Day 142! Philippines - Sea Bass Kinilaw (Ceviche) - Up Next, Poland

The credit for tonight's Filipino Kinilaw (pronounced ki-ni-la-o) goes entirely to my friend Sylvie, who I met through this blog and who so generously gave me this amazing recipe. Except for substituting sea bass for mackerel (because it wasn't available), and not peeling the tomatoes and peppers, because I was lazy, I followed the recipe exactly as written. Words cannot describe how divine this dish is. Perhaps one of the coolest things about writing this blog, is that wonderful people I've never met agree to help me along the way. Sylvie and her husband who are French, are expats who lived in the Philippines for 6 years, followed by 2 years in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Currently, they live in Latvia, where they are raising 2 young children. In my wildest dreams, Sylvie and I will get to meet some day and share a lovely meal. Until then, technology makes our awesome cross-continent friendship possible.

Located in South East Asia, the Philippines lie in the Western Pacific Ocean. The country is an Archipelago of 7,107 islands with 3 distinct geographic divisions. To the country's north across the Luzon Straight is Taiwan. To the west across the South China Sea is Vietnam. The Sulu Sea to the southwest lies between the island country of Borneo, and the the south, the Celebes Sea separates it from Indonesia. Because the country has a tropical climate and is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, it is prone to earth quakes and typhoons. Concurrently, the climate  provides the Philippines with one of the richest biodiversity resources in the world.

An ethnically diverse country, Filipino cuisne is a mixture of Malay, Chinese and Spanish traditions. As I mentioned, the country has three distinct regions whose cuisine varies quite a bit. The following information comes courtesy of Sylvie in it's entirety - She did all the work on this one, and I can't thank her enough.

1) LUZON:
Manilla: Being at the center of the country, Manilas cosmopolitan atmosphere is reflected in the flavors of its food (gambas, roast suckling pig, "lechon" or paella)
Central Luzon: Dishes from its vast plains, swamp plains and rivers (caldereta, relleno and adobo)
Northern Luzon:  Arid lands and mountains/Ifugao rice terraces, hence basic but nourishing cuisine (baradibud, a fresh vegetable stew in sweet potato broth, or pinakbet, a vegetable stew with crisp pork belly.
Southern Luzon: Fertile are thanks to the taal volcano, Batangas region is know for its beef industry. Its economy depends to a great extent on the coconut tree. Kesong Puti, a popular white cheese made from carabao's milk (water buffalo), far cousin from mozzarella, is produced there.
Palawan region: Characteristic is the use of green mango, adding sour taste to otherwise generally sweet cuisine.
Bicol region: Characteristic is the use of the sili, or hot chili pepper (eg. Bicol Express, named after the train from Manila)
2) VISAYAS:
Central Visayas: Great variety of seafood, often prepared marinated in vinegar, broiled or boiled. Chinese influence is strong in Cebu, but also Spanish, especially in desserts.
Western Visayas: Cane plantations built fortunes, so sweets are an important part of their cuisine. Marinated raw fish and seafood is much flavored,
3) MINDANAO: (The only Muslim part of the country, the rest being Catholic)
Davao: Specialty is broiled tuna jaws. This region produces most exotic fruits, including the special Durian.
Zamboanga: Very strong Spanish influence (callos, tripes), is also famous for its crabs.

Sea Bass Kinilaw (Ceviche) - Recipe from Sylvie

2 1/4 lbs. (1 kg) Taguigue (Spanish Mackerel) - I used Sea Bass
1 pound (600g) calamansi (small green round lemons) - I used limes
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 onions, finely minced
4 fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced or grated
3 bell peppers (red or yellow), peeled , seeded and cut into strips
1/3 cup (100 ml.), coconut milk, preferably fresh, but unsweetened canned will do
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Cut the fish into small cubes, marinate in calamansi/lime juice for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, add all the remaining ingredients.
Chill before serving. Serves 4, usually as a starter.
No wine will match due to acidity, but a cold beer is perfect

Final Assessment: One of our all time favorite meals so far. The combination of lime, ginger, onions and all the accompanying peppers is sweet, sour and crunchy, while the mild fish "cooked" in the lime juice is tender and succulent.  Luckily, we have leftovers which will be tomorrow's lunch!

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

Day 141! Peru - Peruvian Grilled Chicken- Pollo a la Brasa - Up Next, Philippines

It just so happens that while standing in line at the grocery store last week, I spotted the Gourmet Grilling issue. Drawn in by it's mouth-watering "this burger will change your life" cover shot, I reached for the glossy mag, altogether ignoring People, Star and Us.  In what I can only imagine must have been a karmatic twist of fate, I opened the magazine to Peruvian Grilled Chicken, or Pollo a la Brasa,  the very country I was planning to cook in, but had no recipe for. Aside from the gorgeous photographs, I fell in love with the recipe for it's simplicity and the combination of clean flavors in the marinade. Wait...is it socially acceptable to lust after a recipe? Who cares; that's how I feel, and I'll live in secrecy no more.

Located in western South America, Peru is bordered by Ecuador, Columbia, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile and the Pacific Ocean. A multi-ethenic country of Amerindians, Europeans, Africans and Asians, Peru is also home to one of the oldest civilizations in the world, the Notre Chico as well as the Inca Empire. Spanish, Quechua and other languages are spoken in Peru. As diverse as the population is, Peru's geography is unique as well, encompassing the plains on the Pacific coast, peaks of the Andes and the tropical Amazon forest. Peru gained independence from the Spanish empire in 1821, but continues to struggle with on-going political and fiscal instability today.

Cuisine in Peru is influenced by the many travelers and settlers who have traversed the country from Spain, China, Italy, West Africa and Japan. The country's primary staple foods are corn, potatoes and beans. Quinoa, kiwicha, chili peppers,  tubers and rice as well as chicken and fish round out the basics. Interestingly, Peru has one of the most prolific and genetically diverse variety of crops, including, but not limited to 35 varieties of maize, 15 species of tomatoes, 200 types of potatoes and 150 varieties of sweet potatoes.

Peruvian Grilled Chicken (Adapted from Gourmet)

1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
5 garlic cloves
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. fresh oregano
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 whole chicken, quartered or cut up
Lime wedges for garnish

Marinate Chicken
Blend soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, cumiin, paprika, oregano, 1/2 tsp. pepper and oil in a blender.
Put chicken in a large ziplock bag and add marinade. Seal bag and turn to coat. Marinate, chilled 8-24 hours.
Grill Chicken
Prepare grill for indirect-heat, cooking over medium-hot coals (medium-high heat for gas).
Discard marinade, oil rack and grill chicken over area with no coals (or over turned off burner), skin side down first, covered, turning over once, until cooked through - about 15-18 minutes on each side.**
Add more charcoal if necessary to maintain heat.
**I did not follow this exactly - I simply let the coals burn down, and then -cooked, turning frequently to avoid burning.

Serve with potato salad and green salad. And, if it's an accompanying beverage you crave, beer is good, but a Lychee-Pomegranate Margarita is better :)

Final Assessment: Deluxe! This dish has earned itself regular rotation on my summer grilling menu. Garlic, lime, cumin, paprika and oregano make for a wonderfully aromatic and flavorful marinade, and if you have the patience to let the chicken marinate overnight, it'll fall off the bone with each bite.

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

Day 140.1 - Lychee-Pomegranate Frozen Margarita

How could I walk by something as prehistoric and exotic looking as Asian lychee fruit without stoping to scoop up a pound? It didn't matter that I had no idea what to do with them; their beautiful crimson-red color and unusual reptilian-like skin was simply impossible to resist.  A quick trip to the produce section to pick up some pomegranate juice - a household favorite we mix with seltzer, and  I had the beginnings of an idea buzzing around in my brain. Sorbet? Flan? Ice cream? Noooo...because today the sun came out for the first time in a week, and MY Boston Bruins are going to win the Stanley Cup tonight. So to celebrate these momentous events, a batch of Lychee-Pomegranate Frozen Margaritas is in order.

I admit that a fruity, pink margarita is kind of a girly cocktail to be mixing up for a hockey game, but rest assured, there's plenty of beer in the fridge for overtime.  Full of vitamins and mythical curative properties (okay, so maybe the tequila cancels that out), pomegranate juice also serves to color the margarita a heavenly shade of pink (magenta if you add more) that even a burly, bearded  Boston Bruin would appreciate.  Plus, my husband thinks it's the greatest thing on earth to be welcomed home from work with a cocktail as a 1950's housewife would have done. I was never any good at memorizing mathematical formulas - in fact, I flunked elementary and high school math with spectacular consistency, but this equation I have down pat: Margaritas+Bruins+Happy Husband = Trifecta
Now go get your man...or woman.

Lychee-Pomegranate Frozen Margaritas

1/2 cup chopped lychee
1/8 pomegranate juice (added gradually until you achieve the desired color)
2 cups crushed ice
1 cup lime juice
1/3 cup triple sec
1/3 cup tequila (blanco)
1/8 cup simple syrup (optional, only if you like a sweeter drink)
Lychee to garnish
Thinly sliced limes and lemons, for garnish
Salt, for rim of glass

Blend first 6 ingredients in a blender until smooth - 7 if you opt to use simple syrup (but I don't think you need it)
Lime and salt the rim of the 2 glasses
Pour mixture into glasses and garnish with lychees and lime.

Serve with tortilla chips and  fresh guacamole and call it dinner.

Final Assessment: This is probably one of my all time favorite margaritas. The delicate, sweet taste of the lychee comes through and is complimented by the tart flavor of the lime and pomegranate. I personally don't think simple syrup is necessary, but if you like a sweet drink, by all means add it.

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

Day 140! Cote d'Ivoire - Flank Steak with Coffee-Peppercorn Marinade and Grilled Okra and Tomato Kebabs

Taste of Africa Dish # 6 : Flank Steak with Coffee-Peppercorn Marinate and Grilled Okra and Tomato Kebabs ~ A cooking collaboration with Taste of Africa, which will help African companies connect to buyers across the U.S. in this year's Fancy Food Show in Washington, DC - July 10-12. Funded through USAID's West Africa Trade Hub and Southern Africa Global Competitiveness Hub, the Association Africa Agro-Export and other partners.

Tonight's Flank Steak with Coffee-Peppercorn Marinade showcases an excellent export product from the West African country of Cote d'Ivoire - none other than coffee. While you might not think of using in coffee in a marinade, the rich, medium roast African Blend I used adds depth and syrupy body to my personal favorite cut of beef.  And, as luck would have it, I happened on a recipe in Gourmet's Grilling Special Edition, for tomato and okra kebabs that not only goes perfectly with flank steak, but features two beautiful vegetables frequently eaten in Cote d'Ivoire, as well as in many other African countries. Why the rest of the world doesn't embrace okra as I do will forever be a mystery to me.

Located on the south coast of West Africa, Cote d'Ivoire is bordered by Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, the Gulf of Guinea, the Atlantic Ocean, Liberia and Guinea. Except for the Guinea Highlands in the northwest, with peaks rising to 5000 ft., Cote d'Ivoire is mainly a vast plateau, that tilts gently toward the Atlantic Ocean. Four major rivers run through the country: the Cavally, Sassandra, Bandama and Comoe. Because these rivers tend to be fairly sluggish in the dry season, flood in the rainy season, and are broken up by numerous falls and rapids, they do not hold significant or reliable value for commerce and transportation.

Cuisine in Cote d'Ivoire, is characterized by slow simmered stews and a variety of starches, like cassava and grains. Chicken and fish are popular sources of protein. Tomatoes, eggplant, okra and onions are staple vegetables, and cassava, plantains and rice form the bulk of starchy calories. A popular dish is mafe, or sauce d'archide, which is made in a tasty peanut sauce. Side dishes include fried or mashed plantains and attieke as well as grated and cooked cassava. More recently, coffee, cashew nuts and cassava semolina have become viable and sustainable export items in Cote d'Ivoire.

Flank Steak with Coffee-Peppercorn Marinade (Recipe Adapted from eatingwell.com)(Doha S.A., West African exporter of coffee, cashew nuts, banana chips, attieke (cassava semonlina)


(For a 2 lb. flank steak)

6 Tbsp. strong brewed African Blend coffee
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 Shallots (or 4 cloves garlic), minced
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
2 tsp. whole black peppercorns, crushed
1 tsp. sea salt
2 lbs. flank steak, trimmed of fat

Whisk coffee, vinegar, oil, sugar, shallots, ginger, peppercorns and salt in a glass dish large enough for meat to lie flat. Add steak and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
Heat grill to high.
Remove steak from marinade (discard marinade). Lightly oil grill rack.
Place steak on grill and cook for 4-5 minutes per side for medium rare.
Transfer steak to cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain and place on platter.

Okra and Tomato Kebabs (Recipe Adapted from Gourmet)

1 lb. small tomatoes or large cherry tomatoes
3/4 lb. okra, trimmed, leaving tops intact
1/4 tsp. salt
Olive oil for coating kebabs

Oil grill rack
Toss tomatoes and okra with olive oil and salt. Thread tomatoes onto 3 or 4 skewers. Thread okra crosswise onto pairs of parallel skewers, leaving spaces between pieces. Put on a tray.
Heat grill, grill tomato and okra skewers, covered only if using a gas grill, turning occasionally, until tomatoes just being to wilt and okra is tender, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to platter with flank steak and serve.

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

Day 139! Togo - Gari Foto with Corned Beef - Up Next Cote d'Ivoire

Taste of Africa Dish # 5 : Gari Foto with Corned Beef ~ A cooking collaboration with Taste of Africa, which will help more than 20 West African companies connect to buyers across the U.S. in this year's Fancy Food Show in Washington, DC - July 10-12. Funded through USAID's West Africa Trade Hub and Southern Africa Global Competitiveness Hub, the Association Africa Agro-Export and other partners.

Gari, a fine, coarse granular flour of varying textures, is made from the grated cassava tuber. A staple in West African cuisine, gari is comparable in importance to potato or wheat flour in Western countries. Versatile and satisfying, gari is eaten daily as a snack, with vegetables soups or stews, and meat or fish by millions of people worldwide. Gari can be combined with coconut, akara (bean cakes), smoked fish, peanuts, vegetables or even sweetened with a little sugar and evaported milk. It is said that you cannot claim to have eaten West African food if you haven't eaten gari. So, since the month of June is dedicated to cooking and eating West African dishes, gari it is!

Many, many thanks to my friend Kafui  Djonou (West African Trade Hub, Business Development Coordinator, based in Senegal) for sharing this traditional West African recipe of Gari Foto (pronounced "fotor" in the Ghanaian language of Twi). Gari Foto is one of the most popular dishes in West African countries,  so for purposes of authenticity, I'm sticking with the traditional ingredients Kafui suggested. If you prefer a vegetarian meal, fish or more vegetables could certainly be added for a lovely protein-packed dish. If you're trying this for the first time and are familiar with polenta, the texture of gari is quite similar.

Officially the Togalese Republic, Togo is bordered by Ghana, Benin, Burkina Faso and extends south to the Gulf of Guinea. Blessed with a tropical, sub-Saharan climate and good growing seasons that support agriculture, Togo's primary source of revenue produces a wide variety of produce and staple foods. Although the official language is French, many other languages such as those in the Gbe family are spoken. Like many African countries, Togo endured centuries of slave trade by Europeans who exploited the country and it's people for their own economic gains. Following years of rule by Germans and French, the country finally gained independence from France in 1960.

Cuisine in Togo is a blend of African and French traditions. In general, Togolese cooking is spicy and colorful and consists of poridges, stews, ground maize (pates or akume), rice, fish, meat, spinach, okra, tomatoes, fufu,edeme, onions, plantains and cassava. Groundnut, goat, palm oil and smoked fish are also enjoyed.

 

Gari Foto with Corned Beef
(Epsilon, West African Exporter of gari, cassava and corn starch, soya oil, soya oil cake, pineapple and mango fruit juice)

1 large onion, chopped
2 large fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/2 pound fresh corned beef, finely chopped (canned can be substituted)
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
6 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups of gari
3/4 cup water
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh crushed ginger (or 1/2 tsp. dried ground ginger)
1 Tbsp. fresh parley, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped or crushed
1 sweet pepper, chopped.
1 medium sized carrot, chopped
1 spring onion, chopped
Fresh crisp lettuce, shredded

Pour gari into a clean bowl. Add salt to water and sprinkle over gari while mixing it with a rubber spatula or spoon until gari is evenly moistened. Cover and set aside while you prepare sauce.
Heat oil in a pan. Fry tomato paste for 5 minutes. Add chopped onion, crushed garlic, ginger, pepper and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Add corned beef and allow to cook for 10 minutes  Add salt and other spices to taste.
Stir-fry chopped spring onion, sweet pepper and carrots in a teaspoon of oil. Whisk in beaten eggs and scramble for 3 minutes.
Mix gari evenly with corned beef mixture until it completely blended with not lumps. If the mixture seems a little too thick, add water gradually as needed until the stew reaches the desired consistency.
Mix in vegetable/egg stir-fry and garnish with shredded lettuce.
Serve with corned beef sauce or hot pepper sauce and a side of fried plantains.

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