The best way to get out of a rut is to let someone in. To let someone help you. Just the other morning a very nice gentleman emailed me. In beautiful English he explains that he is from Kenya and – hurrah- he would like to help me with my Kenyan Global Table. His email was complete with a four page document of recipes, photos, and details about the food of his beloved homeland. Did he know that I was having a tough week? Did he know the wind had left my sails? No. He was simply sharing his passion – his patriotism. But, still, his beautiful email put a smile on my face just when I needed it most. How wonderful to receive first-hand accounts of food from far-away lands. And what glories I learned about the food of Kenya – an East African country which boasts some of the earliest traces of our species in the form of a boy’s skeleton from more than 1.5 million years ago. This boy, known as Turkana …
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THE SCENE Today is a tribute to my cat who died last week. To non-cat lovers, my apologies. Please return tomorrow for regularly scheduled programming. This week’s comfort food was exactly what I needed. You see, when we finally decided to put Cabo to sleep I was a red faced, crying mess. I didn’t want to be. I wanted to be sure of my decision. I wanted to be strong. I wanted to be free of “what if’s.” Instead I felt horrendous for having such power over life. I didn’t want to decide when he would take his last breath. I didn’t want to break his unfaltering trust in me as his owner. I just didn’t want any part of it. I simply wanted to make him better by ousting the horrendous disease that swallowed him up – feline AIDS. Unfortunately that wasn’t possible. By the time the decision was made, he was a skeleton of his former mega kitty self. He’d developed a tremor in his last days that ultimately brought us into the vet’s office …
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If you want to make noodles like a kazakh, you just need a bit of pasta dough, a rolling pin, and a cutter or knife. An egg pasta recipe, like the one we made for Italy, will work beautifully in central Asia as well. You can make the noodles as thick or thin as you’d like. In Kazakhstan they generally like them pretty thick, like lo mein or udon. For this style, roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch or just under. Then cut in thin strips. Finally, toss them with plenty of flour to keep them separated. Cook immediately in boiling, salted water. Use as the base for an incredible stew called lagman shurpa. Like so! Or the honeyed sweetness called Chak Chak… Enjoy on a cloudy day, when there’s a slight chill in the air and you almost wished you had a light cotton sweater to pull over your shoulders. Ahh, I love fall weather. Hand-cut Noodles | Lagman Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe If you want …
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Serves 4 Chak Chak is the rice krispie treat of Kazakhstan. Totally irresistible and finger-licking good. Fry up a batch of fresh noodles in an entire stick of butter and coat with sweet honey goodness – you’ll see what I mean. How could it not be? Plus, with Halloween around the corner, the time couldn’t be better to make chak chak…. after all, there’s nothing like putting a little international spin to your spooky dessert table… a spin that looks rather like brains! Ingredients: 2 cups fresh noodles 1 stick butter 1/4 cup honey 1/2 cup sugar Method: Gather 2 cups of fresh noodles. Toss with a bit of flour and cook… … in a stick of melted butter, over medium heat. Toss continually until the butter coats all the noodles; this way they won’t stick. The noodle’s thickness will determine the cooking time. Mine took about 5 minutes. They are ready when they are a little crispy and golden. Eat a few straight from the pan. Then eat a few more. Set the rest aside. Next, gather …
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Every time I sip a cup of tea, my lips naturally curl up into a smile. It’s the world’s best mood enhancer. Chai tea is particularly warming. In Kazakhstan people like to add salt, pepper, butter, and even sour cream (Kalmak) to their tea. It’s a whole new world of flavor. If you’re feeling adventurous add a few salty shakes, buttery tabs, or sour cream plops into our homemade chai. You can also try it with plain black tea – like we did with our butter tea from Bhutan. It’s all good. As long as it makes you smile! Don’t you think? Salty Salty Chai Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe In Kazakhstan people like to add salt, pepper, butter, and even sour cream (Kalmak) to their tea. CourseDrinks Food TypeHot Drinks, Non-Alcoholic Drinks Servings Prep Time 1 person 5 minutes Servings Prep Time 1 person 5 minutes Salty Salty Chai Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe In Kazakhstan people like to add salt, pepper, butter, and even sour cream …
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Serves 4 Are you in need of some revitalization? A breath of fresh air? Are you worn out, tired, or just plain sad? Are you cold? I’m with you. I’m all of the above. When I feel like this I just don’t know what I want. I want everything. And nothing. All at once. I want to sleep. I want to watch movie after movie. I want soup. I want lots and lots of noodles. And then I feel guilty and want some veggies. But not the crunchy, raw kind. Nope, the cozy cooked kind. Kazakhstan has the answer. Lagman Shurpa, a.k.a. noodle stew. According to the old Kazakh saying “Meat brings strength, shurpa brings beauty” (from Please to the Table), it sounds like it will help just about every ailment. It is also the perfect dish if you can’t decide what continent you’d like to eat from. It acts like a stir-fry, a stew, and a hot pot all at once. And it has turnips in it. Great for lifting you out of a heavy day. …
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Cabo loved his scraps as much as the next cat, which is why I know he would have endorsed this Kazakh saying: “Meat brings strength, shurpa brings beauty” (as found in Please to the Table). If he could speak, he probably would have used it anytime the grill was on (although he was known to love watermelon, too). I can hear him now: “MMmmmmeow, that smells good. Can I have some? Purrrrlease? You know, the Kazakh’s will tell ya – meat brings strength, shurpa brings beauty. Mmmmeow.“ I’ll miss that silly cat. With that being said, today is a good day for a filling, replenishing meal. A menu as good for celebrations as it is for mourning. A selection both comforting and nourishing. Plus, this grouping is filled with fun words – just saying them will bring joy into your day. What sounds good to you? Central Asian Noodle Stew (Lagman Shurpa) [Recipe] A blend of thick, homemade noodles, stir-fried lamb and veggies, finished in a light broth. A sprinkling of fresh basil sends it …
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Last night we had to say goodbye to my sweet kitty Cabo. He was very sick with feline AIDS. I’m feeling pretty low right now, so I hope you understand if I keep this brief. Thankfully, Kazakhstan has fascinating food, so it is a decent diversion from my tired, puffy eyes and splitting heartache. And diversion is exactly what this heartache needs. So let’s go for it. Let’s talk Kazakhstan. Imagine eating a meal that has elements of Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East all bundled up together. The result is the occasional stir-fry, noodle [recipe], turnip, and lamb-laden stew [recipe]. In one pot. A melting pot, if you will. With a side of pickled vegetables. The Kazakh’s eat a lot of boiled meats – and unusual meat, too – like horse. Lamb is probably the most popular meat and one place you’ll find it is in Manti, a steamed dumpling served with sour cream. Like in the Middle East, the Kazakh’s love extremely sweet sweets – honey soaked noodles are particularly popular (called …
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THE SCENE I had a lot of time to think while caramelizing the four giant onions for the mujadddara. Ninety minutes, to be exact. My eyes were puffy and red from the sharp fumes. The scent clung to my hair and clothes. As the onions burned hotter and hotter, they released their juices until they were swallowed up in their own bubbling oniony swimming pool. It took at least 45 minutes for the liquid to steam off. I thought they would never start browning. As I stood there, stirring the soupy mess, my mind ran over and over the the last few months. One thing kept popping back up. About how I haven’t told you yet. How I’ve shied away from being real with you, my dear, trusting friends (and I’m so glad you’re here). As the onions finally dried out enough to begin caramelizing, I promised myself to to tell you. And not just part of the truth. The whole thing. Because that’s life. It’s real. So, here goes. Keith’s 21 year-old son is going to …
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Serves 4 There was a time when I wasn’t a very good cook, but I sure liked to try. Every night I rifled through my spice collection, eventually sprinkling a little of this and a little of that on top of whatever I was making. And when I say a little I mean a little. A speck. A drop. A dusting. My food never had much flavor because I was scared to overdo it. I’ve since learned (mostly thanks to my time at the Culinary Institute of America) that you need to be brave – bold – generous – when seasoning food. In every culture there’s a collection of common spices used in dishes. If you pull them together just right you can make anything taste great. And the happy side effect? Instant teleportation via stove top travel. This recipe is inspired by the Jordanian chicken in Steven Raichlen’s book Planet Barbecue! which is loaded up with the earthy and intoxicating flavors of cumin, coriander, paprika and more, marinated on a bed of sliced onions. I’ve made the recipe a …
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There’s nothing as relaxing as sharing a cup of coffee with a dear friend. It helps you celebrate the life you are in. A part of the past. A bearer of the future. Everything connected. There are even coffee ceremonies organized around this special drink, in which the raw beans are carefully washed before grinding and brewing. To make an extra special pot of coffee, grind the seeds of 3-6 cardamom pods for every 1/4 cup of coffee. Brew as normal – with a smile and a friend… … while laughing about nothing at all. And everything, too. Arabian Cardamom Coffee Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe There’s nothing as relaxing as sharing a cup of coffee with a dear friend. It helps you celebrate the life you are in. A part of the past. A bearer of the future. Everything connected. CourseDrinks Food TypeHot Drinks, Non-Alcoholic Drinks, Sasha’s Favorite Recipes Servings 2-3 people Servings 2-3 people Arabian Cardamom Coffee Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe There’s nothing …
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The weather finally took a turn here, in Oklahoma. Over the course of 24 hours we dropped rather suddenly from 100+F degree temperatures to a rather balmy 70 something or other. I’ve never been happier. The proof: I did two cartwheels on our freshly cut lawn. I’m guessing it’s been at least 8 years since I last did a cartwheel. My hands ended up covered in grass clippings, but it was totally worth it. In the spirit of the perfect picnic weather, I’m sharing an unusual Jordanian snack – flatbread, watermelon, and white cheese. I learned about it at Landlopers, where Matt tells his readers: First, a small slice of the sweet watermelon was consumed, followed by some bread with the salty white cheese. A true culinary oddity, it all worked together in a perfect melody of taste and texture. The watermelon cut the saltiness of the cheese, which in turn acted as the perfect compliment to the sweet fruit. I’m totally in. Are you?
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