Month: January 2011

Skoudehkaris

Serves 4 Suffering from 1 digit weather? Ice, snow, and rain? What about sleet? Let’s warm things up with Skoudehkaris. Known as the national dish of Djibouti, this heavy stew is a spicy, comforting treat. The bonus? It’ll make your house smell amazing. Ingredients: 1 lb lamb, cubed 1 onion, chopped 1-2 Tbsp ghee or vegetable oil 1 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp cloves 1 tsp cardamom 1/4 tsp cayenne (or to taste) 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes 1 cup water, plus extra as needed 1/2 cup long-grain rice salt & pepper Method: Put on your beret – today you are going to be an artist, painting flavor with spices.  (Trust me, the beret is totally appropriate: Djibouti has been heavily influenced by France – it was French ruled until 1977) So.. like I said, get out your beret. Here is your palette… the warm colors of cumin, cloves, cardamom, cayenne, and cinnamon. Heat it up in a large pot or skillet with lid with ghee (or oil) and onions. Cook until soft …

Read More

Laxoox

Serves 4 Have ten minutes? Mix up a batch of Laxoox for breakfast tomorrow. This yeasty, tiny-bit-tangy flatbread is a lot like Injera. The people of Djibouti enjoy Laxoox for breakfast with butter and honey. In the evenings they use it to dip and scoop and enjoy all manner of stews and sauces. Sounds great to me. Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup wheat flour 1/4 cup millet flour (aacceptable substitutes include rice flour or sorghum flour) 1 1/2 tsp yeast 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 2 1/2 cups water Method: Let’s go to Djibouti. First step? Add flour to a large bowl. Sprinkle on the yeast… A pretty dusting of sugar… .. and a happy scoop of salt.. If you squint a little, it almost looks like the arid mountains and sandy-scapes of Djibouti … yay! Now, here’s where things get crazy. Splash on some water. Give everything a good whisk. Cover and … a) refrigerate overnight b) let sit on the counter for a few hours It is ready when it looks …

Read More