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Ginger & Rocoto Ceviche

Last week I spoke with “Kelly,” a short, black-haired Peruvian restaurateur whose father had a thing for Western names (he also named one of her brother’s Kennedy – and, as she admitted with downcast eyes, another brother “Hitler”). If that wasn’t enough to blow my mind, she added in her thick, rolling accent that halibut ceviche is the “Dunkin’ Donuts” of Peru.

I asked her twice to repeat herself. Each time her smile grew bigger and her words clearer.

Ceviche is the Dunkin Donuts of Peru.

Ceviche- Peru’s pride and joy – is light, fresh, and healthy, so I found the comparison strange. Unlike the doughnut, which takes a dip in a bubbling cauldron of oil, the seafood “cooks” in the acid of lime or lemon juice. Nothing could be cleaner. Each bite is bright, flavorful, and often spicy with the addition of the rocoto pepper (although any hot pepper can be used to taste) and a hit of fresh ginger.

When I tried Kelly’s ceviche, I was happy to find an assortment of goodies accompanying it. There were the oversize corn kernels called choclo, which Ava adored. There were also crispy fried corn kernels, sweet potato, and regular potato. This wasn’t just a snack, it was an entire meal.

Lima, Peru. Photo by Floyd.

After considering everything about ceviche, I came to the conclusion that nothing about ceviche is like dunkin’ donuts, except for the passion and love with which Peruvians eat it. And how ubiquitous it is.

Now that’s something I can get behind.

P.S. When it comes to ceviche, all variety of seafood is used (mussels, scallops, and shrimp to name a few), but since halibut is as good as a doughnut to at least one Peruvian woman, we went with halibut.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1/2-3/4 lb halibut (skinned and deboned)
2 limes, juiced
2 lemons, juiced
1/8 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
rococo pepper, to taste (or other hot chili pepper)
I found the rocoto pepper at Mia Tierra, here in Tulsa
1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
pepper, as desired

Accompaniments:

handful cilantro, torn
shaved red onion
cooked sweet potato slices
baby potatoes
lettuce
avocado

Method:

Juice the lemons and limes until your home smells like Peru in the summer. Blend the juice with cumin, ginger, garlic and…

… the rococo pepper. This is a hot pepper, so I only used a small bit for mild. If you can, use a blender to get the marinade very smooth. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Add more hot pepper, until you’re happy with the heat.

Rinse the halibut and dice into 1/2 inch cubes. Combine marinade with fish, cover and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes, preferably an hour, tossing once to be sure that the marinade touches the fish on all sides.

Top with shaved onions, sliced so thin, they curl like a traditional Peruvian fishing boat.

Traditional fishing boats in Peru. Photo by Allard Schmidt.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with sweet potatoes, avocado, and baby potatoes.

Enjoy in the golden glow of a Peruvian sunset. Be sure to dip your toes in the golden water.

Huanchaco, Trujillo (Perú). Photo by Melissa Thereliz.

P.S. The leftover juices can be used to make the zingy, spicy “leche de tigre” (tiger’s milk). Just pour it in a glass, perhaps with a dash of vodka and drink it down. If you’re brave enough, this acidic concoction is said to be great to cure any number of ailments.

P.P.S. Let me know if it works.

Ginger & Rocoto Ceviche

The seafood "cooks" in the acid of lime or lemon juice. Nothing could be cleaner. Each bite is bright, flavorful, and often spicy with the addition of the rocoto pepper (although any hot pepper can be used to taste) and a hit of fresh ginger.

CourseAppetizers & Snacks
LifestyleGluten-Free, Potluck Friendly
Food TypeSasha's Favorite Recipes, Seafood, Spicy

Servings

Ginger & Rocoto Ceviche

CourseAppetizers & Snacks
LifestyleGluten-Free, Potluck Friendly
Food TypeSasha's Favorite Recipes, Seafood, Spicy

Servings

Ingredients

1/2-3/4 lb halibut , skinned and deboned
2 limes , juiced
2 lemons , juiced
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ginger root , grated
1 clove garlic , crushed
rococo pepper , to taste (or other hot chili pepper)
1/2 tsp salt , to taste
pepper , as desired

Accompaniments

1 handful fresh cilantro , torn
red onions , shaved
sweet potatoes , sliced and cooked
baby potatoes (red, gold, or mix) , sliced and cooked
green lettuce
avocados

Servings:

Units:

Instructions

Blend the juice with cumin, ginger, garlic and the rococo pepper until smooth.
Add salt and pepper, to taste. Add more hot pepper, until you're happy with the heat.
Rinse the halibut and dice into 1/2 inch cubes.
Combine marinade with fish, cover and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes, preferably an hour, tossing once to be sure that the marinade touches the fish on all sides.
Serve topped with shaved onions.

Recipe Notes

The leftover juices can be used to make the zingy, spicy "leche de tigre" (tiger's milk). Just pour it in a glass, perhaps with a dash of vodka and drink it down. If you're brave enough, this acidic concoction is said to be great to cure any number of ailments.

Menu: Peru (with $150 Giveaway)

There’s a Peruvian proverb that reads… “Gold, when beaten, shines.”

This simply means it takes a little elbow grease to make even gold look good. As with most things in life, the more effort we put in, the better things go. I’ve been trying to teach this important lesson to Ava, especially when the going gets tough. Not everything is as instantaneous as twitter or as fun as facebook.

Incidentally, I’ve been using this proverb as I prepare to deliver a speech tonight in front of 350 people at the Global Vision Dinner here in Tulsa, put on by the Tulsa Global Alliance. I’m excited but scared. I’ve never spoken in front of that many people before. Keep me in your hearts – I’ll need strength to let my message shine.

And, now, for the food of Peru, which (thankfully) shines with hardly any effort on our part. Especially that delectable ceviche…

…all recipes and the meal review will be posted throughout the week.

Ceviche [Recipe]
Find out why one Peruvian calls this the dunkin donuts of Peru. Our ceviche is made with halibut, a blend of lemon and lime juices, fresh ginger, a pinch of cumin, and rocoto peppers.

Chifa Beef Stirfy | Lomo Saltado [Recipe]
Chinese and Peruvian cuisine unite in this stirfried beef seasoned with garlic and cumin, vineger and soy sauce. The very Peruvian way to serve it? With French fries and rice. Double carbs all the way.

Peruvian Tiramisu [Recipe]
The secret to one of Peru’s favorite desserts is lucuma, a fruit that tastes like sweet potato and caramel. Perfect for autumn.

WEEKLY GIVEAWAY

TO ENTER: Follow these 3 easy steps for creating your dream “My Global Table” pinboard… and be sure to link to your pinboard at the bottom of this post. That’s it!

Note: You must be a member of Pinterest.com to enter, and you must be following Global Table Adventure’s Pinterest pages . If you do not have a Pinterest account, you can sign up for one here . Please link to your pinboard in the comments below.

You must create the Pinboard to be entered, but for bonus entries, comment here how you’d spend the $150, share the contest on Twitter and on Facebook.

Easy peasy!

This contest launched August 22, 2012 and ends November 18, 2012 at Midnight.

A special word…

I’m proud to have Saffron Road as a partner, supporting our Adventure to eat the world. I love that we share similar values… just read what they have to say about the food they make:

We know that great food begins at the farm, so we source our ingredients from only the finest producers available. It’s no coincidence that we buy from small sustainably run family farms. All of our livestock are humanely raised with 100% vegetarian feed and are never given antibiotics. Our halal tradition demands their proper care and welfare.

Glorious.

If you want to be a gem, you’ll check out their pinterest pages, too.

About the food of Peru

Machu Picchu. Photo by Martin St-Amant.

The dream was born in seventh grade geography class; I had to feel the sunrise in Machu Picchu. One photo of that misty, lush mountain topped with ancient Inca ruins was all I needed.

I was in love.

Sure, there were snow capped mountains, modern cities, sashaying rivers, and lush, green jungles to explore… but I wanted to teleport straight into the incredible mountain city that’d been mysteriously abandoned so many years ago.

An Andean man in traditional dress. Pisac, Peru. Photo by Cacophony. Climbers on Alpamayo mountain in Peru. Photo by Brad Mering.

All these years later and I still haven’t reached Peru. Thank goodness for stovetop travel; this week’s Global Table will pacify me a little longer.

The funny thing is, for all my passionate dreaming as a child, Machu Picchu didn’t come up during my initial research. My exploration of this ocean-front South American country started rather simply with a restaurant here in Tulsa, Oklahoma called Mia Tierra recommended by long time reader Brian Schwartz. It was in this little restaurant that I got a first hand sampling of authentic dishes from a Peruvian woman.

Plaza de Armas – Trujillo, Perú. Photo by Morrissey.

She insisted we try ceviche [Recipe], a natural dish found on Peru’s long coastline. She assured me many good ceviche recipes include a smidge of fresh ginger. Turns out this isn’t the only Asian ingredient found in Peru. China has had a lasting influence on the cuisine, as I learned from her next recommendation: lomo saltado (or stir-fried beef) [Recipe] . This dish is one of many “Chifa” style Chinese-Peruvian fusion found in Peru. Chifa is the kind of food locals crave when out of the country. These dishes often balance flavors like soy sauce and cilantro. Cumin and vinegar. An intercontinental festival of flavor.

It’s a wild ride.

Cuzco, Peru. Photo by Cacophony.

She also mentioned the Italian influence on Peruvian cooking. While she didn’t have any to sample, she strongly recommended Peruvian Tiramisu [Recipe], which is made just like Italian Tiramisu [Recipe], with the addition of lucuma, a local fruit that tastes something like sweet potatoes and caramel. There’s also Menestron, a beloved soup derived from Italian Minestrone. In the Peruvian version you’ll find corn, sometimes yucca, and potatoes.

Speaking of potatoes, Peru lays claim to the origin of the potato with more than 3,000 kinds available to roast, boil, fry, and mash. Makes sense, as all the dishes we sampled that night were loaded up with potatoes (and usually two kinds).

Corn is Peruvian gold… far more wonderful than anything the Spaniards were after. You can even enjoy it in chicha -fermented corn beer, perhaps with a side of roast guinea pig… which, if it were the good old days, you could use to divine the future. I won’t go into how, although Anthony Bourdain knows.

In a country so steeped in history and incredible beauty, there’s nothing to do but simply eat it all up.

What’s your favorite food from the region?

Maps, flag and photo courtesy of CIA World Factbook.

Monday Meal Review: Paraguay

“Here at last,” I think, as we pull up to our cabin at Beaver’s Bend State Park. I gaze up at the tall, skinny trees and then down to the sturdy stilts which keep the cabin from falling into the river below. They are the same circumference. A familiar smile curls my lips and I look back at Ava. She’s staring out the window in awe. Here is our little house on the water. A space to listen to the birds, feel the breeze, and watch the seasons change. For four days, at least, until the next family comes to call it home.

The cabin reminds me so much of the house we almost bought two years ago. The house that “got away” from us (due to failed inspections). They look nothing alike, but feel the same. The spirit of a house on the water is so different from a landlocked house; the water sliding past your window can easily trick you into thinking you’re continually traveling, exploring, moving.

I’m still entranced by the view when Keith lifts his hand. He holds up the alfajores dough I’d made. He tells me he accidentally left it out in the truck bed for the entire three and a half hour ride. I can’t muster enough negative energy to even be upset.

What peace a sweet place like this gives.

I take Ava by the hand and we walk straight over to the balcony where we look out on the waters. We can see every pebble, even from 30 feet away.

And then the fun begins. Eighteen family members roll in from three states and I get to work cooking Paraguay.

There was lots of baby love.

And gaggles of family love.

The weekend was a hodgepodge of swimming in 100F days, one giant rainstorm, followed by 50F degree mornings (which were, by far, the most blissful to me). Lots of fresh air and surprisingly friendly deer.

On that first night we sat around folding tables adorned with mismatched tablecloths and a stack of tortillas that was way, way more than necessary. Somehow the 3.5 pounds of carne asada and sopa paraguaya stretched to feed us all. Tucked into tortillas with all the toppings, it was the meal that broke the ice.

I’m not used to having flawless vacations. I always manage to muddle something up. It was only days later, when we were packing the pickup for our return and I stumbled upon the cookie dough ( I have no idea why Keith tossed the cookie dough back in the pickup bed, but he did), that I realized why everything went so smoothly.

We accidentally appeased the elves.

You see, in Paraguay, among the Guarani tribe, there are Pombero (a.k.a. hideous elves), who sneak silently on notoriously hairy feet through the forest, transforming into trees to keep out of sight. These vile creatures are known for snatching children and drowning them in rivers. Ugly stuff. Turns out you can keep them away if leave them a pot of honey or other sweet to eat out in the forest.

Mission accomplished. Turns out that cookie dough served a purpose after all.

Thank you, Keith.

THE FOOD

Barbecued Meat | Carne Asada [Recipe]

What I loved most about this dish:

The marinade for Carne Asada is finger lickin’ – nothing like zest lime juice, garlic and oregano. I had no idea this would so fantastic. The crust on this meat was so good, there was discussion over who would get the end pieces. Even reluctant little Cade got on board and ate a good portion of steak. The flap meat is best when cooked to medium; all the toppings made it a fun DIY meal which made it especially good for even the pickiest eaters.

What I loved least about this dish:

Nothing. Be sure to chop up all your topppings and have them ready to go so that when the meat comes off the grill, so dinner can begin before things cool off too much.

Paraguayan Cheesy Cornbread | Sopa Paraguaya [Recipe]

What I loved most about this dish:

This is a moist, flavorful cornbread. We ended up eating it twice – once with the carne asada and once with jambalaya. It is a great, all-purpose cornbread and I’d like to try it next to chili.

What I loved least about this dish:

When served warm this cornbread is absolutely wonderful. When chilled it loses a bit of oomph so I recommend heating it up before eating. That’s what they do in Paraguay. Mr Picky had a cold piece and really regretted he’d missed the hot cornbread.

Dulce de Leche Cookies | Alfajores [Recipe]

What I loved most about this dish:

Two batches of dough later, and I’m still glad I made them. These are wonderful – like light bursts of lemony clouds. The dulce de leche adds the most wonderful tender touch of sweetness. When we got home from vacation, Ava adored remaking these with me and especially had fun with her “own” piece of dough to make whatever she’d like with. Keith was in seventh heaven eating them.. and had trouble keeping his paws out of the leftovers.

What I loved least about this dish:

While the cookies are incredibly delicious, the cornstarch makes them so tender, they have a tendency to crumble. You have to use a very light touch when it comes to spreading them with dulce de leche. Patience and a delicate touch pays off, though, for the most wonderful cookies around.

Ava’s Corner

WEEKLY GIVEAWAY WINNER

*Winner from this week’s Paraguayan Menu Giveaway was selected at random by random.org. There were so many fantastic ideas for globally-inspired baking dishes. Congratulations to Tabitha Brennenstuhl, who said:

“That is a really neat piece! I’d like to make some tandoori chicken in the oven with that! I usually use cast iron, but would love to see how it taste in that!”

Yum. Please email me by 9/24/12 to claim your handmade baker, Tabitha!

Paraguayan Cheesy Cornbread | Sopa Paraguaya

One of our readers – Emily – says everyone in Paraguay makes their own cheese so that this would be no big deal to a local.

I read up on the origins of this bread… there are two main versions.

In the first version, Don Carlos ( President of Paraguay from 1842-62) requested his favorite white soup for dinner – one made with cheese, egg, corn flour, and loads of milk. One day the chef put too much corn flour in the soup and decided to bake it up as bread in cast iron. The new dish became a hit and Don Carlos dubbed it Sopa Paraguaya.

Here’s the second story, from Wikipedia:

In ancient times, this food was made with fresh corn and cooked in the “ñaúpyvú” (clay pot), not in the oven “modern” inherited from the colonizers. Everything suggests that the first Iberians who arrived to Guarani lands called “soup” to the food that was boiled in ñaúpyvú. It is believed that finished adding “Paraguayan” (demonym that was used in colonial times to denote the area of the Jesuit-Guarani missions), to distinguish it from the soup (broth) prepared by the Europeans.

Our version is an amalgamation of Sopa Paraguaya and the other very popular, corn-studded bread called Chipa Guasú. It’s a very loose adaptation to recipes found in the World Cookbook for Students and on King Arthur Flour.

1 11×9 baking pan

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, diced
1 red or green pepper, diced
3 cups cornmeal (medium grind)
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
pepper, to taste
2 cups milk
1 cup cottage cheese
4 large eggs
1 lb frozen corn kernels, thawed (about 3 cups corn)
2 cups Monterey or pepperjack cheese, grated

Method:

Let’s make cornbread. Your ride awaits, my friend.

Traditional “Carreta” in the streets of Coronel Oviedo city, in Paraguay. Photo by Bruno Arriola.

Possibly what I love most about this cornbread is all the yummy goodies you’ll find inside.

Fry onion and pepper in butter until soft and beginning to turn golden. Hello. Now the house smells good.

Set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 375F and butter a 9×11 baking pan.

Meanwhile, whisk together cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and pepper.

Add in the milk, cottage cheese, and eggs.

When smooth, mix in the cooled onion mixture, corn and the cheese. Note to self: use a larger bowl next time.

Put in a buttered 11×9 baking pan. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until firm to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Mine was perfect after 45 minutes.

Let cool a few minutes, then slice in squares.

Serve very warm.

And very happy.

… preferably, in the mist of a Paraguayan waterfall, where you can conveniently lose your watch and while away until sunset in cornbread bliss.

Salto Cristal (Crystal Falls), Yvyku’i National Park.

Paraguayan Cheesy Cornbread | Sopa Paraguaya

Rumor has it, no meal is complete in Paraguay without a slice of warm, cheesy cornbread. While sopa means soup in Spanish, this is definitely bread and… traditionally, all mixed up with a happy bundle of homemade cheese. One of our readers – Emily – says everyone in Paraguay makes their own cheese so that this would be no big deal to a local. Our version is an amalgamation of Sopa Paraguaya and the other very popular, corn-studded bread called Chipa Guasú. It’s a very loose adaptation to recipes found in the World Cookbook for Students and on King Arthur Flour.

LifestylePotluck Friendly, Vegetarian
Food TypeBreads, Random Carbs & Grains, Sasha's Favorite Recipes

Servings	Prep Time
1 11x9 loaf	15 minutes

Cook Time

60-70 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
1 11x9 loaf	15 minutes

Cook Time

60-70 minutes

Paraguayan Cheesy Cornbread | Sopa Paraguaya

LifestylePotluck Friendly, Vegetarian
Food TypeBreads, Random Carbs & Grains, Sasha's Favorite Recipes

Servings	Prep Time
1 11x9 loaf	15 minutes

Cook Time

60-70 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
1 11x9 loaf	15 minutes

Cook Time

60-70 minutes

Ingredients

4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 onion , diced
1 red bell pepper , diced - OR -
green bell peppers , diced
3 cups cornmeal (medium grind)
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
pepper , to taste
2 cups milk
1 cup cottage cheese
4 large eggs
3 cups corn (about 1 lb frozen corn, thawed)
2 cups monterey jack , grated - OR -
pepperjack , grated

Servings: 11x9 loaf

Units:

Instructions

Fry onion and pepper in butter until soft and beginning to turn golden. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 375F and butter a 9×11 baking pan. Meanwhile, whisk together cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and pepper.
Add in the milk, cottage cheese, and eggs.
When smooth, mix in the cooled onion mixture, corn and the cheese. Note to self: use a larger bowl next time.
Put in a buttered 11×9 baking pan. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until firm to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Mine was perfect after 45 minutes. Let cool a few minutes, then slice in squares.

Barbecued Meat | Carne Asada

Last chances only come once.

Last chance to tell that boy you like him.

Last chance to wear hypercolor.

Last chance to wear a micro-mini.

Because, guess what? The 90’s are over, and they’re not coming back.

(not that I’m bitter) (well, maybe about the mini skirt thing).

Take a look outside. This might be your last chance to fire up the grill in 2012. Come December, when the Mayan’s pop in to say hello, you might wish you took the opportunity.

Especially when it comes with so much DIY goodness.

I’m a big fan of DIY meals.

(Remember when we made “Foe” (similar to Pho)? No one’s bowl looked the same. Yet they were all major Yum Town).

Today we’re exploring the popular South American DIY called Carne Asada, a.k.a. the most lovely barbecued meat you’ll ever nibble. Carne Asada can be found all over – from Mexico (hey, there’s those Mayas again), to the fine countries of South America. It is an especially fond part of the Paraguayan Global Table…and so here we are.

There’s no hard and fast recipe, but, according to Steve Raichlen (author of Planet Barbecue), a typical asada might include any combination of fresh lime juice, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper… Admittedly not a long list of ingredients, but they combine to form a burst of flavor that left my family fighting over the crusty end bits.

Once cooked, the meat is lovingly layered in soft flour (or corn) tortillas, along with whatever toppings sound good in the moment. It’s nice to provide onion, tomato, grilled peppers, avocado cheese, cilantro and another squeeze of bright lime juice. Raichlen suggests brushing the tortilla with the meat juices for added flavor.

Don’t be deceived by the simplicity. This is a flavor fest. Especially if you use beef flap steaks – thicker than skirt steak, more marbled and all around juicer.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 lbs beef, preferably “flap steak”
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp oregano
2 limes, juiced
black pepper, to taste
salt

Method:

Add the meat to a gallon sized zip lock baggie, along with the fresh lime juice, garlic, powder, pepper, oregano, and salt.

Zip shut and mash everything around until the ingredients are evenly dispersed. Marinate at least 1 hour, or up to 5 hours for stronger flavor.

Meanwhile, go for a little boat ride through Paraguay with friends. Work it.

Paraguay River and Asunción skyline. Photo by Motorway065.

When you get home, get all your toppings together. Grill and slice peppers, cube some avocado, slice limes and tomatoes, pile up a bowl of cheese, and a sprinkling of cilantro.

Don’t forget a healthy pile of tortillas. This fed the hungry gaggle we had on family vacation:

Grill the steak over medium heat to desired preference. I like to get mine to an internal temperature of 155-160F, which is about medium. The cooking time will vary depending on how thick your steak is.

And whether or not you’re using a travel grill while on vacation.

Propane. It works during burn bans.

Let rest a few minutes, then slice across the grain. Here’s what 3.5 lbs of carne asada looks like:

Put it all on a big platter and let everyone go to town.

DIY Dinner…

Wrap it up and enjoy a little bite of South America.

Happy Friday, friends.

Barbecued Meat | Carne Asada

Don't be deceived by the simplicity. This is a flavor fest. Especially if you use beef flap steaks - thicker than skirt steak, more marbled and all around juicer.

CourseMain Dish
LifestyleGrilling
Food TypeMeat, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Sandwiches & Wraps, Sasha's Favorite Recipes

Servings

Barbecued Meat | Carne Asada

Don't be deceived by the simplicity. This is a flavor fest. Especially if you use beef flap steaks - thicker than skirt steak, more marbled and all around juicer.

CourseMain Dish
LifestyleGrilling
Food TypeMeat, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Sandwiches & Wraps, Sasha's Favorite Recipes

Servings

Ingredients

2 lbs beef , preferably "flap steak"
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp oregano
2 limes , juiced
pepper , to taste
salt

Servings:

Units:

Instructions

Add the meat to a gallon sized zip lock baggie, along with the fresh lime juice, garlic, powder, pepper, oregano, and salt.
Zip shut and mash everything around until the ingredients are evenly dispersed. Marinate at least 1 hour, or up to 5 hours for stronger flavor.
Grill the steak over medium heat to desired preference. I like to get mine to an internal temperature of 155-160F, which is about medium. The cooking time will vary depending on how thick your steak is.

Dulce de Leche Stuffed Cookies | Alfajores

Sometimes we need a do over. A chance to get it right. And a little forgiveness.

Because in every mishap is a silver lining.

Especially when it comes to sweet, crumbly dulce de leche filled alfajores – the popular South American cookie. One bite instantly dissolves on the tongue into a cloud of tender lemon zest deliciousness. Divine.

But back to forgiveness.

Specifically, I need to forgive my sweet, bumbling husband for being so thoughtful as to fill up the cooler with ice for our 3 1/2 hour road trip, yet being so forgetful as to overlook returning the cookie dough to the cooler.

I need to let go of the grief that the cookie dough rode in the bed of our pickup truck, saran wrap in the wind, balanced precariously on top of my red suitcase, all the way to our family vacation in Beaver’s Bend. And I need to accept that, because it was 100F and sunny, the cookie dough could never be cooked.

In situations like this, it’s all about the silver lining.

You see, when I first made the cookie dough, Ava was at playschool and couldn’t help me. I’d wanted to wait for her, but we were rushing hard against a deadline to get on the road to Beaver’s Bend (hence the “we’ll bake them when we get there” situation I’d planned).

The second time around Ava was able to be at my right hand, helping me mix, shape, and bake the cookies. For Ava, this meant she was mostly on her tippy toes. We had so much fun putting this cornstarch and butter based cookie together. The trick was to try not to eat it all before baking.

The real prize of this cookie is the dulce de leche filling. This mild caramelized milk spread is the perfect complement to the whisper of lemon inside the cookie.While we’ve made homemade dulce de leche several times for this blog, I took a shortcut and purchased La Lechera Dulce de Leche (I found it at the local supermarket next to the condensed milk). I was delighted to find that it is a beautiful spreadable consistency – a lot like creamy peanut butter.

Makes about 3 dozen, 2″ cookies (or 18 sandwiches)

Ingredients:

16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large lemon, zested

2 cups cornstarch
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

4 large egg yolks
2 Tbsp brandy
2 tsp vanilla extract

1 can Dulce de Leche (or make it yourself)
powdered sugar

Method:

Let’s make bites of Paraguayan sunshine.

Río Paraná, in Candelaria, Misiones Province, Argentina. Photo by Alphamundo.

To do this, cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of a standing mixer.

In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (cornstarch, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).

Next, add the wet ingredients to the butter mixture, scraping the sides to incorporate well

NOTE: This should be FOUR egg yolks in the photo – I originally made half a recipe. Sorry!)

Beat in the cornstarch mixture to the butter mixture… little by little… until fully incorporated. A wet looking dough will form but it should not be sticky when you touch it. Shape into a disc and refrigerate about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, take a stroll through Paraguay – either along the dusty country roads or under the glow of an electric city.

Photo of Mont Tres Kandu is the Paraguay’s highest mountain, with a peak at 842 metres above sea level, by Felipe Méndez. Photo of Asunción, by Hugotetex.

But don’t get lost. You want to get back in time to clean the mixing bowl.

Ava can show you how.

Next, preheat the oven to 350F. Roll out the dough and cut 2 inch circles a little thicker than 3/10 inch (a.k.a. a little over a 1/4″). I like to pop them in the freezer for 15 minutes to help them keep their shape. The fridge works, too.

Bake 12-14 minutes, or until puffed. For nice, soft cookies you won’t want them to brown. Remove them from oven and cool on a cookie rack. Dust with a snowfall of powdered sugar once completely cool.

Spread with the dulce de leche and enjoy like they do in Paraguay – with cafe con leche…

… and a smile.

P.S. I have it on Paraguayan authority that, when assembling these cookies, one must use a soft touch. As you spread the dulce de leche and pop on the top, imagine you’re trying to sneak out of a sleeping baby’s room. That is the kind of soft touch I’m talking about. Otherwise, the cookies might crumble into a million pieces and float away. I messed up a couple of afajores before I got the hang of it, so you might want to start assembling the imperfect ones – just in case.

In the end it’s worth it. (Plus you know what to do with the mistakes…)

Enjoy with love from Paraguay to you.

Dulce de Leche Stuffed Cookies | Alfajores

The dough is a dream for kids to work with… since it’s mostly butter, there’s no sticky hands to deal with. I simply gave her smidge of dough, and she went to work making silly shapes. While she rolled and rerolled her dough half a million times, I was amazed to find that her cookies came out just as tender as mine (thanks to the light texture from the corn starch). The real prize of this cookie is the dulce de leche filling. This mild caramelized milk spread is the perfect complement to the whisper of lemon inside the cookie.While we’ve made homemade dulce de leche several times for this blog, I took a shortcut and purchased La Lechera Dulce de Leche (I found it at the local supermarket next to the condensed milk). I was delighted to find that it is a beautiful spreadable consistency – a lot like creamy peanut butter.

CourseAppetizers & Snacks, Sweets
LifestylePotluck Friendly, Vegetarian, Weekend Projects
Food TypeMiss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes

Servings	Prep Time
36 3" cookies (18 sandwiched cookies)	15 minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
12-14 minutes	45 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
36 3" cookies (18 sandwiched cookies)	15 minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
12-14 minutes	45 minutes

Dulce de Leche Stuffed Cookies | Alfajores

CourseAppetizers & Snacks, Sweets
LifestylePotluck Friendly, Vegetarian, Weekend Projects
Food TypeMiss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes

Servings	Prep Time
36 3" cookies (18 sandwiched cookies)	15 minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
12-14 minutes	45 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
36 3" cookies (18 sandwiched cookies)	15 minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
12-14 minutes	45 minutes

Ingredients

16 Tbsp unsalted butter , at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 large lemons , zested
2 cups cornstarch
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 large egg yolks
2 Tbsp brandy
2 tsp vanilla extract
15 oz dulce de leche (only a partial can will be needed)
powdered sugar

Servings: 3" cookies (18 sandwiched cookies)

Units:

Instructions

Cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of a standing mixer. In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (cornstarch, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).
Next, add the wet ingredients to the butter mixture, scraping the sides to incorporate well
Beat in the cornstarch mixture to the butter mixture… little by little… until fully incorporated. A wet looking dough will form but it should not be sticky when you touch it. Shape into a disc and refrigerate about 30 minutes.
Next, preheat the oven to 350F. Roll out the dough and cut 2 inch circles a little thicker than 3/10 inch (a.k.a. a little over a 1/4″). I like to pop them in the freezer for 15 minutes to help them keep their shape. The fridge works, too.
Bake 12-14 minutes, or until puffed. For nice, soft cookies you won’t want them to brown. Remove them from oven and cool on a cookie rack. Dust with a snowfall of powdered sugar once completely cool.
Spread with the dulce de leche and enjoy like they do in Paraguay – with cafe con leche and a smile.

Menu: Paraguay (& Giveaway)

Let’s talk enlightenment. When it comes to packing up the family, driving deep into the woods, and taking a little time to “get away from it all,” there’s still good reason to set a Global Table. In fact, when there’s nothing but you, trees, and a few muffin tins worth of family members, it’s the perfect time to try out something new. That’s what we did this week, when we ate Paraguay … in Beaver’s Bend State Park (way, way Southeast Oklahoma).

There aren’t as many distractions when you’re stuck in the woods. There is definitely no safety net… your snacks and zappable meals will be nowhere in sight.

Call it a captive audience, if you will.

Perfect for picky eaters.

What sounds good to you? All recipes and the meal review will be posted throughout the week.

Barbecued Meat | Carne Asada [Recipe]
Finger-licking grilled meat, seasoned with bright lime juice, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Delicioso.

Paraguayan Cheesy Cornbread | Sopa Paraguaya [Recipe]
This cornbread is so filled with goodies, it is practically a meal in itself. In each bite you’ll find peppers, onions, two kinds of cheese, and corn kernels. Hello.

Dulce de Leche Cookies | Alfajores [Recipe]
This delicate Alfajores is seasoned with a touch of lemon zest and layered with dulce de leche. The perfect accompaniment to cafe con leche.

THE GIVEAWAY:

In honor of our Paraguayan Cheesy Cornbread, I’m giving away a beautiful, hand made La Chamba ceramic baker from Williams Sonoma. While not exactly from Paraguay, it does remind me of some ceramics I saw while perusing Paraguayan goods (it’s actually from Colombia).

The cool thing about it is you can use it over open flames or in the oven… isn’t she a thing of beauty?

UPDATE: WEEKLY GIVEAWAY WINNER

“That is a really neat piece! I’d like to make some tandoori chicken in the oven with that! I usually use cast iron, but would love to see how it taste in that!”

Yum. Please email me by 9/24/12 to claim your handmade baker, Tabitha!

To ENTER:

Tell me what you’d bake or simmer in this La Chamba. Would you try lasagna? Paraguayan cornbread? Boston baked beans?

Leave a comment and you’ll be entered to win. It’s really that simple.

Bonus entries will be provided for those that tweet this giveaway with hashtag #globalgiveaway and/or share it on Pinterest and Facebook.

P.S. If we get 100 entries I’ll giveaway two, so tell a friend.

Leave your answer in the comments below. One winner will be chosen at random and announced in the Monday Meal Review on September 17, 2012. Prize must be claimed by September 24, 2012. There are no sponsors for this giveaway. I just wanted to share some global foodie love from me, to you. Enjoy!

About the food of Paraguay

a Flooded grasslands and savannas ecoregion of south-central South America. By Alicia Yo.

Paraguay (pronounced parag-why) is the first landlocked country we’ve cooked in a long, long while. To celebrate, we’re going to hang out in a local swamp. Appropriately dubbed “The Great Swamp,” this wet expanse stretches through Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia, and is home to more than 10,000 species of birds, reptiles, fish, and invertebrates, according to Environmental Graffiti. It’s gigantic.

P.S. The Great Swamp is considered by Environmental Graffiti to be one of the top ten swamps in the world.

So there’s that.

Tribo Indigena no Paraguai. Photo by Herr stahlhoefer.

While there, let’s sip on yerba mate – a bitter, hyper-caffienated tea served in a “mate” container and drunk through a bombilla (a straw with a built-in strainer. Brilliant invention, right?). In the summer, try chilled yerba tea mixed with herbs. This is called terere, a wildly popular Paraguayan drink. Speaking of summer – if the sun gets in your eyes, feel free to throw on a a carved leather hat – something local artisans produce (you might find them tucked away between pottery, jewelry, and wooden sculpture vendors).

When hunger strikes, there’s everything from carne asada (barecued meat) [Recipe] and all the fixings, to corn, corn, and more corn.

Jesuit Reduction in Trinidad, Paraguay. Photo by Markus Reckwerth.

Cornbread is a safe bet considering most Paraguayans don’t feel like dinner is done until they’ve nibbled on a slice. There are two main varieties called Sopa Paraguaya and Chipa Guazu (chipa has loads of corn kernels in it – yum) [Recipe]. You’ll find neat squares of sopa or chipa on the side of almost every meal (especially the soups – like chickpea and spinach soup – Garbanzo con Acelga, Pira Caldo – fish stew, or simple meat stews). There’s also corn mush and corn pudding, in case you’d still like some more.

Maps and flag courtesy of the CIA World Factbook. Photos of Asuncion by Motorway065 and FF MM.

You can finish your meal with cafe con leche and alfajores, the dulce de leche filled cookies so popular in many South American countries [Recipe]. Or you can bite into a Kosereva, a candied preserve made from molasses and sour oranges.

Or you can just watch the ladies dance with wine bottles on their heads (16 is the record, as far as I know).

Here’s the description of this competitive dance from The Logic of Long Distance:

The best performance of the night was the bottle-dance, a peculiarly Paraguayan dance in which the women shuffle and weave around the floor balancing wine bottles on their heads. It is a competitive dance. Most of the girls topped out around six or seven bottles. But two girls kept on stacking bottles on their heads. They had to bring a ladder to pile them on—eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen wine bottles stacked end to end on the top of the head of a dancing girl. The girl that won ended up breaking her record, balancing sixteen wine bottles on her head, outside on a windy day!

Monday Meal Review: Papua New Guinea

Asaro Mud Man. Photo by Jialiang Gao.

I hover over the dining table, scooping the tapioca and banana mush onto banana leaves to make saksak. The deep green leaves are soft and supple – completely relaxed from a pass over the licking blue flames on my range. I work slowly, eventually rolling each leaf into a rectangle shape, taking care not to spill any filling. I tuck each bundle securely in the steamer and, when I’m done, I click on the burner.

A few moments later, vapors slip out between the pot lid and the pot. Little wisps of banana scented air. The house smells beautiful.

Real life: later that night no one would eat these little rectangles of chewy, slippery banana tapioca dumplings.

No. One.

I had retreated to work on my speech for the Tulsa Global Alliance’s Global Vision Dinner (350 attendees – eek!) and left them to eat this Global Table alone. When I check the fridge the next morning, the little green packets are still there. Forlorn. With shifty eyes, Keith claims he didn’t see them. Later, I try to give one to Ava. Excited, she asks if they are the towers of sticky rice we did for Malaysia. When she discovers they are not, she runs the other way.

I stare at the uneaten pile of day-old saksak. After a moment a curious thought passes through my mind:

There can be only one winner.

The words echo in my brain like a rumbling voice over in a scary movie. This is what I was told in school.

I pull a now-chilled dumpling from the refrigerator and peel away the banana leaf. The somewhat rubbery dumpling tastes lovely, like banana pudding.

As I chew and ponder, I hear another voice. This one high and grating.

Everyone’s a winner.

The words rattle around my brain as I sit in the bedroom, pondering the failed saksak. This is the message my daughter will get at school: everyone’s a winner.

Which is it? Which is better?

Am I a winner because I tried the recipe and liked it?

Or am I a loser because I failed at enticing my family to try it?

In Papua New Guinea, there was once fierce warfare between tribes. The losing tribe members were killed – sometimes eaten – by the winning tribes. Today, the warfare has been herded, funneled, into competitive dancing. This dancing isn’t like West Side Story – it is safe, colorful, and fun.

There are elaborate masks and costumes. And, even though no one dies, there are definite winners and losers.

For now.

I wonder what the future will hold. Are we going to continue calling everyone a winner? Or are we going to recognize that sometimes losing happens. And learn from it. And maybe – just maybe – we can get back up again a little stronger from the loss?

THE FOOD

Autumnal Veggies in Spiced Coconut Milk [Recipe]

What I loved most about this dish:

This is the kind of food that can carry me into the heart of winter. There’s soul satisfying sweetness from the butternut squash and sweet potato. The spiced coconut milk is a thing of beauty. The nibble of green beans and fresh tomatoes are the exclamation points on already happy dinner. Even Mr Picky loved this one, saying he’d eat it again and again. I think it’s the lure of all those carbs bathed in gentle spice.

What I loved least about this dish:

Not much. You might want to play with how much coconut milk you use. I’d use quite a bit more if serving over rice, so the coconut milk can mingle with the grains. I went against Papua New Guinean tradition, however, and ate this as a stand alone meal.

Spicy Coconut Shrimp [Recipe]

What I loved most about this dish:

Everything. These shrimp were fresh, a bit spicy, and crunchingly great. I enjoyed the beautiful color and the delicate flavor. Mr Picky popped a handful of them back and gave his characteristic, stoic nod of approval.

What I loved least about this dish:

Ava refused to touch this one. She and shrimp have a thing they need to work out somewhere down the line.

Tapioca & Banana Dumplings in Coconut Milk | Saksak [Recipe]

What I loved most about this dish:

These traditional dumplings were as fun to make as they were to eat. I’ve never had anything like it – it’s a world apart even from the batons de manioc we made. The tapioca creates a firm, chewy bar of banana sweetness. While I can’t quite figure out how to get my family to eat it, I had fun with it.

What I loved least about this dish:

No one helped me eat this wild dish. I swear, just when I think we’re making progress, I’m right back at square one. I’ll have to try again with Keith as he claims he would have, if he had noticed them in the fridge.

Ava’s Corner:

WEEKLY GIVEAWAY WINNER:

*Winner from this week’s Papua New Guinean Menu Giveaway was selected at random by random.org. People gave me so many fantastic ideas for globally-inspired fall dishes that use Saffron Road’s signature stocks. Congratulations to Liz Carpenter, who said:

“Italian Lentil Soup that is a staple in our house as soon as the weather start to turn.”

Yum. Please email me by 9/10/12 to claim your shiny prize from Saffron Road, Liz!

Spicy Coconut Shrimp

Fact: Shrimp are like relationships. They should be warm and inviting. Not cold and clammy.

I’ve never been a fan of cold shrimp at cocktail parties. I eat them begrudgingly (if only because I’m an eternal grazer). All the while, I daydream of a crackling, crusty, and “fried-until-golden-brown” shrimp.

I’m not sure why I settle on cold and clammy at cocktail parties, but I do it every single time.

Thankfully, I didn’t make the same mistake when choosing my husband.

And, after this week’s Global Table, I may never do it again with shrimp.

While you won’t find Coconut Shrimp in the remote villages of Papua New Guinea, you will find it in the country’s coastal restaurants. In fact shrimp would be the dainty option; often they’ll use humongous prawns and serve spicy chili sauce on the side for dipping.

To give the shrimp authentic spice without sauce I added a sprinkle of brilliant cayenne… a spice the color of a Papua New Guinean sunset and a fishermen’s dream.

Fishing (Vunapope, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea). Photo by Tarotastic.

Ingredients:

1 lb shrimp, peeled & deveined, tails on

1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne for mild, or more to taste
1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup coconut milk

vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Method:

Paddle across the sea and sit crossed legged at the foot of a billowing volcano. It’s as good a place as any to blanket shrimp in fluffy layer of coconut panko breading.

Tuvurvur volcano – part of Rabaul Caldera –– Papua New Guinea. Photo by Taro Taylor edit by Richard Bartz.

Once you’ve studied several cloud animals as they roll out of the volocano, set up a shrimp dipping station.

In one bowl, mix up the cayenne, salt and flour. Go bold with the cayenne if you’d like. Personally, I was in the mood for mild.

Fill a second bowl with coconut milk use extras to make Cambodian Grilled Corn).

In a third bowl, combine coconut flakes with panko bread crumbs.

Follow the arrows from raw shrimp to breaded shrimp.

First go into the flour mixture, then the coconut milk, and finally the panko.

Tip: Once breaded, you may freeze the shrimp on a cookie sheet until firm, then combine into a freezer friendly container until needed.

You can also fry them right away in a shimmering vat of oil until golden brown (350F)

That’s what I did and they cooked in less than two minutes.

Enjoy these plump, juicy, hot, shrimp …. and dream of volcanoes so powerful they send a ripple of clouds through the sky on a breezy whim.

This is life on Earth and she’s ever so beautiful.

Spicy Coconut Shrimp

While you won't find Coconut Shrimp in the remote villages of Papua New Guinea, you will find it in the country's coastal restaurants. In fact shrimp would be the dainty option; often they'll use humongous prawns and serve spicy chili sauce on the side for dipping. To give the shrimp authentic spice without sauce I added a sprinkle of brilliant cayenne... a spice the color of a Papua New Guinean sunset and a fishermen's dream.

CourseAppetizers & Snacks
Food TypeMr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Seafood, Spicy

Servings	Prep Time
4 people	15 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
4 people	15 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Spicy Coconut Shrimp

CourseAppetizers & Snacks
Food TypeMr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Seafood, Spicy

Servings	Prep Time
4 people	15 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
4 people	15 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb shrimp , peeled and deveined, tails on
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne , or more to taste
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup coconut milk
vegetable oil , for deep frying

Servings: people

Units:

Instructions

In one bowl, mix up the cayenne, salt and flour. Go bold with the cayenne if you’d like. Personally, I was in the mood for mild.
Fill a second bowl with coconut milk.
In a third bowl, combine coconut flakes with panko bread crumbs.
Coat the shrimp in the flour mixture, then dip in the coconut milk, and finally coat with the panko.
Fry them right away in a shimmering vat of oil until golden brown (350F) - 2-3 minutes. Do not crowd: cook in batches, if necessary.

Recipe Notes

Tip: Once breaded, you may freeze the shrimp on a cookie sheet until firm, then combine into a freezer friendly container until needed.

Tapioca & Banana Dumplings in Coconut Milk | Saksak

I don’t make a lot of really, really weird things on this blog. You won’t see deep-fried tarantulas or monkey brains. This is because I feel strongly that regular people (and by that I mean regular-really-special-all-kinds-of-wonderful people like you), living in average towns (that they love with all their heart, like you do) should be able to replicate this adventure without pulling their hair out by the roots.

Simply put: the more people cooking the world, the better.

And I’m here to make it as easy as possible.

That being said, sometimes I run across really strange recipes made with really normal ingredients. These are like culinary goldmines for the stovetop traveler.

Unique learning experiences that are not an impossible nightmare to cobble together.

Fun, fun, fun.

Take today’s recipe from Papua New Guinea: Saksak, a.k.a. Sago Dumplings. This slippery treat is made with nothing more than tapioca, bananas and sugar, wrapped up in a banana leaf “blanket” and swimming in a warm coconut sea.

I found everything for the Saksak in our grocery store except for the banana leaves. Those were a half mile away at the Latin grocer.

Super convenient.

As for wrapping them up in packets? Good messy fun with just a little dash of weird. In the best possible way.

Asaro Mud Man. Photo by Jialiang Gao.

Inspired by a recipe found in the World Cookbook for Students and one on Nusantara’s Blog, which offers up a variation made with shredded coconut.

Ingredients:

2 cups tapioca pearls
3 bananas, chopped
3 Tbsp sugar, or to taste

banana leaves or aluminum foil for wrapping

1-2 cans coconut milk, as desired for serving (I used light)

Method:

Recipes like this are hard to quantify because locals generally make it by feel (thanks to years of experience).

To prep the tapioca, measure it into a bowl and cover with water. Immediately drain off what you can without using a strainer. This will leave enough water in the bowl to get them hydrated.

Not very scientific, but it works.

Add in the quartered and chopped banana and sprinkle on a snowfall of sugar. Squish and mix with hands until everything is evenly distributed. Take a little taste for sweetener and adjust as you’d like.

Place a few scoops on a banana leave and wrap up in a rectangular packet.

Note: banana leaves must be passed over a flame for a few seconds to soften before use. This will make sure they don’t crack as you fold and roll up your banana sago packets. You’ll see the banana leaf change color to a shiny green when it’s ready to use.

Steam the packets for about 15-20 minutes. You can peek into one of them to check for doneness. You’ll know they are cooked when the sago balls are completely translucent translucent with no traces of white (except for the banana pieces).

Refrigerate the packets until cool. Otherwise it’ll be next to impossible to remove them from the banana leaf.

Unwrap and serve in warm, silky coconut milk bath.

Take small nibbles. The dumplings will be firm and chewy, yet slippery… The flavor is mild, dominated by the banana’s subtle sweetness.

So I guess it’s true.

From time to time I do like to dip out toes a little bit into the slippery waters of the weird.

And, in the spirit of the unusual, let’s enjoy these by the ash dunes of Papua New Guinea.

Volcanic Ash Dunes of Tarvurvur, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. Photo by Tarotastic.

P.S. Are you in?

Tapioca & Banana Dumplings in Coconut Milk | Saksak

This slippery treat is made with nothing more than tapioca, bananas and sugar, wrapped up in a banana leaf "blanket" and swimming in a warm coconut sea.

CourseAppetizers & Snacks, Sweets
Lifestyle5-ingredients or less, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Weekend Projects
Food TypeFruit, Random Carbs & Grains, Sandwiches & Wraps

Servings

Tapioca & Banana Dumplings in Coconut Milk | Saksak

This slippery treat is made with nothing more than tapioca, bananas and sugar, wrapped up in a banana leaf "blanket" and swimming in a warm coconut sea.

CourseAppetizers & Snacks, Sweets
Lifestyle5-ingredients or less, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Weekend Projects
Food TypeFruit, Random Carbs & Grains, Sandwiches & Wraps

Servings

Ingredients

2 cups tapioca pearls
3 bananas , chopped
3 Tbsp sugar , to taste
banana leaves -OR-
aluminum foil , for wrapping
15-30 ounces coconut milk , whole or light

Servings:

Units:

Instructions

To prep the tapioca, measure it into a bowl and cover with water. Immediately drain off what you can without using a strainer.
Add in the quartered and chopped banana and sprinkle on sugar.
Squish and mix with hands until everything is evenly distributed. Take a little taste for sweetener and adjust as you'd like.
Steam the packets for about 15-20 minutes. You'll know they are cooked when the sago balls are completely translucent translucent with no traces of white (except for the banana pieces).
Refrigerate the packets until cool.
Unwrap and serve in warm, silky coconut milk bath.

Recipe Notes

Banana leaves must be passed over a flame for a few seconds to soften before use. This will make sure they don't crack as you fold and roll up your banana sago packets. You'll see the banana leaf change color to a shiny green when it's ready to use.