Day 50 Egypt

Egyptian cuisine can be dated back to ancient times and is deceptively similar to Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. While we may be blindsided by the Kebabs, Shawarma, Falafal and Baba Ghanoush that are commonly found throughout Egypt, there is also a less recognized yet rich heritage of strange and unusual ingredients. Salep, Carob and Mastic are: a flour like powder from an orchid, a legume and a resin respectively and yes, they are used to cook with.

As I searched, I was intrigued by a recipe for an "Ancient " Egyptian marinade for chicken skewers, so I made it the recipe of the day. The marinade consists of olive oil, ground cumin and coriander, onion paste, cayenne and black pepper and salt.The chicken is cut into strips and marinated for a few hours or overnight. Then once it is skewered and grilled,the chicken can be basted with the remaining marinade to prevent it from drying out.

Eating it over Pita bread, I was transported temporarily to the streets of Cairo.

Ethiopia tomorrow....

Day 49 Cameroon

It is Day 49 and I am finally in Africa; much anticipated and at the same time a little nerve wracking, being unfamiliar terrain. Cameroonian Suya is on the menu ; an easy pick as I rushed past recipes of stews with bitter leaves, and bush meat. Pangolin, Porcupine or Giant rat are not things I associate necessarily with dinner, but Buea Coconut Rice and Flank steak kebabs with a spicy peanut rub- it's a done deal.

Suya is made with flank steak cut into thin strips and marinated in ground ginger, garlic powder, sugar, ground cinnamon, chili powder, onion salt, paprika and ground peanuts. Brushed with vegetable oil before being skewered and grilled the Suya gets a unique flavor from the peanut rub.
The Coconut Rice originated in the small town of Buea to the North West of the country. Diced onion, tomato paste, coconut milk, carrots, peppers, thyme, chilies and salt are cooked down with the rice. Moist and fragrant, the rice can be eaten alone, but Rhea was over and we both agreed that the Suya definitely kicks it up a few notches.

Moving on to Egypt...

Day 48 Yugoslavia

This is a first for me and having discovered that Yugoslavian cuisine has a bad rap for being insipid and boring, I tried to stay on the straight and narrow. In my search for a fool proof recipe I stumbled upon a Yugoslavian Roast Chicken with stuffing and a Dalmation Rice and Vegetable salad, both of which look promising.

A whole roasting chicken was cleaned and slathered with melted butter, lemon juice, sea salt and cracked pepper. A stuffing was made with diced onion and celery sauteed with sage, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper. This was combined with toasted bread cubes, egg and enough chicken broth to bind it. The bird was stuffed and roasted till golden and cooked through.

The Rice salad was made with cooked brown rice, diced cucumber, tomatoes, capers, onion and scallions. the dressing was a mixture of white wine vinegar, olive oil, crushed garlic, sugar, salt and pepper.

What can I say? It was like Christmas in October. The moist chicken and nutty rice salad went perfectly together. Kids loved it!

Sadly it is time to exit Europe and head out to Africa... Cameroon is first....

Day 47 Britain

Britain is not famous for its food and has become the victim of much bad press, being bland and nondescript for the most part. I personally find their food quite entertaining : Bubble and Squeak, Spotted Dick and Toad in the hole are some of the traditional dishes that have me amused. However jokes aside, they do some great roasts and a wide selection of desserts too.I have a serious penchant for English Tea- finger sandwiches, hot scones with jam or crumpets with Devonshire cream

Tonight's menu is Fish and Chips, a staple of traditional English cuisine. Typically Cod or Haddock fillets are batter fried and served up with potato wedges dredged with malt vinegar. I found fresh Flounder and went with it. Home made Tartare sauce, chips and a English Trifle dessert are also on the menu.

The batter was made with a cup of beer, egg whites, and seasoned flour. Dipped in the batter and deep fried, the fish turns crunchy and golden on the outside. The potatoes were cut into wedges and deep fried to a crisp. Light Mayonnaise, capers, dill pickle, onion and lemon juice were churned together briefly to make the Tartar Sauce.

I felt compelled to make a long distance call to my aunt Sheila in England to get an authentic recipe for the Trifle. Her trifle is made with a sponge cake cut up and placed in the bottom of the dish. This is covered with assorted fruit and jello made with jello powder dissolved in hot water. A couple of tablespoons of Sherry can be mixed in at this time. Once it is set in the refrigerator, the jello is covered with a generous helping of Creme Anglaise and Whipping cream. It can be decorated with cherries, grated chocolate or anything you fancy. Amazingly creamy with enough crunch from the fruit - tops my list of easy desserts.

Yugoslavia up next....

Day 46 Turkey

Turkey situated geographically between Asia and Europe, made it hard to place in the right chronology, but was way too interesting to pass up. It has a cuisine which mirrors both continents in its own unique way, taking the best of both Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fare and utilizing its local produce in the bargain, to its best advantage.

Today's dish was Turkish kebabs with a chickpea dip. Easy as can be and yet great tasting. I bought the meat cut into cubes for Kebabs, and marinated them in a paste made with onion, garlic,lemon juice, flat leaf parsley, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, salt and fresh ground pepper. Olive oil was drizzled over the marinade as it churned in the food processor, turning it thick and creamy. The meat was marinated and grilled. I served it with Pita and a chickpea dip.

The dip was made with canned chickpeas pureed with lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt drizzled with olive oil, pine nuts and currants soaked till plump. Served with parsley and lemon slices it was very compatible with the kebabs.


Britain's up next.....

Day 45 Switzerland

The influence of French, German and Italian cuisines are so intricately woven into Swiss cooking that it makes it almost impossible to extract an authentic Swiss meal. Then there is the ubiquitous Fondue which does not necessarily involve cooking in the true sense of the word. So after weeks upon weeks of eating elaborate meals, I decided to do just dessert. So Apfel Kuchen, it is.

This particular recipe intrigued me -it starts with a yeast dough for the base, and is filled with apples and cream cheese inside. A very soft and pliable dough is made with flour, sugar, yeast, egg and butter. Left to rise, the dough doubles in size after which it is patted down into a cake tin and filled with sliced apples tossed in Cinnamon, sugar, lemon juice and a little flour. Cream cheese, egg and sugar are whipped together and poured over the apples. Baked in the oven for about 30 minutes, my kitchen starts to smell divine. Soft and spongy on the outside and creamy apple on the inside, a kuchen is like a doughnut, an apple pie and a cheesecake all rolled into one.

In case any of you were wondering - This was dinner- steak, creamed potatoes and steamed veggies.

Turkey's up next...

Day 44 Sweden

In my quest for tonight's meal I stumbled upon a Smorgasbord (pun intended) of Swedish fare, but could not resist the temptation to go with the Kottbuller or Swedish meatballs, not only because they are extremely appetizing but are also far less dodgy than the lutkfisk, gravlax or eel, all of which left me cold. Then there was a dizzying array of recipes to sort through; fortunately that's when Andrea (friend Rhea's mom) came to my rescue. She claimed to have the best recipe for Swedish Meatballs and when asked if it was an old recipe, her answer was " from before the advent of meat grinders." That clinched it...

The meatballs are made with ground Beef/Veal/Pork with the ratio being 3:2:1. Breadcrumbs are softened in light cream while onions are diced and sauteed. These are added to the meat along with an egg, chopped parsley, ginger powder, nutmeg, salt and freshly ground pepper. They are beaten together till homogenous, shaped into balls and shallow fried in butter. Flour is added to the drippings and cooked briefly before adding in beef broth and instant coffee. Stirred till thickened, the meat balls go back into the pan where they are basted with the sauce repeatedly until generously coated with the sauce. The meatballs were tender and juicy unlike any other.

Next up: Switzerland....