Albania - Day 2

First of all, a huge thank you to Jimmy K for connecting me to his friend, Esat whose family immigrated to NYC when he was a young child. He shared some of his childhood food memories with me, and gave me the 411 on real Albanian cooking and commonly used ingredients - I hope he pursues his idea of writing a contemporary Albanian cookbook!

Tonight I made Lamb Stew with Okra and for desert, Walnut Cake with a Lemon Glaze. Both dishes were infused with wonderful ingredients: garlic, onions, celery, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, lemons, thyme, walnuts and yogurt.

My human guinea pigs (a.k.a. dudes) agreed that the stew was fantastic...I will admit to adding about a 1/2 cup of red wine and about 8 tiny new potatoes and parsley for color - I couldn't help myself. The cake was crazy-good. As it was baking, I made a lemon syrup from sugar, water, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, juice from 3 lemons and grated lemon peel. Once baked, I poured the syrup over the hot cake and returned it to oven or 10 minutes. The cake absorbed the syrup, and any that wasn't absorbed collected on the bottom of the pan and made a kind of sponge cake whose flavor reminded me somewhat of baklava. It was the perfect combination of sweet, savory and tart.

Albanian food is a mixture of the national cuisines of the surrounding countries. In time, it has accumulated concepts from both the Balkan and the Mediterranean nations. Together with the Greek and the Turkish cuisines, the cuisine of Albania is one of the most famous in the Mediterranean area. However, depending on a family's economic status, their diet can range from being almost exclusively vegetarian (by necessity) or rich in protein (for the most excluding pork), vegetables and rice. Olive oil is the primary fat source - amen.

Here are a few facts about the beautiful country of Albania:
Situated on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea, with Montenegro and Serbia to the north, Macedonia to the east, and Greece to the south.
-Slightly larger than Maryland.
-Population: 3,619,778
-Capital: Tirana
-Currency: Lek

It was an honor and a privileged to cook and sample (albeit as a total amateur) this beautiful country's food.

NEXT STOP: ALGERIA

Amy Sherman? Who's she?

Photo credit:Julie Michelle
I recently had the chance to participate in a cool photography/portraiture project called I live here SF. As part of the project, I got to tell my "San Francisco story" which is pretty food-focused as you might imagine. I hope you will check it out! Thanks to the über talented photographer Julie Michelle for including me.

Thanks to BizyMoms and That's so Yummy for featuring me in interviews. Also check out the Fast Recipes Feature: Cooking with Amy.

The rest of this week I'll be at the International Association of Culinary Professionals annual conference in Portland, Oregon, so I may not be posting again until I return. I'm sure I'll have lots to report when I do.

Hope you have a great week!

Amy

Breaded Chicken with Coconut Sauce

Add some tropical flair to your weeknight dinner with this Brazilian-inspired dish. The spice and crunch of the breading combined with a tang of citrus and softness of coconut milk give this meal a pleasant tastiness that screams summer.

Ingredients
Breaded Chicken:
1 lb chicken
2 pieces of bread, toasted
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup packed basil leaves
1/4 cup pine nuts
pinch salt
zest from 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1 egg, beaten

Coconut Sauce:
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 scallions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 heaping tablespoon minced ginger
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
2 talespoons olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 can coconut milk
pinch white pepper
salt to taste
handful chopped basil leaves
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Instructions
Heat oven to 350. Blend all ingredients except the egg in food processor. Transfer to a shallow bowl. Place beaten egg in a shallow bowl as well. Cut chicken into strips, and dip in egg and then in the breading. Repeat until all the chicken is coated. Brown chicken on all sides over medium-high heat then place in oven to finish cooking.

Heat olive oil in saute pan over medium heat. Saute onion, scallion, and peppers for two minutes. Saute ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add white wine and chicken stock and reduce (about 7 minutes). Stir in coconut milk, white pepper, and salt. Add basil leaves and lime. In small bowl, mix cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and stir. Add to the coconut sauce to thicken. Serve over rice and breaded chicken.