Salsa de Pina Tatemada

Many towns are known from something or someone. When it comes to Loma Bonita, a town of about 41,000 people in Mexican State of Oaxaca, that something is the pineapple. Indeed, Loma Bonita is often referred to as the Pineapple Capital of the World.

The story of how Loma Bonita became that capital involves a yanqui named Frank Peters. Frank arrived in the area in 1906, working for an Illinois doctor who purchased land there. Frank later bought some land -- nearly 200 acres -- in the area for himself. Frank then planted pineapples on his land. And, by 1910, he was harvesting 20,000 pineapples per year. His success led to the purchase of more land (eventually reaching 7,400 acres) and, of course, many more pineapples. Things eventually went downhill for Frank Peters. The Mexican government seized most of his land in 1934.

While history may have been written about yanquis bringing pineapples to Oaxaca or Loma Bonita, one white man could not harvest all those pineapples. By 1952, the area was producing 40,000 to 60,000 tons of pineapples, which supported four nearby canneries. The focus primarily rests upon the growers, but it is the laborers whose work ensures that pineapple after pineapple, ton after ton, make it to the canneries and beyond. Those laborers are just as deserving of recognition for making the area, with Loma Bonita at its center, one of the most important pineapple exporting regions in Mexico. 

In Oaxaca, the pineapple is often used to prepare salsas. Those salsas are often cruda, incorporating raw pineapple, along with other raw ingredients like tomatillos. I came across a recipe from Salsa de Pina Tatamada when I made Arrachera Verde, which is a recipe for grilled flap steak (or, in my case, skirt steak). This salsa may be considered a variation of the traditional Oaxacan pina salsas in that the pineapples -- along with all of the other ingredients are grilled. 

I am a big fan of pineapple, but usually raw. However, I have to say that the use of grilled pineapple really worked in this recipe, because the heat brings out the sweetness and tames the citrus notes. That sweetness helps to balance the chiles in the salsa.

SALSA DE PINA TATEMADA

Recipe from B. Lopez, Asada at 195

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 large red onion, minced
• 1 medium pineapple, cored and cut into 3/4 inch slices
• 2 habanero chiles
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more as needed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, minced

Directions:

1. Start the grill. Start a charcoal or gas grill. Gas should be set to high. If using a pellet grill, preheat the grill to 425 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 minutes. If using charcoal, the coals should be red but entirely covered with gray ash.  

2. Grill the garlic and onion. Wrap the garlic and onion in separate aluminum foil packets. Place them on the grill until the garlic and onion have softened, about 15 to 20 minutes. 

3. Grill the pineapple and habanero peppers. Meanwhile, place the pineapple slices and habaneros directly on the grill. Cook until the pineapple has charred evenly on both sides and the skin of the habaneros has charred evenly too, about 5 to 10 minutes. Turn every 2 to 4 minutes for even cooking. When charred, remove everything from the grill.

4. Prepare the salsa. On a cutting board, chop the grilled pineapple into 1/4 inch cubes. In a serving bowl, mix the pineapple with the grilled onion and lime juice. Reserve. Add salt and garlic to a molcajete and grind until the garlic has dissolved into a paste. Next, slowly incorporate the habaneros and the olive oil, continuing to grind until you are left with a paste.  

5. Finish the dish. Add the habanero paste to the bowl of pineapple and onion, add the parsley, and stir to combine. Taste for salt, adding more as needed and serve. 

PEACE.

Bergstrom Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir (2020)

Bergstrom Winery is one of the premier vineyards and winemakers in Oregon's Willamette Valley. My beautiful Angel and I visited Bergstrom's tasting room during our honeymoon. We were both impressed by the Pinot Noir wines that were offered and we took home a few bottles to enjoy at a later time. Some of those wines have even made it to reviews on this blog, such as Bergstrom's Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir (2007), along with the 2007 vintage and 2009 vintage of its Cumberland Reserve.

The Cumberland Reserve is produced with grapes grown in the Willamette Valley AVA. The AVA - or American Viticultural Area - is the designation that has been given to the region by the Bureau of Alcohol and Firearms back in 1984. Since that time, the Willamette Valley AVA has been further divided into ten (10) sub-regions. These sub-regions include the Dundee Hills AVA, Chehalem Mountains AVA, and the Ribbon Ridge AVA. Bergstrom has five vineyards in these AVAs.

In recent years, I have been finding Bergstrom wines in stores near where I live. And, while these wines tend to be a little pricey (as do most really good Oregon Pinot Noir wines), I buy one every once in a while so I can remember what my beautiful Angel and I enjoyed when we were on our honeymoon. 

The most recent purchase was the 2020 vintage of the Cumberland Reserve, which makes this particular post a blogging hat trick following on the previous posts of the 2007 and 2009 vintages. 

The 2020 vintage came in a little darker and bolder than the previous vintages that I have tried. When first poured, the aroma was full of earthier elements, such as some slate and earth. Maybe this was due to the fires that plagued the region around harvest time. It does not matter to me, because I generally prefer Pinot Noirs on the earthier side, as opposed to the fruiter side. In any event, those aromas faded as the wine opened up. 

The slate carried over to the taste, and, the first sips even seemed to give a hint of smoke. Those hints soon faded, leaving a very good expression of dark fruit, such as blackberries and dark cherries. This darker profile was echoed by other reviewers, who noted elements such as dark tea, raspberries, and tarragon. The Bergstrom notes pegged this wine as a little brighter, with strawberry and raspberry candies, sandalwood and incense. I could see the last two, but the fruit elements were bolder as opposed to brighter. 

The 2020 vintage is sold out, but newer vintages are available. They generally sell for between $50 to $55 per bottle. They are definitely worth it. Until next time ... 

PEACE.

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Seychelles

Seychelles is an interesting combination of the littlest and the greatest. The one hundred and fifty-five islands that comprise the country, which lie in the Indian Ocean, make Seychelles one of the smallest countries in Africa by square miles. The estimated 100,600 people who live on those islands makes the Seychelles the least populated country in Africa. Yet, Seychelles has the highest nominal gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of any African country, which means its residents have relatively the highest standard of living. It is also ranked the highest electoral democracy in Africa, and forty-third in the world. That is quite the combination for a country whose islands laid uninhabited prior to the 18th century.

The French were the first to occupy and claim the islands in 1756, naming them after Louis XV's Minister of Finance, Jean Moreau de Sechelles. As the French settled on the islands, they brought with them an order that was familiar in the colonial era. Helene Frichot, an architectural author, recounted this historical order in one of her essays:

Originally, when the French plantocracy settled, habitations -- strips of land - were marked from mountain peak to shore, parcelled out for the mostly large, conservative, Catholic families. These families assumed a certain order of things, divided strictly along lines of colour: those who owned and governed, and those obliged to labour. As Mairi O'Gorman argues in her research on the Seychelles, property, espeically when organised according to a plantation regime, is racialised: ownership assumes whiteness, while labor is delegated to Brown and Black people.

And, French settlers brought with them enslaved African men, women and children to work on these new plantations. The British Empire took control of the islands less than fifty years later, with the Treaty of Paris in 1814. The British allowed the use of enslaved Africans to continue, and they began to bring indentured servants from the Indian subcontinent and other parts of Asia to work on the islands. The result was a society that had French plantation owners, the British administrative elite, and a large number of African and Asian laborers, traders and shopkeepers. 

This mix of people and cultures on the islands led to the emergence of the Seychellois Creole, an ethnic group that combines African, Asian and European influences into one common identity with a language and culture of its own. The Seychellois Creole language, Seselwa, is rooted in French, but it has incorporated aspects of African and Malagasy languages, as wells as terms and phrases from English and Hindi. E, kot i konsern manze, lenfliyans Lafrik, Lazi e Eropeen is disifil pou manke. ("And, when it comes to food, the African, Asian and European influences are hard to miss." - My attempt at Seselwa using Google translate.)

Le Jardin du Roi, Mahe, Seychelles
(Source: Runaway Lodge)

As for Seychelles cuisine, its story can be told, in part, with reference to a garden, Le Jardin du Roi, that the French settlers started in 1772.  One of those colonists, Pierre Poivre, wanted to get into the spice trade. Poivre himself was quite the story. He spent his early years as a missionary, living in Cochinchina (later known as Vietnam), Guangzhou, and Macau. He left missionary work to join the French East Indies Company, where he presumably came into contact with the spice trade. By 1772, he was living between Mauritius and the Seychelles, and wanted those islands to be part of that trade. Poivre's entre into the spice word was not very Christian-like. He decided that he would set out on a vessel to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and the Moluccas (now part of Indonesia). His goal: to steal the spices and bring them back to French-controlled islands where they could be planted and then France could have its own source.  Poivre actually stole the spices and brought them back to the Seychelles. However, as Poivre returned from his voyage in 1780, the governor mistook Poivre's vessel for an enemy ship. The governor destroyed the growing garden. Spices were too valuable to have fall into the hands of the enemy. 

Le Jardin du Roi ultimately survived and grew into 25 hectares where more than 120 species of fruits and spices were cultivated. That variety is one of the defining characteristics of Seychellois Creole cuisine. Recipes use a range of spices, including chiles, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, turmeric, and much more. The cuisine also features a range of seafood dishes, which one would expect from an island nation. 

MAIN COURSE

This personal culinary challenge showcases a cuisine that reflects how influences from around the world come together in amazing dishes. The challenge involves the preparation of a Seychellois Octopus Curry. The cephalopods could be found around many of the islands, such as Cousine. That availability led to this curry, which is a popular dish in the Seychelles. 

This demand created a fishery for octopi in the Seychelles. Many look for the creatures around the coral barrier reefs, while others, like a fisherman named Dave Auguste, go further out into the ocean. Auguste has fished for octopus for more than twenty years. When the COVID pandemic hit, the tourist trade (which is important to the Seychelles) crashed, and so did the market for expensive seafood like octopus. As the world gradually reopened and tourists returned, so did the demand for octopus. 

Dave Auguste with his catch (Source: United Nations, Photo: Douglas Okwatch)

Dave Auguste found one longer lasting change ... there were less of the cephalopods to catch. This change is not the result of COVID, but other factors.  In an article published by the United Nations, Auguste explained: 

There are fewer and fewer octopuses now. Before, I used to find them close to shore, but now I have to go further out. Again, for the last ten years or so, going out to sea has become more complicated because the sea has become rougher and the currents stronger. If I am not careful I can drift away from shore.

Indeed, climate change has affected the work of those who fish the waters around the Seychelles.  Auguste explained that there has been a change in rain patterns: "we used to have rainy periods that lasted several days, now it rains the same amount for one day and it all runs off into the sea." The prolonged rains and the runoff cause the waters close to shore to take on a reddish hue. The octopi do not like the tinged water and move further offshore. An additional factor is that, due to warming temperatures in the sea, there are some areas of the barrier reefs where up to 90% of the coral have died.

Not all of the news is bad. The Seychelles has taken proactive steps to stem the damage caused by changes in the climate. These steps include imposing quotas on seafood catches, expanding the range of protected marine areas, and implementing reef restoration projects. This has required some adjustment and adaptation, especially for those who work in the seafood industry, which makes up 27% of the Seychelles gross domestic product. This sacrifice, as well as, the conservation efforts, may not be enough if the climate continues to change. 

Turning to the challenge, I have prepared whole octopus in the past, but I decided for this dish that I would use pre-cooked octopus, which is available online or from some warehouse stores. Each package usually has 2-3 large tentacles, which may be less than a kilogram but still enough to prepare a meal for at least 2-3 people. The pre-cooked octopus also saves a lot of time (basically you can skip step 1). 

OCTOPUS CURRY

Recipe from Tourism Seychelles

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 kilogram octopus
• Salt
• Pepper
• Fresh coconut milk (substitute 1 can coconut milk or cream)
• 2 teaspoons saffron
• 1 onion
• Fresh thyme
• 3 garlic cloves
• Ginger (a little bit)
• 1 teaspoon curry powder (or to taste)
• Cinnamon sticks
• Curry Leaves
• Oil

Directions:

1. Prepare the octopus. Add the octopus to a pot and fill it with water. Boil until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour depending upon the size. Use a fork to check if the octopus is soft enough. Once the octopus is done, cut it into pieces

2. Prepare the curry. In a saucepan, add the oil, onion, garlic, ginger, saffron, curry powder, cinnamon sticks, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix and the add the octopus pieces. Fry the octopus pieces for a few minutes and then add the coconut milk and stir. Cover the saucepan and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, as the sauce thickens. 

3. Finish the dish. Once cooked, serve with some white rice, lentils and papaya chutney. 

SIDE DISH

Ordinarily, as noted above, one would prepare white rice to serve with an octopus curry. Seychellois cuisine is known for its creole rice, a dish that is shared -- in some common form -- by creole cultures around the world. Rice is a staple food in the Seychelles, often accompanying main dishes. Yet, cultivation of rice cannot occur on a large enough scale on the islands to support its population. (Indeed, while the Seychelles may have an abundance of spices and access to seafood, it actually imports much of its other food.) Most of the rice comes from India, with smaller amounts imported from countries such as Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, France and South Africa.

This personal culinary challenge gave me an opportunity to prepare creole rice and, to do so using the wide range of spices drawn from the subcontinent and southeastern Asia. The recipe shows that diversity with garlic, ginger, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, pepper and turmeric. I knew that I had to prepare this dish, which I served alongside the octopus curry.

SEYCHELLES CREOLE RICE

Recipe from Amy's Cooking Adventures

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 red bell pepper diced (about 1/3 cup)
• 1/2 onion diced (about 1/3 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1/2 cup basmati rice
• 1 cup water
• Fresh parsley to garnish

Directions:

1. Saute the vegetables. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, spices and rice and cook for another minute. Stir in the water and bring to a low boil. 

2. Finish the dish. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Fluff the rice, garnish with parsley and serve. 

*          *          *

To be honest, I had not expected to do a personal culinary challenge involving the Seychelles. I had previously done one for Mauritius, when I prepared an amazing duck curry. However, I really wanted to prepare this octopus curry and that led me to add this to the Around the World in 80 Dishes challenge. It is a decision that I will never regret, because it opened a door to exploring a creole culture and cuisine that draws inspiration from the diverse populations that have come to live on the Seychelles islands.  

Each of these dishes was a success, and, perhaps, some of the best dishes that I have prepared in recent weeks. This challenge has inspired me to move on to the next one. Check back to see where I end up. Until then ... 

PEACE.

Fish Pepper Sauce

"The story of the fish pepper really spoke to me. It was an homage to enslaved African foodways, and that influence in Chesapeake Bay cuisine...."

Denzel Mitchell, Jr.

In a world dominated by chiles like cayennes, jalapenos, serranos, and habaneros, there is one little known pepper. Its story is not tied to the Spanish and Portuguese caravels that cross from the new world to old, going east to west. Rather, the story revolves around people who traveled in the opposite direction, from east to west in brigs and schooners, namely, the nearly 12.5 million enslaved Africans who were taken from their homes to the new world.

The fish pepper was first cultivated somewhere in the Caribbean. The chiles made their way north, rather than east, to the Chesapeake Bay.

It is not entirely clear when fish peppers began to be cultivated in the Chesapeake region. One author, culinarian and historian, Michael Twitty, believes that, in the years after Haitian independence, Haitians brought the chiles to the Chesapeake region, where African-American slaves began to grow the peppers. There are also stories about how slaves would rub their feet with fish peppers to throw off the scent of the dogs as the slaves sought freedom. After the end of slavery, African-Americans throughout the Chesapeake Bay continued to grow fish peppers in their gardens. They also tended to use the peppers to flavor mostly seafood dishes. 

By the turn of the century, however, the fish pepper largely disappeared. The decline coincided with African Americans moving from the rural eastern shore to Baltimore and Washington, D.C., along with changing food styles.  Given the absence of written records from the African-American community during the times of slavery, as well as the dearth of records thereafter, the disappearance went largely unnoticed.

That was until the 1940s, when Horace Pippin made trades, offering seeds from the fish pepper to a local beekeeper in return for the use of his bees. (Pippin needed the bees for their stings, which was a well accepted remedy for arthritis at the time.) The beekeeper, H. Ralph Weaver, kept the seeds. Two generation's later, Weaver's grandson -- William Woys Weaver -- came across the jars of seeds. He shared the seeds with the Seed Savers Exchange; and, today, just about any fish pepper seeds one can find are the descendants of the Weaver's seeds.

Fish peppers set themselves apart from other chiles because of their multitude of colors. One can surely find red and orange peppers, but about 1 in every 50 will lack chlorophyll and be pale in color. As the picture above illustrates, I got quite a few red ones, which are more piquant than than the orange and green ones. 

I wanted to pay homage to the ingredient and the African-American foodways where it played an important role. I did quite a bit of research before I found myself back before Michael Twitty. I have read his books and am quite the fan of his important work. You can read about some of that work when I explored his recipes for Kitchen Pepper and for West African Style Broiled Lobster Tails.  Twitty has developed a recipe for Fish Pepper Sauce, which is a sauce that I could easily see being used to flavor seafood stews, or as a way to add flavor to other main courses. The recipe reminds me somewhat of eastern Carolina barbecue sauce, which is heavy on the vinegar and laced with hot peppers. (The eastern Carolina sauce also draws its roots from the cooking techniques of enslaved Africans.) 

The recipe is easy to make. The hardest part was waiting the two to three weeks before I could use it. Then again, that gave me some time to come up with recipes. There will definitely be more to come with respect to this sauce. 

FISH PEPPER SAUCE

Recipe from Michael Twitty, My Cooking Gene, pg. 24

Ingredients:

• 15 to 20 fish peppers
• Kosher salt
• 4 cups apple cider vinegar or rum

Directions:

1. Prep the fish peppers. Take fish peppers, and cut off the tops and tips of the pods. A few peppers, about 5, should be chopped to a pulp in a food processor. Add a pinch or two of salt. 

2.  Prep the sauce.  Take this pulp and place it at the bottom of a jar. The rest of the peppers can be sliced down the middle, exposing the seeds or left whole. Place them on top of the pulpy mixture and cover in the bottle with apple cider vinegar or rum. Shake well and let steep 2 to 3 weeks before using. 

PEACE.