Day 36-China(Beijing)(AS): Szechauan Sauteed Chicken, Cheng-Tu Style,Stir Fried Beef with Vegetable, Wangfujing Leng Mian Noodles

Sauteed chicken

China is the first country I have cooked in thus far for which I used one of my own cookbooks rather than web-found recipes. And, if this book could talk, what stories it would tell! I've owned it since the early 1980's when I shared an apartment in Inman Square (on the Cambridge/Somerville line) with a group of awesome women, most notably,  my beautiful sister Anna, and treasured friends,  Marylou, Lucy and Merri. This meal is dedicated to you, girlfriends.

Many a spectacular Chinese dinner was shared using this book, along with countless bottles of cheap wine and Budweiser from Johnny's Food Master, our corner grocery store. We fell in love, broke up, made up and broke up again. We got jobs, lost jobs, went to school and quit school. We danced (a lot), stayed up all night talking, partied all night, and forged life-long friendships that continue today, grounded in joy, experience, loyalty and deep, unshakable love.

While we all enjoyed cooking and eating from this book, Lucy had spent a year living and working in Beijing, was actively involved with a Chinese organization in Boston, and spoke the language with impressive fluency. She could whip up an incredible meal without aide of a cookbook, simultaneously entertaining us  (where the DEVIL is that egg timer?) with extremely lengthy and detailed stories - so what if we ate at 11 p.m.? To this day, I contend that she made the best kick ass pot stickers known to womankind.

The recipes prepared for this meal come from the book (pictured above): Chinese Cuisine - Wei-Chuan's Cook Book, Huan Su-Huei ...or,  味全的庫克書，還粟輝, except for the Cold Noodle recipe: http://www.worldfoodieguide.com/index.php/how-to-make-chinese-cold-noodles

About the Country of China

 

The Chinese nation has a civilized history of 5,000 years. Cooking has occupied an important position in Chinese culture throughout its history. Chinese culture considers cooking an art and a science. As early as the 7^th century B.C. Chinese cuisine began to be separated as Southern and Northern cuisines. In general, the southern dishes emphasize freshness and tenderness. Northern dishes, due to its colder climate, have more fat and garlic which is offset with vinegar. During the period of the Tang (618-907 A.D.) and the Song(960-1279 A.D.) dynasties, the medical value of different plants was recognized fungus (mushrooms), herbs, vegetables. To this day "medicinal food" for prevention and cure of diseases, remains central to the Chinese culture and has gained a huge following in the US as an alternative to traditional medicine.http://www.ethnicfoodsco.com/china/chineseculinaryhistory.htm

I started the day at my neighborhood Mudville Market, where I bought cabbage and garlic at the Hopestill Farmstand:www.hopestill.com

Bobby Blair, the Mayor of Mudville and community organizer/Activist extraordinaire

Working off two lists: stationary courtesy of my friend Randi Sargent, owner of: www.givinggreetings.com

GOT IT! Finally found Hot Bean Paste at Whole Foods- My local Asian Market didn't have it....

Slicin' the scallions

I brought in the Big Dog to julienne the carrots

A lovely sesame peanut sauce for the noodles

Cooking up fresh Chinese Noodles

Beautiful carrots, celery and garlic for the beef dish

Sauces and vegetables for beef dish

Scallions, ginger and garlic for chicken dish - the fresh garlic was UNBELIEVABLE!

Chicken dish and sauces

Adding peanut sauce to noodle cucumber dish

The Meal!

The Recipes

Wangfujing Leng Mian (Wangfujing Cold Noodles) - 王府井嶺眠

• 1 lb fresh or dried Chinese egg noodles
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 lb cucumbers
• 6 oz fresh bean sprouts 

Sauce

• 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped ginger
• 2 tsp. light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 1/2 Tbsp sesame paste or peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp white rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. chilli oil
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar to sprinkle on top to counter spiciness of dish

Boil noodles according to instructions, drain, rinse in cold water and toss immediately in sesame oil.
Peel and slice cucumbers in half lengthways, and remove the seeds using a teaspoon. Cut into fine long shreds. Rinse bean sprouts and drain.
Mix sauce ingredients together in a bowl or in a blender
When you are ready to serve, toss the noodles with the sauce, cucumber and bean sprouts. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and serve immediately.

Sauteed Chicken, Cheng-Tu Style (Szechuan) - 炒雞肉，成圖式（四川）

• 2/3 chicken meat  
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp. rice wine
• 2 Tbsp water
• 2 tsp.cornstarch
• Oil for sauteing
•  
• 1 Tbsp. chopped green onion
• 1 Tbsp. chopped ginger root
• 1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1 Tbsp. hot bean paste (la do ban jiang)
• 2/3 lb. pre-cooked spinach

 Sauce

• 1 tsp. rice wine
• 1Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. water
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. Szechuan peppercorn power 

Cut chicken into 1 1/2 inch long matchstick sized pieces, mix with soy sauce, rice wine, water and cornstarch. Let marinate for 20 minutes.

Heat oil and sautee chicken pieces over medium heat until changed in color - remove and drain.
Remove all but 3 Tbsp. oil from pan and reheat.
Stir fry onion, ginger root, garlic, bean paste until fragrant.
Add chicken pieces.
Add 1 Tbsp. oil, mix and remove.
Arrange chicken in middle of platter with spinach on either side

Stir Fried Beef with Vegetables-蔬菜炒牛肉

1 1/3 lbs. flank steak
1 C shredded carrot
1 C 1-inch sections celery
1/4 C chopped garlic


Sauce 1
2 Tbsp hot bean paste (la do ban jian)
1 tsp chopped green onion
1 tsp chopped ginger root
1 tsp rice wine
1 Tbsp sou sauce
1 tsp sugar

Sauce 2
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Szechuan peppercorn powder

Cut flank steak into shreds.
Heat 3 Tbsp. oil and stir fry steak of high heat.
Remove and set aside
Heat pan and add 3 Tbsp oil and hot bean paste/green onion mixture until fragrant
Add carrots, celery and garlic (I added snow peas too)
Add sesame oil/worcestershire sauce.
Toss through and serve.

Final Assessment: As with most Asian cooking, most the time goes into the prep, because the cooking goes very quickly. The meal was wonderful. Loaded with the taste of fresh ginger, garlic, bean paste and sesame. My family says they could eat like this every night!

Day 37-Colombia(Bogata)(SA)-Changua (Egg, Scallion and Cilantro "Soup") for Breakfast - Up Next, Comoros (AF)

Every morning must begin with a spiritual awakening: Fogbuster, baby: Local roasters, organic, fare trade coffee - where it's at! www.piercebroscoffee.com

Since it's summer and work is slow, I've been cruising through the countries at a pretty good clip. I haven't made breakfast in any of the countries I've cooked in, so while researching Colombian cuisine, I discovered that breakfast is indeed an important part of the country's cultural traditions. Changua, an egg and milk "soup", beautifully seasoned with scallions and cilantro,  is regularly eaten by families throughout the country and doesn't seem to be specific to regional locale, so that's what I made - plus I already  had all the ingredients on hand! Changua is also known to help with a hangover, but I have never tested this theory.

Colombia (Bogata)(SA): Located with part of its coast on the cool Pacific Ocean, part in the Caribbean, part in the mountains and the other part in the valleys all kinds of fruits, vegetables and seafood are readily available. Colombian cuisine  is characterized by a an interesting combination of Peruvian, Brazilian and Spanish traditions, as well as Japanese and Arabic ways of cooking, and of course, their own Amerindian cultural heritage. In some areas, specialties like roasted ants or guinea pigs  are common, while in other areas Colombians wouldn't touch those dishes.

A typical  breakfast in Colombia consists of fruit juice, coffee or hot chocolate, fruit, eggs and bread. Lunch which is served between 12 and 2 pm is the main meal of the day – at least in the countryside. A traditional main meal consists of a soup, a main dish, a drink and sometimes a dessert which is generally very sweet. The dinner is more like a snack. In the big cities the main meal often will be served around 7pm or 8pm.http://www.southamerica.cl/Colombia/Food.htm

First I picked fresh herbs from my garden

Organic eggs, milk and bread from our local Framingham Baking companywww.framinghambakingcompany.com

Scallions and cilantro add a beautiful smell and taste to this traditional breakfast

Next bring milk and water to a boil, turn down to a simmer and drop in egg to poach

Dude's a human eating machine

Anything that combines scallions and cilantro works for me!

Changua (Colombian Egg and Milk Soup)

Ingredients

(4 servings)

4 cups milk

2 cups water

4 eggs

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving

3 scallions chopped

Salt and pepper

Bread with butter to serve

Directions

1. Place the milk and water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Add the onion, salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the eggs without breaking them.

2. Let the eggs cook for 3 minutes and add the cilantro.

3. Serve warm with bread on the side and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Final Assessment: Awesomeness

Day 35 Chile(Santiago)(SA)! Ensalada Chilena (salad), Pastel de Choclo (Corn and Meat Pie), Up Next, China

Ensalada Chilena - a more beautiful sight, I've rarely seen

What would Rod say?

You decide: Is there such a thing as coincidence and fate, or do things in this universe happen randomly?

Here's how it went down: As I was preparing to research the beautiful country of Chile and tonight's meal, I checked my email as I always do. Waiting in my "in box" was a message from an unknown name. I opened it (relying on Norton to protect me), and was amazed to find that the sender had come across my foodie blog while researching places in the Metrowest Area to move with her young family. She said she liked the vibe she got from my blog (and my fire pit!) and wondered if Id be willing to talk with her about the town I live in. She attached a link to the company she and her musician/therapist husband own and operate so I'd know she was legit: WWW.SINGALINGO.COM,  Turns out, it's a totally cool educational company that helps parents, teachers and gift-givers teach children a second language (in this case, Spanish) through the meaningful use of music, movement and fun. 

I emailed her my cell number and 10 mintues later, she called. We chatted for a few minutes, and I suggested she come over for coffee and gave her my address. I'd barely finished giving her my street name and number when she shouted, "No way! I love that neighborhood and I know that street! I was there yesterday looking at house..." Fate? Coincidence? Randomness? I don't care, I'm just gonna go with it!

Tonight's Meal: Ensalada Chilean (salad) and Pastel de Choclo (Corn and Meat Pie)

Tomatoes, onions, lemon and cilantro

Soak onions in water for about an hour to take out some of the bite (I used Vidalia onions because that's what I had)

Peel and slice tomatoes thinly, then squeeze juice of a 1/2 a lemon 

 

Cook butter, corn and basil

Add milk (I added a little flour to thicken) and simmer

Saute onions, add ground beef, then layer with olives and raisins

Add cubed chicken

Top with corn mixture and bake at 400 for about 30 minutes till golden brown on top

Ensalada Chilena and Pastel de Choclo

Dessert-beautiful locally grown peaches my sweet friend Debbie brought me today~xoxo!!

Chile is located along the southwestern coast of South America. Chile is a 2,653-mile-long, skinny string of land, averaging just 109 miles wide. The country has the rugged Andes Mountains in the east and another lower mountain range along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Between the two mountain ranges lies a fertile valley where Chile's agricultural activity is centered. Chilean farmers do not grow enough crops or raise enough livestock to feed the country's population. Food must be imported, which is very expensive.

Chileans normally eat four times a day. The first meal of the day is breakfast, which mostly consists  toasted bread with butter and instant coffee with milk. Lunch (served between 1:00 and 2:00 P.M. ) is the big meal of the day. Traditionally two main dishes are served. The first course may be a salad of some kind. A common salad is the ensalada chilena, including sliced onions, chopped and peeled tomatoes, an oil and vinegar dressing, and fresh cilantro (coriander). The second dish generally includes beef or chicken, accompanied by vegetables. Around 5:00 P.M. Chileans take once, an afternoon tea with bread and jam, that often also includes cheeses and palta (avocados). Once, which means "eleven," is evidently named after the British tea time—11:00 A.M. Around 9:00 P.M. most families serve dinner, which is usually a single but substantial dish, most often accompanied with wine grown in the many Central Valley vineyards.

Chilean cuisine has both Indian and European influences. The national dish, porotos granados, for instance, has ingredients characteristic of Indian cooking (corn, squash, and beans), with distinctly Spanish contributions (onion and garlic).  http://www.everyculture.com/Bo-Co/Chile.html

The Recipes

Ensalada Chilena (Chilean Salad)

Ingredients

• 4 cups onions, finely sliced
• 4 cups peeled tomatoes (may be canned and drained well), finely sliced
• 3 Tablespoons oil
• Lemon juice, to taste
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Procedure

1. Place the sliced onions in a bowl.
2. Cover with cold water and let set for 1 hour, then drain the water.
3. Mix onions with the tomatoes on a large platter.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Pour oil and lemon juice on mixture.
6. Mix and serve with chopped cilantro sprinkled on top.

Serves 4.

Pastel de Choclo (Corn and Meat Pie)

Ingredients

• 4 cups frozen corn
• 8 leaves fresh basil, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 1 cup milk
• 4 large onions, chopped
• 3 Tablespoons oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup black olives
• 1 cup raisins
• 2 pieces of cooked chicken breast, cut into cubes or strips
• 2 Tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Heat the corn, basil, salt, and butter in a large pot.
3. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens.
4. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
5. Set aside while the meat filling is prepared.
6. Fry the onions in oil until they are soft.
7. Add the ground meat and stir to brown.
8. Drain grease from pan.
9. Add salt, pepper, and ground cumin.
10. Use an oven-proof dish to prepare the pie. Spread the onion and ground meat mixture on the bottom of the dish, then arrange the olives and raisins on top.
11. Place chicken pieces over the top.
12. Cover the filling with the corn mixture, then sprinkle on the confectioners' sugar.
13. Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
14. Serve hot.

Final Assessment: The salad was TO DIE for - I could eat it for every meal and never tire of it. The meat pie was very good. I loved the combination of raisins, cumin and olives...it reminded me a little of Shepherd's pie, which I love.

Zucchini Salad with Feta Recipe

Everyone I know is looking for a good recipe that uses zucchini. Enormous zucchini appear from behind large green leaves surprising even the most vigilant gardeners. It seems there is always too much of it. No one complains about too many peaches or too many tomatoes. Too much zucchini? It's likely to be left on a neighbors doorstep as a "present."

This salad is one of my favorite ways to cook and eat zucchini. It's based on a salad in Claudia Roden's The Book of Middle Eastern Food, a book I turn to again and again. I like it seasoned with toasted cumin instead of coriander and caraway and a little bit of scallion to add texture and oniony flavor. It's called a salad but it's soft, like a dip. The sweetness of the zucchini is balanced by the saltiness of the feta, the sourness of the lemon. If you want to make even the blandest vegetable taste good, I recommend dousing it in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and topping it with feta!

For a light Summer meal I'd serve this salad well chilled along with bread and other assorted vegetable side dishes like this Middle Eastern carrot salad, tomato salad, marinated mushrooms or with hummus and pita or grilled kebabs. It's a healthy dish to keep in the fridge for a little snack though you may find you polish if off pretty quickly.

Zucchini Salad with FetaServes 2-4

Ingredients

1 lb zucchini
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chili paste or harissa
1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced and mashed
1/2 teaspoon toasted ground cumin
2 scallions, white and pale green parts only, minced
1/4 cup feta, crumbled
Salt

Instructions

Cut zucchini into about 5 pieces and place in a large saucepan; cover with water, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cook about 15 minutes or until zucchini is very tender. Drain in a colander, while zucchini is still in colander, coarsely mash zucchini with a fork; pressing out the liquid but not the pulp.

Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, chili paste, garlic and cumin in a serving bowl. Add zucchini and minced green onion and mix. Taste for seasoning and salt, but don't use too much if your feta is salty. Top with feta. Chill before serving with pita or bread.

Enjoy!

Day 34-Chad(N'Djamena)(AF)-Karkanji (Hibiscus fruit drink), Rice with Peanut Sauce, Pan Fried Talapia

Pan fried Talapia with sauteed tomatoes

Question:  When does a passion become an obsession? I can feel myself crossing that invisible yet palpable line.

Case in point:  As I was researching the country of Chad's cooking, I came across a recipe for a hibiscus fruit drink commonly served  in homes and by street vendors. The very idea of making fruit juice from these exotically beautiful flowers launched me on a compulsive mission to find them locally with no success. Trader Joe's in Framingham, the one place that carries them, did not have them in stock due to a "production delay" from their supplier. A normal, balanced person would have accepted this and moved on...but NO, not me...I searched the web exhaustively and made a dozen phone calls. Short of ordering on line (which would have taken too long since I'm keeping to a strict cooking time-line), I simply couldn't find them locally. I knew I should accept that the flowers were unavailable and give up on the idea of making this fruit drink to accompany tonight's meal, but I couldn't. I needed to make this drink, and the fact that I couldn't only fueled my drive.

Thank You TJ's in Needham!

WHOA! Then I put the query out on Facebook and lo and behold, two foodie friends, Lily Chou, a Boston Area Independent Conference, Events and Meeting Specialist who seems to be everywhere great local food is  grown, sold or eaten (check her out on Facebook) http://www.facebook.com/index.php?lh=41a0f501098a712e0ab29a68ab5d9f49&#!/profile.php?id=1637924044 and Ben, my husband's best friend, came through with leads and a tip that Trader Joe's in Needham had a stash of the elusive flowers:

www.traderjoes.com. Another friend suggested I go to Home Depot and steal a bunch of Hibiscus flowers off the plants, but I'm not into doing time on a botany larceny charge (thanks anyway, John H!)

GOT 'EM! Hibiscus flowers for Karkanji!

Waiting in line was SO worth it!

Sometimes, you just end up in the right place, at the right time.  I'd read about Burrito trucks being popular in California, but had never seen one in NE, so I had to stop! I chatted briefly with the owner and operator, Dave, and told him I'd give him a big shout out!  www.burritodave.com

I love this truck!

Awesomeness: vegetarian burrito with black bean, rice, cheese, tomatoes and guacamole

The Country

 Chad (N'Djamena)(AF): A landlocked country in north-central Africa, Chad is about 85% the size of Alaska. Its neighbors are Niger, Libya, the Sudan, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, and Nigeria. Lake Chad, from which the country gets its name, lies on the western border with Niger and Nigeria. In the north is a desert that runs into the Sahara. 

Chad is one of several potential sites for the cradle of humankind in Africa -- following the discovery of seven-million-year-old human-like skull, now known as the Toumaï ('Hope of life') skull.

7000 years ago the region was not as arid as it is today -- cave paintings depict elephants, rhinoceroses, giraffes, cattle, and camels. People lived and farmed around the shores of lakes in the north central basin of the Sahara. To read more about this fascinating country, this link provides a fairly concise overview: http://africanhistory.about.com/od/chad/g/def-Chad.htm -

The Food

Karkanji:This refreshing drink can be made entirely from plants grown in Chad very inexpensively (the Hibiscus flowers cost me $1.50).  This is also used as a product of many  home-based businesses, and is sold at the edge of a school, business or sporting event by the glassful.  Some say it is good for colds, runny noses and flu symptoms...

Ingredients for Karkanji

The elusive hibiscus flowers!

Ginger, cloves and cinnamon stick combine to make a heavenly scented brew

Combine all ingredients in pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer

Let cool or serve warm - either way the color and flavor are beautiful

Hibiscus floating

NEXT....

Saute onions for peanut sauce

Add peanut butter for a lovely and traditional peanut sauce to accompany rice

 

Lastly...

Pan fried Talapia - studded with slivers of garlic and dredged in flour

Cooking on all 4 burners!

The Meal - Yay!!

 Cheers!!

The Recipes

Karkanji

Ingredients:

• 1 large handful (about 1 1/2 cups) of whole hibiscus flowers (available at most health food stores in Western countries)
• 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups sugar 
• 1/2 cup ginger root, or 1/4 cup bars of cinnamon mixed with  1/4 cup cloves (optional)

1. Add 1/2 to 1 gallon water to a saucepan.  Drop hibiscus flowers on to the top of the water until the surface is mostly covered with flowers.  Add ginger root or cinnamon and cloves, if desired.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Once you have a running boil, remove from full heat or turn stove down to a simmer, and cover for ten minutes.
4. Add the sugar according to taste, mix in, then let simmer for five more minutes.
5. Remove from heat, and let cool/simmer for at least one hour.  Add ice, and serve.  May also be served hot, soon after the sugar is added.

Pan Fried Talapia (A recipe of the villages along the Chari River)

Ingredients:

• 6 medium-sized fish
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• 5 tablespoons of oil
• 3 tomatoes
• salt, pepper, or chilli powder

1. Cut the fish into pieces, after having washed and wiped it dry.
2. Spread small pieces of garlic as deep as possible into the flesh of fish.
3. Dip the pieces of fish in the flour.
4. Heat the oil in a cast iron pan and place the fish in it once the oil is very hot.
5. When the pieces are golden brown, add the tomatoes, sliced along the middle, add salt, and the other spices, and cover the pan.
6. Let it simmer at low temperature for about 5-10 minutes. Check to see when it is ready, and add a few spoonfuls of water if necessary. Serve very hot, fresh off the fire.
From La cuisine aux pays du soleil, author unknown. 1976. Imprimerie Saint-Paul: 55001 Bar le Duc. ISBN 2-85049-038-5.

Peanut Sauce (Southern Chad)

Ingredients:

•  1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 TBS oil
• 1 tablespoon chilli powder
• 1 sliced medium-sized onion
• 1 minced clove of garlic
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 cup water (more or less depending on how thick you like the sauce)
• red pepper to taste (optional)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 3-6 cups cooked rice

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large heavy kettle.
2. While onions are browning, add the nutmeg and chilli powder.
3. Add the onions, garlic, tomato paste, water and pepper. Let it simmer.
4. Add peanut butter and heat for 5 minutes.
5. Serve over rice.

Final Assessment : The Karkanji has a beautiful and spice/sweet taste; served chilled or warm, we loved it. The peanut sauce is so good, I could eat it with a spoon straight from the pot. Lastly, the Talapia was fantastic. I did not cook alongside the tomatoes, as I wanted the fish to retain it's crispy exterior and, I love tomatoes cooked at high heat, slightly blackened as it brings out the sweetness. A+