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Croatian Holiday Nut Roll | Povatica

It’s all in the wrist. The secret to making good Povatica, that is. This famous Croatian Holiday Nut Roll gives its maker a workout. You will be rolling, and pulling, and stretching the dough until it is thin, thin, thin. We’re talkin’ paper thin, like a curtain of dough, blowing in the breeze. I bet Croatian grandmother’s everywhere compete for the most delicate, thin walled Povatica. (Note this bread is also common- under various names- in other areas, such as Poland, Austria, etc) Unlike cinnamon buns, which ooze fluffy bready goodness as much as anything else, Povatica is all about showing off the filling, framed by delicate layers of bread. And Povatica is worth the effort. Here’s one Croatian’s description of good Povatica: I’ve tasted many different versions of Povatica. Some are made with honey and tend to be heavy, others are too doughy. My grandmother’s version is, to me, the perfect balance of dough and filling. Made properly (with dough stretched thin), it is delectable. My mother put together the recipe while watching my grandmother make the bread, as …

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Comoros Sandwich

Serves 1-2 Piled high with juicy, sweet tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and rich eggs and mayo, this sandwich is popular in Comoros. Ingredients: 8″ piece of baguette (I had to buy wide-style – “rustique” so it holds more) 1-2 tomatoes, sliced 1 cucumber, sliced (or 1/2 an english cucumber) 3 hard-boiled eggs mayonnaise, to taste Method: Slice a baguette in half lengthwise… watch your fingers! Spread with a thin layer of mayo. Or thick, if that’s more your style. Next, place juicy slices of ripe tomatoes. The juices will seep into the bread a bit and make for excellent flavor. Add the cukes. I used English cukes so I didn’t have to peel them. Add a sunny layer of hard-boiled eggs. Ava loves hard-boiled eggs. She’s so wise for her age. Cover with the top half of the bread and … … slice up to eat! Share if you dare… Comoros Sandwich Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Piled high with juicy, sweet tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and rich eggs and mayo, this …

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Poached Egg Soup | Changua con Huevo

Serves 4 Rethink eggs! Poached eggs swimming in milky broth is a delicious Colombian specialty which is perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or a light dinner. You can easily make this soup vegetarian by using vegetable broth. Ingredients: 4 cups broth (vegetable or chicken) 2 cups milk 4 eggs 3 green onions, sliced sprig cilantro, chopped salt pepper Method: Add stock to a large pot. Sploosh. Then add milk. Splash. Heat the broth and milk to almost simmering. Meanwhile, spread some thinly sliced green onion on the bottom of the bowls. Sprinkle with some chopped cilantro, too. When a few bubbles barely break through the surface of the hot liquid, you are ready to drop your eggs in to poach. Except you never, ever “drop” them. If you do, they’ll break, separate, make a big mess…. Instead, Break the eggs into a small, heatproof ramekin and gently “dip it and tip it” into the water. Let me show you what I mean. In this picture the ramekin is actually on the water… and partially dips …

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Sichuan Hot and Sour Soup

Serves 4 Hot and sour soup is great to chase away the sniffles. Perfect soup for a chilly fall evening. Ingredients: 1 cup rehydrated, sliced wood ear mushrooms 1 quart chicken stock 1 tsp minced ginger 1 hot chili pepper (sliced if you want heat, leave whole for mild heat) 3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced 1/2 cup sliced bamboo shoots 1/8-1/4 cup soy sauce splash shao hsing wine 1/8 cup rice vinegar 14 oz. extra firm, sliced tofu 1 egg healthy pinch crushed sichuan peppercorns up to 3/4 Tbps chili favored sesame oil 1/4 tsp cayenne 2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp water Method: This is what wood ear mushroom looks like … if you are using dried, soak in hot water for thirty minutes before slicing. Add chicken stock to a large pot. Then begin adding the ingredients, one on top of the other. First my favorite, minced ginger. Then, the hot pepper. I wish I had cut it up to make things spicier The chicken slices … you could …

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Moo Shu Pork

Serves 2-4 However you spell it, Moo Shu (mu sh00, mu shu, etc) Pork is great Chinese food. Simple and quick, you’ll make this recipe over and over again. Note: If you don’t have the Shaohsing rice wine, dry sherry may be substituted. Ingredients: 3/4 lb pork shoulder, sliced thinly across the grain For the marinade: 3 Tbsp Shaohsing rice wine 1/8 cup cornstarch 1 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp oyster sauce For the sauce: 1 Tbsp Shaohsing rice wine 2 Tbsp oyster sauce 3 Tbsp soy sauce 2 Tbsp sugar For the stir-fry 1 tsp minced ginger 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 green onions, thinly sliced (plus one more for garnish) 1 pint shittake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced thinly 1 pint sliced chinese cabbage 1 1/2 cups sliced wood ear mushrooms 1 cup bamboo shoot strips 3 eggs scrambled Method: In a medium bowl, combine pork, cornstarch, shaohsing wine, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Toss to combine and let marinate about thirty minutes. Meanwhile, scramble two eggs and set aside. Assemble sauce ingredients. …

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South American Chicken Casserole | Pastel del Choclo

Serves 2-4 Sweet, savory, briney, …. the flavors in Pastel de Choclo are varied and incredible. Special thanks to Linda Bladholm for sharing this authentic Chilean recipe with me. I adapted the version that can be found in Linda’s book, Latin & Caribbean Grocery Stores Demystified. Ingredients: 2 lb rotisserie chicken, taken off the bone 2 onions, chopped 1 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp cumin pinch of cinnamon 5 olives with pimentos, quartered 1/4 cup raisins 2 hardboiled eggs, chopped 3 cups corn kernels 1/2 cup milk a few pinches of sugar for topping Method: Preheat the oven to 350F. Assemble your spices… … and shred up the chicken. Then, saute the chopped onion over medium heat until translucent and soft. Add chicken, raisins (I only had currants), and green olives. Green olives have a special, briney place in my heart. Then add chopped egg and spices. Stir to combine and warm everything through. Spread into a medium casserole. Easy! Next step is easy too… In a blender, puree corn with a little milk Mmm. Spread the corn …

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Cambodian Grilled Eggs

Makes a dozen eggs I met my match with Cambodian Grilled Eggs. My patience and sanity were pushed to the limits. Not one to take a beating, however, I salvaged what I could from this tricky recipe and ended up with twelve super tasty eggs. This popular Cambodian street food makes for a fun side dish at a barbecue. You’ll be *almost* stress-free if you prepare everything a day ahead, saving the last step for the barbecue itself. Definitely DON’T make this dish last minute. You’ll be cursing if you do. And that’s a promise. Heck, you might end up cursing anyway. NOTE: If you don’t feel like the hassle, this egg mixture would make wonderful scrambled eggs for a Cambodian inspired brunch. Special thanks to Steven Raichlen’s Planet Barbecue for the idea and Karen Coates for explaning how to make it happen. Ingredients: 12 whole eggs 1 tsp fish sauce 1 Tbsp brown sugar 1/4 tsp pepper Method: Using a large needle, carefully make a 1/4 inch hole in one end of the eggs (or …

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Savory Cheese Pastry | Banitsa

Serves 6 My husband is officially in love with Bulgaria. To be fair, he didn’t stand a chance. Second only to pure sugar, Keith loves anything that includes butter, pastry, or cheese. This recipe boasts all three, and in eye-popping quantities. Not to say it was love at first sight. It wasn’t. After all, my pastry skills are minimal. But, hey, we can all use a little forgiveness in the kitchen, from time to time. Especially when it comes to pastries. Thankfully, phyllo dough spreads, puffs and crackles haphazardly, hiding flaws brilliantly. Bulgarians serve this vegetarian cheese pastry room temperature or cold with plain yogurt on the side. Add spinach for a healthy variation. Note: Bulgarian yogurt, a little runny and decidedly tangy, is available for purchase at health food stores. Ingredients: 6 eggs 1/2 tsp baking soda 3/4 lb sirene cheese (or feta) 1/2-1 stick butter 1/2 package of thawed phyllo dough (about 21 individual sheets) Method: 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Melt some butter. NOTE: You’ll need half a ton of butter, or …

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Baked Milk Custard | Leche Asada

Serves 6-8 Leche Asada is super easy and quick to put together. This recipe fills 6-8 small ramekins or one large (1 1/2 quart) for family-style eating. You may want to set the custard in a water bath to make the cooking process more gentle. This will produce a very creamy, flan-like texture. Even without this step, this makes a great – dare I say – weeknight dessert. Ingredients: 6 eggs 3/4 cup sugar 2 cups milk Method: Preheat oven to 350F Crack 6 eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and milk. Whisk to combine. Strain all the icky egg stuff out. Much better! Now, pour into individual ramekins or one 1 1/2 quart ramekin. Bake for 30-40 minutes in the small ramekins or for 1 hour in the large. (Setting them in a water bath will make them creamier). Sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon if desired… and serve chilled, with a warm smile. Baked Milk Custard | Leche Asada Votes: 2 Rating: 1 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Leche Asada is super easy …

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Spiced Crab Custard from Benin | Crabe Beninoise

Serves 4 This crab dish contains a classic Beninese combination: onion, pepper, and tomato. Please use fresh tomatoes… I only had canned and the flavor of the can totally takes over (in a bad way). I know, I know. I should have my blog taken away from me for doing it, but I forgot to buy fresh at the store. Just proof that I’m human 🙂 Ingredients: 1-2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup onion, minced 1/2 cup diced tomato (I didn’t have fresh on hand so I had to use canned. I just chopped them a little finer) 1/2 serrano chili, minced (1 Tbsp of more mild jalepeno or even milder poblano can be substituted) 1/2 lb fresh lump crabmeat 3 medium eggs salt & pepper about 1/2 cup bread crumbs or gari Method: 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Add garlic, onion, tomato, chili pepper, crabmeat, egg, salt, and pepper to a medium bowl. 2. Spoon into 4 ramekins (these hold 3/4 cup ) (or clean crab shells, if you have access to them). 3. Sprinkle evenly with bread …

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Sweet Potato Pone

Serves 6 Sweet Potato Pone is a slightly spiced, dense custard-like dessert, reminiscent of pumpkin pie. Adjust sugar according to your tastes. This version will give you cavities on the first bite. Ingredients: 1 lb finely grated sweet potato 1 12 ounce can evaporated milk (or coconut milk) 1 egg 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp ginger pinch salt Method: 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Meanwhile grate sweet potato and combine all ingredients in a large bowl. NOTE: You want to grate your sweet potatoes as finely as possible. I think mine were too large because the texture, instead of being smooth, was rather coarse (see finished photo at the bottom of recipe) Perhaps a food processor could help in this situation? 2. Ladle into 6 individual ramekins (be careful not to overfill them. I did and they spilled over… making a sticky, ugly mess – give yourself about 1/4 inch buffer at the top). Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for one hour. Serve chilled. Optional …

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Liege Waffles

Makes about 6 waffles Liege waffles are dense, yeasty, and studded with pockets of sugar. When you eat one room temperature, the little bits of sugar crunch in your mouth – an unusual, but addictive experience. Ingredients: 1 cup melted butter (2 sticks) 3 eggs 1/3 cup lukewarm milk 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 tsp instant yeast 2 cups flour 1 heaping cup sugar cubes (or 1 cup pearl sugar) Topping ideas: powdered sugar, strawberries, etc. Method: 1. Whisk together wet ingredients: melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. 2. Add yeast. Let sit for 15 minutes, if you can stand to wait.  If you can’t, it’ll be okay. 3. Add liquid to flour. I made a well, but it seemed kind of pointless since there was so much liquid. The batter will be so thick you will not be able to pour it, but not so thick that it makes a dough ball. 4. Let rise in a warm, draft-free spot for about 1.5 hours, or until about double in size. Of course, if …

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