Week 9: Russia

Russia, land of vodka and bears and vodka drinking bears. Russia is the largest country in the world and frequently brags about it at parties. Despite a tumultuous political history Russians still find time for many leisure activities including human trafficking, suppressing local rebellions and teaching bears to drink vodka.

Beef Stroganoff, or Beef Stroganov, is a Russian dish originating in the 19th Century. I'm sure the recipe we are using is not particularly authentic, but I don't care. It's delicious. And it does seem to convey the essence of Beef Stroganoff, from what I've been able to gather.

This dish has all the elements of the perfect winter comfort food: creamy, carby, stick-to-your-ribs goodness. And yet, this version, with its bright parsley garnish, and relatively light ingredient list, was surprisingly fresh tasting and not too heavy. I think I would like to make this on a bleak winter's day, in a slow cooker. I guess I need a slow cooker. And a bleak winter's day.

Week 8: Nigeria

DEAR READERS,

CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL

HAVING CONSULTED WITH MY COLLEAGUES AT GEOGRAPHY OF THE DELICIOUS, AND BASED ON THE INFORMATION GATHERED FROM THE INTERNET ABOUT NIGERIAN PRINCES, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO REQUEST FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE TO TRANSFER THE SUM OF $47,500,000.00 (FORTY SEVEN MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) INTO YOUR ACCOUNTS.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO INFORM YOU THAT AS OFFICIAL BLOGGERS, WE ARE FORBIDDEN TO OPERATE A FOREIGN ACCOUNT; THAT IS WHY WE REQUIRE YOUR ASSISTANCE. THE TOTAL SUM WILL BE SHARED AS FOLLOWS: 70% FOR US, 25% FOR YOU AND 5% FOR LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXPENSES INCIDENT TO THE TRANSFER.

THE TRANSFER IS RISK FREE ON BOTH SIDES. IF YOU FIND THIS PROPOSAL ACCEPTABLE, WE SHALL REQUIRE THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS:

(A) YOUR BANKER'S NAME, TELEPHONE, ACCOUNT AND FAX NUMBERS.

(B) YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS -- FOR CONFIDENTIALITY AND EASY COMMUNICATION.

(C) YOUR LETTER-HEADED PAPER STAMPED AND SIGNED.

PLEASE REPLY URGENTLY.

BEST REGARDS,
PRINCE JEAN

Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is located in west Africa with its coast lying on the Gulf of Guinea, part of the Atlantic Ocean. The capitol city is Abuja. The country is slightly more than twice the size of California. Nigeria is 50% Muslim and 40% Christian. English is the official language.

Nigeria gained independence from Britain in 1960, but it wasn't until 1999 that a peaceful transition from military rule to civilian government occurred, and it wasn't until very recently that Nigera saw its first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power.

It was very recently that we, at Geography of the Delicious, saw a successful and peaceful plate-to-face transfer of delicious Nigerian food. This week we put together one our best dinners yet: Jollof Rice and Suya. A broad class of rice dishes, Jollof Rice is characterized by tomatos, onion and spices including red pepper and ginger. It is a major staple in West African countries and eaten on a daily basis by many. Suya is skewered meat prepared in a variety of ways. Typically consumed in the evening it is available from street vendors and in many gathering places. As a first class animal protein, it is expensive and considered a food of the middle class and rich.

Both dishes can be made in many ways so we created our own preparations based on our reading.

Suya

1.25 lbs chicken breast tenders 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts 1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 1/4 tsp red pepper (cayenne)

We put the peanuts and all spices into a food processor and chopped until the peanuts were roughly ground, but not paste. Then dipped the chicken in an egg wash and rolled them in the peanut mixture. Next we skewered and broiled them about 5-6 minutes on a side.

Jollof Rice

2 cups brown long grain rice, cooked 1 red bell pepper 1 tomato 1 onion, diced 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp. smoked paprika 1/4 tsp red pepper (cayenne) 1 cup vegetable broth 2 tbls tomato paste salt to taste

First, we browned the onions, garlic and ginger. Then, added everything else and cooked off the liquid, about a half hour.

Special Edition: King Cake for Mardi Gras

"If music be the food of love, play on."
-Duke Orsinio, Twelfth Night, Act 1, Scene 1

What about food that is the food of love? Eat on?

Last week for Mardi Gras (Tuesday says, "You calling me fat?") we baked a king cake. It is like a wreath, only edible, traditionally enjoyed between Twelfth Night and Lent. The tradition was brought to the southern US by French and Spanish colonists in the days of yore. It takes its name from the Biblical three kings, who journeyed to Bethlehem over twelve days, arriving with gifts for baby Jesus on Epiphany.

The recipe says to bake "until golden." At this stage our king cake was still slightly undercooked in the middle. Jean also made the frosting too thick, and it sort of weighed down the delicate cake. Next time we would thin the frosting to a very light glaze so that it more easily drizzles.

At any rate, it was very pretty with its traditional green, gold and purple sprinkles, and it tasted quite yummy.

We forgot to hide a mini baby Jesus inside, so that whoever finds him would win all sorts of privileges and obligations. It has become customary in the New Orleans culture, for example, that whoever finds the trinket hidden inside must provide the next king cake.

Week 7: Bangladesh

In Bangladesh you can't swing a Bengal tiger without hitting a Bangladeshi (save the tiger penis, it's worth a fortune as an aphrodisiac, but only if you want to make love to a tiger). Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries with a landmass about the same as Iowa and 2700 people per square mile. If you spread Bangladeshis evenly over their country everyone could play catch with several other people. Bangladesh was once part of Pakistan, achieving independence in 1971. In recent years corruption and bloody political battles have ravaged the country and a military 'care-taker' government is calling the shots. Climate and over-population are the root of many problems in this desperately poor country. In 1998 a flood covered 2/3 of the country leaving 30 million people homeless. Many live in areas where homes, subsistence farms, and lives are destroyed regularly by floods forcing the poorest of the poor into a landless, nomadic lifestyle.

What appetizing thoughts. But enough about devastation and poverty. On to food, and lots of it!

We found several variations of a carrot soup recipe. Here's the one I made, which turned out very well. It is a light and delicious first course, and definitely something I want to make again. I'm already looking forward to leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.

Carrot Coriander Soup

2 Tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
5 cups chopped carrot
1 teaspoon of coriander
1 potato, peeled and cubed
4 cups chicken or veggie broth
heavy cream (optional)
chopped cilantro (optional)

In large soup pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook for a few minutes. Add carrots, coriander, potato, and broth. Bring to a boil and simmer 20-30 minutes, until carrots are tender. Puree the soup in a blender, in batches. Return to the soup pot. Top with a drizzle of heavy cream and some chopped cilantro. Enjoy!


When researching cuisine for Bangladesh, we came across this saying a lot: "Mach-e-Bhat-e-Bangali" (Fish and rice make a Bengali.) We wanted to do a fish dish for a main recipe. We are a little burnt out on curries, so we avoided all the fish curry recipes. The one we chose does have some curry spices in it, but is very mild and fresh and not too saucy, probably because I cut out most of the oil in the original recipe. Here is our delish fish dish:


Fish Dopeeaja

2 Tablespoons canola oil
3/4 pount tilapia filet, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon each: chili powder, turmeric, ginger, black pepper
1 medium tomato, chopped
chopped cilantro (optional)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat and add spices. Cook for a couple of minutes, being careful not to let the spices burn. Reduce heat to medium. Add the fish and the onions, cover and cook for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in tomato. Enjoy with rice.

Week 6: Pakistan

Islamabad is the capital city of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Islamabad? I don't know, but those Pakistanis are an inquisitive bunch. And speaking of inquisitions, remember when former President Musharraf was on the Daily Show? Jon Stewart poured him a cup of tea, offered Twinkies, and nonchalantly inquired, "Where is Osama bin Laden?" Hilarious!

English & Urdu are the official languages of Pakistan, but Punjabi is the most commonly spoken language. Pakistan is 95% Muslim, and its endangered species include Hotson's Mouse-like Hamster (aren't all hamsters mouse-like?) the Indus River Dolphin, the Snow Leopard (whose genus/species name is uncia uncia, which sounds like a fabulous musical about endangered snow leopards.) and the Woolly Flying Squirrel (aren't all squirrels woolly?) Visitors to Pakistan will want to be current on their vaccinations for Yellow Fever, Cholera, hepatitis, typhoid and polio! Enjoy!

For our recipe this week we prepared aloo gosht, a lamb and potato curry. The recipe was fairly straightforward and resulted in a tender and delicious stew. The stew was thick and hearty, and the lamb tender and not at all overcooked. We have been overpowered by curries in the past (read: we are light weights) so for this recipe we cut back a bit on the quantity of spices and were pleased with the milder flavor. The cardamon, coriander and cloves were a delicious combo. We added some naan and garnished with lemon and parsley to complete this tasty meal. This naan was a different recipe than the batch we made for India and even better. We think the yogurt in the recipe gives it a pleasant tanginess.

Week 5: Brazil

Brazil is named after a tree, can you guess which one? Wrong! It's the Brazil Tree. Brazil also is the leading exporter of which nut that is not a nut? The answer is: the Brazil Nut. Despite being only slightly smaller than the US, Brazil only has 26 states which is barely over half what the United States has. Quitters. Suck it Brazil! USA USA USA!

Feijoada, which is considered the national dish of Brazil, was brought to South America by the Portuguese. It is a stew of beans with beef and pork meats. W found many recipes for this and thought it might be fun to just wing it. And maybe use only the tastiest meats. The result was not at all soupy, because I’m not feeling particularly soupy today.

Jeanoada’s Feijoada

• 2 T olive oil
• 2 linguiça sausages, casings removed
• 2 pork spare ribs, chopped
  
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and pork and cook until browned, breaking up the sausage. Add the onions and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the bay leaves and black beans and cook until the meat is fully cooked. Add a little water to the pan if necessary. It made about 4 portions of deliciousness. Definitely a repeat. Next time I’ll remember to add bacon.

Week 4: Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia is an archipelago of 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited). Indonesia is the most populous Muslim-majority nation (over 86% Muslim); however, no reference is made to Islam in the Indonesian constitution. They speak Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, and local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is Javanese. Sounds like coffee. Indonesians love chasing that shuttlecock all day long and badminton is one of the most popular sports in Indonesia. The endangered Sumatran Orangutan is indigenous to Indonesia. It sounds as delicious as it is indigenous, but we decided to use beef in the traditional Beef Rendang that we prepared for this week's main dish.

The Beef Rendang doesn't take long to prepare, but required long simmering. We simmered the beef in the sauce for 3.5 hours as per the recipe. The delicious aroma filled our house and we were eager to eat. When we finally tried the beef and sauce over rice we decided the aroma was better than the flavor. All that simmering reduces it to a uniform flavor and there are so many spices going on we felt it was a little bland, even with the heat of the chilis.