If you ask my husband, there’s always room for cornbread. And he’ll eat twice as much cornbread if green chilies dot through the crumb. But what would he think if the cornbread came from half a world away? If it came from Zambia? As a former “Mr Picky” he says: Mealie Bread is a good way to bridge the gap for picky eaters to try something from another culture. The cornbread in Zambia is much like the cornbread in the USA – except it is made with fresh corn kernels instead of cornmeal. This makes the flavor come alive. Zambians call it mealie bread (mealie is just another name for corn; mealie bread is popular all over southern Africa). The result is moist (bordering on juicy), naturally sweet, and great on the side of any autumn stew (such as Zambia’s Spiced Tilapian Stew). If you’re lucky enough to slice into the mealie bread while it’s still hot? Well… forget about having leftovers. So why stud the mealie bread with chilies? Because Zambians love chili peppers. Chilies are available in the …
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In the muddy waters of Namibia you can find all manner of crocodile. They are both hunted and hunters, so it’s best to keep your wits about you if you find yourself in their snappish company. Since I live in the part of the world where alligators roam (or very near to it, as they can be found in Georgia, just a couple of states away), I made this quick substitution for this traditional Namibian bushmeat. If you’d like to know the difference between a crocodile and an alligator, I’ve been told it’s in the shape of the snout. Otherwise, it is rumored, the taste (and bite) is the same. So let’s stove top travel our way to the hot Namibian sun and find ourselves some bushmeat for summer grillin.’ NOTE: I purchased alligator at Harvard Meats, our local meat market (that’s also where we found kangaroo for our Australian Global Table). Call around and see if any near you have alligator (most likely frozen, unless you live in the deep south). Makes about 6 skewers Ingredients: …
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Listen. Not everything has to look perfect. We don’t always need lipstick and hair straighteners (In fact, I haven’t seen either of those since Ava started crawling). Some days I don’t even look in a mirror until night time. Until it’s too late. Let yourself off the hook once in a while. Let your hair down. Smear your lips with chapstick and call it good. While you’re at it, eat messy food. Because, no matter how it looks, if it tastes good, then all is well in your world. Which brings us to Rajas con Crema… There’s nothing like two weeks of 90 degree weather in March to make me want to fire up the grill. Thankfully, Rajas con Crema gave me good reason to do so. While not exactly a princess on the plate, this messy looking dish is simply strips of roasted poblano cooked with onion, cheese, and Mexican cream. Some people like to add bits of roasted corn as well. Talk about addicting. What to do with Rajas con Crema: Mexicans enjoy this for …
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Have you ever noticed how salty tomato sauce can be? I have nightmares about it (my husband has high blood pressure so I need to moderate his salt as best I can). Making homemade sauce is a great solution. And, let me tell you, even if you don’t have to watch your salt intake (lucky!), you’ll feel extra epic when you learn how easy it is to make your own sauce. And, while I love a good blast of Italy, today we’re not talking about long, slow-cooked, browned up Italian-style sauce. Today is about Kuwait. Today is about duqqus. It’s easier than skydiving. It’s easier than horseback riding. It’s the opposite of rocket science. Do it and take a lil’ trip to Kuwait today via your stovetop. Ingredients: 3 whole tomatoes 2-3 whole garlic 2 Tbsp tomato paste spicy pepper to kick it up (optional) – I used part of a small poblano 1/4- 1/2 cup water, or as needed to get the blender going Salt Pepper Method: If you have any spicy peppers, this …
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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 baguette 2 cups hickory wood chips Method: 8:00 am Woke up to a perfect day. Methinks one should always smoke meat under a blue sky and budding trees. 8:01 am Realize we don’t have any wood chips. Keith runs off to get some. I go back to sleep, ignoring blue skies and budding trees. 8:30 am I wake up to my hero, sneaking in with arms full of hickory wood chips, aluminum trays, and cat food. Nice. (Cat food for cats, not for sandwiches. Double nice). Soak wood chips for about …
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Serves 2 You’ve seen them at the fish market. Whole trout. Somewhat intimidating, but also intriguing. Friends, if you’ve never ventured in the world of whole fish, I highly recommend it. Cooking them is beyond easy and the flavor is exceptional. Today we stuff them with peppers, onions, and fresh lemons – flavors characteristic of Equatorial Guinea. Slightly spicy and super fresh – make this for a special occasion or just for fun. Ingredients: 2 whole trout, cleaned 1/4 cup thinly sliced poblano 1/4 cup thinly sliced onion 4 lemon slices salt pepper Method: First things first. Light a candle. The flickering light is warm and inviting, and does a great job of eating up fish smells. I burn candles daily, fish or no fish. Gather your ingredients and preheat the grill to medium. You won’t need too much onion and pepper, unless your fish are huge. Rinse and pat dry the fish. Then season the cavity with salt and pepper – preferably fresh, coarse sea salt. Add thinly sliced onions and poblanos… for a little …
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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 some goat meat. The butcher cut me two pieces from the leg, with little bone. Next, mix up the ingredients for the sauce. First up – peanut butter. I open the jar, and my husband comes running. He loves the stuff. Some bouillon powder. Cayenne, for heat. Feel free to omit this or use less… but I hope you don’t. Finally, add water and mix all the ingredients together until a smooth sauce forms. I used about 5 tablespoons. Next, add in the meat. And onions. Make sure you slice them as thinly as …
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Makes about 2 cups Raw seeds give Egusi sauce grassy flavor and a little bit of texture. The sauce is popular in central Africa, and can be served over vegetables, meats, and fish. Ingredients: 1 small onion 1 tomato 1 chili pepper (I used a poblano from my garden, but you can go as spicy as you want with this recipe) salt red chili powder, to taste 1 1/2 cups ground egusi 1/2 cup water (or as needed) Method: Hunt down some ground melon seeds. I found these at our local African market. Latino stores have pepitas, or pumpkin seeds, which are an acceptable substitute. In a food processor, add tomato… Coarsely chopped onion … And a chili pepper. I left the poblano on the plant long enough that it turned red. The extra time on the plant made it sweeter 🙂 Puree everything together… Add it to a small pot with the egusi… Some salt and pepper… And water… Things don’t look so tasty here… but as the water mixes in, things smooth out. …
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Pili-Pili (also called Piripiri) is the kind of hot sauce that puts hair on a man’s chest. And, possibly, even a woman’s. This basic African condiment was introduced by the Portuguese in the 1500’s. To give you an idea of how intense pili-pili is, imagine this true story: Positioned just outside the second room, where we would shake the president’s hand, sat a vast array of spicy delicacies, accompanied by bowls of pili-pili sauce for dipping. For the uninitiated, Pili-pili (pronounced “pee-lee pee-lee”) is a sauce made from a fiery pepper similar but more potent than a jalepeno. Crushed into an eye watering hot sauce, pili-pili is not for the weak and timid. The majority of assembled dignitaries, faint with hunger, attacked the assortment of peppery cocktail treats with gusto. However, immediately before their moment of glory with Mobutu [the president], most had mouths heartily stuffed with spicy finger foods laced with pili-pili – a deadly combination. Television cameras caught diplomat after diplomat walking the red carpet, mouths burning into a smile, and eyes watering. Far from emotional tears …
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Makes 1 Butter Grilled Poblano Here’s to my new favorite way to eat peppers! I got the idea from Kunzang Choden, a Bhutanese author who speaks of her father grilling chili peppers this way. We had to wait as he incised slits in the chillies and filled them with fresh butter and salt. When the chillies were ready they were put on bamboo skewers and placed over the flames in the hearth. After much sizzling and hissing took place, each of us received two to three chillies on our rice. The chilli would be slightly roasted from the outside, and the butter inside would have melted and absorbed into the chilli. Kunzang Choden You can make this easy side dish with your favorite peppers, big or small, bell or habanero. Ingredients: 1 Poblano 1 tab butter Method: 1. Cut a slit into the side of the poblano. Carefully push a tab of butter inside the pepper. 2. Grill over low/indirect heat until soft and slightly charred. I let mine get kinda dark on the bottom, …
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