Pintxos de Txampis

Basque cuisine gave us the "pintxos." Small plates adorned with tasty foods often served skewered with a toothpick, and served with bread, that could be found in most any tavern across northeastern Spain (also known as Basque country).

The history of these little dishes goes back more than 100 years, recounted well by Martin Buckley in a book called Basque Country and by a profile of the author and the book in the Independent. It was a time when food was scarce but comraderie was in abundant supply. Back in the 1920s, the social custom at the time was to drink outside of the house.  People would go from bar to bar,  socializing with their family and friends. By the 1940s, this practice of going from tavern to tavern with a group of friends, known as a kuadrilla, became well established. The kuadrilla is a closely-knit group formed of friends from early childhood. Its bonds are tightly formed over time, and often closed to outsiders, allowing those within the group to truly be themselves. 

Yet, as those kuadrillas moved from bar to bar, they did so during difficult times. With the Spanish Civil War, scarcity set in. While there was plenty to drink, food was scarce. As the kuadrillak drank glass after glass of wine (some of which was smuggled in from France), the tavern owners would place small plates of food on the bar. Those small plates are the origin of pintxos (which is Basque for "to pierce"), althought the name did not catch on until a couple of decades later. 

This particular pintxos is simple to make, although a little more difficult to plate. The combination of onions, shallots and garlic go well together (obviously), but they make a rather unstable base for the soft mushrooms. Fortunately, the toothpicks keep everything in place at least until they are eaten. As someone who enjoys Spanish tapas, as well as Basque pintxos generally, I think this is a start on a path to furhter exploration of these small plates.

PINTXOS DE TXAMPIS

Recipe from Sweet C

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion diced
• 1 shallot diced
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 cup dry white wine
• Flour
• 24 mushrooms, button or cremini, whole cap
• 1 baguette sliced into 12 slices

Directions: 

1.  Prepare the ingredients. Clean mushrooms by wipiong with a dry cloth or paper towel, discard stems. Dice onions, shallots, garlic. You can finely dice or rough chop.

2. Saute the onions, shallots and garlic. Add olive oil to a pan and heat on medium-high heat. Add onions and and shallots. Add onions and shallots to pan. Saute to soften, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and over browning. When onions and shallots are soft, add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. 

3. Cook the mushrooms. Sprinkle flour over ingredents, stir to combine well. Place mushroom caps in pan, add wine, stir to combine well and place lid on pan. Reduce heat to simmer and reduce the sauce until thick and the mushrooms cook and reduce in size, about 10 minutes. Stir to prevent sticking or burning and rotate mushrooms a few time while cooking. The sauce should thicken and the mushrooms soften, but they should not brown too much. 

4. Finish the dish. While the mushrooms cook down, slice baguette and drizzle with olive oil. Heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until light lightly browned and crispy. When the mushrooms are softened and the sauce has thickened, use toothpick to skewer two mushroom caps onto the bread. Sppon sauce over the top. 

PEACE.

Persian Roast Lamb

Persian cuisine has a very long history and, within that history, there has has been a long tradition of roasting lamb. That tradition has been dated as far back as the Achaemenian dynasty, which rule from approximately 770 B.C.E. to 330 B.C.E. At its height, around 550 B.C.E. to 330 B.C.E., the Achaemenid Empire stretched from southeastern Europe and northeastern Africa all the way to the edges of the Indian subcontinent. This empire encompassed many different groups -- Greeks, Egyptians, Babylonians, Lydians, and others -- who were able to retain their identities and their cultures.

One of the many legacies of the Achaemenid rulers revolves around food. Rather than requiring conquered peoples to assimilate into the empire, the Achaemenid rulers incorporated aspects of their cultures into the empire, especially when it came to food. The empire adopted the Greek methods of producing olive oil, the Egyptian practices of cultivating grain, and the Mesopotamian baking recipes. 

It was during the Achaemenid dynasty that some of the earliest accounts of roasted lamb could be found. The Achaemenid kings were known for their grand feasts and elaborate dining traditions. Claudius Aelianus wrote in his Varia Historia that one would eat with a knife in the right hand and a piecce of bread in the left hand. The food was cut with the knife and then placed on the bread. As for the food itself, another writer -- the Macedonian writer Polyaenus -- wrote in the second century B.C.E. that the ingredients of a dinner featured "sweet grape jelly, candied turnips and radishes prepared with salt, candied capers with salt, from which delicious stuffings weremade, terebinth (from pistachio nuts) oil, Ethiopian cumin and Median saffron." Other fruits and nuts would have graced the tables as well, including dates, pomegranates, figs, apples, raisins and almonds. The main course of the royal feasts featured among other things, roasted lamb and saffron-infused rice. 

By contrast, the masses across the empire generally ate grilled meats, flatbreads and porridge. 

The traditions and cuisine of the Achaemenid empire constitute a noteworthy part of the history of Persian cuisine. The dishes of that time focused on a balance between sweet, sour and savory, which  was achieved through the use of spice mixes, fruit-based sauces and other methods. That balance continues to this day in Persian dishes. 

Drawing from this culinary history, I wanted to prepare a Persian-style roasted lamb. I found a recipe online that tracks the balance of sweet, sour and savory which defined the Achaemenid cuisine. That balance could be found in the marinade, whose ingredients include pomegranate molasses, honey, lemon juice, cumin, saffron, and turmeric. I opted for an overnight marinade given I was woking with a six pound boneless leg of lamb. I have to say that the lamb cooked faster than the times indicated in the recipe, which I think would probably be more accurate for a bone-in leg of lamb. 

In the end, I had my own little Persian feast when the lamb was finished. The table not only featured the sliced leg of lamb, but also jeweled rice and a Shirazi salad. Both of these dishes made excellent sides, adding a lot of colors and flavors to complement the meat. 

PERSIAN ROAST LAMB

Recipe from Lin's Food

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 1 leg or shoulder of lamb, about 3.5 to 4.5 pounds
• 1 large onion, sliced in rings
• 1 cup chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
• 5 cloves of garlic, finely minced or crushed
• 4 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 strops of fresh rosemary leaves, pounded or finely chopped
• 1 pinch saffron
• 2 tablespoons hot water 
• Pomegranate seeds, for garnish

Directions:

1. Prepare the saffron. Tip the saffron in a mortar with a small pinch of salt. Crush the saffron with the peste, goung round and round. Add the hot water and leave it to soak while you get everything else ready. 

2. Prepare the marinade. Combine the garlic, pomegranate molasses, honey, olive oil, lemon juice, liquid saffron, ground cumin cumin, turmeric, black pepper and rosemary. Mix well. Set aside.

3. Prepare the lamb. With a small knife, make a half dozen small slashes straight down into the lamb, especially around the thicker parts. Rub the marinade all over the lamb, pushing down into the cuts and into the meat folds. Cover the lamb and allow to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

4. Roast the lamb.  Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the roasting pan or baking dish with the sliced onions. Sit the lamb on the onions. Pour the stock or water in, making sure to pour it on the onions and not the lamb. Cover with foil and roast for 1 hour by which time the lamb should be almost done. Take the cover off and roast for another 30 minutes, so that the meat will be pink. 

5. Finish the dish. When the lamb is done, there will be a little sauce or gravy that can be served separately. You can choose to get separate the excess fat, but that is not required. Slice the roast and serve on a platter with the onions.

PEACE.

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Nepal

For many, the mention of Nepal conjures images of Mount Everest. Known locally as Sagarmatha or Qomolangma, Mount Everest boasts of the highest point above sea level. The thought of the mountain also conjures up images of intrepid mountain climbers moving from base camp to base camp, with their sherpas. Indeed, the mountain casts a long shadow, one that often obscures the tens of millions of Nepali who live not just in the mountains and the valleys, but also the plains below. 

I find the stories of the Nepali people far more interesting and compelling than those any person -- such as Sir Edmund Hillary or  George Mallory -- who ascended Mount Everest. Their stories told by the Nepalis are ones of struggle, resilience, and hope. Unlike those of Hillary or Mallory, these stories recount lived experiences that span three hundred and sixty-five days per year, each and every year.  

Many of those stories can be found on a website, Stories of Nepal. The website curates the short stories of everyday Nepalis by subject and by cmmunity. The subjects that got my attention had names such as A Right to Earn a Living, Of Hope and Resilience, Strive Struggle Trive, and The Future I Want. I also browsed the stories by communities, looking at the stories from each of Nepal's three ecological regions: the mountains, the hills and the terai (or plains). 

As I read through these stories, I began to notice the common threads: the poverty at home, the desire to have a better life, the paths that they took to achieve that goal, and the obstacles that they had to overcome. There are two measures of poverty: income poverty and human poverty. The former measures whether a person has enough income to meet basic needs, while the latter has a broader focus on whether a person has access to essential resources and opportunities necessary for a decent life. Significant portions of Nepalis across all regions suffer from both types of poverty: in the mountains, 38% suffer from human poverty and 42 percent suffer from income poverty; in the hills, 24% suffer from human poverty while 29% suffer from income poverty; and, in the terai, 33% suffer from human poverty while only 23% suffer from income poverty.

But, as they say, numbers don't tell the whole story. That is where the Nepalis themselves come in. Their contribution demonstrates the hard work that they endure, but the hope that they have for either themselves or their children. For example, Beyond these Mountains tells the story of one Nepali woman, Bhomo Karto Tamang, in Gatang, which is high up in the mountains. She was born in a relatively well-to-do family whose father herded 18 yaks, 200 sheep, and, in her words, "I did not count the goats." She talked about how strong her mother was and how she helped her mother prepare the barley flour. That flour was payment to her father's shepherds. When she grew up, she got married and her life continued much like her mother. However, unlike her mother, this woman decided with her husband to send their children to school. She wanted her children to experience what lies beyond the mountains, something that she never had.

Then there is the story of Hiralel Rai, who lives in Khotang, which is firmly nestled in the hills of Nepal. Rai loved to sing and dance as a kid. His conduct was frowned upon in school, as it was deemed the type of activity inappropriate for boys. That led to corporal punishment by teachers. Rai persevered and, eventually, became a teacher himself. In his own words: 

I am aware that the choices I make as a teacher, inside the classroom, will have a great impact on the lives of these children. Of what they will do and who they will become. So I am always careful as to what I do and what I say in class. I am not a strict teacher who only disciplines students. We all know we get bored in class so I make things fun. I tell stories. While I teach English, I also dance with them. I also sing with them. And everyone sings and dances with me. Freely, without any fear.

There are many more stories that are illuminating and inspiring about how people overcome their circumstances for the betterment of not just themselves but others. When one can see that in people, they are seeing the innate dignity that lies within all of us and that we all deserve. 

I strongly recommend reading Stories of Nepal, where the above stories and pictures come from. They provide a very good starting point to learn about the people. Now, it is time to learn about their cuisine, which is the focus of my personal culinary challenge, Around the World in 80 Dishes. The main course, Bhuketo Maso, and the side dish, Piro Alu Dum, have their own stories to tell.

MAIN COURSE

My love for eating goat meat has made its appearance in my culinary challenge on more than one occasion, with Goat Curry from Guyana and two dishes -- Chichinga and Jollof Rice with Goat -- from Ghana. In preparing those dishes, I only tangentially touched, at best, or completely missed, at worst, an important subject: the role that goats play to help lift the poor out of poverty. That subject is harder to miss when one looks at Nepal, because quite a few non-governmental organizations have pursued initiatives to introduce goat farming to those who have little, and researchers followed behind to measure the impact. 

Goats are often referred to as the "poor man's cow." Like cows, goats produce milk and meat, but at a cheaper price to purchase and at a lower cost to maintain. One study estimated that a person could maintain four goats at the same cost as one cow. In addition, one can raise goats in areas where, due to lack of substantial vegetation, it would be harder to raise cows or other animals.  

There are many organizations that have worked to provide goats to poor Nepalis, to provide them with a means through which they can earn money through the sale of goat milk, or, over time, goat meat. Those programs were, in turn, monitored through research, including efforts that were funded by the United States Agency of International Development or USAID. One such research effort found that the provision of goats by Heifer International to poor Nepali women, along with training in animal husbandry, had positive outcomes on the living standards of those women. (I had to look for sources other than those of USAID because the current American administration has taken down EVERYTHING that USAID has done to help the poor around the world.)

For my main challenge, I decided to prepare Bhuketo Maso, which is a dry curry. The dish could be prepared with any kind of protein, such as chicken or lamb. However, I decided to use goat as a nod to the importance that this particular protein has in lifting many Nepalis of poverty. 

BHUKETO MASO

Recipe from Nepali Tummy

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound goat meat (clean and cut in 2 inch cubes)
• 1/2 tablespoon of cumin seeds or 1/2 tablespoon cumin powder
• 1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds or 1/2 tablespoon coriander powder
• 1 cinnamon stick or 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon powder
• 3-4 dried red chiles or 1/2 tablespoon red chile powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
• Salt
• 4 tablespoons oil

Directions:

1. Prepare the spice mix. Add the cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and dried red chiles in a spice grinder. (If you are using ground spices, just combine). Grind until the spices are a powder. Remove to a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of water to make a thick paste.

2. Boil the meat. In a deep pan, add the meat, water (to cover) and 2 pinches of salt. Boil the meat until it is cooked, approximately 20 minutes.  Be careful not to overcook. 

3. Finish the dish. Heart the oil in a separate pan. Add the boiled meat and the spice paste, stir over medium heat and cook for 10-12 minutes. 

SIDE DISH

While Bhuketo Maso may be a dry curry, I prepared a side dish that did have a curry-like sauce. Piro alu dum is a potato curry that has a tomato base.  This provided a little contrast to the overall meal. 

Potatoes were actually introduced into Nepal back in the mid-19th century, when a British naturalist, Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, during an expedition to that country. While Hooker ultimately left, the tubers remained and became a vital crop across the country. They have an adaptability that works well in a country with differing regions, soils and climates. Nepalis are able to grow potatoes in areas where other crops could not thrive, thereby enabling them to produce a commodity that has taken a featured spot in their cuisine.

PIRO ALU DUM

Recipe from Cookpad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 4 medium sized potatoes, cut into 4 pieces
• 10 cloves garlic
• 2 whole red chiles
• 1 medium sized tomato paste
• Salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chile powder
• 3 tablespoons mustard oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kalonji
• 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 2 tablespoons cilantro (coriander leaves)

Directions:

1. Boil the potatoes. Peel the potatoes. Heat a pot of water to boiling. Add potatoes and boil until tender. Remove from heat and drain the potatoes. While the potatoes are boiling, mince the garlic cloves and chiles, and then combine the two into a paste. 

2. Prepare the tomato-spice paste. In a bowl, add the garlic-chile paste, tomato paste, salt, turmeric powder and Kashmiri chile powder. Mix well. 

3. Finish the dish. Heat the oil in the pan on medium heat. Add kalonji and fenugreek seeds. Add potatoes and stir, mixing well. Add the tomato-spice paste and mix well. Add hot water and continue to cook, while the sauce thickens. Once the sauce is at the desired consistency, add coriander leaves and serve hot. 

*    *    *

In the end, I am grateful for having the opportunity to prepare this meal. I am much more grateful for taking the time to learn about the roles that the primary ingredients -- goat meat and potatoes -- has had in Nepali life and cuisine. Not everything that I read is reflected in this post. But, I wanted to make sure one thing is prominently set forth here ... the importance of development programs to help the poor lift themselves out of their poverty, and the critical work of those who oversee and implement those programs. Their work takes on moral and ethical obligations, which are gravely under threat. That is best saved for another post. Until then ... 

PEACE.

Taglio di Costata di Manzo

The Tuscans have marked their place in Italian cuisine and have done so in many ways. However, one truly unique way in which they have done so surrounds a particular type of cattle. It is the large, white Chianina. This particular animal served important functions, both in the Tuscan economy and society. For centuries, Chianina cattle provided the means of power in agriculture (until replaced by mechanized means). Twice a year, every year, Chianina cattle pull the Carroccio, the cart that carries the banner for the Palio, the horse race that takes place in the center of Siena.

The meat produced by the Chianina is prized and even has its own special designation, IGP Vitellone Bianco dell'appenino Centrale. That meat features prominently in the most Tuscan of dishes: Bistecca Fiorentina. That dish features a porterhouse steak, whose thickness cannot be less than two human fingers in measurement, that is grilled simply with salt until it is a bloody rare. If you cook it beyond rare, you will offend every Tuscan everywhere.

Yet, Tuscans use Chianina beef to prepare other dishes, like Tagliata di Manzo. That dish often uses an entrecote or strip steak cut in its preparation. Tuscans like that preparation to be rare as well, but Tagliata does not have the same place in the heart -- or cuisine -- as Bistecca Fiorentina. I say that to say that there may be some room for forgiveness if the Tagliata comes out medium rare, instead of rare.

I decided to prepare a rib roast in the fashion of a Tagliata, which gave me some more leeway to work with this rather large piece of meat. I prepared a rub using garlic, salt, pepper and fresh rosemary. I then prepared the roast like I would for any prime rib. (If it had been a little warmer outside, I may have tried to grill it to bring the dish closer to a Tagliata at least with respect to preparation.) Still, a couple of hours at 350 degrees Fahrenheit ("F") got me to where I needed to be: around 125 degrees F internal temperature. 

There is something about Tuscan preparations of meat that lift them above many other meat-centric cuisines. For years, I have been preparing turkeys in the style of Tuscan pork roasts (arista-style). Now, I may simply use the Tuscan Tagliata style for all of my beef recipes, especially prime rib roasts. There will always be one exception: Bistecca alla Fiorentina, which can only be prepared one way. 

TAGLIO DI COSTATA DI MANZO

Recipe adapted from several sources

Serves at least 6

Ingredients:

• One prime rib roast with 2-3 ribs, about 5-6 pounds
• 16 ounces of arugula
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• Kosher salt
• Rosemary, chopped 
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 6 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved
• Olive oil
• Parmigiano Reggiano or other hard cheese

Directions:

1.    Prepare the rib roast. Lightly brush the roast with olive oil. Season the roast on all sides with first with the minced garlic, then the salt and pepper and finally with the rosemary. Place the roast in a roasting pan and let the roast stand for 30 minutes at room temperature.

2. Cook the roast. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the roast in the oven and cook for approximately 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hours, until the internal temperature of the roast reaches at least 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the roast from the oven, cover loosely with foil and it rest for 30 minutes. The internal temperature should rise to 130 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit, which would be medium rare. 

3. Prepare the arugula. Place the arugula in a bowl. Dress the arugula with a drizzle of olive oil and the lemon juice.

4. Slice the roast. Slice the roast to remove the bones by placing the roast on its side and cutting along the bones at the bottom of the roast. Cut between the bones and set aside. Place the roast upright and slice at the desired thickness.

5.    Finish the dish. Place a slice of roast on the plate, add a handful of arugula salad, and garnish the salad with tomatoes and thin slices of Parmigiana Reggiano.

PEACE.

White Mushroom & Cilantro Soup

"Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without."

-- Siddhartha Gautama

Those words came to mind as I stared down at this bowl of soup. A warm broth, infused with miso and sesame flavors, full of mushrooms and garnished with cilantro leaves. 

In the hours that led to this bowl of soup, I had a conflict. I was standing in the aisle of my local supermarket, staring down at a bottle of miso. That bottle cost $12.99. That was a lot of money for one bottle of an ingredient that I do not normally use in my cooking. Truth be told, I am not even much of a fan for miso soup, which I often skip if it is served as part of a meal at a Japanese restaurant.

However, I really wanted to make a particular soup -- White Mushroom & Cilantro Soup -- which I found on the website of the International Buddhist Society. I had all the ingredients that I needed -- white mushrooms, cilantro, soy sauce, sesame seed oil and even Korean barbecue sauce (which was far cheaper per bottle) -- but the miso. I searched up and down the shelves, looking for any other bottle of miso that was less than $12.99. I had to have searched at least two or three times, but to no avail. I was on the verge of returning those ingredients and giving up with preparing the soup. 

Then my eyes trained on something else ... a $2.99 package of red miso soup mix. That package had more than just red miso. It had dried bits of tofu and seaweed (the usual ingredients one would expect in a miso soup). I thought that if I could sift those bits out, I could have dried red miso, which I could make into a paste with a little water.  I bought the package and headed home. 

I prepared the soup, using the sifted and picked through red miso powder, which I made into a paste. The end result was an absolutely delicious soup that was stunning in its presentation. (And, presentation is one of my weaker qualities as a cook.)

Once I finished the preparing and eating the soup, I realized that the struggle I found myself was not going to be answered by anything on a grocery store shelf. It would only be answered by myself, relying upon my own ability and creativity to come up with a solution. To find the peace that I needed to prepare this recipe. 

WHITE MUSHROOM & CILANTRO SOUP

Recipe from International Buddhist Society

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
• 3 teaspoons miso
• 1 tablespoon black soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon vegetarian barbecue sauce

Directions:

1. Prepare the mushrooms. Heat a wok over medium high heat. Add the oil. Add the sliced mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms for a couple of minutes. Set aside.

2. Prepare the broth. Bring 8 bowls of water to a boil. Add the miso, black soy sauce and barbecue sauce. Stir well. Add the mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes. 

3. Finish the dish. Stir in the sesame oil and cilantro. Remove from heat. Serve immediately.

PEACE.

Advieh

Longtime followers of this blog may (or may not) remember a dish that I prepared 11 years ago -- Advieh-e Spiced Chicken Kebabs. That dish was my attempt to use an iconic spice mix from Iran in one of my favorite preparations, namely, kebabs. In that effort, I talked about the spice mix. I also ended my post by noting one truly special ingredient: dried rose petals. At the time, I did not have that ingredient and I decided to substitute a few drops of rose water. Improvisation that worked, but it was not truly Advieh. 

Time has passed and I now have dried rose petals among the many herbs and spices at my disposal. So, it was time to return to Advieh, to prepare it properly and to learn more about its place in Persian cuisine. 

Although no one has been able to trace the history of advieh to its origin, the use of this spice mix, or one very similar to it, can be found in recipes that can be dated as far back as 2,000 years ago. It should be noted that the history of the spice trade routes dates back as far as 1,000 B.C.E. One of the routes of the spice trace wound its way through what is now northern Iran. That trade route most likely provided the cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, and cardamom used to prepare advieh. Over time, this spice mix has become what one described as a "cornerstone" or a "bridge" for Persian cuisine. 

As for the ingredients used to prepare advieh, there is no one definitive recipe. Like most recipes, there are variations that have developed over time and with different cooks. I tried to find a typical advieh recipe that includes the most commonly used ingredients. Each ingredient has a purpose: cinnamon, for its "sweet warmth"; cardamom, for its "minty undertones"; cumin, which adds earthiness; coriander, which supplies citrus notes; nutmeg, which gives a "spicy sweetness"; and, of course, rose petals, which provide a floral scent to the mix. Other recipes may add ingredients such as black pepper, cardamom or even saffron. 

I used this spice mix to prepare some roasted halibut for my beautiful Angel. Fortunately, because I had rose petals, she was able to experience advieh as it truly should be made. She loved the dish very much; and, I have some leftover mix to use on something more traditional, like chicken kebabs.

ADVIEH

Recipe from Meljoulwan

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 geaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon grond nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ground rose petals
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Instructions:

Combine all of the spices in a small bowl and mix well. 

PEACE.

No Man's Land Frog Legs

This recipe represents a further dive into what was once known as No Man's Land, an area in western Louisiana that, for a brief period, was free from the law and order of the times. Many people of differing races, national origins and backgrounds settled there. Cajuns and Creoles looking to establish farms; enslaved Africans seeking freedom. As they settled, they broght their own cultures and traditions, which were able to continue to develop on their own. 

In a nod to the diversity of this time and region, I took a standard creole seasoning and introduced some elements from other cultures in the area. Most notably, I added sundried tomato powder and ground crawfish powder, both of which can be traced to the knowledge and skills that enslaved Africans brought with them to thois country. 

Building upon the layers and depth created by this cultural diversity, I sought to use my No Man's Land seasoning in dishes from the region. The first such dish involved an ingredient that has an iconic place in French cuisine, which is the backbone of both Cajun and Creole cuisine. That ingredient is frog's legs. There is a long history of frog's legs recipes generally, as well as in particular with respect to both the cuisine of the Acadians and enslaved Africans in Louisana.

I tried to find some background or history surrounding the preparation and consumption of frog's legs in what was No Man's Land. My efforts met with little success. However, there is a much broader history of frog's legs in the State of Louisiana, particularly in the Acadia Parish. There is the town of Rayne, which proudly boasts of being the "frog capital of the world." French immigrants who settled in the town brought their culinary tradition of preparing and eating frog's legs, which flourished with the large numbers of frogs in the surrounding areas. The local residents soon began farming frogs, and harvesting the legs, not just for local consumption but also for restaurants in New Orleans and elsewhere. By the 1920s, frog legs from Rayne made it as far as New York City and even to France.

Turning to the recipe, it is a basic frog's legs recipe. I substituted the No Man's Land seasoning for cajun or creole seasoning. As for the preparation, the recipe calls for a basic pan saute of frog's legs, which have been dredged in a combination of corn meal and flour. I still have to work on the dredging and ensuring that it stays on the frog's legs, but it was not a bad effort.

NO MAN'S LAND FROG LEGS

Recipe adapted from a few sources

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 12 pairs frog legs
• 2 cups buttermilk or milk
• 1/4 cup Crystal hot sauce or Tabasco sauce) or to taste
• 2 cups flour
• 2/3 cup corn meal
• 2 tablespoons No Man's Land Seasoning (with dried crawfish powder)
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne
• 2 eggs
• Peanut oil, if frying

Directions:

1. Prepare the frog legs. Combine the buttermilk or milk with the hot sauce. Add the frogs legs and soak for 1 hour. Remove and pat dry. 

2. Prepare the breading. Combine the flour and corn meal, mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Beat the two eggs and then add the creole seasoning, garlic powder and cayenne powder.

3. Fry the frog legs. Heat the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry the legs 4-5 minutes per side. Alternatively, heat an air fryer to 350 degrees. Fry the frog legs for 9-10 minutes or until fully cooked ( that is, an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit).

PEACE.

Pimp My Sleigh: The Pink Tequila Barrel Edition

I don't drink hard liquor anymore so I never order anything such as a tequila shot or a margarita. The only way I would ever experience hard liquor is when I order a beer that has been aged in the barrels as the liquor. Back when I did many more beer reviews than I do now, I did quite a few bourbon-barrel aged beers, such as Brooklyn's Special Operations or Heavy Seas' Blackbeard's Breakfast. I've even done a review of Hitachino's XH, a beer aged in sake barrels. However, I have never done a beer aged in tequila barrels, let alone pink tequila barrels ... until now. 

The first question that I asked myself is what exactly is pink tequila? The answer involves the barrel aging process, as it is tequila that is aged in red wine barrels. To be sure, aging tequila is not new, there is reposado and anejo, each involving the aging of the liquor. However, that aging usually involves bourbon barrels, which impart specific desired flavors and attributes. There are significant differences when it comes to flavors, as well as color, when it comes to aging in wine barrels.

The use of wine barrels to age tequila is said to have been started by the Real family, who live and produce tequila in Amatitan, which can be found in the Jalisco State of Mexico. The red wine elements from the barrel are said to give the tequila its pink color (hence "pink tequila"), along with floral aromatic notes and berry elements in the flavor. The end result is a tequila rosa.

The Pink Tequila Barrel Aged Pimp My Sleigh pours a dark brown, with lighter tones nearer to the surface. The caramel foam quickly gave way to the beer itself. The alcohol elements are definitely the first things one notices when taking a sniff of the beer. The traditional aromatic elements of the Pimp My Sleigh Christmas Ale seem to get a little lost in the aroma, but that's okay for me. After all, I purchased a tequila-aged beer for a reason, and it was to get something more than the traditional elements. 

That something more is also present in the taste of the beer. With this being the first tequila aged beer that I have had, I was not sure what to expect. The taste tended away from a traditional Christmas Ale toward a barleywine, and even toward the 120 Minute from Dogfish Head. There was a heavy alcohol taste, but the sweetness from the Christmas Ale elements was more present in the taste than in the aroma. 

Only 100 cases of this beer were produced, and that was back around Thanksgiving of 2024. My guess is that the beer is no longer available. If Fat Heads decides to brew it again, it is definitely worth the purchase. You can cellar it and it can remain available longer at your home than at the brewery.

PEACE.

Sos ti-Malice

According to legend, there were two men -- Bouki and ti-Malice -- who were very good friends. Bouki has a kindhearted soul, but he was also gullible and, in some respects, a freeloader. Bouki would always show up at the house of ti-Malice around lunch time, hoping to get a free meal. As Haitians are hospitable and welcoming into their homes, ti-Malice always shared his meal with Bouki.

However, ti-Malice was also a bit of a trickster. He worked out a plan that would get Bouki to second-guess coming over for lunch every day. ti-Malice prepared a very hot sauce, which he covered the meat that would be his lunch. As expected, Bouki came over for lunch and ti-Malice offered some of his sauce-covered meat as a meal. 

The plan backfired. Bouki loved the hot sauce-covered meat. He then went out and told everyone in the town who delicious the sauce was and told them to visit ti-Malice's house to try it for themselves. 

There are seemingly as many variations on that Haitian legend, as there are recipes for the sauce. Generally speaking, the sauce consists of shallots, bell peppers, tomato paste, vinegar and, of course, scotch bonnet peppers for the heat. The ingredients are cooked together in a pot to produce the hot sauce. Some recipes suggest an additional step: blending the ingredients together to produce a smoother sauce. Whether one goes with a traditional sauce (keeping the ingredients whole, as pictured in this post) or blended, Sos ti-Malice is a great accompaniment for many traditional Haitian dishes, like Griot and Tassot.

For me, the most important thing about this recipe is its underlying lesson. Traditional Haitian hospitality is something that could make the world a better place. (If only Haitians currently had the space and the means to provide that hospitality, but that is another post, series of posts or even another blog entirely.) But, when we try to be anti-social, we could end up with more people at our door. So, perhaps, the better approach to life is to be more welcoming and more hospitable. We can expand our own communities at many different levels. And, we can start by welcoming Haitian immigrants and migrants (along with other immigrants and migrants) into our communities to live, and in our homes for a meal, rather than trying to get them to go away. 

SOS TI MALICE

Recipe from Kitchen Travels

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3 shallots thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 green pepper sliced
• 2 Scotch Bonnet peppers, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves
• 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt

Ingredients:

1. Sauté the shallots and garlic. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the shallots and garlic. Saute until shallots are softened and translucent.

2. Continue preparing the sauce. Add tomato paste, vinegar and 2.5 cups of water. Whisk well to dissolve the tomato paste in the water and bring to a boil. Add the bell peppers, Scotch Bonnet peppers and cloves. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Finish the sauce. Add parsley and salt. Stir to combine. 

PEACE.

Mr. Bayley's West Indies Salad

It all started with a small grocery store at the corner of Dauphin Island Parkway and Fowl River Road, along the western shore of the Mobile Bay in Alabama. The owner, Bill Bayley, Sr. had big plans for that small store. Only, the plans did not involve a grocery store. It involved much more.

Bill Bayley, Sr. settled in the Mobile area after serving in the Merchant Marine. During his time at sea, he worked as a port steward aboard a vessel operated by the Alcoa Ship Lines. In that role, Bayley would have had many responsibilities, including the stocking of groceries for the vessel. Bayley would have also helped with the preparation of sandwiches, salads and other food for the crew. During a stop in the West Indies, Bayley was working in the galley. He boiled some lobster, added some onions, and then dressed it with oil and vinegar.  Bayley remembered that dish and it would play an important role in his future plans. 

Source: Alabama.com

Those plans involved taking the small grocery store that he owned, which stood at the corner of Dauphin Island and Fowl River Road, and turn it into a restaurant. People told him that a restaurant would not work at that particular corner of Mobile, Alabama.  However, Bayley did not listen to them. He opened his restaurant -- Bayley's Seafood, Steaks and Chicken -- in 1947. 

The menu featured an appetizer called West Indies Salad. The dish was inspired by Bayley's time as a port steward. There was one big difference: Bayley did not use Florida lobster. Instead, he chose an ingredient much closer to his new home ... Alabama blue crabs. 

As it turns out, blue crabs were (and, relatively speaking, still are) present in Mobile Bay and its tributaries. One could go to various points along the shore, from Old Nan Seas to Coden Beach or Port of Pines to find crabs.  When one zooms out and looks at what Alabama fishermen pull in per year, it is well over one million pounds of blue crabs per year (at least as of 2016).

Bill Bayley, Sr. in the kitchen. (Source: AL.com)

While Bayley used blue crab to make his salad, the rest of the ingredients remain the same ... onions, cider vinegar, Wesson oil and very cold water (plus salt and pepper). He continued to serve this dish for thirty years, until Beyley's restaurant closed. Beyley continued with a catering business, taking his dishes across the Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and even as far away as Washington, D.C. 

The dish survived, as Bayley's son, Bill Bayley, Jr., opened his own smaller restaurant in the building that previously served as the catering kitchen for his father's restaurant. The West Indies Salad, along with other dishes created by his father, such as the Fried Crab Claws, were the centerpiece for the son's menu. People from all around came to Bayley's Seafood for the West Indies Salad, Fried Crab Claws and other dishes. Bayley, Jr. continued to operate his restaurant for another few decades, until he ultimately closed the doors in 2022. 

While the Bayleys' nearly 80-years of operating a restaurant and serving West Indies salad may have come to an end, the recipe and that dish continue to live on. Interestingly, the family held onto that recipe as a closely guarded secret. The secret was revealed in 1964, when it was published in a Junior League of Mobile cookbook. This is definitely one of the easiest dishes to make, and, it is a great one to serve to guests. For that reason, the recipe continues to live on in the Savage Bolek household.

WEST INDIES SALAD

Recipe from Food.com

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion
• 1 pound fresh lump crabmeat
• 4 ounces Wesson oil (or vegetable oil)
• 3 ounces cider vinegar
• 4 ounces ice water (as cold as you can get it)
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare the crabmeat. Spread half of the onion over the bottom of a large bowl. Cover with separated crab lumps. Add the remaining onion. Season with salt and pepper. Pour oil, vinegar and ice water over the onions and crab meat. Cover and marinate for 2 to 12 hours. 

2. Finish the dish. Toss lightly. Serve as a salad on a bed of letter or on crackers as an appetizer. 

PEACE.

P.S.: I actually posted a recipe for West Indies Salad fourteen years ago. This post will take the place of that old one. For the original blogpost on Chef Bolek (for what it is worth), click here.