NOTE: This is the MMR for three countries: Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Republic of Congo. We had some grand plans, Mr. Picky and I. We were going places. Specifically, to a new house. Actually, it was built in the 1960’s. But it would have been new to us, once we bought it. The house we’re in is from the 50’s, so this one seemed light years newer. As with any home, there was good and bad. The good? A quiet retreat on Lake Keystone with lake views and private access to the water. The bad? The house was incredibly far from any sort of international markets. Nam Hai would have been a 45 minute ordeal. Even getting a gallon of milk would have been a 10 minute car ride – minimum. And that’s not even to a grocery store. That’s simply to the gas station. Shopping trips would have been epic, really. Unfortunately the deal fell through. I’ve been trying to find the silver lining in all this. Just yesterday, as I walked to …
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Serves 1-2 Piled high with juicy, sweet tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and rich eggs and mayo, this sandwich is popular in Comoros. Ingredients: 8″ piece of baguette (I had to buy wide-style – “rustique” so it holds more) 1-2 tomatoes, sliced 1 cucumber, sliced (or 1/2 an english cucumber) 3 hard-boiled eggs mayonnaise, to taste Method: Slice a baguette in half lengthwise… watch your fingers! Spread with a thin layer of mayo. Or thick, if that’s more your style. Next, place juicy slices of ripe tomatoes. The juices will seep into the bread a bit and make for excellent flavor. Add the cukes. I used English cukes so I didn’t have to peel them. Add a sunny layer of hard-boiled eggs. Ava loves hard-boiled eggs. She’s so wise for her age. Cover with the top half of the bread and … … slice up to eat! Share if you dare… Comoros Sandwich Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Piled high with juicy, sweet tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and rich eggs and mayo, this …
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Kick off your shoes, sit back and take a “slide show” trip to the stunning Comoros Islands. And then there’s the Congo… worms, worms, and more worms. While this video is rather silly, it does show photos of authentic Congolese food. Plus, who am I to criticize silliness? What’s for dinner at your house? I hope you have happy plans! 🙂
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Happy Fun Fact Friday! I had the most wonderful, GIANT margarita earlier, so I am going to keep this brief. Mostly because I keep misspelling words. (don’t worry, I’m writing this Thursday night, not Friday morning 😉 ) #1 In case you were wondering, Congo bars are not an authentic Congolese dessert. If they were, you can bet I would have made a batch (or three). #2 There’s a big, crazy-looking fish that lives in the deep waters near the Comoros islands. Its called the coelacanth and everyone (mainly important scientist-types) thought it had been extinct for millions and millions of years. Nope. Imagine being the person to discover it, just hanging out, swimming around Comoros, not dead. #3 If you’re thinking about eating the coelacanth, forget it. Their flesh is loaded up with an unpalatable, rancid tasting oil. #4 Since you can’t eat the coelacanth, you might as well chow down on some vanilla, ylang-ylang oil, and cloves. That’s what they grow in Comoros. #5 I’ll take another margarita. Shaken, not stirred. Extra salt. And with …
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Serves 1-2 Cooking a live lobster can be intimidating, but take it one step at a time and you’ll have a delicious dinner in no time! Please note this was my first time cooking a live lobster and is written in the hopes of preparing other first-timers for both the process and the emotions involved. Ingredients: 1 lobster (about 2 lbs) salt Method: First, come to terms with what is about to happen. I had a hard time with this step. I stood like this for several minutes. I was talking to the lobster. Silently, of course. But … you can only talk to a lobster so long before you run out of things to say. Next, take the lobster out of the bag. At this point, I’m not sure who was more stressed out – me or him. If you don’t think you can handle a live lobster, you can have the fish market kill the lobster for you (as long as you are going to cook it right away). I’m considering this for …
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makes 1/2 cup This rich dipping butter has warm vanilla undertones, mellow onion/garlic flavor from the shallot, and a bright acid note from the white wine. Recipe inspired by the New York Times. Ingredients: 1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter 1 shallot, minced (about 1/4 cup) 1/3 cup white wine 1/2 vanilla bean, split salt pepper Serve with Boiled Lobster Method: Melt a tab or two of butter over medium heat. Add shallots and cook. Shallots are incredible. I don’t think I’ve used one in 5 years. Thank goodness this recipe came along, to knock me to my senses! Once the shallot is soft and translucent, add white wine. Take a sip, if you have some extra. Simmer for several minutes, until almost all the liquid evaporates. Then, whisk in the rest of the butter. And add the scrapings of half a vanilla pod. Fresh vanilla scrapings take this dipping butter over the edge, into the realm of the divine. A little salt and pepper seals the deal. At this point many smart people – like the people …
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What are you in the mood for? Because, this week, we probably have it on the menu. Choose between lobster or goat, mushrooms or plantains, a vegetarian sandwich or fish. While Keith gets nervous seeing all these options, I smile from ear to ear with gratitude. After all, dinner was so boring this time last year. COMOROS Lobster [Recipe] with Vanilla-Shallot Dipping Butter [Recipe] Fresh lobster boiled and served with warm butter seasoned with shallot and fresh vanilla bean. Comorian Sandwich [Recipe] Baguette spread with a little mayonnaise and piled high with sliced cucumber, ripe tomato, and hard-boiled egg. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO Fish in Banana Leaves with Tomato & Onion (Liboké de Poisson) [Recipe] Tilapia steamed inside a banana leaf packet with sliced tomato and onion. A little lemon juice brightens the flavor. Congolese Mushrooms with Fresh Lemon Juice [Recipe] A blend of shiitake, baby bella, and white button mushrooms cooked with oil and lemon juice. REPUBLIC OF CONGO Grilled Goat meat in Banana Leaves (Liboké de Chèvre) [Recipe] Cubed goat meat marinated with peanut …
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I’ve been known to do things out of order. Once in a while I’ll even eat my dessert before dinner. Well… this week I mistakenly skipped the entire country of Comoros. I had no idea. My head was in the clouds. I did all my shopping on Friday and spent Saturday cooking the Congo (with what limited time Ava’s nap allows, anyway). Our Congolese meal was barely over when I decided to crack open my atlas to see what country was next. And thus, my error revealed itself. I’m a wee little bit obsessive so I decided to buck up and cook Comoros anyway. That same night. What can I say. I didn’t want to screw up my nice, neat little A-Z list. The result? You’ll get three great Global Table meals in one week! The bonus? I’ve built in a little holiday vacation from my world cooking Adventures for Thanksgiving and Christmas. About the food of Comoros Comoros is made up of three small islands off the southeast shores of Africa. While the food is …
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