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.