Week 29: Argentina

Argentinian beef is world-famous. The most popular method of serving it is as an asado (Argentinian BBQ) wherein many different cuts of beef and organs are grilled over charcoal. Organs? No thank you. But beef and "other meats"? Yes please!

We chose beef, but not Argentinian, per se. And freshly made chorizo. We grilled it all up with some token vegetables (zucchini) and topped it all off with chim chiminy chim chiminy chim chimichurri.

And speaking of musicals, Have I said too much? There's nothing more I can think of to say to you. But all you have to do is look at me to know, that every word is true. Don't cry for me Argentina! The truth is I love your food. All through my wild days, my mad existence, you kept your promise, your food's delicious!

Chimichurri sauce (aka Jean's new favorite condiment):

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons each, inely chopped parsley, oregano, cilantro
  
• 1 tablespoon yellow onion, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon chili flakes

I'm sure we'd love the Andes Mountains, as their mints are delicious.

Cristina Kirchner, is the current President of Argentina, and the first female president of the country. She is the wife of former President of Argentina Néstor Kirchner. [Insert Clinton joke.] In 2008, she was ranked by Forbes as thirteenth of the 100 most powerful women in the world. Don't worry--you haven't heard of many of the other 100 women either. Condi was #7, Hillary #28, Oprah #36.

A study of those in Buenos Aires apparently showed that their Spanish is spoken with an Italian accent. Si? Si.

The top producers of wine in the world are Italy, France, Spain, the U.S., and fifth is Argentina. Si? Si. Its annual per capita consumption of wine is also among the highest. The Argentinian Province of Mendoza produces arguably the world's best Malbec. Si? Si.

I want to go to there.

Week 28: Colombia

This is a very special GOTD because one of the co-authors of this blog (me Michael), lived in Colombia for a time as a child. Ah to be a 7 years old and a drug mule... but that is a story for another time.

Colombia was one of the most advanced areas in South America, ironically, until the Europeans showed up and slaughtered all that progress. Since then the country has had its ups and downs, but mainly downs. The difficult jungle and forested areas are perfect for guerrilla and narco-terrorism operations. Even with US aid, corruption and violence was endemic throughout the 80s and 90s; assassinations, kidnappings and bombings against infrastructure were common.

President Alvaro Uribe was elected in 2002 on a platform of security and has weakened the narco-terrorists significantly. Weary and unable to seize control of the government, these paramilitary groups have been in decline and many have left the ranks. Currently, Colombia is facing another problem. Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, who is no friend to the US, is saber rattling over Colombia's plans to allow the US access to 7 military bases. Meanwhile, Uribe is accusing Chavez of supporting cross border rebel operations.

Sounds nasty. What doesn't sound nasty is our yummy Colombian dinner!

For our recipe we made a traditional Colombian dish called Ajiaco. We used a modern recipe as the traditional version is extremely hardy. We took the recipe from the Bitchen Camero blog (coolest name ever), who in turn borrowed it from Food and Wine magazine May 2009. The stew was a lovely combo of textures and flavors.



I have always wanted to visit the place I lived in Colombia, but it is in a unsafe region. The State Department discourages travel there in general and issues strident warnings about traveling to rural areas. Unfortunately, I lived in the remote town of Albania, Guajira where my father was part of the Cerrejon coal mine project. Those time were idyllic in my mind but the coal mine, a pit some 30 by 5 miles, has destroyed the local environment and displaced indigenous peoples (more information here).

I found this sentence on the wikipedia page for Albania:

"Albania was previously an exclusive enclosed camp site for the Cerrejon coal mine workers and their families." - Wikipedia: Albania, Guajira

One of those families was mine!

Week 27: Ukraine

Whenever I think of former U.S.S.R. states I think cold and bleak, with the ragged clothing and the bread lines. But did you know that part of the Ukraine has a "Mediterranean" climate? And that whole famine thing was a result of post WWII Soviet tyranny (boo on tyranny). Ukraine actually has totally fertile agricultural land!

What!?!?

I want to go to there.

How is it that we didn't know this? Their marketing must be lacking. The landmass is slightly smaller than Texas, which did inspire their uninspiring tourism tag line Ukraine: Everything's Slightly Smaller Here.*

Everything except their meals. For dinner (not chicken Kiev, but that would have been cute) we made varenyky, little boiled dumplings. Little pillows of starchiness!

We filled some with a mixture of mashed potatoes and onions caramelized in butter (heavenly!), and some we filled with ground beef and onions. They were served with some sour cream on a bed of red sour kraut (not homemade). Very hearty and delicious.

Michael hand-made the varenyky dough. However, the recipe won't be published here because we have lost interest. It was a very high maintenance dinner and the end result was a plate of starchy starchiness. Yummy, but not exactly something we are going to go to lots of trouble to make again.


*Ok, I made up that tag line. But this doozie is a direct quote from the tourism page: "There is much to offer tourists, many lovely sights, traditional sounds, decadent flavor and unique smells." Really? Unique smells? No thank you.

Week 26: Burma (Myanmar)

Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar, is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. While under British rule (1886 - 1948) Burma was the largest exporter of rice and the wealthiest country in Southeast Asia. But after decades of military rule and an ill-advised attempt to nationalize all industries except for agriculture, Burma is now one of the world's most impoverished countries. After a post-Colonial tango with democracy, Burma has been under military control since the early sixties.

The US, Canada and the EU have banned all Burmese imports. It's understandable. Transparency International ranked Burma the 2nd most corrupt nation in the world (Somalia took the Gold Medal). Plus they have human rights violations up that kazoo: government-censored internet access (how will they read Geography of the Delicious?), human trafficking, military use of sexual violence, and all kinds of nasty tactics to suppress movement toward democracy. But the have evidently not corrupted their cuisine. Our Burmese dish was fantastic and super easy--something we will certainly make again and again.

Burmese Fried Shrimp and Coconut Rice

After a brief internet search we found several recipes that spoke to us (here and here). These are quick and simple recipes that turned out quite flavorful. We adapted them a bit for our kitchen; light coconut milk and basmati rice instead of regular coconut milk and a more traditional Burmese rice which can be difficult to find.

The Rice

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1 13oz can light coconut milk
• 1/4 cup water
  
• 1 teaspoon salt

Mix it all together, start it on highish heat until it just starts to boil then reduce to a lowish temperature and cover for 20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.

The Shrimps

• 3/4 lbs large, de-veined shrimps
• 1 tsp turmeric
  
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chili power
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ginger powder
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

Get the oil heating in a frying pan at a medium high heat. Mix all the spices together and skewer the shrimp. Dust the shrimp with the spices and fry a minute or two on each side. They should caramelize and turn pink very quickly. Serve over the rice immediately.

For a little extra flair we ran some peanuts through the food processor and sprinkled this over the shrimp and rice. It was an excellent complement to the flavors and adds a little crunch to the rice.

Week 25: South Korea

Welcome to the Republic of Korea (ROK, not to be confused with the KROK radio station in Louisiana broadcasting nonstop classic rock!) or "Land of the Morning Calm" referring to the South Koreans' love of sleeping in. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, ROK has the world's highest national IQ, which is why they are second only to Japan in creepy female robot development (see EveR-1). They have 2 of the largest 5 car manufacturers in the world and Anyong is the most popular child's name.

But it's not all morning naps and sexy robot ladies. South Korea is bordered on the north by ...something... Korea... the name escapes me right now. The border here is a 4 mile wide strip of land that keeps the two counties from killing each other (at close range). Originally intended as a pedestrian green belt and organic community garden it was filled with land mines due to a mis-communication with the landscaper. Formerly known as the Happy Korea P-Patch, it is now known as the Korean Demilitarized Zone. A hilarious, if tragic, tree-trimming incident took place here involving B-52 bombers, helicopters, US army troops, two axe murders and a single tree (see Operation Paul Bunyan or the Axe Murder Incident).

Bulgogi - Korean Beef Barbecue

The steak turned out so tender it was falling apart, probably because we made the marinade ahead of time and left it in the fridge for two days, instead of just for an hour. It was absolutely delicious.


1 pound steak, trimmed (recipe called for top sirloin, use whatever you like)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray

Wrap beef in plastic wrap; freeze 1 hour or until firm. Remove plastic wrap; cut beef diagonally across grain into 1/16-inch-thick slices.

Combine beef, sugar, and next 5 ingredients (sugar through garlic) in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill.

Place a wire grilling basket on grill rack. Remove beef from bag; discard marinade. Place beef on grilling basket coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes or until desired degree of doneness, turning frequently.

Week 24: South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is located, ironically, on the southern tip of the continent of Africa. Who knew?

This former purveyor of apartheid seems to be one of the most diverse countries in the world. English is the most commonly spoken language in official and commercial public life; however, it is only the fifth most-spoken home language. There are eleven official names for South Africa, one in each of the official national languages. And if that isn't enough diversity for you, South Africa has more than 20,000 different plants, or about 10% of all the known species of plants on Earth.

Bad stuff: While Swaziland has the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS per capita, South Africa has this largest population of people living with the disease. South Africa was ranked second for murder and first for assaults and rapes per capita.

But to end on a high note: the first human to human heart transplant was performed here. Yay technology/medicine!

And to end on an even higher note, dinner was delicious. This pot pie was pretty light and flavorful, where this kind of dish can be -- and usually is -- heavy and bland. We stole from several recipes online and scaled down the portions for just two servings. I think this dish represents the colonial influences rather than indigenous, but that's sort of how South Africa rolls. It's all about diversity.


Hoender Pastei a.k.a. Boer Chicken Pie

One boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 teaspoon pickling spices
1/2 tsp salt
1 small onion, halved
1 cup carrots, halved
2 cups chicken broth

2 T butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup white wine
Salt, pepper
1 egg yolk, reserve egg white
2 T lemon juice

2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
2 slices ham, chopped

Pie crust dough rolled out and cut to cover the tops of two 4-inch ramekins.

Place the chicken, spices, salt, onions, and carrots in a saucepan with broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Strain the broth and reserve. Cut the chicken up into bite-sized pieces. Slice the carrots in half and reserve.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add flour and stir well, forming a roux. Cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly, then add the reserved broth and the wine. Stir until thickened slightly. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks and lemon juice together until frothy, then add to the sauce very slowly. Beat well, and continue cooking until sauce thickens more. Remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 400. Chop carrots into bite size pieces. In ramekins, place chicken on the bottom, top with egg slices, ham, and carrots. Cover with the sauce.

Lay pie crust over ramekins. Press along the edge firmly. Score to allow steam to escape. Brush dough with egg white.

Bake for 40 minutes. Crust should be golden brown.

Week 23: Italy

If you visit Italy, don't forget one of the classic blunders. The most famous of course, is never get involved in a land war in Asia. But only slightly less well-known is this: never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!
We certainly kept that in mind ourselves the one and only time we visited Italy.

Italy is a country of 60 million people and 90% of those are catholic. Italy has a rich history. (If you didn't know this, where have you been? Seriously. Try watching some PBS. Just have it on in the back ground or something, I mean c'mon). Here, you will find the most perfect pair of marble buttcheeks in the world on Michelangelo's David, and countless other priceless (yet not all buttcheek related) pieces of art. Despite this, Italy has many problems as a modernizing nation. Its lengthy and difficult-to-protect coastline allows easy access for illegal immigrants and a flourishing drug trade. Corruption and organized crime are, at times, rampant. These factors have all had a hand in stifling the growth of Italy's economy. In the south especially, the country faces major modernization problems (the parts snuggled up to Germany are quite modern for some reason). Still, tourism is the number one industry and Italy has a lot to show off to the world (not just buttcheeks).

Some of the best meals we have had -- ever -- were in Italy. Anchovy spaghetti, seafood spaghetti, focaccia, and pesto lasagne in Vernazza. Caprese in Florence (sorry, we didn't go to Capri). Gelato gelato gelato. Wine! Everywhere you go, just order the house wine and it's better than anything you have ever had.

Just make sure no one switches glasses while your back is turned.

Even here at home, whether we are cooking ourselves, or dining out, Italian food is probably our favorite. It's comfort food, family food, and there is simply no better way to carb up. And did I mention the wine? We made sure to get ourselves a lovely bottle of Italian red to share for this meal.
Tuna Carpaccio

Beef carpaccio was invented in Harry's Bar in Venice in the 50s. We've never tried beef carpaccio, but when we were in Venice last summer we did order a lovely tuna carpaccio--extremely fresh, and dressed simply with olive oil and delicate slices of grapefruit. The carpaccio to end all carpaccioes...er...carpaccia?...carpacciums?...anyway, the tastiest one is at Ristorante Machiavelli (known as Monkey Valley to everyone that matters) here in Seattle. We attempted to create this masterpiece at home.

We started with a 3/4 pound top-quality sushi-grade ahi steak. Michael only got a little bit of overspray on his tshirt from the flying fish at Pike Place Fish while waiting in line.

I froze the tuna for about 45 minutes and then sliced it horizontally into three approx. 1/4 inch slices. I placed them between plastic wrap, and pounded them out one at a time using a heavy cocktail glass. I pounded from the center outward until it was approx. 1/8 of an inch thick. These went on plates and into the fridge until we were ready to serve them.

I made dressing using dijon mustard, lemon juice and some white balsamic vinegar. It wasn't exactly right, but close.

Using a ziplock baggie with the corner cut off, we drizzled the dressing over the tuna in a zig zagging pattern. On top of this goes: very finely chopped curly leaf parsley, grated parmigiano reggiano (from Italy! Protected under the Denominazione di origine controllata.), capers, and fresh ground pepper. Serve with lemon slices, for squeezing over it all, just before eating.

Heaven!

We rounded our our meal with the best caprese salad of my life, and Michael's homemade focaccia.

We took the recipe from an about.com article that features a little old Italian lady named Margherita making traditional focaccia. It turned out pretty darn tasty and you can see Michael dimpling it for that extra bit of foreign credibility. He made me call him Margherita while he was baking this.