Day 161! Sierra Leone - Corned Beef and Yam Cakes - Up Next, Singapore

Unlike the United States where most of our culinary traditions focus on special holidays, very specific preparation, utensils, process and form are the norm in many, many foreign countries. In Sierra Leone for example, tonight's meal of Corned Beef and Yam cakes, would likely have been prepared by women, using  a large pot, supported by three stones over a wood or charcoal fire. In fact, when I first started cooking in African countries back in 2010, I dug such a fire pit so I could try to replicated this process, which I highly recommend no matter what you like to cook - to see it, click here. Families in Sierra Leone generally congregate around a large dish of food, which almost always consists of rice, a small amount of fish or meat and sauce or gravy for dipping. After washing their hands, each person eats from the area directly in front of them or the middle of the platter, using their left hand only. Reaching across the platter is considered bad manners, as is using ones right right hand. Moreover,  a lot of conversation is considered disrespectful to the food. The oldest male gets the best piece of meat, followed by younger males. The balance is left for the women and girls.

Located in West Africa, Sierra Leone is bordered by Guinea, Liberia and the Atlantic Ocean. Orignally inhabited by the indigenous Sherbo, Temme, Limba, Mende, and Komo, the island was first discovered by Pedro da Cintra, a Portuguese explorer in 1462, during which time it became a transatlantic slave trade center. In March, 1792, Freetown was founded by the Sierra Leone Company for formerly enslaved African's. In 1808 it became a British Crown Colony and by 1896, a British protectorate. Finally in 1961, the two regions merged and gained independence. The country is made up of 4 provinces, Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western, which are comprised of 14 districts and 149 chiefdoms.There are approximately 15 ethnic groups, each with their on distinct languages and customs, however religious tolerance and intermarriage between Muslim and Christian faiths is widely accepted.

One cannot talk about Sierra Leone's history without mentioning the 1991-2002 Civil War that killed and/or mutilated more than 75, 000 people. The country's long history of diamond, bauxite and gold mining has long been a source of exploitation by those who mercilessly profit from the country's natural resources and exploit its people. This corruption, mismanagement, economic collapse and the dismantling of the educational system all contributed to one of the bloodiest and most tragic civil wars in the world's history.

Sierra Leone's tropical climate ranges from savannas to rain forests. Cassava, palaver sauce, red palm oil, onions, peppers, fish, meat stews, okra and ground nuts are all grown and consumed in this country. As mentioned above, rice is the staple starch in nearly every family, and large amounts of meat and fish are not common at the dinner table.

Peel the yam, sweet potatoes or potatoes, boil until soft and mash

Prepare the egg-milk mixture and the bread crumbs

The recipes calls for tinned corned beef, but I used fresh and minced it (my son works at a deli!)

Combine ingredients and add 2 Tbsp. of the egg mixture to bind everything

 
Brush cakes with egg mixture - don't attempt the dip method - I did and they fall apart

Get your oil good and hot and fry four at a time, turning once, until golden brown

Serve alongside hot sauce...I love this Peri-Peri sauce fromt he folks at Rhino

Corned Beef and Yam Cakes (recipe courtesy of Africaupenn.edu)

1 pound potatoes or yams
salt and pepper to taste
1 small onion, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
7 ounce can corned beef (I used 1/2 lb. fresh)
2 cups bread crumbs for coating
Oil for frying
1 tsp. cayenne pepper, optional
1 tsp. finely chopped parsley

Peel potatoes or yams.
Boil in salted water until tender; drain and mash.
Add pepper or cayenne, chopped onions, parsley and corned beef.
Add milk to eggs and whisk.
Add 2 Tbsp. of the egg mixture into the yam mixture and blend well.
Scoop up about 2 Tbsp. yam mixture and form into flat cakes.
Brush with egg mixture, then coat with bread crumbs.
Fry in hot oil until golden brown, turning once as needed.
Drain on paper towels.
Serve with peri-peri or hot sauce of your choice.

Final Assessment: These were absolutely wonderful. They could easily be vegetarian by leaving out the corned beef and I honestly don't think you'd miss it all. I love the sweetness of the yams and the addition of cayenne gives them a great kick. Like any croquet, they're best fried in good hot oil so they don't float around soaking it all up. Once deeply golden brown, all they need is a little sea salt and a good sized dipping dish of peri-peri or hot pepper sauce. Served along side rice and a vegetables, they make a great meal. Except we just ate them as soon as they were cool enough to handle and called it dinner.

© 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved

Day 160.5 Kouign Amann (Caramelized Breton Pastry)

Last night while scrolling through my Facebook feed, I happened on a post from Chow.com entitled,  Kouign Amann, Your New Favorite Pastry. The teaser read:  "The hottest pastry in America right now is one you probably can't find, much less pronounce." The article spotlighted the Starter Bakery in Oakland, California that's now making Kouign Amann to rave reviews. Aside from the word "pastry", the bait was the key word "can't" which I took without a second thought.  Ask anyone in my family, and they will testify that from the time I was old enough to be told what I couldn't or shouldn't do ( probably as soon as I learned to walk), I set out to very deliberately prove that I most certainly could and would. Needless to say, this stubborn streak persisted through a rather, "I can and you can't stop me" adolescence (sorry, Mom) and has now become what some in my immediate family might describe as, "Mom doing Mom". And, while I have failed many times at whatever it was I may have been attempting to do,  I still keep trucking - because I can, and because I love a challenge almost as much as I love butter and caramelized sugar, both of which Kouign Amann has in abundance.

So, I ventured into the cloud to find a recipe, and my first hit was David Lebovitz's recipe. A published pastry chef now living, eating and cooking in Paris, I have followed David's blog for several years and regularly drool and laugh (simultaneously), over his posts. I found a few other recipes on-line, but his have never steered me wrong. Below is his unadapted recipe -- because I wouldn't dare mess with it. But I can try to recreate it, and thanks to his great instruction, I did (except I think I my oven may run a little hot and I could have cut the cooking time down by 3 minutes). Merci Mr. Lebovitz , you're the pastry mang par excellence!

A brief word about the origin of Kouign Amann, because, after all, this blog explores food from around the world, and because I always want to know why things are as they are. The name comes from the Breton words for cake (Kouign) and butter (Amann) and is a specialty of the town of Douarmenez in the Finistère region, one of Brittany's 5 provinces. Located in north-west France, Brittany is a large peninsula that sits between England to the north and the Bay of Biscay to the south. It seems that noone knows for sure who invented the cake. Some speculate that it was "invented" when a baker made an unsucessful batch of bread dough and turned it into a cake rather than toss it. Others say that it came to be in the 1860's when flour was scarce and butter was plentiful. Another theory is that during the time that Brittany was actively trading with Norway and Denmark, the Breton's adapted the Nordic custom of eating slightly sweetened bread. For more information, check out David Lebovitz's post about a trip to Brittany.

Lastly, please don't be discouraged by the number of steps in the recipe. It's very, very easy to make (note there are only 6 ingredients), and if you have the couple of hours you'll need to let the dough rest and rise, the reward of this crunchy, buttery, caramelized, beautiful pastry is so worth the time. And, as the original recipe post points out, there's no need to freak about the amount of butter or sugar used - it's less than you'd use making a batch of Toll House cookies - so go for it and enjoy every luscious bite. You can and you should!

The Basics: Yeast, flour and butter make the dough

Roll out the dough: Add butter, fold in thirds, then fold again - mmm...a buttery packet of goodness

Cover a dinner plate with plastic wrap and chill for one hour (go for a run while you wait)

Remove from refrigerator, sprinkle with sugar and roll/pat out to fit pan

Kouign Amann (Recipe Courtesy of David Lebovitz)
(About 8-10 Servings)

1 Tbsp. dried yeast (not instant)
3/4 cup tepid water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. sea saltx
1 cup sugar (which will be divided later)
(Plus additional sugar for rolling out the pastry)
1 stick salted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled

2-3 Tbsp. additional salted butter, melted

1. In a medium bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water with a pinch of sugar. Stir briefly, then let stand for 10 minutes until foamy.
2. Gradually stir in the flour and salt. The dough should be soft, but not too sticky. Lightly dust your countertop with flour and transfer the dough onto it.
3. Knead the dough with your hands until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 3 minutes. If the dough is very sticky, knead in just enough flour, one tablespoon at a time, until it doesn't stick to your hands.
4. Brush a medium bowl with melted butter, put the dough ball into the bowl. Cover, and let rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
5. Meanwhile, line a dinner plate with plastic wrap and set aside.
6. On a lightly floured countertop, roll the dough into a rectangle about 12" x 18" with the shorter sides to your left and right.
7. The dough may be sticky and difficult to handle. Use a metal pastry scraper to coax the dough into shape, and a minimal sprinkling of flour, as necessary.
8. Distribute the butter in the center of the dough and sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar. Grab the left side of the dough, lift and fold it over the center, then do the same with the right side (as you would a letter). you should have what resembles a 3-level pastry.
9. Sprinkle the entire length of the dough with 1/4 cup sugar and (without rolling), fold again into thirds as before.
10. Place on plastic wrap-covered dinner plate and chill for 1 hour.
11. Next, clean excess flour for the countertop and dust with a liberal handful of sugar for rolling out the pastry again.
12. Once chilled, remove dough from the refrigerator.
13. Ease it away from the plastic onto the sugar-covered countertop, using plenty of sugar.
14. Top the dough with 1/4 cup sugar, press it in a bit with your hands, and roll into a rectangle for the last time.
15. Again fold it into thirds and let rest in the refrigerator for another 30-60 minutes.
16. Preheat oven to 425 F. and brush a 9-inch non-stick cake pan with melted butter.
17. Remove dough from refrigerator. Roll into a circle about the size of the baking pan. It will be sticky; dusting the top with a sprinkle of sugar will help.
18. Once rolled out, lift the dough and coax it into the pan. If it starts to break, fold in half and slide a metal bench scrape or spatula under it and slip it into the pan. If it does break, gently piece it back together.
19. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4-cup of sugar and drizzle with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
20. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is deeply caramelized. Let stand a few minutes, then run a spatula around the edges to release the Kouign Amann and slide the cake from the pan onto a cooling rack.

© 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved

Day 160! Seychelles - Coconut Curry Tuna - Up Next, Sierra Leone

Phew, what a week:  kids back to high school and college, the upstairs of our house about to be gutted thanks to last winter's brutal weather and ice dams...dog got direct hit to the face from our friendly neighborhood skunk. And rain, lots and lots of rain, making photographing food in my nearly pitch black kitchen somewhat of a challenge. But I will not be deterred from my mission just because of a stank skunk and relentless rain - no, the show must go on. Just ask my husband what the definition of obsessed is, and he'll (lovingly) point to yours truly.

But, before I dive in, a big shout out to a new foodie friend, Laurrie, who is cooking her way around the world from her RV in a tiny galley kitchen. Check out her site, Life in an RV,  for awesome recipes and great writing. We both agree that it's fun and affirming to meet others who are as nutty and passionate about good food as we are.  Rock on, Laurrie!

Located in the Indian Ocean, the Seychells are an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean. Forty one of those islands form the oldest mid-oceanic granite islands on earth, of which the remaining 74 outer islands form low-lying coral atolls and reef islands. Granitic islands cluster around the largest island, Mahé, with the inner islands being the center of cultural, economic and tourism activity. First inhabited by Austronesian seafarers and Arab traders, the Portuguese settled on the islands in 1502. Between 1756-1903, the Seychelles were alternately controlled by the French, then the British. Following a coup in 1976, and then many re-workings of the country's constitution, a final draft was accepted and the country finally gained independence in 1993. This beautiful country is home to 75 different plant species, and boasts the world's largest seabird colonies in the world. The islands are known for their pristine beaches, marine life and coral islands that divers and snorkelers covet.

Cuisine in the Seychelles has a creole flair, blended with French and Asian influences. Grilled fish, octopus, chilies  ginger, garlic, coconut milk, papaya and rice are plentiful in this warm, tropical climate. Sweet potatoes, vanilla, coconuts and cinnamon are the primary agricultural crops, while frozen and canned fish, copra, cinnamon and vanilla are exported.

Tuna Steaks - I used frozen because that's what my budget allowed

The Basics: chilies, onion,garlic, ginger, turmeric and cardamom

Coconut milk for the sauce - I used light...just trying to watch the old waistline!

Brown the tuna quickly 

Mango chutney and sliced tomatoes from my garden - black sea salt finishes the dish

Coconut Curry Tuna (Recipe Courtesy of Celtnet)

2 lbs. tuna steaks
3 Tbsp. sunflower or canola oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. ginger, finely grated
3 fresh red chili peppers, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp. ground turmeric
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
3/4 tsp. salt
1 14 ounce can coconut milk
A few curry leaves if available

1. Cut the fresh tuna into cubes. Season with salt
2. Brown the tuna pieces in a skillet with a little oil and set aside.
3. Saute the onion, garlic, ginger, chili and turmeric over low heat until the onion begins to color. Add the coconut milk.
4. Add the tuna pieces. Stir gently, coating the tuna with the sauce. Season with salt, add the cardamom and cover, reducing heat to a simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Remove lid and cook a few minutes longer until the sauce becomes thick and creamy.

Serve with basmati rice and mango chutney

Final Assessment: Okay, I'm a sucker for curry and coconut anything, so it's hard for me say anything bad about this dish. So I won't. It was really easy, took about 10 minutes to assemble and tastes wonderful. I didn't have fresh red chilies, so I used dried, which may have decreased the hot-factor, but it still had plenty of heat to it. Serving mango chutney and rice on the side cooled everything off perfectly. Oh, and I had some black sea salt that I topped the whole thing off with -- don't even get me started on how much I love crunch sea salt! A+


© 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved

Day 159! Serbia - Ajvar (Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Caviar) and Pogača Flat Bread

I had a meal last night that I'm still thinking about today. Since following lusting after Ten Tables for months on Facebook, my bff Lucy, aka, Lulu, and I finally got dinner reservations. Located in Jamaica Plain (also in Cambridge and PTown), this gem of a restaurant was like balm on our week-weary souls. And, even better, we got the special reserved seats that abut the open kitchen so we could watch the talented and generous chefs who make that efficient little kitchen hum. I say generous because the crew of  3 were cranking out the meals on a bustling Thursday night, but still made time to chat with us and answer all of our questions about ingredients and recipes. Here's what we had: A charcuterie plate & mussels; Pan seared bluefish with a mixed grain salad, cherry tomatoes and Hungarian wax peppers; Natural hanger steak with cranberry bean and summer squash ragout and roasted romain and salsa verde; And for dessert: Hazelnut brown butter cake with blueberry compote with lemon verbena ice cream,  and orange and bay leaf creme brulee. Oh, and a lovely rose. Crazy decadent, right?! Luckily, Lulu lives in JP, so we strolled, rolled home, me tottering up the hill to her house in my platform shoes. Fashion over function. Check out Ten Tables if you want to treat yourself to top notch food (much of it from local sources), an impressive wine list, ambiance (small and candle-lit, the restaurant verily glows) and great waitstaff.

Officially the Republic of Serbia, this landlocked country sits at the cross-roads of central and southwest Europe, covering the southern part pf Carpathian basin and the central section of the Balkans. Serbia borders Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, through Kosovo. Serbia's history is extremely complex, so this synopsis should not be considered complete. during the 7th century the Serbian's arrived in the Balkans, gradually evolving to become the Serbian Empire in the 14th century, then changing hands several times.  Between 1991-92, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia seceded from Yugoslavia. In 1998, Slovidon Milosevic, the president of Serbia and Yugoslavia, waged  a 79 day war against ethnic Albanians and the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), ultimately being charged with war crimes for unspeakable crimes against humanity, as well as corruption. Serbia's southern province gained independence in 2008, but is not recognized unanimously by all international governments. For a more comprehensive overview, follow this link.

Cuisine in Serbia is heavily influenced by Balkan, Mediterranean, Turkish, Central European, Austrian and Hungarian traditions. The country's rich, fertile plains and continental climate (except to the south that tends to be hot and dry and quite cold in winter), are ideal for growing grains, fruits and vegetables. Serbia is second in production of raspberries and plums after Russia and China, respectively. Pickled foods, sauerkraut, pogaca (flat bread), ajvar (vegetarian caviar), sausages, soups, roasted meats, lamb, pork and barbecue and rich tortes are all typical of the Serbian diet.

Ajvar - Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper "Caviar" Spread

Pogaca - Serbian yeasted flatbread 

Ajvar - Roasted Eggplant-Pepper Caviar Spread (Adapted from aboutfood.com)

2 large eggplant (about 3 pounds)
6 large red bell peppers
salt and black pepper
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup good quality olive oil
1 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley

Heat oven to 475 degrees. Place eggplants and peppers on a baking sheet with a lip to catch any juices and roast until their skins blister and turn black, about 30 minutes.
Place roasted vegetables in a heatproof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let them steam for 10 minutes.
Peel off and discard blackened skins, stems and seeds. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse until desired consistency is achieved (I like plenty of texture) Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and lemon juice, and drizzle in olive oil. Pulse once or twice to blend.
Transfer to a glass dish and sprinkle with parsley for garnish. Store covered in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Pogaca (Serbian Flat Bread)

1-1/2 cups water
1-1/2 tsp. yeast
6 cups flour (more if dough is too sticky - I used unbleached white wheat flour)
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup olive oil
beaten egg for brushing over top

Dissolve yeast in warm water.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a bread hook, add remaining ingredients. Mix to a medium dough.
Knead for 5 minutes.
Divide into thirds. Roll to fit size and shape of 8" or 9" cake pans (lightly greased).
Brush dough with beaten egg and prick dough all over with a fork.
Bake for 20-25 minutes at 425 F until golden brown.

Final Assessment:  Whoa! If you've never made roasted Ajar "caviar" before, please do. Not only is it easy, but it's well worth the little of time it takes to roast the eggplant and peppers, which are bountiful in stores and local New England gardens this time of year. The flavor is rich, roasty (yes, that's an adjective, Webster just isn't hip to it yet) and sweet. It's a little like baba genoush, but prettier because of the addition of red peppers. It was so good, we ate it right out of the food processor bowl with spoons. Later on, I made a chicken cutlets and pasta for the dudes in my house, and we spooned it right onto of the hot pasta. The pogaca is kind of like dense pita bread - simple, peasant style bread that is best torn into pieces, warm from the pan. Sprinkled with a little sea salt and dipped in the ajar, it's a lovely appetizer or vegetarian meal. I have some left over, which I'm planning to spread on toasted flat bread for breakfast. 


© 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved