Day 62 Colombia

Colombia has a bad rap for its long history of violence and drugs which puts it at the bottom of the list of potential holiday destinations. In reality its culture and food are as interesting as any other Latin American country and has even produced its own brand of talent, the likes of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, John Leguizamo and Shakira. Best known for its coffee, Colombian cuisine also has a fairly large repertoire of dishes to pick from. Today I picked a Colombian Sobrebarriga, flank steak and a side of Papas Chorreadas.
The steaks( fat untrimmed) were placed in the bottom of the pot along with onion and tomato wedges,carrot,garlic, bayleaf, oregano, parsley and thyme. Left over chicken broth was used to cover all the ingredients and it was left simmering for a couple of hours. (I stuck mine in the oven). Once tender and cooked through, the steaks were removed, patted dry on paper towels, slathered with butter and tossed in fresh breadcrumbs. They were then stuck under the broiler till crisp and golden. The meat fell apart even as I served it, and the flavors were all there.

The Papas Chorreadas is a potato salad that goes hand-in-hand with the Sobrebarriga. Red potatoes are cooked and cut into halves. A mixture of tomatoes and onions is sauteed with salt pepper and a dash of paprika. Queso blanco and milk are added in and this wonderfully cheesy gooey mess is poured over the potatoes. This topping, I guess is what gives this dish it's identity.

Next stop: Peru....

Day 61 Chile

Pablo Neruda put Chile on the map and the locals are apt to call themselves País de Poetas or country of poets. Unfortunately their cuisine enjoys no such reputation and little information is available on the subject. They tend to depend on the staples of South American fare that are prevalent throughout the continent such as Empanadas, Asado and Humitas. Having said that, there is nothing mundane or stereotype about this recipe for Empanadas made with ground beef and a Creole style filling of olives, raisins and chilies.

Lean ground beef was sauteed in a pan with a little olive oil till all the pink was gone. Diced onion, crushed garlic, chilies, salt and pepper were added and once the onions were translucent, cumin, parsley, cilantro, and tomatoes were thrown in. Seasoned and sprinkled with a handful of raisins the filling was set aside till before dinner.

About half an hour before dinner the puff pastry dough was rolled out, circles were cut about 3 inches wide and filled with the meat mixture, an olive thrown in every now and then. Formed into half moons, sealed with the tines of a fork, and baked at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes , the little meat pies turned an appetizing golden brown and permeated my house with the scent of buttery pastry.It drew the family to the kitchen like paper clips to a magnet.

Onwards to Colombia tomorrow...

Day 60 Brazil

Most of us associate Brazil with Rio De Janiero,(which has rightfully earned its reputation as the culture capital of Brazil) miles of sun drenched beaches or for soccer fans- Pele. I personally think that it's best contribution to the world is the Caipirinha, Brazil's national drink, made with limes, sugar, water and the sugar cane brandy known as Cachaça. I could spend hours digressing but to stay on track, I chose to do a Vatapa de Galinha a Bahian style Chicken stew.

The Vatapa is the quintessential Afro- Brazilian stew, from the Bahia region of Brazil, and has a few ingredients that makes it unique and inimitable. Dende ( palm oil), dried shrimp and roasted peanuts are like a breath of fresh air when making yet another soupy stew with chicken and coconut milk. A thick paste of onion, garlic, ginger, a generous helping of cilantro, green pepper, tomatoes, the whites of scallions and diced Jalapenos was prepared and sauteed in olive oil . This is called a refogado and is the base of many Brazilian dishes.( picture Below) The chicken seasoned with salt and pepper was added to this and simmered till cooked through. At this point the chicken was removed, deboned and returned along with the shrimp, coconut milk, lime juice, salt, ground peanuts and a piece of bread processed with water which acted as a thickening agent. Simmered till thick and rich the sauce sank into the rice and gave a wonderfully creamy mouth feel.

Note: For those of us that do not have access to Dende; I was given a great alternative. Drops of olive oil mixed with Annato powder is what gave this stew it's golden hues.

Chile tomorrow....

Day 59 Bolivia

Bolivia landlocked between Chile, Peru and Brazil is considered the poorest country in South America. It also has the most, remote, isolated and rugged terrain that boasts the worlds hottest, coldest, steamiest or windiest spots on this planet not to mention its swamps and marshlands. No, it does not grab my fancy but I could not pass on it. A recipe for Pastel de Choclo con Pollo Boliviano AKA Bolivian style Corn Torte with Chicken filling seemed like something my boys would devour in minutes.

The Torte, to put it simply, is made up of two layers of Huminta (corn batter) with a layer of chicken sandwiched between them. The Huminta was made by processing thawed frozen corn kernels and adding in corn meal, baking powder,sugar, salt, eggs and egg whites, melted butter and grated swiss cheese. It is rich ( can be eaten by the spoonful once cooked- I believe) and creamy uncooked. Cooked chicken breasts were shredded and set aside along with the broth they were simmered in. Onions were sliced thinly and sauteed briefly. Peeled and diced tomatoes were thrown in as well as oregano,bay leaf, salt, chili paste (I made mine with rehydrated Ancho chilies)white wine and the broth. Cooked till all the juices are absorbed, the pie was finally assembled.

In a well buttered dish the Huminta and chicken were layered and baked for about 60 minutes at 350 degrees. It took me a while to wrap my head around this recipe, having never cooked nor tasted a Bolivian Torte before. To make matters worse, my recipe did not come with a picture so I had to taste it in my head when I picked it- but it was everything I imagined and more.

Brazil's coming up ....

Day 58 Argentina

Argentina of Maradona fame is the eight largest country on the planet and is not insignificant in it's contribution to the world be it sport, literature or food. Although it has a culture that hails back to before the Incas, an influx of Spanish, European and descendants of African slaves has played an important role in making it what it is today. The cuisine is best known for its Asado (barbecued meat), Yucca, Empanadas and Yerba Mate ( green tea). I settled for the Asado which typically comprises of chorizo, organ meats, ribs and flank steak slow roasted over wood fires. Mine was less exciting( being just steak on a gas grill) but I made an authentic Chimichurri to give it oomph.

The skirt steaks were grilled seasoned with salt and pepper as they tend to do in Argentina. The Chimichurri is what gives it all the flavor; made by whisking olive oil and red wine vinegar till well combined, finely chopped flat leaf parsley, onion and garlic were added in along with red chili powder, dried oregano, salt and black pepper.

A grated carrot salad goes hand in hand with the Asado, I'm told. The carrots were dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, freshly ground pepper and a diced roasted onion. Sprinkled over with cheese just before serving, the salad adds a certain sweetness that complements the salty/spiciness of the Chimichurri.

Bolivia's our next port of call....

Day 57 Tunisia

Tunisian legend has it that the amount of love that a wife feels for her husband is measured by the amount of hot peppers she uses in her food . This may not necessarily work in our favor here in the West, but I saw evidence of it in my search for a recipe . Most dishes are flavored with a fiery Harissa ( a hot paste found commonly in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia). Couscous is considered their national dish, but I found a recipe for Tunisian Chicken with Roasted Oranges that sent my salivary glands into overdrive and there was no looking back. To accompany it I am doing a Tuna salad or a Salade Michwiya.

The chicken breasts were rubbed with a Harissa paste made from scratch from a recipe found in my stash of old magazine clippings. Caraway seed, Anaheim pepper, coriander seed, garlic, olive oil and salt were ground to coarse paste, rubbed over the chicken and grilled. Oranges were quartered, sprinkled with powdered sugar and thrown on the grill. The grilled chicken was then garnished with the oranges and fresh cilantro. Nasal passages opened up as did tear ducts...

The Salade Michwiya is a colorful salad made with roasted tomatoes, yellow and red pepper, onion, dressed with a paste of garlic and Caraway seed. Arranged on a platter with boiled eggs cut into quarters and canned tuna, the salad was sprinkled with olive oil and lemon juice. Simple and satisfying it was like a twist on the Cobb salad.

Leaving Africa and heading out to South America. Argentina's up first....

Day 56 Madagascar

Madagascar aka Vanilla Island has long been a sanctuary to some unusual animals. Shockingly, 75% of those animals do not exist anywhere else on the planet and some are on the verge of extinction. Thankfully the locals eat a diet based on rice with Chicken, Beef and Fish as their proteins of choice. After much consideration I am leaning towards a dish called Akoho Sy Voanio or Madagascar Style Chicken in Coconut Milk, which served Malagasy style over rice showcases the strong Asian influences as well as the island flavors. It is a staple of Christmas celebrations in Madagascar.

Chicken breasts are ideal for this dish, as they cook easily and can be made bite-size. These were marinated briefly in the juice and grated rind of a lemon. Onion paste was sauteed in a little oil before the garlic paste and the chicken cubes are introduced. The chicken pieces should be almost fully cooked before adding in the ginger paste and finally the coconut milk and salt.

This dish holds it's own; I have never cooked without any kind of seasoning/ spice or herb before and expected it to be bland and tasteless but it was strangely flavorful - the sweetness from the coconut milk, the gentle heat of the ginger and garlic, and the hint of lemon make it mild yet quite memorable.

Moving on to Tunisia....

NOTE: Please check previous postings- I had to tweak the dates.