Day 170! Suriname - Bojo Cake (Coconut and Cassava) - Up Next, Swaziland

It's been a while since I've cooked or baked anything sweet, so when I came across this lovely Bojo Cake from Suriname, I instantly stopped looking for another recipe to represent this interesting South American country. Granted, there are hundreds of great dishes I could have picked, but... rum-soaked golden raisins, grated coconut, coconut milk, vanilla, cinnamon, almond extract and cassava, all baked up in a cake? Fugetaboutit! The ingredient substituted for flour is cassava, also known as manioc, a starchy tuber that is available (fresh, frozen or dried) in most any tropical market. If you're not inclined to grate a fresh coconut, frozen unsweetened grated coconut is also available in most tropical markets as well, and is better (in my opinion), than dried. Finally, a quick shout out to Jackie's Primitives, a neighborhood antique store where I picked up the beautiful fork and knife (pictured above) for $5 - please visit her website if you like vintage antiques, accessories and linens that aren't an over-priced rip off!

A northern South American country, Suriname is bordered by French Guyana, Guyana, Brazil and the Atlantic Ocean. Slightly larger than the state of Georgia (U.S.), Suriname was originally sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1498 and was inhabited by the indigenous Arawak and Carribs. The Spanish and Portuguese explorers never took much interest in this country, until 1616, when the Dutch settled the area and claimed it as a Dutch colony in 1667. However, the colony did not thrive, largely due to violent up risings against the treatment of slaves and indigenous people as well as the high cost of employing enough labor to cultivate and maintain Dutch plantations. As a result, a large number of slaves fled to the interior of the country, and established a vibrant West African culture than continues to thrive today. Over time, the viability of Dutch coffee, sugar and cocoa plantations waned and was replaced with rice, banana, and citrus crops, which continue to support the country's agricultural economy today. In addition, the country's natural resources such as bauxite, gold, oil, iron, ore, minerals, forestry, hydroelectric power, fishing and shrimping also support the economy.

Suriname's tropical climate is home to rain forests, savannas, coastal swamps and hills. This beautiful country's ethnic groups include Hindustani (East Indians), Creole, Javanese, Maroon, mixed race, Amerindians and Chinese. Given this rich cultural mix, Suriname's cuisine is different from typical South American cuisine, as it incorporates Indonesian and East Indian traditions. Tropical fruit, seafood, potatoes, cassava, rice, sweet potatoes, lentils and plantains are staple foods. Pom, dhal, curries, roti, bakbana (fried plantains) and Bojo cake are all typical dishes and foods enjoyed in Suriname.

Coconut milk, golden raisins soaked in rum, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla & almond extract

 Cassava 

 Grated coconut

 Grated cassava (boiled for 30 minutes first)

 Combine cassava, coconut and cinnamon

 Whisk eggs, coconut milk, vanilla and almond extract and salt

 Add melted butter

 Add coconut mil mixture and raisins

 Bake in 9" round or square pan (I used a springform) and smooth with spatula

Bojo Cake (Recipe Adapted from South American Food)

1/2 cup gold raisins
1/3 cup rum
1/2 pound peeled manioc root (boiled first for 30 minutes with wood center removed)
2 cups grated unsweetened coconut (fresh or dried)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 tsp. almond extract
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. salt
Graham cracker pie crust (optional - I did not use this as it's not traditional)

1. Soak the raisins in the rum over night if possible.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
3. Butter a 9-inch round or square cake pan, and line the bottom of the pan with waxed paper or parchment.
4. Finely grate boiled manioc root (easily done in a food processor). Stir the coconut and grated manioc root together with the cinnamon and sugar in a large bowl.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, vanilla, almond extract and salt.
6. Stir the liquid ingredients into the coconut mixture. Stir in the melted butter. Stir in the raisins and the rum.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
8. Bake for 1 hour, until brown on top.
9. Run a knife around the edge of the pan while the cake is still warm, then let cool in the pan.
10. Cut into small slices or squares and serve.
11. The cake is delicious warm or cold, with a dollop of whipped cream.

Final Assessment:  Whoa! This is an amazing cake. It's more like a tropical macaroon, filled with rum-soaked raisins, the depth of cinnamon and aromatic vanilla-almond flavor. It's rich, rich, rich - and my book, there's no need to bother with cake if it's not decadent, which this one is. A++

© 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved

Rice with Fried Egg and Sausage

This simple, yet hearty, breakfast has evolved and changed with us over the years, but it has always been there in some form or another; a comfort breakfast for those mornings when you really need it.  We began making this breakfast in the Japanese tradition taught to me by my parents, a raw egg cracked over freshly cooked rice and mixed with Japanese furikake seasoning.  These days, we prefer a hybrid Japanese-Hawaiian version, using a fried egg instead of raw egg, adding meat, and keeping the ingredients separate until each bite.  Using thick soy sauce drizzled on lightly allows the umami flavor to stand out as distinct from the creamy yolk and savory meat, and offers a light alternative to the Hawaiian gravy.  Keeping ingredients separated in a more concentrated form in the bowl allows the flavors to really play off of one another in each bite.

Ingredients

½ cup Calrose rice

1 egg

¼ tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon thick soy sauce

splash of Sesame oil

sprinkle of Nori Goma Furikake

1 turkey breakfast sausage link

Instructions

Cook rice fully in rice cooker or pot according to package directions.  Cook turkey sausage according to package directions; we generally just use a skillet.  For the egg, melt butter in skillet on medium heat.  Crack egg into skillet and fry just until egg white is cooked, or sunny-side up, roughly 1 minute.  Using a spatula to lightly break up the egg white around the yolk as it cooks will help ensure a fully cooked white, while keeping the yolk runny.  Put rice in a bowl, and lightly drizzle on sesame oil, thick soy sauce, and furikake seasoning.  Place the fried egg on top of the rice.  Chop up sausage and toss it in the bowl.  Just before eating, use a fork and knife to cut the egg up into small pieces and let the yolk run over the rice.

Favorite Foods of Hawaii

During the plantation era workers in Hawaii sat together at lunch and ate a bite of whatever their co-workers brought. It might have been adobo, fried rice or teriyaki. Call it potluck, Hawaii style. Trying new flavors has long been part of Hawaii's heritage and something you should do too when you visit. Trying local specialties and discovering new (and old under-the-radar) places in Hawaii is one of my favorite vacation activities.

Everyone has their "must try" things to eat in Hawaii. Here are just a few of mine and where to find them on Oahu. Each one of these dishes tells you a little something about the culinary history of Hawaii.


Poke (pronouned po-kay)
Where to find:
Everywhere, but Alicia's Market has a big selection

This is perhaps one of the most "authentic" dishes from Hawaii. It's primarily raw fish and it comes in many varieties such as wasabi, tobiko, and Maui onion, but traditionally it was just chunks of fish such as ahi, salt, seaweed and a bit of toasted kukui nut, all native ingredients.


Manapua
Where to find:
Royal Kitchen in Chinatown

These filled buns look like cha siu bao, but the version you find in Hawaii is larger and a little sweeter and much lighter. The dough seems a bit more Portuguese than traditional Chinese. You can also get it filled with Kalua pork which you definitely won't find outside of Hawaii.


While at Royal Kitchen don't miss the "pork hash" Hawaii's version of siu mai. It's unique and succulent with less ingredients than siu mai, but it's very tasty all the same. Both the manapua and the pork hash are very inexpensive.


Taro ChipsWhere to find:
Everywhere but for freshly made chips go the Hawaiian Chip Factory Outlet

You may or may not appreciate poi, but you are sure to enjoy taro chips. The Hawaiian Chip Company opened in 1999 and makes very popular vegetable chips served at restaurants, on Hawaiian Airlines and they are widely available in stores. But at the factory shop you can get a freshly made hot bag of chips and season them yourself. You can also get a snack, like the killer sliders they serve on Saturdays.


Malasadas
Where to find:
Leonard's Bakery

These Portuguese donuts are a must. The big neon sign at Leonard's letting you know when they are fresh will lure you in. I don't know anyone who doesn't love these hot, yeasty, moist-in-the-middle pillows of love, better than any Krispy Kreme, that's for sure.


Shave IceWhere to find:
Many places, but I like Tats the best

Better than a snow cone, more like a snowball, the best shaved ice is super fluffy. Shave ice first appeared as a cooling treat on the plantations, and was brought to Hawaii by the Japanese. Get it flavored with something tropical like lilikoi. It's sweet and cooling which is the perfect combination when temperatures rise. Favorite spots are widely debated. It's often said the older the shave ice machine, the better the shave ice.

My thanks to the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau and especially local girl and Oahu writer Catherine Toth for introducing me to some (but not all) of the items featured here

Day 169! Sudan and South Sudan - Maschi (Stuffed Tomatoes) - Up Next, Suriname

And the home construction goes on. Plaster dust everywhere, plastic on all the furniture, piles of stuff in every conceivable corner, jumbo dumpster in the driveway...I could go on and on, but if I did, that would leave me no time to cook this lovely Sudanese meal. One very important note...about a year after I started this project, South Sudan became the world's newest country, when it officially broke away from Sudan after two civil wars that spanned more than 5 decades, costing the lives of millions of Sudanese people. The map I have does not reflect this geographical shift, so I've drawn a (rough) line through Sudan to delineate the two countries (please don't hold me to exact cartographic accuracy). This blog post honors and celebrates both Sudan and South Sudan, it's people, traditions and culture.

The largest country in Africa (about the size of the U.S., east of the Mississippi River), Sudan borders the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya and Uganda.  The history of conflict between northern and southern Sudan, as well as conflict between the west and central parts of the country dates back thousands of years, and is marked by several civil wars. On July 9, 2011, South Sudan officially became an independent state. The young government faces huge economic, political, military and ethnic challenges and must now restructure and deliver basic education, health and utility needs (water, electric etc...) services to the more than 8 million people who make up this new country.This complex story can not be explained in a single paragraph, so those wishing further understanding of Sudan's history are referred to the following links: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5424.htm and http://www.goss.org/.

The country is mostly flat, with some mountainous areas to the north and south, and a troprical, humid climate to the south. Of great importance in the both countries is the Blue Nile and the White Nile, both of which provide water for agriculture, nomadic shepherds as well as transportation, trade and commerce. One of the most diverse countries in the African continent, the population is Arab/Muslim to the north and Black African/Christian animist to the south. Commerce in the country relies primarily on agriculture, oil cotton, gum for exports. Grain sorghum (dura), is the principle food crop, along with millet, wheat, sesame seeds and peanuts. Camel and sheep are exported to Egypt and other Arab countries. The country relies on imports for food, and is often beset by problems with transportation due to poor roads and mismanagement.

Sudanese cuisine varies widely by region, but includes indigenous cooking traditions, along with Arabic, Egyptian, Yemeni, Indian and Ethiopian customs. Red pepper, garlic, onions, tomatoes, okra, stews, rice, flat breads, porridge, fish and live stock are staple items.

Large, firm, slightly under-ripe tomatoes work best for this dish

Slice the tomato cross-wise, then scoop out seeds and pulp - a grapefruit spoon works well!

 All scooped out and ready to stuff

Brown beef, salt, pepper, garlic and dill

 Add one cup of cooked rice

Stuff tomatoes, and close up as best you can

 Saute on all sides until wilted and dark red

 This is not easy to do - the tomatoes kept rolling over, protesting all the way

 Mix tomato paste, water, cinnamon, garlic and salt, pour over tomatoes and simmer 15 min.

 Serve on a platter

Maschi (Stuffed Tomatoes)- Recipe courtesy of UPenn
This recipe makes 8, but I cut it in half

Filling
2 lbs. ground beef
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 cloves garlic, mashed (or 2 tsp. garlic powder)
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
1 cup cooked rice
2 Tbsp. oil, for browning meat
8 large, very firm  tomatoes
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. oil

Sauce
2 6 ounce cans tomato paste
12 ounces of water
1 tsp. cinnamon
8 green olives (optional)

Filling Preparation
In a 9-inch skillet, heat oil then saute ground beef,  1/2 tsp. salt, pepper, 1 tsp. garlic and dill until meat browns. Add 1 cup cooked rice and blend. Cut a slit in 8 large tomatoes, half way across the center. Squeeze the sides to open the slit. Scoop out all the flesh from the inside of tomatoes with a spoon. Refill tomato with beef mixture and close tomato.

Melt 2 Tbsp. butter and 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet and saute the tomatoes carefully, rolling them gently until they become dark red on all sides. Remove tomatoes and place in a heavy casserole.

Sauce Preparation
Combine 2 6 ounce cans of tomato paste, thinned with 12 ounces of water, salt,  1 tsp. cinnamon and  1 tsp. garlic, then pour over tomatoes in casserole on a low flame for 10-15 minutes until sauce is cooked.
Carefully remove to a platter and top with green olives.

Final Assessment: For a relatively simple dish, sauteing stuffed tomatoes on all sides wasn't all that easy as they kept rolling over the wrong way.  Plus, the butter and oil kept splattering all over me and the stove. The taste is very mild, and will probably remind many people of stuffed peppers. Tomatoes can be substituted and stuffed for cucumbers or eggplant as well, which would probably be very good. A lovely, simple dish that goes well with flat bread or sliced cucumbers.

© 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved

Cooking My Way Back Home, Kokkari & Bi-Rite Market's Eat Good Food

I always get excited about cookbooks with a connection to the Bay Area. There are so many things that make eating here special. Of course, it's the fresh produce, but it's much more than just that. It's also the vibe, the service and personality of our local restaurants. The latest crop of cookbooks capture much of that.

It may sound odd to say I don't go to Mitchell Rosenthal's restaurants, namely Town Hall and Anchor & Hope (never been to Salt House) primarily for the food. Oh the food is good, some of it is outstanding, but I really go because those restaurants just feel so good and welcoming. It's like a party every night, at both places, not in a rowdy way, in a "I can't remember the last time I had so much fun at a restaurant" way. At Town Hall I always sit at the communal table, and I love it. You cannot eat there without making friends with your neighbors and chatting over your dishes. Rosenthal's new cookbook, Cooking My Way Back Home, manages to share a lot of the fun through stories and photos, not to mention recipes.

Thankfully my favorite dish from Town Hall is in the new cookbook, it's Faith's Warm Ham & Cheese Toast with Jalapeno Cream as well as my favorite bite from Anchor & Hope, Angels on Horseback with Remoulade. The recipes are a mix of Southern and Jewish/Deli favorites with a few Mexican, Seafood and barbecue recipes and somehow it all works. I'd call it comfort food meets party food. Bookmarked recipes to try include Hot Mixed Nuts with Truffle Honey and Maldon Salt, Sweet Onion and Funky Cheese Fondue, BBQ Shrimp with Toasted Garlic Bread and Lemon Chicken with Olive and Feta.

Kokkari is hand's down the number one Greek restaurant in San Francisco. Of course, we are not a city known for Greek food. What makes the restaurant so successful is a classically trained chef who takes family recipes and elevates them to something even more special. The Kokkari cookbook is a compendium of Chef Erik Cosselmon's refined takes on Greek food and family recipes from the owners of the restaurant, the Frangadakis and Marcus (Moutsanas) families. Recipes you must try include the best Zucchini Cakes (fritters) I have ever had, Spiced Meatballs with Green Olive & Tomato Sauce, Orsa's Flaky Cheese Pastries, Braised Lamb Shanks and Moussaka.

Every food writer I have spoken to lately is excited about Bi-Rite Market's Eat Good Food. Bi-Rite is one of the most incredible grocery stores you will ever visit. It is tiny and yet every single item that is there is there for a reason. It is the most curated store you can imagine. If you want to eat like we eat in the Bay Area, this is your book. It's not just recipes, it tells you just what you need to know about the ingredients you use. You'll learn how to store persimmons, how to use fresh fennel, how to buy heritage turkeys and where to best store cheese in your fridge. It also highlights many of the most beloved (mostly Northern California) producers and purveyors like McEvoy Ranch, Cowgirl Creamery and Mariquita Farms.

The book is like one of my other favorite cooking reference books, Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating, only on steroids because it includes so much more information, specifically about fresh meat, seafood, dairy, wines and a plethora of fresh produce. Read it and become an expert on choosing, storing and using the best ingredients possible. Recipes are really secondary, but some to whet your appetite include Cocoa-Cumin Beef Roast, Lemony Kale Caesar Salad, Spanish Deviled Eggs (to die for!) and Roasted Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts with Caper Lemon Butter.

Local Author Events:

On November 17th Mitch Rosenthal of Town Hall will be speaking at Omnivore Books

On November 2nd Sam Mogannam of Bi-Rite will be speaking at the Commonwealth Club.

Thursday, November 3rd Erik Cosselmon of Kokkari will be teaching a demo class on rotisserie and roasting at Purcell Murray Brisbane

Pork Patty Bánh Mì

A product of French colonialism in Vietnam, this sandwich is one the classic testaments to the benefits of cross-cultural cuisine.  With the wide variety of fusion delights we have available these days from gourmet food trucks and restaurants, and the exploding popularity of Bahn Mi sandwiches in particular, I think it's only natural we pay our homage to not only what is one of our favorite sandwiches but one of our favorite philosophies about food in general.  Simply put, break the rules, don't stick to tradition, and flavors always come first.  This is one of our favorite versions of the sandwich, packed with colors, flavors, and cultural influences.

Ingredients

1 baguette - (It is best to use a baguette that has not been all the way cooked yet, our grocery store calls them take and bake.)

half of a cucumber, sliced
1 carrot, shredded

1 jalapeno, sliced and seeds removed
half of red onion, sliced
handful of cilantro sprigs
1 scallion, chopped

1/8 lb deli meat (we like to use slices of turkey breast, but feel free to experiment)

20 ounces ground pork

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 onion, minced
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tablespoon butter

fresh lime juice
mayonnaise
Sriracha hot sauce

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix ground pork, garlic, onion, oyster sauce, and salt and pepper and form into long thin patties to fit the baguette.  Melt the butter on a griddle or skillet over medium high heat and grill patties on both sides until they are cooked all the way through.

Cook “take and bake” baguette in the oven for about 5 minutes at 350 degrees, just until the outside starts to crisp.  Remove from oven, and using a bread knife, cut into desired length, then cut in half lengthwise leaving enough connected on one side to “hinge” it together.  Then, scoop out as much of the inside of the bread as you can with your fingers.  It’s usually best to just do the bottom, as the ridges on the top of the baguette can cause problems when scooping.

On the inside, spread mayonnaise and drizzle on Sriracha.  Place pork patties down first, then the deli meat, and then the cucumber slices, carrot, red onion, cilantro, scallion, and jalapeno to taste.  Drizzle with lime juice.

California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil

California is producing some very good extra virgin olive oil, some using old European varieties of olives, harvested the old fashioned way, and--some high quality extra virgin olive oil harvested in a very modern way, for a fraction of the price. So how is possible to get high quality extra virgin olive oil at a low price? Last week I visited California Olive Ranch, the largest California olive oil producer, and learned just how they do it.


It all comes down to freshness and quantity. California Olive Ranch plants three varieties, arbequina, arbosana from Spain and koroneiki from Greece. Their olive orchards look nothing like what you may have seen in Europe. The olive trees are pruned into a hedge shape that is harvested mechanically, using a harvester specially developed for shaking the trees to get the olives off without damaging them. Less damage means better quality oil.

Here are some numbers for California Olive Ranch:

Their olive trees grow 6-8 feet high

Trees are planted 5 feet apart

There is 13 feet between each row

There are about 675 trees planted per acre

Each tree yields 7-12 pounds of olives

Only 20% of the olive is oil, 55% is water

12 harvesters run 24 hours a day during harvest season

5,000 acres are owned by the company

5,000 acres are managed by 67 farmers who have long term leases

Each truck holds 66,000 pounds of olives

Each truck is unloaded in 35 minutes


Some more facts:

The tree trimmings are mulched

The ground pits and olives, called pomace, is fed to cattle

California Olive Ranch is using bird boxes and buffer zones to minimize the use of pesticides and tests each batch of olives, and has test plots for organic olives


If you ever get a chance to ride a harvester and see the olives jiggle off the trees I highly recommend it! That I got to share the experience with blogging friends Chef John from Food Wishes, Chrystal Baker from The Duo Dishes, Aleta Watson from The Skillet Chronicles, and Jane Bonacci from The Heritage Cook made it all the more sweet!


Speaking of sweet, all exra virgin olive oil should be a balance of fruity, bitter and pungent. The best way to find your favorite, is to taste them...however...California Olive Ranch uses descriptors like intense and bold and mild to help you find one to your taste.


* If you want the freshest olive oil, known as "olio nuovo in Italy, sign up to buy California Olive Ranch's Limited Reserve.

* If you like a buttery mild oil without too much bite, look for their basic extra virgin olive oil

* If you like a fruitier variety, try the Arbequina

* The Arbosana is most complex

* The Miller's blend is bold and balanced (and a favorite of some bloggers, food writers and chefs too.)

My thanks to California Olive Ranch for inviting me up to visit during harvest and letting me sample their fresh oils!