About Chilean Food

Chile is a slice of South America as skinny as an asparagus and, yet, bursting with temptations for our Global Table! First, there’s Chile’s undeniable love affair with fish, eels, and anything that flips or flops (or slithers) in the water, along their rambling shores. Linda Bladholm, author of  Latin and Caribbean Grocery Stores Demystified, tells me they have the most incredible seafood. In an email to me she writes: I was in Patagonia, Santiago and the Atacama desert.  The best strange thing I ate was the picoroco or large beaked barnacle. It looks like a volcano and when heated, two claws emerge from the crater on top. They taste like  a cross between crab and lobster and are good in soup or baked. The Giant centolla crabs are like snow crabs on steroids. One leg makes a meal. For those who don’t have access to such exotic seafood, Chile provides countless dishes with beef and chicken, like empanadas. Another favorite is an unusual casserole containing meat, hardboiled egg, green olives, raisins, cumin and other spices, topped with …

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Monday Meal Review: Central African Republic & Chad

Please note: Due to last week’s illness, this meal review covers both Central African Republic & Chad. I’m not sure if anyone’s keeping track, but I haven’t had the best luck with yucca. At this rate, we’ll never be friends. First, there was the Baton de Manioc fiasco- for our Angolan Global Table. That night, after eating several of the batons, I blacked out – lost hearing and sight – crashed to the floor and went into shock. The scariest part? I was holding Ava. Thankfully Keith caught her as she was slipping out of my arms – head first, I might add – and kept her from tumbling down onto the tile. I still get choked up thinking about what could have happened that night. The doctor blamed dehydration, but I’m pretty sure overindulgence in yucca had something to do with it. Second, there was the yucca based sweet, Getuk Lindri – for our Brunei Global Table. Even after doing hours of research I was unable to make a good batch of Getuk Lindri. …

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Flour in Africa (with poll)

I bought an apron this summer. It was time to face facts. I’m 31 years old, I’m a mess in the kitchen, and I’m not getting any cleaner. Flour is probably my only regular fashion accessory (although I do love necklaces). In addition, flour is almost always my only chance at “makeup.” As I twirl through the kitchen, I regularly dust flour on my nose, through my hair, and – yes – even on poor little Ava. She’s really a good sport though – she hardly ever notices. So, in honor of flour’s persistent role in my life, let’s talk … flour. This photo shows millet and all-purpose, wheat flour. Around the world, people use all sorts of flour in their food, depending on access to native plants, special diets, and basic needs. In Africa, the most common are flours are Millet, Cassava, Tapioca, Teff, and wheat. In day to day life, flour is typically used to make one of the following items: porridge thick and starchy fufu dumplings fried beignets/doughnuts About flour in this …

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About the Food of Chad (TChad)

What a difference a few miles can make. Chad is divided into three main geographic zones – steamy Sahara dessert in the north, the central Savannah, and semi-tropical south. As the landscape changes, so too does the diet. From the north, to the south, very few cultural similarities connect the people of Chad. Northern Chad In northern Chad the people enjoy a diet rich in meat, particularly lamb. Savory pieces of meat might be grilled or stewed with vegetables, such as okra, peppers, onions, and tomatoes (recipe). Many dishes in the north are prepared with yogurt, butter, and milk. In fact, milk stands line the streets in Northern Chad – where busy shopkeepers blend tropical fruits like papaya and mango with milk, into refreshing beverages (recipe). Southern Chad Central and Southern Chad enjoy great quantities of fish, thanks to the plentiful waters of Lake Chad and the Chari River. Meat is not readily available and, with less emphasis on dairy products, lemonade stands dot the countryside instead of milk stands. General Food & Drink A …

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About the Food of Central African Republic

The dusty, rolling plains of Central African Republic (CAR) lead to fertile river beds in the south, and sandy desert in the northeast. Many people live on stewed greens, cooking whatever is available, including cassava (recipe), spinach, or kale. Groundnut butter (a.k.a. peanut butter) is used to add flavor and protein to food when meat is unavailable. Most often, greens are served with rice or foutou – a pasty mash of plantain or cassava. Groundnut butter is also used to add flavor to local desserts. Sometimes the creamy spread is cooked into sweetened rice for a particularly addictive treat which looks like tan rice pudding (recipe). Egusi, or melon seed, is particularly popular in Central African Republic. When finely ground, combined with hot chili peppers, tomato, and onion, the seed makes a thick sauce (recipe) to add interest to plantains, yams, rice, fish or grilled meat.

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Monday Meal Review: Cape Verde

My mom used to slather up dates with cream cheese for us kids. I hated the roach-looking things and never could stomach one. So, what exactly posessed me to try the avocado and date dip is beyond me. I suppose I’m trying to keep it real. Stretch my horizons. Expand my palate. Well, guess what? It worked. The sweet hint of dates actually works inside avocado! Hurrah. Score one for team Sasha. But no way I’ll ever eat a date with cream cheese. That battle’s long been lost. Peasant’s Cachupa [Recipe] What I liked most about this dish: The beauty of Cachupa is that you can use whatever ingredients you have on hand to make your own version – don’t like acorn squash? Fine, put in sweeter pumpkin. Wish it had some collard greens? Sounds wonderful – go to town! Too vegan for your tastes? No problem – you can make this stew a meat-lover’s delight, by adding in smoked and traditional Portuguese sausages. As for our version – the flavor of the hominy and …

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Drowned the Doom with Cape Verde (with poll)

We’re shipping off to Beaver’s Bend for a much desired, talked about, planned, dreamed about, already paid for … long weekend. There’s only one problem – the entire trip reeks of doom. Here are three reasons why: 1. Ava loves her crib and room. This, in turn, means that Ava does not love any other cribs or rooms. Upon placement in a foreign crib, she immediately morphs into insomniac zombie baby. 2. Ava is teething and has been waking up shrieking bloody murder several times a night, for the last three nights. Each time she does, my heart stops dead its tracks and I have to ask Keith to restart it. He’s a very patient man. 3. I have the flu. I spent all week trying to deny it, but the fever, chills, aches, and coughing fits won’t be ignored. Oh, if only things could be like this photo all the time, every day: But they aren’t. Last night I got a little overwhelmed. There I was thinking about these three sad facts and wringing my …

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About Cape Verdean Food

The magic of Cape Verdean food lies in its history. This cluster of ten tiny islands and 5 islets dotted off the west coast of Africa has only been inhabited since the 15th century, when Portuguese sailors stumbled upon them. Since that time, the inhabitants have developed a cuisine steeped in both African and Portuguese traditions. On any given day, fishermen can be found amidst the sea spray, casting their nets and lines in the shadow of volcanoes. They bring home prawn, shrimp, albacore, wahoo, grouper, and dorado. A brave few travel further from the coasts in hopes of bringing back a tiger shark, known to attack humans almost as often as Great White sharks. We made a wonderful spicy prawn recipe for our Angolan Global Table that is also eaten by Cape Verdeans. For a light lunch, this prawn dish could be served over a traditional Cape Verdean avocado and date salad (or dip). Cape Verde’s national dish is called Cachupa (recipe), a hodge-podge stew that includes whatever vegetables and beans the cook has on …

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Monday Meal Review: Canada

I poured the thick, grade A dark amber maple syrup into the pot and reluctantly added a cup of water to thin it out. Even still, the liquid was viscous, sluggish, sweet. Perfect for simmering dough until tender. I clicked on the range and watched as the syrup shimmered, swirled, and eventually bubbled up. Time to make the doughnuts. I mean… grandpères. One by one, I dropped small, sticky balls of dough into the simmering syrup and watched them dunk, then bob back up to the surface. “Are they ready yet?” Keith was breathing down my neck. A moment later his nose was an inch from the molten hot tub of sugary goodness. “You’ll get burned,” I warned, slapping his fork away. “What’s with you and forks for dessert, anyway?” I muttered. He laughed. You see, almost every time we eat dessert he uses a fork. And every time I ask him why. He also wears his socks inside out. The man is a mystery. Canadian Dijon and Maple Grilled Chicken [Recipe] What I liked …

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