoek

Good evening, Raffies!

Today we are going to Namibia! Finding a dish for this country was all but easy. To be honest, I was looking for a traditional dish, but I quickly came to realise that most traditional dishes contain ingredients very hard to find here, such as crocodile meat, bugs and dried or smoked meats.
So I dug deeper. I found out that Namibia had been a German colony for a very long time and therefore its cuisine was influenced by German cuisine. One of the most famous dishes and most appreciated ones seems to be Wiener Schnitzel (let's not get into details about the fact of it being originally an Austrian dish).
So I went further. After the German colonisation, Namibia became part of South Africa, inheriting parts of its cuisine too, for instant the smoked and dried meats, but also Dutch dishes. And here we are: Vetkoek.
My dish for Namibia is Vetkoek, which is basically a type of doughnut with different fillings.

The recipe is simple:

3 1/2 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 package of yeast
lukewarm water
oil for frying
grated cheese
jam
minced meat sauce

Start by mixing the yeast with the sugar and some lukewarm water. Wait until it foams.
Now in a bowl, mix the yeast, the flour and the salt. Add more water until you get a dough that has the consistency of a bread dough. Cover with a cloth and leave it to raise for one hour.

Form tennis balls with the dough and press them down a bit. In a pan, heat up the oil to 200°C. Fry the balls of dough until golden brown.
Set them aside on some paper to get rid of the oil. Cut them in half and fill them with either jam, cheese or meat. Enjoy while still hot.

It was incredibly filling, but also very satisfying. A lovely dinner snack for when you do not feel like a big meal.

Love,

Raffi

Day 121: Myanmar and Nan Gyi Thoke

Good evening, Raffies!

This was delicious! I had really missed udon ever since I came back from Japan and to be honest, I did not know that people in Myanmar ate udon, but thank you!

Today we were going to Myanmar and were going to enjoy the Burmese equivalent of pasta: Nan Gyi Thoke.

The recipe is really easy and fast to make. For those who are stuck or too lazy to read, here is a great video on how to make it:

Ever since I have started with this challenge, I am amazed at how many different recipes there are that can be made quickly and without much effort. I wish I had known them before and I am sure there are so many more I do not know about yet.

It was fantastic! Spicy and fruity, but also fresh and delicious.

If you know some great recipe from your country to make when you do not feel like cooking, I'd like you to share it.

 Love, Raffi

Day 120: Mozambique and Matapa

Good evening, Raffies!

Today we are going back to Africa and we are going to enjoy some nice Matapa from Mozambique.
This is a cassava leaf stew with seafood. Obviously, finding cassava leaves is difficult for me here in Breda, but I am using my usual backup: Spinach.

For those of you who already enjoyed the West African dishes, this could be something for you!
The recipe is simple and quick to get ready:

1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp peanut oil
300 g fresh seafood (you can also have a vegetarian version, therefore optional)
150 g peanut butter
250 ml coconut milk
4 Maggi cubes
salt
pepper
500g fresh cassava leaves (or spinach)

Boil the cassava leaves with a clove of garlic. Drain and put aside.
In a skillet, sauté the onion in oil until tender, then add the seafood. Cook for a few minutes, then add the peanuts, coconut milk, salt, Maggi and pepper. Let it simmer for a few minutes and stir well in order to melt the peanut butter.
After approximately 10 minutes, add the cassava leaves and cover with a lid. When the leaves crumble apart, your Matapa is ready.

Serve with either white rice or xima (corn meal).

The dish was nice and very quick to prepare. As a big fan of spinach, I really enjoyed it. The peanut butter made the dish creamy and gave it a lovely texture. I'd like to try it with cassava leaves, though.

Love,

Raffi

Day 119: Morocco and Kefta Tajine

Good evening, Raffies!

Today we are going to Morocco and we are making some scrumptious tajine.
We are making Kefta Tajine, which is a dish with meatballs and eggs.

The recipe is actually quite simple:

500g minced meat (lamb)
1 1/2 tbsp cumin
1 1/2 tbsp paprika
salt
pepper
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp chile flakes
1/2 tsp ginger, ground
1/2 tsp saffron
1 bay leaf
1 can peeled tomatoes
4 eggs
1/2 c kalamata olives
fresh chopped parsley

Start by mixing the meat with 1 tbsp cumin and 1 tbsp paprika, salt and pepper. Form small balls and set them aside.
If you don't have a tajine, you can use a skillet. So, heat up the oil and butter. Add the onion and the garlic and cook until soft (about 2 minutes). Now add the remaining paprika, cumin chile flakes, ginger, saffron and bay leaf. Stir well and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and leave them to cook until melted (about 10 minutes).
Place the meatballs into the sauce and cover with a lid. Cook for another 10 minutes. Crack the eggs on top and cook for approximately 8 minutes with a lid on. The egg whites have to be done and the yolks have to be still a bit runny. Place the kalamata olives on the sauce and decorate with the parsley.
We obviously paired it with some couscous and bread. Glorious!

I think that I could have loved this dish as a kid. It is so delicious with its meatballs and tomato sauce and egg on top.

Love,

Raffi

Day 118: Montenegro and Imam Bayildi

Good evening, Raffies!

Today we are going to Montenegro and we are making a dish that can actually be found all over the Middle East: Imam Bayildi.

This simple dish involves a lot of olive oil and aubergines. The legend behind this dish narrates that the imam married the daughter of an olive oil merchant. The girl used to make dinner with a lot of oil, aubergines, tomatoes and onions. On the thirteenth day, when his wife told him that there were no more olive oil left, he fainted. (This is actually just one of the numerous versions to the story).

Well, here's tonight's recipe:

2 aubergines
2 medium onions, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
4 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp mint, chopped
1/2 c olive oil, generous
1 tsp sugar
1 lemon, juice
salt
pepper

In a pan, sauté the onions. Add the garlic, tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook until it becomes a dense sauce. Add the mint and parsley.
Cut the aubergines in half. On each half make 3 cuts that go almost from end-to-end and that are approximately 1 cm deep.
Now heat up the oil in a big skillet and fry the aubergines, with thew cut side down. When it is golden-brown, flip it and fry for a few more minutes.
Now place the aubergines on some kitchen paper with the cut side down, in order to absorb most of the oil.
Heat the oven at 180°C and place the halves in a form. Put the sauce in the cuts and cook for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar and lemon juice on top and  decorate with some more mint and parsley.
Enjoy with crispy bread.

It was delightful. The flavour was perfect and the aubergines were wonderfully done. I almost fainted when I realised I had lived all these years without ever having tried this dish.

Love,

Raffi

Day 117: Mongolia and Tsuivan

Good evening, Raffies!

We are at our usual late Tuesday dinner. Today we are enjoying some nice warm noodle stew from Mongolia. We are making Tsuivan!

When I think of Mongolian cuisine, I can't but think of the fermented mare's milk, kumis. I have always wanted to try it. But while looking for a dish for Mongolia, this simple noodle stew caught my eye. Somehow it reminded me or Ramen or Soba..

As for the recipe, this website describes the steps in a great way - especially the part about making the noodles. I must admit that after my last time, since I still do not have a noodle machine, I preferred using fresh lasagna plates and cutting them up for the dish.

The result was a lovely meal. I did not even need to add any sauce, for the flavour of the mutton with the vegetables and the noodles was simply delightful.

 Love, Raffi

Day 116: Monaco and Barbajuans

Bonsoir, Raffies!

Welcome back!
Today we are going to Monaco and we are going to enjoy some traditional pastry: Barbajuans.
These fried pies come in two main varieties, barbajuans d'hiver and barbajuans d'été (a winter and a summer version).

Since I was curious, I decided to make both.
So here comes the winter version and the summer version, but first, the dough:

400g flour
1 dl olive oil
1 egg
125 g water
salt

Mix all the ingredients and work into a smooth dough. Wrap in cling filmand rest for an hour.

For the winter filling:

1kg pumpkin
300g leek
80g boiled rice
2 eggs
150g grated parmesan
3 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper

Cut and steam the pumpkin. Cut the leek into small pieces. Stir fry the leek with the olive oil and salt and pepper it. Now mash the pumpkin in a bowl, add the leek, the eggs and the parmesan and mix well.

For the summer filling:

1kg chard
150g leek
1 big onion
250g ricotta
50g parmesan
2 eggs
3 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper

Wash and remove all hard parts and threads from the chard. Boil them until soft. Drain and rinse from any remaining water. Thinly chop the onion and leek and stir fry in a pan with the olive oil. In a bowl, mix the chard, the leek, onions, ricotta, eggs and parmesan. Adjust with salt and pepper and mix well.

Now roll out the dough to a thin layer and cut out some round shapes. You can make them small like ravioli or slightly bigger. Fill the round shapes either with the summer filling or the winter one. Close well and make sure no filling come out of the edges. It add some flour to the working surface, if the dough sticks to the surface.

In a skillet, heat enough oil to deep fry. Now fry the packages you have just made until golden brown. Serve hot.

Personally, I preferred the summer version. But I must say that the Barbajuans were crispy and lovely.

Love,

Raffi

Day 115: Moldova and Salata cu ciuperci proaspete cu patrunjel (champignon salad)

Bună seara Raffies,

Today we are going to Moldova and we are making Salata cu ciuperci!

For this recipe, I used a Moldovan recipe - in Moldovan - and I am still baffled by the fact that it resembles Italian so much.

The dish is a nice marinated champignon salad with fresh herbs. In the garden parsley and chives are growing wild, therefore it would be a shame not to use them.

As for the recipe:

400g fresh champignons

3 lemons, juice

1 bunch parsley

1 bunch chives

1 bunch fresh estragon

salt

pepper

greens for the salad

Start by thinly slicing your mushrooms and marinating them for an hour in the lemon juice with the chopped herbs.

Now you are ready to make a simple dressing with one table spoon of mustard, salt, pepper, olive oil and vinegar. Pour the dressing on top of the mushrooms and add your greens (I used some lolo rosso salad).

It was incredibly fresh and the champignons were simply amazing.

I think this salad is ideal for warm summer days or as a fancy starter for an elaborate dinner.

Love, 

Raffi

Day 114: Micronesia and Kelaguen

Good evening, Raffies!

Today we are going for a light and quick dinner: Micronesia and shrimp Kelaguen.
This dish resembles the Latin American ceviche and can actually be made out of either fish or meat. We went for the traditional shrimp, but chicken or octopus also sounded really tempting..

The dish was perfect for this warm and summery day. Furthermore, we are going to a Food Festival in town later on, which means that being too full and fed, would not be a good idea..

Anyways, as for the recipe:

500 g fresh shrimps - they have to be REALLY fresh, if you are going to eat them uncooked, otherwise boil them for a few minutes
3 lemons, juice
1 onion, thinly chopped
salt
pepper
chili, the amount depends on how spicy you want the dish
grated coconut
greens to decorate

Take your peeled shrimps and chop them up. Place them in a bowl for about 15 minutes with the lemon juice. Mix them well and wait until they get "cooked" by the lemon juice.
Now add the chili, the onion, salt and pepper and mix well. To finish off, add the freshly grated coconut - if you have it fresh, otherwise the normal grated one - and some greens. Serve on salad leaves or banana leaves.

Well, I wish shrimp were less pricey here, since I could definitely eat this every single day! It is so incredibly refreshing and delicious!

Love,

Raffi

Day 113: Mexico and Pollo con mole

Buenas, Raffies!

Today we are going to Mexico and we are not going to make Tacos. We are going to make Pollo con mole!
Mole is a traditional Mexican sauce that has its origins in prehispanic Mexico. The Aztecs and the Mayas used chocolate and cocoa beans regularly as an ingredient for sauces.
Mole is traditionally made out of chili and chocolate. Its actual origin is wrapped in legends, but one thing is for sure: there are countless variations and recipes.

Mole poblano is a recipe of mole originated in the city of Puebla. It is a sauce, poured over fried guajolote, the Mexican turkey. Its main ingredients are different varieties of chilies and bitter chocolate. Nowadays, the turkey is often substituted by chicken.

If you want more information about mole (the texts are in Spanish):

• Curiel Montiagudo, José Luis (2004). «Construcción y evolución del mole virreynal». Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes. Consultado el 7 de enero de 2016.: http://www.cultura.gob.mx/turismocultural/cuadernos/pdf12/cuaderno12.pdf#page=25
• Flores y Escalante, Jesús (noviembre de 1993). «Nuestro mero mole». Breve Historia de la Cocina Mexicana. Consultado el 7 de enero de 2016.

As for the recipe:

1 tbsp sesame seeds

5 peppercorns

1 bar of chocolate

1 tomato

1 onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic

1 chicken, cut into pieces

1 cinnamon stick

60 g chile mulato

60 g chile ancho

60 g chile pasilla

50 g almonds

3 slices of old bread

1 c chicken stock

2 oranges, juice

salt

pepper

sugar

oil

Start by frying the chicken. Set the chicken aside.

Heat up a pan and toast separately the chilies, the sesame seeds, the cinnamon and the pepper corns. Set them aside, separately.

Heat up some oil and fry the almonds. Set them aside, too. Now fry the bread and set it aside.

Melt the chocolate with the sesame seeds, the pepper corns, the almonds, the bread and the chicken stock.

In another pan, heat up some oil, fry the chopped tomato, until the peal starts coming off. Add the chilies, the crushed garlic, the onions, the orange juice and salt and sugar. Fry for a couple of minutes.

Now mix the two sauces and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes, until the sauce gets thick. In case the sauce should be too thick, add some more chicken stock.

Now add the pieces of chicken and cook for a couple of minutes more.

Serve with white rice.

It was the first time I had ever eaten chocolate in a savoury sauce and it was delicious. I find it difficult to explain the flavour to you. It has something to it that is simply delicious and so unusual . You ought to try it, if you haven't already! I myself will be trying as many moles as I possibly can and I will definitely go to Mexico asap!

Love,

Raffi

Day 112: Mauritius and Gateaux piments

Good evening, Raffies!

Today we are going to Mauritius and we are going to have a late dinner, which means we are going to enjoy some quick snack. We are making Gateaux piments!
This snack can be found anywhere and is enjoyed hot and freshly fried.
We decided to enjoy it as a snack while sipping some beer.

The recipe is actually really easy. You'll need:

300g dholl (yellow peas)
3 shallots, sliced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
10 green chilies, sliced
coriander
1 tbsp cumin powder
salt
pepper
oil for frying

Wash the peas and soak them in water for at least 5 hours, better over night.
Drain the water from the peas and crush them in a mixer. Mix with the remaining ingredients and make some small balls out of the dough or doughnut shapes.
In a pot, heat up enough oil for deep-frying and fry the balls or doughnuts until golden brown. Put them on some paper to drain the oil. Enjoy hot.

The recipe, even though simple, makes a great snack or a nice finger food for a party. Reminded me a bit of the Akkra funfun from Benin.

Love,

Raffi

Day 111: Mauritania and Thieboudienne (fish with rice)

Good evening, Raffies!

Tonight we are going to Mauritania and we are enjoying its national dish: Thieboudienne (cheb-u-jin).
This dish can also be found in Senegal. It means "fish and rice" and those are also its main ingredients.
The procedure for the recipe took actually longer than we had calculated at first. Meaning that we ended up eating at 9 o'clock in the evening.
I got my recipe from two pages today: 5 dishes from Mauritania and Q Zine

Ingredients:

500 g fish (grouper is the most common one in Mauritania, but any firm fish will do)
2 c basmati rice
1 fish bouillon cube
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 cloves of garlic whole
2 carrots, chopped
1 aubergine, chopped
1 potato, peeled and chopped
200 g pumpkin, chopped
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 large tomatoes, crushed
flour
parsley
salt
pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 chili
1 tbsp butter
peanut oil
1 tbsp peanuts
fresh coriander

Start by breading the fish in flour, salt, pepper and parsley. In the meantime, place the aubergine, potato, pumpkin, carrots in a pot with 10 c water and the peeled whole cloves of garlic.
In a large pot, pour enough oil to cover the bottom, add the peanuts and heat up. Fry the fish until it is brown on all sides. Put the fish aside.
Now in another bowl, mix the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper with the crumbled bouillon cube and mix well.
Melt the butter in the cooking pot from before, add the onion and garlic. Sauté fry until soft, then add the tomatoes.
After a couple of minutes, add the chili and the vegetables with the soaking water and let them simmer on a low heat for approximately 40 minutes, until soft.
Add the fish and cook for another 5 minutes. Now scoop out the fish and the vegetables. Add the rice to the liquid (the liquid should be 4 cups). You can add some salt and oil and cover with a lid.
Bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes. Now turn the heat off, but do not lift the lid. When you are ready to serve, remove the lid - this is in order to create a crispy crust at the bottom, which is considered to be a delicacy).
Serve on a big plate. Pour the rice first and the vegetables with the fish on top. Garnish with some fresh coriander.
Traditionally, this dish is enjoyed with your hands and by sharing the common big plate with the other guests.

It was definitely worth the long waiting and the tedious cooking process. The flavour was great. The crust of the rice was amazing and the fish was incredible.

Love,

Raffi