Hibiscus Iced Tea

Ice water is generally the drink of choice in our family.  However, sometimes we like to get a little crazy and gussy up our drink glasses.  Those glasses always feel fancy when they sport this pretty red beverage.  Ordinary iced tea just doesn't cut it with our picky glasses though.  Oh no.  They only feel spiffy when showing off iced tea like this, which gets a bit of tartness and beautiful color from the hibiscus leaves, and sweetness from the combination of honey, sugar, and freshly squeezed orange juice.

Ingredients
8 cups water
¾ cup dried hibiscus leaves
10 regular-size tea bags
2 inch peel of orange
2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
orange slices, for serving

Instructions
Bring the 8 cups of water to a boil.  Take off heat and add the hibiscus leaves, tea bags, and orange peel.  Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.  Strain out the hibiscus leaves, tea bags and orange peel.  Stir in honey, sugar, and fresh orange juice.  Chill and serve with orange slices.

Day 185! Ukraine - Borsch (Vegetarian) - Up Next, United Arab Emirates

Whoa! I had no idea there were so many different kinds of borsch. I'd always assumed that borsch was, well, borsch - basic beet soup. But, in fact, the word borsch simply means any soup made with a variety of vegetables, and in Eastern Europe, there are hundreds of varieties, each one considered authentic. Some have beef, some have sausage, some have bacon and still others have a whole range of vegetables. Since I often cook with meat, I decided to go the vegetarian route, opting instead to made a simple soup where the beautiful earthy beet flavor would be the star. Pure in flavor, spectacular in color and loaded with vitamins, borsch is now officially on my "this is surprisingly awesome" list of foods. Oh, and don't forget to serve it with hearty pumpernickel, slathered with sweet butter. Epic.

Map Courtesy of Lonely Planet

Located in southeastern central Europe, Ukraine borders Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Turkey the Black Sea and the Sea of Azor. The second largest contiguous country on the European continent after Russia, this beautiful country is extremely bio-diverse, and is home to thousands of plants, mushrooms, berries and animals. Established in the 9th century by the Varangiansin, the country was a powerful nation in the Middle Ages. By the 14th century, Ukraine was under the rule of the Golden Horde, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland and by the 19 century, the largest part of Ukraine was integrated into the Russian Empire. From 1917-1921, the country fought for independence, following WWI and the Russian Civil War. Finally, when the Soviet Union disolved in 1991, Ukraine declared independence. Today, Ukraine is a globably important country and is the 3rd largest grain exporter in the world.

Cuisine in Ukraine is influenced by Russian, Polish, German and Turkish traditions. Meat, mushrooms, vegetables, berries, fruits and herbs are abundant in Ukranian cooking. Called the "breadbasket" of Europe, bread in many forms and cooking methods is integral to the countries culinary identity. Pickled vegetables, dumplings, cabbage, beets, cheese, pork, fish, lamb, potatoes, tortes, nuts poppy seed pastry and cakes are all typical of the country's cuisine.


Chop onions, beets and carrots

 Chop cabbage

 Add vegetable broth, vinegar and butter and simmer

 Grated cucumber makes a lovely garnish

 Sour cream and dill top it all off
 Warm or cold, borsch is delicious 

Borsch (Beet Soup) - Adapted from the Joy of Cooking

1/2 cup peeled carrots, finely chopped
1 cup peeled onions, finely chopped
2 cups peeled beets, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. butter
2 cups vegetable broth or stock
1 cup finely shredded cabbage
1 Tbsp. vinegar
Garnish
Sour Cream
Grated cucumber
Dill

Chop carrot, onions and beets. Add to pot and barely cover with boiling water. Simmer gently, covered for about 20 minutes.
Add butter, stock, shredded cabbage and vinegar and simmer for another 15 minutes.
When cooked, blend or run soup through a food mill until desired consistency.
Ladle into bowls, top with a dollop of sour cream, a spoonful of cucumber and sprinkling of dill.
Serve with good pumpernickel bread and butter.


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

Rice Krispies Treats with Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Drizzle

Yep, we are posting Rice Krispies treats again!  We are seriously addicted to these goodies.  So crispy and gooey and sweet, with a bit of saltiness thrown in there…how does one not love these?  In this particular recipe, the dulce de leche, a type of creamy caramel, adds a rich sweetness that makes these bad boys even yummier.  And like most caramel, it pairs really well with a bit of chocolate.

Ingredients
½ cup unsalted butter
16 ounce bag marshmallows
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
11 ½ cups crisped rice cereal
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions
I like using David Leibovitz’s method of making dulce de leche.  He suggests pouring a can of sweetened condensed milk in a pie pan, sprinkling a bit of sea salt, covering with aluminum foil, then placing in a larger baking dish filled halfway with water and baking at 425 for about an hour, hour and fifteen minutes.  Stir the mixture occassionally while it bakes, and add more water if it evaporates during the process.  You want the mixture to have a nice brown color.  But feel free to use whatever method works for you.

Grease a 9x13 pan, or line with parchment paper.  Melt butter over medium-low heat in large pot.  Add the marshmallows and stir until they have melted.  Mix in salt and vanilla extract and take off heat.  Stir rice cereal into the melted marshmallow mixture and then press into prepared pan.  Let cool.  Using a double boiler or microwave, carefully melt the chocolate chips with the heavy cream.  Stir the mixture until the chocolate chips have all melted.  Take off heat and brush onto the rice krispies.  Drizzle the dulce de leche over the layer of chocolate.  If feeling really indulgent, we will press half of the rice krispie mixture into the pan, then pile on a layer of chocolate and a layer of dulce de leche, then put the remaining rice krispie mixture into the pan.

Kitchen Upgrades

Non-stick pans, kitchen tools and storage containers. Your kitchen is filled with them, some good and some not so good. Sometimes your kitchen deserves an upgrade. Here are a few of my recent discoveries:

I've reviewed a lot of pots and pans over the years. I love the convenience for non-stick pans, but no matter what the brand or cost, eventually they flake. I like the ceramic non-stick, but they are a bit delicate and can chip if you're not careful, well, not the Earth Pan II from Meyer corporation. The non-stick surface is made from sand, and has no PTFE or PFOA and it can be used with high heat! It's stovetop safe up to 600 degrees. I've been using a 12-inch pan for several weeks and it is easy to clean, and shows no signs that it will chip and there is no coating to flake off. Of course, the true test is how it performs in the long term, but so far so good.



My old measuring cups were so ugly! They were stained and I hated looking at them, never mind using them. When someone from Trudeau offered to send me something of my choice from their line of kitchenware, I knew it would be their 5 piece measuring cup set. Each piece is a different color and the shape is particularly easy to use. I also got their can opener since my old one had melted from being to close to the stove one day. If you don't have a can opener that lifts the top rather leaving sharp edges this is a great upgrade. I already have and love the Trudeau pot clip spoon rests and one piece silicone spatulas (no wooden handle to burn or stain).



I just bought this Chef'n dual grater and I really like the design. It's coarse on one side, fine on the other, and it has little rubber feet so you can use it vertically or horizontally. It also takes up very little room when it's not in use. It's a really smart design and it was relatively inexpensive. I had another one from Microplane that I liked, but it broke. Eventually they also lose their edge and need replacing. The best Microplane product I have is the zester. If you don't have one, I highly recommend you get one.




My last recommendation is to ditch your plastic storage containers. Oh you can use them for dry things like sugar and flour, but don't use them to store cooked food or to reheat. They stain and they get scratched and they might just be leaching chemicals into your food. A much better choice is glass. I've just purchased a set of Boroseal, Borosilicate glass stroage containers and while they aren't cheap, I expect them to last for a very, very long time. They have airtight plastic tops and can be used in the freezer, oven and microwave. Unlike plastic they will not stain or scratch or melt! Pyrex glass storage containers are less expensive and also get high ratings on Amazon, though I haven't personally used them.

My thanks for Meyer for providing a sample of the EarthPan and Trudeau for the measuring cups and can opener. All other products mentioned I purchased.

A “Whale” of a Grilled Cheese, with Roasted Broccoli, Garlic and Caramelized Onions

This weekend, our town, Dana Point, is hosting its annual Festival of Whales!  We celebrate with cheesy things like a town parade featuring a giant whale balloon, a sprawling block party, and all kinds of whale and marine themed activities in the harbor.  It’s actually a lot of fun, and one of the reasons we really dig living in Dana Point.  So we figured we’d run with the whole cheesiness theme, and whale theme, by making whale-shaped grilled cheese sandwiches!  Or, to be more accurate, vaguely-whale shaped grilled cheese sandwiches (That little broccoli floret is supposed to be an eye)…Of course, since we like to experiment when we cook, we added things like roasted broccoli and garlic as well as caramelized onions.  We also like to get both nice creamy cheeses like Jack in there along with sharp cheeses like extra-sharp cheddar and parmesan.  I have to say, it’s one of the best grilled cheeses I’ve ever had.  And I’ve had a lot…

Ingredients  
Extra-sharp cheddar cheese, cut into slices
Monterey Jack cheese, cut into slices
Grated Parmesan cheese
Sourdough bread slices
Whale-shaped cookie cutter

Roasted Broccoli:
1 bunch broccoli, cut into small florets
olive oil, for drizzling
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 lemon wedge
balsamic vinegar, for drizzling

Roasted Garlic:
1 garlic bulb
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt

Caramelized Onions:
2 onions, peeled, halved, then sliced

Instructions
To roast the broccoli: Heat oven to 425.  Place florets on baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle red pepper flakes, salt, and freshly ground black pepper over pieces.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over pieces.  Roast for about 25 minutes, until pieces are soft and have that delicious browning on them.  Remove from oven and drizzle fresh lemon juice and balsamic vinegar.  Set aside.

To roast the garlic:  Heat oven to 400.  Take off the papery outer skin of the garlic bulb.  Don’t remove all the skin, just the stuff that comes off easily.  The head of garlic should still remain intact.  Slice off the pointy end of the bulb to expose all the cloves.  Place in a small greased ramekin and cover with the olive oil.  Sprinkle just a pinch of salt and cover with aluminum foil.  Place in oven and roast for about 45 minutes.  The cloves of garlic will be all nice and soft.

To caramelize the onions:  Place a tablespoon of olive oil in large sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the onion slices.  Don’t stir too often yet.  Let the pieces brown, without getting burnt.  After about 15 minutes or so, once slices have mostly browned, I like to turn the heat down to low or medium low.  Stir frequently.  I like adding a bit of water or oil every so often to keep the pieces from burning or sticking too much.  After about 40 minutes or so, the onions should have a dark brown, jam-like quality.

To assemble the sandwiches:  Place slices of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses on slice of bread.  Place pieces of roasted broccoli on top, followed by some caramelized onions.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.  Spread clove or two of roasted garlic on the top piece of bread.  Butter both sides of the sandwich and place on greased griddle.  Once one side has turned golden brown, flip and let the other side develop a golden brown color.   Once the sandwich has cooled a bit, use the cookie cutter to cut out the whale-shape.

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We'd also like to take the opportunity to acknowledge our three fellow bloggers who were nice enough to give us our first blogger-to-blogger awards!  Averil, from The Cook, The Baker and the Clay Boy Maker, and Dara Reppucci, from Generation Y Foodie, both recently awarded us the Versatile Blogger Award; while Greg, from Crostini and Chianti, awarded us the Liebster Award.

Averil's site, The Cook, The Baker and the Clay Boy Maker, is a wonderful new blog sharing great recipes and stories filled with humor and heart.  We are drooling over her O is for Oodles of Sesame Noodles and Whiskey Hoisin Meatballs.

Dara's site, Gen Y Foodie, has actually been one of our favorites for awhile now.  She cooks adventurous, varied, mouth-watering, and healthy dishes, always paired with fantastic photos and entertaining writing!  We'd love to make just about everything she posts, but her Shepherd's Pie with Horseradish Cheddar Mashed Potatoes has been particularly on our minds lately.

Greg's blog Crostini and Chianti is a great food blog that mostly focuses on Italian food, with occasional forays into other cuisines.  His recipes are varied and interesting, and if you haven't seen it, I'd recommend hopping on over.  I really like his Irish Dinner Party post from earlier in the year.  The mashed potato cakes look so cool!

It means so much to us to see support like this from our fellow food bloggers.  You guys are awesome, and we look forward to being a part of the community for many years to come!  Can't wait to see your next recipes!

Day 184.5~Matcha Green Tea and Pistachio Pinwheel Cookies

Can baked goods be multi-cultural? Why yes indeed, they can. Meet my latest Celtic-Japanese cookie creation. What makes them Celtic? Well, they ARE green, and we ARE nearing Saint Patrick's Day. The matcha Green Tea is Japanese and, if you count the pistachios, originally grown in Persia (Iran), then they're the ultimate tri-cultural confection.

This cookie is a variation on the old-fashioned vanilla and chocolate pinwheel cookie that I first learned to make under my Irish grandmother's tutelage. It's essentially a refrigerator sugar cookie (the dough has to be chilled because it's so sticky) that's been around for eons. But since I bought this matcha tea powder, I've been thinking about how to incorporate it into baked goods. My friend Sylvie M. sent me a whole bunch of matcha green tea recipes from France that I plan to try, but today, I decided to give my grandmother's old fashioned cookies a cultural up-date...after all, this is a blog that explores food from around the world.

So, you're wondering about the flavor. Honestly, I can only barely taste the matcha green tea in the cookie, but the powder colors the dough so beautifully, that it doesn't really matter. The flavor is buttery and rich and the crunchy pistachios add both texture and toasted nuttiness. Perhaps next time I'll add a little more tea and see if I can bring the taste up. Until then, however, as I close my eyes and take a nibble, I swear I taste Ireland, Japan and Iran, all happily co-mingling and getting a long just fine. I doubt the world's complex problems could ever be solved with cookies, but since nothing else seems to be working, these might just be a good place to start. Peace.
Flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and eggs - pretty basic cookie dough ingredients

 Unsalted pistachios, chopped finely (you can use a mini food processor too)

 Oh, right - the butter. Don't forget the butter.

 Sift flour, salt and baking powder. Then cream butter and sugar.

 Divide dough in half. Mix matcha green tea powder into one half of dough.

Wrap both up, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

 Roll both out to 16x12" rectangles

 Stack dark dough on top of light dough and roll tightly  dough is sticky and takes some finessing)

 Refrigerate for  3 hours, slice into 1/4-inch pieces and place on parchment lined cookie sheet

 Cool on a wire rack - done!

Matcha Green Tea and Pistachio Pinwheel Cookies

(Makes About 5 Dozen Cookies)

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 tsp. matcha green tea
1/2 cup unsalted pistachios, unsalted

1. In large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition; add vanilla. Add flour mixture and beat on low until just combined.

2. Divide dough in half. Form 1 half into 4 in. by 4 in. square; wrap in plastic wrap and set aside. Return other half to mixer; add matcha green tea to dough in mixer and beat just until combined. Form matcha green tea dough into 4 in. by 4 in. square and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate both doughs at least 30 minutes.

3. Very lightly, dust a large rectangle of parchment paper, roll vanilla dough into a 16 in. x 12 in. rectangle about 1/8 in. thick. On another sheet of parchment paper, roll matcha green tea dough into a 16 in. x 12 in. rectangle about 1/8 in. thick. Place green tea dough over onto vanilla dough; peel away parchment. Cut dough horizontally in half. Roll each half into a tight log. Roll in chopped pistachios to coat, applying just enough pressure to ensure they stick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. .

5. Slice logs into 1/4 in. pieces. Space 1 in. apart on cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until vanilla dough is lightly golden.



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

Day 184! Uganda ~ Chicken Luwombo - Up Next, Ukraine

This recipe comes courtesy of my Ugandan friend, Josh, who has graciously shared his favorite dish. Josh and I became friends on Facebook through my blog and I'm delighted to be able to share both his recipe and the remarkable work he does. Josh is the founder of  Driving Change Youth Initiative, based in Uganda. Driving Change Youth Initiative is an initiative by and for young people from all backgrounds (both the privileged and non privileged), that aims to develop and unleash youth potential to bring about positive change into Ugandan society. As the co-owner of a Special Education Advocacy practice, Josh's commitment and work with children is near and dear to my heart. So, while I may never be fortunate enough to travel to Uganda, I am truly honored to be able to connect with Josh's culture by preparing his favorite dish, Ugandan Luwombo. Thank you, Josh, for your kindness and generosity ~ we LOVED the meal!

Map Courtesy of Lonely Planet

Located in east Africa, the beautiful country of Uganda is bordered by South Sudan (a brand new country), Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Rwanda. Uganda is unique in that the eastern part of the country's Savannah meets the west African jungle. As such, the country's bio-diversity supports spectacular wild life ranging from plain animals like lions, to jungle primates and water animals such as hippos and crocodiles, not to mention over 1,000 bird species. A cultural melting pot with more than 30 different indigenous languages belonging to 5 distinct linguistic groups, the country's earliest inhabitants were hunter gathers who migrated to the south. By the 15 and 16 centuries, centralized kingdoms formed consisting of  Baganda, Bunyoro, Toro, Ankole and Busoga people. By 1894, Uganda became a British protectorate, and by 1962, Uganda gained independence.  However, by 1971, Prime Minister Obote's parliament was overthrown by Idi Amin Dada, who effectively amended the constitituion to take absolute power. A ruthless dictator, Amin and his army were responsible for hundreds and thousands of Ugandan deaths. Not until 1979 was Amin forced to flee the country by the Tanzanian army and Ugandan exile forces. However the country continued to be plagued by military rule and repression. Freedom, economic reform and relief finally came under the leadership of Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, allowing the people and the country to move forward and grow peace.

Although the Baganda are the largest population in Uganda, every tribe has its own culinary traditions, as well as Arab and British influences. However, bananas, plantains, stews, pastes, local fruits, peanuts (ground nuts), meat, fresh, smoked and salted fish, cassava, beans, sweet potatoes and spinach can all be commonly found, but might be cooked somewhat differently. The food is not typically spicy, but seasoned with tomatoes and onions to create flavorful, pleasing dishes, like this Luwomba dish I prepared tonight.

I used chicken thighs, but smoked fish, pork or any combination can be added to Luwombo ~ 

 I ground unsalted peanuts - you can use natural peanut butter as well

 Tomatoes and onions flavor the sauce

 I added sliced fresh mushrooms, but these are optional

 Plantains are cooked in the same pot. I chose semi-ripe yellow plantains because they're sweeter

 Basic kitchen string and banana leaves (Goya sells them pre-packed and cleaned)

 Mound some chicken and peanut mixture in the center of a banana leaf rectangle

 Fold over both sides, then either end to form a packet

 Tie with kitchen string, being careful not to tear the leaves

 I put a steamer basket in the bottom of the pot, then added water to steam the packets

 Open up the packet, mash some of the plantain and serve it up! Delicious and very filling!

Ugandan Luwombo (Recipe adapted from Uganda Visit and Travel Guide)

2 pounds beef, chicken,  pork or smoked fish (or any combination) cut into serving-sized pieces
1 cup unsalted peanuts, ground
2 onions, chopped
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 chicken stock cube (or base)
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Banana leaves or large dock leaf or greaseproof paper (one per serving)
1 cup mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 smoked fish (optional)
4 plantains

1.Cook the meat in an oiled frying pan until browned but not cooked then remove and set aside.

2.Heat a teaspoon of oil in a saucepan then add the onion and cook for a minute before adding the tomatoes, chicken stock cube, salt, pepper, peanuts, mushrooms and the smoked fish (optional). If necessary add a little water to form a smooth sauce. Cook to heat through.

3.Plunge the banana leaves in boiling water to soften them remove the mid-rib* and cut the ends off the leaves to form rectangles. Place a portion of meat and some of the tomato-onion sauce (and mushrooms and smoked meat or fish, if desired) in the centre of a leaf. If you buy packed banana leaves, most brands (like Goya) have already removed the mid rib for you*

4.Fold the leaf from the sides then wrap from the ends to make at least a double layer. Tie into a package with oven-proof string then repeat until all the mixture is used up.

5.Place a wire rack or trivet in the bottom of a large casserole dish then add water to the bottom of the trivet. Place the meat packages on top of the trivet and cover the dish. Bring to a boil and steam the packets for at least an hour. Add the plantains to the pot as well.

6.Remove the plantains from the pot and mash with a fork. Top with the meat and sauce from the banana leaves and serve.


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