Arrosticini

You are standing next to your horse on the hillside in the province of Abruzzo, halfway between the mountains and the plains. You are following the "silent grassy river," trekking "on the footsteps of ancient fathers." This particular route was  restored in the 13th century by the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II.  It was his zeal to return to the glory of ages past that led to the restorations of trails like this one, which were first trodden by the Romans centuries earlier.  You are not an emperor. You are just a guide. Those who you guide are grazing peacefully on the verdant grass that leads down to the valley.  They are your flock of sheep.  It is your job to lead them to greener pastures,

It's getting late, the sun will soon set. You survey the green landscape in the distance: the mountains, the valleys, the small towns in the distance. Yet, your eyes always return to those sheep. They are the reason why you are standing in this spot at this particular moment. These sheep are the means by which you, and your family, are able to make a living, as meager as it may be. 

The Transumanza

As you watch the sheep, you begin to realize how tired you are. Shepherds do not get very many breaks. You are in the midst of the Transumanza, or "crossing the land."  It is the three-week trek from the mountains to the plains in search of better grazing lands. The sheep are eating, but you are hungry too. However, there is still work to do. You need to set up your stazzi, the temporary fencing that will keep the sheep corralled during the night.  As you set the remaining posts of that fence, you call upon your Maremmano-Abruzzese sheepdog to corral the straggling sheep into the enclosure. With the fencing in place and the sheep inside, you can finally take a rest ... and eat. 

You start a fire over which you will cook your meal. You don't have a furnacella, which is the brazier that you would traditionally use to make your meal. Instead, you just have to work with what you have. With the words of O Surdato Nnammurato singing through your head, you pulled out some mutton from an old sheep you recently butchered, stringing roughly similar sized pieces on wooden skewers known as ceppos. Once the coals take on their ashy appearance, with the heat radiating from the center, you place the skewers over the fire. Turning the skewers every once in a while, you watch the meat cook as the embers burn a deep red. That red begins to illuminate the space around you as the sun begins to set. Soon enough, the skewers are cooked and you are ready to begin eating your meal. 

This dish is known Arrosticini -- kebabs of mutton, rubbed with rosemary or other available herbs -- is  one of the iconic foods from the Abruzzo region. Yet, it is the simple food of the shepherds. It is what they would prepare when they were out with their flocks of sheep or herds of cattle. It is a dish that reflects the particular circumstances of a shepherd.  Very tired, with little at his or her disposal, he or she would prepare this simple meal to provide needed sustenance. They took what little they had -- and, perhaps, the most important thing they had, namely, their animals -- to produce a meal that, in my humble opinion, is far greater than the sum of its ingredients.  

Today, most arrosticini are prepared in kitchens and restaurants throughout Abruzzo and, as evident from this post, around the world. Home cooks can buy their own furnacella to grill the skewers in their backyards. They can even buy their own special knives by which they can cut the mutton for the kebabs. If one is too tired (or lazy), he or she can simply forgo the butchering of a piece of mutton or lamb and order pre-made arrosticini. 

Pre-made kebabs is not for me, especially when dealing with a dish with such humble and simple origins. That is one of the important purposes of this blog: namely, my effort to learn about the origins of a dish, as well as what that the dish means for those who originally made it. For the shepherds, arrosticini was sustenance. It fulfilled a basic need for someone who worked long hours, perhaps on an equally long journey. And, those skewers were damn good to eat. 

ARROSTICINI

Recipe adapted from Great Italian Chefs

Serves 8

 Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds of lamb shoulder or leg, diced into 1 inch cubes
• 1 spring of rosemary, chopped finely
• Olive oil
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Marinate the lamb.  Place the lamb in a bowl with the rosemary and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside while you preheat a barbecue for direct cooking.

2. Skewer the lamb.  if using wooden skewers, leave to soak in cold water for at least 20 minutes to prevent them from burning during cooking.  Thread the lamb onto the skewers neatly, ensuring an even distribution of fat and meat. 

3. Cook the skewers.  Once the coals in the barbecue have turned an ashy white, or the gas grill is heated to medium high.  Cook the skewers for 2-3 minutes, turning them halfway through. 

4. Finish the dish. Serve hot with pepperoncini and crusty bread with good quality olive oil. 

For an excellent article about the Transumanza through the neighboring province of Molise, check out this New York Times article by Maria Russo.

ENJOY!

Ojibwe Fish Cakes

If there was anyone who should be considered in a project about peoples who lack their own countries, as I am doing with my Beyond Borders project, it is Native Americans. It is estimated that, as of 1492, there were sixty million Native Americans living across the Americas. They lived in organized societies -- which comprised of nearly six hundred different tribes -- in every region of the hemisphere. These societies were as developed and as complex as anything that existed in Europe. 

For example, the Ojibwe nation stretched along southern Canada, from Quebec to Saskatchewan, and further south into the United States, including parts of what is known today as Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.  They had the fifth largest population of Native American peoples in the United States, with only the Navajo, Cherokee, Choctaw and Sioux being more populous. In Canada, they were the second largest population, with only the Cree being more numerous.   

The Ojibwe don't have a nation today. They have been relegated to reservations, such as the Red Lake  Reservation and the Mille Lacs Reservation --  that dot the large expanse  that the Ojibwe once controlled on their own.

As with most native tribes, the Ojibwe developed their own cuisine based upon not only what they hunted or fished, but also the produce and grains they cultivated. The Ojibwe are well known for producing maple syrup or cultivating rice.  Yet, what led me to researching their cuisine and writing about it comes not from the land, or slightly submerged land, but from the water.  It is the fish, which play an important role in the cuisine and diet of the Ojibwe. 

Ojibwe Seine Fishing
(photo from dibaajimowin.com)

Traditionally, Ojibwe women did much of the fishing, except for the ice fishing in the winter and spear fishing in the spring. The fishermen and women used many different techniques to catch fish, depending upon the location, the season and, of course the fish.  For example, the Ojibwe lowered large nets -- seines --  into lakes to capture fish.  These nets with floats at the top and weights at the bottom were used to trap the fish by taking the ends of the nets and moving then to encircle the fish. This method enabled the Ojibwe to catch larger amounts of fish.  

Other common fishing methods included spear fishing and the traditional hook and line.  When it came to spear fishing, Ojibwe fishermen take their canoes out to the water at night. They used a torch as bait.  The fish would be attracted to the light and come to the surface, only to meet the sharp end of an Ojibwe spear. This method was best for catching the largest fish, such as sturgeon, although the Ojibwe did modify spears into three-pronged tridents to help catch smaller fish. As for the hook and line method, the Ojibwe would fashion hooks out of deer bone and coppper, as well as make bobbers with bark and weights with small stones.  They would then set out on canoes, tying the line around their hand and then the canoe.  They would then fish by trolling across the lakes or rivers. 

These fishing techniques resulted in catches of a wide variety of fish.  The species included the walleye, the iconic fish of the upper Midwest, as well as whitefish, perch, trout and, as noted above, even sturgeon. 

Ojibwe rack for drying and smoking fish
(from the Ojibwe People's Dictionary). 

Once caught, the Ojibwe prepared the fish in different ways.  They would boil, bake or pickle the fish if they were going to consume it in the near future.  If they intended to save the fish for when food might be more scarce, such as during the winter months, the Ojibwe would smoke the fish. They would erect racks that would enable them to smoke the whole fish. These method was the primary way to preserve fish since salt would not make its way into Ojibwe cooking until 1845. If the fish was caught during the winter, such as when the men would go out to ice fish, the cold environs provided their own way to preserve the fish.  Just layer the fish in now, where it would freeze until needed. 

While the Ojibwe would boil and bake the fish, there was one method of cooking that caught my attention.  It was the fish cake.  Ojibwe men and women would use fish they caught from Lake Superior or one of the rivers in Minnesota, which was typically trout or perch.  They would prepare the cakes for roasting over hot coals. 

However, the recipe that I found called for frying them on the stove. I decided to borrow from my experience of making crab cakes.  I have made crab cakes in nearly every way: frying, broiling, baking, etc.  I decided that, for these fish cakes, I would first bake them at about 375 degrees Fahreinheit for about 10 minutes.  Given the fish is already cooked, the only concern is the beaten egg, which must be cooked in order to firm up the cakes.  However, I find that baking cakes, whether crab or fish, is often not enough.  So, I finished the fish cakes under the broiler for about 5 minutes.  This allows for the cakes' outer surface to brown and crisp up a little. This is a healthy way to create the crispiness that comes from frying the cakes in butter or oil. 

OJIBWE FISH CAKES

Recipe from Hoohla Cooking

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of trout or lake perch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup cracker meal
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon onion, finely minced

Directions:

1. Prepare the fish cakes. Flake fish, making sure all bones are removed.  In a large bowl, combine fish, eggs, cracker meal, onion, salt, and pepper. Mix lightly.  shape into 6 to 8 flat cakes. 

2. Fry the fish cakes.  Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan over moderate heat.  Fry the cakes until lightly browned on both sides.  Drain on both sides. Serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Spaghetti alle Vongole

If you want to know about Spaghetti alle Vongole, you need to start with Ippolito Cavalcanti.  He was the Duke of Buonvicino, a small town nestled in the hills of mountains of the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily (now known as Calabria). The Cavalcanti were a noble family whose lineage goes back to Guido Cavalcanti, an accomplished poet in the 14th century. Guido was also the friend of another well known poet, philosopher and writer, Dante Alighieri.  

Unlike his forefather, Ippolito Cavalcanti was not a poet. Instead, he wrote a cookbook. That book is Cucina Teortico-practica. He published his cookbook in 1837; and, as it turns out, the book in some sense part-cookbook and part-history book. To be sure, there are recipes for dishes such as eggplant parmigiana and fried cod. However, the recipes provide a glimpse into the cuisine of Calabria during the early to mid 19th century. In more direct terms, those recipes document  what some people -- that is, the well to do -- were eating at that time. 

Ippolito Cavalcanti's Cookbook.

The Cucina Teortico-practica could have been relegated to the dusty bookshelves of time, but for one particular recipe: Spaghetti alle vongole. As it turns out, Ippolito Cavalcanti included the first known written recipe for that dish in his cookbook.  

Ippolito's recipe has just five ingredients: pasta, olive oil, garlic. parsley and clams. That's it. Yet, those five ingredients have become associated with an authentic spagehetti alle vongole. Those five ingredients constitute what every Calabrian envisions when served a pasta dish with clams. If you are using a recipe that calls for white wine or crushed red pepper flakes, then you are cooking a dish that is not authentic. If you add grated cheese, either during the preparation or while eating the dish, then you are destined for one of Dante Alighieri's nine circles of hell. My guess is that the circle in which you find yourself probably depends upon what kind of cheese you grate over the dish.  

There is a reason for such simplicity in the ingredients. The whole point of the dish -- its culinary raison d'etre -- is to highlight the taste of the clams.  Each briny little bite should transport the eater to the shallow waters of the Mediterranean, along the Calabrian coast, where he or she is standing knee deep in the crystal blue waters with a clam rake and a bucket.  That is quite the feat for an 18th century Duke and cookbook author whose tiny little town was more than a two-hour walk from the nearest coastline.  

Vongole Veraci.

Moreover, just any clam will do. The authentic spaghetti alle vongole is prepared with the vongole verace or "true clam." That clam is the venerupis dessiucata, which can be found in those Medditerranean waters around the ports of Calabria. Yet, unless you live in Calabria and dig out those clams yourself, you are most likely going to be using clams from some other part of the world. I try to purchase clams as locally as I can, and, the best supplier that I have found in the region where I live is Cherrystone Aqua Farms. They have both little-neck clams and middle-neck clams (as well as some excellent oysters. The general rule for choosing clams to be used in pasta recipes is the smaller the better.  Smaller clams are more tender than larger ones. They are also easier to overcook, which will defeat the purpose of using smaller clams. I used some middle-neck clams, which were probably the largest clams that I would use for this recipe. 

Now, I reach the point where I have to admit that, despite everything I have written to this point, the following recipe is not a traditional spaghetti alle vongole dish. The reason is -- gasp --  it uses white wine. While Ippolito Cavalcanti may be looking down disapprovingly at me, I figured that I could never prepare an authentic dish anyways because I was not using vongole veraci. So, I thought that a little white wine would not hurt. After all, I planned on opening a bottle to drink as I enjoyed the dish.  (One last tip: don't use Pinot Grigio, this dish requires a dry wine, like an Orvieto or Trebbiano.) 

SPAGHETTI ALLE VONGOLE

Recipe from Taste Cooking

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of vongole veraci or other small clams in their shells
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
• 1 pound spaghetti
• Salt

Directions:

1. Prepare the clams.  Soak the clams overnight in water and salt to clean them. Put the clams (still in their shells) in an open saute pan with a little olive oil and a clove of garlic over low-medium heat.  Be careful not to burn the garlic.  Stir the clams until they are all open.  Once the clams are open, add 1/2 cup of white wine, the parsley and then a second clove of thinly diced garlic.  Stir and then remove from heat. 

2. Cook the pasta.  Cook the pasta in salted water. 

3. Finish the dish.  Drain the pasta 1 minute before done and add it to the saute pan with the clams.  Turn the heat on high and let the pasta cook the last minute together with the clams and their shells.  Serve with or without shells. 

For more about spaghetti alle vongole, check out the well written posts at Taste Cooking and Phase Changes Kitchen. 

ENJOY!

The Giant Flaming Zombie Polar Bear

"What is in a name?" For fans of Shakespeare, it is a question posed by Juliet in Act II, Scene II of Romeo & Juliet.  For a fan of craft beer like me, it is a reason to buy a beer. The name in this case is Giant Flaming Zombie Polar Bear, a double India Pale Ale produced by the brewers at Atlas Brew Works in Washington, D.C. 

I've reviewed many double IPAs over the life of this blog. Firestone Walker's Double Jack (a very, very good beer); Black Flag Brewing's Mambo Sauce (a great introduction to a relatively new brewer); and Columbus Brewing Company's Bodhi (one of the best I've had). I have a particular fondness for double IPAs and tripel IPAs, which is most likely due to my preference for hoppy beers.  The bitterness -- which can range from piney and resinous to citrusy and vibrant -- provides some variety from beer to beer, while the higher ABV ensures that each one packs a punch. 

But, it is that name -- Giant Flaming Zombie Polar Bear -- that caught my eye and led me to purchase a six pack to take home.  There was no actual giant flaming zombie polar bear on the label.  Instead, it was the standard Atlas labelling, which itself is one of the more classic designs out there.  

But, there is more to a beer review than the label. The brewers at Atlas describe this beer as a "deceptively smooth beast." They go on to describe the combination of hops, some that I've heard of and others that are unfamiliar. Bravo, Mandarina Bavaria, Chinook, Cascade and Centennial. This particular combination is supposed to present "orange citrus aromas", along with a "malty backbone" that supposedly "balances the assertive hop bitterness and heavy citrus hop character providing an overall flavor reminscent of orange marmalade." 

I have to admit that I am not a big fan of orange marmalade. While I could definitely sense the elements of oranges, I am not sure that I would go as far to descrive the overall flavor as orange marmalade. Sure, orange marmalade is typically made from bitter oranges, which resonates with the hop bitterness of a double IPA, but, in my humble opinion, this beer lacks the sweetness that one would expect to co-exist with the bitterness of a marmelade. 

All of this discussion is academic, at best, and rambling, at worst. The bottom line is that the Giant Flaming Zombie Polar Bear is one damn good double IPA. It comes very close to unseating the Bodhi in my opinion as the best double IPA that I have reviewed. At 9.4%, it is a double IPA that deserves to be savored, taking occasional sips while relaxing after a stressful day.  Needless to say, I've had a few and that is why I am down to my last can from the six pack.  I will need to go out and find another six pack.  Until then ....

ENJOY!

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Belize

The famous author, Aldous Huxley, once observed, "[i]f the world had any ends, British Honduras would certainly be one of them. It is not on the way from anywhere to anywhere else. It is all but uninhabited." Huxley lived from 1894 to 1963; and, that parcel of land that he knew as British Honduras is known today as Belize.  That name came with the country's independence on September 21, 1981. 

The land known as "Mother Nature's Best Kept Secret" is located just south of the Yucatan peninsula in Central America.  It is a relatively small country, with only 8,867 square miles, which is just slightly smaller than than the State of New Hampshire.  It is also similar to New Hampshire in another respect: namely, smaller populations of people surrounded by large expanses of wilderness.  Belize is home to more than 5,000 species of plants and animals that call the area their home. 

Yet, the history of area is one marked by one particular species.  As early as 1,500 B.C., the Mayan civilzation settled in the area, establishing cities like Lamanai, Altun Ha, and Yalbac. In its late era, there were perhaps as many as one million Mayans living in the area that is present-day Belize. Yet, like the rest of Central America, Spanish conquistadors made their way through the area, claiming it for the Spanish Empire.  British pirates began to make the area their home, with the first permanent British settlement being established in 1716.  The land officially became part of the British empire around 1786.  It remained a part of that empire until its independence in 1981. 

What makes any country interesting is the cultures and people who reside within. The country of Belize is home to a mix of cultures, including Maya, Creoles, Garinagu (a mix of West African, Arawak and Carib Islander), Mestizos and even Mennonites. All of these cultures, as well as the others who live in Belize, have contributed to what could be defined as Belizean cuisine. Some commonalities can be found with Mexican or Central American cuisine, as well as Jamaican food. Yet, the cuisine of Belize retains its own identity. 

MAIN COURSE

For this personal culinary challenge, I am going to prepare Chimole, which is also known as "Black Dinner." It is a dish with roots in the both the Mayan and Metizo communities. It is a dish that was originally prepared by Mestizo families, traditionally on a Sunday. Chimole is a soup that is full of protein.  A whole chicken goes into the pot while the cook prepares pork meatballs to be added in toward the end of the cook.  There are also vegetables and other ingredients, such as a pepper, onion, and tomatoes, but they definitely play a secondary role to the meat.  As for the name "Black Dinner," that comes from the use of recado negro, a very smoky and spicy mixture made from ancho peppers and other spices. The mixture itself can be traced back to the Mayan civilization.

I tried to make both the recado negro and the Chimole.  I thought that my effort to make the spice mixture was going well, because I followed the recipe.  However, as the Chimole came together, it appeared that there was something missing.  The soup was not glack, but rather a deep, dark red. It was more like a recado rojo than a recado negro. I continued with the recipe, which produced the soup in the picture below. 

CHIMOLE

Recipe from International Cuisine

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 chicken, divided

4 cloves garlic

1 pound of ground pork

3 hard boiled eggs (chopped into small pieces)

2 raw eggs

3 tablespoons of recado negro (see recipe below)
Salt
Pepper
1 bay leaf
2 tomatoes diced
1 bell pepper diced
1 onion diced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon thyme

Directions:
1.  Prepare the recado negro.  In a small bowl, add the recado negro with enough water so that it will dissolve (add the cumin as well).

2.  Prepare the pork.  In a separate bowl, mix the ground pork with the hard boil eggs and raw eggs, add salt and pepper to taste and thyme.  Form into small meatballs and cook in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

3.  Prepare the chicken.  Brown the chicken in garlic, and then put in a large pot. Add the recado liquid and fill the pot with water until the chicken is covered.  Add the diced tomatoes, diced peppers, diced onion and bay leaf and cook over medium high heat for 30 minutes.

4.  Finish the soup.  Add the meatballs and cook for 5 additional minutes.  To thicken the soup, add a little cornstarch mixed with water at the end.  Serve with rice or tortillas.

SPICE MIXTURE

A recado is a spice mixture that originagted with the Mayan people and is still used today by the peoples who live on the Yucatan peninsula and in Belize.  There are three types of recados: recado negro (or the black spice mix), recado rojo (or a red spice mix) and recado blanco (or a white spice mix).  

The recipe for chimole calls for the recado negro. This is a dark mixture that includes annatto seeds, cumin, oregano, cloves and allspice. The mixture is also know for s smoky and spicy flavors, which comes from the use of ancho chiles. As you may know, the ancho pepper is the dried form of the poblano pepper. In order to make recado negro, you have to grill the anchos much like you would roast a poblano pepper, that is, over a flame to char the outside. This roasting should be done outdoors because the roasting of an ancho pepper will produce smoke and a lot of it. 

RECADO NEGRO

Recipe from Mexican Authentic Recipes

Ingredients:

12 poblano/ancho peppers

1 garlic head

6 whole allspice berries

4 cloves

2 tablespoons of oregano

1 tablespoon of achiote seeds

1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds

1/2 cup of white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

1.  Roast the peppers.  Discard the seeds from the ancho peppers.  Roast the peppers on the stove, directly over the fire until all of their sides are totally black.  Put the bowl and reserve.  Repeat the procedure for the remaining peppers.  Cover the roasted peppers with water and let them soak for about 10 minutes.  

2.  Toast the spices.  In a frying pan over high heat, add the allspice berries, cloves and cumin seeds.  Toast for about 1 minute until all ingredients are lightly toasted.  Transfer to a spice grinder and grind to a powder.  Reserve the powder.

3.  Blend the ingredients.  Transfer the ancho peppers to a blender and set aside.  Peel the garlic cloves and put them in the blender.  Also add the white vinegar, pepper and salt and blend all of the ingredients very well. 

*          *          *

In the end, as I noted above, this personal culinary challenge did not produce a "black dinner."  More of a deep crimson dinner.  If a Belizean looked at my chimole, he or she would have thought I used a recado rojo rather than a recado negro. Upon reflection, I think that may have been due to the fact that I did not roast the peppers long enough to ensure that they were "totally black." Given anchos are dried poblanos, I was a little hesitant to let them go too long on the grill, lest I be left with charcoal. (I suppose if I had charcoal for anchos, that would have produced a black dinner.)  

I also struggled a little with the pork meatballs.  The use of 3 hard boiled eggs and 2 raw eggs produced a very wet mixture that was difficult to shape into small meatballs.  I think 1 less of each type of egg would have probably worked a little better in terms of getting the right consistency for the meatballs. 

In any event, the soup itself was delicious.  For my first time making this dish, I think that is all that really matters.  Until next time, 

ENJOY!

Cola de Res al Mole (Oxtail Mole)

If I had to identify the one thing about cooking that most intrigues me, it is the mole. A mole is a traditional sauce that is a fundamental part of the cuisine throughout the Estados Unidos Mexicanos.  I have spent some time on my blog talking about the different types of moles and even a little about the history of mole sauces.  I even prepared a mole, a Mole Verde Zacatano, which is one of the simpler moles that comes from the State of Zacatecas.  

However, as much as these sauces have interested me, I have not been able to explore them as much as I would have liked.  I needed something to get myself back on track when it came to learning about these sauces.  That "something" just happened to be a cut of meat that I have never prepared before ... oxtail.

A long time ago, oxtail was actually the tail of an ox.  The ingredient was used in connection with the "nose to tail" philosophy of using all parts of an animal.  The tail often made its way into soups and stews, such as those that were first prepared by French Huguenots and Flemish who lived in Britain during the seventeenth century. Oxtails lend themselves to slow cooking, because they are full of collagen.  As that collagen breaks down, it infuses the liquid with a lot of flavor.  The use of oxtails, especially oxtail stew, has become a feature of many cuisines across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. 

But it was one recipe that immediately caught my eye and returns us to the subject at hand: a recipe for Oxtail Mole (Cola de Res al Mole).  I now found myself back on the path of learning about these wonderful sauces.  Two Mexican States lay claim to the original mole sauces: Oaxaca and Puebla. (A third Mexican State, Tlaxcala, also has a claim, but most of the articles that I have read focus on the Oaxacan and Pueblan origin stories.) Puebla is best known for the mole poblano, while Oaxaca is known for seven moles: mole colorado, mole negro, mancha manteles, mole verde, mole amarillo, mole chichilo, and mole coloradito.  Each sauce is a labor intensive effort, following a general pattern that begins with the roasting of whole spices and continues with the grinding of those spices into a paste, the addition of stock at low temperatures until the sauce begins to form. 

I am not too sure where this recipe fits into the mole universe. The recipe comes from McCormick, the global corporation that manufactures and sells a whole range of spices.  I initially viewed the recipe with some suspicion.  After all, I did not think that a multi-national corporation would put much thought into a very particular element of Mexican cuisine. There was no explanation as to the source of the recipe, or its ties to the moles of any particular Mexican State. Nevertheless, the thought of preparing an oxtail mole won me over because it was so different than preparing oxtail stew. 

In the end, it was worth the effort to make this dish.  The recipe provided a good way to introduce myself to the use of oxtail. I can also sort-of notch another effort at making a mole-style sauce. It feels a little like skirting around Oaxaca or Puebla, trying to make an easy mole without diving into the full process of making one of the more traditional sauces.  Still, I have a lot of time to continue building on these experiences.  I just have to find that time.  

COLA DE RES AL MOLE

Recipe adapted from McCormick

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds of oxtails, about 12 pieces
• 1.5 tablespoons coriander seed, ground
• 1.5 tablespoons sesame seed
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground Saigon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons anise seed, crushed
• 1.5 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 cups carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 pound pearl onions, peeled
• 1 cup red wine
• 2.5 cups beef stock
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablesoons sugar
• 1 ounce semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped

Directions:

1. Prepare the oxtails.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  Mix the seasonings (coriander, sesame seed, black pepper, cinnamon, salt, anise seed, and smoked paprika) in a shallow dish.  Coat the oxtails with seasoning mixture.

2. Brown the oxtails. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven on medium high heat.  Add half of the oxtails, cook on all sides until browned.  Remove oxtails.  Repeat iwth the remaining two tablespoons of oil and oxtails.  

3.  Cook the vegetables.  Add carrots to pan, cook and stir on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown.  Add pearl onions and garlic, cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly browned.  

4.  Prepare the base.  Add wine, stir to loosen browned bits in the bottom of the pan.  Stir in beef stock and tomato paste. Bring to boil. Return oxtails to pan.  Cover.  

5. Braise the oxtails.  Braise the oxtails in the oven for 2.5 hours or until the oxtails are tender.  Transfer oxtails and vegetables to a serving platter and keep warm .

6.  Finish the mole.  Stir sugar into pan.  Simmer 5 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.  Remove from heat.  Add chocolate and stir until chocolate is melted.  Skim fat from liquid.  Spoon sauce over the oxtails and vegetables. 

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!

Pan-Fried Whole Trout

Heritage is sometimes an interesting subject, especially for me.  One side of my family comes from Italy.  Anyone who peruses this blog, especially in its early days, would see the Italian influences in what I cook. This influence draws heavily from my childhood, as I can remember my grandparents making homemade pasta dinners.  When I say homemade, I mean basically everything - the sauce, the sausage, the meatballs, and even the pasta were all made by their hands.  My culinary vacation through Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany further fueled my Italian-inspired cooking.

The other side of my family comes from the Czech Republic or, as it may be commonly referred to  today, Czechia. To be sure, that side of the family had more roots in the United States.  The memories of their cooking are not as strong (which is something that makes me sad).  Unlike my culinary vacation in Italy, I studied abroad in Prague, spending more than three months living and eating there. To be sure, that was during my college days, when the desire to cook was not strong. I ate a lot of Czech food, but I also had my fair share McDonalds or Little Ceasar's (I was suprised to find them there and it was a connection to home). 

Needless to say, the Czech influences are not as present on this blog. In an effort to learn more about those dishes, I bought The Best of Czech Cooking. I perused the book and came across some fish recipes. There are over fifty different species of freshwater fish swimming in the rivers througout central Europe.  In Czech waters, carp reigns as king. There are other fish, such as perch, sander (walleye), catfish and, of course, trout. 

Not only can trout be found in the rivers, but it is also part of an acquaculture industry in the Czech Republic. That industry goes back as far as the 13th or 14th century, althought it grew much quicker in the 16th century.  Landowners began to build ponds to raise fish. They focused on carp first, but have branched out to other species, like trout.  Over time, the industry became quite large.  Indeed, the Cezch Republic is one of the largest producers of fish in the European Union.  However, the Czech people have one of the lowest rates of fish consumption in the European Union. 

Still, there are fish dishes in Czech cuisine, as evidenced by my cookbook.  I chose one of those dishes: pan-fried trout. This is a very simple dish, requiring only five ingredients. Those five ingredients -- fish, flour, lemon, parsley and butter -- come together to make a simple, yet very tasty dish. Indeed, given how easy it is to make this dish, it is surprising that Czechs don't eat more fish. 

PAN-FRIED TROUT

Recipe from The Best of Czech Cooking, pg. 26

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 small trout (1 pound each)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 lemon

Directions:

1.  Prepare the fish.  Clean and gut the fish if it has not already been prepared.  Wash the fish in cold water and then dry it with paper towels.  Season the trout with salt and pepper and cover with flour.

2.  Fry the fish.  Melt 3 tablespoons of butter on medium high heat in a large frying pan.  When the butter has melted and is quite hot, shake off the excess flour from the trout and put them into the pan.  Fry them until lightly golden on one side, 4 or 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to make sure the fish does not stick.  Turn the trout over, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, and fry until golden on the other side.  Add the parsley and juice from half of the lemon.  Cook for another few seconds.  Serve with additional parsley and lemon wedges.

ENJOY!

Uyghur Polo

Nadan qazangha qaraydu, tadan ochaqqa (qaraydu).

The words are spoken by Uyghurs, with a language that perhaps most closely resembles Uzbek, but also has similarities to Kazakh and Kyrgyz.  When translated, it reveals a proverb: "[t]he simple man looks at the serving dish, the cunning man at the oven."  It is related to the proverb of the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, who wrote "[g]ive a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

The similarity of a proverb cannot obscure the harsh reality that unfolds today in the Chinese province of Xinjiang. Since 2017, the Communist Chinese government has detained over one million Uyghurs in re-education camps.  The "re-education" appears to nothing more than the forced stripping of the Uyghurs of what makes them who they are, that is, their cultural identity.  Detainees are forced to declare their loyalty to the Communist government, learn Mandarin and study communist propaganda. They are also compelled to denounce their moderate form of Sunni Islam and forgo speaking their own Turkic langauge. The Chinese authorities use torture to increase the effectiveness of the reeducation program.

The Chinese government claims that these camps are a countermeasure against religious extremism and terrorism. Such claims are nothing more than a thin veil to hide the eradication of the Ugyhur identity.  As the Council of Foreign Relations has found: 

"Many aspects of Muslim life have been erased, journalists reporting from Xinjiang have found. Communist Party members have been recruited since 2014 to stay in Uighur homes and report any perceived 'extremist' behaviors, including fasting during Ramadan. Officials have destroyed mosques, claiming the buildings were shoddily constructed and unsafe for worshippers.  Uighur and other minority women have reported forced sterilizations and intrauterine device insertions, and official shave threatened to detain anyone who has too many children.  Uighur parents are banned from giving their babies certain names, including Mohammed and Medina. Halal food, which is prepared according to Islamic law, has become harder to find in Urumqi [the provincial capital] as the local government has launched a campaign against it."

As the foregoing suggets, the Chinese goverment's campaign to strip the Uyghurs of their separate identity even extends to their cuisine. 

That cuisine has been described as "very rich, very different." Uyghur cuisine features various proteins (mutton, beef, camel [bactrian], chicken and goose), along with other ingredients such as carrots, onions, peppers, eggplant and various fruits.  These proteins and ingredients are featured in dishes that are emblematic of the cuisine, such as kebabs and laghman (a noodle dish).  Many of these dishes draw influences from surrounding cultures in Central Asia.  These influences can traced to the food and dishes of the Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Uzbeks. 

To be sure, there are Chinese influences in Uyghur cuisine (for obvious reasons), but the Central Asian influences are unmistakeble.  This most obvious example lies with the "King" of the Ugyhur table ... Polo.  It is the Uyghur version of the Central Asian plov.  While they vary from country to country (and from region to region within a country), a plov is a rice dish that typically includes carrots and meat.  

As one would expect with "royalty," there are certain traditions that have to observed.  For instance, there are the ingredients.  A traditional polo consists of a handful of ingredients: rice, lamb, carrots, onions and oil, along with salt, sugar and cumin to provide flavor. (There are other versions of polo that include other ingredients, such as raisins, apricots or chickpeas.) There is also the preparation. The carrots must be cut in a certain way.  The onion must be sliced in a certain way. The actual steps of cooking the dish must be followed in a certain way.  Careful attention must be given to the cooking process, tasting the dish along the way to ensure not only that it tastes right, but that there is a strong taste. 

Suprisingly (or not), there are few recipes for Uyghur Polo on the Internet.  I found a video on YouTube that described the process, which I have tried my best to translate into the recipe found below. The recipe produced a dish that resembles many of the pictures of Uyghur polo online (although my carrot-cutting and onion-slicing may be met with some disdain by Ugyhur cooks and chefs).  The resulting dish was also very delicious, although I would probably have added a little more cumin to further "strengthen" the taste. 

UYGHUR POLO

Recipe adapted from Dolan Chick

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds lamb, cut into cubes
• 1pound of carrots, cut into sticks
• 1 red or yellow onion, diced
• 1 tablesppon cumin seed
• Olive oil
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt
• 2 cups long grain rice

Directions:

1. Brown the lamb.   Heat the oil in a deep pan on high heat.  Add the lamb and brown on all sides, for about four to five minutes. Add the onion, cumin and salt.  Cook for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots to the pan. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring to mix the ingredients together and cover the carrots with the oil. 

2. Add the rice. Add enough water to cover the lamb, carrots and onions, as well as cook the rice, about 4 cups of water.  Bring to a boil.  Add the rice evenly in the pan.  Top with the raisins.  Lower the heat to low so that it is a simmer.  Cover and cook until the rice has absorbed the liquid, about 30 minutes.  Remove the cover and mix all of the ingredients and shred the lamb. 

3. Finish the dish. Spoon the rice with the carrots, lamb, onion and raisins into bowls. Serve immediate.  Serve with flatbread, yoghurt or a salad. 

ENJOY!

Goat Curry in the Punjabi Style

Its name in Sanskrit is Panchanada, the "Land of Five Rivers." After a wave of Muslim conquests, the conquerors used the Persian name, Panjab.  That land has a long history, one that dates all the way back to 2600 BCE, with the emergence of the Indus Valley Civilization.  That civilization was known for its urban planning, baked brick houses, drainage systems, water supply systems and more. They even had a writing system that has still not been deciphered as of this date. 

Over time, the area that would become known as the Punjab was a crossroads of various conquering empires.  Alexander the Great led the Greeks through the region, ultimately being turned back. Then there was a series of empires.  Then more foreign conquerers, including Arabs, Mughals, Sikhs, and, eventually, the British. 

While I could go into much more detail about the history of the Punjab region (which really does fascinate me), the most important part of this history is simple. Each invading army or culture brought something to the Punjab region.  Influences that worked their way into the culture of the people, as well as their cuisine. Indeed, the cuisine of the Punjab region can be best described as a mixture of Indian, Persian, Mughal and Afghan influences.

This mixture of influences naturally draws my attention to Punjabi cuisine.  The one thing that keeps my attention is the liberal use of spices in the dishes. Spices such as black pepper, cardamom, cinnamoon, cloves, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, mustard, red chile powder and turmuric. The more spices used in a dish correlates to a greater likelihood that I will prepare that dish.  This leaves me wondering why I have not cooked more Punjabi dishes.

However, it is not just the spices.  The Indus River, along with the other rivers (remember - Punjab means the land of five rivers), makes this region the breadbasket, especially for Pakistan, where most of the rivers are located. The principal crops are rice and wheat, but farmers also cultivate maize and lentils, along with garlic, ginger and onions (after all, one needs a base for the masalas).  There is also quite the dairy industry in the Punjab region, which serves as the foundation for the extensive use of ghee, clarified butter and cheese (paneer) in Punjabi dishes.  

But, for me at least, it almost always returns to the spices.  I had a lot of goat in the freeze and I needed a recipe.  I searched the Internet for a recipe, looking at recipes from South America, Africa, Europe and Asia.  Yet, it was a Punjabi goat curry recipe that won out over all others.  The reason is simple: the recipe called for bay leaves, cinnamon, chiles, cloves, coriander, cumin, garam masala, garlic, ginger, green cardamom and paprika.  

Yet, there was one problem with the recipe.  It was for a pressure cooker.  My beautiful Angel bought a pressure cooker; and, yes, I could have used it to make this dish.  However, I wanted to do it "old-school."  Just me, the goat, some spices, and a few pots and pans. That required some "translation" between pressure cooker instructions and traditional instructions. (I also tried to simplify the instructions in the process.) It also required a little flexibility in making the dish. Nevertheless, I think it worked out well.  I got the masala base right, and then built the curry so that the gravy was probably one of the best that I have ever made. 

For those who have followed my blog, you may remember the many goat dishes that I have made.  (Some of those dishes made their way onto my Around the World in 80 Dishes culinary challenges, as I made goat curries from both Guyana and Ghana.)  Yet, it is this dish that is probably my best work with this protein.  The success lies entirely with the masala and the gravy. I only wish that I had not used up the last of my goat with this dish. 

GOAT CURRY IN THE PUNJABI STYLE

Recipe adapted from Marigold Maison

Serves several

Ingredients:

5 pounds of goat pieces

1 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 green cardamom seeds, crushed

4-5 cloves, crushed

1 bay leaf

1 pound of yellow onions, minced finely

3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger

3 tablespoons of chopped fresh garlic

2 tablespoons of fresh indian chiles

2 cups canned tomato sauce

2 tablespoons Kosher salt

1 tablespoon turmeric powder

1 tablespoon chile powder

1 tablespoon coriander powder

2 teaspoons garam masala powder

2 teaspoons paprika powder

Cilantro 

8-10 cups water

Directions:

1. Prepare the goat.  Clean and wash the goat. Cut the the goat into bite sized pieces if it has not already been processed.  Sometimes, I use some lemon juice or lime juice to "rinse" the goat, as the juice is supposed to help with the smell and taste of the goat. 

2.  Brown the goat.  Heat oil in a pot over medium high heat.  Add the cumin seeds, cardamom and bay leaves.  Saute for 1 minute, stirring to prevent the spices from burning.  Add the finely minced onion.  Saute until the onion turns it begins to light brown. Add the ginger, garlic and chiles. Continue to cook this mixture, stirring to prevent burning, for about two to three minutes.  Add the goat meat and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.  The goal is to brown the goat meat on all sides, as best as possible. 

3.  Prepare the curry.  Add the salt, paprika, turmeric, red chile powder and coriander powder. Stir well and then add the tomato sauce.  Stir to incorporate all of the ingredients.   Add 8 cups of water and, once again, stir well to ensure that all of the ingredients have been mixed together.  Increase the heat to high and bring the curry to a boil.  Once it begins to boil, reduce the hear to medium-low and continue to simmer for as long as it takes to get the goat tender and to reduce the liquid.  

4. Finish the dish.  Once the goat is tender and the liquid has been reduced enough, add some garam masala.  Stir the curry.  Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves and serve immediately. 

ENJOY!