Eat your way around the world
Makes 6 rolls (on 1/2 sheet nori seeweed) - serves 2 Do you have a yearning to be creative? An artist? Do you want to release your imagination into the wild? Are you also hungry? The answer is sushi. While sushi making is an art that requires years of training to master, everyone can play the game. It's like I tell my husband - you don't have to be Michelangelo to paint a personal masterpiece. Similarly, you don't have to be a sushi chef to fill your belly with satisfying … [Read more...]
Makes 8-10 Imagine. It's the height of summer. You spend all day roughhousing with the ocean. When every muscle in your body is heavy, you lay down in the sand for an impromptu picnic with a package of street food - tortas. In less than a minute you make several cheesy, crispy, fried plantain tortas disappear into your happy belly. After the last bite, you lick the salt from your fingers and drink a tall glass of water. You stretch out for a nap, still warm from the glow of a little too … [Read more...]
Serves 4 Barbecue, called coupé coupé, is all over Africa. This sandwich is inspired by Gabonese love for smoked meats piled into crusty baguettes. I posted this recipe in diary format because, well, it was a little bit of an Adventure. Ingredients: 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 1/2 tsp powdered chicken bouillon 1/4 tsp cayenne salt pepper 1 1/2 lbs flank steak grilled poblano peppers, skinned and cut into strips 1 onion, sliced and grilled (I grilled in foil with olive oil) 1 … [Read more...]
Makes 12 canapés Throughout Scandinavia the smørrebrød, or open faced sandwich is the pretty way to eat lunch. I've turned them into dainty finger food, perfect for parties. Yum! Ingredients: 12 slices of dark rye bread or pumpernickel softened butter 1 package of smoked salmon 1/2 a cucumber, halved & sliced thinly thinly sliced red onion, to taste 1 lemon a few sprigs of fresh dill Method: Slice up all your ingredients so they are ready to go. Then, lay out … [Read more...]
Serves 2 Ooey, gooey and sizzling hot, The Cuban sandwich will rock your world. The key to a great Cuban Sandwich is to obtain the best possible ingredients, especially when it comes to the bread and pork. Ingredients: 18" long Cuban bread (can substitute Italian or French bread) yellow mustard (to taste) 4 slices of ham 4 slices of roast pork 4 slices of Swiss cheese thinly sliced pickles (to taste) Method: First of all, roast yourself a pork and use the leftovers in this … [Read more...]
Serves 4 Steaming fish in banana leaves - extremely common in Africa - results in a light, healthy dish. Liboke is a congolese word (in the Lingala dialect) for packets of food cooked in banana leaves. Ingredients: 4 fish fillets (I used tilapia, you can use any white fish you like) 4 banana leaves (or sheets of aluminum foil) 1/2 onion, thinly sliced 1-2 tomatoes, thinly sliced lemon juice, to taste salt cayenne pepper Method: First, prepare the banana leaves. Trim off … [Read more...]
Serves 4 This traditional African dish combines peanut butter with goat, two of the most common ingredients in many parts of the continent, especially west and central Africa. Hot peppers and cayenne add kick. Ingredients: 1 lb goat meat, cubed 1/2 onion, sliced thinly 1 poblano pepper, sliced thinly 4 12"x12" banana leaves (or sheets of aluminum foil) For the Sauce: 3/4 cup peanut butter 1 Tbsp bouillon 1/2 tsp cayenne water, as needed (I used 5 Tbsp) Method: Cube up … [Read more...]
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 … [Read more...]
