Working with Dried Beans

Take a stroll down the beach. White sands. Crystal waters. Beans. If you’re in the Caribbean, chances are you’re going to have beans on your plate at least once during your stay. Beans show up most famously in ‘Peas n’ Rice.” Don’t be fooled by the absence of the word “bean” in the title, though. In this case “peas” refers to the bean called Pigeon Peas (or Black Eyed Peas). As an alternative Peas n’ Rice is sometimes made with kidney beans. If you don’t end up eating Peas n’ Rice, you’ll probably end up eating a spicy soup or side dish made with black beans. Dried beans are healthy and cheap. I used to be one of those people who popped open a can of beans whenever I needed them. Then I found out that a can of beans contains my daily allotment of sodium. Unable to stand the guilt, I started to use dried beans. Dried beans contain no sodium, so the power is in your hands to make them as healthy (or unhealthy) as you …

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Menu: Barbados

Thank goodness you guys aren’t subjected to the agonizing decision process that goes on in my house each week. It literally takes me two days of sifting through recipes to narrow things down. My husband deserves an award for the moral support he gives so freely. Anyway, from all the great options in Barbados, I finally decided on a solid menu of “comfort food.” Bajan Sweet Potato Fish Cakes [Recipe] Large flakes of Mahi Mahi blended with mashed sweet potato and seasoned with onion, pepper, and parsley. Substitute your favorite white fish if Mahi Mahi is not available. Bajan Peas N’ Rice [Recipe] This common Caribbean side dish comes to life in Barbados with your choice of pigeon peas or kidney beans, rice, and parsley. Spiked Coconut Water [Recipe] This stout, mildy sweet drink mixes coconut water with coconut rum and fresh lime juice. Serve over crushed ice. Bajan Christmas Puddin’ (Pound Cake with Cherries) [Recipe] Although this pretty pound cake is most common at Christmastime, locals enjoy it all year round. Bake in a …

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About the food of Barbados

A couple of years ago my husband spent a week in Chicago for a work training program. Every day his teacher spent 4 hours off-topic, gushing about his trips to the beautiful island. You’d think this would make my husband an expert on Barbados, but unfortunately he didn’t take notes. Also known as “Little England,” the island of Barbados is an ethnic melting pot. Although the majority of the Bajan people originally came from Africa, the people and the cuisine are also peppered with influence from South America, England, India, and China. The result? A unique and diverse food culture. Mainstays include fish, seafood, and more fish. The list includes some funny names like flying fish and wahoo (like a mackerel), and dried cod (salt fish), smoked herring, conch, crayfish, grouper, and snapper. Fish is served a multitude of ways – including fried (in a cornmeal crust), baked, stewed, in fish cakes, and grilled. England is one of the dominant influences because Barbados was a British colony for over 300 years. As a result, popular sweets include …

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Monday Meal Review: Bangladesh

Entertaining tip: If the food is going to be spicy, invite people who can take the heat! Sounds like a no-brainer, but little details like this are important. Not knowing your guests’ preferences can turn a great night into a total buzz-kill. “Oh, I didn’t know you don’t like spicy food!” “Oops, I had no idea you were allergic to shellfish.” “What do you mean, you are vegan!?” “What does kosher mean?” “Oh, you don’t approve of drinking alcohol with lunch?” See what I mean? Awkward, awkward, awkward. Bangladeshi food is intensely spicy both in heat and flavor. That’s why it was important to find a guest who could appreciate this. As a hostess it is so more much fun to watch people enjoy the experience you created for them, rather than “fake” enjoyment. Thankfully my husband and our friend Joe (from Joe’s Burger Search) enjoys sweating over their meals. Joe likes hot food so much that he actually makes his own habanero hot sauce in his kitchen, simultaneously creating a 15 foot wide cloud of homemade …

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The Wild Weather of Bangladesh

Happy Friday, everyone! Here’s a few fun facts about Bangladesh: – the country earned it’s independence in 1971. – “Bong” is a nickname for people whose mother tongue is Bengali (this applies to people in Bangladesh and some parts of India – check out Desihomecook’s comment on this post. – The weather is terribly dangerous. Floods, cyclones, tornadoes, and tidal bores are almost yearly occurrences. According to Wikipedia: In September 1998, Bangladesh saw the most severe flooding in modern world history. As the Brahmaputra, Ganges and Meghna spilt over and swallowed 300,000 houses, 9,700 kilometres (6,027 mi) of road and 2,700 kilometres (1,678 mi) of embankment 1,000 people were killed and 30 million more were made homeless with 135,000 cattle killed, 50 square kilometres (19.3 sq mi) of land destroyed and 11,000 kilometres (6,835 mi) of roads damaged or destroyed. Two-thirds of the country was underwater. There were several reasons for the severity of the flooding. Firstly, there were unusually high monsoon rains. Secondly, theHimalayas shed off an equally unusually high amount of melt water that year. Thirdly, trees that usually would have intercept rain water had been …

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Menu: Bangladesh

In my hunt to find the perfect combination of recipes I read this old saying, “Mach-e Batth-e Bangali” (“Fish and rice make a Bengali” – “the country of Bengal” is the direct translation of Bangladesh). This saying gives a snapshot of what daily meals are like on the river delta where fish are plentiful and rice is handy. If you have time a pot of Basmati rice goes wonderfully with this menu. Other great sides include naan and chapati breads. PS. The potatoes were hot. Not advised for children, unless you are ok with the side effect: laser eyes. Potato Curry (Aloor Dom/Aloo Dum) [Recipe] Small red potatoes cooked in a blend of spices including cardamom, cinnamon, red chili powder, ginger paste, and onion. Fish and leeks in Hot Mustard Sauce (Sorse Bata Diya Maach) [Recipe] Even when marinated overnight, a hearty fish like trout or salmon holds up to a spice bath of turmeric, mustard, cumin, garam masala, cilantro, ginger, and garlic. Spinach Bhaji (Palong Shaak Bhaji) [Recipe] Spinach stir-fried with panch phoron, the Bangladeshi 5 …

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About the food of Bangladesh

Once in a while I hear a word which causes the most curious knee-jerk reaction harking back to my formative school years. For example, whenever I hear the word “Bangladesh” my mind automatically and violently spits back “Dhaka!!!!!” Take this to be a testament to my 7th grade geography teacher. Similar reactions occur when I hear Lima (Peru!!!!!), or Bhutan (Thimphuuuuuu!!!!).  The exclamations marks are subtle compared to how passionately these words materialize. Once out of my subconscious, they rattle around my brain for hours, like a song you can’t get out of your head. So here we are in Bangladesh (Dhaka!!!!) where the climate is tropical and the weather is sunny with alternating floods, droughts, and typhoons. Although more than half of GDP is generated through the service sector, about 45% of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector, with rice as the single-most-important product. (Source: CIA World FactBook) Let’s talk a bit about their food. Generally speaking, the food of Bangladesh is reminiscent of Northern Indian and Middle Eastern food. Some of the spiciest …

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Monday Meal Review: Bahrain

This is meal #13 in my personal challenge to eat one meal for every country in the world. “Shrimp Balls?” my husband asked, frowning. “We’re having Shrimp Balls for dinner?” “Yeah. Like Meatballs. Only Shrimp. You’ll love them.” Technically I was lying since I never had a shrimp ball in my life, I wasn’t looking forward to trying them, and  I wasn’t even sure why I decided to make them. I know. You’re wondering where my integrity is. I promise you, my heart is in the right place. Sometimes little white lies are necessary if I’m going to beat his Picky Eater Syndrome. Trust me. Still unsure? Well, let me tell you a secret. He was a big fan. He liked the shrimp balls more than I did. So there. Roasted Eggplant Dip (Uukkous Al-Badinjan) [Recipe]   What I liked most about this dish: I’m in love. Really in love. As in… I’m never making baba ganoush again. As you know, I am a big fan of making food ahead so that I can enjoy the party. …

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Eating Out in Bahrain (Polls)

Hope your week was lovely! Here are a few fun facts about food and culture in Bahrain: – Souqs are the markets in Bahrain: Historically, souqs were held outside of cities in the location where a caravan loaded with goods would stop and merchants would display their goods for sale. Souqs were held when there was a caravan or more available. At that time, souqs were more than just a market to buy and sell goods; they were also major festivals and many cultural and social activities took place in them. Later, due to the importance of the marketplace and the growth of cities, the locations of souqs shifted to urban centers.  (source: Wikipedia) – Rumor has it there are no Bahraini restaurants in Bahrain. Sounds unlikely, but this advice holds true, no matter where you travel: if you want to eat authentic food, go to someone’s house. – Italian and Lebanese restaurants are preferred by locals. – When drinking ‘gahwa’ (Arabic coffee) be sure to shake your cup side to side when you are full. …

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Menu: Bahrain

In the traditional recipes I’ve oggled, Bahraini fuse Middle Eastern cuisine with spices from India. Sounds great to me! I’m always dragging my husband to both sorts of restaurants. How great that I’ll be able to eat both in one bite. I’m particularly looking forward to trying the variation on rice pilaf. Roasted Eggplant Dip (Uukkous Al-Badinjan) [Recipe] A tantalizing blend of roasted eggplant, garlic, olive oil, chili pepper, paprika, lemon juice, and parsley. This reminds me of a spicy baba ganoush, without the tahini. Bahraini Shrimp Balls (Chebeh Rubyan) [Recipe] Shrimp pureed with rice flour, turmeric, and cilantro. The shrimp paste is then formed into balls, stuffed with a seasoned onion mixture and simmered slowly in a chili tamarind sauce. Rosewater Rice Pilaf (Mulhammar) [Recipe] Basmati rice steamed rosewater, cardamom, saffron, ghee, and sugar. Although slightly sweet, this dish is not a dessert, but is served with main courses. Apricot Fruit Leather (Quamar-el-Deen) [Recipe] This “fruit roll-up” is eaten during Ramadan throughout the Middle East. For a variation, the leather can then be dissolved …

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