Day 129! Oman - Chicken Tandoori - Up Next, Pakistan

What could be better than a meal that combines cinnamon, ginger, cumin, cardamom, turmeric, paprika, garlic and cilantro? This Omani meal  is so easy to make:  Combine the spices, add yogurt and marinate chicken for a couple of hours. Next, cook the chicken and run under the broiler for a final browning touch. Serve on a bed of basmati rice and you've got a wonderful dish that smells and tastes of a distant and beautiful land.  I imagine Omani families sitting down to enjoy a meal together, and that's a beautiful thing no matter what language you speak or who you worship.

Located in southwest Asia on the south east coast of the Arabian penninsula, the Arab state of Oman is officially known as the Sultanate of Oman. The country is bordered by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman.

Prior to 1507, when the Portuguese laid claim to the country, Oman was under heavy rule from the United Kingdom, although it was never actually part of the the British Empire or one of it's protectorates.  Despite Portuguese rule, Omani forces maintained control of most of the interior country. Since 1744, the country has been ruled by the Al Bu Sa'idi dynasty, and continues to have strong military and political ties to U.S. and U.K, but maintains independence from foreign policy.

Cuisine in Oman is a mixture of staple Asian-influenced foods, but tends not to be as hot and spicy as most Asian foods. Chicken, fish, mutton and rice are all eaten regularly. Seasonings include rich mixtures of cardamom, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, cumin, cloves and coriander, which as blended and used in soups, stews or in marinades.

Chicken Tandori (Adapted from Desitwist.com)

1 whole Chicken (I used thighs)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
4 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. Omani mixed spice (recipe below)
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1 finely chopped (small) hot pepper or 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander or cilantro

Skin the chicken and cut into 8 pieces (if using a whole chicken).
In a bowl, mix the chicken with all of the other spices and ingredients, except for fresh chopped coriander.
Add a few tablespoons of oil to a heavy and heat until oil is good and hot, but not smoking. Place the chicken in the pan bony side down. Sprinkle the fresh coriander over the chicken. Cover with lid.
Lower the heat to the minimum level and allow to simmer for 50-60 minutes or until the chicken is tender. you may serve chicken as is, or brown it under a broiler for a few minutes.
Serve with Basmati rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Omani Spice Mix (Buharat) - (adapted from ehow.com)

4 tsp. paprika
4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground ginger

Add all the individual spices together in a bowl.
Place the mixed spices in a covered jar and use for future recipes
Can be added directly to stews or used as a marinade.

Why do YOU cook, Maria Speck?

I met Maria Speck, the Grain Gourmet on Twitter where her recipe tweets piqued my curiosity. She grew up in both Germany and Greece and shares her recipes and mostly Mediterranean techniques for cooking with whole grains in ways you might not expect. In her beautiful new cookbook, Ancient Grains for Modern Meals, you'll find cakes from quinoa and smoked trout, an easy crust from cooked polenta, a hearty frittata with wild rice and wheat berry "fool" with figs. Her recipes will surely broaden your horizons as much as they tempt your tastebuds.

It all started with a small bag of wheat berries someone handed me at a cemetery in Greece during a ceremony to mark the recent death of my grandfather. I was six years old and hungry. While I scooped up the mixture of cinnamon and cumin-scented grains, chewing on their succulent starchy centers, interspersed with chunks of roasted walnuts and sugarcoated almonds-I became completely oblivious to the crushing sadness all around me, and blissfully dug in. This culinary memory made me into the person I am today, in so many ways.

Years later a simple wheat berry salad, served to me by a friend in Germany, brought the grains of my childhood back to my table. At the time, I worked as a news agency journalist, subsisting on coffee and frozen pizza. Rediscovering the delicious chew of wheat berries made me realize what I was missing. From then on, I lit my stove and my oven with a passion otherwise reserved for boyfriends.

A few years later whole grains once more changed the path of my life. When I moved to the US in 1993 as a journalism fellow at Stanford university, I couldn't find what the German half of me calls “real bread.” Most stores sold soft, cotton-candy like bread or pre-sliced toast. Even when labeled whole grain, little did these products resemble the deliciously chewy, aromatic, and dense loaves of dark wheat and rye breads I was raised on. Eventually, I took fate into my own hands: I ordered a beautiful wooden German countertop grain mill and started baking whole grain bread from freshly ground flour. Which ultimately lead to my current career. As more and more Americans started to get interested in whole grains, I realized how much I really knew about them. I am writer and a passionate whole grain lover-so why not combine the two, I thought? Instead of reporting on technology, society and health, all I have done since is writing about whole grains. And cooking and baking with them. Naturally.

Day 128.5 Balsamic Strawberry Shortcakes (Flour Bakery)

What can I say? Everywhere I turn lately, I see juicy, luscious strawberries on sale in huge quantities - big overflowing pints of ruby red berries just begging to be dipped, sliced, sugared, baked or eaten as is. So who am I to buck the season's bountiful offerings? When I want sweet inspiration, there's only one thing to do: reach for Joanne Chang's Flour cookbook. I've said it before, and I'll say it forever - this is my all time favorite baking book (until she writes another one). If you don't own this book, you don't know what you're missing.

I have not changed or adapted this recipe, because I think it's perfect just the way it is. The addition of balsamic vinegar adds a sweetness to the strawberry syrup that's insanely rich and just a tad tangy. And these biscuits are not your standard dry, tasteless biscuits. Baked up to golden perfection, the egg wash, which is sprinkled with sugar for a final touch gives each cake a gorgeous sheen and crunch, while the crumb is moist and full of buttery goodness. And don't forget the whipped cream - perhaps the single most sensual "garnish" ever invented by nature and woman. Need I say more?

Balsamic Strawberry Shortcakes (Flour Bakery)

Shortcakes
2 1/2 cups (350 grams) unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup (100 grams) plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks/170 grams) cold unsalted butter
cut into 12-14 pieces
3 eggs
1/2 cup (120 grams) heavy cream

2 pints (600 grams) strawberries
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (about 2/3 lemon)
6 tablespoons (75 grams) plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/4 cups (300 grams) heavy  cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the shortcakes: Position the rack in the center of the oven, heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and alt on low speed for 10-15 seconds or until combined. Scatter the butter over the top and beat on medium low speed for a bout 30 seconds or until the butter is brown down the mixture get sort of mealy.

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 of the eggs and the cream until thoroughly mixed. On low speed, pour in the egg mixture all at once and beat for 10 to 15 seconds, or until the dough comes together.

Dump the dough out onto a floured work surface and press it out into a circle about 8 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut out circles, rerolling scraps as necesary to get 8 circles total. Place them on an ungreased baking sheet several inches apart.

In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg until blended. Brush the tops of the dough circles with the egg. Sprinkle evenly with the the 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until light golden brown. Let cool on pan or on wire rack until cool enough to handle, then transfer to a rack to cool until warm.

Meanwhile, stem the strawberries, and cut each berry lengthwise into four or five slices. In a medium bowl, toss the strawberries with the vinegar, lemon zest, and the 6 tablespoons of sugar and let macerate for about 30 minutes.

Using a handheld mixer or whisk, whip the cream wit the 1 tablespoon sugar and the vanilla just until it hold soft peaks.

Split each shortcake in half horizontally. Set the bottom haves, cut sides up, on individual services plates. Divide the strawberries and their syrup evenly among the bottom halves, then top the strawberries wit the whipped cream, again dividing evenly. Balance the top halves on the whipped cream and serve immediately.

Mexican Cheese Primer

Mexican cheese is readily available where I live, not expensive and yet I admit, I am often bewildered when I go to buy it. What's the difference between Cotija and Queso Anejo? Will Panela melt or crumble? If Quesadilla cheese is good for quesadillas, is Enchilado cheese for enchiladas? I have finally made sense of Mexican cheeses, thanks to lots of great information from the California Milk Advisory Board and some generous samples from Cacique, the largest Hispanic cheese brand in the US. Cacique has very detailed descriptions of all their cheeses as well as recipes when you're ready to dig in even further.

Don't be afraid to buy Mexican cheeses because you are not sure what to do with them. They are actually very easy to use and enjoy and often available in supermarkets. And they can be used in all kinds of dishes, not just traditional Mexican cuisine. Many are similar to cheeses you already know, like feta or mozzarella. It was the Spaniards who introduced cows and goats to Mexico as sources of meat and milk, so it's not surprising that Mexican cheeses bear a resemblance to European cheeses, especially ones from the Mediterranean countries including Spain, Italy and Greece.

When thinking about Mexican cheese, it's better to extend the category to Mexican dairy and divide everything into three categories, Fresh Cheeses, Aged Cheeses and Cream. I've listed the most popular and commonly available cheeses first.

FRESH CHEESES
Many fresh, or un-aged Mexican cheeses will soften but do not actually melt. Some of these cheese can be crumbled or fried. Of the fresh cheeses, only Queso Quesadilla and Oaxaca are melting cheeses.

Queso Fresco
This is the most commonly used Mexican cheese. Most similar to feta, it's mild, buttery and slightly salty, it softens, but it doesn't melt. It's typically used on salads and refried beans and it's perfect for enchiladas. You could easily use this cheese on any kind of salad, even Greek salad, in cheese spreads, blintzes, or in corn pudding.

Panela
Panela is a really fun cheese! It softens but does not melt and can be pan-fried like halloumi. Put it on salads, in potato casseroles, omelets and in sandwiches. You can also crumble it over spicy dishes. It is very mild in flavor.

Oaxaca
Like a braided mozzarella or string cheese, it does melt and gets stringy when hot. Use it for stuffing, especially in chile rellenos but also on lasagna, pizza or nachos.

Queso Quesadilla
A buttery melting cheese for use in quesadillas, but also in any grilled cheese sandwich and has an almost nutty buttery flavor. It's similar to jack cheese.

Requeson
The sweetest Mexican cheese, and very soft and grainy, like ricotta. Use it in desserts.

AGED CHEESES
Mexican aged cheeses will last longer, and are all firm because more moisture has evaporated, but range from crumbly to very hard. Of the aged cheeses, Asadero, and Manchego are melting cheeses.

Cotija aka Queso Anejo
The most strongly flavored cheese, most similar to parmesan or romano cheese but quite as dry. A little packs a punch! This is the cheese to use with corn, roll the cooked cob in mayonnaise then coat it in crumbled cotija and sprinkle it with cayenne and drizzle it with lime. Use it in place of parmesan as a topping on pasta or in a Mexican style Caesar salad.

Asadero
A buttery, mild melting cheese you can use in quesadillas, nachos or in grilled cheese sandwiches. It's very creamy and similar to fontina in flavor but like provolone in style, especially in the way you use it, sliced and draped over food to create a melted layer of cheese. You could use this on a cheeseburger or even melted in fondue.

Manchego
In Spain Manchego is made with sheep's milk cheese, but the Mexican style of Manchego made in the US, is made from cow's milk and more similar in flavor to a mild cheddar with a nutty flavor. It melts extremely well. You could use it in grilled cheese sandwiches, pasta dishes, or in Mexican dishes like queso fundido or chile rellenos. It's also great on a cheeseburger or in macaroni and cheese.

Enchilado
It is coated in mild chile, giving it a distinctive color and flavor. There are two versions, Enchilado and Enchilado Anejo, an even more aged style. It is a crumbly cheese that does not melt. It is milder than cotija and can be used as a stuffing in enchiladas or chile rellenos.


CREAM
There are creams from other Latin American countries but the Mexican style is generally most common. Try to find one without stabilizers if possible.

Crema aka Crema Mexicana
Think creme fraiche or thin sour cream, this rich yummy cream is thick but still liquid and not as firm as sour cream or American style yogurt. Drizzle it on spicy dishes, enchiladas, soups, chilaquiles. Crema can be used in cooking and on dishes as a finishing touch.

Day 128! Norway - Fiskesuppe - Salmon Chowder - Up Next, Oman

The inspiration for tonight's Norwegian Fiskesuppe, or fish soup, comes from my friend, Astrid, a Norwegian woman now living on the African island of Mauritius, whom I have the great honor and pleasure of knowing through our mutual foodie blogging. Astrid has been kind enough to share a slew of recipes from her childhood in Norway. Although this was not one of Astrid's, she mentioned that salmon is a staple in her beautiful homeland...and, since it was on sale at the market today, it didn't take me long settle on this lovely chowder. So after a full day of yard work, cleaning out my gardens and pruning my roses, this chowder was the perfect end to a beautiful day. Thank you Astrid for your friendship and generosity!

Located in northern Europe, the Nordic Kingdom of Norway occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula as well as Jan Mayen, the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway is the second least densely populated country in Europe and shares borders with Sweden, Finland, Russia and  Skagerrak Strait. Norway's extensive coastline faces the North Atlantic Ocean and Barents. A little known fact many may not know, is that this country has extensive reserves of petroleum, natural gas, mineral, forests, sea food, fresh water and hydro-power and is the world's largest producer of natural gas per capita outside of the Middle East. Lastly, Norway is socially and economically progressive and supports a Scandinavian welfare model, universal health care, subsidized higher education and comprehensive social security.

Cuisine in Norway draws on natural resources found throughout the land in the mountains, wilderness and along the coast. Unlike many European countries, Norway's cooking traditions focuses on game and fish. Moose, reindeer, duck, fowl, lamb, salmon (smoked and salted-sugar cured gravlaks), shellfish and herring are all staples in the Norwegian diet. Sauces using juniper and lingonberries, along with dill and spicy mustard season the food.

Fiskesuppe - Salmon Chowder (Adapted from norway-hei.com)

1 pound fish fillet (I used salmon, skin removed)
6-7 cups diced, new potatoes
1 cup carrots - diced
1 cup celery - diced
1/3 cup red and green peppers
1/3 cup frozen corn
1/3 cup instant potatoes
1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/3 cup chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup chives and dill for garnish
3 cups seafood stock
3 cups milk
1 cup cream or half-and-half
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions and garlic until transparent.

Place potatoes, carrots, stock and salt in a soup pot and simmer for 15 minutes. Add remainder of vegetables and simmer.

In a separate bowl, whisk instant potatoes and milk. Add this gradually while stirring.

Add fish and stir until soup thickens. Lower the heat. Crumble the fish into smaller pieces when it's cooked. Add cream gradually while stirring, but do not let it boil.

Season with freshly ground black pepper, Worcestershire and salt to taste. Turn heat off and let rest for a few minutes.

Garnish with fresh chives and dill before serving.

Final Assessment: Delicious! Pretty to look at, full of flavor and not overly filling. This was perfect served alongside a salad and crusty bread. A+

Day 127! Nigeria - Shuku Shuku Nigerian Coconut Cookies - Up Next, Norway

With bathing suit season rapidly approaching, I have been very good about picking healthy recipes from each of the countries I've cooked in recently. But, well, it's been quite a work week, so representing the beautiful country of Nigeria tonight are traditional coconut cookies to soothe the soul and satisfy my sweet tooth. Chewy, rich and macaroon-like, these coconut cookies are delicious eaten alone or with a glass of Black Mountain Chardonnay (thank you, Marylou), which is available for under $10 at Trader Joe's. Cheap is Good...Which my husband once said when I asked him if my recently "highlighted" blonde hair made me look cheap. But I digress.

Located in west Africa,  Nigeria is a Federal Constitutional Republic comprised of 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Nigeria shares its land borders with the Republic of Benin, Chad, Cameroon and Niger. Its coast lies on the the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean. Nigeria is the most populated country in the world, as well as the most populated country in the world where the majority is Black. Roughly half of the population is Muslim, the other half being Christian with a small percentage practicing traditional religion. Nigeria is a geologically and anthropologically important country, as human habitation dates back to 900 BCE.

Cuisine in Nigeria is primarily traditional, but has important influences from Portugal, India, Persia, Great Britain and North Africa. Food is generally spicy and deeply seasoned using chili peppers, herbs, palm, coconut and peanut oil. Jolof rice, tomatoes, onions, cassava spinach, peppers and coconuts are all staples in the Nigerian kitchen. Goat, chicken, fish, stews and skewered meats are just some of the foods enjoyed in the country.

Shuku Shuku -Nigerian Coconut Cookies (Recipe adapted from Food.com)

1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup caster or superfine sugar (I ran regular sugar through my Cuisinart)
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut, sugar and egg yolks to form a stiff dough. Squeeze into 1-inch balls.

Combine flour and baking in powder in a bowl and mix lightly to combine, then roll coconut balls in flour mixture to coat.

Place on a baking sheet, spacing about 2-inches apart.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden.

Final Assessment:  These were delicious and very much like macaroons, which I love. I used large flake coconut, and I don't know if fine flake would have made the cookies have a creamier texture. Regardless, they were very good, easy to make and required ingredients most of us have on hand.