Tsam-Thuk (Tsampa Soup)

"Rise up, all tsampa-eating Tibetans"

-- Protest Chant of Tibetan Monks (2008)

Tibet and the Tibetan people can trace their history back to 604 C.E. That history alternated between long periods of independence and periods of occupation. For nearly 75 years, Tibetans have experienced the latter, with Tibet -- or as it is currently known, the Tibet Autonomous Region, -- has been under the control of the People's Republic of China ("PRC"). 

Chinese control over Tibet has not been very easy to maintain. When the Chinese formally annexed Tibet in 1951, the communists claimed a territory and a people who had significiant cultural and social differences. At first blush, the traditional Tibetan society and economy, which was more feudal in nature, was exactly the type of system that the communists sought to eradicate. However, the Chinese communists granted autonomy to the Tibetans, allowing their culture, society and economy to continue, albeit with the presence of twenty thousand communist soldiers in the area. 

There were reasons for such autonomy. China faced a huge problem: namely, there were no roads connecting Tibet with mainland China. Resupplies required pack animals and long treks over the mountains. Thus, the Chinese soldiers stationed in Tibet were completely dependent upon the Tibetans for food. One interesting story to emerge out of that time period involved hungry Chinese soldiers. They knew very little about Tibetan cuisine, and, when they saw tsampa (roasted barley flour), they tried to relate it to something they were familiar with, such as rice or wheat. Yet, when the Chinese soldiers ate tsampa, they choked and gagged on the roasted flour.  

Finely ground roasted barley, also known as Tsampa.

As an aside, I have previously walked the "Tsampa Path," exploring the cultivation of barley in Tibet, as well as the preparation of the ground flour. It was part of my effort to be more mindful of my cooking, which, in part, involved an effort to incorporate Buddhist principles in what I prepared. I even established my own practice of eating tsampa every morning, although it has been hard to keep up.

Returning to the story, the roasted barley flour quickly became a symbol of Tibetan identity. It emerged as a culinary distinction that separated the Tibetans from the Han Chinese (who are the majority ethnic group in the People's Republic of China). This distinction, in turn, became a rallying cry to unite Tibetans in the years after the Chinese annexation of their homeland. In 1952, the year after the formal annexation of Tibet by China, the editor of the Tibetan language newspaper The Tibet Mirror, Dorje Tharchin Babu (a staunch anti-communist) wrote a letter to his fellow Tibetans: 

We, the tsampa eaters, chuba wearers, dice players, raw and dry meat eaters, followers of Buddhism, Tibetan language speakers, the people from the Three Circuits of Ngari (Ngari Korsum), Four Hours of Central Tibet (U-Tsang Ru-Zhi), Six Ranges of Eastern Tibet (Dokham Gangdrug) and the Thirteen Myiarchies of Tibet (Bod Trik-khor Chuksum) we must make an effort to end the [Chinese] occupation.

Thus, to be Tibetan is to be a tsampa-eater, or po mi tsmasey. And, a few years later in 1956, The Tibetan Mirror called upon "tsampa-eaters" to "unite their minds" and "stand up." Tibetans eventually stood up in the 1959 uprising; however, the Chinese communists won that battle. In its aftermath, the Chinese government cracked down on Tibetan society. The autonomy was gone, the communist policies would be formally (and brutally) imposed upon Tibet as they were elsewhere around the country.

While many Tibetans lost their lives in 1959, along with their autonomy, their collective identity survived. The Tibetans residing in the Tibetan Autonomous Region held onto their culture, and their cuisine, especially barley, even while the newly arrived Han Chinese settled in the region, bringing their preference for rice or wheat. Uprisings would erupt from time to time, but the Chinese hold over the Tibetan Autonomous Region remained firm. 

In 2008, the tsampa-eater identity re-emerged as protests commenced again, this time with 300-400 Buddhist monks from the Drepung Monastery marching for religious freedom. They were met with violence by Chinese police, who arrested 60 of the monks. The next day, another 300-400 Buddhist monks from the Sera monastery when to march for the release of their brothers. They too encountered police violence, and more were arrested. A few days later, more monks tried to protest, but they were blocked from leaving their monastery. Violence erupted, that led to burning and destruction of buildings and stores owned and operated by Han and Hui (eastern-Asian Muslims). The calls evolved from the release of imprisoned monks to the independence of Tibet and its people. The response was yet another crackdown.

But, Chinese crackdowns could not break the Tibetan identity. In the following years, such as 2009, Tibetan monks called upon "tsampa eaters" to "rise up." Tsampa itself became part of the protest, with protestors eating tsampa and throwing the ground barley flour into the air during demonstrations. In 2012, tsampa eating made its way into rap, as NPR noted in an article back in 2019. A Tibetan rapper named Shapaley wrote a song and produced a music video about Tsampa and the Tibetan identity. The video is below: 

The music is very catchy, and the lyrics sum up the centrality of tsampa in the Tibetan identity better than I have done in this entire post. (That is almost always the case when someone discusses their own experiences, as opposed to another trying to recount them.) While I may not be a Tibetan, I am a tsampa-eater in solidarity with them.

I am happy to say that my tsampa eating now includes Tsam-Thuk, a Tibetan soup recipe. Tsampa plays and important role as a thickener. The preparation begins with the ground barley flour being mixed with bone broth or beef broth to create smooth base, which is then made into the consistency of soup with more broth. The additional ingredients include onions, radishes and beef, which is found in versions made in Tibet's capital, Lhasa (as rural versions are prepared with yak meat). The soup is then finished with baby spinach and melted butter. I decided I wanted a soup with a thicker consistency, so I only used 2 cups of water (in actuality, I just used the rest of the beef broth, to avoid any waste). The end result is a very delicious and hearty soup (which one needs when they live at the altitudes of Tibet). 

TSAM-THUK (TSAMPA SOUP)

Recipe from Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Daguid, 

Beyond the Great Wall, pg. 47

Ingredients:

• 1.25 cups of Tsampa (or substitute 1 cup barley flour dry roasted in a skillet until golden)
• 1/4 pound daikon radish (about 1/2 small radish)
• 6 cups of Tibetan bone broth (or substitute beef broth or chicken broth)
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil, vegetable oil, or butter
• 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound to 3/4 pound boneless beef round or sirloin steak, cut into strips about 1.5 to 2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide
• 2-3 cups water
• 1.5 to 2 cups baby spinach leaves or coarsely chopped regular spinach
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. Prepare the ingredients. To make sure that the tsampa or roasted flour is fine enough, pass it through a fine sieve. Set aside. Peel the daikon radish, then grate it on a coarse greater into long strands.

2. Prepare the broth. Pour 3 cups of the broth into a heavy pot (4 quarts is a good size) and bring to a boil. Add the tsampa or roasted flour and stir until smooth. Add the remaining 3 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Add the radish strands and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. 

3. Prepare the other ingredients. Meanwhile, heat the oil or butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté gently for several minutes. Add the meat strips and 1/2 teaspoon salt, raise the heat to medium high and cook turning once, until just the beef has changed color, about 3 minutes. Use tongs to lift out the meat and set it aside on a plate. Add the onion and oil or butter to the soup. 

4. Deglaze the pan. To deglaze the skillet, place the pan over high heat and add a cup of water and bring to a boil. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to detach any browned bits or caramelized juices, then add the flavored water to the soup. (The recipe can be prepared ahead to this point and set aside for up to 1 hour. Or let cool, refrigerate for up to 36 hours. Bring the soup to a simmer before proceeding.)

5. Finish the dish. Add 1 cup more of water to the soup and bring back to a simmer. Add the meat and bring back to a simmer. Add extra water if you wish a thinner broth. Taste for salt and add up to 2 more teaspoons if necessary. Add the spinach leaves to the simmering broth. When they turn bright green, after a minute or two, add the butter and stir to blend it in. Serve the soup hot in large bowls with bread, or with rice if you prefer. 

PEACE.

Awaze Wings

Ethiopia is well known for its spice blends, most notably berbere, a very spicy mix consisting of ground chiles, cardamom, fenugreek, ginger and other ingredients. The country is also known for its sauces, such as awaze.  It is this sauce that served as an inspiration for this post. 

I came across a recipe for an awaze sauce that could be used for barbecue ribs. The recipe was fairly simple, clarified butter, berbere spice mix, rosemary and ground cardamom. I decided to take this recipe, adapt it a little, and use it for a buffalo wing sauce. 

The first modification to the recipe was the berbere spice mix. You can probably find pre-made berbere in an Ethiopian market or at Penzey's. Alternatively, you can do what I do and make your own spice mix. I prepared my own berbere, using a recipe from Huntler, Angler, Gardener, Cook, which is a great resource from author Hank Shaw. 

True awaze uses clarified butter, which I have in my refrigerator; however, my second modification was to go a slightly different route. I decided to stick with Hank Shaw's recipe, which uses water or oil to create a berbere paste. I used oil and, given that choice, I decided to forego the clarified butter. I have enough "fat" being used in the wings with the oil, which I added a little more to make the paste into a rough marinade sauce.

Finally, I decided that I would grill the wings. This decision is based upon my growing preference for grilled wings, especially over fried ones and even roasted wings.  

Overall, these are perhaps the spiciest wings that I have prepared as part of my Wings Around the World project. I recognize that the preparation is not a true Ethiopian awaze, but I will make up for it in the future with a traditional awaze recipe, such as tibs. Until then ...

AWAZE WINGS

Recipe adapted from The Food Network; Berbere Recipe from Hunter Angler Gardener Cook

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 12 chicken wings (drummettes and flats)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 12 cardamom pods
• 2 large shallots minced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 3 tablespoons cayenne
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek
• Water

Directions:

1. Prepare the rub. Toast all of the whole spices in a dry pan over medium heat until they are fragrant. Set aside. In the same pan, heat the oil and sweat the shallots and garlic over medium heat. Do not let them turn color. Turn off the heat and set aside. Grind the whole spices in a spice grinder and then mix with the powdered spices. Add the shallots and garlic to a food processor, then add the spices and drizzle in water or oil as you buzz it on low. 

2. Cook the chicken wings. Heat a grill on medium high heat. Rinse the chicken wings and pat them dry. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the paste on the wings so that they covered all over. Oil the grates of the grill and place the chicken wings on the grill. Grill for about seven minutes and then flip the wings, grilling them for about seven minutes more. Watch to make sure the rub does not burn, if it starts to blacken, move the wings to a cooler part of the grill and extend the cooking time. 

3. Finish the dish. Once the wings reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, remove them from the grill.  

PEACE.

Crisfield Crab Cakes

Five weeks in Crisfield, Maryland, beginning on April 6, 1938 and running through May 10, 1938. Each and every day of that time period encapsulated much of the economic and social history of the United States throughout the twentieth century. Those five weeks not only summarize who we were then, but who we remain to this day. That summary is not only a story about our strengths, but also of our darker side. 

The five weeks marked the start and end of the Maryland Crab Pickers' Strike. 

Part One: A Little Background

For much of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Crisfield was known as the "Seafood Capital," not only of the Chesapeake Bay, but the entire world. While that capitol was built upon oyster shells (literally, as the shells were used as landfill to support the construction of buildings in the town), its lifeblood soon depended upon the blue crab. Watermen would dock at the Crisfield port and unload bushel after bushel of blue crabs. Those bushels were destined for the crab picking houses that lined the waterfront.  By 1938, Crisfield accounted for 13% of Maryland's blue crab catch, which amounted to more than 25,000 barrels. 

Yet, in 1938, the city of Crisfield was still in the grips of the depression. It was estimated that as much as 90% of the city's residents were unemployed. However, the waterfront was open for business, with 15 crab picking houses operating with workforces that consisted overwhelmingly of African-American women. The women worked long hours, sometimes 10 hours, 12 hours or even 16 hours per day. They earned only $0.35 cents per gallon of crab meat that they picked. That translated into about $1.00 to $1.50 of earnings per week. (Adjusted for inflation, the high end of that range would equal $33.76 of income per week in 2026.) And they did not even get all of that money at the end of the day, as the African-American women were forced to pay a $0.35 weekly charge back to their employer for the removal of the crab shells that picked.  So, in the end they were making $.65 to $1.35 per week for a job that required long hours of work in very bad conditions. 

Part Two: The Strike Begins

On April 4, 1938, the owners of the crab picking houses decided that they would reduce wages by nearly 29% from $0.35 per quart to $0.25 per quart. Although the owners claimed "economic conditions" forced them to make these cuts, the reality was that the owners expected that their workforce -- which was overwhelmingly comprised of African-American women -- would accept cut given they had jobs in a city that was wracked by unemployment. 

African-American women crab pickers in Crisfield, Maryland in or around 1938.
(Source: Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and the Chesapeake Bay Magazine)

The owners were wrong. 

What happened next has to be viewed in a larger context. For years, there had been labor issues involving crab-picking operations up and down the Eastern Shore. In 1931, crab-pickers went on strike when the owners reduced the rates from $0.35 to $0.25 per gallon. The strike started with about 300 crab pickers, who marched door to door throughout Crisfield seeking support. Their ranks swelled by another 700 to 800 pickers. The strikers were largely African-American women, but about 100 of the strikers were white. They also got the support of the oyster shuckers working in the town. The owners backed off and restored the rates. 

Several years later, in 1937, the Congress of Industrial Organizations ("CIO") launched organizng drives among the all of the workers on the Eastern Shore. The CIO's biggest target was a seafood packing plant owned by Phillips in Cambridge, Maryland. The campaign involved over 2,000 black and white workers; and it culminated in a two week strike for wage increases and union recognition. The strikers were unsuccessful. However, that same year, the CIO successfully organized a crab picking house in Crisfield, Maryland. 

Thus, in 1938, the scene had been set. There had been prior strikes and prior union organizing, ending in both defeat and victory.  These factors may have been missed by the owners of the packing houses, but my guess is that they were known to the workers. Consequently, when the owners reduced the rates by five cents a quart, the African-American women who picked crabs went on strike. Six hundred of them struck, basically shutting down nearly all crab picking operations in Crisfield. The strike lasted for five weeks. And, a tumultuous five weeks it was. 

Part Three: The Violence

The strikers would meet at the Shiloh United Methodist Church on North Fourth Street. The strike committee would hold meetings there. They also had the assistance of the CIO, who sent an organizer, Michael Howard, who worked for the United Cannery, Agricultural, Packing and Allied Workers union. (This was the same union that lost the strike the prior year in Cambridge, MD.) Howard and other union organizers worked with unions and churches in Baltimore, Maryland to raise funds to support the strikers.  The funds were needed because the packinghouses had been putting pressure on local businesses to deny credit to the strikers and their families.

An excerpt from an African-American newspaper
in Baltimore, MD about the burning of Michael
Howard's car. The Shiloh Church is in the 
background. (Source: Bay to Bay News)

As the strike continued, the situation deteriorated as racism was injected into the strike. A white crowd numbering between 100 and 300 people gathered near the Shiloh Church. The crowd was searching for the CIO Organizer, Michael Howard, and another organizer named Terry Fowler. They stormed the home of two sisters -- Eleanor Coulbourne and Martina Cooper -- seeking information about the CIO organizer. The white mob also overturned Howard's car, which was outside the church, and set it on fire. The mob threatened to "burn the whole block."  According to the Associated Press, "[t]he men were said to have been incensed because organizers had been seen often in the Negro settlement." According to oral history, Howard was hiding in Upturf, an African-American neighborhood on Collins Avenue, just outside of town.

As for the city's response, the Associated Press reported that the mayor blamed the events on "radical" and "hot headed" persons. As for the burning of the union organizer's car, the mayor was reported by another newspaper, The Afro American, to have said that he was unsure whether the mob burned the car or the car "caught fire itself."

White residents continued to target other union organizers, forcing CIO organizer Leif Dahl to leave town. They also confronted another organizer, who was from the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union and in the area trying to organize 200 workers at a Boycraft factory. The white mob dragged the organizer down a dirt road before telling him to "to get out of town." The racist, anti-union white residents even forced a mediator from the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service, to leave the city. They thought the mediator was Michael Howard. The residents eventually found Michael Howard and forced him to leave, to the sound of guns being fired in the air. 

The situation was dire for the African-American crab pickers who continued to strike. As one African-American newspaper summarized the situation: 

Observers here point out that the defiance of the packers is one of the most open revolts against the National Labor Relations Act and are watching to see what the NLRB will do in the Crisfield situation where both labor and racial rights have been invaded.

Indeed, the National Labor Relations Act -- the law passed to protect union organizing and regulate labor disputes that affected commerce -- was only three years old at the time. And, it faced a major challenge in Crisfield Maryland. 

Part Four: A Major Victory for Workers

Having been expelled from Crisfield, CIO organizer Michael Howard went to Washington, D.C. with three strikers to meet with federal mediators, government officials and elected leaders. The United Cannery, Agricultural, Packing and Allied Workers union also filed unfair labor practice charges protesting the unlawful conduct of the packing houses. Those employers were facing pressures of their own, as watermen started selling their crabs in other towns, creating the potential of lost business going forward. 

On May 9, 1938, most of the large packing houses agreed to the workers' demands, both to restore the wage rate to $0.35 per quart and to recognize their union. Organizer Michael Howard returned to Crisfield met with representatives from eight packinghouses and negotiated a collective bargaining agreement covering the workers. The employers recognized the union and restored the wage rates. The agreement was signed on May 10, 1938, and it represented one of the first collective bargaining agreements covering seafood processing workers on the east coast. 

By 1942, the union would go on to organize oyster shuckers at several Crisfield facilities; and, by 1948, the union -- now known as Seafood Workers Local 453, would become the exclusive bargaining representative for all packinghouses in Crisfield, Maryland. Over the next four decades, from the 1950s to the 1980s, Local 453 negotiated wage increases, safer working conditions and other terms and conditions of employment for these workers. 

Part Five: In the End

My hope is that when someone looks at a crabcake, such as this Crisfield crab cake, it will lead to an understanding of the history that lies within its slightly crispy exterior and the lump meat that resides within. That history is out there for those who look for it. And, the history continues to be written each and every day. Since the 1938 strike, the crab picking industry continued on, although on a decline that corresponded with the populations of blue crabs in the bay. The demographics of the workforce changed over time, going from one that was predominantly African-American women to one today that is predominantly Latino. 

Yet, we live in a time where history is being manipulated and whitewashed. The struggles and triumphs of African-American women -- such as going on a five-week strike to obtain one of the first crab-picking collective bargaining agreements -- are being erased, especially where those struggles overcome the virulent racism of white men and women. The efforts to hide the racism result in the loss of what truly makes this country great ... the hard effort and sacrifice of its people in pursuit of a better life. 

And, on this May Day, celebrate those sacrifices and triumphs with a crabcake from the one-time Seafood Capital of the World. 

CRISFIELD CRAB CAKES

Recipe adapted from many sources in and around Crisfield

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

• 1 pound crab meat, backfin or lump
• 12 saltine crackers, finely crushed
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• Butter
• Vegetable oil

Directions;

1. Prepare the crab mixture. In a large bowl, combine the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, milk and seasonings. Mix well. Gently fold in the crabmeat and crushed crackers. Use a light touch to avoid breaking up the large pieces of crabmeat. 

2. Prepare the crab cakes: Drop the mixture by the tablespoon onto a well greased cookie sheet. Refrigerate the cakes for at least 30 to 60 minutes before cooking. 

3. Cook the crab cakes. One option is to place a sliver of butter on top of each cake and broil for 3 minutes, moving to the bottom of the oven and baking for 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown. Another option is to heat the butter or oil in a heavy skillet for 3-4 minutes per side until crispy. 

*     *     *

Post Script: For more about the history of the Crisfield crab pickers, including earlier strikes, check out Washington Area Spark, who provides a very detailed account of those strikes, as well as the 1938 strike.

PEACE.

Haitian Style Spicy Grilled Octopus

Octopuses can be found around the Caribbean Sea; and, as one could expect, they make their way onto the plates in restaurants and homes from Jamaica to Dominica. I recently decided to make a Caribbean-inspired octopus recipe. As I searched for a recipe to make, I came across a recipe from a Haitian blogger, food photographer and recipe developer, Annick Megie. The recipe looked like it was something I could make and the dish looked beautiful (Megie is, after all, a food photographer). 

The recipe was even simpler for me because I had purchased pre-cooked octopus. I have worked with raw octopus, and, I have a place where I could easily buy one, but the cooked version was what I had on hand when I was looking to make the recipe. If you have a pre-cooked octopus, you can skip to step 3 in the recipe below. If you don't, then you should follow steps 1 and 2 (especially the dipping the octopus first before you completely submerge it). 

In terms of white wines to use to cook the octopus, think of something that you could pair with the dish when it is ready to eat. Some easier to find wines might be an Albarino from Galicia, Spain; or a Vinho Verde from Portugal. If you are able to search a little more, perhaps a Vermentino from Sardinia, Spain; or a PicPoul de Pinet from Langudoc, France. Basically, you want a lighter, more mineral wine. The opposite of an oaked Chardonnay. (An unoaked Chardonnay would work well.)

As I researched the use of octopus in Haitian cuisine, I read an article (which I am now unable to find again), about how fishermen in the northern coastal cities (most likely Cap-Haitien, but I would like to think it included smaller cities like Labadee or Basse-Terre) would bring back octopus as part of their daily catch.  However, while most of those in the Haitian boat-fishing is done by men, there are women who catch octopus and turtles. That enables women to go beyond their traditional roles in the fishing industry, which focuses more on the processing and selling of the catch. 

Although it is not Haitian, this link will take you to a videostory, Felicia: The Life of an Octopus Fisherwoman, which tells the story of an octopus fisherwoman in Madagascar. While the film tells the story of a fisherwoman half-way around the world, there are commonalities in the life-experiences. Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in Africa, just as Haiti is the poorest country in North America and the Caribbean. Large populations live at or below the poverty line, doing the best to survive on a daily basis. They compete for resources, not just with each other, but with outsiders - like large fishing fleets - that often win the battle. The result is overfishing and environmental degradation, leaving less for the local fishermen and women to feed their families or sell at the market. The experience of Felicia may very well be the experience of women living in poverty along the coastlines of Haiti, or many other places around the world. 

A reminder that, behind a pretty plate of grilled octopus, there are people struggling just to survive. It is struggle shared by the poor around the world, from Haiti to Madagascar, from the United States to Australia.

HAITIAN STYLE SPICY GRILLED OCTOPUS

Recipe from Tchakayiti

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the broth):

• 1 medium-sized ctopus, previously cleaned
• 1 cup of white wine
• 2-3 cups of water, enough to submerge the octopus
• 3 bay leaves
• 3-5 garlic heads
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon chile powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Ingredients (for the sauce):

• 5 shallots chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 piment bouc (or scotch bonnet) chopped
• 3 limes, juiced
• Olive oil
• Fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Prepare the octopus.  In a pot, combine all of the broth ingredients. Make sure to add enough water to cover the octopus. Bring all the ingredients to a boil. Let simmer for about 10 minutes for the flavors to be infused. Dip the octopus in the water 2 or 3 times for about 10 seconds each time. This helps the tentacles curl up. Submerge the octopus completely in the broth. 

2. Cook the octopus.  Cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the octopus is tender. Be careful not to overcook it for that can have the reverse effect and make your octopus chewy. Take the octopus out of the water and cut it into small pieces. 

3. Make the sauce. In a bowl, combine the spicy sauce ingredients. Drizzle the sauce atop the cut octopus. 

4. Marinate the octopus.  Cover and let marinate in the fridge for a few hours.  

5. Finish the dish.  Fire up the grill. Grill the octopus for about 5 to 10 minutes for each side or until it is crispy on the outside. Serve immediately. 

PEACE.

Lamb Stir-Fry with Potatoes and Pine Nuts

Chinese dishes always catch my attention, especially when they involve the use of unusual ingredients or give nods to regional cuisine. This particular dish -- Lamb Stir-Fry with Potatoes and Pine Nuts -- checks off both boxes. 

First, there are the pine nuts. That happens to be an ingredient that I do not use very often in my cooking. It is also an ingredient that I did not associate with Chinese cuisine. I was wrong on that point. There are quite a few dishes across trhe various Chinese regions that incorporate pine nuts, including dishes from my favorite region, culinarily speaking, Sichuan. 

That brings me to the other ingredients featured in this lamb recipe, namely, Chinese chile oil and red Sichuan pepper oil. The reason why I love Sichuan cuisine is the use of peppers to create spicy dishes. Most of the Sichuan dishes that I have made to date -- from Qiatou Yi Nen to Jiaoma Jipian -- feature chicken. So, cooking with lamb was a nice change of pace. 

The oils presented some challenge, at least when it came to acquiring them. I had some difficulty finding in them in Asian markets, although the difficulty was greater when it came to the red Sichuan pepper oil.  I also spent some time looking online; however, my relative unfamiliarity with a lot of the websites and products made me a little reluctant to try to the oils. Eventually, I took a risk and I think the dish turned out well. 

In the end, this dish got me thinking about going back to some of my cookbooks, especially the one by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid, Beyond the Great Wall. There may be more of those recipes to come. Only time will tell ....

LAMB STIR-FRY WITH POTATOES AND PINE NUTS

Recipe from Saveur

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
• 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 9 ounces boneless lamb leg, cut into 1 1/2inch by 1/4 inch strips
• 1 Yukon Gold potato, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons red Sichuan pepper oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
• 2 scallions, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1-2 tablespoons Chinese chile oil (optional)
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• Chopped cilantro, for serving

Directions:

1. Prepare the lamb. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 1/2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, the Shaoxing wine, 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar and corn starch. Add the lamb and turn to coat, then cover and refrigerate for 40 minutes or up to 24 hours. 

2. Prepare the potato. In a medium pot, cook the potato until tender yet firm, about 2-3 minutes, then drain and set aside. 

3. Prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, stir together half of the Sichuan pepper oil, 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil, the oyster sauce, sesame oil and the remaining soy sauce and sugar. Set aside. 

4. Cook the dish. Place a large wok or skillet over high heat. When it is hot, add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and add the lamb and stir-fry until browned, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. To the empty wok, add the remaining vegetable oil, the garlic, ginger, and scallions and stir-fry until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Add the onion and cook until tender 3-4 minutes. Add the reserve potato and continue stir-frying until browned at the edges, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved lamb, leaving any juices in the bowl, and the Sichuan oil mixture and stir-fry to coat, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chile oil (if using), then transfer to a platter.

5. Finish the dish. Top with the remaining Sichuan pepper oil, pine nuts and cilantro. Serve hot with white rice. 

PEACE.

Chesapeake Oyster Dressing

The history of oyster stuffing can be traced back to the 17th century where, in Britain, cooks incorporated oysters with the ingredients used to stuff, among other things, chicken, fish, and rabbits. in the stuffing of for, among other things, chickens, fish, and rabbits. One of the earliest recipes can be found in The Accomplisht Cook (1685), where it appears in a recipe that called for the oysters to be cooked, mixed with herbs and spices, and then stuffed in a young hen's belly for roasting. 

The use of oysters in stuffing or dressing (the former refers to cooking it in the bird while the latter refers to cooking it separately), made its way across the Atlantic Ocean when the British colonized the new world. With oysters as plentiful up and down the east coast as they were in the British isles, it was only a matter of time before cooks would use oyster stuffings when preparing chicken, fish and, of course, turkeys. Thus, oyster stuffing itself migrated from New England down the coast to the Chesapeake Bay.

As the few who follow this blog know, I have an affinity for the Chesapeake Bay. I have spent a lot of time exploring various aspects about the Bay, especially when it comes to its cuisine. Recently, my beautiful Angel and our wonderful family spent some time during the most recent Thanksgiving holiday in Crisfield, Maryland. Crisfield is "the City Built on Oysters." It began as a small fishing village known as Sumer's Cove. However, John Crisfield had other ideas. He worked to get a railroad line built to the village, which was completed in 1866 when the first train pulled into the station. That railine, along with a steamboat wharf, turned the town into a transportation hub.  The residents renamed the town Crisfield. But, there was more in store for the town. 

Six years after that first train arrived in the city, there were 600 hundred registered oyster boats working out of the harbor. Thirteen years after that, an average of 400,000 bushels of oysters were arriving at the Crisfield Wharf annually. At its height, there were 40 to 50 seafod houses along the Crisfield waterfront. The city had become the "Seafood Capital of the World."  Oysters contributed more than just economic growth, their shells helped the city expand. People started taking the oyster shells from the shucking houses and using them to provide a building foundation. Those shells provided stability in an area that was primarily marshland prone to flooding. 

Maryland oysters.

Simply put, oysters were critical to the Crisfield's rise. So, it seemed appropriate that as the Savage Boleks had their Thanksgiving meal in Crisfield, I should prepare and serve an oyster dressing. The internet contains quite a few possible recipes, but I decided to prepare a recipe from the Oyster Recovery Partnership ("ORP"). The ORP is a non-profit dedicated to rebuilding the oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay. They do that through a variety of initiatives, including the restoration of public fishery reefs and the establishment of an oyster shell recycling program. The ORP has had an undeniable, beneficial impact on the oyster population, having planted more than 3.1 billion oysters on 3,000 acres of reef, and recycled more than 350,000 bushels of oyster shells. 

This recipe is very good and it was a hit at the meal. Just one note: I made one adjustment to the fourth step. As I was combining the ingredients, I noted that the mixture was a little dry. The recipe calls for adding some turkey stock to the mixture. I decided to add both stock and a little more white wine, roughly in equal proportions, until the mixture was moist enough. I have to admit that I did not measure as I worked, I just used my eye to make sure that the stuffing had the right moisture before being put into the oven. 

CHESAPEAKE OYSTER DRESSING

Recipe adapted from Oyster Recovery Partnership

Ingredients:

• 14 ounces of day-old bread, cut into pieces
• 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 celery ribs, chopped
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 ounces of chicken (or turkey) broth, more if needed
• 4 ounces white wine
• 1 pint oysters (including liquor, strained)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1-2 teaspoons of hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon mace
• 1 tablespoon of Old Bay or XO spice
• 2 tablespoons of butter, cut into small pieces.

Directions:

1. Prepare the dressing. Place bread stuffing in a large bowl. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and celery and saute for 6-8 minutes until soft and just beginning to brown. Season lightly with salt and pepper, deglaze the pan with chicken (or turkey) broth and white wine and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. 

2. Prepare the oysters. In a medium bowl, mix lightly the oysters, lemon juice, hot sauce and parsley. 

3. Bake the dressing. Add the cooled onion mixture to the bread. Gently fold in the oysters, mace, and Old Bay or XO spice. Add the reserved oyster liquor and mix gently. Add more chicken (or turkey) stock if the stuffing seems dry. It should be very moist. Put the stuffing in a large greased baking dish. Dot the surface with small pices of butter. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes. 

PEACE.

Sosaties

Admittedly, I have never been to South Africa. But, if I were to visit the country (and, hopefully, someday I will), I would like to find myself in a backyard of a friend's house, as charcoal smoke gently wafts from a grill, surrounded by family and friends, whose chatter competes with the sizzle of lamb and apricot skewers on the grill grate. 

Yes, if I had the chance, I would love to attend a braai in which, among other meats and sausages, the grillmaster was carefully watching the grilling of sosaties. These lamb and apricot skewers are among my most favorite kebabs, on the level with Persian barreh kebabs or Nigerian suya kebabs. Yet, what sets apart South African sosaties is the use of apricots alongside onions and lamb, as opposed to peppers, tomatoes or other ingredients. 

Sosaties originate with South Africa's Cape Malay community. Historically, the Cape Malay people are the descendents of Muslim slaves brought to southern Africa by colonizers, originally from the Dutch East Indies (present day Indonesia), but the group also includes individuals (both slaves and freed people) also from other parts of eastern and southern Asia, along with parts of Africa, like Madagascar. What united these people were their religion -- Islam -- and their decision to use Malay as a lingua franca. But, today, it is their religion that unites them, as many now speak Afrikaans and/or English.

These skewers are, in some ways, a reflection of multi-culturalism. Their ingredients, particularly the use of curry powders are echoes of an eastern or southern Asian past. The use of dried fruits, as well as the use of kebabs generally, provides hints of possible Persian influences. And, the cooking techniques, those could have originated with the European colonialists. 

Yet, sosaties are something that can bring together all South Africans. As one description set the scene: 

On Sundays in South Africa, you can smell these curried lamb skewers cooking over live fires throughout every neighborhood as families gather around the braai, an Afrikaans word that describes both the social event and the actual technique of grilling over a live fire.

That description comes from the Splendid Table, but the concept of people gathering together around a grill for, among other things, those kebabs can be found in many other accounts. It is yet another reminder of how food can unite different people within one country, and, perhaps, around the world. 

SOSATIES

Recipe from Cookies and Crumbs

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the marinade):

• 1 onion (some will be used for the marinade, some for the kebabs)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 4-6 slices of 1/2 inch ginger
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 cup apricot jam

Ingredients (for the kebabs);

• 2 pounds lamb (preferably leg or chops)
• 3/4 cup of dried apricots

Directions:

1. Prepare the onions. Cut the onion in half. With one half, cut strups vertically that will go onto the kebabs. You will need at least 20-25 vertical strips, perhaps more. Set aside and dice the remaining onion. 

2. Prepare the marinade. Warm the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. When it is warm, saute the diced onions until they are soft and transluscent. While the onions saute, cut the lamb into bite-sized pieces, as square as possible. Wehn the onions are soft, add all of the rest of the marinade ingredients except for the apricot jam. Mix together and cook for a few more mounites to release the flavors and let them meld together. Then add the jam and cover. 

3. Continue preparing the marinade. Heat the marinade until it starts bubbling, then turn down the heat. Let it simmer, covered, for a few more minutes to thicken. 

4. Prepare the lamb. When the marinade is ready, remove from heat and let cool. Add the lamb to a ziploc bag and then the cooled marinade. Mix to make sure that the marinade covers all of the meat. marinate for at least 4 hours, but ideally overnight in the refrigerator. 

5. Prepare the skewers. About an hour before grilling, remove the marinated lamb from the refrigerator. Add the onions and dried apricots. The apricots will need about an hour or two in the marinanadte to plump up. If they are not plump, add them to hot water for a few minutes. When you are ready to grill, assemble the kebabs by placing meat, dried apricots, and onion on the kebab sticks in whatever order you like. 

6. Grill the skewers. Place the skewers on a medium-high heat grill and turn frequently, about every minute or two. It will take only a few minutes on each side to cook through the bite-sized piees. You can check meat doneness by pressing on the piece of meat. If the liquid runs out pink, it is rare. If it is clear, it is medium. Do not overcoook the kebabs. 

PEACE.

The Legacy of the 47th

"You know the excuses: We can't afford foreign aid anymore, or we're wasting money pouring it into these poor countries, or we can't buy friends - other countries just take the money and dislike us for giving it. Well, all these excuses are just that excuses - and their dead wrong." 

-- President Ronald Reagan (1987)

Once again, I find myself quoting President Ronald Reagan. I used to think that I did not agree with anything that the Ol' Gipper used to say or any policy that he used to promote. However, a few weeks ago, I found myself agreeing with President Reagan's views about immigration, along with the contribution that immigrants make to the United States. Now, I find myself agreeing with President Reagan again. This time, the subject involves foreign aid. While President Reagan was speaking about foreign aid generally, I find that his sentiment applies with particular force to the United States Agency for International Development or USAID. 

USAID was established by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 with the purpose of promoting international developments and humanitarian assistance.  Of course, there was also another reason for USAID, to enable the United States to exert "soft power" across the world to counter the Soviet Union's growing influence, especially in lesser developed countries who suffered the deprivation and exploitation caused vby decades and even centuries of colonialism. 

For more than 60 years, USAID has had a positive impact in many different ways.  When it comes to health, USAID programs cut the under-five mortality rate around the world by 50% since 1990. In just a period of three years, from 2020 to 2023, programs decreased the annual maternal death rate in certain areas by 40%. USAID preograms have also played key roles in eliminating smallpox, reducing polio, and countering the spread of HIV/AIDs. 

And, when it comes to food, which is the subject of this blog, USAID programs have distributed food to help over 4 billion people. Indeed, in 2022 alone, USAID provide over 4 billion pounds of American-grown food to 58 million people around the world through the Food for Peace program, much of which was further distributed by the United Nations World Food Program. Another USAID initative, Feed the Future, and emergency assistance have saved an estimated 92 million people from dying of starvation over the past 20 years. 

Distribution of food aid by USAID in Cameroon (Source: U.S. Embassy in Cameroon)

USAID played an important role for decades, but it was not perfect. Its programs bolstered U.S. agricultural producers, rather than developing or empowering growers and producers in other countries to better provide for themselves and their communities. Aid programs that helped local producers and workers take care of their families  could create a tax base within the country, providing funds to improve infrastructure and markets. These objectives would help lift entire communities in lesser developed countries out of poverty, as well as bring an end to the continuous cycles of emergencies that trap countries in poverty. 

Rather than improve USAID, the 47th President destroyed the agency, and for no good reason. The President claimed that USAID was run by "a bunch of radical lunatics" as a "criminal organization." None of that true. The 47th President's true objection to USAID is that the agency does not operate on a clear-cut, transactional basis: the ultimatum is not directly stated, upfront, before any assistance is provided. Every assistance "transaction" must be leveraged to coerce significant concessions, like access to natural resources. The focus moves away from the plight of those who need the assistance to the geo-political interests of "a bunch of radical lunatics" working either from a large white house or a building named after the 33rd President, Harry S. Truman.

The cost of destroying USAID for a corporate-style transactional development program has been devastating. Researchers from Boston University and The Lancet estimate that between 600,000 to more than 750,000 people have died because of the dismantling of USAID. That is the equivalent of a city from the size of Memphis, Tennessee (602,184) to Denver, Colorado (734,718). And, the dead are disproprotionally children, perhaps to two-thirds of the total dead. This is, as historian Richard Rhodes has described, "public man-made death." 

Map showing the deaths prevented by USAID programs generally from 2000 to 2021
Source: UCLA Field School of Public Health

And, here is the thing, if you are reading this post anywhere in the United States, Western Europe, Australia, or East Asia (like South Korea or Tokyo), you would have no conception of that toll. I certainly don't as I sit typing this post. But, there 10,000 to 13,000 people who worked for USAID who did understand the stakes. There are countless numbers of people -- those in the affected areas, from Bolivia to Cambodia and many places in between -- who are eyewitnesses to the the death caused by the end of these programs. The death toll will continue to climb, possibly reaching an estimated 14 million deaths by 2030.  That is equal to the entire population of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (14,023,100). 

The 47th President does not care about the consequences. That much is clear. But, we should care, and care deeply. UCLA Fielding School professor James Manko once described USAID in interesting terms: "U.S. citizens contribute about 17 cents per day to USAID, around $64 per year." That is about $5.30 per month, that is less than the cost of one month of Netflix, Apple One, or Disney Plus. Indeed, the entire USAID budget -- $21.7 billion in 2024 -- is dwarfed by the current budget of the Department of Defense, which is $839 billion.  Put simply, the USAID budget is 2.5% of the DOD budget. 

But, this is about more than dollars and cents. It is about who we are. Are we a people so self-interested that we are not willing to demand that our government help people less fortunate, not just here but elsewhere around the world. Many of us make donations to private organizations who provide assistance and run programs in areas that were served by USAID. But, this is not something that the "private sector" should be doing on its own. Governments are supposed to lead, and do so by example. For over 60 years, the US -- through USAID -- did so, albeit in a less-than-perfect fashion. But it still did it. 

Our choices tell us everything about who we are. The current war being waged by the U.S. and Israel costs the United States about $12.7 billion every day. After two days of war, we could have funded USAID. Since February 28, 2026, more than ___ days have passed, which means we could have funded more than ___ USAIDs or equivalent domestic assistance agencies that provide health, nutritional, and educational assistance both around the world. 

It's time to not only restore our country's moral and ethical compass, but to improve on it as well. Hopefully, it is not too late.

PEACE.

Smith Island Oyster Stout

As one would expect, oysters have a special place along Virginia's eastern shore. This year provided me with opportunities to learn about that special place, whether it was the tour of the Lambert Shellfish oyster farm in Vaucluse Shores or a more general look at the work of the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences in Wachapreague. And, of course, given my family's love of oysters, we ate a lot of fresh, local oysters. We sampled oysters straight out of Hungar's Creek; we ate fried oysters out of the local fixture, the Machipango Clam Shack, and I shucked a couple dozen from Cherrystone Aqua Farms, whose operations are centered in Cape Charles, Virginia, for us to enjoy at our leisure. 

And, as we sat in the only brewpub on the eastern shore of Virginia, Cape Charles Brewing, I had to try the Smith Island Oyster Stout. I am a big fan of oyster stouts. The combination of a dark, robust style of beer with the very subtle salinity elements of oysters is a combination that seems just natural. 

And, indeed it is, because the oyster stout style has a relatively long history, at least one that dates back to 19th century England. At that time, porters and stouts were popular, everyday beers. As one sat at the bar in the pub, they would have been served a stout alongside oysters. Indeed, although in Ireland, Guinness would advertise that its famous stout paired perfectly with the shucked bivalves. 

At some point, most likely around the end of the 19th century, brewers discovered that oyster shells, which are rich in calcium carbonate, could be used to filter beer. And, it was only a matter of time before the oyster meat would also make its way into the brewing process.

The first brewery to produce an oyster stout was not in England or the United States. It was the Dunedin Brewery in New Zealand, which offered the first oyster stout in 1938. They did not use fresh oysters, but canned oyster concentrate. To be sure, others followed in Dunedin's footsteps, such as Castleton Brewery on the Isle of Man and the Manx Brewery in the United States. 

The brewers at Cape Charles Brewing describe the oysters' contribution to the Smith Island Oyster Stout as follows: "We gave it an Eastern Shore twist by adding hundreds of fresh, local oysters to the boil," adding "you won't taste the oysters themselves, but rather a subtle, pleasant salinity."

To be sure, the Smith Island Oyster Stout checks off all of the markers of a typical stout: a dark, nearly impenitrable color, aromatic elements of roasted malt, and a flavor profile that hints at earthier tastes, like a little chocolate or coffee. As for that salinity, I could sense it a little, especially as the beer warmed and opened up. 

I have tried several of Cape Charles Brewing's beers, including but not limited to, the Assateague Island IPA and the Cobb Island IPA. Yet, while all of the beers are very good, the Smith Island Oyster Stout is my favorite. Both the brewery, and the opportunity to drink a pint of this beer, are reasons enough to visit Cape Charles. Until next time ...

PEACE.

Long Pepper Chicken

Historical recipes truly amaze me, especially the old ones. And, when I say, "old" I mean really old. This historical, culinary interest of mine can itself be dated back to a dish called Etruscan Chicken. That was the first time that I made a concerted effort to learn about the history of an ancient people, along with their cuisine and that dish. Since then, whenever I see a possible recipe that could serve as a springboard into some historical research, I jump at the opportunity. Sometimes, that effort may only involve going back a few hundred years. Other times, like the one that serves as the focus of this post, go back millennia.  

The subject is a recipe for Long Pepper Chicken. The recipe's history can be traced back to around 200 to 300 BCE. Historians found the recipe in the Arthashastra, which an ancient Sanskrit treatise written around that time. They believe that the reci[pe was written by Kautilya, who was an assistant to the first emperor, Chandragupta, of the Maurya Empire. Yet, the Arthashastra was not a cookbook; instead, the venerable tract primarily addressed economic policy, military strategy and the management of state affairs. Kautilya's work helped the emperor establish an empire that ruled over much of the Indian subcontinent at a time when the Ptolemies ruled over Egypt and there were still two republics -- the Roman Republic and the Carthaginian Republic -- in the central Mediterranean. 

While the Arthashastra dealt primarily with political, economic and military issues, Kautilya nevertheless included discussions about food. After all, no empire can survive, let alone thrive, unless all of its citizens are fed. To that end, Kautilya gave us a glimpse into what an average person ate during the third century B.C.E. A meal basically consisted of a kilogram of rice or grain, a quarter-litre of soup, 1/16 liter of ghee or oil and salt. That was a meal for an average male. Women received 3/4 of those amounts and children received only 1/2 of that amount. 

The Arthashastra also included discussions of how to cook meat. Typically, for one kilogram (or two pounds of meat), cooks would use fifty grams of salt, 50 grams of sugar, 10 grams of spices, whopping 1.25 kilograms of yogurt, and a small amount of ghee or oil. Of course, when one talks about spices, it was usually, among other things, ginger, cumin, mustard, coriander and long pepper. 

As for Long Pepper Chicken, Kautilya provided the recipe, but in terms of Mauryan measurements. One needed 20 balas of chicken meat and one kaduba of ghee or oil, along with curd, salt and spices, like ginger, mustard seeds and long peppers (apparently to be measured by one's own instinct or experience, like many modern chefs do today). 

And here is where we get another look into the history of food. The use of long pepper, which originated in the Indian subcontinent and southeastern Asia, goes back to the sixth or fifth century B.C.E.  We can trace this ingredient that far back because it is mentioned in the works of Hippocrates, although he referred to long pepper as a medicine, rather than a spice. Yet, cooks used long peppers because it provided a sweet and pungent flavor. It was the principal pepper used by cooks across Asia and Europe until it was ultimately displaced by the black peppercorn in the 14th century C.E. (which later faced its own competition from the chiles originating in the New World). 

So this recipe is not only one of the oldest known Indian recipes, but also a recipe that uses a venerable spice. Both the recipe and the long pepper seemed lost to history. Indeed, the Arthashastra was lost for a period of time, only to be rediscovered by researchers in 1905. The long pepper was also lost, pushed into obscurity by the black peppercorn and chiles (at least for me), until 2025, when I came across a bag of dried long peppers in a local Indian supermarket. Just as there are long peppers left in that bag, there are more stories to tell about the spice. Those will have to wait for future posts.... 

LONG PEPPER CHICKEN

Recipe from Indiaphile

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup ghee
• 3/4 cup yogurt
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 long peppers, split (roughly grind 5 peppers in a mortar and paste, leave 7 whole)
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste (grated with micro-plane)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

1. Marinate the chicken. Whisk the yogurt in a bowl to smooth it out. Add crushed long pepper, ginger and salt. Stir to combine. Add chicken and stir to coat. Cover and let marinate for at least 30 minutes to overnight.

2. Cook the chicken. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add mustard seeds and allow them to pop for a few seconds. Add whole peppers and let them cook for about 20 seconds. Add marinated chicken and let it brown, then turn the pieces and allow the other side to brown. It will take about 6 minutes on each side. 

3. Continue cooking the chicken. Add 1/4 cup of water to the marinade. Stir and pour over the chicken. Deglaze the pan by scraping it with a spatula. Cook the chicken in the sauce until it has reduced to half, about 6-8 minutes. Add water to adjust consistency. Finish with a squeeze of lemon. 

PEACE.