Day 51 Ethiopia

They say that when you eat Ethiopian food you end up eating the tablecloth. In reality the "tablecloth" is a kind of bread called Injera, the backbone of Ethiopian fare. It is a sourdough, pancake- like bread onto which the various stews and vegetables are served. Each person then tears off a piece and uses this to scoop and form the food into a roll before eating. Today I picked Awaze Tibs, Injera, and Ethiopian Style Collard Greens.

Injera is typically made with Tef a kind of flour indigenous to Ethiopia. In it's absence I used buckwheat flour which is similar in color and texture. Mixed with a little all-purpose flour, eggs and milk the batter was made and kept aside. Crepes were made- I tried to make them larger than I would normally to give it the "Tablecloth" look.

Awaze Tibs is made from thin slices of beef or Lamb cooked with onion, garlic, chilies and ginger. A unique spice mix called Berbere was used to season this dish which is a cross between a stew and a stir fry. I made my Berbere from scratch with ground ginger, garlic, cinnamon, dry basil, cardamom, chili powder and paprika which gives it its characteristic rich color. It is finished with a healthy dose of clarified butter.

I also cooked up Ethiopian Collard greens with sauteed onion, garlic, ginger, chilies, red bell pepper, salt and pepper. First the thick stems were removed, the leaves were blanched in boiling water and then they were chopped finely and cooked.Chicken broth is used to add moisture and flavor to the greens while cooking. Very healthy and tasty too.

Next up: Kenya....