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Menu: Bahamas

I tried to book a flight for all of us to go to the Bahamas this week, but their capacity was 50. We’ll have to settle for a Bahamian feast instead. Get ready for some down-home cooking, spiked with a little (or a lot) of Bahama Mama!

Red Conch Chowder [Recipe]
Everyone makes Conch Chowder a little bit different.
Our version is made with ham, potato, green pepper, carrot, and celery.

Island Macaroni & Cheese (Macaroni Pie) [Recipe]
This macaroni and cheese is sliced into squares for serving – perfect for parties.

Coconut Bimini Bread [Recipe]
Sweet and dense, this bread is flavored with honey and coconut milk.
Leftovers are perfect for French Toast.

Bahama Mama [Recipe]
Sail away with a Bahama Mama.
Our version of this famous drink has coconut rum and orange juice.

About the Food of the Bahamas

Remember this part of Forrest Gump?

Well, in the Bahamas, seafood comes any (and every) which way you want it. The most popular seafood treats are the giant, snail-like conch, crayfish, shrimp, and the clawless spiny lobster.

Take conch, for example.

Typical food shacks keep live conch on hand, cleaning them for each order. Most menus offer boiled conch, crack conch (deep-fried), grilled conch, and steamed conch. Some customers eat the sweet mollusk raw while others prefer it cooked. The creamy white flesh can be  tossed with fresh lime juice, laid on a salad, layered in a sandwich, made into a grilled patty for a burger, or floated in a brothy soup. And in case you were hankering for fish for breakfast, you’re in business. Locals eat seafood for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Bubba Gump would be impressed.

Not a fish person?

There are plenty of other great foods from the Bahamas, many of which are also loved in the US south. Grits and johnnycakes are popular side dishes. Another side dish, Peas n’ Rice is made with pigeon peas (black-eyed peas), rice, bacon, green bell pepper, and seasonings. There is an endless list of souse (soups, rhymes with “cows”) using chicken and pork parts, oxtail, celery, peas, lime, and/or peppers. Coconut, pineapple, and bananas make regular appearances on dessert and main course menus. One dish that intrigues me is Rum Frizzled ham and bananas (both the ham and the bananas are fried). Put on toothpicks and served with a spicy chili-lime dipping sauce, this dish would make a great appetizer.

On the 29 Islands that make up the Bahamas, the seafood is practically caught to order, chilies and spices sizzle in coconut oil, and rum flows freely. However, each island also maintains its own personality and specialties. Here are a few examples:

Eleuthera:

Eleuthera means freedom. Small sweet “Eleuthera” pineapples grow on this island. The pineapple symbolizes hospitality because seafarers placed pineapples on their gate-posts to indicate they were home safe from their latest excursion.

Inagua:

This small island produces nearly a million pounds of salt for export by the Morton Salt Company.

Bimini:

Bimini bread, a sweet, yeast-risen sandwich bread, can be found on this chain of islands. Traditionally made at home, the bread has now been commercialized and is available for purchase at local supermarkets. Bimini was also author Ernest Hemingway’s hangout. The giant Merlin he writes about in The Old Man and the Sea is the national fish of the Bahamas.

Monday Meal Review: Azerbaijan

This is meal #11 in my personal challenge to eat one meal from every country in the world.

“Hey, wait a minute!” Brian said.

Startled, I looked from him, to his fiancée, to my husband. We were standing in the kitchen. I was pouring drinks and telling them about the Azerbaijani food we were about to eat.

“What?” I asked.

Brian didn’t answer immediately; he was scanning my kitchen. I followed his gaze nervously, wondering if I’d missed a spill.

The counters were clear. The dishwasher was running. Maybe that was the problem. The dishwasher was a little loud, I thought.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I can run this later,” I said, pulling the door open. The rythmic swish of the water stopped suddenly.

There was a pause while we shifted in the new silence.

“No – where’s the,” and he trailed off, looking at the empty stove top.

“The food?” I asked, finishing his sentence, laughing with relief. “It’s  under control.”

I pulled a tray of raw lamb kabobs from the fridge and headed to the grill. I explained that the sides for the kabob were already assembled on a tray. The hot items from the main course were also finished and were holding in the warm oven. Even the dessert was chilling out in the fridge, ready to go.

Yippee for planning and prepping ahead. If only he’d seen the flurry I was in for two entire days beforehand!

Azeri Saffron Pilaf with Potato Kazmag [Recipe]

What I like most about this dish:

This pilaf calls for 2 sticks of butter. It actually hurt me to put that much butter in with the rice. I usually make rice with just a micro-drizzle of heart-friendly olive oil. In fact, this recipe called for more butter than we eat in a month. HOWEVER, darned if that butter didn’t make this rice taste like gold. No wonder Azerbaijan named pilaf as their national dish – the delicately separated grains of rice seasoned with the intoxicating richness of butter is wonderful. Amazingly, no greasiness or heaviness lingers after dining. I would make this pilaf for any special gathering as the rice would go well with any food.

The kazmag, or crust is an inspired touch, simply wonderful. I enjoy scraping the “crusties” off of the bottom of pans anyway. I’m all for a country that promotes the bottom-dwelling crusty to the place of honor it deserves – the cherry – so to speak – on top of their beloved national dish.

What I like least about this dish:

I almost didn’t make this rice dish. The dizzying number of steps seemed impossible, especially with a 9 month-old trailing me. Luckily my husband had some comp time coming to him; he was able to stay home and entertain Ava, leaving me no more excuses. Although there are many steps, they are easy and the end result is very tasty. In the end the extra effort is worth the time.

One issue I did have was that my saffron didn’t stain the rice a bright yellow like I expected. Instead the grains took on a butter yellow hue, making them look a lot like scrambled eggs. Not great, so I doubled the amount of saffron in the recipe, hoping this would give you less eggy results.

Laura Kelley’s Green Beans with Azeri Tomato Sauce [Recipe]

What I like most about this dish:

As soon as I tasted these green beans I understood why Laura Kelley author of The Silk Road Gourmet is a nominee for a “golden ladle” at Le Courdon Bleu’s World Media Awards. The flavor combination – tomato, basil, yogurt, sour cream, vinegar – struck me as almost Italian. However the little dash of vinegar put the slightly sour sauce over the edge into a new flavor profile for me.

Our guests this week, Tulsa Food‘s Brian and Shae, declared the Azeri Green Beans “Awesome!” Ava was a huge fan as well – I think the thick, creamy sauce is the most exciting thing we’ve given her. We took a video of her eating the green beans – will share in the next few days on Facebook. I enjoyed these green beans so much that I made them twice. Most impressive was that my husband liked them, especially considering his picky eater syndrome previously prevented him from getting within a 2 foot radius of sour cream OR vinegar.

I want to note how easy the sauce is to make – almost as simple as throwing everything in a pot and simmering for a few minutes, while stirring. Heck, I can even do that with Ava on my hip – as long as it’s the hip turned away from the stove.

What I like least about this dish:

If you toss the green beans in the sauce, picky eaters might balk at the pale pink chunky display. For the nicest presentation, serve sauce on the side or take Laura’s advice and pour over the green beans in a neat line.

I really thought twice about putting 4 Tbsp of butter in these green beans, however I rather liked the idea of possibly earning the world record for most butter used in a meal (thanks to the pilaf, of course). I also rarely use sour cream but the point of this adventure is to try new things. The end result was completely worth it!  Does this mean I no longer can declare I don’t like sour cream? Hmm, let’s settle with ‘sour cream is good in the right application.’

Spicy Meatballs in Pomegranate Sauce (Fesinjan Kyufta) [Recipe]

What I like most about this dish:

Hands down, the pomegranate sauce was the best part of these meatballs. Sweet and tangy, yet light. This is not a thick and cloying “sweet and sour” type sauce. I think I could eat this pomegranate sauce on any meatball from now on. I only wish I had more sauce (so I doubled the recipe for you all).

Shaping these meatballs the night before was a great way to save on stress the day of the dinner. Also, this gave time for the flavors to meld thoroughly.

What I like least about this dish:

While the meatballs were good, they were not very “different” than other meatballs I’ve had. They faintly taste of mint and paprika, however the sauce totally overshadowed these subtleties.

Azerbaijani Grilled, Ground Lamb (Lyulya Kabob) [Recipe]

What I like most about this dish:

These kabobs are essentially spicy lamb sausages on a stick. This was also picked as a meal favorite by everyone at our Global Table. The flavors are bold, but nothing overpowers… they’re easy to make (if you can make meatballs, then you can definitely do this)… and they’re very fun to eat. I will definitely make these again.

In fact, assembling and eating these kabobs was the best part. We served them as an appetizer, but they would make a great lunch. Our guests enjoyed picking from the tray of fresh herbs, flatbreads, red onion, tomato, and yogurt, to make their personalized sandwich/wrap. I think children would have fun with this.

What I like least about this dish:

I had a hard time getting the meat to cling to the skewer, but after a few tries I figured out how to shape them and how to pick the kabobs up so that they stayed together. The challenge becomes easier the colder the meat mixture is.

Sweet Saffron Custard with Rose Water (Zerde) [Recipe]

What I like most about this dish:

The custard is not overly sweet, which is nice. The almond crunch was interesting but very polarizing. One person hated the texture, one person loved it, and two people were so-so about it. The custard does go well with hot tea.

What I like least about this dish:

Unfortunately this dessert was not well received by my guests. I think many people will love this, but you will have to judge by preferences regarding textures and crunchy nuts. Also, my saffron did not show up as bright yellow, again. I must be doing something wrong and if you know what it is, please tell me.

Ava’s Corner

Ava chowed down on the Azeri Green Beans. She tried them plain with just the caramelized onion, which she liked. She then tried them with the sauce and she liked them even more 🙂 The next day we even gave her some meatball and lamb kabob. She loved the spicy flavors and we couldn’t feed her fast enough.

Sweet Saffron Custard with Rose Water

Serves 4

This dessert combines crunchy almond pieces with creamy custard.  I learned from my Global Table dinner people either love or hate the contrast of texture. Enjoy with hot tea.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup slivered almonds
2.5 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp butter
1/8 cup semolina
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp rose water
pinch saffron, crushed

slivered almonds & cinnamon – garnish

Method:

1. Finely grind the almonds in the bowl of a food processor. Heat ground almonds with milk and sugar. Bring to a boil, to infuse the almond flavor into the milk. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, toast semolina in butter, stirring for a few minutes.

3. Add milk mixture to semolina in a smooth, steady stream. Simmer, uncovered for about 15-20 minutes or until thickened like pudding. Add saffron and cinnamon.

NOTE: If you let this boil by accident, the bubbles are like volcanos. The lava pudding can give quite a burn. Don’t ask me how I know…

4. Stir in the cinnamon, rosewater, and saffron.  Spoon into dessert bowls and refrigerate. Garnish with slivered almonds.

Sweet Saffron Custard with Rosewater
Votes: 1
Rating: 3
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
This dessert combines crunchy almond pieces with creamy custard. I learned from my Global Table dinner people either love or hate the contrast of texture. Enjoy with hot tea.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Sweet Saffron Custard with Rosewater
Votes: 1
Rating: 3
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
This dessert combines crunchy almond pieces with creamy custard. I learned from my Global Table dinner people either love or hate the contrast of texture. Enjoy with hot tea.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup slivered almonds
  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1/8 cup semolina
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp rose water
  • pinch saffron , crushed
Garnish:
  • slivered almonds
  • ground cinnamon
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
  1. Finely grind the almonds in the bowl of a food processor. Heat ground almonds with milk and sugar. Bring to a boil, to infuse the almond flavor into the milk. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, toast semolina in butter, stirring for a few minutes.
  3. Add milk mixture to semolina in a smooth, steady stream. Simmer, uncovered for about 15-20 minutes or until thickened like pudding. Add saffron and cinnamon.
  4. NOTE: If you let this boil by accident, the bubbles are like volcanoes. The lava pudding can give quite a burn. Don’t ask me how I know…
  5. Stir in the cinnamon, rosewater, and saffron. Spoon into dessert bowls and refrigerate. Garnish with slivered almonds."

Spiced Meatballs with Pomegranate sauce | Fesinjan Kyufta

Makes 12 large meatballs

In this case, spiced means seasoned, not hot. Serve with rice pilaf … or stick on toothpicks for a finger food at a party (just put the sauce in a little bowl in the center).

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

3/4 lb ground beef, 85% lean
3/4 lb ground lamb
1 large onion, grated
1 egg
2 Tbsp ice water
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp hot Hungarian Paprika (for mild, increase for hot)
1 tsp dried mint
1 – 1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

For the Sauce:

2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup pomegranate concentrate (available at natural grocers)
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp honey

Method:

For the meatballs:

1. Combine onion, egg, water, bread crumbs, allspice, paprika, mint, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

2. Pour onion mixture over ground beef and lamb. Using hands, squish everything around until all the seasonings are evenly dispersed.

3. Chill meatball mixture for an hour.

4. Shape meatballs and place on a foil-lined baking sheet (or silpat).  I made each one with a 1/4 cup of the meatball mixture. This made 12.

NOTE: At this point I chilled the meatballs overnight. Right before baking I “perked them up” with a quick shaping. When roasted cold, they retain their round shape a little better.

5. Roast at 425F for 20-25 minutes.

For the sauce:

1. In a small saucepan, combine pomegranate concentrate, honey, pepper, and stock. Simmer for 5 minutes and pour over meatballs. Serve hot.

 

Spicy Meatballs with Pomegranate sauce | Fesinjan Kyufta
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
In this case, spicy means seasoned, not hot. Serve with rice pilaf … or stick on toothpicks for a finger food at a party (just put the sauce in a little bowl in the center).
Servings Prep Time
12 meatballs 30 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
30 minutes 1 hour
Servings Prep Time
12 meatballs 30 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
30 minutes 1 hour
Spicy Meatballs with Pomegranate sauce | Fesinjan Kyufta
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
In this case, spicy means seasoned, not hot. Serve with rice pilaf … or stick on toothpicks for a finger food at a party (just put the sauce in a little bowl in the center).
Servings Prep Time
12 meatballs 30 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
30 minutes 1 hour
Servings Prep Time
12 meatballs 30 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
30 minutes 1 hour
Ingredients
For the meatballs
  • 3/4 lb ground beef , 85% lean
  • 3/4 lb ground lamb
  • 1 large onions , grated
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tbsp ice water
  • 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/2 tsp hot Hungarian Paprika (This makes it mild. Increase for spicy)
  • 1 tsp mint , dried
  • 1-1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
For the sauce
  • 2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate concentrate (available at natural grocers)
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 2 Tbsp honey
Servings: meatballs
Units:
Instructions
  1. Combine onion, egg, water, bread crumbs, allspice, paprika, mint, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
  2. Pour onion mixture over ground beef and lamb. Using hands, squish everything around until all the seasons are evenly dispersed.
  3. Chill meatball mixture for an hour.
  4. Shape meatballs and place on a foil-lined baking sheet (or slipat). I made each one with a 1/4 cup of the meatball mixture. This made 12. NOTE: At this point I chilled the meatballs overnight. Right before baking I "perked them up" with a quick shaping. When roasted cold, they retain their round shape a little better.
  5. Roast at 425F for 20-25 minutes.
For the sauce
  1. In a small saucepan, combine pomegranate concentrate, honey, pepper, and stock. Simmer for about 5 minutes and pour over meatballs.
Recipe Notes

Moisten your hands with cold water to keep the meatball mixture from sticking as you work.

Azerbaijani Lamb Kabob | Lyulya Kabob

Serves 6-8

These spicy kabobs are wonderful for lunch or a light dinner. The cayenne provides medium heat, add up to a 1/2 tsp more to make them spicy.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 lbs ground lamb
2 medium onions, grated
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried mint
1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika

Optional Accompaniments:

Lavash flatbread
Pita Bread
Sliced red onion
sliced tomatoes
fresh sprigs of parsley, mint, and tarragon
yogurt and/or yogurt sauce

Method:

1. In a small bowl, combine grated onion, garlic, cumin, mint, parsley, cayenne, salt, pepper, and paprika.

2. Add ground lamb to a large mixing bowl. Add onion mixture. Knead into the lamb, making sure to evenly disperse the spices and ingredients.

3. Shape lamb onto skewers, making sausage shapes. I found it easier to use 2 skewers per sausage because the meat has a tendency to roll around just one skewer. Flat skewers can help, but I didn’t have any. The colder the lamb, the better they hold their shape.

NOTE: At this point I refrigerated the lamb overnight. The flavors had time to mingle and the meat set up nicely. I just “perked them up,” by pressing with my hands, tightening the sausage shape.

4. Preheat the grill over medium. Place skewers and grill until browned. Flip and repeat. Ground lamb can be lean, so do not cook too long or they can get dry (although if some are a little dry, just add more yogurt as you eat).

5. Serve hot meat with optional accompaniments. Make wraps, pita sandwiches, or just enjoy dipped in yogurt.

Azerbaijani Lamb Kabob | Lyulya Kabob
Votes: 2
Rating: 4.5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
These spicy kabobs are wonderful for lunch or a light dinner. The cayenne provides medium heat, add up to a 1/2 tsp more to make them spicy.
Servings Prep Time
6-8 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6-8 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Azerbaijani Lamb Kabob | Lyulya Kabob
Votes: 2
Rating: 4.5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
These spicy kabobs are wonderful for lunch or a light dinner. The cayenne provides medium heat, add up to a 1/2 tsp more to make them spicy.
Servings Prep Time
6-8 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6-8 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 3/4 lbs ground lamb
  • 2 medium onions , grated
  • 4 cloves garlic , crushed
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp dried mint
  • 1/4 cup parsley (freshly chopped)
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika
Optional accompaniments:
  • flatbread (lavash or pita)
  • red onions (sliced)
  • tomatoes (sliced)
  • sprigs parsley
  • sprigs mint
  • sprigs tarragon
  • plain yogurt
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, combine grated onion, garlic, cumin, mint, parsley, cayenne, salt, pepper, and paprika.
  2. Add ground lamb to a large mixing bowl. Add onion mixture. Knead into the lamb, making sure to evenly disperse the spices and ingredients.
  3. Shape lamb onto skewers, making sausage shapes. I found it easier to use 2 skewers per sausage because the meat has a tendency to roll around just one skewer. Flat skewers can help, but I didn’t have any. The colder the lamb, the better they hold their shape. NOTE: At this point I refrigerated the lamb overnight. The flavors had time to mingle and the meat set up nicely. I just “perked them up,” by pressing with my hands, tightening the sausage shape.
  4. Preheat the grill over medium. Place skewers and grill until browned. Flip and repeat. Ground lamb can be lean, so do not cook too long or they can get dry (although if some are a little dry, just add more yogurt as you eat)."
  5. Serve hot meat with optional accompaniments. Make wraps, pita sandwiches, or just enjoy dipped in yogurt.
Recipe Notes

While not necessary, an overnight rest before cooking will give a chance for the flavors to meld.

Azeri Saffron Pilaf with Potato Kazmag

Azeri Rice Pilaf with Kazmag

Serves 6

I almost didn’t make this pilaf because there were so many steps. I went out on a limb because I figured Azeri’s must know how to cook basmati rice better than me. I was right. This is a great rice dish, buttery and delicately perfumed with saffron.

Ingredients:

2 Potatoes
2 cups basmati rice
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
2 sticks butter
1 tsp saffron threads, soaked in a Tbsp of hot water.

optional garnish:

fresh mint leaves

Method:

For the potato crust:

1. Slice 2 potatoes thinly. Mix water with 4 Tbsp melted butter. Pour into the bottom of a large skillet or pan that has a tight-fitting lid.

2. Line the bottom of the pan with potato slices, fitting them close together without overlapping. Mine overlap a little because the sloped sides of my pan caused them to slide down – the crust still turned out fine, so don’t worry too much about this.

Thinly sliced potato makes a great crispy kazmag

3. Cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, or until the potatoes soften and begin to turn slightly golden.

For the Pilaf:

1. Put rice in a sieve and rinse under cold water to remove the starch that makes rice gluey.

Rinsing the rice helps the grains stay separate after cooking

2. Cover rice with warm water by an inch. Add 2 tsp salt and let soak for about an hour.

Add salt to the water to help flavor the rice

3. Drain water and rinse again.

4. Add rice to a large pot of boiling, salted water (about 3 quarts of water). Boil about 8 minutes, or until slightly hard still – almost cooked.

Don’t burn yourself!

5. Drain and rinse rice again.

6. Add half the rice to the casserole, sprinkle with 4 Tbsp melted butter, and top with the second half of the rice. Add another 4 Tbsp melted butter.

7. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke 6 holes into the rice, for steam to travel through. Cover with lid and weigh down with cans to help seal steam in, if necessary.

8. Cook pilaf over low heat for about 40 minutes, weighing down the lid so that no steam can escape.

TO SERVE:

1. Spoon 2 cups of cooked pilaf into a small bowl. Toss with saffron and final 4 Tbsp of butter.

2. Spoon the plain pilaf onto serving platter. Add saffron rice on top.

3. Using a good wooden spoon or spatula, scrape potato “crust” off of pan. Sprinkle the crust over the top of the pilaf.

4. Garnish with fresh mint if desired. Serve immediately.

Azeri Saffron Pilaf with Potato Kazmag
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
I almost didn’t make this pilaf because there were so many steps. I went out on a limb because I figured Azeri’s must know how to cook basmati rice better than me. I was right. This is a great rice dish, buttery and delicately perfumed with saffron.
Servings Prep Time
6 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
55 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
55 minutes
Azeri Saffron Pilaf with Potato Kazmag
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
I almost didn’t make this pilaf because there were so many steps. I went out on a limb because I figured Azeri’s must know how to cook basmati rice better than me. I was right. This is a great rice dish, buttery and delicately perfumed with saffron.
Servings Prep Time
6 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
55 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
55 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 potatoes
  • 2 cups basmati rice
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 sticks butter
  • 1 tsp saffron , soaked in a Tbsp of hot water
Optional Garnish:
  • mint (torn leaves)
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
  1. Slice 2 potatoes thinly. Mix water with 4 Tbsp melted butter. Pour into the bottom of a large skillet or pan that has a tight-fitting lid.
  2. Line the bottom of the pan with potato slices, fitting them close together without overlapping. Mine overlap a little because the sloped sides of my pan caused them to slide down – the crust still turned out fine, so don’t worry too much about this.
  3. Cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, or until the potatoes soften and begin to turn slightly golden.
For the Pilaf:
  1. Put rice in a sieve and rinse under cold water to remove the starch that makes rice gluey.
  2. Cover rice with warm water by an inch. Add 2 tsp salt and let soak for about an hour.
  3. Drain water and rinse again.
  4. Add rice to a large pot of boiling, salted water (about 3 quarts of water). Boil about 8 minutes, or until slightly hard still – almost cooked.
  5. Drain and rinse rice again.
  6. Add half the rice to the casserole, sprinkle with 4 Tbsp melted butter, and top with the second half of the rice. Add another 4 Tbsp melted butter.
  7. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke 6 holes into the rice, for steam to travel through. Cover with lid and weigh down with cans to help seal steam in, if necessary.
  8. Cook pilaf over low heat for about 40 minutes, weighing down the lid so that no steam can escape.
To Serve:
  1. Spoon 2 cups of cooked pilaf into a small bowl. Toss with saffron and final 4 Tbsp of butter.
  2. Spoon the plain pilaf onto serving platter. Add saffron rice on top.
  3. Using a good wooden spoon or spatula, scrape potato “crust” off of pan. Sprinkle the crust over the top of the pilaf.
  4. Garnish with fresh mint if desired. Serve immediately.

The culture & varied climates of Azerbaijan

About Azerbaijan from Anar GARIBOV on Vimeo.

I adore this video! Also: I read the most fascinating fact in this article by Laura Kelley about Azeri food and culture:

Like Georgia, Azerbaijan has a wide variety of climatic zones as well. In fact, nine of eleven climatic zones are represented, and in Azerbaijan one can simultaneously see all four seasons just by traveling from one end of the country to the other. High mountains, fertile foothills growing tea and citrus, dry steppes, luxurious forests, and Caspian shores—Azerbaijan has it all! So, in addition to a long history of foreign occupation, a widely varied climate has led to one of western Asia’s most diverse cuisines.

Full Article

For the Love of Plov: Azerbaijan

Sharbat:

When the summer sun roasts everything from the birds, to the bees, Azerbaijani enjoy Sharbat drink, a traditional, fruity nectar whose name evokes the refreshing dessert, Sherbet. This drink is chilled, not frozen, however. Popular flavors include pomegranate, cherry, mint, and lemon. The drink can also be flavored with saffron, honey, and basil seeds. Canned soda is gaining popularity, however, threatening to push this homemade drink to the back of dusty shelves.

Ovhsala:

Ovshala, or rose petal drink, is popular throughout the Caucus. Rose petals are literally plucked from fresh roses, boiled with lemon juice, and sweetened with sugar. Make this drink with your family and friends as a fun summer project, instead of traditional lemonade! Just be sure to use flowers from your garden, not the chemical-sprayed roses from florists and grocery stores.

Plov:


Azerbaijani enjoy more than 40 kinds of Plov, or rice pilaf. Plov is served at special gatherings, including weddings, and is considered the true test of a cook’s skill. Many include crusts, such as the potato crust, pictured above [Recipe].

Plov/Pilaf is such a popular dish, that it is a vehicle for many old sayings:

Better to eat cheese and bread than pilaf that is given as a favor.  (favors aren’t as good a deal as they might seem)

Whatever you put on your pilaf will appear on your spoon. (you reap what you sow)

When you’re young, carry stones. When you’re old, eat pilaf. (work hard so you can retire in comfort)

Here are some other neat sayings:

Don’t put garlic on your head if it doesn’t hurt.  (do not fix what isn’t broken)

He who pities his lamb can’t eat kabab. (sometimes you have to make tough choices)

When a tree bears much fruit, it bends low.  (humility is appropriate when successful)

Your mouth won’t get sweet just by saying “halva-halva” (halva is a sweet – so the message is you can’t just beg, you have to work for what you want)

(source, with dozens more sayings: Azeri Magazine)

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How to make great meatballs, from any country

Glorious meatballs, bathing in hearty, simmering sauce, can be found all over the world. Some meatballs are a meal unto themselves, requiring a knife and fork, while others are delicate, dainty droplets – more garnish than substance.

Although most people enjoy a good meatball, entirely too much effort goes into making them. Intended to be comfort food, even homemade street-food, meatballs should not be an all day affair.

Here are my simple tips for how to make great meatballs, from any country.

1. Roast the meatballs, don’t fry them.

I’ve ruined at least 4 cute shirts by pan-frying batch, after batch of meatballs. Oil spatters not only ruin shirts, but also burn skin, grease up the stove top, and yellow surrounding walls. Not to mention the time it takes to carefully rotate each meatball. One. By. One. Usually, the little balls get beat up in the process and end up with flat sides, like the skulls of babies who aren’t given enough tummy time.

To roast meatballs, all you have to do is lay them on an oiled baking sheet and pop them in the 425F oven for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Instead of hovering over a hot, greasy pan, you can walk away and do something else!

2. When trying a new recipe, test the meatballs before cooking them all.

No point making an entire batch of meatballs only to find out they need more salt. Or garlic. Or cayenne. Or worse yet, there’s too much seasoning. Take a small pinch of the meat mixture, cook it, and taste it. Better this than having to throw out the entire batch and start again.

If the meat needs more seasoning, great – go for it. If the meat has too much? You have two options: send someone down to the market to pick up more ground meat to “water down” the seasoning, or add some more breadcrumbs. Adding more breadcrumbs is not as desirable – or effective, but will work take the edge off in a pinch.

3. Always make the sauce after making the meatballs.

Let’s just say you made your meatballs too spicy or salty and don’t have enough ground meat to fix the problem. If you wait to make your sauce until after cooking the meatballs, you can tone down the sauce to help fix the problem.

– Mild sauce compliments spicy meatballs.
– Spicy sauce compliments plain meatballs.

4. Make your meatballs a day ahead.

Take a tip from the Azerbaijani and make your meatballs ahead of time. Think of the herbs, spices, meat, and sauces as strangers at a party. They need time to mingle and get acquainted before they really cut loose!

Mix up the meat with the seasoning and let sit, refrigerated over night. In the morning the chilled mixture will be easier to shape… or you can shape the meatballs ahead of time – store them on the baking sheet in the refrigerator, and just perk them up the next day, right before baking.

5. Double your recipe and freeze half

Get your hands dirty once, party twice! 🙂

How to make meatballs from any region:

You can literally season meatballs to go with food from any part of the globe. Just look at Wikipedia for a dizzying list of meatballs from around the world.

Change up the spices, add a different sauce, and voila!, international meatball magic. Here’s a few ideas that came to mind:

AZERBAIJAN:

Seasoning:

-Allspice
-Paprika
-Mint
-Pepper

Sauce:

– Pomegranate
– Sour cherry

ITALY:

Seasoning:

– Oregano
– Parsley
– Garlic

Sauces:

– Tomato
– Pesto

SPAIN:

Seasoning:

– Saffron
– Parsley
– pimento
– Garlic

Sauces:

– Gravy
– Tomato
– Olive-based

SWEDEN:

Seasoning:

– White pepper
– Allspice

Sauces:

– Gravy
– Cream

MOROCCO:

Seasoning:

– Cumin
– Cayenne
– Garlic

Sauce:

– Cumin/Tomato

Menu: Azerbaijan

The Azerbaijani table is commonly adorned with flatbread, yogurt, sumac, and fresh herbs. This is because diners scoop meat dishes up into either lavash or pita bread and then top them with these regional “condiments.”  Although a month late, we’re celebrating the spirit of the Azerbaijani holiday “Novruz” by gardening and spring cleaning before our feast.

Sides & Condiments: Pita Bread, fresh mint and other herbs, sliced red onion, sumac, and yogurt

Rice Pilaf with Potato Kazmag [Recipe]
Basmati rice, steamed over a crispy layer of potato slices, then tossed with saffron butter.

Laura Kelley’s Green Beans with Azeri Tomato Sauce [Recipe]
Laura was kind enough to share this recipe from her cookbook “The Silk Road Gourmet, Volume 1.”
Her book was recently nominated for a “golden ladle” in Le Courdon Bleu’s World Media Food Awards. Congratulations, Laura!
Fresh green beans are cooked with caramelized onion, then tossed with a creamy, tangy tomato sauce.

Spicy Meatballs in Pomegranate Sauce (Fesinjan Kyufta) [Recipe]
Ground lamb and beef is mixed with onion, paprika, breadcrumbs, and mint.
The meatballs are served in tangy pomegranate sauce.

Azerbaijani Grilled, Ground Lamb (Lyulya Kabob) [Recipe]
Spicy ground lamb served on skewers, mixed with cumin, cayenne, Hungarian paprika, garlic, and fresh mint. Delicious!

Sweet Saffron Custard with Rose Water (Zerde) [Recipe]
The haunting flavors of cinnamon, rose-water, and saffron permeate this custard.
Coarsely ground almonds give crunch to an otherwise creamy dessert.

About the food of Azerbaijan: Happy Novruz!

I’ve been digging in the dirt lately, planting tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and peas. This is not the first year I’ve gardened, but this is the first year my seedlings survived long enough to be planted in the ground. Last year, out of 48 seedlings, only one lived long enough to eat from. Parsley. The rest died because I planted my seeds too early and was forced to wait to put them in the ground. Without adequate sunlight the seedlings became gaunt and gave up the fight long before they hit 2 inches.

This year I became neurotically obsessed with the weather. I waited patiently to plant my seeds until just a month before all danger of frost passed. Things are looking good; I just put the seedlings in the ground. They’re thick and hardy; I’m hopeful for this year’s harvest, although I remain at the mercy of mother nature.

Experiencing firsthand how temperamental and fragile vegetable gardening can be gives me an understanding of why so many cultures mark the changing seasons with festivals and rituals. In Azerbaijan they still celebrate the first day of spring with a 4-week long festival called “Novruz.”  Most households prepare for Novruz by initiating a massive spring cleaning and preparing their vegetable beds. The festival includes elaborate meals, games, and costumes. Businesses shut down for up to a week during this official holiday.

Azerbaijani have good reason to celebrate the spring. Winters are long and cold. Most homes only have one heater which is not enough to heat the entire house. If the weather is bitter outside, you can bet it is bitter outside. Imagine desperately waiting for the sun to warm the earth enough so that you don’t have to white-knuckle your wool blanket at night. You’d be celebrating, too!

The Novruz table is adorned with sprouted wheat, decorated eggs (one for each member of the family), and special dishes made from local foods. Not much is imported (or exported).

What do Azerbaijani eat?

In Azerbaijan, locals purchase food fresh from markets, or grow it nearby.

Azerbaijanis are noted for being long-lived (many over 100 years old), which is attributed to their healthy diet of yogurt, apricots, and fresh foods.

The World Cookbook For Students, by Jeanne Jacob and Michael Ashkenazi

Here is a lovely description of the markets by Linda of Linda in Azerbaijan from March 2009:

The market in my town is amazing. It covers about four square blocks with huge quantities of lush, beautiful produce. This time of year, there are mountains of shiny, plump tangerines from southern Azerbaijan, cartloads of apples from northern Azerbaijan, every kind of winter vegetable you can imagine, the most beautiful spinach I have ever seen, and loads of freshly cut herbs.

There are stalls of freshly made yogurt, homemade cheeses and sausages, dried and fresh spices. Beautiful dried apricots, figs and prunes are displayed. The food is organically produced, but is not professionally certified, so is not technically organic. The food is inexpensive and mostly does not come in packages. Do you want yogurt, milk or cottage cheese? Bring your own buckets. Do you want eggs laid yesterday? They will be put into a small plastic bag instead of a carton. Round loaves of bread are stacked without any covering. As a result, Azerbaijani families generate very little trash.

The cuisine is a blend of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Indian. The most characteristic foods are rice dishes such as plov, pilaf with kazmag (a crust) [Recipe], and other pilafs. Rice is served with stews, stuffed cabbage/grape leaves, or meat kabobs (usually lamb or chicken) [Recipe]. Meats might even be marinated in pomegranate juices [Recipe]. In small towns the food is much simpler. They serve yogurt with mint for soup, cooked with eggs as a standalone dish, and as a dip. Yogurt or cheese with lavash (flatbread) is a popular combination. All sorts of seasonings are used, including mint, parsley, dill, basil, onion, garlic, pomegranate, fennel, and sumac.