E is for Ethiopia: Breaking Bread with Friends

Tis Esat Fall (On Blue Nile River)

The first time I tried Ethiopian food I was terrified. In addition to the nerves I had about meeting my boyfriend’s parents, the only thing I associated Ethiopian food was with, was spicy. I by no mean, and I mean NO means, like or will eat spicy food.  I am a big ol’baby when it comes to spicy food. I can’t handle even the slightest kick.  To my relief my boyfriend shared my apprehensions with his mom, and she made the food mild. The food was delicious…after I figured out how to eat it.  I put a little bit of everything on my plate, grabbed some injera, and sat down. As I waited for everyone to join me at the table I looked around and wondered…. where is silverware? The table was completely set with place mats, cups, and wine…but no silverware. Before I opened my big mouth to ask, I waited to see what my boyfriend was going to do. Good thing I didn’t ask, because you don’t use utensils to eat Ethiopian food! I felt embarrassed for myself for assuming that I needed to eat with a knife and fork.


On top of my new appreciate for Ethiopian food, another reason I choose Ethiopia is because one of my favorite chefs is Ethiopian. I first laid eyes on the talented and attractive Marcus Samuelsson on Bravo’s Top Chef where he served as a judge for one of the challenges. He soon came back in to my life as a contestent on Top Chef Masters where his calm demeanor and delicious dishes made him the winner of his season. His 2006 African-inspired cookbook The Soul of a New Cuisine received the prize "Best International Cookbook" by the James Beard Foundation. Basically, he is amazing.

Now on to the real stuff! Ethiopian food is pretty distinct from other cuisines. Its high terrain makes transportation and trading difficult, thus their cuisine has remained pure with little influence from their neighbors. The cuisine is really about living off the land (which it should be everywhere…). The temperate climate allows for the flourishing of grains, such as millet, sorghum, and teff (which is what injera is made out of).  

The unique variety of spices used in Ethiopian dishes lends a complex and memorable dimension to its exotic cookery.  Prominent components to Ethiopian cooking include, berbere, a spicy red pepper paste used in stews, niter kibbeh, a spice-infused clarified butter used in almost every dish, and injera, a sourdough pancake-like bread of Ethiopia, made from fermented teff batter. Turmeric, cumin, ginger and garlic make also frequent appearances in Ethiopian dishes.  Other staple ingredients include vegetables and legumes, such as lentils, split peas, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, collard greens, peppers, tomatoes, egg plant, and onions, and meats like chicken, beef, and lamb.  Pork is hardly used because of the large Muslim population.  For all you coffee lovers (and addicts like myself) let us get on our knees and praise Ethiopia, for it is this beautiful land which coffee originated.

injera

One of the best parts of Ethiopian cuisine is they way which it is eaten. I am absolutely in love with countries that make dining an intimate experience. I think all eating should be an experience, not just a shallow memory in the depths of the brain. As I learned from an Ethiopian restaurant in the Bay Area, Addis Ethiopian Restaurant, “Dining in Ethiopia is characterized by sharing food from a common plate, signifying the bonds of loyalty, family, and friendship.”  A traditional Ethiopian meal served on a large plate that is draped with injera with a variety of dishes decoratively arranged on or around the injera.  As I learned via first hand experience, to eat, all you simply do is tear off a piece of injera, and use it to scoop up some of the food, and in the mouth it goes. Not only is this a great way to reduce the dish-cleaning amount, it creates a memorable experience to share between the people you care about.

Colin

To get ready for Ethiopia week and to figure out what I wanted to make I obviously had to go eat some Ethiopian food! As recommended by my boyfriend I went to Lalibela Restaurant and Bar with food partner in crime, Colin. Colin and I are big foodies and can spend large amounts of time talking about food, wine, and beer. We can both be spotted sniffing cheeses at Whole Foods, one of our favorite past times. Do not let the appearance of the restaurant deter you from going in; many good meals are served in hole in the wall places that seem slightly sketchy. Colin ordered Beyaynetu, a vegetarian combination of gomen (collard greens), tikil gomen (cabbage), kik  (yellow spilt peas), and mesir (lentils).  I ordered marinated chicken with onions and berbere. We washed our meals down with some Ethiopian beer, which was tasted like most lagers, however a bit pricey (about $4 for a bottle, but hey, how often does one drink Ethiopian beer?). All of it was delicious, filling, and under $8.00 a dish. The portions were huge, and if Colin and I had any restraint, we could have easily split dish. If you want affordable food, and don’t mind adding to your waistline, without a doubt try Lalibela, they have food everyone can appreciate.  

RECIPE TIME!!

Angie likes injera 

Ethiopian food is all about sharing with friends and family so this week I made a big dinner for my roommate, my sister Jennifer, and two of my good friends, Angie and Helen. My boyfriend got me the recipe for tibs (sautéed beef) from his mom. I also recreated the gomen (collard greens) that I had my boyfriend’s parent’s house and Lalibela, and tikil gomen (cabbage) that I tasted at Lalibela. I was told that Ethiopian food takes hours to complete, and now I no why! There are so many things to prep, and it takes a while for food to stew and extract flavors. Good thing I had Angie and Helen helping me, or we wouldn’t have eaten till midnight! I bought the injera from The Blue Nile, my local Ethiopian Restaurant.  If you go in the day before they will make you fresh injera for $1 a piece.  I was happily surprised by how delicious everything was! I was quite proud of my friends and me. If you are bored, and have a few hours to spare, try the dishes, you will be amazed on how good it taste!

 Tibs, Gomen, & Tikil Gomen

serves 5-6

Grocery List:

• 1 ½  lb of boneless beef chuck eye roast, cut into medium size cubes
• 3 red onions, chopped
• 3 yellow onion
• 4 yukon gold potatoes, cut in half then sliced into 1/4-inch pieces 
• 1 head of green cabbage
• 3 carrots, julienned
• 1 lb of collards
• 1 cup of chicken broth
• 8 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 12 pieces of Injera (found in African grocery stores, I bought mine at Blue Nile)
• Rosemary
• Turmeric
• Dried basil
• Cumin
• Cardamom (NOT FOUND IN GIANT EAGLE WHICH MADE ME VERY ANGRY!)
• Vegetable oil (or nieter kebbeh if you can find it!)
• salt and pepper

First make Tikil Gomen:

with so many onions to cut
we had to wear eye protection

• 3 onions
• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil (or nieter kebbeh)
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 4 tbsp turmeric
• 3/4 water
• 4 yukon gold potatoes, cut in half then sliced into 1/4-inch pieces 
• 1 head of green cabbage
• 3 carrots, julienned
• 2 tbsp dried basil
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1-inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• salt

1.     In a large pot cook onions on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

2.    Add oil to onions until oil gets hot.

3.    Add turmeric, and stir until it is evenly distributed and aromatic. 

4.    Add water and bring to a boil.

5.    Once water is boiling add potatoes, stir, and cover and let cook for about 10 minutes.

6.    Start Tibs while potatoes cook.

7.    Add carrots and let them cook for several minutes.

8.    Add cabbage and let them cook until cabbage softens. 

9.    Add salt.

10. When the potatoes are soft, add basil, cumin, ginger, garlic, and cook until all vegetables are tender.

11.  Leave in pot to serve later.

 Tibs:

• 1 ½  lb of boneless beef chuck eye roast, cut into medium size cubes
• 2 red onions, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp of dried rosemary
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• salt

1.     In a skillet heat oil on medium-high heat.

2.    Add beef and cook for about five minutes, or until golden brown.

3.    Add onions and garlic, stirring occasionally.

4.    When beef is tender, add rosemary and salt and stir occasionally for 2 minutes.

5.    Remove from skillet, set aside, and move onto gomen.

Gomen:

• 1 lb of collards
• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil (or niter kebbeh)
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 cup of chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• salt and pepper

1.     Bring a large pot of water to boil.

2.    Cut stems from collard greens, and wash.

3.    Add greens to boiling water, and boil about 10 minutes. 

4.    Drain, and squeeze water from greens.

5.    Slice thinly once cool enough to handle.

6.    In a large skillet add oil.

7.    Once the oil is hot add red onions, ginger, and garlic for about 5 minutes.

8.    Add greens, broth, cardamom, salt and pepper. Cook until most of the liquid is evaporated from the pan. 

Put as much as you want of the dishes and eat with injera. Un-button your pants, and take a nap soon after.

D is for Denmark: Home to Pork and Pastries

Did anyone ever notice there are only four countries that begin with the letter “D” ( try to name then all)? I chose Denmark on accident.  See, when I chose Denmark I thought they were my boyfriends favorite soccer team…alas, it’s Holland and not Denmark that is home to the bright orange jerseys (I told you I was bad at geography).  The first thing that popped into my head when I think Denmark are those delicious, delicious, but soo not nutritious danishes. I had almost convinced myself that I wanted to them, until Chef Laura (the women I volunteer with every Friday) told me that it is basically is one of the hardest things to make because of the long process of kneading large amounts of butter into the dough. I wanted to stick to making a dessert because I am awful at baking and wanted to practice that skill. So, while searching google for a recipe, I came across a blog called My Danish Kitchen. Gitte, the writer, is a Danish women living in the U.S., and she was nice enough to teach me all about Danish food.

Denmark is a small peninsula located in the cold northern part of Europe. Danish Cuisine naturally reflects its cool and moist climate, producing high quantities of potatoes, rye, grains, berries, and dairy products. Its proximity to the water also makes fish a staple in Danish cuisine. Gitte told me that “Denmark was know as a meat and potatoes country but the modern Danes have managed to turn it into a fine cuisine with focus on healthy ingredients”.  Pork is the most popular meat in Demark.  Not only are Danes the largest exporter of pork they also eat the most pork per capita in the world! Pork is consumed in the forms of post roasts, pork tenderloins, ground pork, smoked and salted pork, and of course, Danish bacon. Cardamom, a spice I have yet to play with, is a widely used spice found in many recipes, and it is what gives Danish cuisine a unique flavor.  

The most well know dish is Smørrebrød, which is basically an open-faced sandwich. Traditional Smørrebrød, which means butter and bread, starts with buttered rye bread (fun fact: the Danes eat 8.5 million slices of rye bread every day!), then cheese is added, and it is finally topped with many different food items such as liver pate, various cold cuts, fish and vegetables. Gitte said that when it comes to Smørrebrød it is important to pick ingredients that compliment each other. Smørrebrød is then normally served with Danish beer and/or snaps (a small shot of a strong alcoholic beverage). In case you were as curious as me to know how to pronounce Smørrebrød then click this here 

I can’t write a blog about Denmark without writing about Danish pastries!! The famous danish pastry is wienbrød, which is mostly commonly recognized as a danish. Wienbrød is translated as “Vienna Bread”, as an Austrian baker created the first wienbrød in Denmark around 1840. Other popular desserts include Hindbærsnitter,  two pieces of pastry that is sandwiched together with a generous amount of seedless raspberry preserves and then topped off with glaze and sprinkles, and Napoleon hats, almond-filled pastries are shaped like three- cornered hats.

Have I convinced you to buy a plane ticket to Denmark yet? Well when you do purchase that expensive ticket Gitte recommends, “that you rent a bicycle and explore the countryside of Denmark, maybe take a ferry and visit one of the many smaller islands. If you’re up for a longer trip then I would highly recommend visiting Bornholm which is an island east from Copenhagen. It is a hidden gem, which is quaint, and with fantastic nature that is very different from the rest of Denmark. If you are in one of the bigger cities you must experience one of the walking streets, no cars allowed. You park your car and off you go to do some shopping, walking and perhaps sit down at a cafe for a light snack and a beer. Many of these walking streets are cobblestone and because there are no cars allowed it is a quiet and almost romantic shopping experience plus you get some exercise. Finally, one thing that you would have to eat is some real Danish pastry from a local bakery, which are found everywhere.” 

Thanks to Gitte for providing me with so much useful information about Denmark, I am ready to go eat some wienbrød and bacon! Photos of the desserts are courtesy of her blog, http://mydanishkitchen.com/. Check it out and try the dozens of recipes listed there.


RECIPE TIME!!


This week I took a shot at making a dessert, which was a stretch for me because I don’t have much of a sweet tooth and I’m awful at making desserts. It was three of my sorority sister’s birthdays so I decided to take a whack at for them (yes I am an awesome sister).  It took me two attempts, and a whole lot of running around to actually make Kiksekage (Chocolate Biscuit Cake) with an amaretto whipped cream. The first time I attempted to make it my dear friend Helen came to help, and as soon as she left it all went down hill…. I wanted to make more chocolate but I messed up my math (figures…) and it came out too liquidly, and didn’t firm up. Round Two: I temporarily don’t have a car so the second time around I had to beg my sorority sister Nakeshia to take me to the store. We are so goofy together that it took us forever to get ingredients. To my dismay I did not buy enough chocolate chips! I braced myself for the cold Ohio weather and trekked it all the way to Giant Eagle just for some chocolates…okay I got some stuffed olives too (I couldn’t resist) The final result was okay. It tasted delicious, and I was super proud of my whipped cream, but I think I made it with way too much chocolate, and it wasn’t as pretty as I hoped. Below I am going to give the recipe which well make less chocolate than I originally made so yours comes out better.  This recipe is readily easy to make and would be perfect for parties! Enjoy.

Kiksekage

INGREDIENTS:

•  3 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 2 sticks of butter
• 16 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp confectioners sugar
• 7 oz of butter biscuits (not the breakfast biscuits they use in the U.S, but cookies, I found some at World Market)
• 2 tbsp amaretto 
• a few sliced almonds 

*a 9x5 bread pan is needed for this recipe.

1. Line a 9 x 5  in. bread pan with parchment paper so that all sides are covered.
2.  Pour  2 1/2 cups of whipping cream and 1 1/2 confectioners sugar in to a small pot, stirring occasionally bring to a slow simmer. 
3. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate chips. Stir the mixture until shiny and smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes. 
4. Cut butter into small pieces and add to chocolate mix, stir until completely melted. Place mixture in refrigerator for 30 minutes to cool. 
5. While waiting for the chocolate to cool begin making the whipping by combining the leftover powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream and amaretto in and bow and whisk until thick. This step can take a while and might make your arm tired. Put in fridge once its done.
6. Get the chocolate from the fridge and cover the bottom of your pan with chocolate, then place a layer of biscuits, repeat chocolate, biscuit, ending with a layer of chocolate. Sprinkle almonds on top.
7. Cover the top of chocolate saran wrap and place in the freezer overnight. 
8. The following day gently and slowly lift the cake out of the bread pan. Place cake on a  plate and slowly peel off parchment paper. 
9. Top with amaretto whipped cream and enjoy.     

Jasmine loves Kiksekage

C is for Colombia: Filling your stomach one tostone at a time

Choosing Colombia was a pretty obvious choice...seeing how my mother is Colombian and all.  Some of you may be confused on why I would chose Colombia if I already have been there and had their food plenty of times. Here's the thing, I have no idea how to cook any of the food. So this week's challenge was more technical.  I already know what the food is supposed to taste like, but can I actually step up to the challenge and make the food of my culture? It is important for me to learn how to cook Colombian food just so that I always have a connection with my family. I don't often get to travel there often, and my Spanish is slowly fading away (but I am blaming Italian for that). I want to be able to share this food with my friends and my future kids!

All right... to truly understand Colombian Cuisine we have to know a little about the regions that make up the country (are you starting to notice a trend here?).  

The Carribean Sea Region, "La Costa" is home to clear waters, hot and humid weather, and Shakria. The cuisine has influences the Middle East (many Lebanese and other Arabs have settled here) and Africa (from the slaves that Spaniards brought). Suero, a cross between yogurt and sour cream, is a popular item that was introduced by Arab immigrants. The close distance to the ocean makes seafood a staple. One of their main dishes, and also on of my mom's favorites, is arroz con coco, coconut rice. Caution: when you order seafood in Colombia DO NOT expect it to be like the seafood you order in the U.S. If you order fish, you will get the entire fish, bones, eyes, and all. This can get a little tricky to eat, but it is totally worth it.

The Pacific Region is a lot like La Costa, although it was more heavily influenced by the African slaves that were brought by the Spaniards in the sixteenth century. Like La Costa the use of coconut is widespread. Seafood ceviches are very popular in the region as well as cazuela de mariscos, a seafood soup that is representative of the region. 

 Next up we have the Andes Region, this is the area that produces Colombia famous coffee, and where my family is from. The common foods here are arepas (seriously the most delicious thing ever), rice, beans, and an assortment of fruits like plantains, avocados, guava, mango, passion fruit, guanábana (pronounced "gwa-na-ba-na" it is one of my favorite fruits and I have to be able to find it here other than in juice form. It taste like a combination of strawberry and pineapple with a coconut undertone), and strawberries (in the city the have local venders that sell strawberries and cream...why can't we have that in Columbus!?!)

Numero 3 is the Amazon Region. The large rivers and tropical forest that dominate the area provide for the exotic fruits and fresh fish water that are eaten in the area. Grouper, or cachama, is a staple here. There is also Brazilian and Peruvian influences can be seen in the local food. 

Colombian meals are unique in which lunch is the biggest meal of the day. You start the day with a light breakfast, usually coffee and an arepa, then a LARGE lunch, like a bandeja paisa (which I make this week), then a light dinner, and the night is ended with a cup of coffee. 

Other than coffee other popular drinks include: 

•               Milo, a type of hot chocolate that is typically had in the morning and can easily be found any Hispanic grocery store

•               Aguardiente , a type of alcoholic drink derived from sugarcane, the literal translation for it is "fire water". It is strong and taste like licorice and the Colombian way to drink it is chasing it with water.

•               Malta, a carbonated malt non-alcoholic beverage that my little sister loves, but I do not.

•                Postobón, one of the largest Colombian beverage companies. What Coke is to the U.S., Postobón is to Colombia. Their most popular drink is a Colombiana, a "cola champagne". They also have unique flavored fruit sodas such as, Manzana Postobón, an apple-flavored soda (my favorite).

I have to make a special shout out to Colombian desserts. I do not, by any means, have a sweet tooth, but for some reason Colombian desserts always hit the spot. My favorite is my grandmother's arroz con leche, rice with milk. It is one of the most popular desserts in the Latin world, probably because it is amazingly delicious. It is basically a rice pudding  however, it is different to most Arabic rice pudding that is sweeter because of the sweetened condensed milk used to make it, and it eaten hot, often with melted quesito.  Another delicious dessert is Obleas, thin wafer cookies covered in arequipe, the Colombian's version of the dulce de leche, which is basically a type of caramel. These are super inexpensive and are usually sold by street vendors. 

In a more sentimental note I am dedicating this blog to my abuelitos, especially my abuelo who passed away this week. The two of them are the most loving and caring people anyone can have the pleasure to meet. The treat everyone they meet like their best friends. The love they had for each other is one only seen in movies, and one I can only dream about finding. After 50 years of marriage they would still hold hands and feed each other, just like a young couple falling in love. I thank the world for letting me borrow my abuelo for as long as I had him, and even we had to give him back, I know I have another angel taking care of me. 

RECIPE TIME!!

This week I made Colombia's national dish, Bandeja Paisa. This is a large, hearty meal that is eaten for lunch. Bandeja, which means "platter", describes the many different ingredients used to make the meal. To have a complete Bandeja Paisa you need the following: white rice, beans (red or black), tostones (fried plantains), a fried egg, sliced avocado, chorizo, chicharron (fried pork belly), and ground beef or grilled steak. I unfortunately couldn't find pork belly anywhere, so my dish wasn't the complete dish. However everything else came out great, and in the end I was very proud of myself. 

Kelly

Kelly became an honorary Colombian today, as she shimmied to Shakria, while making tostones, and drinking Postobón. If the recipe seems like too much to handle then visit El Arepazo , a Venezuelan restaurant that serves this dish, or the Colombian Food Truck on the corner of Lane Ave and Hight St. She makes authentic food at reasonable prices. 

Bandeja Paisa

serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

•               2 Plantains

•               1/2 Onion, sliced

•               Adobo (with cumin)

•               1lb of thin steak flank

•               1/2 lb of chorizo

•               Arepa masa (found in most Hispanic/Mexican grocery stores)

•               1 Avocado

•               1 can of black beans

•               salt, vegetable oil

Directions: 

platains

To make tostones 

 *before making read this to learn how to peel a plantain. It is not as obvious as you think*

1. Heat vegetable oil on medium heat in a skillet
2. Peel plantains and cut them in 3/4 in slices
3. Place the plantain slices in the oil for about 3 minutes, or until they are golden color
4. Remove from the oil and let them cool on plate for about a minute
5. Smash each slice with the bottom of a cup.  You would usually do this with a special plantain smasher but I don't have one, and the bottom of a cup works fine.
6. Place smashed plantains in the same heated oil for about another 3 minutes, or until crispy (but not burnt)

Place on plate and salt for flavor.

To make Grilled Steak

1. Place sliced onions in vegetable oil on medium-low heat.
2. While onions are caramelized season steak with Adobo.
3. After onions are slightly caramelized place steaks over the onions, and place some onions on top the steak.
4. Grill for about 1/2 hour, or until nicely browned. Make sure to move the onions around so they don't burn.

To make Arepa

1. Prepare according to package. 
2. Take arepa dough and form into three small balls.
3. Flatten the small balls so they are about 4 inches in diameter. 
4. Place the arepas on a greased skilled (pan spray or butter) on medium-low heat.
5. Remove from heat after they are crispy on both sides.

To make Chorizo and Fried Egg

1. Pan fry sausages in until crisp and cooked through
2. Reserve the oil to fry the egg
3. Fry egg in the oil

Cooked white rice: follow package!

Warm up can of black beans as directed!

Slice Avocado

Wash it down with a nice, cold bottle of Postobón.