Monday Meal Review: Angola

This is meal #5 in my personal challenge to eat one meal from every country in the world. I am something of an “Eeyore.” I wear worry like it’s going out of style. These are just a few of the things I worry about when I put on a dinner party: – will the food taste good? – what if I burn the food? – what if the food is raw? – what if I don’t have time to finish the meal? – will my friends like the food? – will I like the food? So what about this weekend’s Global Table? I was unsure of three ingredients: the red palm oil, the habanero, and the prawns. All of these items were new to me and I had no way to predict how they would taste. Worse yet, I wasn’t even sure how to work with them. I overcame my Eeyore tendencies by telling myself that if an entire country eats these foods, they are probably pretty good! Turns out, I was right. For the fifth weekend in a row, things went great. …

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Angolan Peace Song

You may be aware that Angola was in civil war from 1975-2002 (after winning independence from Portugal). This war devastated Angola, but they are working hard to put the pieces back together. Here is a beautiful Angolan peace song (with English subtitles). Want to learn more about Angola? Read the story of 5 men who ride their motorcycles through Angola. Even if you aren’t interested in their story, I highly recommending looking through the photos. They really give you a sense of what the Angolan countryside is like. Here’s just one of a hundred photos (there are 50 pages of text and photos):

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Update: Picky Eater Syndrome

One of the reasons I started this project was to help my husband overcome his “picky eater syndrome.” Well, I thought it was about time I did some bragging on my husband. I’m happy to report that in just 4 meals he’s already come a long way. The first change happened about two weeks into the adventure. He stopped grunting “good” when I asked him how the food was. In fact, I haven’t really had to ask. He’ll just let me know. As someone who doesn’t like to beg for opinions, I can’t tell you how happy this makes me. On a related note, there’s nothing I love more than to eat a big meal and discuss the experience with friends. At our dinner parties we hash out the good, the bad, and the ugly.  My husband used to be really uncomfortable doing this (I suppose he was afraid of giving the “wrong answer”). Now that he realizes there’s no such thing as a wrong answer, he’s getting into the experience. Of course, I still have to remind him not to scrunch up his …

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Red Palm Oil

I first heard about Red Palm Oil on Tuesday, when I was digging around for Angolan recipes. I am cooking with it this weekend so time to get educated! Turns out there’s been a lot of hype about Red Palm Oil in the natural foods/health food world. With good reason. Red Palm Oil … –  is popular in parts of Asia, Africa, and Latin America –  has been consumed for thousands of years –  has a high smoke point (437F) –  is red because its high in beta carotene and lycopene. –  is a rich source of vitamin A (15 times more than carrots and 300 times more than tomatoes) –  is an extremely high antioxidant –  has been shown to help prevent cancer as well as slow tumor growth –  great for lowering cholesterol and seems to reduce the formation of blood clots –  is finding its way into many commercial foods as producers struggle to replace unwanted hydrogenated oils This last bullet point cracks me up. Leave it to modern man to dig himself into a hole by making unhealthy manufactured commercial products that slowly kill us, only …

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Menu: Angola

This week at the Global Table we’re eating like Angolans, lovers of hot and spicy food. I’ve never cooked with Habanero peppers, so I am eager for this challenge. Hopefully I don’t burn our mouths off! Camarao Grelhado Piri Piri (Grilled Prawns with peppers) [Recipe] Marinated Prawns in garlic, green onions, cumin, and habanero peppers Muamba de Galinha (Chicken Stew) [Recipe] Chicken seared in red palm oil, then stewed with pumpkin, okra, onion, tomatoes, and habaneros Baton de Manioc/Chikwangue (Cassava Sticks) [Recipe] Cassava (also known as Yuca) is soaked in water for 3 days, then ground into a paste and steamed in banana leaves. Cocada Angolana (Coconut Dessert) [Recipe] Use fresh coconut to make this pudding-like dessert.

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About Angolan Food: most like it hot!

In 1992 I moved to Paris. I brought my love of brownies with me. There was just one problem. No one sold or made brownies (there were amazing croissants everywhere, yes – but brownies, no). I was only 13 years old and I was homesick. By 1995 I went to extreme measures to get my hands on some brownies. I asked any American within shouting distance for a recipe. In a strange turn of events an Irish priest handed me a recipe scribbled on a scrap of paper. I’m not sure who told him about my plight but I was thrilled! I immediately got to work. I made brownies by the boatload. I brought them to school parties, friends’ houses, picnics, and so on. So what does this have to do with Angola? Food habits follow people,  migrating from country to country. Even as years and miles add up, cultures remain linked through food habits. Angola was a Portuguese colony for 300 years. 300 years! If I could infiltrate Parisian suburbs with brownies in 3 years, you better believe that the Portuguese significantly impacted Angolan food in 300. …

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Monday Meal Review: Andorra

Hitting stride with Andorra I’m really starting to figure out this whole “dinner party” thing. Knock on wood. Of course, the first two times I did this (Afghanistan and Albania) I was all nerves and chaos. Getting a small dinner for 4 to table with grace felt unattainable. I had never heard of most of the dishes and I did not know how to pronounce many of the ingredients. I was unsure of myself and although I enjoyed eating the meals, I spent the entire day locked in the kitchen in a mad state of panic. “Honey, could you please….? Oh, no I forgot… honey would you mind? CRUD!” were about the only things I managed to mutter from my own personal tornado. The good news is my timing gets better with each meal. Also, my stress level goes down. Finally, with Andorra, I enjoyed the entire process. You want proof? Exhibit A: For a brief moment I thought I might have to remake the dessert from scratch. I wasn’t even worried. Exhibit B: I was able to go out with my husband and daughter to grab a “commercial coffee of choice” and run some unrelated errands …

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Andorran Menu

Andorrans have a wonderful tradition of growing and hunting their own foods. Whether vegetables from a small garden, mushrooms found on a mountain path, or fish pulled from a nearby river, there’s nothing better than fresh picked flavor. Pa amb tomaquet [recipe] Toasted country bread rubbed with fresh cut tomato and garlic cloves Trinxat [recipe] Potato, cabbage, and fried bacon hash Grilled Whole Trout [recipe] A whole trout seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice and parsley. Warm Spinach & Mushroom Salad [recipe] Warm spinach tossed with sauteed wild mushrooms, garlic, raisins, and slivered almonds. Brac de Gitano [recipe] Apricot cream roll. Brac de Gitano means “Gypsy Arm.”

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About the Food of Andorra: Andorra, the explorer

Giant evergreen shrubs make the best hideouts. Their tallest branches form umbrellas as they sweep down to the ground. When I was a little girl I used to push my way through the prickly needles until I reached the open area in the middle. I could play for hours without being seen. I loved my secret hideout. Andorra is a lot like the giant evergreen shrubs.  Tucked away in the middle of the mountains between France and Spain, Andorra survived for centuries without being noticed or impacted by her neighbors. In fact, she just got her first university in 1997. Andorra is only 175 square miles (To give you some reference, that’s 30% of Tulsa county… or 37% of New York City). Population: about 84,000. Despite her small size, Andorra is perfect for explorers.  The tiny country boasts more than 60 lakes and 65 mountain peaks. Can you imagine all of that in a place 37% the size than NYC?! Incredible. Understandably, favorite pastimes include hiking and skiing. The country’s foods are a product of the geography. Here are several points regarding Andorran cuisine: For most of the country’s …

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Monday Meal Review: Algeria

A Timeless Algerian feast “Great.” My husband smiled. “I think dinner was really great.” Our friends quickly nodded in agreement. Basic words. But their warmth was balsam after a hectic day cooking. I might as well have won an Oscar. We sipped our Ceylon tea with fresh mint sprigs, savoring the memory of the meal we just enjoyed. Although we were going on four hours of sitting around the dining room table, no one made a move to get up. If that’s not indication of an enjoyable meal, I don’t know what is. (The spell finally broke when baby Ava woke up for her midnight feast). Aside from the company, our Algerian meal was a big hit for two simple reasons: big flavor and originality. Our favorite dishes were (by a mile) the chickpea Soup and the Hot Algerian Lasagna. I will be making both of these dishes again. The Algerian Recipes: Algerian Chickpea Soup | Hummus bi’l Kammun  [Recipe] What do I like most about this dish? This soup was smoky, earthy, and downright craveable. I cannot say enough good things about this soup. If you love …

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