Day 30 - Cameroon (AF) - Blue-Coconut Jolofe Rice and Cod Fillets - Up Next, Canada

 

In the Kitchen - Where it's at! I need a bigger spice rack!!

Cameroon (Yaoundé)(AF) -  Cameroon is located in West Africa.  Comparatively, the area occupied by Cameroon is slightly larger than the state of California. It is bordered on the N and NE by Chad, on the E by the Central African Republic, on the E and S by the Republic of Congo, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea, on the SW by the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic Ocean), and on the W and NW by Nigeria. The coastline where fishing is abundant is about 249 miles long.

 First inhabited by the mysterious Pygmies, and then the Bantu and Sudanic peoples, Cameroon became an infamous and tragic source of slaves for Muslim and European traders. Following  a long series of internal political juggling between north and south, along with the bloody coups of the 1980's, Cameroon finally gained independence in the 1990's. The country is ethnically diverse with over 225 individual groups and is blessed with an abundance of natural resources, including in agriculture, mining, forestry, and the oil and gas sectors.

About the Food:

Cuisine in Cameroon includes staple foods like cassava, yam, rice, plantain, potato, maize, beans and millet. The French introduced French bread and Italian pasta, which are not as widely consumed for the price which is very high.

 

A Typical Open Air Market in Cameroon

The main source of protein in Cameroon is fish, with poultry reserved for special occasions.  Some of the most widely popular species are the pangolin, the porcupine and the giant rat. There is also a thriving trade in such exotic bush meat species as chimpanzee and gorilla - none of which are carried by my preferred exotic meat vendor, D'Artagnan in New Jersey http://www.dartagnan.com/

Cameroon's national dish is Ndole (Vernonia amygdalina) which is made from a very bitter leaf that is not available in the US  and requires a complicated and fascinating process of "washing", in order to reduce the bitterness. If I were to make it, I'd have to use Kale or another bitter green. Instead, I decided to make a rice dish accompanied by Cod, both very commonly eaten by families in Cameroon.

 

The basic ingredients rice, coconut milk, carrots, ginger, onion, green pepper, hot pepper flakes, bay leaf, mushrooms and tomatoes

 

Dice up the vegetables

  

Add Coconut milk to tomato mixture and simmer to reduce till thick

 

Add remainder of vegetables and rice, cover and simmer till liquid is absorbed

 

Coat fish with flour and fry in peanut oil till golden

 

Beautiful and Golden brown - don't over cook!

 

Finis!

Blue-Coconut Jolofe Rice  
http://www.africanafood.com/recipescameroonbluecoconutjolof.htm

1 Onion, chopped
2 tablespoons peanut oil
4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon tomato puree
1 1/4 cup coconut milk
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 small slice ginger, finely chopped
1 bayleaf
1 1/4 cup long-grain rice, washed
1/4 pound Mushrooms, sliced
1 small green pepper, seeded and chopped
hot pepper, to taste
salt, to taste. 
 

Fry the Onion in hot oil, in a large saucepan, for a few minutes.
Add the tomatoes and tomato puree. While stirring, fry over a moderate heat for 5 - 6 minutes.
Stir in 1/4 cup of the coconut milk and continue to cook until the mixture is reduced and thick.
Add the rest of the coconut milk, carrots, hot pepper, ginger, bay leaf and salt.
Bring to the boil, and add the rice and the remaining vegetables, stirring with a fork.
Reduce to a low heat, cover and cook until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid. Remove the lid, cover with foil and replace the lid until the rice is done.

Final Assessment:  The cod was great and the perfect accompaniment to the rice dish. The rice was full of flavor had a great kick to it (I added plenty of hot pepper flakes). There were NO left overs from this meal!

Day 29 - Cambodia (AS) - Amok Trei: Coconut Fish Curry Parcels in Banana Leaves - Up Next, Cameroon (AF)

It's a Family Affair....It's a Family Affair

Family, family, family. As my wonderful Sicilian friend and neighbor, Lina says, "family is everything."

This Cambodian  meal was cooked on Martha's Vineyard with my brother, Clay. Back up , both technical and emotional, was unconditionally supplied by my beautiful sister Anna, Liam, Ian, Tim, Evie, Mom and Michael as well as my life long best friend, Sarah and her rockin' husband, Ted. I love you all. A la famille!

The history of Cambodia is intricately linked to both Laos and Vietnam. In modern times Cambodia was part of the French Colonial empire, taken over by the Japanese during World War II. After the war, the French returned but granted Cambodia independence in 1953, with Prince Norodom Sihanouk as Chief of State in the capital at Phnom Penh. The Geneva Accords of 1954, that ended the first Indo China War with the French, divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel and also confirmed the status of Cambodia and Laos as independent states.   

No Comment

 In March 1969, in violation of the Geneva Accords and without informing Congress, the Nixon administration began the secret B-52 bombing of North Vietnam's Cambodian bases, the "Menu Series" of raids. Sihanouk did not object to these raids since he had his own worries with the rise of Communist power within Cambodia. The B-52s flew 3,630 sorties over Cambodia during Menu Series using various deceptions and false reports to maintain the fiction that only S. Vietnam was being bombed.

http://www.olive-drab.com/od_history_vietnam_cambodia.php

The Vietnam War is the first war I remember being aware of as a child growing up in Cambridge in the 60's.   To this day, it's effects continue to be felt by families whose fathers, sons, brothers and sisters are still considered POW/MIA.  Anyone who has visited the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC can't help but be overwhelmed by the sacrifice our young soldiers made in this illegal war - and now, of course, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars continue to claim thousands of brave American lives....but....that's another blog....

About Cambodian Cuisine:  Cambodia is situated in South East Asia and has borders with Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. It consists of mainly flat low lying plains, mountainous regions in the north and southwest. Its coastline of 443 km and a huge freshwater lake play important roles in the cuisine.

Cambodian cuisine could be described as Thai without the heat,  although this is somewhat of a simplistic way to describe its true nature. It takes some of the best qualities from Chinese, Indian and Thai cuisines and blends them into a unique and delicious culinary experience. Rice, fish and seafood were the main staple in their diet.

I chose to make Cambodia's National Dish, Amok Trei, Coconut Curry Fish Parcels. I'd never cooked with banana leaves. I went to the Asian Market (that's what it's called) in Westborough to get all the ingredients as few of them were available in my local grocery store. I brought them over on the boat to the Vineyard and prepared the meal in my Mom's beautiful kitchen. Here's how it all went down!

 

Basic Ingredients: Banana leaves, Ganlanga root, fish sauce, shrimp paste, lemon grass, coconut milk and noodles

 

Chop baby bok choi (from Mom's garden!) and spinach along with medallions of cod bought that morning at Larsen's Fish Market in Menemsha (thank you Betsy!)

 

I decided to add the zest and juice of 4 limes to the recipe (which it didn't call for, but I highly recommend)

 

Clay, on point! Put red onion, Galanga root, lime, garlic, lemon grass fish oil, shrimp paste, turmeric, sugar and coconut milk in food processor

 

Process, (the blender would have worked better),  then cook it on a simmer till it's reduced and thickened

 

Pour 1/2 hot curry sauce of over fish to poach (kind of like making Seviche)

 

My brother, Clay and sister, Anna unfolding the banana leaves, which we cut into 8" squares for the packet,  then filled with a spoonful each of spinach/bok choi, fish, and curry sauce before folding into individual packets.

 

We didn't have a steamer, so I improvised and put about 2" of water in the bottom of a roasting pan, placed 2 racks in the bottom, placed the banana packets on top, covered with foil and steamed in a 325 oven for 30(ish) minutes. Also, I tripled the recipe to feed 12 of us - 3 pounds of fish was perfect.

 

The meal, which I served with a green salad

 

The whole crew enjoying a beautiful meal outside

Coconut  Fish Curry Parcels  - Amok Trei

 

Serves 4  

Ingredients 

1 Garlic Clove, chopped
1 Red Onion, chopped
5cm/2-inches fresh Root Galangal, chopped or ½ teasp Ground Galangal
2 tbsp chopped Lemon Grass or 2 teasp Ground Lemon Grass
½ teasp Ground Turmeric

1 teasp Paprika
2 tbsp Fish Sauce
1 tbsp Sugar
½ teasp salt

1 x 400g/14oz  tin Coconut Milk

450g/1lb White Fish Fillets, e.g. (Catfish, Cod, Haddock, Sole, Orange Roughy)
4-8 Banana leaves (depending on size)  or or 8 large Dark Green Cabbage Leaves

Instructions

1. Place the garlic, onion, galangal, lemon grass, turmeric, paprika, fish sauce and sugar in a blender or food processor and process until well blended.

2. Add the coconut milk and process again until thoroughly mixed.

 

3. Transfer the coconut mixture to a medium saucepan and bring to simmering point, stirring. Continue to cook gently for about 10 minutes until thickened.

4. Meanwhile, if using cabbage greens, place them in a large saucepan,  cover with boiling water and set aside to soften. If using banana leaves, cut into pieces about 20cm/8-inches square.

 

5. Place the fish in a bowl, season with a little salt then pour over half the hot coconut sauce and mix well. Set the remaining sauce aside.

6. Place 1/8th of the fish mixture in the centre of each leaf and fold the edges over to form secure parcels, making sure you tuck the edges under.  Steam the parcels for 1 hour.

7. 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time, gently reheat the remaining sauce.

 

8. To serve - make a small opening down the centre of each parcel and spoon the remaining coconut sauce into the opening. Serve immediately with rice.

Final Assessment: This was a wonderful dish! Light, filling, full of interesting flavors and really fun to make. It's one of those dishes that will improve with practice and improvisation. I loved serving it with noodles, although rice would have been fine. And, the leftovers were just as good cold the next day!

 

Day 28 - Burundi (AF) Black Eyed Peas with Cilantro and Coconut, Plantains in Coconut Milk (Vegetarian)- Up Next, Cambodia (AS)

Who lives in a plantain way up in a tree?  Today's Celebrity Chef? No introduction necessary!

While the rest of the United States is celebrating Independence Day with hamburgers and hot dogs, our family enjoyed a Burundian meal of Black Eyed Peas with Cilantro and Coconut, with a side dish of Plantains in Coconut Milk, all cooked on my fire pit in my wonderful cast iron pot. Lest anyone think me unpatriotic, we had the burgers and dogs yesterday. But....I have decided that if I had to choose a last supper before dying, it would likely be black eyed peas and plantains.

And, of course I'd share them with my beloved and constant companion, Buddy Boy.

Seriously, don't nobody try to jack our  plantains and peas !

I switched up from Kingsford charcoal  to try hardwood -- Plus, I'm 99% sure I was a cowgirl in my first life, and this is absolutely the best logo I've ever seen on a bag of charcoal - The small pieces of wood caught beautifully using only newspaper and scrap wood and burned much more evenly than typical chemical-laced charcoal

www.cowboycharcoal.com

Now about Burundi

 

Burundi (Bujumbura) (AF): Wedged between Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda in east-central Africa, Burundi occupies a high plateau divided by several deep valleys. It is equal in size to Maryland.

The original inhabitants of Burundi were the Twa, a Pygmy people who now make up only 1% of the population. Today the population is divided between the Hutu (approximately 85%) and the Tutsi, approximately 14%. While the Hutu and Tutsi are considered to be two separate ethnic groups,  they speak the same language, have a history of intermarriage, and share many cultural characteristics. Traditionally, the differences between the two groups were occupational rather than ethnic. Agricultural people were considered Hutu, while the cattle-owning elite were identified as Tutsi.

 The country gained independence from Belgium on July 1^st, 1962, but was embroiled in a brutal civil war for more than 15 years. The government and the rebel group Forces for National Liberation, which was the last rebel group to engage in negotiations finally  signed a cease-fire in May 2008, signaling finality in the civil war that claimed some 300,000 lives.

Beans are the staple of Burundian cuisine and the typical carbohydrate sources are beans, plantains, bananas and corn. Like many East African cuisines there is a strong Asian influence on Burundian cookery, including the use of hot spices and the prevalence of Chapatis at meals. 

I deviated a little from my typical quest to cook the National Dish of Burundi, which is Mealie Meal Pap, a cornmeal porridge.  Mainly, I felt it was too close to the meal I'd just made from  Burkina Faso and wanted to try something different. So here's how I cooked the Black Eyed Peas with Cilantro and Cococnut and  Plantains in Coconut Milk as a side dish...

Plantains in Coconut Milk

  

Combine plantains, salt, curry powder, cinnamon and cloves

 

Pour in coconut milk and simmer till plantains are soft (as you would potatoes)

****the coconut milk oxidized in the cast iron pot and turned a funky grayish color, but the flavor didn't change****

Black Eyed Peas with Cilantro and Coconut

Next, saute garlic, chili powder, add cumin, coriander, turmeric and cilantro leaves

***I added a little extra chili powder for good measure***

 

Add potatoes, black eyed peas, coconut and lime juice (I added a little water to keep from sticking)

Serve it up with a simple green salad!

 

WooHoo! Another incredible meal and trip to the beautiful continent of Africa

The Recipes

Black Eyed Peas and Cilantro and Coconut

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp coriander
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 1 cup black-eyed peas, cooked
• 1 cup potatoes, diced and parboiled
• lime juice or lemon juice to taste
• 2 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
• salt

1. Heat the oil and sizzle the garlic together with the chili powder for half a minute.
2. Next, add the cumin, coriander, turmeric and cilantro leaves.
3. Cook for another minute or two, stirring often to blend.
4. Add the coconut and mix this in too.
5. Add the cooked beans and potatoes.
6. Season and then pour in the lime or lemon juice.
7. Cook for another 10 minutes or so until everything is blended together and then serve with green vegetables. 

Plantains in Coconut Milk

• 4 or more plantains (they don't have to be completely ripe)
• 1/2 teaspoon mild curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• a few cloves or a pinch of powdered cloves (optional)
• salt to taste
• pat of butter (optional)
• 1-2 cups of coconut milk

• Peel plantains. Cut plantains into slices, or into quarters by cutting once lengthwise and once across the middle. 
• In a saucepan, combine all ingredients except coconut milk. 
• Heat slowly, stir gently, and add coconut milk little by little until all is absorbed. 
• Simmer until plantains are tender. Add a little water if necessary.

Final Assessment: Fantastic - I'd eat this any day. Very, very filling. I might try using light coconut milk next time as it's extremely rich. The black eyed peas, coconut and cilantro were out of this world.

Day 27 - Burkina Faso (AF) - Munyu Caf Couscous - Up Next, Burma (AS)

Gumby, Dude!! Awesome of you to pop in - lemme fix you a plate! Tough week for immigration law, employment/unemployment, the stock market, Russian spies and local aid...Still the privileges and largess we take for granted living in the USA are so glaring as I delve into learning about the many countries I'm cooking in (27 so far). I continue to be humbled by the spirit, courage and resilience so many people in our world face simply to provide a meal for their families with very little. Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou)(AF): Slightly larger than Colorado, Burkina Faso, formerly known as Upper Volta, is a landlocked country in West Africa. Its neighbors are Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo, and Ghana. The country consists of extensive plains, low hills, high savannas, and a desert area in the north. Here's a short list of some of the hardships the people of Burkina Faso have endured due to numerous coups, natural disasters and foreign exploitation. Burkina Faso is one of the world's poorest countries and is locked in a vicious circle of poverty. The French colonial authorities put into operation a system of forced labour recruitment among the Mossi between World War 1 and World War 2 this was to supply the European owned plantations in the Ivory Coast. This system was abolished in the 1940's but actually continued under another name.   Independence came in 1960, the first president was Maurice Yameogo one of the principle figures in national politics since World War 2.  In 1966 he was overthrown in a military coup led by Lieutenant Colonel Sangoule Lamizana, as a result of his mismanagement of the economy.   Throughout the 1970's drought was common.  Burkina Faso has much infertile land, aid organisations refuse to help and insist upon cultivation of cash crops.   The majority of the basic food crops need to be imported, causing the country great poverty.   The country also has a long history of labour migration to Ghana and the Ivory Coast Gumby, Dude! So awesome of you stop by - lemme get you a mini place setting PDQ! Tonight's Meal - Burkina Faso's National Dish is Riz Gras - rice cooked in fat. Honestly, I simply couldn't bring myself to cook this dish tonight, although I'm sure it's tasty. Instead, I picked another traditional dish called Munyu Caf Couscous. It's quite similar to many of the West African dishes I've cooked as  it uses peanut butter to bind and flavor the stew.This recipe calls for meat, but it could just as easily be omitted with equally tasty results.   The basic ingredients - egg plant, cabbage, peanut butter, onion, tomato paste and couscous   Grate the cabbage   Cook up the couscous (follow the directions on the package)   Crush the tomatoes (you can substitute a can of kitchen ready crushed tomatoes)   Add the grated cabbage and egg plant to the peanut, tomato mixture, cover and simmer   Whoaaaa!!! Gumby AND Barack in one night?? That's fresh.   Ian and Liam chowing down and...the happy cook  - it's not every day Barack AND Gumby drop in!! Munyu Caf Couscous *The original recipe was written using kilograms, so I've converted to make it easier to follow  Ingredients:  4 cups couscous  4 cups assorted meats, cubed (I used chicken) 1 1/2 cups peanut butter 1 large onion, chopped 3 tomatoes, crushed 6 tbsp oil 1 tbsp tomato paste 1/2 cabbage, shredded 2 small aubergines (egg plant), cubed Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large pot and add 4 cups couscous. Immediately shut off flame, stir couscous, cover and let rest. Meanwhile, heat oil in another large pot and brown the meat in this before adding the onions, tomatoes and tomato paste. Mix thoroughly then add enough water to just cover and stir-in the peanut butter. Add the other vegetables then cover and simmer for an hour (adding more water as necessary) until everything is cooked. Serve the vegetable and meat stew on a bed of the couscous. Final Assessment: Very tasty and filling. The egg plant and cabbage combined with tomato and peanut flavor was delicious.

9 Stir Fry Secrets from Grace Young

Are you a stir fraud? Do you stir fry or do you stir faux? During a recent taping of You're Doing It All Wrong for Chow, I learned I was making some pretty big mistakes when it comes to stir frying hence my less than stellar results. The video is not quite ready yet, but to tide you over, here's what I learned from stir fry master and cookbook author Grace Young. Her latest book, Stir Frying to the Sky's Edge is out now.



* Use a 14-inch wok. Other sizes are too small to cook enough food or too large to heat properly on a typical home range. Find a carbon steel flat bottom wok. RESIST the urge to use a non-stick wok! It cannot be heated high enough to give you good results. If you must, use a 12-inch skillet. But again, not non-stick!

* When you marinate meat for stir frying, which only takes five minutes, add a little bit of oil.

* Use a high smoke point oil such as peanut, canola, grapeseed. Grace said rice bran oil is good too and that's generally what I have on hand.

* Hot pan, cold oil! Do not add the oil to your wok until it is hot, hot, hot! Otherwise the food will stick, stick, stick.

* Use the highest heat possible!

* To get good caramelization, spread out the meat and really let it sear before stirring.

* Stir fry the meat only until it's 3/4 of the way done before removing it and adding the vegetables.

* Be sure vegetables are good and dry when they go in the wok.

* Don't crowd the pan! The amount of vegetables will vary depending on the type, but a rule of thumb is no more than 3/4 of a pound meat and maximum 4 cups vegetables.

But you want to know the most important thing I learned? You can make a better stir fry at home than you can get in a restaurant. Really. According to Grace, you are much more likely to use higher quality ingredients than your local Chinese restaurant. And if you do it right, your results should be better.

My thanks to Chow and Grace for inviting me to the taping. I'm only sorry I couldn't stay for lunch!



More tips on stir frying from Grace on Culinate