Oysters with a Mango Habanero Mignonette

Anytime I see oysters in the store, I almost always buy them because both Clare and I love oysters.  Mostly raw, but occasionally in a good po' boy sandwich.  One of the few good things from working in a seafood restaurant is that I left with the knowledge of how to shuck oysters, and fairly quickly.

So, when I recently visited Whole Foods and saw that they had oysters, I bought a dozen.  The question was whether to make a mignonette.  Generally, a mignonette is a "sauce" of shallots and vinegar, usually with some other ingredients.  A few weeks back, I made oysters with a Peach Champagne mignonette.  This time, I wanted to go in a different direction, away from sweet and toward the heat.

So I decided make a mango habanero mignonette.  I have to say that the idea is not truly original.  Buffalo Wild Wings has a mango habanero sauce for its wings, and that is where the idea came from.

But a wing sauce is the last thing you want on oysters.  Rather, a mango, half a habanero, a scallion and a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.  That is it.

OYSTERS WITH A MANGO HABANERO MIGNONETTE


A Chef Bolek Original
Serves 2


Ingredients:
1 dozen oysters
1 mango, diced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1/2 habanero, finely diced
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

Directions:
1.  Mix all of the ingredients of the mignonette together.  Spoon a little on each oyster.

2.  Shuck the oysters.  Rinse each oyster.  Only use an oyster knife.  Oysters have an opening in the back.  Work the tip of the knife into that opening and begin to turn the knife to each side, working to loosen the top shell.  Once you can get enough of the knife into the oyster, Begin to push down to lift up the shell. Once the top shell is separated, use the knife to make sure the oyster is separated from the top shell.  Use the knife to separate the oyster from the rest of the shell.  There is a muscle underneath the oyster that connects to the bottom part of the shell.  Cut that muscle.  Rinse the oyster if necessary.

3.  Fill a bowl with crushed ice.  Spoon the mignonette onto each oyster.  Serve the oysters over the crushed ice.

ENJOY!

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Ecuador

My culinary travels find me in Ecuador, a small South American country with diverse geographical regions, whether it is the coastal region along the Pacific Ocean, the high elevation of the Andes mountains or the rainforests.  Along the coasts, the food centers around fish, beans and plaintains.  As you move inland and into the Andres mountains, the cuisine changes to meat and rice.

While my culinary challenge requires me only to make a main dish, I wanted to create a meal that would require me to cook outside of my comfort zone.  Ecuador presents such a challenge because one of the quintessential dishes is Ceviche de Corvina or Sea Bass Ceviche.  There is some debate as to whether ceviche originated in Ecuador or Peru, but what is not disputed is that ceviche in each country is different.  In Ecuador, ceviche is typically fish or shirmp, but it is usually steamed for a couple of minutes before citrus is added.  In Peru, the fish or shrimp is raw when the citrus is added.  So, for my first time at making ceviche, Ecuador provides a good starting point since I would not be making ceviche from raw seafood.  In addition, I decided to make my own aji criollo, which is an Ecuadorian hot sauce to serve as a condiment with the fish.

To complete the meal, I decided to make a soup called Locro, which is a soup of potatoes, milk, and cheese and a drink called Cuaker, which is a pineapple oat drink.  All together, the warm soup and drink contrasted with the ceviche and the aji criollo made for some wonderful contrasts and an excellent meal.

THE APPETIZER

 LOCRO (Creamy Potato Soup)

Adapted from Ecuador Channel

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 pounds of potatoes (I used Yukon Gold)

2 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 medium onion, finely diced
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup light cream
1/4 pound of Munster cheese
Salt to taste
2 cups of water

Directions:

1. Saute the onions.  Melt the butter in a sauce pan and add the paprika.   Add onions and saute until translucent.

2.  Make the soup.  Add the water and bring to boil.  Then add the potatoes and reduce the heat, allowing the potatoes to simmer for about 15 minutes.

3.  Add the milk and cream.  Before the potatoes are fully cooked, add the milk and cream.  Stir occasionally to make sure that it is blended.

4.  Add the cheese.  When the potatoes start to brake up, add the cheese.  Salt to taste.

THE CONDIMENT

AJI CRIOLLO (Ecuadorian Hot Sauce)

Adapted from Laylita's recipes

Ingredients:
4 red or green chiles, seeded (red ones are hotter)
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1/2 cup of water
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup of lemon or lime juice
3 tablespoons of finely chopped onion
Salt, to taste.

Directions:

1. Add the chilies, cilantro, water, garlic and lime juice in a food processor.  Blend thoroughly.

2.  Pour the blended mixture in a bowl.  Add the onions and salt, to taste.

THE MAIN DISH

And on to the main dish, Ceviche de Corvina or Sea Bass Ceviche.  This is an excellent dish that is relatively easy to make.  For the fish, I used Branzino, which is a Mediterranean Sea Bass, with very flaky flesh and without a very fishy taste. 

CEVICHE DE CORVINA (SEA BASS CEVICHE)

Adapted from Galapagos Travel

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 fillets of sea bass (Branzino, Black, etc.)
1 red pepper, sliced thinly
1 small bunch of parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
1 teaspoon of aji criollo
4 tablespoons of lemon juice
Salt, to taste
Ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Steam the fish.  Steam the sea bass for 3 minutes.  Turn once during steaming.  Once the flesh is white, remove the fish and place in a glass dish.

2. Prepare the citrus marinade.  In a bowl. mix the lemon juice, oil, parsley, aji criollo, onion, salt and pepper.

3.  Marinade the fish.  Pour the mixture over the sea bass and coat the fish thoroughly.  Let the sea bass stand for one hour.

THE BEVERAGE

Finally, this great meal needs a beverage.  I came across a recipe on Whats4eats.com for Cuaker, an Ecuadoran oatmeal beverage.  Cuaker is the Spanish word for "Quaker," as in Quaker oats.  According to Whats4eats.com, oat-based beverages are popular in Central and South America.  The concept of an "oatmeal beverage" fascinates me, so I decided to make the beverage.  The key to this recipe is to use real oats, not the instant kind.  I used steel cut oats to make the Cuaker for this meal.

CUAKER (Oatmeal Beverage)

Adapted from Whats4eats.com

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 Pineapple, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 cup of oats
1/2 cup of sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
5 cups of water

Directions:

1.  Boil the ingredients.  Add all of the ingredients to a pot and bring it to a boil.  Reduce the heat medium-low and let the ingredients simmer for about 20 minutes.  Stir frequently.

2.  Strain the ingredients.  Remove the pineapple and cinnamon sticks.  Strain the remainnig liquid, pressing down on the oats to extract all of the liquid.  Discard the oats.

3.  Serve.  Serve the beverage chilled or warm.  (I prefer it served warm.)

*     *     *

Well, I have to say that this was a very good meal.  I learned about making ceviche and learned that I probably should have let it stand in the citrus for a little longer, but it was still good.  The locro was also very good and is an ideal soup for a cool, rainy day, which was today.  But, the star of the meal was the Cuaker, which is very good and, actually, would make a great holiday drink.

With my cooking adventures in Ecuador coming to an end, I need to start planning the next stop.  I can't wait.  Till next time....

ENJOY!

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Iran

After making some great jerk chicken, I had to decide where I would go next for my personal culinary challenge.  Generally, I have been using a random country generator to choose my next stop, keeping in mind the many suggestions that have been offered by friends.  (I intend to visit every country that you have recommended.)  When I consulted the generator after Jamaica, the country it selected was Iran.   

When you ask most people what they think of when they are asked about Iran, they will most likely provide a negative answer.  Some might mention Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and some of the rather crazy things he says.  Others may mention the Iranian nuclear weapons program.  And, still others may mention the hostage crisis back in 1979.  For me, if I were asked Iran, I would respond by saying Persian food.  I am a big fan of the cuisine, especially the various kabobs, such as Kubideh (ground meat), Chenjeh (lamb), and/or Jojeh (chicken).  For years, I would satisfy my cravings for Persian food by going to a local restaurant, Moby Dick, to get a Kubideh or Chenjeh kabob, along with a big plate of jasmine rice and freshly baked bread.

THE MAIN DISH

Well, with the next stop on my culinary journey being Iran, I decided that I would take this opportunity to make my own kabob.  Rather than making Kubideh or Chenjeh, which I would always order at Moby Dick, I decided to try making Kebab-e Jojeh, or chicken kabob.  For a side dish, I decided to make Salad-e Shirazi, a tomato cucumber salad.  And, for a beverage, I decided to make doogh, a yogurt drink with mint and black pepper. 

KEBAB-E JOJEH (Chicken Kabob)

Adapted from about.com

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 pound of chicken (boneless chicken breasts)
1/2 cup of olive oil
A pinch of saffron threads
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon warm water.
1 tomato, quartered

Directions:

1.  Marinate the chicken.  Cut the chicken breasts into one inch pieces.  Mix the chicken with the onion, saffron, oil, water, salt and pepper.  Let the chicken marinate for 24 hours.

2.  Grill the chicken.  Preheat the grill to medium high or 350 degrees.  Place the chicken on skewers.  Place the tomatoes on separate skewers.  Cook the chicken skewers for about 15 to 20 minutes, turning the skewers after about ten minutes. The chicken will be done when there is no pinkness and the juices are clear.  Remove the chicken from the skewers and serve with basmati rice.

THE SIDE DISH

Salad e-Shirazi is a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, garlic and mint.  The salad is very easy to make and the fresh ingredients make this a delicious and healthy salad to compliment any kabob.

SALAD E-SHIRAZI (Tomato Cucumber Salad)

Adapted from about.com

Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 tomatoes
2 cucumbers
1 small onion, diced
2 tablespoons with lemon or lime juice
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of fresh mint, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients well.

THE BEVERAGE

Finally, as a beverage, I decided to make doogh, a Persian drink of yogurt and mint.  There are several recipes for doogh on the Internet, and they vary slightly.  Some use dried mint while others use fresh mint.  Some use ground black pepper, while others do not.  I decided to use fresh mint and black pepper.

DOOGH

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 cup of yogurt
1 tablespoon of finely chopped mint
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 1/2 cup of water

Directions:
1.  Add the mint, salt, and black pepper to the yogurt.

2. Whisk water into the yogurt mixture gradually.

3.  Chill and serve.

*     *     *

In the end, this was a delicious meal and a very easy one to make.  I was able to recreate Kabob e Jojeh just like I remember it on the very rare occasions that I would order it at Moby Dick.  The Salad e-Shirazi was also very good.  Both the kabob and the salad also make great leftovers for lunch.  And, as for the doogh, I was never a big fan of the beverage; but, I wanted to try to make it to go with the meal.  It was very refreshing and went well with the meal. 

Given this experience, I am looking forward to trying to make other types of kabobs, such as Kabob e Chenjeh.  However, that will have to wait, because my culinary adventures (and the random country generator) have me traveling to another country. Until next time....

ENJOY!

Dogfish Head Bitches Brew

About a week ago, I posted a review of North Coast's Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale, a brew brewed in honor and recognition of the jazz great Thelonious Monk.  Well,  there is another brewery who has combined water, malt, hops and yeast to honor another jazz legend ... Miles Davis and the release of his album "Bitches Brew."  It has been forty years since the release of the original album and that is as good as any reason to brew a new beer.

The Bitches Brew is basically an imperial stout, which gets a twist with the use of honey and gesho root. Dogfish Head describes it as three parts imperial stout and one part Tej.  (For those following my culinary adventures, Around the World in 80 Dishes, you will remember that I made Tej, which is an Ethiopian honey wine or mead.)  The combination of a stout, with its smooth, chocolate character with Tej, which has a sweetness from the honey, is a really interesting combination. 

That combination does come through in the taste, although the taste leans more toward the stout than the Tej, which one would expect with the 3:1 characterization by Dogfish Head.  It is smooth, with sweet undertones, and, overall, a very delicious beer.  The beer could pair very well with spicy food, taming the burn of most any pepper or spice.

It is a limited edition beer with a low IBU (only 38) and a high ABV (9.0%).  It is available from coast to coast for about $12.99 a bottle.

For more info on this beer, check out NPR and Dogfish Head.

ENJOY!

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Jamaica

After a very delicious stop in Bangladesh, I proceeded to the next destination on my culinary adventures ... Jamaica.  I've always been interested in Jamaican food, especially Jerk Chicken.  I was riveted to the television as Anthony Bourdain was standing on a Jamaican street with his guide, watching as street vendors cooked the chicken.  I would tell myself that I have to make this chicken.

"Jerk" is a method of cooking chicken that originates with the indigenous inhabitants of the island of Jamaica, the Arawaks.  Originally, the cooking method involved smoking the chicken over pimento wood, or the wood from the allspice tree.  Over time, the method evolved to its present form in which the chicken is grilled in pit barrels or steel drums. But for those who not have a steel drum in their backyard (or, for that matter, who do not have a backyard), really good jerk chicken can be made using a stove.

As is often the case with cooking, there are many different recipes for a rub or dish, with each recipe being slightly different from the next.  The reason is that there is no one jerk rub recipe.  Everybody has their own recipe with their own twists or modifications.  To make this rub, I relied upon a couple of recipes, which had common ingredients like allspice, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, scallions, soy sauce, oil and thyme.  Other recipes may also add cloves, citrus juice (orange or lime), and nutmeg.  But, to be a true Jerk recipe, the rub must include allspice.  This recipe is simply my basic version of a Jamaican Jerk rub.  Next time, I will probably add more, like 1 teaspoon of nutmeg, maybe some lime juice and even a teaspoon or two of dark rum.  Who knows, it is always fun to tinker with recipes.

THE MAIN DISH

JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN

Makes about 1 cup of jerk rub

Serves about 7-10 people

Ingredients:
1 bunch of scallions, minced
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons of minced ginger
2 Scotch Bonnet peppers (or Habanero peppers), sliced, seeded
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon of salt
1 tablespoon of allspice
2 tablespoons of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of black pepper
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1/4 cup of soy sauce (I used dark soy sauce, and cut the amount in half)
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
7 pounds of chicken

Directions:

1.  Prepare the jerk sauce.  Add all of the ingredients except the liquids (soy sauce and oil) to a food processor.  Run the processor a few times to mix the ingredients.  Begin running the processor and add the soy sauce in a slow stream.  Then  add the oil in a slow stream.

2.  Marinate the chicken.  Pour the rub in a non-reactive bowl.  Add the chicken and make sure the chicken is covered.  Let it marinate for at least a couple of hours or overnight.

3.  Preheat the grill.  With the chicken having marinated for a few hours or overnight (see rub recipe above), begin to start a fire for the grill.  You want to get the grill to about 350 to 400 degrees F.  Rub the grates with oil, so the chicken will not stick to the grates.

4.  Grill the chicken.  Add the grill to the chicken, skin side down. Cook until the chicken is about 165 to 170 degrees and the juices are clear and not pink. Transfer the chicken to a platter and loosely tent with foil and let rest for about 15 minutes.  Alternatively, you can cook it in the oven at about 350 to 375 for about 50 minutes. 

THE BEVERAGE

Of course, a spicy dish like Jerk Chicken needs a cool drink to go with it.  I found a recipe for a non-alcoholic ginger beer (no fermentation required) which was easy to make.  I fiddled with the amounts but the recipe is adapted from one found at Whats4eats.com.

GINGER BEER

Serves many

Ingredients:
1 pound of ginger, peeled and cut into small pieces
3 cups of water
3/4 cup of sugar
Juice from 2 to 3 lemons and/or limes
At least 5 cups of club soda

Directions:

1. Add the ginger, sugar and 3 cups of water to a blender and blend well.  Let the blended mixture rest for a couple of hours or overnight.

2.  Strain the blended mixture through a fine mesh strainer.

3.  Add the club soda to the mixture until there are 2 quarts or 8 cups of the beverage.

*     *     *

Once again, I think this cooking adventure was a big success.  I really liked the jerk rub, which was full of flavors and spice from the peppers was really good.  Jerk chicken is definitely a good meal to share with friends, whether for a dinner or a party.  As with everything that I have made, I will make this meal again. Until next time....

ENJOY!

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Bangladesh

The next step on my culinary journey takes me half-way around the world to Bangladesh.  A populous county in South Asia, Bangladesh suffers from a lot of calamities such as famine, typhoons, and poverty.  Despite all of its troubles, the country's cuisine is quite interesting and which is heavily influenced by geography.  Bangladesh is situated in the Ganges Brahmaputra delta. The proximity to water means that fish is one of the key staples of Bangladeshi cuisine, as are lentils and rice. The cuisine is also well known for the use of spices, including ginger, coriander, cumin, chilies and tumeric.

THE MAIN DISH

I searched the Internet to try to find a dish that is "commonplace" in Bangladesh.  Having no knowledge about the cuisine, other than what I was reading on various websites, it was quite a challenge to decide upon a dish.  Ultimately, I chose Makher Taukari or Fish Curry.  This is a fairly easy dish to make and, with a couple of variations, it is also relatively quick to make.  I cut the fish into even sized pieces, so that it would cook evenly and quickly.  I also cut the tomatoes two different ways.  I sliced two of the tomatoes into wedges and I diced two tomatoes.  It provided a difference in terms of texture and presentation.

MAKHER TAUKARI (FISH CURRY)

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
1 pound of fish (I used trout, halibut and turbot), cut into roughly even sized pieces
1 tablespoon of red chili powder
1 tablespoon of tumeric
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon of garlic
2 to 3 green chiles, sliced
3 to 4 tomatoes
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Cilantro, chopped for garnish

Directions:

1. Saute the onion and garlic.  Saute the onions in the the oil until translucent and then add the garlic.  Saute for a few more minutes.

2.  Add spices.   Add the red chili powder, and tumeric.  Saute for 3-5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and peppers and continue to saute for a couple of minutes.

3.  Cook the fish.  Add the fish and saute for a couple of minutes on each side.  Then add enough water to just cover the fish.  Continue to cook the fish until it is done, a few minutes more.

4.  Plate the dish.  Divide into bowls and sprinkle cilantro as garnish.  Serve immediately.

THE SIDE DISH

As I mentioned above, rice figures prominently in Bangladeshi cuisine and so I decided to make some Basmati rice to go with the Makher Taukari.  I combined a couple of recipes to make this dish and it was so good by itself I decided to plate it separately from the curry (although I ended up mixing the two together when I ate it). 

BANGLADESHI JASMINE RICE

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
1 cup Basmati rice
2 cups of water
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick, crumbled
4 cloves
8 peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of butter
Salt, to taste

Directions:

1.  Toast the spices.  Heat a pot on medium heat.  Add the spices and toast them for a minute or two.  

2.  Saute the onions.  Add the butter and and onions. Saute the onions until transluscent..  Add a little more oil if needed.  Then add the carrots and saute for about five minutes more.

3.  Cook the rice.  Add rice and stir to combine.  Then add water and bring to a boil.  Once you have a boil, reduce it to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.  Check the rice.  If the rice is not tender, let it cook for a little more.  If the liquid is low, add a little at a time. Once the rice has reached the desired tenderness, take it off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes.

*     *     *

In the end, I would label this part of the adventure a success, primarily because I worked off of recipes that had no pictures, so, especially with the Makher Taukari, it took a little imagination to figure out what the dish would look like.  I think my experience in cooking Italian dishes is reflected in these dishes.  The Makher Taukari turned out to look a little like a brodetto, although it tasted completely different than a brodetto primarily because of use of tumeric.  My experience with Italian cuisine also helped to save the rice, which I forgot to reduce from a boil, resulting in the water steaming off two quickly.  But, my experience in making risottos helped me to save the jasmine rice, adding just enough water to ensure the rice continued to cook without burning or becoming soggy.

Both Clare and I really liked these dishes so I will definitely make them again.  I hope you enjoyed this stop on the culinary trip.  Until the next time...

ENJOY!

Pivovar Herold Golden Revolution

There are a lot of "Imperial" beers out there.  Readers of this blog know of some good Imperial Pale Ales.  There are also Imperial Stouts, Imperial Porters, and Imperial Red Ales.  Indeed, it seems that any beer style can become an Imperial so long as you are able to boost the ABV into the beer stratosphere.  A few months back, I was walking the aisles of a Binny's Beverage Depot outside of Chicago, Illinois when I came across a first for me ... an Imperial Pilsner.  Called "Golden Revolution," it heralds from Pivovar Herold, a Czech brewer in Breznice u Pribrami, whish is south of Prague and southeast of Plsen.

Novelty aside, the bottle also caught my attention.  Revolution is a loaded word for Czechs.  They have endured two notable revolutions, Prague Spring and the Velvet Revolution.  But the revolution in this beer has no political or economic overtones.  Instead, it is all about a change in a well-established beer style.

The bottle says it perfectly:

Golden Revolution heralds the arrival of a new Czech pilsner standard.  This handcrafted, dry hopped Imperial pilsner sends a powerful message to the pilsners that have come before.  Echoing the words of one of the Velvet Revolution's heroes as he dismissed the communists, Golden Revolution proclaims, "Thank you, now go away."

Indeed, this beer heralds a different experience when it comes to drinking a pilsner.  When pouring the beer, one clearly sees the "Golden" part of the resolution.  The beer pours a deep gold, which is far different than the lighter color of most pilsners.  The aroma of the beer gives a faint hint of what is to come ... a truly boozy experience.  This beer tastes a lot more like a barleywine than a pilsner.  And there is a good reason for that.  Traditional pilsners, like Pilsner Urquell, have an ABV of about 4.4 percent.  Although not listed on the bottle, the ABV of this beer has to be at least twice that.

The difference between this beer and other pilsners, beside its booziness, may well be due to the "collaborator" behind the scenes.... Dogfish Head's own Sam Caligione. The master of unique brews such as Theobroma and Palo Santo Marron collaborated with Pivovar Herold to make this beer.  This may be one -- and perhaps the only -- time that "collaboration" is not a bad thing.

Make Way for Better Beer ... and

ENJOY!

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Czech Republic

With a belly full of Doro Wat from the start of my culinary journey, I turned my focus to my next destination.  I gave it a lot of thought and decided upon a country that has a lot of importance to me personally.  The country is the Czech Republic.  The importance stems from two things.  First, my relatives on my Dad's side come from Moravia, which is the southern part of the country.  Second, I spent a semester during college studying abroad in the capital city of the Czech Republic, Prague. 

I have a lot of fond memories of the time I spent wandering the streets of the various neighborhoods of a city that is basically one big art museum.  From Hradcany to Mala Strana, from Nove Mesto to Vysehrad, I spent a lot of time taking in the city, stepping into restaurants to get a bite to eat or a pint of very good beer.  Admittedly, I ate at Americanized places (like McDonalds and Little Caesars), but I treasured the times that I was able to eat true Czech food, they way it was supposed to be.  And, of course, I also loved being able to eat that food with good Czech beer, whether it was Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus, Budvar, Staropramen, or Velke Popovicky.

If there were "pillars" of Czech cuisine, there would be three.  The first "pillar" is meat.  Czech food is not very vegetarian friendly, because most Czech dishes feature a type of meat, whether it is pork, beef, venison or game. The second "pillar" is the dumpling.  Meals often include dumplings, either bread or potato.  The dumplings are actually a very good side, because they are perfect for absorbing the sauces or gravies that are served with the meat.  The third "pillar" is beer.  All dishes come with  -- and some are made with -- Czech beer and Czech brewers make perhaps the best pilsners in the world.

THE MAIN DISH

For my culinary challenge, I decided to make what many call the quintessential Czech dish, Veprove Pecene s Houskove Knedlicky, or Roast Pork with Bread Dumplings.  I reviewed several recipes for this dish and worked off a couple when I made it.  The recipes universally low balled cooking times, which made this dish a little hard to make.  The cooking times for the roast pork, which was roasted at 325 degrees, was really off, short by about a half hour.  The cooking time for the dumplings was also off, as the dumplings could have cooked for a little longer than called for in the recipe.

I also added a little twist of my own to this recipe.  I added a cup of water to the pan after the pork cooked in order to create more of the sauce.  I also added chanterelle mushrooms.  Mushrooms are popular in Czech cuisine and I thought it would be a good addition to the dish.  Overall, despite the difficulties in managing the cooking times, I would say that this dish was a success. 

VEPROVA PECENE (Roast Pork)

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of prepared mustard
2 tablespoons of caraway seeds
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of salt
1 tablespoon of ground black pepper
1 pound of pork roast
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 cup of beer (I used Pilsner Urquell)
1 tablespoon of corn starch
2 tablespoons of butter
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
8 ounces of chanterelle mushrooms
1 cup of water

Directions

1.  Marinate the pork.  Mix the vegetable oil, mustard, caraway seeds, garlic powder, salt and ground pepper together.  Rub the paste over all of the pork loin roast.  Let the roast sit for 30 to 45 minutes.

2.  Cook the pork.  Heat the oven to 325 F.  Lay onions on the bottom of the roasting pan, pour in the beer and place the roast at the center.  Add the garlic cloves.  The recipes I looked at said that, for a pork loin of one pound, it should take 30-35 minutes.  However, 325 degrees is fairly low and their estimates low balled the timing.  Expect it to be more like an hour.  Baste occasionally.  Also add more beer or water to increase the basting liquid if needed.  Remove the roast and let it rest. 

3.  Prepare the sauce.  Add the water, butter and corn starch.  Stir these ingredients and then add the chanterelle mushrooms,  Stir and simmer until it thickens.

For Service:

For this dish, it is customary to serve it with bread dumplings and sauerkraut.  I was never a big fan of sauerkraut, so I decided to forgo that side.  However, I was intrigued with making bread dumplings and, quite frankly, a little nervous.  I was afraid that I would not be able to make the dish correctly.  My dumplings turned out a little heavy, probably from the use of too much bread.  The recipe called for 4 to 5 slices diced.  I did 5 slices, but 4 slices would probably have been better.  

THE SIDE DISH

HOUSKOVE KNEDLICKY (Bread Dumplings)

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
4 slices of white bread, remove crusts and cube

Directions:
1.  Combine the ingredients.  Combine beaten egg, milk, flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.  Add bread cubes and mix very well until it is incorporated into the batter.

2.  Make the dumplings.  Wet your hands and form 2 small balls from the dough.

3.  Boil the dumplings.  Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Cook the balls for ten minutes, rolling them occasionally to ensure that all sides are being cooked. Cook for an additional ten minutes (or more).

4.  Plate the dumplings. Remove immediately from the water and cut in half.  Then slice into 1/2 inch slices.  To slice the dumplings, you should use a piece of string rather than a knife, which tends to compress the dumpling when being sliced.  Because the timing was off, my dumplings came out a little thicker than intended and a knife worked okay.  That is no endorsement of using knives to slice dumplings.

In the end, my "trip" through Czech cuisine was a great one. I still need to work on these recipes and I definitely intend to try them again, along with other Czech dishes.  The Czech Republic was definitely an ideal stop after Ethiopia because it provided a great contrast in cuisines.  I always thought I was a "spice" cook, someone who loved to add a wide array of spices to achieve new and interesting flavors.  However, Czech cuisine does not rely upon a lot of spice, and, yet, cooks can still produce very delicious dishes.  I have definitely learned something from this cooking experience.

Till next time...

ENJOY!

Gordon Biersch Fest Bier

As Oktoberfest approaches, Gordon Biersch brings out the big mugs for its seasonal Fest Bier.  An unfiltered Munich-style lager, the Fest Bier is generally one of the best seasonals produced by Gordon Biersch.  Maybe because of Oktoberfest.  Perhaps it is those big mugs.

As you can see, the beer pours out an amber color and, although the picture does not show it, the beer did have good carbonation.  When drinking the beer, you can taste the hops, although the hop taste is far less than what you would experience drinking a pale ale.

Overall, this is a very good beer for Oktoberfest, American-style.  However, if you want to truly experience Oktoberfest, Munich-style, I would suggest that you buy a beer Weihenstephan or Hofbrau Haus.

ENJOY!

Sinh To Bo

The word for avocado in Vietnamese translates into English as "butter fruit."  Sinh To Bo lives up to that translation, as it is an avocado drink that is smooth and sweet enough to be served as a dessert.

The recipe calls for the use of sweetened, condensed milk; however, I was unable to find any at the store.  So, I substituted light coconut milk.  Actually, you can substitute any kind of milk. The end result was not as sweet as it should have been, but it was still very good.  I will definitely make this recipe again.

SINH TO BO
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 avocado, cut into pieces
1 cup of ice
1/2 cup of milk
1/3 cup of sweetened, condensed milk

Directions:
1.  Put all of the ingredients together in a blender. 

2.  Blend until smooth. 

3.  Chill and serve.

ENJOY!