Serves 2-4 Ema Datshi is considered the national dish of Bhutan and it’s traditionally screaming hot! Use whatever chili peppers you like, from mild poblano, to scorching thai bird chilies. My blend of Anaheim and Serrano chilies is very hot, but you can reduce the heat by leaving out the seeds. In Bhutan they serve Ema Datshi over rice (pictured here with cracked red rice). My husband likes dipping corn chips into the cheesy goodness. I’d like to tell you he’s a fool but, really, the combination was excellent. Traditionally served with cracked red rice. Ingredients: 2 anaheim pepper 1 serrano chili 1/4 cup farmer’s cheese 2 cups grated monterey jack water as needed Method: 1. Slice peppers into strips, removing seeds if desired. 2. Cook in oil over medium heat until soft. (Cover your pot) NOTE: You must cover the pot or you will be smoked out. The spicy fumes as they fried in the oil literally sent daggers into our eyes and throats. Ava actually woke up from her nap, three rooms away, …
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Does Bhutan know something we don’t know? They’re awful happy! This video suggests rethinking happiness may be as simple learning from Bhutan’s culture, dragon king, and more … Enjoy!
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Happy Friday everyone! My Bhutanese Fun Facts got a little … er … racy this week. My apologies, in advance. I made every effort to keep things PG 13. Enjoy! When falling of a cliff is a good thing… In parts of eastern Bhutan it is forbidden to kill an animal. However, if the animal falls of a cliff and dies, then the meat can be consumed. Cooking is simple when the main ingredient is always the same… Most meals have chili peppers in them, which can be bought in abundance at the markets. You can’t smoke, but you can still get cancer… The sale of tobacco is banned in Bhutan (no other country in the world has done this). Instead they chew Doma (this is a blend of areca nut on a betel leaf with a sprinkle of tsune/lime – or calcium carbonate). Doma is chewed after eating to freshen breath. The crunchy concoction is often offered to guests and is considered an ice-breaker. Unfortunately, the blood-red juices cause cancer and other ailments. Want …
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The crimes of fruit salad are many: not ripe, over ripe, tart, bitter, warm, rotten … Because of these transgressions fruit salad has become the “Fruit Cake” of summer barbecues – a popular dish that only the brave eat. This week I made a Himalayan inspired Fruit Salad (just mango, red banana, and papaya) for our Bhutanese Global Table. In my interpretation, I decided to avoid the many pitfalls of regular fruit salad and serve it as elegant finger food. In this format each piece of fruit shone – sweet mango, earthy papaya and buttery bananas in the middle. Incredible. Pop one and you. can’t. stop. I dare you to try. But first: 5 Keys to a Great Fruit Salad 1. Never use pre-cut fruit. Ever notice how pre-cut fruit in plastic boxes tastes… fizzy? A tad chemically? The salad is an unsatisfactory blend of unripe cardboard fruit (usually the pineapple), mixed in with overripe, bruised, fungus fruit (often the grapes). Awful. Serve pre-cut fruit to a bitter enemy, if you must, but never serve the stuff if you’re …
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I’m not sure I stand a chance with Bhutanese food. You may find me with my head in a bucket of ice before this week is over. I’m originally from New England where we don’t “do” spicy. In fact, my strapping Oklahoman husband is the only reason I can eat anything remotely spicy. Just looking at him down so-called “hot” buffalo chicken makes me sweat (although some of that is because of the crush I had – and continue to have – on him). Year after year of his teasing has worn me down and I’ve graduated from mild to medium. Let’s just say I’m nervous. NOTE: This week’s Global Table is completely vegetarian. Recipes and photos will be up on Monday, as usual. Butter Grilled Poblanos [Recipe] Poblano’s stuffed with a generous pat of butter and grilled until soft and smoky Ema Datshi (chili pepper and cheese stew/curry) [Recipe] Firey hot chilies and cheese melt together in the beloved national dish of Bhutan Cracked Red Rice [Recipe] Himalayan rice with a reddish/pink hue and …
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The rugged mountain-country of Bhutan is nestled in the Himalayas, between India and China. This largely vegetarian country is known for eating chili peppers (called ema) and rice in abundance. Just reading about their food made me break into a sweat. They actually treat the chili pepper as a vegetable, instead of a minor spice component to a larger dish. In other words, in many cases, the chili pepper is the meal. To a Bhutanese, however, ema (chilli) enjoys an exalted culinary position. It isn’t just a food or a fad. It is the stuff of life. It is integral Bhutanese heritage and culture. It’s not just the vegetable; it’s the taste. A bowl of black dhal or a cauliflower sabzi in a diner in India is likely to contain some chillies, and would be considered very hot by most people there. But that, as every Bhutanese who has studied in India would vouch, is piddling compared with the blistering fury of a highland Bhutanese chilli. But it is not raw heat that makes Bhutanese …
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In my humble opinion, the highs and lows of life are equally worthy of a great meal. Highs are cause for pompous, celebratory food that leaps, dancing into your mouth, while lows beg for rich, fattening foods that slide in softly and ground you (and your belly). It is therefore fitting that this week of highs (seeing Anthony Bourdain live at the Tulsa PAC) and lows (a miserable husband with a giant kidney stone that just won’t pass) be acknowledged with a special feast. As chance would have it, Benin is perfectly suited to this split-personality of a week, with an interesting blend of celebratory food (crab and bananas in orange sauce) and rich food (pureed black-eyed peas and coconut rice). Enjoy! PS – I’m not sure what happened, but this week’s Global Table is in varying shades of cream and brown. Not very visually exciting, but the flavors were good all the same. Crabs from Benin (Crabe Beninoise) [Recipe] What I liked most about this dish Crab is a real treat, classy enough for any …
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Serves 4 Benin’s Pureed Black-eyed peas are smooth and creamy thanks to peeling the beans. If you do not have the patience for peeling the beans, use a food mill or omit the step all-together. The resulting mash is rich and flavorful, but it looks a lot like mashed potatoes so you might give unsuspecting guests a heads-up. Ingredients: 2 cups dried black-eyed peas salt pepper 1 stick butter Method: 1. Soak beans overnight in cool water. Drain the beans and slip the skins off. For detailed explanation see Technique Thursday: Peeling Beans. 2. Cover beans with about an inch of water and simmer for about 15 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue simmering until tender. 4. Drain liquid off and puree. I used an immersion blender. You could use a ricer, food processor, blender, or a large mortar and pestle. 5. Throw in a stick of butter and beat it in with a wooden spoon. The mixture will look like thick mashed potatoes. Pureed Black-eyed Peas Votes: 0 Rating: 0 …
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Serves 4 This crab dish contains a classic Beninese combination: onion, pepper, and tomato. Please use fresh tomatoes… I only had canned and the flavor of the can totally takes over (in a bad way). I know, I know. I should have my blog taken away from me for doing it, but I forgot to buy fresh at the store. Just proof that I’m human 🙂 Ingredients: 1-2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup onion, minced 1/2 cup diced tomato (I didn’t have fresh on hand so I had to use canned. I just chopped them a little finer) 1/2 serrano chili, minced (1 Tbsp of more mild jalepeno or even milder poblano can be substituted) 1/2 lb fresh lump crabmeat 3 medium eggs salt & pepper about 1/2 cup bread crumbs or gari Method: 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Add garlic, onion, tomato, chili pepper, crabmeat, egg, salt, and pepper to a medium bowl. 2. Spoon into 4 ramekins (these hold 3/4 cup ) (or clean crab shells, if you have access to them). 3. Sprinkle evenly with bread …
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Serves 2 Bananas in orange sauce is a fresh, summery way to use bananas as a dessert topping. When we made the Baked Brown Sugar Bananas for Antigua and Barbuda (made with brown sugar, rum and butter) I didn’t think they could be beat, but these west African bananas are totally different and just as yummy!! Ingredients: 1/2 cup orange juice 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 Tbsp lemon juice (optional) 2 slightly under-ripe bananas NOTE: We used red bananas which are about 4 inches long, you can also use baby bananas or regular bananas. Method: 1. Heat orange juice, brown sugar, and lemon juice in a skillet for about 15 minutes on low (there should be small bubbles breaking the surface, but not quite a simmer). The orange juice will reduce and thicken into a syrup. 2. Peel bananas and add to syrup. Cook for a few minutes per side, making sure to warm through. 3. Serve immediately with ice cream, pound cake, or plain. Baby Bananas in Orange Sauce Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: …
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Serves 2-4 Found both in the Caribbean and parts of Africa, coconut rice is rich and fragrant. The strong flavor goes particularly well with grilled meats and spicy sauces. We even used some leftovers in an asian-style salad with spicy peanut dressing. NOTE: Wondering how to make plain rice? The technique is the same, just substitute water for coconut milk. Ingredients: 1 cup coconut milk 1 cup water 1 cup white rice salt & pepper Method: 1. Heat coconut milk and water and bring to boil over medium heat. 2. Add rice and seasoning. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 16 minutes. 3. Uncover and let rest 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Serve immediately. Coconut Rice Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Found both in the Caribbean and parts of Africa, coconut rice is rich and fragrant. The strong flavor goes particularly well with grilled meats and spicy sauces. We even used some leftovers in an Asian-style salad with spicy peanut dressing. Lifestyle5-ingredients or less, Vegan, Vegetarian Food TypeRice …
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The first three and a half minutes of this video tell the story of a couple who are engaged. In the story the man’s friend makes a pass on the woman. She refuses his advances and tells her fiancé what happened. The fiance then goes to confront him, but the friend says that he was just testing the woman’s fidelity. The singer says for us to judge for ourselves. Then the chorus says that the friendship is true. After 3’30 the people start dancing a really interesting local dance.
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