Poulet Basquaise

"The extent to which you can walk in someone else's shoes or at least eat their food, it's a plus for everyone." 

-- Anthony Bourdain

Although I have always been fascinated by other countries and other cultures, in many respects, Anthony Bourdain has been the one to introduce me to someone else's food. Whether it was No Reservations or Parts Unknown, I would watch intently as Bourdain traveled around the world and communed with people at a table eating food. It is one of the most basic ways to achieve a mutual understanding. 

One of the many places that Anthony visited was Basque country, a region that straddles both Spain and France. It was a place that returned to again and again. The reason, as he described it, was "my love for the Basque, for Basque culture, for my Basque friends, is absolute." If a region, its people and its culture can strike a feeling like that in Anthony Bourdain, then an exploration is a must. 

I have previously prepared dishes from Basque country, but mostly focusing on that part that lies within Spain. I wanted to cross the border into France, to learn more about the Basque who live in that country. Anthony Bourdain's recipe for Poulet Basquaise provided that opportunity. 

The dish, Poulet Basquaise, is said to have originated from the Soule province of southwestern France, which is deep in the Basque country. The original recipe called for creating a sauce from bread and vegetables; however, it evolved over time to require the use of a piperade, which is base of tomato, onion and bell pepper. The dish also features the espellete, a pepper grown in the region (but which can be hard to find elsewhere). While the use of espellete is a must in Basque cooking, adequate substitutes include paprika or, if you would like a little more heat, Aleppo pepper. The Basque are also known for their wines, which can sometimes be hard to find as well. If you cannot find a Basque white wine, an adequate substitute is Picpoul de Pinet, a wine that comes from the neighboring French region of Languedoc. (I used that wine because it is more available and, as an added bonus, reasonably priced.)

When one prepares a dish like this, it transports them to a kitchen of a house in a small village in Soule. A dish that brings together local produce, a chicken from a nearby farm or market, some wine in the house, and herbs from the garden to produce a dish that would be the centerpiece of the family dinner. Basque cuisine features heavily local ingredients, influenced by French cuisine more than Spanish cuisine. It evolved over time, as evidenced by the tomatoes and peppers in the piperade. But, just as French cuisine has influenced Basque cuisine, the reverse is also true, as this particular dish is not just popular in Basque country, but in other areas of France as well. 

The exploration will continue, both in Basque country and elsewhere. Stay tuned....

POULET BASQUAISE

Recipe from Food & Wine

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• Salt
• Pepper
• Pinch of cayenne pepper or piment d'Espelette
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 2 green bell peppers, thinly slice
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 can (16 ounces) Italian plum tomatoes
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cub chicken bouillon or 1/2 cup light chicken broth or stock
• 3 sprigs of flat parsley, finely chopped
• Rice pilaf, for serving

Directions:

1. Prepare the chicken. Season the chicken all over with salt, pepper and the cayenne pepper. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat, about 2 minutes. When the oil is hot, add the butter. When the butter has melted and the foam has subsided, add the chickens, skin side down and brown on that side only, about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside on the plate. 

2. Saute the vegetables. Add the peppers and onion to the pot and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for about 10 minutes, then add the tomatoes and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the wine, scraping to get up the good stuff. Cook until the wine is reduced by half, then add the water and bouillon cube or broth. Return the chicken to the pot, making sure to add all the juices on the plate. Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for about 25 minutes. 

3. Finish the dish. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Crank up the heat to high and boil the sauce until it has thickened and reduced, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the parsley. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve with rice pilaf. 

PEACE.

Edith Dyson's Crab Cakes

"The government killed my grandmother and grandfather when they took that land from them." 

-- Edith Dyson

Almost every recipe comes with a story. Sometimes that story involves the dish itself, or its ingredients. However, every once in a while the story may be part of a larger history lesson. That history will often fade, like the printing on a page, unless there are people who are able and willing to tell it. Recently, I came across the work of someone - Kara Mae Harris - who strives to tell not just the history of recipes in Maryland, but about the people who make them. I came across her blog, Old Line Plate, during a search for historic Maryland crab cake recipes. That is when I was introduced to crabcake recipe of Edith Dyson, which was originally printed in 300 Years of Black Cooking in St. Mary's County Maryland. The recipe was also reproduced by Harris on her blog, with the story, and history, of Edith Dyson and her family.  

John and Louise Dyson
(Source: Library of Congress)

The story actually begins with John Dyson, who was born into slavery in approximately 1860. (Maryland abolished slavery in 1864.) That fact comes from notes that accompany photos of Mr. Dyson taken in 1940. The notes read, "he was born into slavery over 80 years ago." By the time the photos were taken, Dyson was at least 80 years old and married to his wife, Louise Dyson. According to census records, the Dysons also had at least two children, although the records have inconsistencies. 

The photos were taken by John Vachon, a photographer who  worked for the Farm Security Administration ("FSA") from 1940 until 1942. The FSA was an agency born from the New Deal in 1937 (as a successor to the Resettlement Agency). The FSA had a mission to help poor farmers, sharecroppers, tenant farmers and migrant workers by providing loans for land, equipment and livestock. The FSA also provided training and health insurance.

From the documentary evidence, John Dyson had a home and property; and, he also participated in the FSA's loan program. It is unclear what loan he received and how he used it. However, this is where John Vachon and the FSA may shed some more light. The timeless legacy of the FSA is not its loans, but the photography project that Vachon was a part of. The FSA employed Vachon and others for their photography skills, seeking to document the lives of poor rural farmers and sharecroppers. 

Vachon took numerous other pictures of John and Louise Dyson. Many of those pictures appear to involve John Dyson surrounded by pear trees, picking their fruit. For example:

John Dyson picking pears (Source: Library of Congress)

By his 80s, Mr. Dyson was living with his wife in a house in what was known as Fordtown. Perhaps by that time, he may have been a farmer cultivating pears from trees around his house. 

Edith Dyson in the kitchen
(Source: Library of Congress)

However, according to his granddaughter, Edith Dyson, Mr. Dyson originally made his living from the water, not the land. As she recounted, "my grandfather worked the water. There were hotels and families that bought fish from him. These fish were caught on a hook and line; they they were not caught on rod and reels." Having worked the water in St. Mary's County, John Dyson would have been familiar with more than fish. He would have also known about blue crabs. And, while there is much less known about Louise Dyson, John Vachon does provide some visual history in the form of a picture of Louise in the kitchen of her home. 

I would like to think that, at some point, that either Mr. Dyson or Mrs. Dyson prepared crabs in some fashion in the kitchen. It would provide a narrative that could explain why  their grand-child, Edith Dyson, offered up a crab cake recipe nearly thirty years later for a cookbook about African American cooking in St. Mary's County.  This part of the story will most likely be left to conjecture. While Edith gave an oral history about her grandfather and his farm, which is noted in Kara Mae's research, I have been unable to located that audio.

But, I was able to determine what happened to Mr. Dyson's farm. The community of Fordtown, along with Pearson and Jonestown, were seized by the Federal government through eminent domain in 1942. As one homeowner, Webster Bell recounted, "It was in March, a cold, windy day. My wife heard this banging outside and she went to the door and looked out and here was this man, driving a great big 20-penny nail through this stack of papers that looked like a Sears Roebuck catalog." That stack of papers was an eviction notice. The residents -- including the Dysons -- who lived in these small African-American towns, in an area that was then called Cedar Point, were forcibly evicted from their homes. They received money for their land, but, for many (and most likely for Mr. Dyson), it was not a lot. They lost their land and their communities. What was Cedar Point would become known as Naval Air Station Patuxent River. And that all happened roughly two years after the pictures above were taken.

Not every story has a happy ending. Many stories about our country lack that happily-ever-after. We should never delude ourselves into thinking that our past was great. It alway makes me think about the Woody Guthrie quote, "I don't care how good the good old days were for you. They were not good enough for me." Or for those African Americans who lived in Fordtown, Jonestown or Pearson. This crab cake recipe offers a history lesson about entire communities that no longer exist. 

EDITH DYSON'S CRAB CAKES

Recipe (and much of the research) from Kara Mae Harris at Old Line Plate

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• Onion, finely chopped
• Green pepper, finely chopped
• Peanut oil
• Prepared mustard
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise or an additional egg
• Cracker meal
• 1 pound of crab meat
• Breadcrumbs
• Worcestershire sauce
• Salt
• Cayenne Pepper
• Black pepper
• Seafood seasoning

Directions:

Use the above ingredietns according to your tastes and needs. Saute the oinion, green pepper, red pepper (cayenne), salt and seafood seasoning in oil. Do not brown. Beat the eggs and/or maynnaise. Add the sauteed ingredients, worchestershire, salt, pepper and mustard. Gently fold in breadcrumbs and crab meat to mix. Make into cakes or patties. Roll in cracker meal and fry in vegetable or peanut oil until browned.

*     *     *

A post-script to this post, provided by the research of Kara Mae Harris. Edith Dyson recounted a visit with her grandparents after they were forced to relocate to New Jersey. As she recounted, "my grandfather was sitting on the porch and I will never forget it: he was playing his accordion, he was playing 'Look Down that Lonesome Road.' and that is a very sad song. I said, 'Grandfather, don't play that song, don't play that song. You know, play something, say something, let's dance it off. But there was no pleasure in him, everything was gone. There was nothing you could bring up to him that wouldn't bring back St. Mary's County. And we never, we never wanted to remind him of St. Mary's County." 

John Dyson playing his accordion for Louise Dyson (Source: Library of Congress)

PEACE.

No Man's Land Seasoning

Every student in the United States learns about the Louisiana Purchase, which was the moment in history where the United States "purchased" a large swath of already inhabited territory that ran from the bayous of the Mississippi delta up to the northern plains. Yet, this anglicized history (which completely ignores the indigenous peoples who lived on this land for centuries and downplays the others who came since, such as fugitive African-American slaves) omits what, in my humble opinion, is the most interesting aspect of that event. 

Down towards the Mississippi delta, there was an area of land between the newly acquired land and the territory that was under Spanish control. I happened to come across this part of history while searching for dishes to make as part of a Mardi Gras dinner for my beautiful Angel. The history involves what is known as the "No Man's Land" or the "Neutral Strip."  It is something that, from a kid growing up in a suburban city in the North, I had absolutely no idea about. As I researched this history, along with the people who lived in that area, I felt compelled to memorialize what I learned in more than one way. 

Sometimes described das a place filled with an outlaw culture or a region with a reputation for a tough and isolated place, the region is better understood as a bastion for those cultural groups who wished to find a home where they could preserve a way of life they cherished. 

-- Louisiana's Final Frontier

Source: Explore Louisiana

No Man's Land existed between 1806 and 1819, a product of negotiations between U.S. Army General James Wilkinson and Spanish Lieutenant Colonel Simon de Herrera. Spain would remain west of the Sabine River, while the United States would respect an arbitrary border that had been established by the Spanish with the French. This agreement left a sizeable strip of land where there was no governing authority.

The absence of authority did not mean that there were no people. No Man's Land was already the home of indigenous peoples, many of whom -- like the Yowani, Choctaw, Alabama, Biloxi and others -- moved there decades earlier to escape the British. They were later joined by squatters, runaway slaves, and army deserters, but also other settlers, whether those looking to establish a farm in the hills or living closer to the Sabine River where they could find work.  The people of the No Man's Land were diverse. They brought with them their own cultures, traditions, and foods.  whether indigenous, Cajun, Creole, African, Spanish, and French.

I wanted to prepare something that provided a nod to the diversity of this area but not necessarily be tied down by specific rules. My starting point was a standard Creole spice mix, which heralds from Louisiana. Typically, a Creole spice mix or seasoning consists of cayenne pepper, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and thyme. Some recipes add related or like ingredients, like paprika or white pepper. 

For this recipe, drawing inspiration from the No Man's Land and its people, I decided to make one substitution and one addition. First, I drew from the foodways of African slaves to substitute sundried tomato powder for the paprika. Second, I abandoned all the rules to introduce a very unique ingredient from the African foodways: dried crawfish powder. This powder an element of umami to the mix, which, along with the tomato powder, provided very earthy notes to the Creole seasoning. 

 

NO MAN'S LAND SEASONING

Recipe adapted from Southern Living

Prepares 1/4 cup

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon sundried tomato powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crawfish powder (optional)

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir until well combined. 

PEACE.

Black Pork Curry

Everything I read tells me that black curry is essential to Sri Lankan cuisine. I can believe that premise, but I have spent a lot of time trying to find an answer as to why that would be the case. Readers of this blog know of my love for curries generally and of Sri Lankan cuisine in particular. (Quick update for others: Sri Lanka basically curries everything.) 

There are a wide range of curry powders in Sri Lanka, but black curry seems to stand out.  It seems to be a uniquely Sri Lankan curry powder. (There is a "black curry" that arose in Japanese cuisine, but it is different than what I am talking about here - that will be saved for another post.) I have not been able to find a similar curry blend in any of the other subcontinent cuisines. 

It may be simply another way to describe roasted curry powder, which is definitely a Sri Lankan thing. I have a lot of roasted curry powder on hand and have used it to prepare roasted curry wings and an oyster curry.

For this recipe, I have prepared a black curry featuring pork. The curry mix combines roasted Sri Lankan curry powder with some other traditional ingredients, such as cardamom, cinnamon, and black pepper. The use of tamarind also helps to darken the color of the mixture, perhaps adding to the description of a black curry. The only substitution that I made was to add a roasted chile powder, which I had purchased from a Sri Lankan market a while back. That powder was also extra hot, which helped to reinforce the kick of this dish. 

In the end, this black pork curry was amazing. The only downside is that, while it serves four, I found myself eating a serving for two because it was so good. I will definitely need to make this dish more often. 

BLACK PORK CURRY

Recipe from The Flavor Bender

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the marinade):

• 4 teaspoons black pepper, whole
• 6 cardamom pod seeds, crushed
• 1 heaping teaspoon of Sri Lankan roasted curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 teaspoons tamarind paste

Ingredients (for the curry):

• 1.5 pounds pork loin chops or shoulder
• 2 jalapeno peppers, sliced (or serrano peppers) for more heat
• 1 inch of peeled ginger, minced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare the pork. Cut the pork into 1/2 to 1 inch cubes. If the pork has bones, add those to the curry as well. 

2. Prepare the masala. Crush the cardamom pods into a powder and mix it with the black pepper, curry powder, salt, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Crush and mix all of this together using a mortar and pestle. Add 2 tablespoons of this spice mix, tamarind paste and 1 tablespoon of oil to the pork and mix to coat. Leave to marinate for a few hours or overnight in a refrigerator.

3. Prepare the curry. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the bay leaves, ginger and onions and sauté until the onions become translucent. Add the garlic and sliced jalapeno peppers and sauté for another 30 seconds. Add the marinated pork and sugar and stir t o mix well. Add about 1/2 cup of water and bring this to a boil. Lower the heat to medium low and let it simmer for 1 hour. Check on the curry and add extra water if it dries out.

4. Finish the dish. Taste and add more salt and some lemon juice if needed.

PEACE.

Jira Alu

I had a lot of red potatoes; and I really needed a recipe. When I had this realization, I was sitting in front of my laptop. I did a search for global potato recipes. I found a recipe for Jeera Aloo.

The name, Jeera Aloo, provides some insight into the two principal ingredients of this recipe. Jeera is the Hindi word for cumin. Aloo is the Hindi word for potatoes. That's it: cumin potatoes.

The recipe says that it comes from Bangladesh, so it should actually take its Bengali or Bangla title, Jira Alu. (I can't find the appropriate symbols or the Eastern Nagari script on Blogger, so I can't do justice for the name). Yet, this recipe incorporates spices that easily telegraph its origin. Not only the use of cumin, but also mustard, turmeric and ground chiles. Taken together, this dish reminds me of the aromas and flavors of the subcontinent.  Those aromas and flavors are some of the reasons why the cuisines of Southern Asia - from Bangladesh to Pakistan, from India to Sri Lanka - are some of my favorite cuisines to cook and eat. 

Apart from the aromas and flavors, the other key feature of this recipe is that it is really easy to make. There are only a handful of ingredients needed to make the dish. There are a couple of different ways to make it. One way would be to boil the potatoes first and then cook them in a pan. Another way is to just simply cook them in a pan. In the end, I decided that boiling the potatoes first would be best, because that would help to cook them through, especially since I decided to have larger pieces. It would also help when they are roasted in the pan because the outsides could crisp up while the interiors remain softer. 

So, in the end, this recipe does what many cooks do ... improvise with the ingredients (that is, use what is on hand) and the cooking methods. The end result is a very delicious side dish that could be part of of any meal. 

JIRA ALU

Recipe adapted from The Foreign Fork

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 5 small potatoes, large dice
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds (substitute brown mustard seeds)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:

1.    Boil the potatoes. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the potatoes. Boil for about 10 minutes until a fork can be inserted into the potatoes but they are not too tender. Drain and leave to dry.

2.    Fry the spices. Heat the oil in the frying pan until it almost reaches its smoking point. Add the cumin. When the cumin seeds begin to pop, remove the pan from the fire and add the mustard seeds until they begin to pop as well. 

3.    Add the potatoes. Add the potatoes to the pan and the remaining seasonings. Cook over low heat until the potatoes are done. 

PEACE.

Chicken Tikka

Emperor Babur (born Zahir ud-Din Mohammed) established the Mughal Empire. He marched his armies from Kabul into the northern reaches of the subcontinent.  Babur conquered broad swaths of land, but just not as much as his ancestors, Timur (on his father's side) and Genghis Khan (on his mother's side). 

Yet, as the story goes, this great emperor had a fear of ... chicken. The fear was not necessarily of the bird in its live form, clucking around while pecking for food. Emperor Babur feared dead chickens. More specifically, dead chickens with bones in them. The great emperor was scared that he would choke to death on a chicken bone. That would not be a very good final chapter for an emperor. 

To avoid such an ignoble end, it is said that the emperor ordered his cooks to remove the bones from the chickens when they were prepared. The chicken was still bathed in spice-laden yogurt, threaded to skewers and placed over charcoal. The only change was that there would be no chicken bones to be found. This dish came to be known as Chicken Tikka, which is basically a boneless chicken version of Tandoori chicken. 

This recipe is a very simplified version of what is prepared by chef Vikram Sunderam, the owner and chef of Rasika. In my humble opinion, Rasika is one of the best, if not the best, Indian restaurant in the Washington, D.C. area. Chef Sunderam's original recipe calls for ingredients such as pathar ka phool (a seasoning made from bark) and deghi mirch (a Indian red chile powder). The substitutions contained in this recipe really do make it easy to have this dish as part of a regular course of meals throughout a week. 

Finally, the recipe calls for a Cilantro and Yogurt Sauce as an accompaniment to the chicken. When I clicked the link, I was taken to a Tzatziki recipe, which does not seem very Indian in nature. The link should have taken me to a Raita recipe, such as this one from the Modern Proper.

CHICKEN TIKKA

Recipe from Vikram Sunderam, available at Food & Wine

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
• Kosher salt
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Cilantro and Yogurt Sauce, for serving

Directions:

1. Prepare the chicken. In a spice grinder, pulse the mustard seeds with the five-spice powder, pepper, turmeric, cayenne, and bay leaf until fine. Transfer the spice powder to a medium bowl. Add the ginger, garlic and yogurt and season with salt. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

2. Grill the Chicken. Light a grill. Remove the chicken from the marinade and brush the pieces with the melted butter. Oil the grate and grill the chicken over high heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Serve with the Cilantro and Yogurt Sauce.

• ENJOY!

Ping Gai Wings

"Don't be surprised if you see a Ping Gai buffalo wing post in the near future."

- Me

And here is that post. For the few ardent followers of my Chef Bolek blog, you may remember my post about Ping Gai or Laotian Grilled Chicken.  I loved that recipe, which was one of the best (and still remains one of the best) chicken recipes that I have ever made and tasted. 

As the name reflects, the recipe comes from the southeastern Asian country of Laos. Whole chickens are halved, marinated and then grilled over charcoal. The grilling is often done low and slow, which a typical way one would prepare barbecue. The dish of Ping Gai has its place in Lao cuisine, especially on the street where one could buy the chicken with a spicy dipping sauce or sides (like sticky rice or papaya). This dish can also be found across the Mekong River in the northeastern Isan region of Thailand, where it is called kai yang or gai yang. 

Fun fact: prior to French colonization of southeast Asia, the Isan region was part of what was then "Laos." Another fun fact: there are more people of Lao identity and heritage in Isan (about 13 million) than in Laos (about 7.5 million).

Turning to the recipe, the key to Ping Gai is the marinade. At its core, the marinade is the umami combination of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce, highlighted with fresh cilantro, and underscored with the kick from black pepper and cayenne pepper.  As with any recipe, the marinade used in Ping Gai has its regional, familial and individual variations in how to prepare the marinade. Some of these recipes incorporate ingredients such as coriander, garlic, hoisin sauce, lemongrass and vinegar. 

All of the ingredients in the Ping Gai recipe highlight what separates Lao cuisine from its neighbors, such as Thailand. The recipes in Laos feature herbaceous and bitter flavors, along with the use of dried, ground peppers to give its dishes a spicier kick. Lao dishes rely less on coconut milk (in contrast to Thai cuisine), resulting in somewhat lighter dishes that are not weighed down by thicker sauces. 

Another key aspect of Ping Gai is how it is prepared. As I noted above, the standard method of preparation involves grilling the chicken low and slow over a charcoal fire. Whether over a charcoal fire or a gas grill, I have come to find that grilling is a far better method of preparing buffalo wings than deep frying. The grilled wings have crisp edges and tastier meat (due to the marinade), which cannot be found as much in fried wings. 

In the end, the best chicken recipe (in my humble opinion) produces one of the best buffalo wing recipes that I have made or had in a long time. I think the one change I would make is to take the additional step to prepare the dipping sauce that accompanies Ping Gai. The recipe for the dipping sauce can be found here. 

PING GAI WINGS

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes

Serves several

Ingredients for the wings:

• 1 tablespoon, freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 pinches cayenne pepper
• Dipping Sauce, optional (recipe can be found here)

Ingredients (for the dipping sauce):

• 2/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 lime juiced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons honey or more to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare the marinade. Combine the black pepper, cayenne pepper, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce and vegetable oil in a bowl. Mix very well to combine ingredients. Add the wings and toss the wings. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for four hours or overnight.

2. Prepare the dipping sauce. Combine rice vinegar, lime juice, garlic, sambal, fish sauce, cilantro, and honey to make the dipping sauce. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Grill the wings. Heat a gas grill over medium high heat or prepare a charcoal fire. Place the wings on an oiled grill grate and grill the wings for about seven minutes on each side or a total of 15 minutes. Once the wings reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, remove from the heat.  Serve immediately by themselves or with a side of the dipping sauce.

ENJOY!

Ping Gai (ປີ້ງໄກ່), Laotian Grilled Chicken

Certain recipes have the ability to transport someone across the world. This particular recipe took me to a street full of food stalls in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Perhaps it is the Ban Anou night market, just a short distance from the Mekong River. Maybe it is one of the morning markets, such as the Khua Din Market or the Talat Sao Market. It could have been anywhere in the downtown city area where wafts of street food fill the air.

In any event, I am drawn to this region by the smell of grilled chicken. But, not just that chicken. There is so much more. Chicken marinated with a mixture of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and, that very special, fish sauce.  There is something about fish sauce, that umami from southeast Asia, that is intriguing to both the nostrils and the taste buds. Fish sauce features prominently not only in the preparation of this grilled chicken, but also the thin, vinegary dipping sauce that is served with it. The aromas were so intriguing as I made this dish, I could not wait to taste it. And, when I tasted it, I could not wait to make it again. This dish - Ping Gai - is probably one of the best chicken dishes that I have made, and eaten, in recent memory.

The recipe that I found may not be truly authentic, there is a good possibility that it is an interpretation of Ping Gai or ປີ້ງໄກ່, which is translated into "roast chicken." The traditional cooking process begins with a chicken that is halved, and then pounded flat. The recipe I had called for the use of skinless, boneless thighs. I compromised with skin-on, bone-in thighs. Once the chicken is prepared, it is marinated in a sauce consisting of fish sauce, garlic, turmeric, coriander and white pepper. Other spices, such as chiles, find their way into the marinade. Once marinated, the chicken is then grilled over a charcoal flame on low heat. The final dish is then sliced and served to customers with that tangy dipping sauce.

As I noted above, this is one of the best chicken recipes that I have made in a very long time. I say that even though I did not marinate the chicken overnight. I think if I did that, it would have turned out even better.  I also think that the combination of the marinade and the dipping sauce makes Ping Gai an excellent candidate for buffalo wings. Some of the best wings that I have had are grilled, and, between the marinade and the sauce, this recipe is full of flavor. Don't be surprised if you see a Ping Gai buffalo wing post in the near future. 

PING GAI (ປີ້ງໄກ່), LAOTIAN GRILLED CHICKEN

Recipe available at Allrecipes

Serves several

Ingredients (for the Marinade):

• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, or more to taste
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems and leaves
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 pinches cayenne pepper
• 10 chicken thighs

Ingredients (for the Dipping Sauce):

• 2/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 lime juiced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons honey, or more to taste

Directions:

1.  Prepare the marinade. Grind peppercorns coarsely using a mortar and pestle, electric grinder or spice mill.  Chop cilantro finely and transfer to a mixing bowl. Stir in the freshly ground pepper, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, oil and cayenne.  Add chicken thighs and toss by hand until completely coated.  Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for 4 to 12 hours.

2. Prepare the dipping sauce. Combine rice vinegar, lime juice, garlic, sambal, fish sauce, cilantro, and honey to make the dipping sauce. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Grill the chicken.  Preheat the grill to medium high heat and lightly oil the grate.  Place the chicken thighs on the grill, discarding any excess marinade.  Cover and grill until thighs spring back to the touch, 5 to 6 minutes per side (a few minutes longer for each if you are using bone-in thighs).  An instant read thermometer should read at least 155 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice and serve with dipping sauce.

ENJOY!

Rago Suya

It is the most popular street food in the largest city, Lagos, of the most populous nation in Africa, Nigeria. Large chunks of meats strung on skewers that are drizzled with groundnut oil and then rubbed with a spice mix known as yaji or suya. The kebabs are known as Rago Suya. To find them, one need only follow the scent emanating from steel-drums-turned-grills behind makeshift stalls or food carts all across Lagos.

The vendors are usually men, often referred to as mai suya or mallam.  The title comes from the fact that it takes some skill to make suya, whether it is the slicing of the meat or the preparation of the spice blend.  Every mai suya has his own recipe for that spice mix. Yet, there are some common ingredients, such as ground peanuts, ginger and chiles. Vendors may also vary the proteins.  Although most suya is prepared with beef, some vendors use lamb, chicken and even offal, such as kidneys, livers and chicken gizzards.

While Suya is popular in Lagos, it originated amongst the Hausa in northern Nigeria. The skewered meat, with the spice mix, spread throughout Nigeria.  The seemingly omnipresence of the food stalls or carts of the mai suya, as well as the affordability of the grilled and smoked meat, has given this dish the power to unify a nation that is divided in so many ways. 

The skill and expertise of a mai suya or mallam can be divided into five steps.  The first step involves the protein, purchasing it from a local market.  The second step is to skewer the meat.  It would seem, based on my research, that a more authentic suya would involve sliced meat, but there are many recipes that call for the meat to be cut into bite-sized chunks.  The third step is to apply the suya mix to the meat on the skewers.  The skewers then marinate until the meat begins to change color, turning a dark red. The fourth step is to grill the skewers, preferably over charcoal. The final step is to apply some additional oil during the cooking process. Once the skewers are cooked, the meat is removed and cut into smaller pieces. 

I am not a mai suya or mallam but, I nevertheless came across a recipe for Rago Suya. I had some lamb that I thought would work well with the suya spice blend. The recipe basically follows the five step process, except for the use of bite-sized chunks rather than sliced meat, as well as the omission of the fifth step (the applying of oil during the cooking process), which I was okay with. After I completed this recipe, I realized why so many Nigerians love these skewers.  They were perhaps the best skewers that I have ever made. The experience made me want to become a mai suva or mallam and open my own cart in my neighborhood.  

RAGO SUYA

Recipe adapted from National Dish

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds of lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 5 tablespoons roasted peanuts
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried chile flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried chile powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground garlic
• 1 medium onion cut into large chunks
• 1 medium red onion cut into large chunks
• 1 large tomato, cut into large chunks
• 1 red pepper, chopped into large chunks
• 1 bunch fresh coriander/cilantro, roughly chopped for garnish

Directions:

1. Prepare the marinade.  Add all of the marinade ingredients (peanuts, cayenne pepper, chile flakes, chile powder, paprika powder, sea salt, ginger, garlic) into a spice grinder and blitz until as powdery as it can be made without turning the peanuts into a paste. This spice mix is called Suya.  Remove a third of the Suya mix and set aside.  Place the remainder of the Suya into a mixing bowl along with the lamb and make sure that it gets fully coated.  Allow the meat to marinate for 30 minutes. 

2. Prepare the kebabs. Heat up a grill on medium high heat. Take pre-soaked skewers, load them with an onion, pepper and piece of lamb. Repeat until there are 3-4 pieces of lamb on the skewers.  Repeat with the rest of the skewers. 

3. Grill the kebabs. Grill the kebabs for about five minutes, turning every couple of minutes, until the lamb is cooked and the vegetables have a slight char. 

4. Finish the dish.  Remove from the heat and serve on the skewer or remove and serve with Jollof rice, garnished with the chopped coriander/cilantro.

ENJOY!

Mirchi Qorma

Modern history defines Kashmir in a broad stroke. That stroke illustrates a land divided amongst three separate powers. There is Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, which is under the control of Pakistan. As that stroke moves east, there is Jammu and Kashmir, along with Ladakh, both of which are controlled by India. The stroke finishes with Aksai Chin and the Trans-Kakoram Tract, which are under the control of China (and, which are administratively part of Xinjiang and/or Tibet). 

Looking back into the past, when one spoke of Kashmir, they were more than likely talking about the Kashmir Valley.  It is a region bookended by the Pir Panjal range to the southwest and the Himalaya Mountains to the northeast. It is also the historic home to the Kashmiri people.  They are the focus of this blog post. 

The Kashmiri people are a Dardic ethnic group, a group of Indo-Aryan peoples who live in northeastern Pakistan, eastern Afghanistan and Kashmir. It is a region that has seen conquerors come and go, including the Mughals, who ruled the region for about 200 years between the 1580s and the 1750s, the Afghanis, who ruled for a few decades; and the Sikhs, who ruled for about twenty years until they were supplanted by the Dogra Regime, who controlled the area until 1947. It was the Dogra Regime that perhaps best underscored the problem: a Hindu monarchy that exploited the masses of Muslim Kashmiri people.  As it was once described: 

The poverty of the Muslim masses is appalling. Dressed in rags and barefoot, a Muslim peasant presents the appearance of a starved beggar.... Most are landless laborers, working as serfs for absentee landlords.

This description is particularly jarring, especially given Kashmiri cuisine.  Dishes primarily feature rice, usually served with a protein, such as lamb or mutton. These include, by way of example, Machwangen Kormeh (meat cooked with spices and chilies, including Kashmiri chiles) and Yakhni (a yogurt-based mutton gravy flavored with bay leaves, cloves and cardamom). Indeed, meat features prominently in these dishes, which is something that naturally appeals to a die-hard carnivore like myself. 

A Wazwan Feast (from Auralcrave)

This dish has its place in Kashimiri cuisine. It is one of about 30 lamb dishes that are part of a 36-dish Kashmiri feast known as the wazwan. (In the Kashmiri language, waz means "cook" or cooking, while wan means "shop.") The feast celebrates the legacy of the 15th century Turko-Mongol conquerer Timur.  The conqueror brought with him 1,700 skilled workers.  Those workers included cooks, who would butcher the lambs for the dishes.  The cooks worked under the supervision of a wouste waze, who is the master chef.  As the dishes are completed, they are brought out to the guests, who sit at tables of four with a traem (a large bronze plate) on the middle of the table. The guests share the dishes as they are placed om the traem until the last dish - gushtaba (meatballs cooked in a spicy gravy - is served. The meatball recipe signifies the end of the feast. 

This recipe for Mirchi Qorma comes from Ahdoo's Hotel, which is located in Srinagar, the capital of Jammu-Kashmir.  A qorma is the Urdic word "to braise." In this case, it is the braising of pieces of lamb in a fiery chile sauce made from Kashmiri chiles.  The dish itself illustrates the influence of the past, as a qorma is a Mughal dish, typically made in the kitchens for the court of the rulers. The cooks first seared the lamb over high heat, typically with ghee, adding liquid to create the gravy or curry in which the meat continues to cook. This recipe basically follows that historical approach. The end product is one of the best curries that I have had in a very long time. 

MIRCHI QORMA

Recipe from Saveur

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 6 dried Kashmiri chiles or pasilla chiles, stemmed
• 2 small red Thai chiles or 1 red jalapeno, stemmed 
• 2 pounds lamb shoulder
• 1 tablespoons black pepper corns
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspooon kala jeera (black cumin seeds
• 10 cloves garlic, mashed into a paste
• 2 Indian (or regular) bay leaves
• 1/4 cup tamarind paste
• 3 tablespoons dried mint
• 1 tablespoon red chile powder, such as cayenne
• Kosher salt, to taste.

Directions:

1.  Cook the lamb.  Heat a six quart saucepan over medium-high heat.  Cook dried chiles until lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes.  Transfer to a food processor, add fresh chiles and 1 cup of water.  Puree until smooth and return to pan.  Add lamb, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon and 3 cups of water.  Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cook, covered, until lamb is very tender, about one hour.  Transfer the lamb mixture to a bowl. 

2.  Finish the dish. Wipe the pan clean; heat oil over medium high.  Cook cumin seeds, garlic and bay leaves until seeds pop, about 1-2 minutes.  Add reserve lamb mixture, the tamarind paste, 1 teaspoon of mint, the chile powder and salt. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium. Cook until thickened, about 1 hour.  Garnish with remaining mint. 

ENJOY!

Santa Maria Tri-Tip

It has quite a while since I have posted anything on my Chef Bolek blog. I have to admit that I have been cooking less, even though I have been home more due to the coronavirus pandemic. Shopping habits have changed, eating habits have changed. Posting habits have changed. Yet, the chances that I have had to cook have presented me with some opportunities to explore new recipes, culinary influences and the history of food. This post offers yet another glimpse into those opportunities. 

I have explored many different barbecue styles, from Eastern Carolina to Kansas City to Western Texas. Now I reach the other side of the country, with my introduction to Santa Maria style barbecue.

This style takes its name from where it first emerged, namely, the Santa Maria Valley. The valley is located in Santa Barbara County, in central California.  It also dates back to the mid-19th century, when local ranchers would hold feasts for their vaqueros (Mexican cowboys).  The style emerged with cooks stringing cuts of meat -- marinated with a rub of salt, pepper and garlic salt -- on skewers and cooking them over the coals of a red oak fire. 

Over time, the style evolved. The focus turned to one particular cut of meat: the tri-tip. The credit goes to a manager who worked at the Santa Maria Market.  Back in the 1950s, that manager had the idea of taking a little-used triangular cut of meat butcher, seasoning it (with salt, pepper and garlic salt), and roasting it on a rotisserie. That led to the Santa Maria style of barbecue that exists today. 

Where as most barbecue is low and slow, the Santa Maria style goes hot and fast. The true Santa Maria style requires the heart to come from red oak coals. The trees grow from the Mendocino County all the way down to the Mexican border and beyond. If you don't happen to have any red oak handy, regular oak wood will do. And, if you don't have any wood or charcoal, a gas grill will do. (It just won't be true Santa Maria barbecue.)

The rub is still the classic salt, black pepper and garlic salt; however, there are many "Santa Maria" style rubs that add other ingredients, such as ground ancho chile pepper (which adds some smokiness to the rub, a benefit if you are using a gas grill with no charcoal). Cayenne pepper, onion powder, oregano and other ingredients have also found their way into rubs.  Even a little sugar can be added.  I found a good recipe with all of these ingredients.  

Finally, the side dishes. If you want some ideas for sides to serve with the trip tip, the traditional side dish is pinquito beans, which are grown in the Santa Maria Valley. Other sides include salads, salsa fresca and garlic bread. 

SANTA MARIA TRI-TIP

Rub recipe from Alison Ashton 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• Tri-tip, about 2 pounds
• 1 1/2 tablespoon of Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ancho chile pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried oriegano
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Marinate the meat. Combine the salt, black pepper, ancho chile pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, dried oregano and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly.  Apply a thin layer of olive oil on all sides of the tri-tip. Apply the marinade to all sides of the tri-tip, making sure that it adheres to the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the meat to marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight. 

2.  Grill the meat.  Heat a gas grill on high heat. After oiling the grates, place the tri-tip on the grill.  Allow the meat to cook for about 5 to 10 minutes per side, until the tri-tip reaches an internal temperature of about 135 degrees (between rare and medium rare). Remove from the grill, wrap in aluminum foil and allow the meat to rest for at least 15 minutes. Slice against the grain and serve immediately. 

ENJOY!

Oysters Rockefeller

A few years back, I was in New Orleans for work. After a long day, I joined some friends and colleagues for dinner. They had chosen the restaurant. It was, of course, the legendary Antoine's, deep in the heart of the French Quarter. Antoine's just happens to be the birthplace of the dish, Oysters Rockefeller.  

Antoine Alciatore opened Antoine's in 1840.  By 1850, Antoine had invented a dish called Escargot (Snails) Bourgigon. In 1899, Anotine passed the restaurant to his son, Jules.  As it turns out, that same year, there was a shortag eof escargot.  Jules decided to turn to the local  oysters from the nearby Gulf of Mexico.  He topped those oysters with a green mixture and bread crumbs.  It is difficult to say exactly what was in that mixture because the recipe is a closely guarded secret. Antoine's has never published or revealed anything about the recipe, except for a few hints of what is not in it.  For example, the green color of the mixture does not come from the use of spinach. That claim was confirmed when someone took some of the mixture to a lab for testing.  Sure enough, there was no spinach. Instead, there was parsley, celery, scallions or chives, capers and olive oil.  There was also most likely some alcohol, perhaps pernod. The mixture was so rich, that Jules called it Oyster Rockefeller, a nod to John Rockefeller, who was the richest person in America at the time.  Once it is ready, the dish is put under the broiler or baked until it begins to brown slightly and the oysters begin to curl around their edges. 

Of course, we ordered Oysters Rockefeller at Antoine's that night and, sure enough, it lived up to the hype.  The oysters were perfectedly cooked, and, the mixture was delicious.  I was determined to make it on my own.  It may take a few years, but it would happen.

Fast forward to 2020. It's been a helluva year. But, it was the year that I finally made Oysters Rockefeller.  I had ordered some very special oysters from the Chesapeake Bay, some Chincoteague Salts and Misty Points from Cherrystone Aqua Farms. I had decided to use an equal amount of each of the two types of oysters to make Oysters Rockefeller.  

As for the recipe, I found one online that followed what could be the original recipe, with its use of parsley, scallions, and celery.  The one thing it did not call for was the pernod, which was okay because I did not have any.  (The next time I make this dish I am going to buy some and try it in the recipe, to get closer to the authentic dish.)  From what I can remember of the original dish, my first attempt was a good effort, but not quite there.  It needs a little refinement, but, that comes with future efforts to make the dish.  Hopefully, it won't take me three years to make Oysters Rockefeller again.

OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER

Recipe adapted from Saveur

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 dozen oysters, shucked but kept in cup (bottom part)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

6 scallions, minced

2 ribs celery, minced

2 sprigs tarragon, stemmed and minced

1 bunch of parsley, stemmed and minced, plus sprigs to garnish

Kosher salt

Freshly ground white pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Prepare the oysters. Shuck oysters over a bowl to catch their liquor (you should have about 1/2 cup), discarding the flat top shells.  Loosen oysters from bottom shells with a knife.

2. Prepare the topping. Melt butter in a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat.  Add flour, cook until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Add oyster liquo, cook until thickened to a paste, about 2 minutes.  Stir in cayenne, scallions, celery, tarragon, parsley and salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to medium low; cook until soft, about 1 hour.  Transfer to a food processor, add bread crumbs and process into a smooth paste, about 2 minutes.  

3. Complete the dish. Heat broiler to high.  Place paste in a pasty bag fitted with a 1/2 inch fluted tip.  Pipe paste completely over oysters.  (If you don't have a pastry bag, use a spoon.)  Broil until paste begins to brown and oysters are just cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.  Garnish each dish with parsley sprigs, if desired. 

ENJOY!

Serrage Poulet

They were once known as Folhavahi or Hollhavai. The names given to atolls and islands located in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Atolls and islands in which Maldivian sailors found themselves stranded. Apart from providing some safety for endangered sailors, no one had any other interest in these little specks of brown that dotted an ocean of blue. 

Portuguese explorers eventually "found" the atolls and islands in the early 16th century. They gave the archipelago the name of Bassas de Chagas, but they never claimed any of the atolls or islands.  The first claim was made about one hundred years later, after the French settled Reunion in 1665 and Ile de France (now known as Mauritius) in 1715. The French began to issue permits to companies to establish coconut plantations in the 1770s. The French also established the first colony on the largest island, Diego Garcia in 1793. With the colony and the plantations, slaves were forcibly brought to the archipelago from Madagascar and Mozambique.

The British gained control over the atolls and islands, as well as Mauritius and the Seychelles, with the Treaty of 1814. Despite the change in control, the work on the coconut plantations continued. In addition to coconuts, Diego Garcia also became a stop on the slave trade. This brought Malay slaves to the archipelago. The British eventually freed the slaves in 1835, and, many continued to work on the plantations.  Those workers were joined by Indian laborers from the subcontinent.

Clement Saitous, Scene de la viequotidienne a la ville de
Perhos Banhos, 1950 Photograph: Simon Preston Gallery

The different peoples -- Africans, Indians, Malay, as well as Europeans -- developed their own Creole culture.  They became known as the Creole des Iles or the Ilois; and, they spoke Chagossian Creole, a variant of French Creole. For more than a century, the Ilios grew in number and began to settle some of the outlying islands.

This post is about those people, the Ilios.  Despite living under European control for more than three centuries, the Ilios maintained their own identity. An identity in which, according to one thesis, women were viewed as equals to men, Women are often the heads of the households, because the population on the islands were predominantly female. The Ilios developed their own creole language, with its own vocabulary.  They created their own traditions, their own music, and their own way of life.

When it comes to their cuisine, some say their cusine draws from Mauritian cuisine or Seychellois cuisine, groups of islands that are "neighbors" to the Chagos Islands. However, it may be just as likely that the cuisine of the Chagos Islands drew upon the influences that make up the the Ilois people.  Those influences come from the slaves and laborers who were brought from Africa and Southeast Asia, as well as came from India.  That is perhaps the reason why a dish such as Serrage Poulet makes sense.  The use of turmeric is a hint of South African cuisine; and, the use of garam masala underscores the cuisine of the subcontinent. The use of these spices, along with coconut milk evokes curries across southern and southeast Asia. It all comes together in this one dish.

SERRAGE POULET (CHICKEN IN COCONUT MILK)

Recipe from Travel by Stove and Food.com

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, cubed

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 inch of ginger, grated

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 can of coconut milk (14 ounces)

2 cinnamon sticks

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Prepare the chicken.  Combine the ginger, turmeric, garam masala, and cayenne pepper.  Mix the spices well.

2.  Saute the chicken.  Heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the chicken and saute until browned and evenly cooked. 

3.  Finish the dish. Add the coconut milk and the cinnamon sticks.  Bring to a boil and the reduce to a simmer.  Continue to cook until the chicken is completely cooked.  Remove from the heat and serve immediately with white rice. 

*     *     *

What is amazing to me is how the Ilios they maintained their culture and identity over decades and, indeed, centuries. That culture thrived despite the exploitative systems imposed under colonialism and the post-colonial period. It thrive despite the fact that the Ilios did not own their homes.  It thrived despite the fact that they relied upon corporations and governments for much of what they needed. It lives on today, despite injustices at the hands of the governments of both the United Kingdom and the United States. It is an injustice that robbed them of their homeland. That injustice will be the subject of the next post about the Chagossian people and their cuisine. Please stay tuned....