tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25197288848347302002024-03-17T23:04:37.778-04:00Chef BolekA blog by someone who has a love of great food, craft beer, fine wine and, of course, cooking.Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.comBlogger1048125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-34272793878194275982024-03-17T14:58:00.003-04:002024-03-17T14:58:34.950-04:00Three Creeks Winery Petit Verdot (2018)<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdirzD72PPwh6SzzQcgU6Heype9KVUayxbhddSM5Sw89z1hkSkkwAuytd-GsqS4vxzzhLDMYXi0pS_1MqmxkNS0MEND1Mf3u9gUdiRhWcjTks55JB2bFKY0DwFDYsAUBNwK6YM2GX1IXIvjb7k6J6Yfsur7W6Hrti-XwNmIzD4QiDrWGROWU5ICyzVKPB/s4080/PXL_20240210_201613772~2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdirzD72PPwh6SzzQcgU6Heype9KVUayxbhddSM5Sw89z1hkSkkwAuytd-GsqS4vxzzhLDMYXi0pS_1MqmxkNS0MEND1Mf3u9gUdiRhWcjTks55JB2bFKY0DwFDYsAUBNwK6YM2GX1IXIvjb7k6J6Yfsur7W6Hrti-XwNmIzD4QiDrWGROWU5ICyzVKPB/s320/PXL_20240210_201613772~2.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Every wine region has its particular grapes, blends, and wines that set it apart from every other wine region. When it comes to the State of Virginia, it may be safe to say that one particular grape sets it apart from other regions. The grape is the Petit Verdot. To be sure, Petit Verdot is grown around the world. What happens in Virginia is its own story. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Petit Verdot -- translated as "little green" -- is a grape varietal that matures late in the growing season. As such, it is often used as a blending grape. The winemakers of Bordeaux rely upon the grape to add color, tannins and depth to their iconic blends. Few if any produce a single varietal wine that feature the grape. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Like many grapes, Petit Verdot has made its way to other parts of the world, some close like Portugal, and others further way, such as Chile, Argentina, Australia, Mexico and South Africa. In the United States, the grape is grown in ten States. As noted above, one of those States is Virginia. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Virginia has become a place where there are multiple winemakers produce a single varietal wine that features the Petit Verdot grape. One such winemaker is Three Creeks Winery, which provides a Petit Verdot that, quite frankly, provides a robust red wine that stands out. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1lq5WqPE5VKxlilvQ4WXaZWixaSeOZBNospxm2GbdL8kyfHQHqGthAUdNj45n6R93NyDJEBGb2XmLYwiZj0cO3MptF43wfmiGDWQaJ9HSETcW068rtC1amNJZn5qxrTG0O1CR74mjATfOtkqi26rYb8-IbRwuew-q2Vai6t0knAUaZAoUW6pCR9pp9K2/s4080/PXL_20240210_201624545.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1lq5WqPE5VKxlilvQ4WXaZWixaSeOZBNospxm2GbdL8kyfHQHqGthAUdNj45n6R93NyDJEBGb2XmLYwiZj0cO3MptF43wfmiGDWQaJ9HSETcW068rtC1amNJZn5qxrTG0O1CR74mjATfOtkqi26rYb8-IbRwuew-q2Vai6t0knAUaZAoUW6pCR9pp9K2/s320/PXL_20240210_201624545.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This particular Petit Verdot is aged for nine months in new and neutral American Oak barrels. It pours a dark crimson red, with inky depths in the middle of the glass. There are aromatic elements of some very dark fruits, like plums, black cherries and blackberries. Much of those dark fruits carry over to the flavor of the wine. Plums and blackberries, with hints of vanilla and clove, greet the taste buds. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The taste also includes other elements that one would expect from a Petit Verdot. One noticeable element is the tannins. There is also some earthiness that emerges from the wine as it sits in the glass and opens up. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The <a href="https://www.3creekswinery.com/" target="_blank">Three Creeks Winery</a> is a lovely place in Hamilton, Virginia. It is definitely worth the visit, not just for the scenery, but also this Petit Verdot wine. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>PEACE.</b></div><p></p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-9572806166958614072024-03-08T17:44:00.001-05:002024-03-08T17:44:28.357-05:00Arayes<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMi0sUj4g3eCGZ9bCXy2YWAt8DBEri75PIpQzxQZugYSDAyAfkybzUU7XPAnS6Pphs1AB7QQVqTgiEjUVQ7hOvlGEBIMR3pSGQ8LQt7jIQs6QtrlKIfxw2Wu3Kn1G_ijucA5jlojS0r5yNh4eGUTkFR2Nx5FoMPMnRVWhhpbSIHZUpXqaoBiy7Ts_z5FQ/s4080/PXL_20240303_171318967.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMi0sUj4g3eCGZ9bCXy2YWAt8DBEri75PIpQzxQZugYSDAyAfkybzUU7XPAnS6Pphs1AB7QQVqTgiEjUVQ7hOvlGEBIMR3pSGQ8LQt7jIQs6QtrlKIfxw2Wu3Kn1G_ijucA5jlojS0r5yNh4eGUTkFR2Nx5FoMPMnRVWhhpbSIHZUpXqaoBiy7Ts_z5FQ/s320/PXL_20240303_171318967.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>"Food can bring people together in a way nothing else could." </i></p><p style="text-align: center;">-- Yottam Ottolenghi</p><p style="text-align: justify;">There is a reason why this post, which focuses on an Arabic dish, begins with a quote from an Israeli-born, British chef. The name of this dish, <i>arayes</i>, is the plural word for "bride" in Arabic. Some <a href="https://travelfoodatlas.com/arayes-recipe#:~:text=Origin%20%26%20Cultural%20Significance,its%20birth%20place%20of%20Lebanon." target="_blank">say</a> the name is a reference to the "marriage" of the meat mixture with pita bread. An alternate <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2023/10/30/arayes-meat-stuffed-pita-sandwiches/" target="_blank">explanation</a>, offered by cookbook author Reem Kassis, is that that "the culinary world of the Levant draws upon this poetic imagery." The culinary imagery painted by the combination of crispy pita bread and the rich meat mixture, results in a dish that is as beautiful as a bride.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The key to arayes is balance. One needs the right pita bread. (I realized this fact during the process of making this dish, because I think the bread I used was too thin and broke easily as I tried to stuff the pita.) There must also be an equilibrium between the bread and the meat. In doing research for this post, I found that there were a range of arayes, some thickly stuffed with meat and others that were more thinly stuffed. From what I could tell, the more thinly stuffed arayes are the more traditional way to prepare the dish. This is a point that draws support from Reem Kassis, who described arayes as "pita bread spread with a thin layer of spiced meat...." </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I prepared arayes<i> </i>for a reason. I cooked this dish and wrote this post in the midst of the Israel-Hamas war. That war began with unspeakable horrors on October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters entered into Israel and carried out war crimes against innocent Israeli citizens. The war has continued, day after day, with the Israeli Defense Forces carrying out war crimes against innocent Palestinian civilians across the Gaza Strip. One of the worst crimes committed by the IDF involves not simply restricting food and aid into the Gaza Strip, which is <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/2024-03-03/ty-article/.premium/the-israeli-military-doesnt-grasp-the-risk-of-mass-death-by-starvation-in-gaza/0000018e-041f-dc7c-a3cf-4cffa3aa0000" target="_blank">starving</a> the Palestinians, but destroying the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-destroying-gazas-food-system-starvation-tactic-un-expert-says-2024-03-07/" target="_blank">food systems</a> in the strip. Not only does starvation present clear and present dangers right now, but it will also have <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-starvation-causes-lasting-damage-to-the-body/" target="_blank">long lasting effects</a> upon the Palestinian people. The <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-starvation-causes-lasting-damage-to-the-body/" target="_blank">short term</a> effects include muscle wasting, stunted growth, nd medical issues that include sepsis, meningitis, diarrhea and severe anemia. <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-starvation-causes-lasting-damage-to-the-body/" target="_blank">Longer term issues</a> include cardiovascular disease, hypertension and metabolic disorders. Medical issues may even carry into future generations when pregnant women are subject to starvation, leading to medical issues for the children after birth.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This reality is very distressing to me. Food should never be used as a weapon, especially when it involves innocent civilians. To the contrary, food may very well be one of the most effective means of achieving peace. Food has the ability to create connections between groups of people, build relationships, and promote understanding.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Arayes provide an example of how we have more in common than we have in differences. There are many claims to the origin of this dish. Most of what I found traces those origins to Lebanon, but similar dishes (with as long of histories) can be found in neighboring Syria, Jordan and Egypt. Even the Palestinians lay claim to arayes. Yet, even with its Arabic roots, the dish has become very popular in Israel. The popularity began with a small restaurant known as <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-meat-stuffed-pita-thats-taking-israel-by-storm/" target="_blank">M25</a>, located in the Carmel Market of Tel Aviv. When the restaurant opened, it served basically three dishes: kebabs, minute steak and kebabs in pita. That latter dish<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-meat-stuffed-pita-thats-taking-israel-by-storm/" target="_blank"> became</a> a version of arayes. Customers wanted a particular type of kebab in the pita, and the owner connected the description with arayes that he had in Nazareth, the largest Palestinian city in Israel. Eventually, M25 began to serve as many as <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-meat-stuffed-pita-thats-taking-israel-by-storm/">800 arayes</a> per week. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the end, a simple dish demonstrates how much we have in common despite decades of division along religious, cultural and other lines. People of different faiths (Muslim, Christian and Judaism) and different cultures can come together to enjoy crispy, meat-filled pita breads. If they sit together long enough, they may find that they have more in common than what they have been told or led to believe. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">In fact, true peace will never come with a politician's words or a general's actions. It can only come when the people themselves come together, recognize what connects them and understand that those connections exceed what separates them. Food may not get us all the way there. But, it is a start. If people can gather around a proverbial table to share a meal, that is when discussions can begin. That could be the start. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqs-OsEL63CJQ0vaz1YFGTcwsyXe0Y19pNmtosg09tS1NOVS-1ZGYoZ34r51Jhx69Pj1gBt6q1Z5PACzYlO-_U9d19PNIBDxPaiJ27TGscwNq6NISkCkfHI2jMt0PdySRsHLu8xyPh8jETfPfPYg665laTsjpexJSGSXG7iuhxTcwAYPbiYPPqH4Xw1wO/s4080/PXL_20240303_171426428.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqs-OsEL63CJQ0vaz1YFGTcwsyXe0Y19pNmtosg09tS1NOVS-1ZGYoZ34r51Jhx69Pj1gBt6q1Z5PACzYlO-_U9d19PNIBDxPaiJ27TGscwNq6NISkCkfHI2jMt0PdySRsHLu8xyPh8jETfPfPYg665laTsjpexJSGSXG7iuhxTcwAYPbiYPPqH4Xw1wO/s320/PXL_20240303_171426428.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>ARAYES</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Recipe from <a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/arayes-7643153?link_source=ta_first_comment&taid=65de2b1bb27b930001f6821a&utm_campaign=foodandwine&utm_content=photo&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=2024022713&fbclid=IwAR2yRGwqViXdYmh2MIPXQNoPpU_ckW8laICT4ZjjNGkFZ3kPyiBwJ4MUBTk" target="_blank">Food & Wine</a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Serves 5</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>1/2 medium (about 8 ounces) yellow onion, chopped (about 2/3 cup)</li><li>3 medium cloves garlic, chopped</li><li>1 cup (about 3/4 ounces) loosely packed parsley leaves</li><li>1 pound ground lamb or beef (lean) or 1/2 pound of each combined</li><li>1 tablespoon tomato paste</li><li>1 teaspoon smoked paprika</li><li>1-2 teaspoons red chile paste, such as sambal oelek</li><li>1 teaspoon black pepper</li><li>1/2 teaspoon all spice, seven spice or Palestinian <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2021/07/around-world-in-80-dishes-special.html" target="_blank">nine-spice</a></li><li>1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt, plus 5/8 teaspoon divided</li><li>5 6-inch pita bread rounds, halved crosswise</li><li>2 tablespoons olive oil</li><li>Greek-style yogurt, for serving (optional)</li><li>Toum, for serving (optional)</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Prepare the oven. </b>Preheat an oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a a broiler-safe wire rack in a baking sheet and set aside.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Prepare the mixture. </b>Place onion, garlic, and parsley in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped into a rough puree, about 6 to 8 pulses, brushing down the sides of the bowl as needed. There should be about 2/3 cup of the onion mixture. Place in a medium mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Press on the mixture to drain excess liquid. Discard the liquid. Combine the onion mixture and ground lamb (and/or beef) in a large bowl and mix until evenly combined. Add tomato paste, smoked paprika, red chile paste, pepper and allspice (or seven spice or nine spice) and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and mix to combine. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Prepare the pitas.</b> Spoon about 1/4 cup of the filling into each pita, spread and flatten so the filling is evenly distributed and reaches the edge of the pita. Brush some of the olive oil onto each side of the pita and sprinkle evenly with the remaining 5/8 teaspoon of salt. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>4. Bake the pitas.</b> Place the filled pitta halves onto the prepared baking sheet and bake on center rack until filing is cooked through and the pitas are crisp on each side, about 18 to 20 minutes, flipping the pitas halfway through cooking. If desired, turn the oven to broil and cook on each side until desired crispness, about 1 minute per side. Serve with yogurt or toum. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>PEACE.</b></p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-83683505597966870672024-03-02T07:12:00.000-05:002024-03-02T07:12:57.103-05:00The Xocoveza<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieuAcVwBSApSEOvYJiOJ57Pn0Vw2UtrscSMFWXxvys_OOdqyhQ3Yq4Q_86BugNKL-IlcGSeElB2aBjSbH3C1Hn95WMJFfLl7hBSqQ9nxieTjN4q2xaCT3ap-voCYYwAyzge9S1ArnXULlG2gMkN94YRGwxV-DoXYrs-2sBPvheX6GxqgLcspnUrFGHlRhN/s4080/PXL_20240209_230456299.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieuAcVwBSApSEOvYJiOJ57Pn0Vw2UtrscSMFWXxvys_OOdqyhQ3Yq4Q_86BugNKL-IlcGSeElB2aBjSbH3C1Hn95WMJFfLl7hBSqQ9nxieTjN4q2xaCT3ap-voCYYwAyzge9S1ArnXULlG2gMkN94YRGwxV-DoXYrs-2sBPvheX6GxqgLcspnUrFGHlRhN/s320/PXL_20240209_230456299.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Beer reviews have become fewer and fewer on this blog. It is not so much that I am not drinking beer. It's just that I have been drinking many of the same beers (some of which have already been reviewed and others which don't really need or deserve a review). However, every once in a while, there comes a beer that deserves its own review. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The Xocoveza from Stone is such a beer.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The story of this beer begins back in 2014 as a mocha stout recipe submitted by Chris Banker as part of Stone's Annual Homebrew Competition. Banker's recipe won the competition. After joining a collaboration between Stone Brewing and Cerverceria Insurgente (a craft brewery in Tijuana), Banker's recipe became the Xocoveza. Nearly ten years later, the beer is now brewed with a range of ingredients beyond the traditional barley, hops (English Challenger and East Kent Golding) and yeast. The additional ingredients include cocoa, coffee, pasilla peppers, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and lactose. The combination of scents and tastes elevate this stout to something well beyond any chile stout (pasilla peppers) or holiday stout (cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg). </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihK5Jaj3ekEBZIAypwQtSCVZllrjhu-wX3R89Xc43WmXPdId_qh5-uUkRN9Bfuloc6G1vDi-5duMQm6HkpzviOUDCXesFJoUC64x6aFEj_aTJtRYe9-qTKzCQNNSPKfVpVWax1tLD49fzMeWjDmTdPIH8pz5YVNRsZfWJtJfGlhK0bbGSrSR_MCaquArFj/s4080/PXL_20240209_230511297.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihK5Jaj3ekEBZIAypwQtSCVZllrjhu-wX3R89Xc43WmXPdId_qh5-uUkRN9Bfuloc6G1vDi-5duMQm6HkpzviOUDCXesFJoUC64x6aFEj_aTJtRYe9-qTKzCQNNSPKfVpVWax1tLD49fzMeWjDmTdPIH8pz5YVNRsZfWJtJfGlhK0bbGSrSR_MCaquArFj/s320/PXL_20240209_230511297.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The greatness of this beer comes from the fact that the additional ingredients contribute to every aspect of the beer. The beer pours pitch black with a brown foam. That foam gives way to an aroma where the cinnamon, coffee and coca become gradually more noticeable. While the brewers say there is also nutmeg and peppers in the aroma, I had a little more difficulty pinpointing those elements. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">However, the nutmeg and peppers are evident in the taste. Those flavors emerge out of the cocoa, coffee and cinnamon, and there is a heat that comes through in the middle and the finish from the peppers. Together, the complexity of the numerous flavor elements remind me of a simple mole. Indeed, this beer would complement a mole very well, although I have to admit that it would probably be drunk long before the mole was finished. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">This beer is on my short list of favorites. It also makes me happy that Stone has made the Xocoveza one of its annual offerings. If you see it in the store, buy a six pack or two. It's definitely worth it. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>PEACE.</b></p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-61659342345225825442024-02-24T07:19:00.000-05:002024-02-24T07:19:59.347-05:00Lunu Miris<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: justify;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzSvraYDcLsiPiXHGqHBPSC6idTnEH55YJTuGgH9Qy9oKuCYBsas3yn2ZHm7YK0gNM3cZFkcqJ1XZHyB6pkau_hoc3gbBpW8SdeX5ckjgYFnUAdTkkbfbJZy7rD-QU9FhO6rw1-AKjpFI5gjaAFG2NKWBqTeq_x6kIgbzho0g-y0I58d0M5aeMvyr_hT8/s4080/PXL_20231230_191910339.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzSvraYDcLsiPiXHGqHBPSC6idTnEH55YJTuGgH9Qy9oKuCYBsas3yn2ZHm7YK0gNM3cZFkcqJ1XZHyB6pkau_hoc3gbBpW8SdeX5ckjgYFnUAdTkkbfbJZy7rD-QU9FhO6rw1-AKjpFI5gjaAFG2NKWBqTeq_x6kIgbzho0g-y0I58d0M5aeMvyr_hT8/s320/PXL_20231230_191910339.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I love the cuisine of Sri Lanka, which is known to curry almost everything. One particular aspect of this cuisine has really gotten my attention: the sambols. A sambol is a freshly made condiment or relish that typically incorporates chiles to add not just spice, but other flavors to whatever one is eating.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The history of sambols takes us to Indonesia, where they are referred to as <i>sambals. </i>Indonesians prepared these condiments using <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambal" target="_blank">cabya</a>, also known as the <a href="https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2019/06/15/meet-cabya-chili-peppers-weird-great-uncle.html" target="_blank">Javanese long pepper</a>, which is native to the island of Java. The earliest references to cabya go back to the 10th century C.E. Although not technically a chile, the cabya provided a spicy element to the dishes prepared by Indonesian cooks. However, by the 16th century C.E., Spanish and Portuguese explorers and colonizers brought the traditional chiles from the new world to the Indonesian islands. Soon, cooks started using chiles over cabya. From there, the Dutch colonizers exported sambals to other countries, including Sri Lanka. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Sambols (or sambals) have chiles as the central ingredient, around which a range of secondary ingredients are added. For example, <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2022/12/around-world-in-80-dishes-sri-lanka.html" target="_blank">pol sambol</a> includes green chiles combined with coconut, shallots, Maldive fish chips, and lime juice. <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2022/12/around-world-in-80-dishes-sri-lanka.html" target="_blank">Dried shrimp sambol</a> uses red chiles combined with dried shrimp (obviously), dried coconut, onions, garlic and lime juice. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Lunu miris translates into onion chile. However, there are no onions in this recipe, but there are three different chiles: long red chiles, chile flakes and chile power, as well as freshly ground black pepper. I found this recipe in O Tama Carey's <i>Lanka Food</i>, which describes the sambol as more of a paste. When I prepared it, the final product was more like a salsa, but a very thick and extremely fiery one. Carey advises that this sambol is "[n]ot for the faint hearted." That is definitely an understatement. This recipe should only be prepared by people who order their food at the highest level of spice for those who ordinarily prepare it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02jLwWPGCGjhE6ZfFLOObkP6omSMtl7uzUA3enIzOZMPIR4TKXkiCHKhUqFQJD1YwecBkimPden83fprFrQWATZA2HyO7INE8uUO-kZ8NXJcyBOnSHGruLjkDBXK3euPSWXQ8FwvkZgHUHNkk0r1h70jKD7pG4UhCjeKxWcMZGeYHDPxKG4JWM7yKPagS/s4080/PXL_20231230_191935293.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02jLwWPGCGjhE6ZfFLOObkP6omSMtl7uzUA3enIzOZMPIR4TKXkiCHKhUqFQJD1YwecBkimPden83fprFrQWATZA2HyO7INE8uUO-kZ8NXJcyBOnSHGruLjkDBXK3euPSWXQ8FwvkZgHUHNkk0r1h70jKD7pG4UhCjeKxWcMZGeYHDPxKG4JWM7yKPagS/s320/PXL_20231230_191935293.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u>LUNU MIRIS</u></b></div><p style="text-align: center;">Recipe from O Tama Carey, <i>Lanka Food</i>, pg. 222</p><p style="text-align: center;">Serves 4-6</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>7/8 ounces Maldive fish flakes</li><li>1/8 ounce chile flakes</li><li>1/8 ounce salt flakes</li><li>3 long red chiles, cut into thin rounds</li><li>2.5 ounces of shallots, finely sliced</li><li>1/8 ounce chile powder</li><li>1/10 ounces of freshly ground black pepper</li><li>2 limes juiced</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Using a mortar and pestle, or a food processor, pound (or process) the Maldive fish flakes, chile flakes and salt until the flakes are finely ground. Add the long red chiles and shallots and pound (or process) to a paste like consistence. It does not have to be super smooth. Mix through the pepper and chile powder and season to taste with lime juice. Service at room temperature. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>PEACE.</b></p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-76042473133037935432024-02-16T15:32:00.000-05:002024-02-16T15:32:40.917-05:00Rohingyan Beef Curry<i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBWFVETNcfHHIIEyw0vQtfAthl6HM9tkB5Z48IMWwbRnjM3yZbo2138btYACuzk15n4HhVf0xWgAAJGUOTTFcSVXq3D74u_-ZwEYuK31uSzRNP9aq4IZiYbjAP6-21vYVHa4D-WdFeFiikO8pDbWMr8NhI53VBZoqII1F_D87JW7Bw90baEcVAIr13EM2/s4080/PXL_20240107_194603781.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBWFVETNcfHHIIEyw0vQtfAthl6HM9tkB5Z48IMWwbRnjM3yZbo2138btYACuzk15n4HhVf0xWgAAJGUOTTFcSVXq3D74u_-ZwEYuK31uSzRNP9aq4IZiYbjAP6-21vYVHa4D-WdFeFiikO8pDbWMr8NhI53VBZoqII1F_D87JW7Bw90baEcVAIr13EM2/s320/PXL_20240107_194603781.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>We all miss home, but we cannot go back to the same fear. </i>-- <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/us/news/stories/we-all-miss-home-we-cannot-go-back-same-fear" target="_blank">Nur Anya</a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></i><div><div style="text-align: justify;">For decades, the Rohingyans -- a Muslim minority group -- have suffered under dehumanizing discrimination in Myanmar. The government <a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/rohingya-crisis#chapter-title-0-4" target="_blank">refused to grant</a> citizenship to the Rohingyan people, denying legal status to an entire ethnic group. Yet, the government passed laws that placed significant restrictions upon the Rohingya. For example, in the northern towns of Mungdaw and Buthidaugn, the authorities <a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/rohingya-crisis#chapter-title-0-4">limited</a> Rohingyan couples to two children. The government also requires Rohingyans to get <a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/rohingya-crisis#chapter-title-0-4" target="_blank">approval</a> before they can marry, as well as to travel or move outside of their home towns. These conditions are exacerbated by the fact that the area where most Rohingyans call "home," the Rakine State, is the least developed of Myanmar's states and has a poverty rate of 78%, which is <a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/rohingya-crisis#chapter-title-0-4" target="_blank">more than double</a> the national rate of 37.5% percent. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The discrimination and repression led to violence in 2017, after a militant group known as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army attacked police and army posts. The military cracked down on the Rohingyan people. As the United Nations would later find in an after-the-fact investigation, the Myanmar military showed "<a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/rohingya-crisis#chapter-title-0-4" target="_blank">genocidal intent</a>" and, in a <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/FFM-Myanmar/A_HRC_39_64.pdf" target="_blank">2018 report</a>, the UN determined that Myanmar found that the military engaged in "clear patterns of abuse" that <a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/rohingya-crisis#chapter-title-0-4" target="_blank">included</a>, among other things, the systematic targeting of civilians, promoting discriminatory rhetoric against the Rohingya and establishing a "climate of impunity" for the government's security forces. After approximately one year, it is estimated that the Myanmar military and security forces killed nearly 24,000 Rohingyans.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Fleeing Death and Destruction</i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The violence and death led to mass displacement of Rohingyans, significant numbers of whom fled as refugees to other countries. I previously touched upon the Rohingyan refugee crisis as part of my culinary challenge involving <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2020/02/around-world-in-80-dishes-myanmar.html" target="_blank">Myanmar</a>. Approximately 740,000 Rohingyans fled into neighboring Bangladesh. Many more fled to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. It was, at the time, the world's <a href="https://press.un.org/en/2017/sc13012.doc.htm" target="_blank">fastest growing humanitarian crisis</a>.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3OF5Dj8_Emi0w3gmf32cCOnHK66BT0U0x-cPg-5CPfv6xwBBZtoUDfox9hkF84kcu-AjcioMfYWtj9icHR-LIjP3tTxNmHsVK9mzT4RgN4oc5XOqaZfu7lC0aijS256HgC4PRlgZ0cmyP2KV8mS2WRwRMT5XDufp_Qc5vSNDikO-T4YpIogR_RqDzOKW/s2520/bangladesh-thousands-of-new-rohingya-refugee-arrivals-cross-the-border-min-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="2520" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3OF5Dj8_Emi0w3gmf32cCOnHK66BT0U0x-cPg-5CPfv6xwBBZtoUDfox9hkF84kcu-AjcioMfYWtj9icHR-LIjP3tTxNmHsVK9mzT4RgN4oc5XOqaZfu7lC0aijS256HgC4PRlgZ0cmyP2KV8mS2WRwRMT5XDufp_Qc5vSNDikO-T4YpIogR_RqDzOKW/w608-h205/bangladesh-thousands-of-new-rohingya-refugee-arrivals-cross-the-border-min-2.jpg" width="608" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rohingyan refugees. Source: <a href="https://www.unrefugees.org.au/our-stories/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-rohingya/" target="_blank">UNHR Australia</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The <a href="https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2017/09/world/myanmar-rohingya-refugee-stories/" target="_blank">stories</a> of those who became refugees is heart-wrenching. As Nur Anya <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/us/news/stories/we-all-miss-home-we-cannot-go-back-same-fear" target="_blank">recounted</a> from a refugee camp in Bangladesh: </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>In Myanmar, we had our lands where we grew flowers, vegetables and many plants. We had a big house where all the family members lived together. The violence and the killing drove us to leave our homes. They brunt houses in my neighbourhood. They shot and killed a lot of people in my village. We were living with fear every day. When we decided to leave, we had no other option.</i></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: center;"><i>It was the most difficult journey of my life. We walked 13 days and nights. To cross the river, my family used a handmade bamboo raft. There were a lot of people with us -- I could not say what the number was, it was so huge.</i> </p></blockquote><div><div style="text-align: justify;">As Rohingyans became refugees, many of their villages were abandoned and even more were distroyed. At one point, <a href="https://press.un.org/en/2017/sc13012.doc.htm" target="_blank">176 of 471 Rohingyan villages</a> -- or more than 1/3 of the villages -- had been abandoned. The Myanmar government <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa16/8018/2018/en/" target="_blank">cleared</a> entire Rohingyan villages and farms. The government then <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa16/8018/2018/en/" target="_blank">built</a> homes, infrastructure and military bases in their place. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Preserving the Rohingyan Culture</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">The end result, and perhaps the government's objective, was to eliminate the Rohingya people from Myanmar. The government sought to take the legal status of the people -- that is, no recognition of the Rohingyans -- and make that a factual reality. This creates a clear and present danger to the Rohingyan identity and their culture, including their cuisine. The stories from the refugees <a href="https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2017/09/world/myanmar-rohingya-refugee-stories/" target="_blank">include</a> accounts where they had to leave everything behind, including all of their cooking utensils, which makes it harder for them to prepare food for themselves and their families. This leaves the people dependent upon food aid, which has become more difficult to obtain, leading to smaller meals or even skipped meals.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5r_x-DqMmXD1Kho6x3QspMGk2GNgnWSaLIzBEDOQEn8jt5vztzuKr-Kx4Gu07DpaMUYxLwFTDtO9qv2kAQjRIKZC901s7t1n5pHsQSOZZx5hdxErkrpLzIS2SPO4oiNnKKGm5TP98xdA5OaV4BR4fuVxTRhD0kHz_GMettNkDvMVhzCqR2EtDYwYb6Zv/s1180/rf1294486.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1180" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5r_x-DqMmXD1Kho6x3QspMGk2GNgnWSaLIzBEDOQEn8jt5vztzuKr-Kx4Gu07DpaMUYxLwFTDtO9qv2kAQjRIKZC901s7t1n5pHsQSOZZx5hdxErkrpLzIS2SPO4oiNnKKGm5TP98xdA5OaV4BR4fuVxTRhD0kHz_GMettNkDvMVhzCqR2EtDYwYb6Zv/w574-h371/rf1294486.webp" width="574" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rohingyan refugees eating a meal. Source: <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/news/stories/rohingya-refugees-face-hunger-and-loss-hope-after-latest-ration-cuts" target="_blank">UNHCR</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">There are efforts to preserve that culture and its cuisine. One example involves the <a href="https://www.emkp.org/programme/" target="_blank">Endangered Material Knowledge Program</a> (EDKM), which provides grants to conduct research on critically endangered knowledge. One project that was under consideration in 2023 was entitled, <i><a href="https://www.emkp.org/the-rohingya-recipes-and-food-practices-of-stateless-rohingya-community-in-camps-of-bangladesh/" target="_blank">Rohingya Recipes and Food Practices of stateless Rohingya Community in Camps of Bangladesh</a>.</i> The project description noted the historical difficulty of the Rohingyan people when it came to food: they struggled to maintain the needed nutritional demands, whether it was at their homes in Myanmar or in the refugee camps in Bangladesh. The objective of this project is, among other things, to document recipes and practices of the Rohingyan people. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This research is sorely needed, as there are few resources and research available on the Internet about the Rohingyan people, their culture and their cuisine. I was able to find a few recipes (which was more than my previous research when I was working on my Around the World challenge). I found a couple of recipes, including one for Rohingyan beef curry.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This recipe is a very interesting one. It calls for beef with bones. When I went to the grocery store, I had to improvise: I purchased some stew meat and some marrow bones. The "masala" for this curry -- turmeric, red chile powder, coriander, cumin, and garam masala -- provided for an aromatic cooking experience and a lot of flavor to build upon the garlic/ginger paste. </div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The end result is a delicious beef curry with a slight kick. (I used Kashmiri chiles for the ground red chile powder.) I could not escape the thoughts about how this dish is just a memory for nearly a million Rohingyan refugees who have been forced from their homes and subjected to even greater poverty than what they previously experienced. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to prepare this dish and prepare this post, as my effort to help publicize the Rohingyan culture and cuisine. More of this is needed so that the world does not forget the tragedies that unfolded over six years ago. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpoRRsgNCO7_04S-VVd9_OSCgahOmCB7pakbmBoJXgp3IKt36DKReBL-YDteK0gGKaYTT6nKmpC3tikq932Kr3uxxQqeaO251vGftw3c8PdVuhm5VVUgClfHNyp8FF6R6FXTkbptE2KoCYNH0pciJNkXsTr6x79J6tQF1gAtpltiQSv0HjY6-1aHTNwVb/s4080/PXL_20240107_194530277.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpoRRsgNCO7_04S-VVd9_OSCgahOmCB7pakbmBoJXgp3IKt36DKReBL-YDteK0gGKaYTT6nKmpC3tikq932Kr3uxxQqeaO251vGftw3c8PdVuhm5VVUgClfHNyp8FF6R6FXTkbptE2KoCYNH0pciJNkXsTr6x79J6tQF1gAtpltiQSv0HjY6-1aHTNwVb/s320/PXL_20240107_194530277.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>ROHINGYAN BEEF CURRY</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Recipe from SBS Food</div><div style="text-align: center;">Serves 4</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients:</u></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul><li>2 large onions, diced</li><li>1 kg diced beef, with bones</li><li>1 large tomato, diced</li><li>2 potatoes, diced</li><li>1 tablespoon garlic paste</li><li>2 tablespoons ginger paste</li><li>1 teaspoon turmeric powder</li><li>1 tablespoon red chile powder</li><li>1 tablespoon coriander powder</li><li>1/2 tablespoon cumin powder</li><li>3 teaspoons garam masala powder</li><li>4 tablespoons cooking oil</li><li>Coriander, as garnish</li><li>Green chiles, as garnish</li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Saute the vegetables and brown the meat. </b>Heat oil on high heat in a large pot. Add onions, garlic paste and ginger paste. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes until brown. Add diced beef and bones and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add turmeric powder, red chile powder, coriander and cumin. Stir-fry for 2 more minutes. Add the garam masala and stir-fry for another 2 minutes. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Add the liquid and tomatoes. </b>Add 1 cup of water and diced tomatoes and cook on high heat for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes in the last half an hour. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Finish the dish. </b>Garnish with coriander (cilantro) and green chiles. Serve with hot steamed rice.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>PEACE.</b></div></div>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-56555774693827568412024-02-09T16:15:00.001-05:002024-02-10T15:49:34.738-05:00Morning Tsampa<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7JlsoYeCsipa5qm5c_2CIF8JuTxj4zMs_Q7s-k9GsdE6fSnz9o_KFq05gotmzQmIW_xnnbMspFAbyypHKCjSMAPB0htLIob8wg34ps3vpjgx24pxPxFyAFsu-iQezQKiDIm45BePOloMCaAfcKFBbjv_BMAMUXPgKBJU9PVH76mKwXsj4WZfTG858-Li/s4080/PXL_20231226_151002453.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7JlsoYeCsipa5qm5c_2CIF8JuTxj4zMs_Q7s-k9GsdE6fSnz9o_KFq05gotmzQmIW_xnnbMspFAbyypHKCjSMAPB0htLIob8wg34ps3vpjgx24pxPxFyAFsu-iQezQKiDIm45BePOloMCaAfcKFBbjv_BMAMUXPgKBJU9PVH76mKwXsj4WZfTG858-Li/s320/PXL_20231226_151002453.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">In a prior <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2024/01/tsampa.html" target="_blank">post</a>, I began the exploration of tsampa, one of the most fundamental aspects of the Tibetan foodways. The cultivation of barley, along with the roasting of barley berries, gave rise to a foodstuff that provided sustenance to the Tibetan people, allowing them to expand their culture and civilization across the high, arid Tibetan plateau. As part of this journey, I made my own tsampa, roasting the barley and grinding it down into the finest powder that I could with what I have. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Now it is time to go further down those foodways, to explore the uses of tsampa. A British adventurer and food writer, Peter Fleming, once recounted a basic way of preparing breakfast with tsampa: </p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>You fill your shallow wooden bowl with tea, then you let the butter melt in the tea (the butter is usually rancid and has a good cheesy flavor); then you put a handful of tsampa in. At first it floats; then like a child's castle of sand, its foundation begins to be eaten by the liquid. You coax it with your fingers until it is more or less saturated and has become a paste; this you knead until you have a kind of doughy cake in your hand and the wooden bowl is empty and clean. Breakfast is ready.</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Fleming provides quite the description, and, maybe someday I will try to prepare breakfast in that manner. That date may have to wait until I have some rancid butter. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">More recent accounts, such as <a href="https://buddhiststudies.utoronto.ca/2017/03/31/valley-of-flowers/" target="_blank">one</a> by Barbara Hazelton, who visited Tibet in 2016, provide a similar glimpse into how tsampa is eaten at breakfast. Hazelton wrote: </p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>The trip to Tibet is long and arduous, and over these many trips to Tibet, I have found I have developed my wits and ways of adapting to this fierce world. In the monastery, the food, tiresome, over-fried and boiled vegetables and tasteless white rice which the kind, bow-legged cook Karma carefully prepares for the "foreigners," Rinpoche's guests, I discovered one gloomy cold morning, can be avoided by taking refuge in the warm cozy kitchen, where one finds the dzo yogurt from the nunnery and the leather bag of tsampa from the cook's family, hanging on a post by the kitchen stove and in the decorated wooden bowl, dried cheese, and sugar. This is where the monks gather and laugh and chat, as they make their morning tsampa balls and slurp the heavy nourishing butter tea, in the kitchen y the long black metal stove filled with fragrant wood, that snaps and spreads out its waves of welcome heat. </i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This account -- with its <i>dzo</i> yogurt and tsampa -- provides a tie-in to what I decided would become my attempt to make a breakfast meal using tsampa. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRMckEUQSYHadqqdhUmo_au_69P5p9zpSAk7zNzFa31y94AWPDTzThnANfHzRm2hE8C92n8EjMOy7it0vgKagjpSvP9KAWOZd4TXqF068-noAiOdoaST1spNgYjKozg1P9uHQH9Yg5hPj3Z5EJ_3GwaSNKk6YvjQEkUNyzj1OGsxzpYCG2BBeyX6xsa4hG/s4080/PXL_20231227_142628256.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRMckEUQSYHadqqdhUmo_au_69P5p9zpSAk7zNzFa31y94AWPDTzThnANfHzRm2hE8C92n8EjMOy7it0vgKagjpSvP9KAWOZd4TXqF068-noAiOdoaST1spNgYjKozg1P9uHQH9Yg5hPj3Z5EJ_3GwaSNKk6YvjQEkUNyzj1OGsxzpYCG2BBeyX6xsa4hG/s320/PXL_20231227_142628256.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The recipe, Morning Tsampa, comes from the <i>Beyond the Great Wall</i> cookbook, which was written by Jeffery Alford and Naomi Duguid. That cookbook taught me how to make tsampa in the first place, so it seemed only appropriate that it should guide my on my next step: to incorporate the roasted barley flour into a dish. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The Morning Tsampa recipe, like many tsampa recipes, is very simple. It involves up to four ingredients, namely, tsampa, yogurt, berries and some sugary ingredient like maple syrup or honey. Those ingredients are combined in a bowl and eaten. The combination of tsampa (which is high in fiber, has important minerals, and promotes the growth of healthy gut bacteria), along with the yogurts and berries, probably represents the healthiest breakfast that I have ever had in my life time. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">For that reason, I have resolved that this dish will constitute the start of my day whenever possible. It also represents a significant step forward on my Mindfulness Foodways, as it not only represents a notable improvement in my diet, but one based upon an ingredient and foodstuff that has an important place in our world. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqcNfGlyYhLlkuiUCdwumjd8hfRAJlus5MNa2udroiu2-apmanABPFO0F7hRaarK9joK50NlgI4bIue7lMH2rm63zS0UIjMcOtYpbila3rs4YKVgHnnLeZHC-9rv-1Iyhrg1wtAOXmF0YAFAmhXcZhSVtWCGy0AlrLdM1C0eK9KQ2mhwdz0Gko-fxeYxO/s4080/PXL_20231226_150949054.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqcNfGlyYhLlkuiUCdwumjd8hfRAJlus5MNa2udroiu2-apmanABPFO0F7hRaarK9joK50NlgI4bIue7lMH2rm63zS0UIjMcOtYpbila3rs4YKVgHnnLeZHC-9rv-1Iyhrg1wtAOXmF0YAFAmhXcZhSVtWCGy0AlrLdM1C0eK9KQ2mhwdz0Gko-fxeYxO/s320/PXL_20231226_150949054.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>MORNING TSAMPA</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Recipe from Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Daguid, </p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Beyond the Great Wall</i>, pg. 181</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>About 1/2 cup whole milk yogurt, plain or sweetened</li><li>3 tablespoons Tsampa, or to taste</li><li>Handful of berries or chopped fruit (optional)</li><li>Honey, sugar or maple syrup, to taste</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Place the yogurt in bowl and stir in the tsampa thoroughly so it is all moistened. Add fruit and a sweetener (honey, sugar or maple syrup) if you wish.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>PEACE.</b></p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-82078277759227565382024-02-02T16:36:00.000-05:002024-02-02T16:36:30.331-05:00Chargrilled Hmong Black Pig Skewers with Sesame Salt<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-OaCqzPDPR8zQH1eeXaWJ7yM6FbW4xgwsSdLuYWg9tK-qd8DSyfeW2a77kbQH6YPHrkqiGCcu62fh_e3-KeIMyi8wIFWDyFW7smMyAqyKxBbX4I95sLTJYRppwU3x2LU6EQIusdgOfNScudXfVevD9cUkEEHyPYtsHy9u6I8SmCUrE9uHbsAOrQvsOkXS/s4080/PXL_20231112_173524660.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-OaCqzPDPR8zQH1eeXaWJ7yM6FbW4xgwsSdLuYWg9tK-qd8DSyfeW2a77kbQH6YPHrkqiGCcu62fh_e3-KeIMyi8wIFWDyFW7smMyAqyKxBbX4I95sLTJYRppwU3x2LU6EQIusdgOfNScudXfVevD9cUkEEHyPYtsHy9u6I8SmCUrE9uHbsAOrQvsOkXS/s320/PXL_20231112_173524660.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"I would tell people that Hmong food is not just a type of food. It's not about the product. It's a philosophy.... If you want to know our people you have to know our food. By knowing our food, you will know our story. You'll know where we been and it will show the trajectory of where we're going. </i></div></i><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">-- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hmong_cuisine" target="_blank">Chef Yia Vang</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">To the extent people know about the Hmong, that knowledge comes more from political history. The Hmong are an indigenous ethnic group that has lived for centuries as a minority in eastern and southeastern Asia. During the Vietnam War, the United States Central Intelligence Agency recruited and trained the Hmong living in Laos for a "<a href="https://www.hmongamericancenter.org/hmong-history/#:~:text=The%20Hmong%20were%20hunted%20down,the%20war%20and%20its%20aftermath." target="_blank">secret war</a>" against the North Vietnamese Army. The Hmong harassed the North Vietnamese along the Ho Chi Minh trail, safeguarded U.S. radar installations, and rescued downed American pilots. After the war, the communist governments of Vietnam and Laos declared that the Hmong were "traitors." The governments persecuted the Hmong. They arrested the Hmong, who were sent to <a href="https://www.hmongamericancenter.org/hmong-history/#:~:text=The%20Hmong%20were%20hunted%20down,the%20war%20and%20its%20aftermath." target="_blank">hard labor</a> camps. They sprayed Hmong villages with chemicals, including <a href="https://www.hmongamericancenter.org/hmong-history/#:~:text=The%20Hmong%20were%20hunted%20down,the%20war%20and%20its%20aftermath." target="_blank">napalm</a>. Nearly ten percent (10%) of the Hmong population was killed and around 100,000 Hmong sought refuge in neighboring Thailand and beyond. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The culinary history of the Hmong is far less known. Before the Vietnam War, the Hmong had a strong agrarian tradition in the mountains of northern Laos and Vietnam. They grew rice and other produce, as well as raised livestock, such as pigs. The Hmong <a href="https://madison365.com/local-hmong-elders-participate-in-pass-on-tradition-of-butchering-pigs-for-food-while-supporting-local-pig-farmers/" target="_blank">practiced animism</a>, believing that objects, plants animals, and even places have their own spirit. These beliefs underlie the respect that the Hmong hodl for what they have. It also informs their traditions. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">For example, there is a <a href="https://madison365.com/local-hmong-elders-participate-in-pass-on-tradition-of-butchering-pigs-for-food-while-supporting-local-pig-farmers/" target="_blank">Hmong tradition</a> -- called <i>Noj Tsiab (nee-al jia) </i>-- that centers around the butchering of a pig. During the last week of December, each family would select a pig from their herd to be butchered. Every family member had a role in the process, being taught by the elders how to prepare the pig, how it would be cut, and how to ensure that all of the pig would be used with nothing going to waste. This knowledge was important, and it was passed on from generation to generation. The end products would be used to prepare a meal for the community for the new year. It enabled everyone to participate in a tradition that <a href="https://madison365.com/local-hmong-elders-participate-in-pass-on-tradition-of-butchering-pigs-for-food-while-supporting-local-pig-farmers/" target="_blank">gives thanks</a> for what they have been given and to their ancestors for watching over them.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This tradition was lost, at least temporarily, for those Hmong who fled their homes and found themselves in refugee camps. Even after they escaped those camps, making their way to the United States or elsewhere, many of their new lives did not include the raising of pigs, let alone the opportunity to butcher them in accordance with their traditions. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I knew none of this when I came across a recipe for Chargrilled Hmong Black Pig Skewers with Sesame Salt. It was in a cookbook called the <i>Food of Vietnam. </i>The author, Luke Nguyen, is a Vietnamese-Australian chef who was part of a television show, <i>Luke Nguyen's Vietnam</i>, that I watched on public television. Every episode fascinated me, both with respect to the people, the surroundings, and, of course, the food. When I got this cookbook, as well as another Vietnamese cookbook, I spent a lot of time paging through the recipes. This one caught my eye because of the reference to the Hmong people. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5ZzbhWc3TaHgsDzBZXwtLXMaSPDvfAauv6ncroPGODYXNtlnuFGhf0Ftd0vI37xk3LOgM2Os6KYdFA7C-8y76C_DWeIOgu0yBlj6Xm9W5t9u_AFvcA5vxEKXW5MrJxPuPw-CEDlyHxVx4SO1GX5pHR0_fqrPjR5THiIwChtfECRCmdPkEetegt_tWRVn/s4080/PXL_20231116_222008590.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5ZzbhWc3TaHgsDzBZXwtLXMaSPDvfAauv6ncroPGODYXNtlnuFGhf0Ftd0vI37xk3LOgM2Os6KYdFA7C-8y76C_DWeIOgu0yBlj6Xm9W5t9u_AFvcA5vxEKXW5MrJxPuPw-CEDlyHxVx4SO1GX5pHR0_fqrPjR5THiIwChtfECRCmdPkEetegt_tWRVn/s320/PXL_20231116_222008590.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roasted sesame seeds with salt<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">According to Chef Nguyen, the Hmong raised black pigs in the hills and mountains of Vietnam. The cuts from the necks would be used for this dish. I had access neither to those particular black pigs, or, more generally, to pig necks. Instead, I looked for any cut of pork that would enable me to slice thinly or that came sliced thinly. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are two things that I really like about this recipe. The first thing is the marinade. The recipe calls for a combination of scallions, lemongrass, fish sauce, oyster sauce, black pepper, and honey, for a marinade. This particular combination of ingredients imparts a lot of flavor into the meat, which is facilitated by the fact that the meat has been thinly sliced. The second thing is the ease of preparing this dish. Once the marinade is complete, the rest of this recipe is easy: just thread some pre-soaked skewers, place on a heated grill, flip the skewers a few times and you are done. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">These skewers are very delicious and, given the ease of preparing this dish, I will very likely make this recipe again. The next time will take on a little more meaning now that I have some understanding of the traditions of the people behind the recipe. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNzFmMVlC-ohth_VfmrAmQc_7y2vVr_iOe_smKC8FoGB6CYPg0HzHQcqPkPqwGV1YoVNpM0aJz7IwKG41xC5BIUBQkbGbXIQArXpuA-J3nkbE5blXgJ2viOW16dN41MJnf9sCXIL_6n1TuprI8i8heRr4kRMs95JpIyDQRXiUTSKFgEYUkhxRZoOwdMdU/s4080/PXL_20231112_173532928.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNzFmMVlC-ohth_VfmrAmQc_7y2vVr_iOe_smKC8FoGB6CYPg0HzHQcqPkPqwGV1YoVNpM0aJz7IwKG41xC5BIUBQkbGbXIQArXpuA-J3nkbE5blXgJ2viOW16dN41MJnf9sCXIL_6n1TuprI8i8heRr4kRMs95JpIyDQRXiUTSKFgEYUkhxRZoOwdMdU/s320/PXL_20231112_173532928.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>CHARGRILLED HMONG BLACK PIG SKEWERS WITH SESAME SALT</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Recipe from Luke Nguyen, <i>The Food of Vietnam</i>, pg. 318</p><p style="text-align: center;">Serves 4-6</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i><u><b>Ingredients:</b></u></i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>300 grams (10.5 ounces) pork neck, thinly sliced</li><li>2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds</li><li>3 spring onions, sliced then bashed to release the flavor</li><li>4 tablespoons finely diced lemongrass, white part only</li><li>3 tablespoons fish sauce</li><li>1 teaspoon oyster sauce</li><li>1 teaspoon sugar</li><li>1 tablespoon honey</li><li>1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper</li><li>3 tablespoons vegetable oil</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Prepare the marinade. </b>Combine the onions, lemongrass, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar honey and black pepper in a mixing bowl and mix well. Add the pork and toss until well coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Prepare the skewers. </b>Soak 12 bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent scorching. Thread the pork on to the skewers and chargrill on each side for 3 minutes. Mix the sesame seeds with a pinch of sea salt. Serve on the side for dipping the skewers into. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>PEACE. </b></p><p></p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-71155895163916489182024-01-24T14:54:00.002-05:002024-01-24T14:54:51.275-05:00Romesco Sauce<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDEWFomvFoi1VArIVYsZMFF_32PNSqWZyL8Y_EuC57L4DdMT8aRCZjgx22GT5Pns1nF9HW9csdl4P0qurdN_x5X22hIPiybMw8ItaTNdLEoIlu8LmyyxcCKOTdcDuvbvhcG6-S7fCYfKZNwShauPvmlR-TYcOCaRH0N09Kq1IrY4bbr0yTOlL3AzOuIBJ/s4080/PXL_20231230_204404312.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDEWFomvFoi1VArIVYsZMFF_32PNSqWZyL8Y_EuC57L4DdMT8aRCZjgx22GT5Pns1nF9HW9csdl4P0qurdN_x5X22hIPiybMw8ItaTNdLEoIlu8LmyyxcCKOTdcDuvbvhcG6-S7fCYfKZNwShauPvmlR-TYcOCaRH0N09Kq1IrY4bbr0yTOlL3AzOuIBJ/s320/PXL_20231230_204404312.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As the <a href="https://culinarybackstreets.com/cities-category/barcelona/2022/recipe-15/" target="_blank">story</a> goes, it all began in El Serralo, a neighborhood along the port of Tarragona. During the 1700s, fishermen would take ingredients that they had lying around -- such as almonds, bread, dried peppers, olive oil, salt and wine to create a sauce. That sauce would be served alongside whatever was left of their catch. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">As with most recipes, there may be as many variations on a romesco sauce as there are chefs and cooks who prepare it. However, there are three basic common rules. First, the base of the sauce usually consists of roasted tomatoes or roasted peppers (roasting the latter is slightly easier than roasting the former. Second, the peppers and tomatoes are pureed, thickened by the addition of almonds, and toasted bread. Third, the sauce is then emulsified with olive oil. These rules get you to a sauce, which will be rich, and smoky, but it is what comes next that provides you with a truly wonderful sauce.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The variations in a romesco sauce relate to the additional ingredients that may make their way into the recipe. Ingredients such as garlic, chile flakes, and sherry vinegar. All of these ingredients add depth of flavor or heighten the piquancy of the sauce. One may also add paprika or smoked paprika, the latter if you really want to underscore the smokiness of the roasted peppers or tomatoes. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">One final note about this sauce: while its origins may lie with fishermen using the sauce to flavor fish and other seafood, a romesco sauce basically works with anything and everything. It is a great accompaniment to beef, chicken, turkey, and vegetables, as well as most fish and seafood. I prepared this sauce years ago to accompany <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2013/10/grilled-seafood-with-romesco-sauce.html" target="_blank">grilled seafood</a>, but the sauce showed its true versatility when I prepared it for our <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2024/01/a-chef-bolek-fondue.html" target="_blank">fondue dinner</a> on New Year's Eve. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHs2OMbemANx0tBQKcKS8KEbFFkFJZvM2dhLWWEXeY2EJixzo23m5OeElj47Hv9AzRPqI9c3QlDy-2yESs6dT_5WPhKGx7WDp7IwKHU1P5SXnAFJnUtpFc6upyPDSwFkGggmK0OE7CBGo3fkGmngn2olAs8CYQt4WFeL5rImodIEXYFS9sin958W6ncGTi/s4080/PXL_20231230_204409873.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHs2OMbemANx0tBQKcKS8KEbFFkFJZvM2dhLWWEXeY2EJixzo23m5OeElj47Hv9AzRPqI9c3QlDy-2yESs6dT_5WPhKGx7WDp7IwKHU1P5SXnAFJnUtpFc6upyPDSwFkGggmK0OE7CBGo3fkGmngn2olAs8CYQt4WFeL5rImodIEXYFS9sin958W6ncGTi/s320/PXL_20231230_204409873.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><u><b>ROMESCO SAUCE</b></u></div><div style="text-align: center;">Recipe from Gordon Ramsay's Cookery Course</div><div style="text-align: center;">Serves 4</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u><i><b>Ingredients:</b></i></u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">2 red peppers</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 thick slice of ciabatta or farmhouse white bread,</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> crusts removed and torn into chunks</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Olive oil</div><div style="text-align: justify;">3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped</div><div style="text-align: justify;">3 vine ripe tomatoes (like plum) on the vine</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 teaspoon smoked paprika</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 teaspoon chile flakes</div><div style="text-align: justify;">4 tablespoons of blanched almonds, toasted</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> and roughly chopped</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 lemon, juiced</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1-2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sea salt, to taste</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ground black pepper, to taste</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u><i><b>Directions:</b></i></u></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Prep the bell peppers. </b>Heat a grill until very hot. Put the peppers on a foil lined baking tray and place under the grill. Cook for 5 minutes turning regularly until he skin is blackened and blistered all over. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Continue making the romesco sauce. </b>Cook the bread chunks for 2 minutes in a small frying pan with a dash of oil, then add the garlic and cook for a further minute until the garlic is tender and the bread toasted. By this stage, the peppers should have cooled and it will be easy to peel and rub off the charred skins. Peel, deseed and roughly chop them, then place in a blender. Roughly chop the tomatoes and add to the peppers with the bread and garlic. Blitz to form a rough paste.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Continue making the romesco sauce. </b>Add the smoked paprika, chile flakes, almonds, lemon juice, vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper to the blender and blitz until well mixed. Taste and adjust the seasoning. With the motor running, slowly pour in 6 tablespoons of olive oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning again if necessary. Allow the sauce to come to room temperature and stir well before serving. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>PEACE.</b></div>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-1706787244370238702024-01-15T18:36:00.000-05:002024-01-15T18:36:54.504-05:00Mrefisa<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCF4hGWH2LLOpffBTLDSoLJygUhfONfG8B2h74POY6Mu1cnXtUpsHhTxALHvhVochlt-o2YsmW82bJm5tiHc0lZ1XzJM9HHr4gK4hzIX3GP0BH258S7fPEsZ_U63VfaO19IqxAZ9yFh76JnV-VHLdDLQzK_0jaDSAYIg9Nrfw6fGPHounEhDhDVFwAb0ky/s4080/PXL_20231203_185504382.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCF4hGWH2LLOpffBTLDSoLJygUhfONfG8B2h74POY6Mu1cnXtUpsHhTxALHvhVochlt-o2YsmW82bJm5tiHc0lZ1XzJM9HHr4gK4hzIX3GP0BH258S7fPEsZ_U63VfaO19IqxAZ9yFh76JnV-VHLdDLQzK_0jaDSAYIg9Nrfw6fGPHounEhDhDVFwAb0ky/s320/PXL_20231203_185504382.jpg" width="241" /></a></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><i>What is past is gone, what is hoped for is absent, for you is the hour in which you are. </i>-- Sahrawi proverb.</i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The word <i>Sahrawi</i> translates to "inhabitants of the desert." The particular inhabitants are a people of Berber, Arab and sub-Saharan ancestry who live in the western reaches of the Sahara. Those reaches include parts of Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania, They also include an area that historically known as Western Sahara. The nearly 105,000 square miles of this area, which is roughly equivalent to the square mileage of the State of Nevada, tell a story that few people know about. It's a past that has been difficult to tame. It's hope may be absent, but there is a potential for it to materialize. And, as for hour in which it finds itself, that part has yet to be written.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKLBLNbUqGixdb4x3dE9ljOop3QlkD_5P34aLxtB-C_h6TJTpshhi4pybrba8BEEsGTa3Y334WhVu3yDmaFRe_P7LkW2qT30vu6_VGSnOf-BplZT-6DuD_uu1qVrclJXsDxE1QVZ-dx3wDIuP3Plmt37g0IK1uUCKUSfxSewI7K2vMn2Dspy6Dpr-bdjk/s2991/20180116_western_sahara_3175_r4_oct12.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2991" data-original-width="2327" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKLBLNbUqGixdb4x3dE9ljOop3QlkD_5P34aLxtB-C_h6TJTpshhi4pybrba8BEEsGTa3Y334WhVu3yDmaFRe_P7LkW2qT30vu6_VGSnOf-BplZT-6DuD_uu1qVrclJXsDxE1QVZ-dx3wDIuP3Plmt37g0IK1uUCKUSfxSewI7K2vMn2Dspy6Dpr-bdjk/s320/20180116_western_sahara_3175_r4_oct12.jpg" width="249" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Western Sahara involves a stretch of northwestern Africa coastline running from the southern border of Morocco to the northwestern border of Mauritania. The area stretches inward in a Tetris-like shape past oases, such as Amgala and Meharrize, as well as cities like Laayounde, Bir Anzerane and Tifariti the actual western reaches of the Sahara Desert. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This region has a long history, dating back to at least the Phoenician empire, which established settlements along the Atlantic coastline. Some of those settlements dated back to the 5th century B.C.E. They have since faded into history, as the Phoenicians were followed by the Romans, then the Berbers and the Arabs. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">During the 13th and 14th centuries, the area was known as <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Western_Sahara#" target="_blank">bled es-Siba</a></i> or the "land of dissidence." There was little centralized control over the region, which was occupied by tribes that raided the trade routes that ran east through the desert. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Then, in 1887, the Spanish established a protectorate over what is present day Western Sahara, which became one of the last additions to the Spanish Empire. The protectorate was first referred to as the Spanish Possessions in the Sahara and later as the Province of the Sahara. As the Spanish tried to establish control over the region, they learned first-hand about <i>bled es-Siba.</i> The Sahrawi fought against the colonialists. Spain responded, as most colonial powers did, by repressing the local populace. However, repression is never a long term strategy. A resistance group known as the Polisario Front emerged in 1973, fighting against the Spanish rule. Less than two years later, the Spanish left the Western Sahara, with Morocco and Mauritania dividing the territory between themselves. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The Polisario Front continued its guerrilla warfare, leading to a treaty with Mauritania, which recognized the right of the Sahrawi Democratic Arab Republic to Western Sahara. On the other hand, Morocco proceeded to seize most of the land given up by Mauritania, annexing that land in 1979. Morocco proceeded to build a wall between what it controlled and what was left for the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Morocco began the wall in 1980 and finished the seventh segment in 2020. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGk8ldBQX4vjAS_gmkb6hwQZa7pUrtgiqNAj6J3os5nt4jGyBl8tv_1O4RiANqirVwfpMUD3vJ60rCrb4UUdHCrkz97zkjdi1aJUfB4BASiirzDZS4WP8Rzv894hfVSGvQhGUQ7cpkCrgBAZuwEY9ER9mZTlFL74NCRVnmXrdBsDJg0i6uJrB1X6e14wO7/s800/Sahrawi-Polisario-Front-Congress-2.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGk8ldBQX4vjAS_gmkb6hwQZa7pUrtgiqNAj6J3os5nt4jGyBl8tv_1O4RiANqirVwfpMUD3vJ60rCrb4UUdHCrkz97zkjdi1aJUfB4BASiirzDZS4WP8Rzv894hfVSGvQhGUQ7cpkCrgBAZuwEY9ER9mZTlFL74NCRVnmXrdBsDJg0i6uJrB1X6e14wO7/w555-h313/Sahrawi-Polisario-Front-Congress-2.jpeg" width="555" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Sahrawi woman with the Sahrawi flag. Source: <a href="https://peoplesdispatch.org/2023/01/17/direct-from-western-sahara-learn-about-the-struggle-of-the-last-colony-in-africa/" target="_blank">Michelle de Mello</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">That troubled political history obscures the cultural history of Sahrawi people. The people are a mix of Arab and Berber <a href="https://www.atlasofhumanity.com/sahrawi" target="_blank">descendants</a>, as well as some <a href="https://www.atlasofhumanity.com/sahrawi" target="_blank">sub-Saharan peoples</a>. These influences are also apparent in the cuisine of the Sahrawi, which also has some Spanish influences resulting from colonization. Setting on the western reaches of the Sahara desert, agriculture is limited to what can be grown around oases, or what can be raised in those areas. The principal proteins of Sahrawi cuisine include goat, lamb and even camel. For those who live along the Atlantic Coast (most of which is still occupied by Morocco), the Sahrawi are able to add fish to their diet. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Sahrawi recipes are hard to find. Most of the recipes are fairly simple, reflecting the difficult life of living in a desert and the limited ingredients for preparing dishes. Couscous is one staple that finds its way into many dishes, including one that is prepared with meal paste, meat and vegetables. There is also <i>El Aych</i>, which is prepared with the use of milk and cereals. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPU5Q-N5CBLVXnsnO-8wUPqMhpnUB1qr7y6rW8k7Qwy6UKThrEqvk6p1OYST7lgUYwrLObHtr6so6diUTgkUzZYEeHLr97vjMis-eERCQdKsLZeRwdwvqiK5t3W6vr3mtf8tbNJb81XngI9cLFWxxx7sVjxOQFKDQ8X3UoJ-rLRC6Nnu3yPXCso_ggju6P/s720/Pan_Saharaui.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPU5Q-N5CBLVXnsnO-8wUPqMhpnUB1qr7y6rW8k7Qwy6UKThrEqvk6p1OYST7lgUYwrLObHtr6so6diUTgkUzZYEeHLr97vjMis-eERCQdKsLZeRwdwvqiK5t3W6vr3mtf8tbNJb81XngI9cLFWxxx7sVjxOQFKDQ8X3UoJ-rLRC6Nnu3yPXCso_ggju6P/s320/Pan_Saharaui.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And, then there is Mrefisa. This recipe is a traditional stew, often made with lamb, rabbit or camel meat, along with onions and garlic. The ingredients are then cooked together in a stew, with added water. Once the meat is very tender and the stew has cooked down, it is served upon a traditional unleavened bread that the Sahrawis prepare by cooking it in the sand. I don't have any sand where I live, let alone sand hot enough to bake bread. I went to a local Persian market, where I purchased some Taboon. Although it is leavened bread (it contains yeast), it is nevertheless a flatbread that could work as a substitute. (In some ways, I liked it more because there was more bread to absorb the lamb stock.) If you can find traditional unleavened bread such as Arboud, which is prepared by the Bedouin, then you are good to go. If you can't, then any flatbread will work. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the end, this is a very simple meal. Five ingredients -- onions, garlic, lamb, oil and water -- are combined to prepare a very tasty dish. It is a change from what I have been cooking, such as curries, in which there are often more ingredients that go into the masala, than there are in this entire recipe. It also demonstrates how a people who have little to work with given their circumstances and surroundings are able to produce something that is delicious to eat.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-s7SAIMS3KoMWnXGKomRZTVV4_ATnS9B9F_GQUjIMuIhlMOA-1j5p-wz3_5EHlnXZG35_opJJo53aFzywGT9pzcKw6LHGWF9yjO8nGA_RJQSyH6jtqXnae_qSCFr7AXa_ItKVUK7r0zINsICrqvYFOs2xXkPRlDXjlU3cPI1we-v08JII1Rhoaw2ZrhLR/s4080/PXL_20231203_185513429.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-s7SAIMS3KoMWnXGKomRZTVV4_ATnS9B9F_GQUjIMuIhlMOA-1j5p-wz3_5EHlnXZG35_opJJo53aFzywGT9pzcKw6LHGWF9yjO8nGA_RJQSyH6jtqXnae_qSCFr7AXa_ItKVUK7r0zINsICrqvYFOs2xXkPRlDXjlU3cPI1we-v08JII1Rhoaw2ZrhLR/s320/PXL_20231203_185513429.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>MREFISA</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Recipe adapted from <a href="https://www.bookofdaystales.com/tag/meifrisa/" target="_blank">Book of Day's Tales</a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Serves 4</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>1 pound of lamb, cut into 1 inch chunks</li><li>2 onions, sliced</li><li>2 cloves of garlic, sliced</li><li>2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil</li><li>Water</li></ul><div><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Sauté the onions and garlic. </b>Heat the oil in a pot over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic and sauté them for about five minutes. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Add the lamb. </b>Add the lamb and proceed to brown the lamb on all sides. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Add the water.</b> Add enough water to barely cover the lamb and the onions. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Stew the lamb for a couple of hours, adding water as necessary. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>4. Finish the dish. </b>Once the lamb meat can be easily shred, remove the stew from the heat. Place the bread at the bottom of the bowl. Add the lamb, onions and garlic over the bread. Spoon the lamb stock over the meal and serve immediately. </div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>PEACE.</b></p><p></p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-41581833974618763232024-01-07T11:54:00.000-05:002024-01-07T11:54:16.772-05:00Tsampa<p style="text-align: justify;"><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQfdwtj-ZlrsYQMPk-EufBqgKutzlhnCuONF01FVewaRJOo7BJY6y07rnyotq8zC8ibQoHONoLMUQbXZwY3-NgpLhEIxGApWtPafuU20nXmYIDg5Qp52E0jgAw9oWi1O1oFTQOBLb_16XCCsRTU9z95ptieYcLrvY9bNrAoHUcZLnY4kfOEYVgr3sinGI/s4080/PXL_20231225_181831166.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQfdwtj-ZlrsYQMPk-EufBqgKutzlhnCuONF01FVewaRJOo7BJY6y07rnyotq8zC8ibQoHONoLMUQbXZwY3-NgpLhEIxGApWtPafuU20nXmYIDg5Qp52E0jgAw9oWi1O1oFTQOBLb_16XCCsRTU9z95ptieYcLrvY9bNrAoHUcZLnY4kfOEYVgr3sinGI/s320/PXL_20231225_181831166.jpg" width="241" /></a></i></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Tsampae-drima kha </i>(Having a Tibetan quality) - Tibetan proverb</div></i><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">At its simplest, tsampa is roasted barley flour. Hulled barley grains are roasted over fire until they turn a golden, slightly brownish hue. The grains are then removed from the heat, ground into a flour, and then set aside to cool.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Tibetans then combine tsampa in a bowl with butter and tea, rolling the mixture into small balls to be eaten. One may also see Tibetans combine tsampa with other ingredients to create a porridge called <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsampa#:~:text=It%20is%20believed%20that%20tsampa,gods%20to%20request%20their%20protection." target="_blank">jham-thoo</a></i>. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">However, tsampa is more than a <a href="https://www.jamyangnorbu.com/blog/2011/02/07/in-defence-of-tibetan-cooking-part-i/" target="_blank">fundamental staple food</a> for Tibetans. It has a very meaningful story to tell. To understand this story, one needs to walk in the boots or shoes of the Tibetans themselves. If you are like me, and unable to actually travel to Tibet, then the next best way to traverse that path is to read about those who have done so. In the end, you learn that tsampa is not just any food, it is a fundamental aspect of the Tibetan identity. This post represents the first of a few posts in which I explore tsampa and its connection to the Tibetan people. These posts will be available as part of my <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/p/atw-80-bo.html" target="_blank">Beyond Borders</a> project and my <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/p/the-mindfulness-foodways.html" target="_blank">Mindfulness Foodways</a> project. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The Tibetan Tsampa Path</i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;">I have never traveled to Tibet, which rests mostly on the world's highest and largest plateau; but, from what I have read, the area is beautiful - with towering mountain ranges enclosing valley with rivers, plains, and lakes. The altitude, combined with the dry climate (Tibet receives only about <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tibet/Climate" target="_blank">18 inches</a> of precipitation annually), limits what vegetation can grow on the plateau. Grasslands cover nearly two-thirds of the Tibetan region, which provide areas for livestock -- from chickens to yaks -- to graze, but limit the types of crops that can be grown. The principal agricultural crop grown by Tibetans is barley.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoy6Z7KBrQrOS6RRhCx6xESzOvrOqKvtzvNZWb-lkv9LmBWXiUbMLDHm68RlvejKU8ke-J_CVD7gGTgcoStcQmfHfk2G4WpQfaLnon34iw1zTnRVSuZKHApIfLVAm-NZryx3TJUdc9XbqN4jci-jqp4uggzhFtwJa9GX7wx7cTdCa0DTsr0P0u0Vath3T4/s600/c73ae6204df82321f703a813f80ffcbe.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="407" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoy6Z7KBrQrOS6RRhCx6xESzOvrOqKvtzvNZWb-lkv9LmBWXiUbMLDHm68RlvejKU8ke-J_CVD7gGTgcoStcQmfHfk2G4WpQfaLnon34iw1zTnRVSuZKHApIfLVAm-NZryx3TJUdc9XbqN4jci-jqp4uggzhFtwJa9GX7wx7cTdCa0DTsr0P0u0Vath3T4/w612-h407/c73ae6204df82321f703a813f80ffcbe.jpg" width="612" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barley growing in Tibet. Source: <a href="https://www.gototibet.com/travel-guide/geography-of-tibet/highland-barley-on-tibetan-plateau.html" target="_blank">Go To Tibet</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Barley played a pivotal role in the settlement of the Tibetan plateau. The grain is hardy, with a <a href="https://www.shh.mpg.de/1914795/barley-based-agriculture-in-central-tibet" target="_blank">high tolerance</a> for frost and dehydration. Thus, Tibetans could grow barley with little effort or resources (like water). Once harvested, they could also turn the barley grains into tsampa, because the process (as outlined above) is relatively quick and requires little fuel. All of these factors led to an agricultural system that was <a href="https://www.shh.mpg.de/1914795/barley-based-agriculture-in-central-tibet" target="_blank">built predominantly</a> around that single grain. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thus, the singular importance of barley to the Tibetans also provides an important starting point on the map for the Tibetan food pathway. </div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The Preparation of Tsampa</i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFTSFS7F2B17uQcR3v9Y7QWooNYKhW2HQYq4Y4gizpeI0ccVl1A6-Y2Hzr689tNAmNDNV6-J-jarKqiP3Bebh6xW6YoRO11oK2gn4VXVUmCGniBJR8PK6dHUzCcT5mf7JpvTbjiJEjzZDOx5kb6s91UY9pIASJbxEJL8ob2bDnVMO8NhON0BqPWazrx12/s960/making-tsampa.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFTSFS7F2B17uQcR3v9Y7QWooNYKhW2HQYq4Y4gizpeI0ccVl1A6-Y2Hzr689tNAmNDNV6-J-jarKqiP3Bebh6xW6YoRO11oK2gn4VXVUmCGniBJR8PK6dHUzCcT5mf7JpvTbjiJEjzZDOx5kb6s91UY9pIASJbxEJL8ob2bDnVMO8NhON0BqPWazrx12/w339-h255/making-tsampa.jpg" width="339" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The preparation of tsampa. <br />Source: <a href="https://ravencypresswood.com/2014/02/07/preserving-a-culture-tsampa/" target="_blank">Ravencywoodpress</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">The traditional process of turning barley into tsampa is often described as <a href="https://simplytibetan.com/2014/03/19/tsampa/" target="_blank">long</a> or arduous; and, before many of the modern conveniences, I can understand that characterization. If one were a Tibetan living out on the plateau during the 19th century through the mid-twentieth century, the process was, in fact, time-consuming. The process can be broken down into four basic steps: (1) acquiring the barley; (2) prepping the barley, if necessary; (3) roasting the barley; and (4) grinding the barley. While the first step would seem to be easy, given the availability of barley in Tibet, the rest of it required time and resources. Some of those resources, like fuel for the fire, are precious given their scarcity on the plateau.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">During my research, I came across a <a href="https://simplytibetan.com/2014/03/19/tsampa/" target="_blank">personal account</a> of how a Tibetan nun, Choe-la, prepared tsampa. According to the account: </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: center;"><i>My mother would get barley grown at high altitude from Manali or Ladakh. [Manali is a city in India and Ladakh is region within India, so the account comes from someone whose family had left Tibet.] Once it arrived, Choe-la would get one or two helpers and they would start the washing process - which is tedious and time-consuming. Then comes my favorite part, which is the roasting. The washed and dried barley is roasted in hot sand until the barley is cooked through - like popcorn, one can smell the roasted barley or "yoe" as we call it, from a distance and Choe-la would allow us kids to fill our pockets with fresh "yoe" to eat on the way to school. Next is the final step of grinding the roasted barley into Tsampa flour .... Choe-la always said, the best Tsampa comes from the "chu-tha" - water mill.</i></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;">This account tells us a lot about how tsampa was made. From the purchase of the barley, to the washing and drying of the seeds, and ending with the roasting over hot sand. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Tsampa on the Tibetan Table</i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The roasted barley flour - having already been "cooked" - became a very flexible ingredient that could be used in a variety of ways. As the British travel writer, Peter Fleming, <a href="https://www.jamyangnorbu.com/blog/2011/02/07/in-defence-of-tibetan-cooking-part-i/" target="_blank">recounted</a> during a trip in the Tibetan region: </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i></i></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><i>Tsampa ... is sustaining, digestible and cheap. For nearly three months we had tsampa for breakfast, tsampa for lunch and the diet was neither as unappetizing nor as monotonous as it sounds. One of the great virtues of tsampa is that you can vary the the flavour and the consistency at will. You can make it into a cake or you can make it into a porridge; and either can be flavored with sugar, salt, pepper, vinegar or (on special occasions for you only had one bottle) Worcester Sauce. And, if that were not enough, you can make it with cocoa instead of with tea. I would not go so far as to say that you never get tired of tsampa, but you would get tired of anything else much quicker. </i></i></div></blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;">This food finds itself not only on the Tibetan Table, but in religious ceremonies as well. Some Buddhist rituals call for the throwing of pinches of tsampa into the air as a "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsampa#:~:text=It%20is%20believed%20that%20tsampa,gods%20to%20request%20their%20protection." target="_blank">mark</a> of joy and celebration." Throwing tsampa has made its way into other occasions, such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsampa#:~:text=It%20is%20believed%20that%20tsampa,gods%20to%20request%20their%20protection." target="_blank">throwing it</a> on the new year, while chanting verses calling for good luck. To round out the occasions, Tibetans also throw tsampa at funerals, where, according to Buddhist ritual, it is intended to release the soul of the departed. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The Mindfulness of Tsampa Preparation</i></b></p><div style="text-align: justify;">Recently, I decided that I would prepare tsampa myself. Fortunately, I have a ready source for hulled barley and a ready fuel (namely, my stove). I also had a recipe in a cookbook, <i>Beyond the Great Wall</i>, which was written by Jeremy Alford and Naomi Duguid. While this book was given to me as a present, I had become familiar with Duguid's work exploring cuisines such as those in Burma or Persia (that is, Iran and the Caucuses). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNCsxZxvVJd1rwGEHrxIE1dq40wTsLN44_lWvOi65aI3ME6-XGDYn_gGNlp9vuLQ6qYZp505eKieRH78fUBf6N_8Kbi3LcsWGftLGgLEWnB4ekBrhf17HVAYN5mH8-LWC4czkuAnGvMua3z-WjYyAhtQQwzCLYdOASvkIP-JpNttDSqrFFd5DaDAI3Xmy/s4080/PXL_20231225_180755267.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNCsxZxvVJd1rwGEHrxIE1dq40wTsLN44_lWvOi65aI3ME6-XGDYn_gGNlp9vuLQ6qYZp505eKieRH78fUBf6N_8Kbi3LcsWGftLGgLEWnB4ekBrhf17HVAYN5mH8-LWC4czkuAnGvMua3z-WjYyAhtQQwzCLYdOASvkIP-JpNttDSqrFFd5DaDAI3Xmy/s320/PXL_20231225_180755267.jpg" width="241" /></a>The process was not long or arduous to prepare tsampa, thanks to many modern conveniences. I did not have any barley on hand, but with the advent of the Internet, it was not hard to find a bag of organic, hulled barley berries. I also did not need any sand, I just used a good, solid pan on a stove. With the berries literally in hand, along with that heated pan, I began the roasting process. Once the berries were in the pan, things began to change. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I look for moments in the day when I can use my mindfulness techniques. Some of those moments are forced, such as when I am dealing with a lot of stress, uncertainty or conflict. Other moments - such as my preparation of tsampa - come naturally. As I looked down at the seeds in the pan, I began to view them as one may view grains of sand. My pan had itself become a kind of sand garden. I took deep breaths and focused on the tasks presently before me. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The recipe directed me to use a wooden spoon to move the seeds, so that they would not become scorched or burnt. As I moved the spoon, I focused on the movement of the seeds, as they were pushed ahead or fell to either side of the spoon. I moved the spoon in circular motions, occasionally flipping the seeds to bring the ones from the bottom to the top. As I did these moves, my sand began to slowly turn more golden and eventually a little browner in color. When the barley was roasted, I turned off the heat, moved the pan, and made some final stirs with the spoon. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For that brief period of time, I felt as if I had a mindfulness moment. One that was quiet, where I could focus on the present, without thinking about what I had done previously or what I had left to do after the recipe was completed. The ability to take some deep breaths gave me a break during a relatively stressful holiday season. It also reinforced in me the need to find more such moments going forward. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVoqsNVsyUiK6FrURstoLtWI47OxeGCGkdYRUyQjXEFxHc0CbVm2J7_-ofbXmOqmvbAIqR4x8JFGp41MDdBJBhk_DpXFiWWkTtPnTqjxAojLUJRhrBRXxpnIvej163orKn-CjI35azElYeiU7DQbbTs_Fvd8ZGEJljri873ujzuHRVPGoHErSfcwF6D4e/s4080/PXL_20231225_181838067.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVoqsNVsyUiK6FrURstoLtWI47OxeGCGkdYRUyQjXEFxHc0CbVm2J7_-ofbXmOqmvbAIqR4x8JFGp41MDdBJBhk_DpXFiWWkTtPnTqjxAojLUJRhrBRXxpnIvej163orKn-CjI35azElYeiU7DQbbTs_Fvd8ZGEJljri873ujzuHRVPGoHErSfcwF6D4e/s320/PXL_20231225_181838067.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>TSAMPA</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Recipe from Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Daguid, </p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Beyond the Great Wall</i>, pg. 180</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>2 cups barley berries (whole grain)</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Roast the barley berries. </b>Place the barley berries in an 11 to 12 inch heavy skillet (cast iron works very well) and dry roast over medium heat. Stir constantly with a flat-ended spatula or wooden spoon, moving the grains off the hot bottom surface and rotating them from center to the outside, to ensure an even roast with no scorching. The grains will crackle a little as they expand in the heart, will start to give off a toasted grain aroma and will change color. Keep on stirring and turning until all of the grains have darkened to more than golden, about 10 to 14 minutes. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Check the barley berries. </b>Test for doneness by trying to bite into one of the grains - it should yield easily. Times will vary depending on the amount you are roasting, the size of your pan and the heat. Remove the pan from the heat and keep stirring for another minute or two to prevent scorching.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Grind the berries. </b>If you are using a coffee or spice grinder to grind the grain, you will need to work in batches. A flour mill works well if you have one, no need for small batches and your grind will be finer and more even. Transfer about 1/2 cup of the toasted grains to a clean, dry coffee or spice grinder and grind to a fine flour-like texture (you will hear the sound change as the granules get reduced to a powdery texture.) Turn out into a bowl and repeat until all the grain has been ground to flour. If you want to perfect your grind, pass the milled powder through a fine sieve and then regrind any remaining larger pieces. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>4. Finish the Tsampa. </b> Let cool completely, then store in a well-sealed wooden or glass container in a cool place. Tsampa keeps indefinitely in the refrigerator.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>PEACE.</b></p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-83627141843032965822024-01-01T08:10:00.003-05:002024-01-01T08:10:58.594-05:00A Chef Bolek Fondue<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOgQDQOgUbR2_QoAJ6oitXa17qn2i46p_qhu6K3EpFwS_BkSSSz3lfDHRp6JYYXqF8-ACALHrLz8Fc_p6aGo3J3kRKV2O6_wa7vpXgFDpdPt_CaEiEO539jtICzy_9dnZeUGMba7vs4_BBNI9vY-x46PDewhYEY7fzlBEoFPLjV87uu3vby9gVQO7XHdM/s4080/PXL_20231231_215608335.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOgQDQOgUbR2_QoAJ6oitXa17qn2i46p_qhu6K3EpFwS_BkSSSz3lfDHRp6JYYXqF8-ACALHrLz8Fc_p6aGo3J3kRKV2O6_wa7vpXgFDpdPt_CaEiEO539jtICzy_9dnZeUGMba7vs4_BBNI9vY-x46PDewhYEY7fzlBEoFPLjV87uu3vby9gVQO7XHdM/s320/PXL_20231231_215608335.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fondue originated in Switzerland, most likely in the Valais region through which the Rhone River flows in southern Switzerland. The tradition emerged as Swiss farm families gathered around a hearth over which they melted hardened cheese in a pot called a <i>caquelon</i>. The family members would then <a href="https://www.alpenwild.com/staticpage/fondue-history-and-tradition/" target="_blank">dip pieces</a> of stale bread into the cheese, which softened the bread and made it easier to eat. It was a way for these poor farming families to make the most out of what little they had. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Although originating as a <i>cucina povera </i>dish, fondue made its way into cookbooks, with the first known written recipe dating back to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fondue" target="_blank">1699</a>. That recipe was published in a cookbook under the recipe name of <i>Kass mit Wein zu Kochen</i> or "to cook cheese with wine." Fondue even made its way into the cookbooks for the Swiss military. Over time, the farm family tradition would be elevated beyond as a national dish of Switzerland (or so the <i>Schweizerische Kaseunion</i> - or Swiss Cheese Union - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fondue#:~:text=Fondue%20was%20popularized%20as%20a,%22spiritual%20defence%20of%20Switzerland%22." target="_blank">wanted</a> everyone to believe because it would lead to the sale of more cheese). And, as the dish spread across the world, it would take on new preparations and new ingredients.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvosdVKRcCjN79QHxIpXQ1lUyKOTuqDb-cnR4qaMLkPLRfKJbv39B21Vmnay1s9cN7-49lw9zMWJD9_pAGfgvE1F3ZQZKuwj0EoVmkTDgH7BxZsJ0jfc1dfcxDmLZm_zNe5rtJIzoIbYA6VUSWxkELtVr74hhsfRK44agQxyYuWbKrPv5sBYpVHfnDRWi/s640/4c442d20c118a41e4f15a9fbd1b4fa2a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="640" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvosdVKRcCjN79QHxIpXQ1lUyKOTuqDb-cnR4qaMLkPLRfKJbv39B21Vmnay1s9cN7-49lw9zMWJD9_pAGfgvE1F3ZQZKuwj0EoVmkTDgH7BxZsJ0jfc1dfcxDmLZm_zNe5rtJIzoIbYA6VUSWxkELtVr74hhsfRK44agQxyYuWbKrPv5sBYpVHfnDRWi/w608-h399/4c442d20c118a41e4f15a9fbd1b4fa2a.jpg" width="608" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing says Switzerland like an "envelope" of Lipton's Onion Soup Mix.</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Indeed, the passage of time gave rise to other versions of fondue. One popular one is <i>fondue au chocolat</i>, which involves dipping those food bites (usually bread, cheese or fruit) in a pot of melted chocolate. To be sure, my kids love chocolate fondue because they love anything that has a nice, chocolate coating. Another version is known as <i>fondue bourguignonne</i>, also known as beef fondue. The cheese or chocolate is replaced with hot oil, which is perfect for dipping bite sized pieces of your favorite protein or, on occasion, a vegetable or mushroom. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMg8Zf6tsr03jSgr2lhJgK36ch6OhLplOYnXtH5HQsN_c2C3qYALcov7xQiL5FDaYKlTf-0-ih55UJbweaKGk7FzCCTgYYyjn2KuALLRzcILa_xSG9nqGDQzHVGHwjxPKvQS1yshEAmjegp3Vg94mcNhM2dTVzNP0A3MOtoIBitpvwNNoEAj-3xQq3Ql9U/s474/df64a-fondue-advertising.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="474" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMg8Zf6tsr03jSgr2lhJgK36ch6OhLplOYnXtH5HQsN_c2C3qYALcov7xQiL5FDaYKlTf-0-ih55UJbweaKGk7FzCCTgYYyjn2KuALLRzcILa_xSG9nqGDQzHVGHwjxPKvQS1yshEAmjegp3Vg94mcNhM2dTVzNP0A3MOtoIBitpvwNNoEAj-3xQq3Ql9U/s320/df64a-fondue-advertising.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently, a guitar is required for fondue.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">It is this latter version of fondue that became part of my family's New Year's Eve tradition. We would gather around a pot of hot oil, which was also encircled with dishes containing raw pieces of beef, chicken, sausage, mushrooms, broccoli and other foods. We pierced each bite and dipped it into the oil, becoming our own cook for a few minutes. Over the years, it became clear that dipping a bunch of things in hot peanut oil is not necessarily the healthiest way to ring in the New Year. So the tradition evolved to using vegetable broth, which cooked the food without the added consequence of clogging an artery. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Fast forward to today, my beautiful Angel suggested that we have a fondue to ring in the new year. After clarifying that cheese and chocolate would not be involved, the Chef Bolek began to emerge. Rather than unhealthy oil or plain vegetable broth, what if I made a court bouillon for the fondue pot? A court bouillon is a flavorful liquid that is often used to poach proteins, such as fish or seafood. It would provide a healthy alternative in which I could control the ingredients and, by extension, the flavors. I quickly found a good court bouillon recipe as a starting point. Then my mind started thinking about the sauces. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The tradition in my family, as is the tradition typically for a <i>fondue bourguignonne</i>, would be to serve about three to four sauces as part of the meal. These sauces typically included a Béarnaise sauce, a Bordelaise sauce, and, if I recall correctly, a horseradish sauce. However, I wanted to take those sauces to the next level. I wanted to serve sauces from around the world. So, for a Chef Bolek Fondue, I drew upon my experience and made the following sauces: </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaRL9-Ysovh4p463iJLhZ25mIolzTxRluWBMQwd0UQcuaC0HF0WfuXke4p79QfNKNImJBm98tg8lsaBU5TBMhI217ySlsqsBnylnQRHbmMpQOpxHDKRuuLPJWbI1xznZqoGTB-CfxIM3V3HNg845St-Z1X7YBQ1881GVDFeTnI34umvg8LX1gzg2_DwfoE/s4080/PXL_20231231_184437807.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaRL9-Ysovh4p463iJLhZ25mIolzTxRluWBMQwd0UQcuaC0HF0WfuXke4p79QfNKNImJBm98tg8lsaBU5TBMhI217ySlsqsBnylnQRHbmMpQOpxHDKRuuLPJWbI1xznZqoGTB-CfxIM3V3HNg845St-Z1X7YBQ1881GVDFeTnI34umvg8LX1gzg2_DwfoE/w96-h72/PXL_20231231_184437807.jpg" width="96" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Argentinian Chimichurri: </i>I recently <span>completed the Around the World in 80 Dishes challenge for </span><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2023/12/around-world-in-80-dishes-argentina.html" target="_blank">Argentina</a><span>, which had me prepare chimichurri in two different ways. I decided to prepare one of those chimichurris, because the garlicky sauce goes well with beef, chicken and vegetables.</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEEkLoFeGBN06SRd921l0vAqkolqir8SGJAfFCM74ZClZ_mzcxsDsQpB4pgSNraE03_CSdvdGcPqkV1k6P9gt_VN7iAHOxQfIiY3Y0bu7dpC5DNDgz3Zr2uM6acgRhZQf3CIjApQlU1lK8Ds5ZzLBWvxH-7VQqh1ZVlMiM5w0R4-PsfzKG995dMOLP6Kp/s4080/PXL_20231230_204409873.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="74" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEEkLoFeGBN06SRd921l0vAqkolqir8SGJAfFCM74ZClZ_mzcxsDsQpB4pgSNraE03_CSdvdGcPqkV1k6P9gt_VN7iAHOxQfIiY3Y0bu7dpC5DNDgz3Zr2uM6acgRhZQf3CIjApQlU1lK8Ds5ZzLBWvxH-7VQqh1ZVlMiM5w0R4-PsfzKG995dMOLP6Kp/w98-h74/PXL_20231230_204409873.jpg" width="98" /></a><b><i></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Catalan Romesco Sauce: </i></b><span style="text-align: justify;">This sauce goes well with just about any food, with the smoked paprika, almonds and sherry vinegar providing different flavors for the meal. I borrowed from a recipe that I prepared more than ten years ago, but I will post a new one in the near future. </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYSm3zVZVlRnlQYE1HCBYmVzpsrO2q-8lfixJV6L7C7HJBTerc-C8hPJwDODjRQvXFGcaZGep391p6D7W14kGg59a7pylu8kIbkTqxdifux0TrIh47FzNDJlPb3vjL5jLeHw2951WMjtWXks6NWFGgPtbz5v3QsmhPXpmk5Bnpn8imX23tplFVSrqHA9L/s4080/PXL_20231230_191935293.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYSm3zVZVlRnlQYE1HCBYmVzpsrO2q-8lfixJV6L7C7HJBTerc-C8hPJwDODjRQvXFGcaZGep391p6D7W14kGg59a7pylu8kIbkTqxdifux0TrIh47FzNDJlPb3vjL5jLeHw2951WMjtWXks6NWFGgPtbz5v3QsmhPXpmk5Bnpn8imX23tplFVSrqHA9L/w96-h72/PXL_20231230_191935293.jpg" width="96" /></a></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Sri Lankan Lunu Miris: </i></b><span style="text-align: justify;">An extremely fiery sambol with three chiles and freshly ground black pepper from the cuisine that curries everything, which is why I love Sri Lankan food. This sauce is really just for me; it is too spicy for everyone else. I will post the recipe in the near future. </span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTvw4JTwAHyveFakEX9TiBxmbXrCejeyIf8dXk2_GP_v7XoABsVGlYM2Yg2VTtVJRJXMd7VDyvXjLNbjL-QIq0sBNjAXg3QLjj_M7O-BAIJ_lZWxceatIU5qgscSf3Qiy3IT3-0HA8tY4ued2IZTY-ps7svIm9-VxS5Kovp4YBZCmAgV6MDq7oWr-Vut7/s4080/PXL_20231230_192057026.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTvw4JTwAHyveFakEX9TiBxmbXrCejeyIf8dXk2_GP_v7XoABsVGlYM2Yg2VTtVJRJXMd7VDyvXjLNbjL-QIq0sBNjAXg3QLjj_M7O-BAIJ_lZWxceatIU5qgscSf3Qiy3IT3-0HA8tY4ued2IZTY-ps7svIm9-VxS5Kovp4YBZCmAgV6MDq7oWr-Vut7/w93-h70/PXL_20231230_192057026.jpg" width="93" /></a></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Vietnamese Nuoc Cham:</i></b> <span style="text-align: justify;">I have spent a lot of time this year learning about Vietnamese cuisine. I have become a huge fan of nuoc cham because of how it balances the different flavor elements. I used this </span><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2023/05/oysters-with-nuoc-cham.html" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">recipe</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> in which I paired the sauce with raw oysters in place of a mignonette. </span></div><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">With these sauces, one has a fondue Chef Bolek style. The recipe for the court bouillon is set forth below. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuYcFx5pu7LS6eOteqP6mAfYgcxDXsaDtwsxRLT9OsDr2ZQzz-gggv3M6pdxo9NeZVKoA6lcY7LVGnFLJmZNFEDXpssBOzTF8g4WLSYvEVGaz8T0Tg2bmH-sztSe-IXNNivq6p3L6TiphO3T_wddnuohb5xE4sN8Z-WnIKIF021QXOFj5IYJIQXTT-K6C/s4080/PXL_20231231_215857032.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuYcFx5pu7LS6eOteqP6mAfYgcxDXsaDtwsxRLT9OsDr2ZQzz-gggv3M6pdxo9NeZVKoA6lcY7LVGnFLJmZNFEDXpssBOzTF8g4WLSYvEVGaz8T0Tg2bmH-sztSe-IXNNivq6p3L6TiphO3T_wddnuohb5xE4sN8Z-WnIKIF021QXOFj5IYJIQXTT-K6C/s320/PXL_20231231_215857032.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u>COURT BOUILLON</u></b></div><p style="text-align: center;">Recipe from <a href="https://rouxbe.com/recipes/1675-basic-court-bouillon" target="_blank">Rouxbe</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>5 cups cold water</li><li>1 cup white wine</li><li>2 ribs celery</li><li>1 leek (white part only)</li><li>1 small onion</li><li>1 lemon</li><li>1 bay leaf</li><li>1 teaspoon whole peppercorns (white or black)</li><li>2 teaspoons Kosher salt (or to taste)</li><li>1 sprig fresh parsley</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Place the cold water and wine in a pot. Slice the celery into 1/8 inch slices. Cut the leek in half, wash, and thinly slice the white part. Dice the onion and add everything to the liquid. Cut the lemon and squeeze the juice into the liquid (keep the seeds out of the liquid). Add the bay leaf, peppercorns and parsley and bring to a simmer. Once the liquid comes to a simmer, turn off the heat. Cover with a lid and let steep for about 30 minutes. Strain the liquid and transfer to the fondue pot. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Once the court bouillon is prepared, then it can be used for a fondue, with the sides served alongside all of the cut meats and vegetables. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>PEACE.</b></p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-27671006150203830312023-12-22T12:51:00.000-05:002023-12-22T12:51:57.869-05:00Pad Kaprow<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWg0Wbf85-fMCTbaVExq-PNtljUGSzHzMFL5vzWPLQDi-g7s7TBuNE76MnMol9kFHbR_BagGXutpXNkog3hUHVEt9BS6Did1CfW7-LCZKsWSRkJ4u6uO0uiJt0IlQLoNO1DDpZcM9TjZlHQG0tsdVizUxqvFrA4iJpDiu-5XK9FDMymvQlghPYauqovL7k/s4080/PXL_20231112_225625484~2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWg0Wbf85-fMCTbaVExq-PNtljUGSzHzMFL5vzWPLQDi-g7s7TBuNE76MnMol9kFHbR_BagGXutpXNkog3hUHVEt9BS6Did1CfW7-LCZKsWSRkJ4u6uO0uiJt0IlQLoNO1DDpZcM9TjZlHQG0tsdVizUxqvFrA4iJpDiu-5XK9FDMymvQlghPYauqovL7k/s320/PXL_20231112_225625484~2.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My culinary journeys around the world have often led me to "national dishes." Generally speaking, these are meals that have a strong connection to a particular country. This connection may arise in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_dish" target="_blank">one of several ways</a>. It may involve an ingredient that is produced locally or prepared in way only done in that area. It may form part of a cultural tradition. Or, it may be actively promoted by a government as part of an effort to create a national identity. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Take, for example, the country of Thailand. At one point in its history, roughly corresponding to the beginning of World War II, the military dictatorship of Thailand promoted a national Thai identity. Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkram issued twelve (12) cultural mandates from 1939 to 1941. Each mandate set forth objectives for the people. For instance, the third cultural mandate -- <i>On referring to the Thai people</i> -- prohibited Thais from referring to themselves inconsistently based upon preferred group, region or religion (for example, don't refer to oneself as a southern Muslim Thai). It also required the people to refer to themselves as the Thai people. The fifth mandate also had multiple requirements, including <i>Thai people should make an effort to consume food made only from Thai products. </i>Such an edict is often said to be the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phat_kaphrao" target="_blank">basis for some of Thailand's national dishes</a>, such as Pad Thai and Pad Kaprow. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJy1yhbvCghHQKvNBxuBY_zGiIVXqTN9t15BxwFIsgZ1Uc5kEoDUpgYpaGyrAQc7Kg9tBV70qrMdVBiTIciHOUOpH27mrEJIzCsj8fettHRz4xXGM1JVxAYx8BYC7Sxp1Z0ocioW71jJi4rKuD_IYHdwTT27Yq98TG-AhoKsb5l5d1BiLZTVERp4v0Hnx/s1280/thai-basil-6.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJy1yhbvCghHQKvNBxuBY_zGiIVXqTN9t15BxwFIsgZ1Uc5kEoDUpgYpaGyrAQc7Kg9tBV70qrMdVBiTIciHOUOpH27mrEJIzCsj8fettHRz4xXGM1JVxAYx8BYC7Sxp1Z0ocioW71jJi4rKuD_IYHdwTT27Yq98TG-AhoKsb5l5d1BiLZTVERp4v0Hnx/s320/thai-basil-6.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thai Basil</td></tr></tbody></table>While Pad Thai is perhaps the most popular and well-known dish, Pad Kaprow comes in a close second. The name translates into basil stir fry. It is not just any basil, but Thai Basil (or Holy Basil) that makes this a Thai dish. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The history of this dish is a little unclear. The main ingredient -- Thai Basil -- had been introduced into Thailand centuries ago (approximately around 2,450 B.C.E. or 2,500 B.C.E.). Yet, the dish of stir frying basil with chicken (or other protein), chiles and other ingredients goes back only a few or several decades. Indeed, I could not find anything in my research that would enable me to trace this dish back to the time when Field Marshal Phibunsongkram was issuing his edicts. Then again, while there are a lot of articles about the greatness of Pad Kaprow, few of those articles actually delve into how the dish came into existence or how it has evolved over the years. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nevertheless, the research does point out a couple of key things about Pad Kaprow. First, the dish represents a Thai version of the five tastes: salty, sweet, sour, hot (spice) and bitter. (I have talked about the five tastes before, check out this <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2022/01/vietnamese-grilled-clams-with-oyster.html" target="_blank">post</a> and this <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2022/11/qiatou-yi-nen.html" target="_blank">post</a> for more.) One Thai chef, Chakkrit Chuma, once <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/27/competition-seeks-true-taste-of-thailands-national-dish" target="_blank">said</a> that Pad Kaprow or "Pad kaphrao has to be salty first, sweet after and then feeling hot and spicy in your mouth." Chef Chuma <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/27/competition-seeks-true-taste-of-thailands-national-dish" target="_blank">lamented</a> that "sometimes people just make it too spicy and you don't taste anything else." (The Chef also acknowledges that he uses <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/27/competition-seeks-true-taste-of-thailands-national-dish" target="_blank">seven chiles</a> in his recipe.) Second, Pad Kaprow is flexible when it comes to the protein. It is most commonly made with chicken -- Pad Kaprow Gai -- but it can also be made with beef, pork, vegetables and seafood. For this dish, I made it with turkey, because that is the only meat that my beautiful Angel will eat. Also, while many recipes used ground meat, I used turkey thighs because I think that the bite-sized pieces are better. (Also, the use of ground meat reminds me too much of <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2017/03/around-world-in-80-dishes-laos.html" target="_blank">laab</a> or larb, which is considered the national dish of neighboring Laos.) </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRbgxsVrdnM0Zkrrij4_qVMvxNzZuCTfhE11wzpN9xStNx0rGEYyIWlDvOykftCsK-NE_HRmxTL9Qfg8sWN47nsm-Ss6m4R2LJ0-SP069_D3_U-lY6MqJkuktoqkF4d3JmkXhSVv4ySjq5oMGmf6rQcQ5D8l-8Yu904qCmOIWSxY5s9u4RtkIwQdMAaR9b/s4080/PXL_20231112_225633965~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRbgxsVrdnM0Zkrrij4_qVMvxNzZuCTfhE11wzpN9xStNx0rGEYyIWlDvOykftCsK-NE_HRmxTL9Qfg8sWN47nsm-Ss6m4R2LJ0-SP069_D3_U-lY6MqJkuktoqkF4d3JmkXhSVv4ySjq5oMGmf6rQcQ5D8l-8Yu904qCmOIWSxY5s9u4RtkIwQdMAaR9b/s320/PXL_20231112_225633965~2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>PAD KAPROW</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Recipe from All Recipes</p><p style="text-align: center;">Serves 2</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>1/3 cup chicken broth</li><li>1 tablespoon oyster sauce</li><li>1 tablespoon soy sauce, or more as needed</li><li>2 teaspoons fish sauce</li><li>1 teaspoon white sugar</li><li>1 teaspoon brown sugar</li><li>2 tablespoons vegetable oil</li><li>1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped</li><li>1/4 cup shallots, sliced</li><li>4 garlic cloves, minced</li><li>2 tablespoons Thai chiles, minced or sliced</li><li>1 cup basil, thinly sliced</li><li>2 cups rice, cooked</li></ul><p></p><p><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Prepare the broth. </b>Whisk the chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, white sugar and brown sugar together until well blended. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Sauté the chicken.</b> Heat a large skillet over high heat. Drizzle in oil. Add chicken and stir fry until it loses its raw color, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in shallots, garlic and chiles. Continue cooking on high heat until some of the juices start to caramelize in the bottom of the pan, about 2 to 3 more minutes. Add a tablespoon of the sauce mixture to the skillet; cook and stir until the sauce begins to caramelize, about 1 minute. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Continue to cook the chicken. </b>Pour in the rest of the sauce. Cook and stir until the sauce has deglazed the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook until the sauce glazes onto the meat, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>4. Finish the dish. </b>Stir in basil. Cook and stir until the basil is wilted, about 20 seconds. Serve with rice. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>PEACE.</b></p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-66370334499700935002023-12-16T13:13:00.001-05:002023-12-16T13:16:38.034-05:00When Oysters Can't Sleep<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcrXRwmDUgur2kfFCn5wrQqTX-ucR6zS41cqInUxfzPGR-iM2ULrVmrUdQxJaazhsjzjEN7sOU0Ie-_yH7rTd9OV5333AEuiDfrV8eWdjUglW-WKL1vdnhqFcG-XtvzyUHi8oS1BljmqRj_J1401BQV9Zes3HWb0uKDeN7FFD-bsEomImuMGWNtipS7eb/s640/baltimores-inner-harbor-at-nighttime-v0-541tzp9li73b1.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcrXRwmDUgur2kfFCn5wrQqTX-ucR6zS41cqInUxfzPGR-iM2ULrVmrUdQxJaazhsjzjEN7sOU0Ie-_yH7rTd9OV5333AEuiDfrV8eWdjUglW-WKL1vdnhqFcG-XtvzyUHi8oS1BljmqRj_J1401BQV9Zes3HWb0uKDeN7FFD-bsEomImuMGWNtipS7eb/s320/baltimores-inner-harbor-at-nighttime-v0-541tzp9li73b1.webp" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>This appears to be the reason why oysters found in deep water are rather small; darkness hinders their growth, and their gloom robs them of appetite.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">-- Pliny the Elder<i> </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pliny's words may hold true for oysters that find themselves in the deep depths of water; but, what if oysters find themselves in a world of light. Does that mean that they will thrive and grow to be big and plump? Put another way, what if oysters are exposed to too much light? What happens in that case?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Those questions were tackled by researchers from the University of Bordeaux. Those researchers - Audrey Botte, Laura Payton and Damien Tran - published a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X23002813" target="_blank">study</a> in the <i>Marine Pollution Bulletin</i>. The researchers kept oysters in several tanks. They turned up the lights slowly to <a href="https://www.popsci.com/environment/oyster-light-pollution/" target="_blank">simulate the rising sun</a> and then kept the lights on as if it were daytime. They turned down the lights as the sun would set, but they did not turn them down all the way. Instead, they left a dim glow, which was supposed to simulate artificial light at night. After they concluded their study, they published their findings: </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="text-align: center;">Our results showed that ALAN [artificial light at night] disrupts the oyster's daily rhythm by increasing valve activity and annihilating day/night differences of expression of circadian clock and clock-associated genes.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="text-align: center;"><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So, too much light -- or too much <i>continuous </i>light -- has a negative effect upon oysters. The following graphic also demonstrates the researcher's findings:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJ7nKlxZM0aTtV4LmoHO7U36HgJBI8mu5FwwOt42hnHnJkC47r9L6gsH_AzzXXtDaEbplGB87S6y1SAivCn7Pb-8cYNdO3D3soPu6xIoIi9SPq9dh9K6dZ1Ma74QpAexi7-W3mn1SLztzzcvd-OmUauJp6XlPRwQIn7EXTiyH5nIIiQWBDZv_ZkYzspf5/s1160/1-s2.0-S0025326X23002813-ga1_lrg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="1160" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJ7nKlxZM0aTtV4LmoHO7U36HgJBI8mu5FwwOt42hnHnJkC47r9L6gsH_AzzXXtDaEbplGB87S6y1SAivCn7Pb-8cYNdO3D3soPu6xIoIi9SPq9dh9K6dZ1Ma74QpAexi7-W3mn1SLztzzcvd-OmUauJp6XlPRwQIn7EXTiyH5nIIiQWBDZv_ZkYzspf5/w585-h267/1-s2.0-S0025326X23002813-ga1_lrg.jpg" width="585" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Put simply, light pollution - especially light produced by cities during the night time - has an effect upon the daily lives of oysters. The impact upon the oysters' biological rhythms affects the bivalves' genes. Those genes are what turn on oysters during the day and turn them off at night. But, if there is continuous light, the oysters do not turn off. They don't sleep. They have insomnia. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The effects of insomnia upon people are well researched and documented. Generally, according to the <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355167" target="_blank">Mayo Clinic</a>, insomnia can cause physical, mental and emotional complications. People are less effective at what they do. One can surmise that insomnia could have equivalent effects upon oysters - making them less effective at what they do and perhaps even affecting how their internal systems operate. For people, the solution involves, in part, improvement in sleeping habits. Perhaps for oysters, the solution lies in improving their sleeping habits. That means turning off the lights. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">All of the discussion of oysters got me to thinking about my favorite oyster recipes. If I had to choose one recipe that, to date, is my favorite oyster recipe, it would be the following one. There is something about oysters and gazpacho that is the perfect combination, at least in my humble opinion.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE OYSTER RECIPE</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SOzql_SGe7M/WpNWAg5BnlI/AAAAAAAAZyA/XrBUw_uuOaczA-7XMSEsL14qWEFG1SxaQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180225_164804.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1224" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SOzql_SGe7M/WpNWAg5BnlI/AAAAAAAAZyA/XrBUw_uuOaczA-7XMSEsL14qWEFG1SxaQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20180225_164804.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2018/04/andalusian-inspired-oyster-shooters.html" target="_blank"><b><u>ANDALUSIAN-INSPIRED</u></b><b><u> OYSTER SHOOTERS</u></b></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">A <i>Chef Bolek</i> Original</div><div style="text-align: center;">Serves 4</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><b><i><u>Ingredients:</u></i></b></div><div><ul><li>1 pint of shucked oysters or 24 oysters shucked with liqueur reserved</li><li>1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped</li><li>1/2 red bell pepper, diced</li><li>1/2 cucumber, skinned, seeded, diced</li><li>1/2 jalapeno, skinned, seeded and diced</li><li>2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar</li><li>1 bunch of scallions, white parts and green parts thinly sliced</li><li>1/2 cup water</li><li>Kosher salt, to taste</li><li>Freshly ground black pepper, to taste</li></ul></div><div><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></div><div><b>1. Prepare the "gazpacho." </b>Place the tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, white wine vinegar, and jalapeno in a blender. Blend until the ingredients are liquified. Add salt and pepper to taste. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>2. Prepare the oysters. </b>If you buy a pint of oysters, remove the oysters and strain the liquid through cheesecloth. If you bought the oysters, shuck the oysters and reserve the liqueur.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>3. Finish the dish. </b>Stir the oyster liqueur into the "gazpacho." Place 1 or 2 oysters in the bottom of a shot glass, and 1-2 tablespoons of the "gazpacho." Garnish with the scallions. Serve immediately.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>OTHER DELICIOUS OYSTER DISHES TO TRY</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you are looking for other dishes that will make oysters lie awake at night, here are some recipes that I strongly recommend: </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2022/04/vietnamese-grilled-oysters.html" target="_blank"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2022/04/vietnamese-grilled-oysters.html" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimL-BYMnMhy8DfPdOvURyWbmnU6Kfc2vR-IQQDk2onhzOeisIexIo-DD80tquxwYSqpZTMiwPXxOyqo8e7NeXn0HJW4EgLYAVjBRaUsw3jX5-Olyl0abdST1QMTISr7JsBhXf-nLazfg1soySwomaMZdeBT-LDmtz0rzKfClf2DRfeeOehVQkbXNrQw_vq/s320/PXL_20211231_212501321.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="241" height="78" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimL-BYMnMhy8DfPdOvURyWbmnU6Kfc2vR-IQQDk2onhzOeisIexIo-DD80tquxwYSqpZTMiwPXxOyqo8e7NeXn0HJW4EgLYAVjBRaUsw3jX5-Olyl0abdST1QMTISr7JsBhXf-nLazfg1soySwomaMZdeBT-LDmtz0rzKfClf2DRfeeOehVQkbXNrQw_vq/w59-h78/PXL_20211231_212501321.jpg" width="59" /></a></div><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2022/04/vietnamese-grilled-oysters.html" target="_blank">Vietnamese Grilled Oysters:</a></u> This recipe presents grilled oysters with a topping that incorporates a perfect balance of the five tastes: spice, sour, salty, bitter and sweet.The chiles provided the spice. Lime juice perhaps contributes the sour or bitter flavors. Fish sauce definitely imbues a salty umami flavor and there can be no dispute that honey adds sweetness to the dish. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2022/03/oyster-ceviche.html" target="_blank"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2022/03/oyster-ceviche.html" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghC3IC2Pl_Z3Pt_LTVng-Y4_1xtlbW3xI3TA_QDRp4h5hWsZPhJ28Ph5eeGv0X2LZkzVLFAZ-QzA8XagYQq3c4I_o6stWJMG62cDTFPDas3nbHLbaaL-vKBKiePUjEUFvW6IKoQpA47qQYR9Ynl-spm7sfzBPZOG8rZ_NeV_0J4rGLqiWeZ4io0oRiMV1i/s320/PXL_20211211_225745535.PORTRAIT.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="241" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghC3IC2Pl_Z3Pt_LTVng-Y4_1xtlbW3xI3TA_QDRp4h5hWsZPhJ28Ph5eeGv0X2LZkzVLFAZ-QzA8XagYQq3c4I_o6stWJMG62cDTFPDas3nbHLbaaL-vKBKiePUjEUFvW6IKoQpA47qQYR9Ynl-spm7sfzBPZOG8rZ_NeV_0J4rGLqiWeZ4io0oRiMV1i/w57-h75/PXL_20211211_225745535.PORTRAIT.jpg" width="57" /></a></div><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2022/03/oyster-ceviche.html" target="_blank">Oyster Ceviche:</a></u> This recipe allows one to "cook" oysters in a different way, through the chemical reaction caused by the oysters marinating in citrus juice. That chemical reaction is also the common method of preparing ceviche, which is a well known dish throughout Latin America.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2017/04/oyster-shooters-with-tomato-lime-and.html" target="_blank"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2017/04/oyster-shooters-with-tomato-lime-and.html" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuIQwpiarNoXBN3RB1ZItyR7p5HKnbD4UCqUwOsP9w4PbLegJHnBsmToTs0pKlf1YbYQSY09OATzMLJtF4vHIkVIZ1v1z2ESKEHngpXTVRH17m6bTwqbOWGi_f2531jV_k9O1m1eMKhxsdH9KJjQAf5dmW8ZRIf-FeEMlU4tp7CyPzZhdNG1fpE4k7W39_/s1600/IMG_5673.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="82" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuIQwpiarNoXBN3RB1ZItyR7p5HKnbD4UCqUwOsP9w4PbLegJHnBsmToTs0pKlf1YbYQSY09OATzMLJtF4vHIkVIZ1v1z2ESKEHngpXTVRH17m6bTwqbOWGi_f2531jV_k9O1m1eMKhxsdH9KJjQAf5dmW8ZRIf-FeEMlU4tp7CyPzZhdNG1fpE4k7W39_/w55-h82/IMG_5673.JPG" width="55" /></a></div><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2017/04/oyster-shooters-with-tomato-lime-and.html" target="_blank">Oyster Shooters with Tomato, Lime and Chiles:</a></u> I called this recipe ever invented. That was back in 2017, which was one year before I discovered my Andalusian-Inspired Oyster Shooters recipe. Still, the combination of tomatoes, limes and chiles works well for a non-alcoholic oyster shooter. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-weight: bold;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ccHwDZG76umOoYs79OK8sphsRwbfVppxhWQZdY38WEDduHS4jIZV8s-o-qhs6I1PQnlh2Fa5R4grZro9isODA7NzS4JqxR-oKFhyS4HCr23v2sahRcIVarMd1mYYWKsEK25DLpi3jqPNM0ZMc_SE-ncvoQkON_dNzwZkut91hjYePNk0eIfFe4AyM05s/s320/IMG_20200621_132020.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ccHwDZG76umOoYs79OK8sphsRwbfVppxhWQZdY38WEDduHS4jIZV8s-o-qhs6I1PQnlh2Fa5R4grZro9isODA7NzS4JqxR-oKFhyS4HCr23v2sahRcIVarMd1mYYWKsEK25DLpi3jqPNM0ZMc_SE-ncvoQkON_dNzwZkut91hjYePNk0eIfFe4AyM05s/w53-h70/IMG_20200621_132020.jpg" width="53" /></a></div><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2020/07/oysters-rockefeller.html" target="_blank">Oysters Rockefeller:</a></u> No list of oyster dishes would seemingly be complete without a reference to Oysters Rockefeller. The dish that originated in New Orleans and whose original recipe is still a closely guarded secret. My first attempt at the dish was not bad, but the end result was very tasty.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">These are just some of the oyster recipes on this blog. If you want to see the other posts, just click on "Oysters" in the word cloud in "What's in my Fridge + Pantry." Until next time,</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>PEACE.</b> </div><p></p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-31339451288205666202023-12-08T12:06:00.000-05:002023-12-08T12:06:15.484-05:00Around the World in 80 Dishes: Argentina<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWlUK5wqLItl8ODybFYdbBtnH8GlcNquEnOIi9RLLPsyOkclDxXdfOh6f3zcRKAU7On3DgSj0QvZvNKxgaLap6onSOIvVODDqZTvu_1oYs6IGcWd4t_RLfx_HSk_ZIM_cB7qiJnKYOHjZnxK3oxb2cJseEE4NP2ys3VNi9F7NzvSS-hSrByfhWXdH6y8q/s4080/PXL_20230808_223346463.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWlUK5wqLItl8ODybFYdbBtnH8GlcNquEnOIi9RLLPsyOkclDxXdfOh6f3zcRKAU7On3DgSj0QvZvNKxgaLap6onSOIvVODDqZTvu_1oYs6IGcWd4t_RLfx_HSk_ZIM_cB7qiJnKYOHjZnxK3oxb2cJseEE4NP2ys3VNi9F7NzvSS-hSrByfhWXdH6y8q/s320/PXL_20230808_223346463.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The posts that I love the most during my Around the World in 80 Dishes culinary challenge are those that involve cooking meat. I am an unabashed carnivore and, to this date, one of my favorite challenges involved Uruguay. I had to prepare <i>Chivitos al Pan</i>, a sandwich that could clog an artery on its own. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I could truly feel at home in a large swath of South America - from Brazil to Uruguay and on to Argentina, where the cuisines are, to say the very least, meat-centric. For now, I will settle with my next personal culinary challenge, which requires me to make a main course from Argentina. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The cuisine of Argentina actually begins with the indigenous people of the Andes, as well as the Guarani. I have already some experience with Guarani cuisine from my challenge involving neighboring <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2011/04/around-world-in-80-dishes-paraguay.html" target="_blank">Paraguay</a>. These indigenous cultures contributed to Argentine cuisine through the use of potatoes, cassava, melons, peppers, squash, tomatoes, beans, quinoa and other native ingredients. These ingredients gave rise to dishes such aa, <a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/story/a-fantastic-journey-through-our-native-cuisine-gustar/rwUxxir9LW7jDw?hl=en" target="_blank">humita</a>, which is made after milling maize, and cooking processes like curanto, a method used by the <a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/story/a-fantastic-journey-through-our-native-cuisine-gustar/rwUxxir9LW7jDw?hl=en" target="_blank">Mapuche</a> to cook meat, vegetable or fruits over hot coals covered with linen or dry leaves.</div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The Spanish introduced cattle, goats and pigs during the colonial period, which became the foundation for the large cattle industry that has a prominent place in Argentine cuisine and culture. However, many of the cattle and horses escaped farms and ranches, finding independence in the countryside long before the people of what would become Argentina. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MbITIPrSl1qPQf1pQA1r1XQsFEqdSdoExM1_8YDG1b1cWKDLOhwGPG0z4D1dqaYNOag4VEX60AhNiVUTjgTwimdozzsFK__qgBrN_OdRKFbjjdx1hzqZMLpAEA26e2wMCChCgu7Q7cibNHXLWdawastGGd0uT_4y2RhEVNdjFq8gC_evkrmXgJaicBLh/s447/static1.squarespace_1.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="447" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MbITIPrSl1qPQf1pQA1r1XQsFEqdSdoExM1_8YDG1b1cWKDLOhwGPG0z4D1dqaYNOag4VEX60AhNiVUTjgTwimdozzsFK__qgBrN_OdRKFbjjdx1hzqZMLpAEA26e2wMCChCgu7Q7cibNHXLWdawastGGd0uT_4y2RhEVNdjFq8gC_evkrmXgJaicBLh/s320/static1.squarespace_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A historic photo of a gaucho <br />(Source: <a href="https://www.ranquilco.com/blog/gauchos-argentina" target="_blank">Estancia Ranquilco</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>As the cattle and horses roamed the plains, so did the gaucho. Some say the word "gaucho" comes from the Quecha word "<i><a href="https://www.ranquilco.com/blog/gauchos-argentina" target="_blank">huachu</a></i>," which means "orphan," or "homeless." Others say it comes from the Guarani word for "<a href="https://yerbamatero.com/blogs/history/what-is-a-gaucho-the-culture-and-history" target="_blank">drinker</a>." Either way, the etymology of "gaucho" sheds some light on the early history of the Gauchos. They were solitary horsemen, wandering the Pampas in search of wild cattle or horses. To be a gaucho was to be part of a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaucho" target="_blank">social class</a>, one that was, at least at first, viewed with disdain. The Spanish colonial authorities viewed gauchos as cattle thieves, robbers and smugglers. As someone else <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaucho">summarized</a> a gaucho: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>a colonial bootlegger whose business was contraband trade in cattle hides. His work was highly illegal; his character lamentably reprehensible; his social standing was exceedingly low.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Put simply, "gaucho" was an insult, often lobbed at people who lived in the countryside. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">All of that changed with the war for independence in 1810. As a Spanish general once <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaucho">described</a> the gauchos during the war: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The gauchos were men that knew the country, well mounted and armed.... They approached the troop with such confidence, relaxation and coolness that they caused great admiration among European military men, who were seeing for the first time these extraordinary horsemen whose excellent qualities for guerilla warfare and swift surprise they had to endure on many occasions.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The war saw gauchos go from being outcasts to revolutionary heroes. The gauchos continued to ply the plains after the war, hunting and trading while <a href="https://yerbamatero.com/blogs/history/what-is-a-gaucho-the-culture-and-history" target="_blank">living off</a> of the land. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Ultimately, capitalism was <a href="https://yerbamatero.com/blogs/history/what-is-a-gaucho-the-culture-and-history" target="_blank">able to accomplish</a> what Spanish generals could not. Private owners began acquiring the livestock that lived on the Pampas, along with fencing off the land into huge estates. As the fences went up, the area for the gauchos to roam shrank. Soon, they were not able to live off the land as they once were. "In one generation," it has been <a href="https://yerbamatero.com/blogs/history/what-is-a-gaucho-the-culture-and-history" target="_blank">observed</a>, "the free-spirited gaucho was forced to become a ranchhand." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4dAQZuvvX05Nwxfvlw6dxm5c7rELPzrcoa1KkZ4blc-B4luZ08WNoeX6jNs-JrpYG71l-RcOUo-ujxkusMpCFP_nrxF_q7bnzfr1M_bnshW0CMOsOF_yWl18m3B-C3f2ofmpcQCUwTkZQ0x6aA_KzLMdKv-YYS0xISBjuBu6u6YKAHp4EufQpOpSBkWEm/s790/EstanciaSantaCecilia790x351.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="790" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4dAQZuvvX05Nwxfvlw6dxm5c7rELPzrcoa1KkZ4blc-B4luZ08WNoeX6jNs-JrpYG71l-RcOUo-ujxkusMpCFP_nrxF_q7bnzfr1M_bnshW0CMOsOF_yWl18m3B-C3f2ofmpcQCUwTkZQ0x6aA_KzLMdKv-YYS0xISBjuBu6u6YKAHp4EufQpOpSBkWEm/w567-h252/EstanciaSantaCecilia790x351.webp" width="567" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modern day gauchos (Source: <a href="https://www.audleytravel.com/us/blog/2011/october/the-gaucho" target="_blank">Audley Travel</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>APPETIZER</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In honor of the gauchos, this particular Around the World in 80 Dishes challenge will feature meat ... and more meat. For an appetizer, I decided to make Choripan or, as the Argentinians call it, "<i>chori</i>." The origins of this dish can be traced to the <a href="http://alecocina.com/wp_alecocina/2021/01/28/argentinian-choripan/#:~:text=From%20what%20we%20know%2C%20the,of%20placing%20chorizo%20inside%20bread." target="_blank">gauchos</a>, who would grill chorizo - introduced to the region by the Spanish - over a fire in the countryside. Gauchos serve the grilled sausages with bread (pan) for <a href="https://gaucholife.com/blogs/grill/choripan-the-argentine-icon" target="_blank">convenience</a>. The dish made its way into the cities, where it is now a common street food that can be found at food stalls or <a href="https://vamospanish.com/discover/choripan-types-recipe-chorizo-sandwich-chimichurri/" target="_blank">football matches</a>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The recipe I found calls for the preparation of chimichurri as a condiment for the Choripan. The history of chimichurri is not very clear. Some historians have argued that gauchos created chimichurri to flavor the roasted meats. Others note that "chimichurri" is close to "<i><a href="https://www.gaucho-grills.com/blog/2016/12/15/the-origins-of-chimichurri-in-argentine-cuisine" target="_blank">tximitxurri</a></i>," which is Basque for "a mixture of several things in no particular order." It may even predate the Spanish, as the Quechua had a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20210531-chimichurri-the-argentinian-sauce-eaten-as-a-ritual" target="_blank">similar word</a> for a strong sauce that was used to preserve meats.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Argentinian government has noted the popularity of this dish, estimating that over <a href="https://elchori.com/asado-diaries/choripan-the-real-street-food-in-argentina/" target="_blank">500,000,000 choripan</a> are consumed each year. There is even a <a href="https://elchori.com/asado-diaries/choripan-the-real-street-food-in-argentina/" target="_blank">Choripan World Cup</a>, which is held annually in the city of Cordoba. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcIdGXGQe_kwLQgfP-1Qr4un1Mq1Am62_zEB_0rd9oKam_FhOKwpet8iBRSx2FqAhi_5SgJo1L3in8FrBinNj7Q3faXXIlqrXIMHovrNMlwqHmRLxWW1mFX8DOoMryZ0VygRwPCdb69UiWGcBk3MHD9PjtA4eMmoY0qB6yj508bncvy_v2oRy2VKL4Fx7/s4080/PXL_20230808_222030319.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcIdGXGQe_kwLQgfP-1Qr4un1Mq1Am62_zEB_0rd9oKam_FhOKwpet8iBRSx2FqAhi_5SgJo1L3in8FrBinNj7Q3faXXIlqrXIMHovrNMlwqHmRLxWW1mFX8DOoMryZ0VygRwPCdb69UiWGcBk3MHD9PjtA4eMmoY0qB6yj508bncvy_v2oRy2VKL4Fx7/s320/PXL_20230808_222030319.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>ARGENTINIAN-STYLE CHORIPAN</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Recipe from <a href="https://www.saveur.com/argentinian-style-choripan/" target="_blank">Saveur</a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Serves 4</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>4 fresh chorizo sausages, Argentinian style if possible</li><li>4 6-inch hero rolls, split length wise, connected on one side like a hinge</li><li>1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves</li><li>1/4 cup minced white onion</li><li>1 clove of garlic, grated using a microplane</li><li>1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons</li><li>3 tablespoons red wine vinegar</li><li>1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt</li><li>1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Prepare the choripan. </b>Preheat a grill over medium heat. Add the chorizo and let cook, turning occasionally with tongs as needed, until the sides are deeply seared and the center is fully cooked through. 30-35 minutes. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Prepare the chimichurri. </b> In a medium bowl, add the parsley, onion and garlic. Stir briefly to combine. Add the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, stirring well. Let rest for at least 15 minutes. (Chimichurri can be left out at room temperature for up to 12 hours before serving. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Finish the dish. </b>If desired, briefly warm the insides of the rolls over the grill. You can split the sausages lengthwise if desired as well. Place one cooked sausage into each roll. Slater one side of the roll and some of the sausage generously with chimichurri. Serve immediately. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>MAIN COURSE</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">A cornerstone of Argentine cuisine is asado, or the grilling of meats. The <i>Asador </i>- or cook - prepares the <i><a href="https://www.webstaurantstore.com/blog/4198/what-is-asado.html" target="_blank">parill</a>a</i>, which is the grill. There are two parts to this grill: one section that houses the charcoal and wood, and another that has the metal grill upon which the meat - known as <i>carne a la parilla</i> - will be cooked. The meat is primarily beef, but lamb, mutton or pork may also find themselves being seared on the grill. As for the <a href="https://www.webstaurantstore.com/blog/4198/what-is-asado.html" target="_blank">cuts or types</a>, one could find chorizo, morcilla (blood sausage), vacio (flank steak), bife ancho (ribeye steak) and lomo (tenderloin). </p><p style="text-align: justify;">However, for this culinary challenge, I will assume the role of <i>asador</i> and prepare tira de asado, which are short ribs and which happen to be one of the <a href="https://arecotradicion.com/en/noticias/the-asado-the-star-of-argentinian-gastronomy/#:~:text=The%20asado%20takes%20its%20origin,made%20from%20vacuno%20(beef)." target="_blank">more popular</a> cuts to grill. The short ribs are not the typical ones that I can find in grocery stores around me. Instead, the Argentinians have their own style, which is a flanken cut across a three or four bone plate. It took a little time, but I was able to find the cut online (as it is the same type of cut used for South Korean kalbi). </p><p style="text-align: justify;">One last thing, as with the choripan, this recipe called for the preparation of "traditional chimichurri." The recipe underscores one understanding about chimichurri: there are as many versions of the sauce as there are cooks, gauchos or asadors. This recipe does not use onions, as the chimichurri sauce for the choripan, but it does use crushed red pepper. These changes result in a slightly thinner sauce that has a much stronger kick. That is definitely more to my liking. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi009jyAImW7SPlukXTnz6ou7Xb4_Vq2cxIH_nzF9TtRTV6oJ6l9ZUBWCUbVLV1dWNRxrkpQVto5fbCMO_Xiap9MsHcGLS1VzEdqn7zY_6CwI-GQ88obvCXtBUVast8K8GoExDf6cKwsYW1RoicGFHJIXKoRdyHpjOnKGSvJO-KnYA3OWrD5k0vbxQpJ1QO/s4080/PXL_20230808_223324938.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi009jyAImW7SPlukXTnz6ou7Xb4_Vq2cxIH_nzF9TtRTV6oJ6l9ZUBWCUbVLV1dWNRxrkpQVto5fbCMO_Xiap9MsHcGLS1VzEdqn7zY_6CwI-GQ88obvCXtBUVast8K8GoExDf6cKwsYW1RoicGFHJIXKoRdyHpjOnKGSvJO-KnYA3OWrD5k0vbxQpJ1QO/s320/PXL_20230808_223324938.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>TIRA DE ASADO WITH TRADITIONAL CHIMICHURRI</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Recipe for the ribs from <a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/tira-de-asado-argentinean-grilled-beef-short-ribs" target="_blank">Food and Wine</a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Recipe for the chimichurri from <a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/traditional-chimichurri" target="_blank">Food and Wine</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients (for the short ribs):</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>3.5 pounds of flanken cut, 3 bone beef short ribs</li><li>1.5 tablespoons coarse sea salt</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients (for the chimichurri):</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p></p><p></p><ul><li>1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley</li><li>3 tablespoons red wine vinegar</li><li>4 large garlic cloves, minced</li><li>2 tablespoons oregano leaves</li><li>2 teaspoons crushed red pepper</li><li>Kosher salt</li><li>Freshly ground black pepper</li><li>1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil</li></ul><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Prepare the chimichurri. </b>In a food processor, combine the parsley, vinegar, garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and pour the olive oil over the mixture. Let stand for 20 minutes.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Grill the beef ribs. </b>Preheat the grill (preferably a wood fire) to medium high (400 degrees Fahrenheit to 450 degrees Fahrenheit). Pat the ribs dry with paper towels. Sprinkle all sides of ribs evenly with salt, pressing salt into meat and rubbing it on bones. Arrange the ribs diagonally, spaced 1 inch apart on lightly oiled grates. Grill uncovered and undisturbed until bottoms of ribs are browned and release from grates, about 4 to 6 minutes. Flip ribs, and continue to grill uncovered until browned and a thermometer near the bone but not touching it registers 130 degrees Fahrenheit, about 2 to 4 minutes. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Finish the dish. </b>Serve the ribs whole, or if serving with an assortment of meats for a larger group, cut each rib into thirds on the diagonal. Serve with chimichurri.</p><p style="text-align: center;">* * *</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the end, this challenge satisfied my inner carnivore. Any grilling challenge almost inevitably ends up in the top few of my most favorite challenges. I may not have been out in the middle of nowhere in the Pampas, but from my suburban backyard, I could at least spend a couple of hours as an Asador or a Gaucho. Until next time ...</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>PEACE.</b></p></div>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-81898358916343978872023-12-01T12:28:00.004-05:002023-12-01T12:37:19.770-05:00Qidreh<p style="text-align: justify;"><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgea44O7EjIhq30n5sZa9o45tb8GXCHQuqa1krjceIRp0lGsQZSc8HQCvSewwLjc2UYkiO0sG-XaV354g-vKT7SxAml4fs1gZQH-Xd6knuA6DLx-Ir95elvw8OgRB4DCfT-bXvRqFr5ZoQY57HR08mt9j5QUJTi5uLW6_T0akNv17x52EEDNMLrU4_GDnfJ/s4080/PXL_20231105_213844981.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgea44O7EjIhq30n5sZa9o45tb8GXCHQuqa1krjceIRp0lGsQZSc8HQCvSewwLjc2UYkiO0sG-XaV354g-vKT7SxAml4fs1gZQH-Xd6knuA6DLx-Ir95elvw8OgRB4DCfT-bXvRqFr5ZoQY57HR08mt9j5QUJTi5uLW6_T0akNv17x52EEDNMLrU4_GDnfJ/s320/PXL_20231105_213844981.jpg" width="241" /></a></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-style: italic;">"Under international law, the responsibility for protecting civilians in conflict falls on the belligerents. Under military occupation, the responsibility for the welfare of the population falls upon the occupiers." </i>-- Kofi Annan</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the days and weeks following the October 7, 2023 barbaric attacks by Hamas against Israelis and foreigners, Israel proceeded to impose a complete blockade and then inflict a relentless military campaign upon the Gaza strip. Israel directed its self defense not simply toward Hamas, but also at more than two million Palestinians who live in Gaza. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Israel's response has resulted in unimaginable suffering for those innocent people, who saw food stores run out, clean water run dry, and medical supplies become scarce. Supporters of Israel's strategy blamed all of the Palestinians' suffering on Hamas (or worse, they equated innocent Palestinian people with Hamas). The terrorist organization had control over Gaza since 2006 and which, during that time, entrenched itself amongst the civilians. The innocent Palestinians became the human shield of Hamas. Yet, Israel nevertheless chose to drop bombs and shoot missiles at that shield. The Palestinian people are caught between two warring sides, with indefensible losses of life and indescribable suffering. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">As I watched the unfolding events, a profound sadness overwhelmed me for the everyday Palestinian people. Those individuals who were just trying to make a life for themselves and their families, overcoming obstacles and shouldering burdens imposed upon them because of who they are and where they lived, not for what they have done. I have explored Palestinian culture and cuisine, with its <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2023/11/zibdiyit-gambari-spicy-shrimp-and.html" target="_blank">ties to the sea</a> and <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2023/11/gazan-dagga.html" target="_blank">its roots in the ground</a>. Now, in this post, I take a step back, because the situation has become much more dire for the everyday Palestinian people and their future in Gaza.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">While everyone focuses upon the savagery of Hamas' central tenet (that is, the eradication of the Jewish people living in Israel or Palestine), there have been many statements by officials of the Israeli government that suggest the same outcome for the Palestinian people living in Gaza. These statements include, but are not limited to: </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>October 9, 2023: Israel's Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, stated, "we are fighting <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/15/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-war-rhetoric.html" target="_blank">human animals</a> and we will act accordingly."</li><li>October 10, 2023: Israeli Army spokesperson says the emphasis is on <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/10/right-now-it-is-one-day-at-a-time-life-on-israels-frontline-with-gaza" target="_blank">damage</a>, not precision.</li><li>October 28, 2023: Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu invokes the biblical passages about <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/11/benjamin-netanyahu-amalek-israel-palestine-gaza-saul-samuel-old-testament/#:~:text=%E2%80%9C'I%20will%20punish%20the%20Amalekites,%2C%20camels%20and%20donkeys.'%E2%80%9D" target="_blank">Amalek</a>, in which the prophet Samuel conveys God's command to King Saul that the Hebrew people "punish the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them," adding "do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys." </li><li>November 13, 2023: Israel's Agricultural Minister, Avi Dichter, described the current war as "<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gaza-nakba-israels-far-right-palestinian-fears-hamas-war-rcna123909" target="_blank">Gaza's Nakba</a>," which is a reference to the original Nakba that resulted in the displacement of over 700,000 Palestinians when the State of Israel was created in 1948 (many of whom fled to Gaza).</li><li>November 14, 2023: Israel's Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, called for the <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/14/israeli-minister-supports-voluntary-migration-of-palestinians-in-gaza" target="_blank">voluntary migration</a> of the Palestinian people out of Gaza, claiming it was the right humanitarian solution to do (it is also the first and principal step toward ethnic cleansing). </li><li>November 17, 2023: The Deputy Speaker of Israel's Knesset, Nissim Vaturi, stated that, "We are too humane. <a href="https://www.palestinechronicle.com/we-are-too-humane-burn-gaza-now-knesset-deputy-speaker/" target="_blank">Burn Gaza</a> now no less."</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Statements like those set forth above suggest an objective that involves far more than simply eradicating Hamas. They are opening a door to take action against the Palestinian people who live in Gaza, forcing them to flee their homes in what could become another Nakba. (The original Nakba refers to the dislocation of Palestinians when Israel was established.) Israel's "self-defense" appears to involve little differentiation between everyday Palestinians and Hamas fighters, as evidenced by block after block of destroyed buildings, the targeting and destroying of civilian infrastructure, and the devastating boycott, denying <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">the people</u> of Gaza the very things they need to survive (like food, water, medical supplies, and fuel).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7A7mTdyCZwimwynOFkJlmu1wJQREiwvgIz3Yh8AD33ofnvaBbE8I4vki8CCQGRXRiVnAX7XETmBGBb6SSf5HoiiaSTydtsll78DoSwC5wzskGjG1X8P2IC1NmJB143XHr3O-thpV05yfjsiU6DMZ88RiJS96xdVbkB7pR1q4kBJJvzlq_xdE2SD9B9u5/s1920/MicrosoftTeams-image%20(59).png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7A7mTdyCZwimwynOFkJlmu1wJQREiwvgIz3Yh8AD33ofnvaBbE8I4vki8CCQGRXRiVnAX7XETmBGBb6SSf5HoiiaSTydtsll78DoSwC5wzskGjG1X8P2IC1NmJB143XHr3O-thpV05yfjsiU6DMZ88RiJS96xdVbkB7pR1q4kBJJvzlq_xdE2SD9B9u5/w610-h343/MicrosoftTeams-image%20(59).png" width="610" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.newarab.com/opinion/gaza-israel-has-been-planning-second-nakba-decades" target="_blank">Two pictures</a>: (L) Palestinians fleeing during the Nakba in 1948 and<br />(R) Palestinians fleeing the current conflict. </td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Accountability for the above is deflected by a range of defenses. For example, the death toll of Gazans is often discounted as Hamas propaganda. More disturbingly, those who challenge Israel's "self-defense," are labelled as anti-Semitic. The calls upon Israel to international law and refrain from imposing collective punishment upon the Gazan people supposedly become anti-Semitic because it is believed that the challengers have not held other countries to such standards (regardless of whether that is true or not). Simply put, it is not anti-Semitic at this present moment in time to call upon people to be not only human, but humane. Our history should shape our future, where everyone on both sides learns from our prior failings and mistakes in order to prevent us from repeating them, time and again. One should not use the failings of the past as a defense to the failures of the present. We need to call out violations of human rights and international, calling for their cessation and remediation. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I have been doing so in my own small way, by focusing on the Palestinians as a people. I wanted to do what I could to restore their humanity by recognizing their struggles while learning about their culture and cuisine. That cuisine can be best summarized by a headline to an article that I read: <i>Dill, Fish and Resilience: The Holy Trinity of Gazan Cuisine</i>. To be honest, I don't cook with a lot of dill because it is not my favorite herb. Yet, many of the recipes that I reviewed included dill, and a lot of it. Dill can be found in salads, seafood dishes, soups and stews. As one put it, dill "is the <a href="https://tastecooking.com/dill-fish-resilience-holy-trinity-gazan-cuisine/" target="_blank">smell of Gaza</a>." Where the French have mirepoix and the Spanish have sofrito, the use of dill, in combination with chiles and garlic, provides a <a href="https://tastecooking.com/dill-fish-resilience-holy-trinity-gazan-cuisine/" target="_blank">base</a> for much of Gazan cooking. The other key element of Gazan cuisine, as it is for all Palestinian cuisine, is olive oil. The olive tree has an <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/03/20/174835801/recipes-not-rockets-cookbook-offers-new-lens-on-gaza" target="_blank">especially important place</a> in Palestinian cooking. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Yet, Palestinian cuisine also includes some more intangible ingredients. One of which is generosity. It features itself not only in the dishes, but also in the offering of food to others, especially those who are less fortunate. (Given the Palestinians' plight, that is really saying something.)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCI-6WTVnAxB7GqpOyN77C5VpS1mH7t6fP3recPAGw_m8BiTvbJ5kVkLVEIWmnP1Vl86bUKr1bOR8rHo_W4ZkuoXVPggOmgusE1hVrav3QrrR8I0TGQg4AvckuHc2hlt7IttJ4WK3tZgVDJAQQ3WSUHIMrIiOBHEPMkNFQPKE8vKA8L1k8T0OhlPOjwmG/s670/2577946-1140646591.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="670" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCI-6WTVnAxB7GqpOyN77C5VpS1mH7t6fP3recPAGw_m8BiTvbJ5kVkLVEIWmnP1Vl86bUKr1bOR8rHo_W4ZkuoXVPggOmgusE1hVrav3QrrR8I0TGQg4AvckuHc2hlt7IttJ4WK3tZgVDJAQQ3WSUHIMrIiOBHEPMkNFQPKE8vKA8L1k8T0OhlPOjwmG/w587-h347/2577946-1140646591.jpg" width="587" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whalid Al-Hattab serves Jarisha to his poor neighbors. Source: <a href="https://www.arabnews.com/node/1844536/middle-east" target="_blank">Arab News</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">The other intangible ingredient to Gazan cuisine is resilience. When one talks of food in Gaza, the discussion often gets intertwined is Israel's blockade of the territory. This blockade predated the events of October 7, 2023; and, its imposition has bordered on not just inhumane, but also irrational. At various points in time, <a href="https://tastecooking.com/dill-fish-resilience-holy-trinity-gazan-cuisine/" target="_blank">basic food items</a> -- such as pasta, lentil and coffee -- have been denied to the Gazan people by Israel. Indeed, even <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/israels-ban-on-crayons_b_217215" target="_blank">crayons</a> were once blocked from entry into Gaza. The arbitrary denial of food and ingredients has had a negative impact upon not just the cuisine, but the every day meals for Gazans. Yet, Gazans continue to prepare dishes with what they have, and continue to share those dishes with the have-nots. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The dish of Qidreh is not Gazan in origin, unlike <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2023/11/zibdiyit-gambari-spicy-shrimp-and.html" target="_blank">Zibdiyet Gambari</a> or <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2023/11/gazan-dagga.html" target="_blank">Gazan Dagga</a>. Its origins lie in the West Bank city of Hebron. Qidreh actually refers to the copper pot used to prepare the meal. However, like most recipes, there are regional versions of Qidreh. For example, cooks in Jerusalem add chickpeas to the rice. Gazan cooks use much more garlic and a range of spices. I selected a recipe that draws not only from the traditional Hebron dish, but includes the chickpeas from Jerusalem and enough spices to make me believe that there is a nod to Gaza in the meal. The one variation on the recipe is that, rather than using a seven spice blend like Baharat, I used the Palestinian Nine Spice blend. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I don't know what the future holds for Palestinians in Gaza (or the West Bank), but, if the past is any indication, it is not a good one. As long as far-right governments control the Israeli government, as long as extremist settlers wage violence upon Palestinian communities in the name of a greater Israel, the risk that a people, along with its culture and cuisine, may become endangered. All because of an inability or unwillingness to differentiate between those who wage terror and those who face terror.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iUFHtc4qwz8nfx6bq2ql8TljzcehHLsCiLOa_4krIZsqhDS9dJucZwM8FQXgfTiYM4KAeZVEH6eidX_vPQ-fUreJVrAGJJ7SUFH40bX-EU3sPkR09exuAxSAAmJOX6MICV4nEntqOZHnjr6cRomQncDWFEo6_sV8ZwdEHfp-_Fdx9Q4UwH5OxbXefmEd/s4080/PXL_20231105_213844559.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iUFHtc4qwz8nfx6bq2ql8TljzcehHLsCiLOa_4krIZsqhDS9dJucZwM8FQXgfTiYM4KAeZVEH6eidX_vPQ-fUreJVrAGJJ7SUFH40bX-EU3sPkR09exuAxSAAmJOX6MICV4nEntqOZHnjr6cRomQncDWFEo6_sV8ZwdEHfp-_Fdx9Q4UwH5OxbXefmEd/s320/PXL_20231105_213844559.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>QIDREH</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Recipe from <a href="https://www.fufuskitchen.com/qidreh/" target="_blank">Fufu's Kitchen</a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Serves 5</p><p><b><i><u>Ingredients (for the lamb):</u></i></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>12 cuts of medium sized lamb (preferably lamb shoulder)</li><li>2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil</li><li>1 tablespoons salt</li><li>1 tablespoon ground allspice</li><li>Boiling water</li><li>1/2 teaspoon turmeric</li><li>1/2 teaspoon garlic powder </li><li>1 onion, quartered</li><li>4 bay leaves</li><li>4 cardamom pods</li><li>2 garlic cloves</li><li>1 cinnamon stick</li></ul><p></p><p><b><i><u>Ingredients (for the rice):</u></i></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil</li><li>1 yellow onion, chopped</li><li>20 garlic cloves, halved</li><li>1/2 teaspoon ground cumin</li><li>1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder</li><li>1 teaspoon seven spice (or <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2021/07/around-world-in-80-dishes-special.html" target="_blank">Palestinian Nine Spice</a>)</li><li>1 teaspoon salt</li><li>2 cups basmati rice</li><li>15 ounces chickpeas, drained</li></ul><p></p><p><b><i><u>Ingredients (for the garnish):</u></i></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>1/3 cup slivered almonds or pine nuts</li><li>1 tablespoon ghee</li></ul><p></p><p><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Brown the lamb. </b>Rinse the lamb pieces thoroughly under cold water and trim excess fat if necessary. Pat the lamb dry. In a large pot, add the olive oil on medium heat allowing for it to warm up. Once the oil is hot, add the lamb pieces and sear for 4 minutes each side to achieve a light browning. Season with half of the salt, pepper, and all spice from the ingredient list. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Prepare to stew the lamb. </b>Add enough boiling water to cover 2 inches over the lamb. Let this simmer covered for about 30 minutes. If residue rises to the top, skim it off. At this point add the rest of the seasonings and components on the ingredient list for the lamb. Allow to simmer for another 1.5 hours on low to medium heat. Once the time has passed, check the tenderness of the meat. Depending on cut and size, it may need more time but should be ready. take out the lamb pieces through a strainer on top of a bowl and reserve the lamb broth.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Prepare the rice. </b>Wipe the same pot used to cook the lamb and add the olive oil with the onions. Sauté until fragrant, which is about 5 to 8 minutes and then add the garlic and saute for another 5 minutes. Season with all of the spices in the rice list and add the rice and chickpeas to this as well. Give it a nice stir so that everything is coated. Take a majority of the rice out and put on a plate to the side. Leave a layer of rice in the pot and top it with half of the lamb pieces and then add the remaining rice and top of the remaining lamb. Add enough lamb broth to cover the rice 1 inch over. Put a heat proof plate that fits on top of the pot. Store extra broth in a container to use for other purposes.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>4. Cook the rice. </b>Cook the rice covered with a lid for about 20 to 25 minutes on low to medium heat making sure not to scorch the bottom of the pot. Once the liquid is evaporated and the rice is cooked through, turn off the heat. allow for the rice to stay in the steam for another 5-10 minutes before serving on a platter of your choice.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>5. Finish the dish. </b>Top with toasted slivered almonds and/or pine nuts in ghee. Enjoy with a refreshing salad and plain yogurt. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>PEACE. </b></p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-74006936563880247902023-11-16T16:05:00.003-05:002023-11-16T16:25:19.151-05:00Gazan Dagga<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCe0MlvlQ-b268F_Tr9kYRGlWqr8fdErH39W0gtFE3_IvE6XDGmJ19p9O2a1GuudU3pLkenfnLFQlsVNEN9DtVBl17YHmPLg741Xad11i8x6D8JBoFfWPJjAVqY1nCKDtppjCj9BaV3NJ4CJPruWqWlXu9tMiHiEAqslATxzEK-d2GfLei3bLLxFZc9b_5/s4080/PXL_20231105_165229860.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCe0MlvlQ-b268F_Tr9kYRGlWqr8fdErH39W0gtFE3_IvE6XDGmJ19p9O2a1GuudU3pLkenfnLFQlsVNEN9DtVBl17YHmPLg741Xad11i8x6D8JBoFfWPJjAVqY1nCKDtppjCj9BaV3NJ4CJPruWqWlXu9tMiHiEAqslATxzEK-d2GfLei3bLLxFZc9b_5/s320/PXL_20231105_165229860.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"We are so proud that we can feed our families fresh, natural food and that we can finally see our business bloom like our vegetables. -- </i><a href="https://www.anera.org/stories/gaza-farmers-generate-income-selling-produce-local-markets/#:~:text=Farmers%20like%20Abu%20Riyad%20smile,selling%20to%20the%20market%20traders." target="_blank">Abu Riyad</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As the Hamas-Israeli war wages on, I cannot help but think about the people caught in the middle. I think about the Israeli hostages who are being held by Hamas within the Gaza Strip. I think about the people who were visiting the strip when the hostilities broke out. And, I think about the Palestinian people who call the Gaza Strip their home. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">These Palestinians (who I will sometimes refer to as Gazans) are caught between two warring sides, both of which have dehumanized them. On the one hand, Hamas uses the Gazans as human shields, placing them between Hamas soldiers and Israeli missiles. On the other hand, the Israeli government knows that the Gazans are being used as human shields and the Israeli government fires the rockets anyways. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While Israel has a right to defend itself against Hamas's barbaric attacks, I believe that a self-defense that disproportionately affects innocent the Palestinian civilian population, or that imposes a collective punishment on the Gaza population, is ethically and morally wrong. As I have watched the armchair commentariat on social media, I also find myself repulsed by people who conflate the Palestinian population of Gaza with Hamas. This conflation has inspired me to learn more about the everyday Palestinians who live in Gaza, as well as their culture and cuisine. As with my earlier post about <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2023/11/zibdiyit-gambari-spicy-shrimp-and.html" target="_blank">Zibdiyet Gambari</a>, and my Beyond Borders project generally, my goal is to restore some of the humanity that has been taken away from these people. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Once again, I go back in time, to a period when Gaza was a thriving region. Agriculture played an <a href="https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/gdsapp2015d1_en.pdf" target="_blank">important role</a>. Back in the 1960s, farmers in Gaza were able to grow and <a href="https://remix.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/gaza-lives-on.html#/6" target="_blank">export</a> produce such clementines, grapefruit, lemons and oranges. The cultivation and production of citrus constituted nearly thirty-five percent (35%) of the Gazan workforce in the 1960s. If someone took the time to <a href="https://remix.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/gaza-lives-on.html#/6" target="_blank">listen</a>, they would hear Palestinians fondly remember those times. Not only was citrus critical to the economy, but also to the culture. There are over <a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20211130-the-lost-orchard-the-palestinian-arab-citrus-industry-1850-1950/">sixty-seven (67) references</a> to oranges in the works of Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kFqf9IrJQTC8IbXZQ9lhZSi76PJrhvMaU0jufhX3eV0lDZ0MNmysTJd4-63JkdgLvFuC4fGVCUeUWSrYI7Jd1vYGeKeq7a8LREli3naID-hC5qstmVAEoctgRKTEDK1Kg8Wa1pVwLPsAqRuBKT2YYTzkQM4Cya1r49KVp2dB06aPh2qIIMSuNyFwXI7D/s1200/2016_12_12-citrus-fruit-harvest-in-Gaza-12.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kFqf9IrJQTC8IbXZQ9lhZSi76PJrhvMaU0jufhX3eV0lDZ0MNmysTJd4-63JkdgLvFuC4fGVCUeUWSrYI7Jd1vYGeKeq7a8LREli3naID-hC5qstmVAEoctgRKTEDK1Kg8Wa1pVwLPsAqRuBKT2YYTzkQM4Cya1r49KVp2dB06aPh2qIIMSuNyFwXI7D/w585-h389/2016_12_12-citrus-fruit-harvest-in-Gaza-12.jpg" width="585" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picking oranges in Gaza. Source: <a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20161213-gaza-seeks-self-sufficiency-in-citrus-fruits/" target="_blank">Middle East Monitor</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Everything changed with the Israeli occupation of Gaza after the 1967 war. The Israeli government coerced Gazan farmers to<a href="https://ps.boell.org/en/2021/08/19/agriculture-palestine" target="_blank"> shift production</a> from citrus to other crops, such as strawberries and flowers, for international markets. Over time, the Israeli government took more direct acts of interference. For example, in the 1990s, the Israeli government began to <a href="https://jewishcurrents.org/the-ecological-war-on-gaza" target="_blank">bulldoze orange groves</a>, claiming that they were being used as <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-mar-10-fg-orange10-story.html" target="_blank">shelters for terrorists</a>. These actions contributed to the end of the citrus industry in Gaza.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">However, things got worse for Gazan agriculture. As the Israeli Defense Forces left Gaza in 2005, Israel created "<a href="https://www.ochaopt.org/sites/default/files/ocha_opt_gaza_ara_factsheet_july_2013_english.pdf" target="_blank">Access Restricted Areas</a>." Those areas were not created on Israeli land, but using some of the 140 square miles of the Gaza strip. The ARA extended 300 meters from a perimeter fence built by Israel, which deprived Gazans from approximately 35% of their farming land (and 17% of the entire Gaza Strip). Palestinians who maintained farms just beyond the ARA were also affected. It has been <a href="https://forensic-architecture.org/investigation/herbicidal-warfare-in-gaza" target="_blank">well documented</a> that the Israeli government has sprayed herbicides in the ARA that have been lethal to the crops of Palestinian farmers. The loss of crops has been significant for Palestinians. They estimate that, between 2014 to 2019, the <a href="https://jewishcurrents.org/the-ecological-war-on-gaza" target="_blank">loss</a> was between $140,000 to $280,000.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Notwithstanding all of these obstacles, there are stories that illustrate the resilience of the Palestinians who live in Gaza. Take, for example, farmer Abu Riyad, who lost all of his crops in 2014 due to the violence. The not-for-profit, Anera, <a href="https://www.anera.org/stories/gaza-farmers-generate-income-selling-produce-local-markets/#:~:text=Farmers%20like%20Abu%20Riyad%20smile,selling%20to%20the%20market%20traders." target="_blank">worked with farmers</a> like Riyad to restore farmland that was either damaged by war or left fallow because of a lack of resources to farm it. Riyad is able to not only grow vegetables and other produce to feed his family, but to also sell it at a farmers' market in Khan Yunis.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqOkU9mq7I1eCcsNtngQyE72FzdqoTOqK_3GXtFcIILpdlGT4R29oVPwz9-IJcgIIsUW8MrsH5hdpG_-wphqC-hJHwlEbV-BYSfbsoGlc-McXnsDA_Xco465Ylw0Fsf_dU6zF2W0WfpZn6wBfIoh9vdsbQUfml7_pifon65c600HUuBSep5KXq2QLrdD1/s1024/gazafarm1-1024x678.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="1024" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqOkU9mq7I1eCcsNtngQyE72FzdqoTOqK_3GXtFcIILpdlGT4R29oVPwz9-IJcgIIsUW8MrsH5hdpG_-wphqC-hJHwlEbV-BYSfbsoGlc-McXnsDA_Xco465Ylw0Fsf_dU6zF2W0WfpZn6wBfIoh9vdsbQUfml7_pifon65c600HUuBSep5KXq2QLrdD1/w581-h385/gazafarm1-1024x678.jpg" width="581" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abu Riyad with his new farm. Source: <a href="https://www.anera.org/stories/gaza-farmers-generate-income-selling-produce-local-markets/#:~:text=Farmers%20like%20Abu%20Riyad%20smile,selling%20to%20the%20market%20traders." target="_blank">Anera</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">There are more stories like the one involving Riyad. Back in May 2021, the Israeli government engaged in sustained bombing of the Gaza strip. That bombing damaged <a href="https://www.fao.org/agroecology/database/detail/en/c/1457543/" target="_blank">over fifty percent (50%)</a> of the farms owned by Palestinian women. With outside assistance, these farmers were able to rebuild with new machinery, new livestock and other resources. These farmers have also given back, <a href="https://sustain.org.au/projects/rebuilding-women-owned-farms-in-gaza/" target="_blank">creating a program</a> to provide food to families in need. Even as they make recoveries, they still have to deal with adversity, including another sustained bombing campaign by Israel in May 2023. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Now, with Israel's sustained campaign after Hamas' October 7 attack, farmers must again deal with the inability to maintain their farms. Only this time it is worse: the farmers are suffering from the collective punishment imposed by Israel, which includes a complete blockade, the civilian infrastructure (including the water infrastructure), and large numbers of deaths, injuries and displacement. The resilience that defines the Palestinian spirit, as demonstrated by their ability to not only rebuild their farms but to also help their communities, will truly be tested in the coming days and months.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqb-_OebrtwPSg9WfWYWp00WlhzrXoZmBrpnVN9lBc5BHwhXzzQsQEL4vtdpUpnWdS7dfJ2IqhOpb_RXVU_iNYTftuTPZuUldqG-tog5rU_xP__OnGJkZQRvomfPyRHc8QoDQsB4d0eIcZEThG82J-1Wl8IL9nADRNwvMI5-7k3x1JKjEmao5Y33RNN8wi/s4080/PXL_20231105_165156449.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqb-_OebrtwPSg9WfWYWp00WlhzrXoZmBrpnVN9lBc5BHwhXzzQsQEL4vtdpUpnWdS7dfJ2IqhOpb_RXVU_iNYTftuTPZuUldqG-tog5rU_xP__OnGJkZQRvomfPyRHc8QoDQsB4d0eIcZEThG82J-1Wl8IL9nADRNwvMI5-7k3x1JKjEmao5Y33RNN8wi/s320/PXL_20231105_165156449.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>GAZAN DAGGA</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Recipe from <a href="https://chefindisguise.com/2014/07/30/gazan-dagga-hot-tomato-dill-salsa-arabicflavor/" target="_blank">Chef in Disguise</a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Serves 4</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>1/2 teaspoon salt</li><li>1 small onion, chopped</li><li>2 hot chile peppers, roughly chopped</li><li>1 cup fresh dill, minced, or 1 teaspoon of dill seeds</li><li>2 very rip tomatoes, chopped</li><li>1-2 tablespoons lemon juice</li><li>2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Prepare a paste. </b>In a Gazan clay bowl or zibdiya (or a mortar), mash the onion and salt into a paste using a pestle. Add the chiles and continue to crush. Add half the dill (if using fresh dill) or all of the dill seeds and crush them to release their oils. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Add the tomatoes. </b>Add the tomatoes, and mash. You can make the salsa as sooth or as chunky as you would like. If using fresh dill, add the other half along with the lemon juice and toss. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Finish the dish. </b>Toss generously with olive oil. Serve with flat bread on the side for dipping. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>PEACE.</b></p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-29318310330014422752023-11-06T12:20:00.000-05:002023-11-06T12:20:04.749-05:00Zibdiyit Gambari (Spicy Shrimp and Tomato Stew)<p style="text-align: justify;"><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2G1KxVpWjpOoIHLs-ZcqSZOQ09FxONfcqX_ddvBzOanYQ4ChWH0pw1zFxhCHqk6N_8RYs92XyXlXqJLje5kma9bTFktYUQ5KjyQluqUowx-EvOrk_OLPAktHMTMfBkDQAMOpByrdYVql_t0KV2aoV6ou8kB9qnmEmvX-zblYEhE2P3F4CeFNB1D2Qu3U/s4080/PXL_20231105_224137281~2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2G1KxVpWjpOoIHLs-ZcqSZOQ09FxONfcqX_ddvBzOanYQ4ChWH0pw1zFxhCHqk6N_8RYs92XyXlXqJLje5kma9bTFktYUQ5KjyQluqUowx-EvOrk_OLPAktHMTMfBkDQAMOpByrdYVql_t0KV2aoV6ou8kB9qnmEmvX-zblYEhE2P3F4CeFNB1D2Qu3U/s320/PXL_20231105_224137281~2.jpg" width="241" /></a></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><i>"If cooking is in part an act of preservation, a way to sustain cultural identity, it is also an art of resilience, demanding the ability to adapt." </i> -- <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/12/t-magazine/palestinian-food.html" target="_blank">Ligaya Mishan</a></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The New York Times columnist, Ligaya Mishan, wrote those words about the Palestinian people and their cuisine in February 2020. However, as I write this post, these words take on more meaning and, in a very real sense, more urgency. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">On October 7, 2023, Hamas perpetrated barbaric acts of murder, rape and inhumanity upon Israeli and other civilians. The scale of the terror attacks shocked the world, which quickly and rightfully rallied around the Israeli people. The Israeli government responded with a "self defense" campaign, vowing to end Hamas. The campaign included a complete blockade of the Gaza strip, where Hamas has wielded control since 2006, as well as a relentless military assault upon that territory with the objective of eliminating the terrorist organization. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDHZDMmx8_xHnYYM_otElnBywforFR0UyDD8bQL0nQSVK4Wkk8Mm3QM2S4R2iUTPfQuYGFyMKNrPAo08xmcIXdsLm_drC-J71z0bugDEHeRipcKAtp144u4y3HtBQJd1dpKgcuG4Kt7PJ4gL1kfZWz3s_x-uFo5Y4s8HYbFbMJlHQtW9ZhIq_3XraiGD0/s880/250820-MJ-00-23.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="880" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDHZDMmx8_xHnYYM_otElnBywforFR0UyDD8bQL0nQSVK4Wkk8Mm3QM2S4R2iUTPfQuYGFyMKNrPAo08xmcIXdsLm_drC-J71z0bugDEHeRipcKAtp144u4y3HtBQJd1dpKgcuG4Kt7PJ4gL1kfZWz3s_x-uFo5Y4s8HYbFbMJlHQtW9ZhIq_3XraiGD0/w375-h249/250820-MJ-00-23.jpg" width="375" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A <a href="https://www.apaimages.info/image/I0000IVKy_SNRo.g" target="_blank">view</a> of the Gaza strip in 2020.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">While Hamas deserves to be eliminated, there are over two million Palestinians who live in Gaza (who I sometimes refer to as "Gazans"). These Palestinians live in cities such as Khan Yunis, Beit Hanoun, Rafah and, of course, Gaza City. Many live in neighborhoods such as Jabalia and Al-Shati, which originated as refugee camps. All of these cities, with their neighborhoods, occupy an area of 140.9 square miles. By comparison, the city of Las Vegas, Nevada occupies 135.9 square miles. In addition, Gaza City, which is the largest city on the strip, has a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/17/gaza-size-population-comparison/" target="_blank">higher population density</a> (with 36,296 people per square mile) than New York City (which has only 29,303 people per square mile). The overwhelming majority of the more than two million Palestinians had nothing to do with Hamas's October 7 terrorist attack. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEoZ6AIiw42po9yLVJ4x08RPMZfdOgMoCLuFUBKG-OoCGuLNnQfgPww-eFzHGk1lD8oW0sXIm-jbBNluyDmdKmY46k2xV39jA5ScgGTJnZC8eg5Fq744Xl0cnbDHcOieYv-8w2XPROf78xu1ZBh-BvE3pTcJucxwp5iL0ODhyphenhyphen7Cjau86cp9Zm9sOdaWQEs/s1500/c1_2659526_231007232113.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEoZ6AIiw42po9yLVJ4x08RPMZfdOgMoCLuFUBKG-OoCGuLNnQfgPww-eFzHGk1lD8oW0sXIm-jbBNluyDmdKmY46k2xV39jA5ScgGTJnZC8eg5Fq744Xl0cnbDHcOieYv-8w2XPROf78xu1ZBh-BvE3pTcJucxwp5iL0ODhyphenhyphen7Cjau86cp9Zm9sOdaWQEs/w353-h235/c1_2659526_231007232113.jpeg" width="353" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2659526/israel-and-gaza-at-war" target="_blank">Israeli airstrikes in Gaza</a> in October 2023</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Despite that fact, Gazans have found themselves caught between two warring parties -- Hamas and Israel -- and dehumanized by both sides. Hamas uses the Palestinians living in the Gaza strip as human shields against Israeli attacks. Much of the terrorist organization's command and control structure exists in tunnels beneath schools, hospitals and apartment buildings of Gaza. If Israel were to strike at Hamas, then it would have to go through the Palestinian people. And, as the events after October 7 have shown, Israel has engaged in an aerial bombardment that has resulted in significant deaths, injuries and displacement of Gazans. As of this post, nearly 10,000 Palestinians have been killed (many of whom were children), with thousands more injured and over 1 million (or half of Gaza's population) displaced. The numbers that are being reported as of the time of this post include nearly 10,000 Palestinians dead, countless thousands more injured, and over 1 million (or half the population of Gaza) being displaced. Put bluntly, while Hamas may be using the Palestinian people as human shields, the Israeli Defense Forces nonetheless continued their relentless assault and their complete blockade. Everyday Gazans are struggling to find food, clean water, and fuel, against a backdrop of Israeli bombardment in which the only numbers rising are the dead and injured, as hospitals deal with dwindling medical supplies and resources. </div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">While bombs drop across Gaza, as the armchair experts exchange salvos and blame on social media, one basic fact seems to have been forgotten: <b><u>Palestinians living in Gaza are humans just like everyone else.</u></b> Together, they have their own culture, cuisine, and history that is also part of a larger Palestinian one. I want to take this moment to restore, in whatever small way that I can, the humanity of these people whose were already struggling -- but surviving -- before the recent events. This post will delve into the history, culture, and cuisine of the Palestinians who live in Gaza, with a particular focus to their ties to the Mediterranean Sea.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">If we go back in time, Gaza was definitely a different place. Long before the first blockade, which Israel imposed after Hamas took control of the strip in 2006. Even before the Yom Kippur war of 1973.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRY4Fsx9OEmZLERnIPeYfO9H4WDB4m-rTfBRwMftVoP30HqdPhp6c-rRMzNt_YUmWW1xzEKqHtWuGgSrRIfmIjkrUnVcIotrP-sAm3n6GXNBS1c-wzrk6_8PZEoJDiGqSroKEqOJ3CZKW2SSli9z-dQLXvPU0D9n1RYPmOCMZb_BgNQ4lBy5rAkcKm2cSw/s1233/Map-showing-the-location-of-the-Gaza-Strip-in-the-Eastern-Mediterranean-produced-on.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1233" data-original-width="850" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRY4Fsx9OEmZLERnIPeYfO9H4WDB4m-rTfBRwMftVoP30HqdPhp6c-rRMzNt_YUmWW1xzEKqHtWuGgSrRIfmIjkrUnVcIotrP-sAm3n6GXNBS1c-wzrk6_8PZEoJDiGqSroKEqOJ3CZKW2SSli9z-dQLXvPU0D9n1RYPmOCMZb_BgNQ4lBy5rAkcKm2cSw/w252-h365/Map-showing-the-location-of-the-Gaza-Strip-in-the-Eastern-Mediterranean-produced-on.png" width="252" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-showing-the-location-of-the-Gaza-Strip-in-the-Eastern-Mediterranean-produced-on_fig1_358719806" target="_blank">Research Gate</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">The Gaza strip is located on the southeastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. There are forty (40) kilometers of coastline, which has a long historical connection with the sea. From 800 B.C.E. to 1,000 A.D., a thriving port known as <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5719/" target="_blank">Anthedon</a> provided sea access to a succession of peoples, including Neo-Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Byzantine and eventually, Islamic empires (such as the Umayyad and Abbasid). During this time, the port played an important role in the <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2014/5/15/open-gazas-seaport-end-the-blockade" target="_blank">incense trade</a> and the <a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/story/from-flourishing-trade-to-flotillas-barakat-trust/pgUxShPf2DgZ0A?hl=en" target="_blank">silk route</a>. Goods such as spices, frankincense, myrrh, rare woods and precious stones <a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/story/from-flourishing-trade-to-flotillas-barakat-trust/pgUxShPf2DgZ0A?hl=en" target="_blank">made their way</a> through the port. The Anthedon Harbor is on a tentative list for designation as a UNESCO Heritage Site. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">While the Anthedon port continued into history under names, such as <i>El-Blakiyeh</i>,<i> </i>the strip continued to play an important role in connecting people with the sea, as well as promoting trade. Indeed, Gaza continued to serve as an <a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/story/from-flourishing-trade-to-flotillas-barakat-trust/pgUxShPf2DgZ0A?hl=en" target="_blank">important point </a>in the spice trade until the 19th century. It served as the main port for goods being imported into southern Palestine, as well as Jordan and Iraq.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The Gazan coastline was not only important to international trade in the region, but also the local economy. Gazans have a long <a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/story/from-flourishing-trade-to-flotillas-barakat-trust/pgUxShPf2DgZ0A?hl=en" target="_blank">history</a> and tradition of shipbuilding and fishing. Workers would take their boats out to sea, drop their nets, wait patiently a few hours, and then pull up the nets to reveal the catch. At one point in time, that <a href="https://www.wrmea.org/israel-palestine/gaza-fishermens-nightmare.html" target="_blank">catch</a> included sardines, sea bass, mullet and various types of bream. The vessels would return with the catch, which would then make its way into the local market and on to the plates of Palestinian families.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Things changed after the Israeli government occupied Gaza in 1967. While a small port continued to exist in Gaza City, its role began to diminish and eventually end when Israel closed the port to international shipping. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The Israeli government began to impose increasingly greater restrictions upon Gazan fishing boats. For comparison purposes, international law provides that the first twelve (12) nautical miles are territorial waters, with an additional twelve miles constituting a "contiguous zone" over which a country can exert certain authorities, which include fishing. Under the Oslo Accords of 1993, the <a href="https://www.cjpme.org/fs_174" target="_blank">area of territorial waters (and the contiguous zone) open</a> to Gazans was limited to twenty (20) nautical miles. That area shrank to approximately twelve (12) nautical miles with the Bertini Commitment in 2005. Israel reduced the area open to Gazan vessels to six (6) nautical miles one year later. By 2009, the area open to Gazan fishing boats had been reduced to three (3) nautical miles, which is well short of where much of the fish swim. Israeli's navy enforced the restrictions, not only arresting workers on vessels that ventured too far out, but also shooting at them when at them for crossing the arbitrary lines that Israel drew in the sea. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgODhdacx0awd2-J6LGtYxBAAJSWDHraRSKAtz4B8joQ1jcJuOxTNu-3dsVSjpOQNJNw6B4aKQait-kVDJPIkDMu4Ek7ODAnyW3tGIDXCdGL-Gcbo5VMqgKVwjezeTwz3zxbfCD651YMYMnVcca36rMLVk3few9L17EKg2kzpuBpFVjG7NeA2iPB36_L1-F/s1197/fishers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="1197" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgODhdacx0awd2-J6LGtYxBAAJSWDHraRSKAtz4B8joQ1jcJuOxTNu-3dsVSjpOQNJNw6B4aKQait-kVDJPIkDMu4Ek7ODAnyW3tGIDXCdGL-Gcbo5VMqgKVwjezeTwz3zxbfCD651YMYMnVcca36rMLVk3few9L17EKg2kzpuBpFVjG7NeA2iPB36_L1-F/w581-h356/fishers.jpg" width="581" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The lines changed again, with Israel <a href="https://www.btselem.org/gaza_strip/20200909_fishrmen_families_gaza_strip" target="_blank">widening them</a> to fifteen (15) nautical miles in 2019, only to <a href="https://www.btselem.org/gaza_strip/20200909_fishrmen_families_gaza_strip" target="_blank">reduce</a> it again one year later to eight (8) nautical miles a year later. The lines would change again and again at the whim of the Israeli government, usually in response to violence by terrorists, leaving Gazan fisheries uncertain about what their future held. Those uncertainties increased with Israel's initial blockade in 2006, which made fishing equipment and boat fuel <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/palestine-gaza-women-wives-fish-kitchen" target="_blank">harder to come by</a> and more costly when found. The restrictions made it extremely difficult for Gazans to make a living off the seas, with an overwhelming number of fishermen living in poverty. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Yet, there are still stories of how the Palestinians have persevered in the face of adversity. The <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/palestine-gaza-women-wives-fish-kitchen" target="_blank">Fishermen's Wives Seafood Kitchen</a> provides one such example. Twenty wives of Gazan fisherman -- who call themselves <i>Zawajat al-Sayyadin</i> or "Fishermen's Wives" -- opened the kitchen to help their spouses. When the fishermen returned to port with their catch, the wives would prepare the seafood according to customers' orders. These <a href="https://daysofpalestine.ps/how-the-wives-of-fishermen-in-gaza-turned-their-catch-into-a-business/" target="_blank">orders include</a> crispy fried fish, grilled fish, fish soups and fish pies. The prepared dishes could be sold for more than the fish. This effort followed a previous one that failed. But, the wives learned from the prior attempt, made changes, and found success, as well as support from a non-profit organization.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvhyCvTM37IxHfAaK8JTh4_k1ITC11jPIA3FP8lrxHlJgWyYqrOEp2VsxjMaBAuhC7JoD_Xnl9VoUq1mtwKuzh0z4jUMcluwdK7185fsTG3wketiTtVuxWnvHTSe02VxcVKu-UMQvIEYk7g9GuFmsSFKyh6gAGDddCd-sHgoH21t8VjvzhLroPMPa_h_P/s2600/MAJD2680.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1462" data-original-width="2600" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvhyCvTM37IxHfAaK8JTh4_k1ITC11jPIA3FP8lrxHlJgWyYqrOEp2VsxjMaBAuhC7JoD_Xnl9VoUq1mtwKuzh0z4jUMcluwdK7185fsTG3wketiTtVuxWnvHTSe02VxcVKu-UMQvIEYk7g9GuFmsSFKyh6gAGDddCd-sHgoH21t8VjvzhLroPMPa_h_P/w601-h338/MAJD2680.jpg" width="601" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the Fishermen's Wives preparing the catch. Source: <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/palestine-gaza-women-wives-fish-kitchen" target="_blank">Middle East Eye</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">For those Gazans who did not venture out into the dwindling areas where they could fish, they looked for other opportunities to continue their connection with the sea. One such opportunity involves a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/gazas-first-marine-fish-farm-helps-make-up-dwindling-catch-2022-09-20/" target="_blank">fish farm</a> that is expected to raise sixty to eighty tons of sea bream each year. The farm was established with the assistance of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization and Italy. Palestinians have also established inland fish farms to raise tilapia. Both the sea bream and tilapia present opportunities to address needs within the Gaza strip, as well as potential "exports" to at least the West Bank, if not beyond (when allowed by the Israeli government). </p><p style="text-align: justify;">More importantly, these stories, and many others, provide insights into the Gazan people. Although told over the years, these voices are now silenced by the thunderous tones of war and weakened by the sharp propagandist attacks by each side's supporters. The ultimate casualty are the innocent civilians who are caught in the cross-fire. They are first deprived of their humanity by outside forces, with the truly unfortunate being deprived of their lives. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "[o]ur lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter." I have used this blog to protest the inhumanity of how people have been treated, such as Myanmar's treatment of the Rohingya or China's treatment of the Uyghurs. For me, this blog has evolved beyond just cooking food, but to learn about cultures and to gain a better understanding of other people and, most importantly, have a greater empathy for their lived experiences. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, I refuse to be silent in the face of so many people who appear to accept or ignore the dehumanization of everyday Palestinians. I will use my voice, through this blog, to recognize their lived experience (as briefly outlined in part, above) and to respect their culture and cuisine by preparing one of their traditional dishes (as set forth below). </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I have selected a dish that dish that represents the Palestinians' ties to the sea, namely, Zibdiyit Gambari (Spicy Shrimp and Tomato Stew). The dish calls for ingredients that are common in Gazan recipes, such as the use of dill, which has been referred to as part of the "<a href="https://tastecooking.com/dill-fish-resilience-holy-trinity-gazan-cuisine/" target="_blank">Trinity of Gazan Cuisine</a>," with the other parts of the trinity being seafood and resilience. I also learned that Gazans have a love of spicy food, using chiles to bring a kick to many of their dishes. That is something that, as the more than a dozen dried and ground chiles in my pantry will attest, is something that I have in common with them. This particular dish was not too spicy, as I left out the seeds from the chiles. The end result was still a very delicious stew, that I served with some white rice and flat bread. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1e-iW4CTh2qVCuSps0kOHsKaiYQoxT7Sc6LLiBGYBxjXMjmkahR6ZzoKCecsTIsracqC9tmeNYryMM1_859G-xDNW0hqFtYRWpvc9xA8F3oUfF90oNG3F7pt4LqPvHK_VCA7H90ZVIojqroTpsfpJoPEBoRI5XPDOoT8tXMQhPb7xXFvYYpkX0ELd_uwX/s4080/PXL_20231105_224124036~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1e-iW4CTh2qVCuSps0kOHsKaiYQoxT7Sc6LLiBGYBxjXMjmkahR6ZzoKCecsTIsracqC9tmeNYryMM1_859G-xDNW0hqFtYRWpvc9xA8F3oUfF90oNG3F7pt4LqPvHK_VCA7H90ZVIojqroTpsfpJoPEBoRI5XPDOoT8tXMQhPb7xXFvYYpkX0ELd_uwX/s320/PXL_20231105_224124036~2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>ZIBDIYIT GAMBARI (SPICY SHRIMP AND TOMATO STEW)</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Recipe from <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019935-zibdiyit-gambari-spicy-shrimp-and-tomato-stew" target="_blank">New York Times</a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Serves 4</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil</li><li>1 medium red onion, finely chopped</li><li>1 (14-ounce) can whole, peeled plum tomatoes, juices reserved</li><li>1 teaspoon granulated sugar, plus more to taste</li><li>3/4 teaspoon ground cumin</li><li>1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds</li><li>1/4 teaspoon ground allspice</li><li>Sea salt</li><li>Freshly ground black pepper</li><li>1 to 2 jalapenos, finely chopped, plus more to taste</li><li>3 garlic cloves, chopped</li><li>2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill</li><li>2 tablespoons sesame seeds</li><li>1 pound raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed</li><li>Coarsely chopped parsley leaves, for serving</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Sauté the onion and garlic. </b>Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juices; 1 teaspoon sugar, the cumin, caraway seeds, allspice, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and 1 cup of water to bring to a boil. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Prepare the jalapeno, garlic and dill paste. </b>Mash the jalapeno, garlic, dill and 1/2 teaspoon together using a mortar and pestle for a few minutes. Alternately, finely chop them together on a cutting board, then mash them by pressing back and forth using the flat side of your knife until a paste forms. (Both approaches release the oil from the jalapeno and dill and make them more fragrant.) Add to the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally to break down the tomatoes, until the sauce is thickened and flavors meld, about 20 minutes. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Toast the sesame seeds. </b>in a small skillet, stir the sesame seeds over medium heat until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>4. Cook the shrimp. </b>When the tomato sauce is ready, taste and adjust the seasoning (you may want to add some more sugar or jalapeno). Finally stir in the shrimp, making sure that they are submerged, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until they have all just turned pink and are cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>5. Finish the dish. </b>To serve, drizzle with a generous amount of extra-virgin olive oil and scatter with the sesame seeds and chopped parsley.</p><p style="text-align: center;">*<span> *<span> *</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span><span>I will have more to say in my efforts to protest against the dehumanization of the Palestinians who live in Gaza, as well as about the experiences of people around the world. Until then, lets pray for ...</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>PEACE.</b></p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-69920711931329729062023-11-01T20:44:00.002-04:002023-11-01T20:44:35.548-04:00Vindaloo Wings<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieItON3WDOk-YKYFFDE2JboTM7p_K2YTpjxzszjZ6qfNQ9rM7jIbAtRcByWknLShU2lPQJqy13nLoxRQcxvvCLW18zNkuYhzK06MDUVnV_KYI4DK05A3bQ4if72oNBlHhIh-tCGRgS-jkOWN-PUa5wReX9RoBa953ETWE_JhM0Ldi8laGVYsLI-1UGnpYb/s4080/PXL_20230917_161659118.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieItON3WDOk-YKYFFDE2JboTM7p_K2YTpjxzszjZ6qfNQ9rM7jIbAtRcByWknLShU2lPQJqy13nLoxRQcxvvCLW18zNkuYhzK06MDUVnV_KYI4DK05A3bQ4if72oNBlHhIh-tCGRgS-jkOWN-PUa5wReX9RoBa953ETWE_JhM0Ldi8laGVYsLI-1UGnpYb/s320/PXL_20230917_161659118.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If one was to look for a dry rub recipe for buffalo wings, they would most likely find a lot of commonality in the recipes. That commonality draws inspiration from Mexico (such as the use of ancho chile powder) or barbecue (with the use of smoked paprika, brown sugar and other ingredients). Those recipes may produce some very tasty wings, but I want to go down a different path with dry rub wings. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That is when I got to thinking of creating a dry rub that draws its inspiration from curries. More specifically, curries from India. Even more particularly, a particular curry that is symbolic of Goa. That curry is the fiery vindaloo. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Typically, vindaloo is a sauce-based curry, with strong vinegar notes and a very spicy kick. There are a lot of recipes for a vindaloo paste, which could work well with buffalo wings. (I have used the paste in the past.) But, I wanted an even simpler preparation: just a spice mix. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I found a basic spice mix that incorporates many of the spices that find their way into a vindaloo. These spices include chiles (of course), along with cardamom, cumin, coriander, cloves, and cardamom. The one spice that was missing, but which could usually be found in a vindaloo recipe, is turmeric. I could live without the use of the golden spice on this one occasion. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One last note about this recipe, the chiles used in the spice mix are Kashmiri chiles. Those chiles are not as piquant as the chiles that would typically be used in a vindaloo. Goan dishes are well known for their use of the peri-peri chile, a very spicy chile introduced by Portuguese explorers and colonialists to the subcontinent. Kashmiri chiles have their own kick, which will probably be more appealing to people who do not ordinarily eat very spicy wings. </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKnY83Ok30zVtBj0W21TZ4S3EamlXP27EUKnQ2oKP-zzCGAsO6OZWjtMXc-zaZ47ngS_ounzQsNt3KzXdiYj1h4XA-0HbcAjoQ9Zym0Er7V_XA4ndH4m4AyF9P_NWV6QPT2ZRaAoIKBZUbAJ-c9U_7tM4exuAetoVcCAbtB9Ym9YEc_0r7hnmUuyw7VPY/s4080/PXL_20230917_161708766.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKnY83Ok30zVtBj0W21TZ4S3EamlXP27EUKnQ2oKP-zzCGAsO6OZWjtMXc-zaZ47ngS_ounzQsNt3KzXdiYj1h4XA-0HbcAjoQ9Zym0Er7V_XA4ndH4m4AyF9P_NWV6QPT2ZRaAoIKBZUbAJ-c9U_7tM4exuAetoVcCAbtB9Ym9YEc_0r7hnmUuyw7VPY/s320/PXL_20230917_161708766.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>VINDALOO DRY RUB WINGS</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Spice mix recipe from <a href="https://ministryofcurry.com/chicken-vindaloo-instant-pot-stove-top-recipe/" target="_blank">Ministry of Curry</a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Serves 3-4</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>1 pound chicken wings, drumettes and flats</li><li>1/4 cup apple cider vinegar</li><li>2 teaspoons cumin seeds</li><li>2 teaspoons coriander seeds</li><li>20 black peppercorns</li><li>4 green cardamom seeds</li><li>4 cloves</li><li>1 inch cinnamon stick</li><li>8 dried Kashmiri chiles</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Prepare the dry rub. </b>Add all the spices to a dry frying pan and lightly toast until aromatic, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer the spices to a plate to cool completely. Grind the spices in a spice grinder to make a fine powder.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Prepare the wings. </b>Add the wings to a bowl and add the apple cider vinegar. Toss the wings in the vinegar until they are coated. Then add the dry rub and toss until all the wings are well coated with the spice mixgture. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Cook the wings. </b>Heat an oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay out the wings on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the wings in the oven and cook for about 25 minutes or until the wings reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from the oven, allow the wings to cool for about 5 minutes and then serve immediately. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>ENJOY!</b></p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-6674224712375661472023-10-19T20:46:00.003-04:002023-10-20T07:28:06.414-04:00Cuminatum in Ostrea<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzpND3jlahd521_G5wBw40Erb38ZWoMj7NGGDtAr8-w10g0MjLXVycJfPKNTcRd-qNza_6nEGAPmz5I5OcmmRpyI-uAuPNwLYdTGnFJRpLIYprsTsMYqMVUX2EyatZrdNMYj8GOEP0fhzl4bJHg-oIfkMhy4V2pEsppNXNK2Ph8uPRitXvVgfwZo1ce9j/s4080/PXL_20230916_194304085.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzpND3jlahd521_G5wBw40Erb38ZWoMj7NGGDtAr8-w10g0MjLXVycJfPKNTcRd-qNza_6nEGAPmz5I5OcmmRpyI-uAuPNwLYdTGnFJRpLIYprsTsMYqMVUX2EyatZrdNMYj8GOEP0fhzl4bJHg-oIfkMhy4V2pEsppNXNK2Ph8uPRitXvVgfwZo1ce9j/s320/PXL_20230916_194304085.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I love reading about history, including culinary history. My travels through books and along the Internet take me to a lot of recipes. Many of those recipes, along with the resulting dishes, have long histories that date back decades, centuries and, in a few cases, perhaps a millennium or two. Yet, the recipes I find are usually the present day versions of those recipes, with little to no discussion about how we got to this point or that recipe.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Every once in a while, I will stumble upon someone who takes the time to find and talk about those recipes. In this case, it is the <a href="https://historicalitaliancooking.home.blog/english/recipes/ancient-roman-oysters-and-shellfish-with-cumin-sauce/" target="_blank">Historical Italian Cooking</a> blog. The recipe that caught my eye is called <i>cuminatum in ostrea et conchylia</i>, which is Latin for cumin sauce for oysters and shellfish. The recipe dates back to at least the 5th century C.E., during which the Roman Empire collapsed (476 C.E.). We can go this far back because the recipe was found in the midst of a collection of recipes compiled in <i>De Re Culinaria</i>, also known as <i>Apicius</i>. The only surviving version of the <i>Apicius </i>dates back to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apicius" target="_blank">5th century</a>. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Yet, cookbooks are sometimes akin to history books: they recount the recipe at the time of publication. This particular recipe may be much older, perhaps dating all the way back to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apicius" target="_blank">1st century C.E.</a> Some have attributed the <i>Apicius</i> to Marcus Gavius Apicius, who noble who was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Gavius_Apicius" target="_blank">renown for his love</a> of luxury foods. The Roman philopsopher Seneca once remarked that Apicius "proclaimed the science of the cookshop" (Seneca, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Gavius_Apicius" target="_blank">Consolatio ad Helviami</a> 10) and then <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Gavius_Apicius" target="_blank">corrupted the age</a> through his example.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">As the Historical Italian Cooking blog <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Gavius_Apicius" target="_blank">explain</a>s, Romans considered oysters to be a "costly food." Oysters may have been a luxury to the point that there was a reluctance to share them. The Roman poet, Martial (known as the father of the epigram, after all, he wrote 1,561 of them) recounted the following interesting epigram about a guest's response to the host's dinner: </p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I dine with you at my own cost,</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>So why not fare the same, both guest and host?</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>You swallow Lucrine oysters large and fat,</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I suck a whelk and cut my lips at that.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>You're served with mushrooms, I chew fungus still,</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>You have to do with turbot, I with brill</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Plump yellow doves your appetite assuage, </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I have a magpie starved within its cage.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I am by your side and yet I'm far away.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>The dole has gone. Let's fare the same, I say.</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Clearly, oysters ranked with other luxurious food items, such as mushrooms, turbot, and "plump yellow doves." (By the way, the underlying message in this epigram is as timeless is as true today as it was when Martial wrote it back in the first century A.D.) Other epigrams and poems by Martial underscore the oyster as an expensive food for Romans. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Yet, even a costly food item like oysters has its limits. In another poem, Martial wrote, in part: </p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I WILLINGLY accept your dainty fare</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>If hospitality be undesigning: </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Not so, if you imagine that I care</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>For nothing in the world so much as dining; </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>A dozen oysters will not make you heir</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>To my reputed wealth for which you are pining; </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>The feast is elegant; that I admit</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>But on the morrow what is left of it? </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Upon the morrow? Where is it to-day</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>The moment after it has passed your gullet?</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Thus, oysters won't make you rich during Roman times, but they were certainly enjoyed by the rich.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This leads me to how Romans ate oysters. For that, I turned back to the Historical Italian Cooking blog. The author <a href="https://historicalitaliancooking.home.blog/english/recipes/ancient-roman-oysters-and-shellfish-with-cumin-sauce/">writes</a> that in books wrote in the 2nd century, Galen's <i>De Facultatibus Alimentorium</i>, and in the 6th century, Anthimus' <i>De Observatione Ciborum</i>, recount that Romans ate oysters both raw and cooked (either boiled or fried). </p><p style="text-align: justify;">However, the recipe in <i>Apicius</i> provides for the oysters and shellfish but did not provide a cooking method. it provided only a sauce, and one that has its base in <i>cuminum</i> or cumin. In fact, the sauce requires a good amount of cumin (or <i>cuminum plusculum</i>). The recipe also calls for other spices (black pepper and lovage), herbs (fresh parsley and mint, the recipe calls for dried mint but you can use fresh mint), and a liquid mixture that consists of honey, garum and vinegar. If you do not have lovage, Historical Italian Cooking advises that, according to Pliny, you could use anise seeds, or according to Dioscorides, you can use fennel seeds.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">For this recipe, I decided to prepare the sauce to serve with raw oysters. While I do not have authentic Roman garum (check out this <a href="https://historicalitaliancooking.home.blog/english/recipes/how-to-make-garum/" target="_blank">post</a> by Historical Italian Cooking on how to make it), I do have a significant amount of Vietnamese fish sauce (check out my <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/search?q=garum" target="_blank">post</a> with a brief discussion of the history of fish sauce, including a reference to garum). I have modified the recipe slightly from the one provided by Historical Italian Cooking to show both how the writer described the preparation and how I prepared this dish. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the end, I have to say that I was not a big fan of this sauce. While I like cumin as a spice, I came to the realization that I am not keen on <i>cuminum plusculum</i>. The large amount of cumin overwhelmed the flavors of the oysters, with the brininess being lost in the loud notes of the spice. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_agyCD9y-H8lI37aiyrL5mijTVF-ZN3pQn17f4fObtI0g6P6G_7jlU6dRG6FrVWaSLopvEG2ZxhpseC99TOM_UUA58GsBREQpH1hbdEOWj_52_yMWoPG1UfkZMIPjLzYv2D4qOfm7utH2vfl9HmOPCnSD95HkmadAZg5NlX9dctSIqHZ9MjzNvFJYL4uN/s4080/PXL_20230916_194257007.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_agyCD9y-H8lI37aiyrL5mijTVF-ZN3pQn17f4fObtI0g6P6G_7jlU6dRG6FrVWaSLopvEG2ZxhpseC99TOM_UUA58GsBREQpH1hbdEOWj_52_yMWoPG1UfkZMIPjLzYv2D4qOfm7utH2vfl9HmOPCnSD95HkmadAZg5NlX9dctSIqHZ9MjzNvFJYL4uN/s320/PXL_20230916_194257007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>CUMINATUM IN OSTREA</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Recipe adapted from <a href="https://historicalitaliancooking.home.blog/english/recipes/ancient-roman-oysters-and-shellfish-with-cumin-sauce/" target="_blank">Historical Italian Cooking</a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Serves several</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>1.5 kilograms (about 3 pounds) of oysters</li><li>Pinch of freshly ground black pepper; </li><li>Pinch of fennel seeds; </li><li>4 tablespoons of cumin;</li><li>1 bunch of parsley, minced finely</li><li>1 tablespoon of dried mint leaves</li><li>1 tablespoon honey</li><li>1 tablespoon fish sauce</li><li>2 tablespoons white wine vinegar</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Prepare the sauce.</b> Mince the parsley (and mint, if you use fresh mint). Pound them in the mortar with the pepper and the fennel seeds (or anise seeds or lovage), adding the cumin as you work. Move the mixture to a bowl and then proceed to mix in the honey and fish sauce (or garum), diluting it with the vinegar. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Finish the dish. </b>Shuck the oysters and reserve the liqueur. Add some of the liqueur to the cumin sauce. Spoon some of the sauce over the shucked oysters and serve immediately. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>ENJOY!</b></p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-11467379594203858682023-10-12T06:57:00.007-04:002023-10-15T09:32:34.704-04:00The Long History Told by Bones<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0H36b5OEcFfrJeQn5w7t0vnNZiME3bV3ysvGc_u4OFKUd38T6KZ2cdVt96mxVZIbK7LGRa9CqsAPUbU9gdHfdkNNdJE3qynykgaaiheJ23D2jdyqpE89znMbq2iI0BGN5ILI0ZosTANY_34MCZBoYZjyptmNBZjqlvvBKXH5eR7wPUHmHfMBzVkwcfvFB/s360/chum-salmon-spawning.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0H36b5OEcFfrJeQn5w7t0vnNZiME3bV3ysvGc_u4OFKUd38T6KZ2cdVt96mxVZIbK7LGRa9CqsAPUbU9gdHfdkNNdJE3qynykgaaiheJ23D2jdyqpE89znMbq2iI0BGN5ILI0ZosTANY_34MCZBoYZjyptmNBZjqlvvBKXH5eR7wPUHmHfMBzVkwcfvFB/s320/chum-salmon-spawning.jpg" width="320"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Salmon are an intrinsic part of us. They're in our blood. They're in our being.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">- Hereditary Chief Don Svanvik, </div><div style="text-align: center;">Namgis First Nation, </div><div style="text-align: center;">Alert Bay, British Columbia</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Recently, an <a href="https://phys.org/news/2023-08-salmon-bones-sustainable-chum-fishery.html#google_vignette" target="_blank">online article</a> caught my eye. The article's title was "Salmon Bones Confirm Sustainable Chum Fishery for 2,500 Years Under Tsleil-Waututh Nation." That title represented a ray of light, a little bit of good news, that brightened what is becoming an otherwise dark picture.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It seems - to me at least - that much about what I have been reading about Pacific salmon has ranged from bad to ominous. This sense seems particularly the case for the salmon in the Pacific Northwest. For example, a report in 2019 found that, while the <a href="https://nwtreatytribes.org/surprisingly-fewer-chum-salmon-return-to-puget-sound-than-expected/" target="_blank">preliminary forecasts</a> for chum salmon in the Puget Sound hovered around 550,000 fish, the actual amount may have been more along the lines of 243,000 fish. That statistic is particularly alarming given that the chum salmon has traditionally been the <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/chum-salmon-protected" target="_blank">most abundant</a> of all the different types of salmon. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBPzPMosKSWGqvtoC5Ari8hbnpnXR1_2MMY3vM0i8y7Jg8w7V5FykU7jUl-KORe19cOGjcDzm925gflIGCgP-Xy-dNfXg0OAV3p_YzbRWEL1Ss9WjRKR4-6wRcI_YtvT4ujN3-hYqrcAgivOd83djIsmOleablc-e_RsZ9x3nUwtCMC6yA9Yu9cU-Qstn/s750/climate-vulnerability-GIS-map-NWFSC.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBPzPMosKSWGqvtoC5Ari8hbnpnXR1_2MMY3vM0i8y7Jg8w7V5FykU7jUl-KORe19cOGjcDzm925gflIGCgP-Xy-dNfXg0OAV3p_YzbRWEL1Ss9WjRKR4-6wRcI_YtvT4ujN3-hYqrcAgivOd83djIsmOleablc-e_RsZ9x3nUwtCMC6yA9Yu9cU-Qstn/s320/climate-vulnerability-GIS-map-NWFSC.png" width="320"></a></div>There are many reasons for the population declines. At first, the culprit was <a href="https://www.fws.gov/story/2022-06/salmona-pacific-northwest-icon#:~:text=Through%20the%2019th%20and,habitat%20in%20rivers%20and%20streams." target="_blank">overfishing</a> in the 19th and 20th centuries. The loss in fish numbers was <a href="https://www.fws.gov/story/2022-06/salmona-pacific-northwest-icon#:~:text=Through%20the%2019th%20and,habitat%20in%20rivers%20and%20streams." target="_blank">compounded</a> by the loss of their habitat, which was primarily due to the construction of dams that blocked the rivers used by the salmon, along with the timber industry, which damaged the rivers and streams. And then there is climate change and, in particular, the warming of the Pacific Ocean. As it turns out, just a few degrees of increased temperatures can have a significant impact on salmon populations. As the oceans warm, it favors subtropical zooplankton, which are not eaten by juvenile salmon. Warmer water also has <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/salmon-climate-change-1.6114328" target="_blank">less oxygen</a>, making it harder for the fish to breath.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yet, this is all the bad news; and, I started out this post noting a ray of light. Research has shown that one of the Salish peoples of the Pacific Northwest - the <a href="https://twnation.ca/" target="_blank">Tsleil-Waututh</a> - have a long history of managing the chum salmon populations where they live. The story actually explains that the Tsleil-Waututh have a <a href="https://phys.org/news/2023-08-salmon-bones-sustainable-chum-fishery.html#google_vignette" target="_blank"><i>much longer </i>history</a> of managing that important resource.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Archeologists had already known that the Tsleil-Waututh, who live in the Burraud tribal territory, have been sustainably fishing chum salmon for about 1,200 years, from approximately 400 BCE to 1200 A.D. However, recent finds at an archeological site at <span style="background-color: white; color: #212438; font-family: times; text-align: left;">təmtəmíxʷtən</span>, a very important site for the Tseleil-Waututh, have revealed that this fishery has existed for an additional <a href="https://phys.org/news/2023-08-salmon-bones-sustainable-chum-fishery.html#google_vignette" target="_blank">1,300 years</a>. This history is important because of one fact: chum salmon are especially vulnerable to overfishing. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This story has led me to think about how we develop our guidelines for sustainability. Often times, those guidelines are dictated from the top down, from the government to the people, with a healthy disdain for guidelines coming from the reverse direction. As long as people are motivated by capitalistic desires, such as the private ownership of resources and maximizing profit for personal gain, that disdain is warranted. But, what if the people are motivated by something else. What if, like the Tsleil-Waututh, the people are motivated by preserving the resources for future generations to enjoy. Resources that are able to thrive in a larger, more balanced ecosystem. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">All of the foregoing also got me thinking about the salmon recipes that I have made over the years. This is perhaps my most favorite recipe on my blog: </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWcDaQ1TS1da2C4x5ls7oDbRBZKgALBJudOiKxQo3uY8DcYoPw5UlSLLQSGCW_H6Q2qtKujqaPnvj_a8ILXM1JPA5CiJO35WNgxXDwcXdB2MUD_JikfWpKSIJwyiLgGCbxTr9ry_cnWQF3K7-ULRkYBqFIihCTpeUe9iYBgle8IzQs-Tf1DbGfILCZGMQ/s1600/P1170477.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWcDaQ1TS1da2C4x5ls7oDbRBZKgALBJudOiKxQo3uY8DcYoPw5UlSLLQSGCW_H6Q2qtKujqaPnvj_a8ILXM1JPA5CiJO35WNgxXDwcXdB2MUD_JikfWpKSIJwyiLgGCbxTr9ry_cnWQF3K7-ULRkYBqFIihCTpeUe9iYBgle8IzQs-Tf1DbGfILCZGMQ/s320/P1170477.JPG" width="320"></a></div><br><div style="text-align: center;"><u><b>COPPER RIVER SALMON WITH AN ORANGE-SAFFRON SAUCE</b></u></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">Adapted from recipe by <a href="http://honest-food.net/2013/05/27/trout-recipe-orange-saffron-sauce/">Hunter Angler Gardener Cook</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Serves 4</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div><u><i><b>Ingredients for the Orange-Saffron Sauce:</b></i></u></div><div>1/2 cup of white wine</div><div>1/2 cup orange juice</div><div>A healthy pinch of saffron, crumbled</div><div>A healthy pinch of sugar</div><span style="text-align: left;">1 shallot, minced</span><br style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">Salt</span><br style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">2 tablespoons of unsalted butter</span><br style="text-align: left;"><br style="text-align: left;"><u style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Ingredients (for the fish and greens):</b></i></u><br style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">1 1/2 pounds of tender spring greens, such as spinach</span><br style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">5 tablespoons of unsalted butter or vegetable oil, divided</span><br style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">A splash of water (no more than 3 tablespoons)</span><br style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">Grated zest of an orange</span><br style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">1 1/2 pounds of Copper River Salmon (or any wild salmon)</span><br style="text-align: left;"><br style="text-align: left;"><u style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Directions:</b></i></u><br style="text-align: left;"><div><b>1. Make the Orange-Saffron Sauce. </b>Make the sauce by bringing the white wine, orange juice, saffron, sugar and shallot to a boil in a small pot. Simmer strongly for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and puree the sauce in a blender. Return the sauce to the pot and turn the heat to low. Add salt to taste and keep warm, but do not boil it or simmer it any further.</div><div><br></div><div><b>2. Make the Greens. </b>Cook the greens in 2 tablespoons of butter or oil over high heat in a large saute pan, stirring constantly until they wilt. Add a splash of water, the orange zest and some salt and cover the pot. Lower the heat to medium-low and steam the greens for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.</div><div><br></div><div><b>3. Sear the salmon. </b>Heat the remaining butter in a pan large enough to hold the fish. (If you don’t have such a pan, put a baking sheet in the oven and set the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit so you can keep the fish warm as you do this in batches.) Heat the butter over high heat until it stops frothing. Pat the fish dry with paper towels and set it skin-side down in the hot butter. Turn the heat down to medium-high for a typical fillet or to medium if you are working with a thicker piece of fish.</div><div><br></div><div><b>4. Continue cooking the salmon. </b>Let the fish cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, then use a large spoon to baste the meat side of the fish with the hot butter. Baste the salmon for 90 seconds, then give it a rest. A thin fillet will only need one quick basting, but thicker pieces of fish will need a second or even third round of basting. It took about four to five rounds of basting for the fillets that I had. When the basting is done, salt the meat side. The skin side should lift off the pan easily after about 4 to 5 minutes of steady cooking. The moment you take the fish off the heat, salt the skin side.</div><div><br></div><div><b>5. Finish the dish. </b>To serve, swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into the sauce, one tablespoon at a time. Pour some sauce on everyone’s plate. Top with the greens and then with a piece of fish. Serve immediately.<br></div><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>OTHER DELICIOUS SALMON RECIPES TO TRY</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br></u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you are looking for other recipes to honor the salmon and its place in the foodways of different cultures, or if you are just looking for a delicious recipe, I suggest these possibilities:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-weight: bold;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibprD1uCRj62LsBhPhYAVs9_z8gf2GzyrSBMk3cMWFVdt96-cG-aBXaFy1PAKZlxOlxebj1xbtvCOXpit0ogP8DaL_EEkQRl7OhgCPhPXiccTCh8E0uoGNJTgfJAgbwxoTREyjW6PlOuLJmwND5FhMLDn1Q7nomgUJgo5Q7rCTmjVRBtfPMwj53p1gFTcO/s1600/P1100203.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibprD1uCRj62LsBhPhYAVs9_z8gf2GzyrSBMk3cMWFVdt96-cG-aBXaFy1PAKZlxOlxebj1xbtvCOXpit0ogP8DaL_EEkQRl7OhgCPhPXiccTCh8E0uoGNJTgfJAgbwxoTREyjW6PlOuLJmwND5FhMLDn1Q7nomgUJgo5Q7rCTmjVRBtfPMwj53p1gFTcO/w69-h92/P1100203.JPG" width="69"></a></div><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2011/09/smoked-sockeye-salmon.html" target="_blank">Smoked Sockeye Salmon</a>:</u> This is about as close as I can get to trying to pay homage to how Native Americans and First Nations would prepare their catches. You can check out the post and learn about the Legend of the Lost Salmon. This is one of the recipes that I wish I made more often, if only I had the time and the memory to remind myself. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltOcI1RVCMSDj29-qWSTO-FATdSnI4tOEmJEySft5g3J3jrWAVWK9PMEpQmDtRGI9W7KwUKLB7qNkGUiNOzc4oR5qZ4Y1YwUEu9ll2iItlxeFTWdIz-Hor0s2BjHQpfANHJYztO7G2gWTJIt342LTJZD2YoXUVlPf99RgRvfENEHZWiPcODZs1sI6kWe2/s1600/P1080641.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="54" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltOcI1RVCMSDj29-qWSTO-FATdSnI4tOEmJEySft5g3J3jrWAVWK9PMEpQmDtRGI9W7KwUKLB7qNkGUiNOzc4oR5qZ4Y1YwUEu9ll2iItlxeFTWdIz-Hor0s2BjHQpfANHJYztO7G2gWTJIt342LTJZD2YoXUVlPf99RgRvfENEHZWiPcODZs1sI6kWe2/w73-h54/P1080641.JPG" width="73"></a></div><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2011/05/imperial-king-salmon.html" target="_blank">"Imperial" King Salmon</a>: </b>This dish features king salmon grilled on an alder plank. It also features a crab imperial over the top. The imperial literally places this dish over the top. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2011/04/cedar-plank-salmon.html" target="_blank"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2011/04/cedar-plank-salmon.html" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mz4UHdoyQlDIpRYGqV_nhDxYhlOFCywyVSH_ECeYrbK-azJlWB3AIjkz66zCf5RkglPjgk8ORbanHnHLonrhOTm-etPZI08UuWIt-m0DFuJVih0q_b8neNl1mGca5UwSiXn9BPTua0WNfRGMnh61VxmlBLk68_MPaw3Wif33BKeN8-bgIPCWR-fpPGB5/s1600/P1080421.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="55" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mz4UHdoyQlDIpRYGqV_nhDxYhlOFCywyVSH_ECeYrbK-azJlWB3AIjkz66zCf5RkglPjgk8ORbanHnHLonrhOTm-etPZI08UuWIt-m0DFuJVih0q_b8neNl1mGca5UwSiXn9BPTua0WNfRGMnh61VxmlBLk68_MPaw3Wif33BKeN8-bgIPCWR-fpPGB5/w73-h55/P1080421.JPG" width="73"></a></div><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2011/04/cedar-plank-salmon.html" target="_blank">Cedar Plank Salmon:</a></b> This recipe was truly an educational experience for me. The "smothering" of the salmon with onions serves an important purpose. The water in the onions help to keep the salmon moist.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4EMH5LDgBnnLsTsWabX2MqBYtNTvQJAVxvkq9Sc_kGfkWKax_4XWAzt52cicckP-eJP_z4m2t7G3Dg5S1ExISd6W4GnPu2TOtr2lcAaNkMYjyuk9DqOcaj-UB_cbWAm9P3BAtm6V4ri0xor8b5Bz2IIghg_JPtjw501Tqo0TKFJfTMi8AzuEcPn76t0K/s1600/P1180387.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4EMH5LDgBnnLsTsWabX2MqBYtNTvQJAVxvkq9Sc_kGfkWKax_4XWAzt52cicckP-eJP_z4m2t7G3Dg5S1ExISd6W4GnPu2TOtr2lcAaNkMYjyuk9DqOcaj-UB_cbWAm9P3BAtm6V4ri0xor8b5Bz2IIghg_JPtjw501Tqo0TKFJfTMi8AzuEcPn76t0K/w70-h93/P1180387.JPG" width="70"></a></div><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2014/02/pikes-place-salmon-burgers.html" target="_blank">Pike's Place Salmon Burgers:</a> </b>The final recipe comes from one of my Super Bowl parties, when I prepared a dish from the city of one of the Super Bowl contenders. Back in 2014, that contender was the Seattle Seahawks. So, I prepared a salmon burger recipe that comes from the city's iconic Pike's Place market. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">These are just some of the salmon recipes on this blog. If you want to see the other posts, just click on "Salmon" in the word cloud in "What's in my Fridge + Pantry." Until next time, </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>ENJOY!</b></div></div><p></p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-80737793752357419562023-10-01T14:49:00.004-04:002023-10-12T07:02:01.328-04:00A Casualty of History<p style="text-align: justify;"><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauN5UYOF3S4vfhbs8uNXBWBtOVGQCpqjIy_UeQvSd_xdVrMSFvX6p4fxz8qfDROBttXuHec2pI1gwyCBKriLkN3OyM-XINRHlb5eiByyGyZWNUjpDolaXtBr3GWCtuNl4b0Bx6RM32Sxzq10i_cidl5GTemxzlmS1p6TdRN09-Zug1vfSpRoiYS3_DhqT/s960/F7GjqhVXMAAtglD%20(1).jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauN5UYOF3S4vfhbs8uNXBWBtOVGQCpqjIy_UeQvSd_xdVrMSFvX6p4fxz8qfDROBttXuHec2pI1gwyCBKriLkN3OyM-XINRHlb5eiByyGyZWNUjpDolaXtBr3GWCtuNl4b0Bx6RM32Sxzq10i_cidl5GTemxzlmS1p6TdRN09-Zug1vfSpRoiYS3_DhqT/w596-h397/F7GjqhVXMAAtglD%20(1).jpeg" width="596" /></a></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><i>When the people don't give a damn about reason, they can be manipulated quite easily - and in such cases the perception of the people are manufactured by those controlling the narratives. As a result, ask an Azerbaijani, "who do you think is at fault for the conflict at Nagorno-Karabakh" and they'll say, "Armenia of course" .... Hard as it may sound, whoever controls the narrative, controls the people. And the only way to break that spell is to practice reason, but without losing your warmth.</i></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">-- Abhijit Naskar</p><p style="text-align: justify;">It is often hard to find a narrative that is not tainted by whoever wields it, especially when it comes to culture, history and/or politics. There are often multiple narratives, some of which are irreconcilable. Yet, even in the fog of conflicting narratives, some facts shine through. Those facts cannot be denied, because they unfold before our eyes or the sounds reach our ears. This has been the case for the past days, weeks and indeed months as a so-called "breakaway republic" will now fade into the pages of history books. The consequences of what happened will live on, not only in those who suffered in the past, but in the suffering of untold numbers in the future. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCAyzq7O9Cqlmi-87Ltd_C-ETlic5s60fVTxXC01HA48YRqIZ-bdfazJ-lVKysRhwdrWuVV9JMbMBHTpQWcLx40wpkl7chXSM33vz0KaK3C7XXKowdkmWCwnP7pDJqKRgLncvp0JBCRQgkzZqLXh51fsNcUAPrhL0gOZ4juDTsdA-lfdnkczHb23CEfmK2/s1280/928457-armenia-azerbaijan-historical.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCAyzq7O9Cqlmi-87Ltd_C-ETlic5s60fVTxXC01HA48YRqIZ-bdfazJ-lVKysRhwdrWuVV9JMbMBHTpQWcLx40wpkl7chXSM33vz0KaK3C7XXKowdkmWCwnP7pDJqKRgLncvp0JBCRQgkzZqLXh51fsNcUAPrhL0gOZ4juDTsdA-lfdnkczHb23CEfmK2/s320/928457-armenia-azerbaijan-historical.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The "breakaway republic" that I am referring to is known as the Republic of Artsakh, more commonly known as Nagorno-Karabakh. The latter name is a combination of Russian (Nagorno) and Turkish/Persian (Karabakh) that translates roughly into "mountainous black garden." The Armenians living in the region preferred to call it Artsakh, because that lacked any reference to Russians, Turks, Persians or Azerbaijani. I will refer to Nagorno-Karabakh and Artsakh interchangeably. No country has recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state; instead, it has been considered to be part of Azerbaijan. Yet, the people who live within the borders of Nagorno-Karabakh are overwhelmingly Armenian. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">That one fact -- a region populated by Armenians that is part of a larger country whose majority is Azerbaijani -- provides the starting point. The mapmakers who created this issue were colonialists, but of a Russian kind. The Russian Empire obtained territory throughout the Caucasus Mountains, including both Armenia and Azerbaijan, as part of treaties that ended the Russian-Persian war in the early nineteenth century. Wars erupted between the Armenians and Azerbaijani in 1917 over various parts of their territories. It was not until the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, when the Bolsheviks occupied Azerbaijan (including Nagorno-Karabakh) and Armenia, that the borders began to become fixed. The resulting Soviet Union decided that the Nagorno-Karabakh region would remain in Azerbaijan, but the region would retain significant autonomy. That seemed to settle the matter ... until the Soviet Union ceased to exist. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Pfz-MXAVJsB6Zl87O92_DxcgICJjIeMHr5RQbWdzhPwQs7Aq9RYCD7HQSxjrEen8K4LHCkKtrIUr9loBNwPVHucTsNhBvhPBOwHRVY8tqt3V1evvQ4UKscIFfn5DddbzmtJJTDhzUGDlEMD7zlvwRruwqwyYNQegM6vrAZUEvA2CI8a_smVePEx6i_Qr/s395/2xex5zsj7nsx.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="271" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Pfz-MXAVJsB6Zl87O92_DxcgICJjIeMHr5RQbWdzhPwQs7Aq9RYCD7HQSxjrEen8K4LHCkKtrIUr9loBNwPVHucTsNhBvhPBOwHRVY8tqt3V1evvQ4UKscIFfn5DddbzmtJJTDhzUGDlEMD7zlvwRruwqwyYNQegM6vrAZUEvA2CI8a_smVePEx6i_Qr/s320/2xex5zsj7nsx.jpg" width="220" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Azeri poster about Karabakh,<br />saying "Stand up, son of a Turk" </td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">As the Soviet Union crumbled, tensions increased within Nagorno-Karabakh. The majority Armenian population wanted the region to be transferred to Armenia. However, they could not get anyone to support their calls. In August and September 1991, both Azerbaijan and Armenia obtained their independence from what was the Soviet Union. Thereafter, the situation began to deteriorate precipitously. On November 26, 1991, Azerbaijan ended the separate structure of Nagorno-Karabakh (officially known as the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast) and placed the entire region under Azeri control. The region conducted a referendum on December 10, 1991 (boycotted by Azerbaijanis) that resulted in a call for unification with Armenia. The lines were drawn. War broke out. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The war killed approximately 30,000 people and made refugees out of hundreds of thousands more. A ceasefire was negotiated in 1994 and relative peace was achieved. I say relative because fighting would take place over the coming years and decades, including as recently as 2020. During that conflict, Azerbaijan not only attacked positions within Nagorno-Karabakh, but also Armenia. Those hostilities ended with another cease fire, but it seemed that Azerbaijan was gaining the upper hand.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But it is the events of the past few weeks that gave rise to the casualty of history. For some (additional) context, the predominantly Armenian territory of Nagorno-Karabakh was connected to the country of Armenia by one road, known as the Lachin corridor. Initially, a group of "environmentalists" blocked the corridor. I use the term in quotes because many of those "environmentalists" had <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockade_of_the_Republic_of_Artsakh_(2022%E2%80%93present)" target="_blank">connections</a> with the Azerbaijani government. That government also cut off all gas supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienVBe0xppGM4DLQNA3UStD4iydjYENXsWO7ZEldGDySemxvmNXLrJZ7mZp5JoGFaSmWmR79R_uS09En_62P7fZGKo2m2sG0oAd05GBuA_0YdFYu3HATeblavq91gnjhz-btndn7l-0uxsftBhfbbJLdrKnN6hslvPHaU1NLHzlc_M9691Wk-othiXqKJl/s1080/000_33E98ZF.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienVBe0xppGM4DLQNA3UStD4iydjYENXsWO7ZEldGDySemxvmNXLrJZ7mZp5JoGFaSmWmR79R_uS09En_62P7fZGKo2m2sG0oAd05GBuA_0YdFYu3HATeblavq91gnjhz-btndn7l-0uxsftBhfbbJLdrKnN6hslvPHaU1NLHzlc_M9691Wk-othiXqKJl/w355-h200/000_33E98ZF.jpg" width="355" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lachin checkpoint</td></tr></tbody></table>Azerbaijan escalated the issue by establishing a checkpoint in the Lachin corridor. Perhaps the more appropriate term is a "chokepoint." The Azerbaijani military has used the checkpoint to restrict the passage of goods, materials and commodities between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan imposed a blockade in April 2023, depriving the people of Nagorno-Karabakh of what they needed to survive, like food, gas and medicine. The blockade soon extended to anything and everything by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagorno-Karabakh" target="_blank">June 2023</a>. The people of Nagorno-Karabakh were cut off from not only Armenia, but the entire world. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan commenced a military offensive, which ended one day later with a ceasefire, along with subsequent violations of the ceasefire. Azerbaijan then commenced its efforts to integrate Nagorno-Karabakh into the country. The violence, along with the seeming end of any autonomy, led to a mass exodus of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. As of the end of September 2023, more than 100,000 Armenians have fled to safety in Armenia. The population of Nagorno-Karabakh was approximately 120,000 prior to the recent Azerbaijani military offensive. Those who remain would be <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/27/europe/nagorno-karabakh-exodus-armenia-explainer-intl/index.html" target="_blank">forced</a> to accept Azerbaijani citizenship.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJC6n7k_g7UjtSp4Vu0bgxptXtHSMCRQX5YpE4rn58CN3jhDGkqICOsgcj5w09qfcJPEuKktzxHN3wtqDM5w5SrZ6v-xhns8xnuWoROe4kpbsXG8_e3JyRqBP1qlmV7PBKXwom_n1qvqQUFhtQKtSVqfk7YqoIGkoSp_hJ7LjvhHbGUI2zkl-MlC-qa8H/s1280/230927110444-05-nagorno-karabakh-refugees-092623.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJC6n7k_g7UjtSp4Vu0bgxptXtHSMCRQX5YpE4rn58CN3jhDGkqICOsgcj5w09qfcJPEuKktzxHN3wtqDM5w5SrZ6v-xhns8xnuWoROe4kpbsXG8_e3JyRqBP1qlmV7PBKXwom_n1qvqQUFhtQKtSVqfk7YqoIGkoSp_hJ7LjvhHbGUI2zkl-MlC-qa8H/w587-h330/230927110444-05-nagorno-karabakh-refugees-092623.webp" width="587" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ethnic Armenians fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh. Source: <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/27/europe/nagorno-karabakh-exodus-armenia-explainer-intl/index.html" target="_blank">Vasily Krestyaninov</a> (AP)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">So, here we are, after months of an economic blockade, Azerbaijan used overwhelming military might to force the surrender of the governmental authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh. The military victory paves the way for the former Republic of Artsakh to be fully incorporated into Azerbaijan. The treatment of the Armenian people has led to a mass exodus that could, at the very least, be described as an act of ethnic cleansing. Alternatively, Azerbaijan's conduct could be described, as it has by several legal experts, as <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/nagorno-karabakh-exodus-amounts-war-crime-legal-experts-say-2023-09-29/" target="_blank">a crime against humanity</a>. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The objective of the crime is two-fold: (1) to eliminate the Republic of Artsakh; and (2) to eliminate the Armenian culture that developed within its borders. As Azerbaijan has largely achieved both goals, feelings of powerlessness and meaninglessness may seem too much to overcome. Then again, remember who controls the narrative. In the face of violence and inhumanity, we can break the control over the narrative. So that no one will forget who lived in the mountainous black garden that the Armenians called Artsakh.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;">That is the purpose of this post. My goal is to make the one food that indisputably comes from the Armenian community that lived in Artsakh. That food is called <i>Zhingalov Khats. </i>The recipe embodies the principle of <i>"Karabaghstin sovadz chi mnoum"</i> or "<a href="https://armenianweekly.com/2014/03/28/jingalov-hats/" target="_blank">the people of Karabakh do not remain hungry</a>." During the wars with Azerbaijan, the local populace would <a href="https://armenianweekly.com/2014/03/28/jingalov-hats/" target="_blank">gather greens from the forest</a> and elsewhere to prepare this dish, as well as a broth of wild greens. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oXZOR_sXFRS17k0C-YsHYH_l2EvQxuh8PI7ukm_HSTZz3CZG4VHkLFx5PlOnOKE2nGpmzwAZp47KfONE4zrJmZddRoI0rBoO7RdqyftXjOjy7MibiAtCAIoPYfArPip0CkCILBZdrh2yJlf2t8iCWI_KXDGEjQGgcXy5EmQMJ_3HrWwxVShPwWhrSbxy/s4080/PXL_20231001_165932592.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oXZOR_sXFRS17k0C-YsHYH_l2EvQxuh8PI7ukm_HSTZz3CZG4VHkLFx5PlOnOKE2nGpmzwAZp47KfONE4zrJmZddRoI0rBoO7RdqyftXjOjy7MibiAtCAIoPYfArPip0CkCILBZdrh2yJlf2t8iCWI_KXDGEjQGgcXy5EmQMJ_3HrWwxVShPwWhrSbxy/s320/PXL_20231001_165932592.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The recipe starts with an unleavened dough, which is rolled out into a thin circle. A filling is then prepared by chopping various herbs very finely. If one were preparing this dish in Artsakh, they would be looking for herbs that go by the name of <i>k'ndzmendzyuk</i>, <i>chercheruk</i>, <i>s'msemok </i>and <i>mokhratal</i>. These are just some of the at least seven herbs that are used to make <i>zhingalov khats</i>. Some recipes call for as many as twenty herbs for the filling. Regardless of the number of herbs used, the other ingredients include lemon juice, paprika and some salt. The dough is then folded over and sealed. The packet is then pressed slightly so that it looks like a deflated American football. Once the bread is ready, it is cooked over a <i>saj</i>, which is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhingyalov_hats#:~:text=Zhingyalov%20hats%20(Armenian%3A%20%D4%BA%D5%A5%D5%B6%D5%A3%D5%B5%D5%A1%D5%AC%D5%B8%D5%BE%20%D5%B0%D5%A1%D6%81,such%20as%20famine%20and%20war." target="_blank">specialized domed griddle</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In my case, I prepared a filling that consisted of cilantro, spinach, kale, Swiss chard and scallions. I could not reach the threshold of seven ingredients because I had some difficulty in finding the other greens at my local grocery store. These greens and herbs included chervil, turnip greens, tarragon, radish tops, sorrel and watercress. Nevertheless, I kept those ingredients in the recipe below in case you are able to find them in your local store. As for the preparation, once I placed the stuffing and sealed the dough, I used a standard griddle to cook the bread.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One final note: it is said that <i>zhingalov khats</i> is <a href="https://armenianweekly.com/2014/03/28/jingalov-hats/">best enjoyed</a> with a fine red wine. I definitely have a suggestion, namely, the <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2019/11/karas-classic-red-2016.html" target="_blank">Karas Classic Red</a>, which comes from Armenia.</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXAXGPOhZmqgFV83mBScn_aSJNNE0d0U8pwCQcEgQmk_LpoZJsma7i7Ofs0EpvPpM334ygb_8eCRjZ0jSA4UZA6T4_oteyQPYDFxnAB3lXwUx_FhGUiIKZoZ0b_r-2UKw6rJZgrkUgJzNqu9ZrXmp7e1VtjMGeEVQby5El9RE0jkKVbgUwyj2Kl8rhmZO_/s4080/PXL_20231001_173251396.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXAXGPOhZmqgFV83mBScn_aSJNNE0d0U8pwCQcEgQmk_LpoZJsma7i7Ofs0EpvPpM334ygb_8eCRjZ0jSA4UZA6T4_oteyQPYDFxnAB3lXwUx_FhGUiIKZoZ0b_r-2UKw6rJZgrkUgJzNqu9ZrXmp7e1VtjMGeEVQby5El9RE0jkKVbgUwyj2Kl8rhmZO_/s320/PXL_20231001_173251396.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>ZHINGALOV KHATS</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Recipe adapted from <a href="https://www.osharak.com/jingalov-hats/" target="_blank">Cafe Osharak</a> and <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020760-jingalov-hats" target="_blank">New York Times</a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Serves 4</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients (for the Lavash):</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>2/3 cup lukewarm water</li><li>1 teaspoon kosher salt</li><li>1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, plus 200 grams more for dusting</li></ul><p></p><p><b><i><u>Ingredients (for the filling):</u></i></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>2 pounds chard, tough stems discarded</li><li>4 packed cups fresh cilantro, chervil and dill leaves and tender stems</li><li>4 packed radish greens and sorrel</li><li>6 spring onions or 10 scallions, thinly sliced</li><li>2 tablespoon lemon juice</li><li>3 tablespoons sunflower oil or other neutral oil</li><li>Lavash dough</li></ul><p></p><p><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Prepare the lavash. </b>In a medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of flour and the salt. pour the lukewarm water into a large bowl, then gradually add the flour mixture, using your hands to incorporate. The dough will be sticky. Dust the counter with flour, turn dough onto it and knead gently until the surface becomes smooth and the dough stops sticking to your hands and counter, about 5 minutes. Roll the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, turn it to coat, then cover it with a kitchen towel. Let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes to 1 hour. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Prepare the filling</b>. Wash and dry all of the greens. Chop the greens finely. Mix with spring onions, lemon juice and salt. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Prepare the bread. </b>Spread flour over the work surface. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll into thin 8 inch ovals using a rolling pin. Place about 2 cups of the filling in the center, then use your hand to pat it down into a round, leaving about a 1 inch border of dough. Pick up the two opposite sides of the dough and pinch them together over the center of the filing, from top to bottom so the middle is wide and the ends form points. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>4. Continue to prepare the bread. </b>Firmly pinch the seam to make sure it's sealed, then turn the dough over and gently flatten it out with the palm of your hand so it resembles a deflated football, sealing any holes in the rough. It should be about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. If it is thicker, use a rolling pin to smooth it out aa little. Pinch shut any holes in the dough and then place it on parchment. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the remaining dough.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>5. Cook the bread. </b>Heat a large cast iron pan over medium high. Working with one dough portion at a time, place the dough seam-side down in the center of the pan. Lower the heat to medium and cook for about 3 minutes, until cooked and lightly browned in places. Flip, and cook the other side for 2 minutes. If the dough seems raw in places, flip and cook evenly. Repeat for the rest of the <i>zhingalov khats</i> and serve warm or at room temperature.</p><p style="text-align: center;">*<span> *<span> *</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Nagorno-Karabakh has become a casualty of history. A history of artificially drawn borders, dividing communities with political boundaries that, sometimes, bind those communities with larger groups of people. When one adds the worst of humanity - distrust and hatred of those who are different - with the desire for power and control, then the scene is set for the events of Nagorno-Karabakh. The only question is when the final act will play out. It has unfolded while the world has watched. It did so silently as brutality, inhumanity and violence caused Artsakh to fall and to force over 80% of the population to flee their homes. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I leave you with one last note: there are many more Nagorno-Karabakhs across the globe. As you read this post, the military forces of Serbia are amassing along the border with Kosovo, a breakaway republic in the Balkans that is only partially recognized. My guess is that the Serbian government has made a bet: if the West sat silent as Azerbaijan ethnically cleansed Nagorno-Karabakh, then it is unlikely to do anything if the scene repeats itself in Kosovo. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Only time will tell.</p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-79189853337943538962023-09-19T20:32:00.000-04:002023-09-19T20:32:38.251-04:00Sumac Navajo Leg of Lamb with Onion Sauce<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsAvpQ9uwHnkn61wsQHdYfLIxz9mCDx2zBpioallyiceqUMEQ5vFlLp6B8yfqY_uOCTzhQgwtOeQghvL-WkSVuJYLzdxa7rHXo2HtvZN1e70-jI5r06jMl0WkgPqxPZ-aUQ-OyXp93f53MtMOMWDaoSsN4dupWG3ZC6otWHBgi3rpsRIxUpy_Zn08QlEG/s4080/PXL_20230819_193121774.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsAvpQ9uwHnkn61wsQHdYfLIxz9mCDx2zBpioallyiceqUMEQ5vFlLp6B8yfqY_uOCTzhQgwtOeQghvL-WkSVuJYLzdxa7rHXo2HtvZN1e70-jI5r06jMl0WkgPqxPZ-aUQ-OyXp93f53MtMOMWDaoSsN4dupWG3ZC6otWHBgi3rpsRIxUpy_Zn08QlEG/s320/PXL_20230819_193121774.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As the Navajo (Dine) chef and author, Freddie Bitsoie recounts the <a href="https://www.postguam.com/entertainment/food/not-stuck-in-the-past/article_05e00d64-5bd7-11ec-90b0-2b7894ae0b24.html" target="_blank">Navajo story</a>, "there was a thick fog for four days. No one could see their hand in front of their faces, and people were growing worried and scared. But, when the fog lifted, little cloud puffs were left behind: the sheep."</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Sheep are not indigenous to the North American continent. The "fog" that brought the sheep there were Spanish conquistadors and colonizers. The person <a href="http://www.navajo-churrosheep.com/" target="_blank">credited</a> with bringing sheep to the area where the Navajo lived is Don Juan Onate, a conquistador who would later become governor of Santa Fe de Nuevo Mexico. He brought 2,900 hundred sheep with him and Spanish settlers, who continued to raise those sheep on ranches throughout the province. Apart from bringing sheep to the region, Onate is known for his <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_de_O%C3%B1ate" target="_blank">massacre</a> of indigenous people of the Acoma Pueblo. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Onate embodies the reason why the Navajo were worried and scared of that fog of colonization (as history has shown, see books like Sundberg, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dinetah-Early-History-Navajo-People/dp/0865342210" target="_blank">Dinetah</a> </i>and Denetdale, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Long-Walk-Landmark-American-History/dp/0791093441/ref=asc_df_0791093441/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312167335900&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17009116527342688417&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007811&hvtargid=pla-569736003002&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=60258871417&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312167335900&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17009116527342688417&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007811&hvtargid=pla-569736003002" target="_blank">The Long Walk</a></i>). When the fog lifted, the Navajo found themselves on a reservation that spans an area larger than West Virginia. That reservation covers a hot, arid region that crosses over the political boundaries that separate Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Nevertheless, the Navajo accepted in those "little cloud puffs." The Navajo Churro sheep are descendants from the original stock brought to the new world by the Spanish. The Navajo obtained the sheep from the Spanish, whether by trade with the Spanish or raids on their settlements. The Navajo had great success in raising these sheep, which grew in numbers until they were <a href="http://www.navajo-churrosheep.com/sheep.html" target="_blank">more than 574,000</a> in the 1930s. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi386uq76q_AeaAL3xdaKDkNIfzQcLL3TOyrEdrsxFwHPwn3Sp0WvWSVvR5JhKAZU3IGXDcJG_8bj-b7SDFlqK2Y1P2EHy1YJ192PtWt3v_PBngzCJ2h3VmRMT6W21AcVXj891NmnY1VLiBubTAA1HGHJQwnkFfwc9OchA5GIbDh9F1BTJ4AhGWP_MScS6I/s1200/1656655889-navajo-sheep.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi386uq76q_AeaAL3xdaKDkNIfzQcLL3TOyrEdrsxFwHPwn3Sp0WvWSVvR5JhKAZU3IGXDcJG_8bj-b7SDFlqK2Y1P2EHy1YJ192PtWt3v_PBngzCJ2h3VmRMT6W21AcVXj891NmnY1VLiBubTAA1HGHJQwnkFfwc9OchA5GIbDh9F1BTJ4AhGWP_MScS6I/w531-h279/1656655889-navajo-sheep.jpeg" width="531" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Navajo Churro Sheep (Source: <a href="https://spinoffmagazine.com/navajo-churro-sheep-and-shepherds-meet-the-rainbow-fiber-co-op/" target="_blank">Nikyle Begay</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">However, the drought conditions at the time led the United States to engage in a <a href="http://www.navajo-churrosheep.com/sheep.html" target="_blank">forced reduction</a>. The reduction resulted in a loss of about 30% of a household's livestock, including sheep, cattle and horses. For the Navajo, the forced reduction was as painful as the Long Walk. The stocks of Navajo Churro continued to decrease until the point that they faced extinction. Efforts were made to revive the numbers of sheep, which have been largely successful. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Although not an animal native to North America, the Navajo Churro has nevertheless assumed an important place within Navajo culture. The stocks may have declined, but Navajo have continued to raise the sheep throughout the years. They have also used the wool, spinning it and dyeing it to produce fibers that make their way into clothing, blankets, rugs and decorative arts. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">In addition to the wool, the Navajo have used the meat of the lamb and sheep in various dishes. Recipes have been developed over generations, and indeed centuries, that feature this protein. One common recipe is Navajo Lamb Stew. This recipe combines mutton with carrots, onions, potatoes and cabbage for a dish that is ideal on cool to cold nights.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHz1cE9ftEIU2q3XksQJ4TtWheCEJRIRN5x1WUvEH8wzodAkUgvFvlGoyLYH4OvUVviuNF6UlcezimoNh1Oix7iZK8E7JVds3RERPHudAn2poAzVoJu7b0_X2iefgQL3Bbnv4xnclZ2oZ2k_WqocZSMevTZcDVtIzObk9XpeFZ9YsX4ISN5ELoQrLl9Df/s4080/PXL_20230819_193353599~2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHz1cE9ftEIU2q3XksQJ4TtWheCEJRIRN5x1WUvEH8wzodAkUgvFvlGoyLYH4OvUVviuNF6UlcezimoNh1Oix7iZK8E7JVds3RERPHudAn2poAzVoJu7b0_X2iefgQL3Bbnv4xnclZ2oZ2k_WqocZSMevTZcDVtIzObk9XpeFZ9YsX4ISN5ELoQrLl9Df/s320/PXL_20230819_193353599~2.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another recipe is this Sumac Navajo Leg of Lamb with Onion Sauce. The recipe is an inspiration of Chef Bitsoie, drawing from his memory of his grandfather, who would <a href="https://www.postguam.com/entertainment/food/not-stuck-in-the-past/article_05e00d64-5bd7-11ec-90b0-2b7894ae0b24.html" target="_blank">roast lamb</a> over a fire and then serve it with a sauce made out of chopped onion. His grandfather did not necessarily use sumac, but Chef Bitsoie thought that the flavor of the sumac worked well with the lamb. (He is correct.) He used juniper berries and rosemary in the onion sauce because he believed that his grandfather would have foraged those ingredients while he was herding the cattle and sheep in the mountains. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The use of sumac drew my attention to this recipe. It pairs a non-indigenous protein with a very indigenous little sumac berry. There are 14 species of sumac that grow only in North America. The range of these species runs from southern Quebec across to southern British Columbia, and then south to northern Florida and across to northern Arizona. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The sumac berry is known for providing a lemony element to dishes, which was part of the overall balance to this dish. The slightly bitter, lemon flavor brought by the sumac berry complements not only the rich taste from the leg of lamb, but also the sweetness of the onion sauce. That balance makes this dish one of the best leg of lamb dishes that I have made in a very long time. </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcv5RHbyoL_Y3EVk0uyfxOTPseMciuRyYj1BUZiepDK4Br5xBraPz8i4Do6O4wWUNLAmzPyKDWmluwip-JxskD7MMyeAqB5V2FGicNQ9UYGdpf-r3a9j9w8E_a_hoRDJKq7FGBfSgtWhOHA4tkBzRwF6YrVC2Jjve5Z1SK2hJd-5HQ2rX5Ng1T5fmAGD8-/s4080/PXL_20230819_193129615.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcv5RHbyoL_Y3EVk0uyfxOTPseMciuRyYj1BUZiepDK4Br5xBraPz8i4Do6O4wWUNLAmzPyKDWmluwip-JxskD7MMyeAqB5V2FGicNQ9UYGdpf-r3a9j9w8E_a_hoRDJKq7FGBfSgtWhOHA4tkBzRwF6YrVC2Jjve5Z1SK2hJd-5HQ2rX5Ng1T5fmAGD8-/s320/PXL_20230819_193129615.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>SUMAC NAVAJO LEG OF LAMB</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Recipe adapted from Washington Post</p><p style="text-align: center;">Serves 6-8</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients (for the lamb):</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li> One three pound leg of lamb or tied lamb roast</li><li>1 teaspoon fine salt</li><li>1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper</li><li>1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) ground sumac</li><li>3 tablespoons canola oil</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients (for the onion sauce):</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>2 tablespoons canola oil</li><li>1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced</li><li>2 sprigs fresh thyme</li><li>1 spring fresh rosemary</li><li>5 dried huniper berries</li><li>1 teaspoon fine salt</li><li>1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper</li><li>Water, as needed</li><li>2 cups chicken stock</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Prepare the lamb: </b>Heat the oven or a grill to 375 degrees (or heat a smoker to about 275 degrees, and smoke some oak or mesquite wood chunks for about 1 hour). Season the lamb on all sides with salt and pepper, then coat the lamb on all sides with the sumac.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Brown the lamb:</b> If you are going to roast the lamb, heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet over high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the meat and sear on all sides until evenly browned, about 8 minutes. If the lamb is going on the grill or into a smoker, then skip this step. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Roast/Grill/Smoke the lamb. </b>Transfer to the oven to roast for about 40 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the center reaches 145 degrees for medium-rare. Depending upon the size of the lamb roast, it may take longer to reach that temperature. If using a grill or smoker, place the lamb on the grill and cover. Grill or smoke the lamb until it reaches 145 degrees.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>4. Prepare the onion sauce. </b>While the lamb is roasting/grilling/smoking, in a medium saute pan over high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the onion, thyme, rosemary, juniper berries, salt and pepper. Lower heat to medium and cook, stirring often until the onions are soft and brown, about 20 minutes. If the onions begin to stick, or darken in any places, stir in a splash of water and adjust theheat. Once browned, add the stock and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard the herb stems and juniper berries.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>5. Finish the dish. </b>When the lamb is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm, with the onion sauce on the side. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>ENJOY!</b></p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-22154996345080469472023-09-10T08:44:00.004-04:002023-10-12T06:58:00.543-04:00Defending Against the Blue Crab Invasion<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lbylXRiCBxAg5pNPww34NyAul7Ju0UTJHtQ5dOZR6la0oei4yUbWbcimcXht5YyL8Wm1BCDom5OWPtRwfUk5vi7k1iJWxxikXFelf-eqOnhlAuubYu4ISP2KbzY2JTOKrZ7k41HAnE_fmPEejOrzfLZ_mrS0aPk1ZGkKfwbOe5aDHlcMLnbfrSvjyz6j/s1013/_methode_times_prod_web_bin_a530eb18-3d3f-11ee-81cd-1bf34cc855cb.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1013" data-original-width="1013" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lbylXRiCBxAg5pNPww34NyAul7Ju0UTJHtQ5dOZR6la0oei4yUbWbcimcXht5YyL8Wm1BCDom5OWPtRwfUk5vi7k1iJWxxikXFelf-eqOnhlAuubYu4ISP2KbzY2JTOKrZ7k41HAnE_fmPEejOrzfLZ_mrS0aPk1ZGkKfwbOe5aDHlcMLnbfrSvjyz6j/s320/_methode_times_prod_web_bin_a530eb18-3d3f-11ee-81cd-1bf34cc855cb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>If you find your waters have been invaded by blue crabs, do what we do and soon they will be an endangered species.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">- Anonymous</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I have found myself intrigued by the recent stories about how blue crabs have invaded the waters of the Mediterranean sea. Having lived near the waters of the Chesapeake Bay for decades, I am very familiar with the small, bluish-green crustacean.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">For a period spanning three summers, I worked at a crab house. My principal responsibility was to stuff crab pots for steaming. Each pot was stuffed with a particular size of crab: small, medium, large, extra large and jumbo. As each pot was stuffed, one alternated between layers of crabs and crab spice. There were bushels of blue crabs, in various state of agitation, and barrels of crab spice. It was not an easy job working for hours in a one-hundred degree kitchen for low pay. It even killed my interest in cooking for years.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">As long-time followers of this blog know, it was not until approximately 10 to 12 years later until I revived my interest in cooking. That revival occurred during a trip to Italy. I fell in love with the cuisine, starting with the two regions that I visited: Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. I then began to explore other Italian regions and eventually other countries, which has led to this globally-inspired cooking blog. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUD388cd0fjmKe2WzESd4FRpoHWwJL9JTd_fuG6OOIxBmGm71Bx3VLOTt8oUrinxkVKATp8ucV0jxHUZVlwGDyepH4BY61YiVMyumJce-oLyCHF_4BgHoQAP7H9AXHp0msncov6isVtvQCgipAy6MFJK1HSgxaxSMujleKK5SJE-5MKMDhmps-Oi0Z5Jaj/s1000/0297279_attack-of-the-crab-monsters.webp" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="713" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUD388cd0fjmKe2WzESd4FRpoHWwJL9JTd_fuG6OOIxBmGm71Bx3VLOTt8oUrinxkVKATp8ucV0jxHUZVlwGDyepH4BY61YiVMyumJce-oLyCHF_4BgHoQAP7H9AXHp0msncov6isVtvQCgipAy6MFJK1HSgxaxSMujleKK5SJE-5MKMDhmps-Oi0Z5Jaj/s320/0297279_attack-of-the-crab-monsters.webp" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artist: Albert Kallis</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Yet, it was a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d43978-023-00123-7" target="_blank">recent story</a> in Nature.com about the invasion of blue crabs caught my attention. The story talked about how the species was threatening the northern Adriatic Sea, including the Po River where it is threatening the local clam harvests. Blue crabs can be voracious eaters of clams, mussels and oysters. They also reproduce in large numbers and, if left unchecked, can quickly overtake a local ecosystem, turning into what some describe as an underwater <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d43978-023-00123-7" target="_blank">desert</a>. The crabs are also difficult to catch, being able to use their sharp claws to cut through nets. To a region with a long, venerated culinary history and traditions, the appearance of blue crabs may seem very threatening. Kind of like a old horror movie.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I should note that the recent events in the north Adriatic are not the first blue crab invasion in the Mediterranean Sea - or even the Adriatic Sea. There are reports of blue crabs invading the river deltas of <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/atlantic-invader-threatens-wipe-out-croatia-river-delicacy-2021-05-13/" target="_blank">Croatia</a> in 2020, the shores and lagoons of <a href="https://balkaninsight.com/2021/05/20/as-blue-crab-invades-albania-lagoons-fishermen-complain/" target="_blank">Albania</a> in 2021, as well as shorelines of <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/french-mediterranean-invasive-blue-crab-wreaks-havoc-local-molluscs-2021-08-31/#:~:text=Native%20to%20North%20American%20Atlantic,fishermen%20to%20control%20their%20numbers." target="_blank">France</a> and <a href="https://divingwithnic.com/the-blue-crab-an-invasive-species/#:~:text=The%20Blue%20Crab%2C%20scientifically%20known,the%20Mediterranean%20through%20shipping%20activities." target="_blank">Spain and Gibraltar</a>. In each case, the blue crab was able to take over an area, creating a threat not only to the local molluscs, but also the fish and even the plant life.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0WFGY7yqptgJGEIoPFf2WV7v2cpi472R3OgPEOIYCReeHjevgOvmuymN0Wgk2YIC6tsNKvonZDcG_W9ZTGgUwSHSFQ0dZHRtpLCIvxV-UU_OV6DV5pEPZY1-q6mjem1-EBXe5BxErJjaFfhHVMRrDcFmS9p508Ee3zj9n0MsrXD-oOEPeOiFUrrGVnLtA/s1171/blue-crab-kim-cover-1171x593.webp" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="1171" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0WFGY7yqptgJGEIoPFf2WV7v2cpi472R3OgPEOIYCReeHjevgOvmuymN0Wgk2YIC6tsNKvonZDcG_W9ZTGgUwSHSFQ0dZHRtpLCIvxV-UU_OV6DV5pEPZY1-q6mjem1-EBXe5BxErJjaFfhHVMRrDcFmS9p508Ee3zj9n0MsrXD-oOEPeOiFUrrGVnLtA/w348-h176/blue-crab-kim-cover-1171x593.webp" width="348" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://www.cbf.org/blogs/save-the-bay/2020/08/blue-crabs-how-are-they-doing.html" target="_blank">Kim Cover</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">As voracious as the blue crab may be, they have a natural predator that can be just as insatiable - us. For those of us who live around the Chesapeake Bay, we know the troubled history of the blue crab in our waters. Overfishing and consumption, combined with poor regulations and the introduction of the crab pot - led to <a href="https://www.bayjournal.com/opinion/forum/the-sad-saga-of-the-chesapeake-bay-blue-crab/article_93a2ae70-4413-11ed-a986-4f3e961247c8.html#:~:text=The%202022%20survey%20showed%20that,population%20of%2030%20years%20ago." target="_blank">significant declines</a> in blue crab populations. The population declines have been worsened by runoff from farms, whose pollution has affected not only the blue crabs, but the environs around which they live. From the mid-1990s until 2004, the blue crab population in the Chesapeake Bay <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callinectes_sapidus" target="_blank">fell</a> from 900 million to about 300 million. The population fell to its <a href="https://www.bayjournal.com/opinion/forum/the-sad-saga-of-the-chesapeake-bay-blue-crab/article_93a2ae70-4413-11ed-a986-4f3e961247c8.html#:~:text=The%202022%20survey%20showed%20that,population%20of%2030%20years%20ago." target="_blank">lowest level</a> in 2022, as determined by 33 years of surveys. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Quite ironically, where Italy has dedicated nearly $3 million Euros to reducing the numbers of crabs in its waters, the U.S. government - along with the governments of Maryland and Virginia - are taking <a href="https://www.cbf.org/blogs/save-the-bay/2020/08/blue-crabs-how-are-they-doing.html" target="_blank">various steps</a> -- such as improving water quality and restoring oyster reefs -- to protect the species and grow its numbers. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">For this post, I thought I would do my part to help those along the shores of the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas suffering from an "invasion" of one of my favorite foods to eat. I am reproducing my all-time favorite (as of right now) blue crab recipe below, as well as links to other very good recipes that one can find on this blog.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE BLUE CRAB RECIPE (AS OF RIGHT NOW)</u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSyhsFlHG-5NhKlOLx6-JmxirpM387psZAZUoWU0JRBN9UDMRc-JoPrI0bVDdgiucU67sr9I5-n0VjlqJOK__gHIIf6sDDE6CKcyuI-9pBFQ5DDyAFeZKKRtWTt8nv-fmYHd-yvHsuMSW6dpbp_aGbg6FZZqivUPDL1D_hZ4GZEDE4JcA1tMF36LuzxNV/s4080/PXL_20221002_222416627~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSyhsFlHG-5NhKlOLx6-JmxirpM387psZAZUoWU0JRBN9UDMRc-JoPrI0bVDdgiucU67sr9I5-n0VjlqJOK__gHIIf6sDDE6CKcyuI-9pBFQ5DDyAFeZKKRtWTt8nv-fmYHd-yvHsuMSW6dpbp_aGbg6FZZqivUPDL1D_hZ4GZEDE4JcA1tMF36LuzxNV/s320/PXL_20221002_222416627~2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>CAROLINA CRAB RICE</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Recipe from the <a href="https://festival.si.edu/blog/gullah-geechee-recipe-carolina-crab-rice" target="_blank">Smithsonian Institution</a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Serves 4</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>1 cup long grain rice, uncooked</li><li>2 cups water</li><li>Small pinch of salt</li><li>2-3 strips of thick cut bacon, diced</li><li>1 celery stalk diced</li><li>1/2 bell pepper, any color, diced </li><li>1 small onion, diced</li><li>1 pound of crabmeat, cooked (preferably lump)</li><li>Garlic powder</li><li>Onion powder</li><li>Salt</li><li>Black pepper</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Prepare the rice. </b>Rinse the dry rice under cool water 3 to 4 times and drain. Put the rinsed rice into a small pot, cover with 2 cups of water, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover the pot and let the rice cook undisturbed for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, crack the lid of the pot so the rice can stop cooking and set aside. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Fry the bacon. </b>In a small skillet, fry the bacon pieces over medium-low heat until all of the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully remove the bacon pieces and set them aside. Reserve the rendered fat in the pan.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Fry the vegetables. </b>Over medium heat, add celery, bell pepper and onion to the pan with the bacon fat and sauté until vegetables have softened and onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Then add crabmeat and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until crab has begun to crisp. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>4. Finish the dish. </b>Add the cooked rice, bacon and seasonings to the pan with the vegetables. Incorporate all of the ingredients until evenly mixed, turn to low and let cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>OTHER DELICIOUS BLUE CRAB RECIPES</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">If you want some more culinary ideas on how to control blue crab populations, I strongly suggest these possibilities: </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2013/11/blue-crabcake-algonquian.html"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglw6TcBNw8kYEHpo7sp5cRVWrf9RNJkwTOpzAIWRFoTlW6-jTssmveGNEVub4kHUMO8iR1r0BOV7XAIKIb4w8RwJ3Lndfh9UuLPgvLAG2Uda8r_39FySS4m5lwApKX7HtlA0DOQk5nCcM4n3sGMAzscKpA9l4gxMzi39D4JnDlk33ZcWxcpiZsYwgCKL_w/w139-h105/P1170991.JPG" width="139" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2013/11/blue-crabcake-algonquian.html">Blue Crabcake Algonquin</a>:</u><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>This recipe comes in a close second to the Carolina Crab Rice. This recipe comes a book called <i>Renewing America's Food Traditions</i>, which discusses endangered ingredients across the North American continent. This recipe is a very traditional and very delicious crabcake.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifoeYSBl4H5GvxxZ7P_4X-8HprhoP8O50Xrky3puP9HpEbdPERQAqu-1BCyNWplP62aeUsN2NH_Z4yhvHcCn266oI9Te7flAdE-pjiIDz3XLhSGyU-wzhpv91BDo79yJlVTlvr0WQHVdkcT8hxnZ6112oQF6k7C693caJqu7d6imUeQV8LcQjkwQ3pRIFj/s1470/66bc29f9-6ff4-4b9a-8747-7f5d9cf2eccb.jpe" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="827" data-original-width="1470" height="86" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifoeYSBl4H5GvxxZ7P_4X-8HprhoP8O50Xrky3puP9HpEbdPERQAqu-1BCyNWplP62aeUsN2NH_Z4yhvHcCn266oI9Te7flAdE-pjiIDz3XLhSGyU-wzhpv91BDo79yJlVTlvr0WQHVdkcT8hxnZ6112oQF6k7C693caJqu7d6imUeQV8LcQjkwQ3pRIFj/w137-h86/66bc29f9-6ff4-4b9a-8747-7f5d9cf2eccb.jpe" width="137" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2016/07/steamed-chesapeake-bay-blue-crabs.html" target="_blank">Steamed Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs</a>:</u><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>This is the traditional method of preparing crabs in along the bay. Just replace "Chesapeake Bay" with "Adriatic Sea" and you are good to go. Also, if you need a recipe for Old Bay seasoning, check out my <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2022/06/in-search-of-orange-gold-part-5-to.html" target="_blank">attempt to recreate</a> that iconic spice mixture.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-weight: bold;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4SZTiw1O3ef7NEVxVCO3mHJFu2sEkEQ7mBXsDFX3YG5xHmfhfsrSUwOG9ypsJaXB3GyL6BElgEthyulHNTzIMG6j5f1X18swxghx8eAmHoqehPLPUI9yzr9knme5K56UcgnreyrJTaQpvFmPKDRSUNRsdHxD1X9laqa-zAi2FMQqYFxxzFlbqg5tyuLhS/s1600/P1200855.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4SZTiw1O3ef7NEVxVCO3mHJFu2sEkEQ7mBXsDFX3YG5xHmfhfsrSUwOG9ypsJaXB3GyL6BElgEthyulHNTzIMG6j5f1X18swxghx8eAmHoqehPLPUI9yzr9knme5K56UcgnreyrJTaQpvFmPKDRSUNRsdHxD1X9laqa-zAi2FMQqYFxxzFlbqg5tyuLhS/w135-h102/P1200855.JPG" width="135" /></a></div><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2017/06/crab-flake-salad.html" target="_blank">Crab Flake Salad</a>:</u> This recipe could be found on the menus of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad's dining cars. It is a very simple preparation that makes an amazing appetizer. A similar version of this dish hails from the coastlines of Mississippi and Alabama, which is known as <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2010/09/west-indies-salad.html" target="_blank">West Indies Salad</a>.</div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAxeW3x4Xrf3Y5ZjrlnAPB1FPk9bP_LM8CTlfmcQ0h-v69AUD1ZwZcvxt5aXsM2JhrIysr5ucnFn5cjdnpbMktsT7oXNrnTL-Gh2KWpY8bHubZJFPPXDq0oSsK9lB89OzX9w3a-yeDlhjy44zzJk9JPKl8Nhqrt4hZbf0IW9egiv4Zc3KuZ9G0nrG8MKb/s1225/IMG_20170618_171733.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="1225" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAxeW3x4Xrf3Y5ZjrlnAPB1FPk9bP_LM8CTlfmcQ0h-v69AUD1ZwZcvxt5aXsM2JhrIysr5ucnFn5cjdnpbMktsT7oXNrnTL-Gh2KWpY8bHubZJFPPXDq0oSsK9lB89OzX9w3a-yeDlhjy44zzJk9JPKl8Nhqrt4hZbf0IW9egiv4Zc3KuZ9G0nrG8MKb/w133-h92/IMG_20170618_171733.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2017/08/fire-roasted-gazpacho-with-maryland.html" target="_blank">Fire Roasted Gazpacho with Maryland Lump Crab</a>:</u> This recipe combines perhaps my most favorite soup - Gazpacho - with one of my most favorite proteins, blue crab. The fire-roasting of the gazpacho ingredients is an idea of master griller Steven Raichlen.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2019/10/chesapeake-paella.html" target="_blank"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2019/10/chesapeake-paella.html" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAMFu3WicEWPD58NGa_loiZ0JjD32BGrh2fHxJywfI0GdIJPfaY5pM2ABWK5DL9T2HZujGdlmvO1iyHrnjuqog2LcsJvvo4k0MIFULuWuV2qzHnDxLvfQPUWjYeAaoFOutkq2q3RphsyPxzAadqDxLrH6V3zmwIJc4HP6NyGUaKDH_Z4HmMqX_MrIHQ7A6/s1204/IMG_20190420_190009.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1204" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAMFu3WicEWPD58NGa_loiZ0JjD32BGrh2fHxJywfI0GdIJPfaY5pM2ABWK5DL9T2HZujGdlmvO1iyHrnjuqog2LcsJvvo4k0MIFULuWuV2qzHnDxLvfQPUWjYeAaoFOutkq2q3RphsyPxzAadqDxLrH6V3zmwIJc4HP6NyGUaKDH_Z4HmMqX_MrIHQ7A6/w132-h92/IMG_20190420_190009.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2019/10/chesapeake-paella.html" target="_blank">Chesapeake Paella</a>:</u><i> </i>This recipe utilizes blue crab in a seafood paella (also, if you happen to find some soft-shell blue crabs, then you can enjoy eating the entire crab - minus its face and gills, of course). This recipe provides a wonderful combination of Chesapeake and Valencian culinary influences.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">These are just some of the blue crab recipes on the blog, but they are definitely among my favorites. I offer these suggestions as my part to help those living survive the invasion of blue crabs. Until next time ...</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>ENJOY!</b></p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-85635521617174899062023-09-01T22:29:00.001-04:002023-09-04T19:38:31.058-04:00Guiji (Ghost Chicken)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENBHlU_BENNnizz5-v0IeZYjxcK1p8KKOgiN-0TFJzOpMnoazwuBL9BnT_iNQBQ3oDBpBVPkzn7Zy86J3SeWXPA0Pv0vw-fTQIovEkR3byxFrl2aS_fXQVdf1bZc0OwSdAOthy5NtzDR2x2sCok7ZpbSJ2PoqSIiqR_W4GTiQGPVxQfWj0lpTtXkrFA/s4080/PXL_20230521_175554549.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENBHlU_BENNnizz5-v0IeZYjxcK1p8KKOgiN-0TFJzOpMnoazwuBL9BnT_iNQBQ3oDBpBVPkzn7Zy86J3SeWXPA0Pv0vw-fTQIovEkR3byxFrl2aS_fXQVdf1bZc0OwSdAOthy5NtzDR2x2sCok7ZpbSJ2PoqSIiqR_W4GTiQGPVxQfWj0lpTtXkrFA/s320/PXL_20230521_175554549.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yunnan is one of the southernmost provinces of China; and, it borders Myanmar, Thailand and Laos. Within the province's borders, one can find the Dai people. I previously blogged about the Dai and their cuisine when I prepared <a href="https://chefbolek.blogspot.com/2023/03/dai-carrot-salad.html" target="_blank">Dai Carrot Salad</a>. As I did some research for that post, I kept coming across a completely different recipe. The dish is referred to as <i>Guiji</i> or, by its more fanciful nickname, "ghost chicken."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The dish is an excellent reflection of Dai cuisine. It draws upon three key ingredients: raw herbs such as culantro and fish mint root; chiles, such as the very piquant Thai bird's eye chiles; and an acidic element such as lime juice. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Notwithstanding the use of traditional ingredients, the "star" of this recipe is the chicken itself. <i>Guiji </i>is prepared with a silkie chicken, which gets its name for its white, fluffy plummage (which is said to feel like silk to the touch). Indeed, the first recorded sighting of a silkie chicken comes from Marco Polo in the 13th century, who wrote about a "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silkie" target="_blank">furry chicken</a>" that he encountered during his travels through Asia. Indeed, the silkie chicken originated somewhere in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silkie" target="_blank">China</a> (although it is possible that it could have emerged <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silkie" target="_blank">elsewhere</a> in Asia, such as as India or Java). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Beneath the fluffy white feathers, a silkie has black skin, darker meat and black bones, which are well known to and prized by chefs, especially in Asia. Chinese chefs (including Dai chefs) use the meat of the chickens for a wide range of soups, while using the bones for stocks and broths. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While researching <i>Guiji</i>, I worked under the assumption that the dish was representative of Dai cuisine. Most of the websites attributed the dish to the Dai people. However, I came across some interesting information that placed the dish within the cuisine of another ethnic group, the Jingpo. The Jingpo live in the same region as the Dai, generally around the across the border between Myanmar (where they are known as the Jinghpaw) and China's Yunnan province. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The link to the Jingpo also provided an interesting backstory to <i>Guiji</i>. There are <a href="https://www.thekitchenscholar.com/recipes/ghost-chicken-salad" target="_blank">Jingpo communities</a> who practice a ritual of slaughtering chickens and offering them to departed family members and other souls, along with ancestral spirits or deities. The chickens would then be poached, which is a sign of respect for the dead. Once the chickens are cooked and have cooled down, the meat would be shredded. The shredded chicken is then combined with garlic, ginger and the key ingredients of Dai cuisine, that is, raw herbs, chiles, and lime juice. Hence, the Jingpo tradition may be where this dish gets its nickname, "Ghost Chicken." </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYN-B58Gn_GYgPB6EA7dlPpWZXFdwVUlAwc0kd_7jZHCznYFiGgppVvW71uHo6LAjkTmx-qyz-h9OxNHfGi6YBNqiRwfydhDCEZ31yZr3Ils7Nd2dm4Xo-Y3J7Kzs3Wowx8Nirbx7xM5xGzFN2b_yuaHsuddjcaF_Cm9NmdxpRlLlMVBkkzGqYRI_waQ/s4080/PXL_20230521_175536201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYN-B58Gn_GYgPB6EA7dlPpWZXFdwVUlAwc0kd_7jZHCznYFiGgppVvW71uHo6LAjkTmx-qyz-h9OxNHfGi6YBNqiRwfydhDCEZ31yZr3Ils7Nd2dm4Xo-Y3J7Kzs3Wowx8Nirbx7xM5xGzFN2b_yuaHsuddjcaF_Cm9NmdxpRlLlMVBkkzGqYRI_waQ/s320/PXL_20230521_175536201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br />GUIJI (GHOST CHICKEN)</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Recipe from <a href="https://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/4123/how-to-cook-a-spicy-yunnan-specialty-ghost-chicken" target="_blank">Go Kunming</a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Serves 4</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>1 whole silkie chicken (plucked and butchered)\</li><li>2 tablespoons ginger, minced</li><li>2 tablespoons garlic, minced</li><li>7-10 tablespoons culantro</li><li>3-4 tablespoons fish mint root (optional)</li><li>5-10 Thai bird's eye chiles, sliced thinly</li><li>1 tablespoon salt</li><li>1 pod dried red cardamom</li><li>5 limes, juiced</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Poach the chicken. </b>Place the entire bird into the pot with just enough water to cover and the single pod of red cardamom. Season with a pinch of salt after the water begins to boil. Cover the pot with a lid, lower the flame, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the stove and allow the chicken to sit in the hot liquid for another 20 minutes to continue cooking. After 20 minutes have passed, drain the liquid, remove the cardamom and set the chicken aside to cool. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Pull the chicken meat. </b>Once the chicken has cooled, use your fingers to shred the meat into thin, uniform strips and discard the bones. This should yield about 4 cups of meat, including the skin (the traditional Yunnan way). </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Finish the dish. </b>Toss the chicken with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Taste. If the flavor is not strong and piquant, add more lime juice, salt or fresh chiles as necessary. Serve cold. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>ENJOY!</b></p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2519728884834730200.post-52024697947596974782023-08-24T18:28:00.000-04:002023-08-24T18:28:51.946-04:00Watermelon Salsa<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIt0gua1wV8lfs3n0AYPrP1R3LUBOpOKuHPd_lZzOukqqTZxOC61B1W8UMmZmZzotEdyGi71r_Ko0x2DCxQEcQp-h0cICeOKQ8GgwhTdPkeGon6fvMHxWxeruqQn91Z0g-CrgjkjLxnniWBGIJX3kZuyCCJAiTi2bWcn5MW2-5nSV4Cjk0gQKlwNo1M1dK/s4080/PXL_20230730_160642234.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIt0gua1wV8lfs3n0AYPrP1R3LUBOpOKuHPd_lZzOukqqTZxOC61B1W8UMmZmZzotEdyGi71r_Ko0x2DCxQEcQp-h0cICeOKQ8GgwhTdPkeGon6fvMHxWxeruqQn91Z0g-CrgjkjLxnniWBGIJX3kZuyCCJAiTi2bWcn5MW2-5nSV4Cjk0gQKlwNo1M1dK/s320/PXL_20230730_160642234.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We had a lot of watermelon, which we had bought for our daughter's birthday party. I sliced the watermelon into kid-sized wedges. But, we had a lot of watermelon. And, when the party was over, we still had a lot of watermelon. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Clare had been talking about making some watermelon salsa. I went onto the Internet and began looking at various recipes. Needless to say, there is a lot of commonality amongst those recipes. Besides the watermelon, most recipes called for red onion, jalapenos, lime juice, cilantro and salt.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I wanted to do something a little different. There were a few recipes that provided some ideas. Recipes that called for additional ingredients, such as cucumber and lime zest. I even thought about adding some mango, but I decided to leave that for another day and another recipe.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the end, I took a recipe that I found on Master Class and made a couple of changes based on other recipes. I added that cucumber (1/2 of a cucumber, diced) and lime zest (about 1 tablespoon). I also made the salt optional, because I did not think it was required. Given all of the fresh ingredients, along with watermelon's natural tendency to leech water, I thought that it was good to go without the salt (which would have only drawn out more water from the ingredients). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The end result is a colorful, fresh salsa that is actually very good. If I had a summer menu, this salsa would be part of it, along with a good gazpacho. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivPfsMwzsOLatU9rFzwtLSYI4_fNITFVsa7jatoJTI7H6JPOOZPSlqAQGa_tHGPlrvsf16FnF4VnumtnmqTfGUDwTDCQ49Frj7iGLP3zOwlcwTnHlSlG07pzRFgOYn6EZ6WjF0XFglsLIzbU95Ctf8leObWJlil0jl2yTtgcLLCxatvXeJv2Zt4u_bkyY_/s4080/PXL_20230730_160633080.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivPfsMwzsOLatU9rFzwtLSYI4_fNITFVsa7jatoJTI7H6JPOOZPSlqAQGa_tHGPlrvsf16FnF4VnumtnmqTfGUDwTDCQ49Frj7iGLP3zOwlcwTnHlSlG07pzRFgOYn6EZ6WjF0XFglsLIzbU95Ctf8leObWJlil0jl2yTtgcLLCxatvXeJv2Zt4u_bkyY_/s320/PXL_20230730_160633080.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>WATERMELON SALSA</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Recipe adapted from Master Class</p><p style="text-align: center;">Serves several</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><u>Ingredients:</u></i></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>3 cups of seedless watermelon, diced</li><li>1 small red onion, diced</li><li>1/2 cucumber, seeded and diced</li><li>1 jalapeno, seeds removed and diced</li><li>2 tablespoons lime juice</li><li>1 tablespoon lime zest</li><li>1/3 cup cilantro leaves, chopped finely</li><li>Kosher salt, to taste (optional)</li></ul><div><b><i><u>Directions:</u></i></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Combine all of the ingredients together and mix well. Season with salt, if desired, just prior to serving. </p>Keith Bolekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799921811007314431noreply@blogger.com0