Serves 4 Hello summer, nice to see you again. This year let’s stay cool, no overheating, no frustration, no sweaty t-shirts. I have to admit I don’t think you’re playing fair – soaring above 100F in June, but I’ll take drastic measures to keep the peace, if need be. I can curl up in an ice bath. Thankfully, however, there’s something better and tastier: cold soup. Inspired by the Guyanese in South America and their love of Caribbean flavors, today’s special is mango and coconut-tastic. I’m ready to do laps in this chill goodness. The flavor is light – thanks to the coconut water – silky, even. This is high class – good for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Eat it by itself or eat it as a starter or eat it as dessert. Just eat it. Ingredients: 4 medium ripe mangoes (about 3.5 cups chopped) 1 1/3 cup coconut water (1 can) 1 cup yogurt 1/2 cup coconut milk 1/2 cup milk 1 Tbsp rum (white or dark) honey, if necessary ( I didn’t use …
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Serves 1 When I don’t have time for a bubble bath, I like to slip my dreams into a steaming hot cup of cocoa. Imagine my surprise (and joy) when I found out Guatemalans don’t make their hot cocoa quite like we do here, in the USA. Like their neighbors throughout Central America, Guatemalans make hot cocoa out of bars of pressed cocoa. Dry and crumbly, these hot cocoa bars are nothing like the creamy bars of chocolate we snack on. The good news? You can find them in your local Latino market and in the international aisle of some standard grocery stores. For more information and to see “the making of” these cocoa bars… see our post In Search of the Guatemalan Sweet Tooth. PS. Keep this recipe in mind around the holidays – Guatemalans love to sip a nice cup of cocoa with tamales during the Christmas season. Ingredients: 1-2 ounces (usually 1-2 squares) from a hot cocoa bar 1 cup whole milk 1/2 cinnamon stick, or powdered cinnamon to taste Method: First things, …
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Makes 1 1/2 quarts Pull up a chair. I have a secret to tell you. You are missing out on one of life’s greatest pleasures if you’ve never made homemade ice cream. I’ve spent many a summer day hovering over a spinning, whirring ice cream machine… waiting – rather impatiently- for the liquid to solidify into creamy goodness, just so I can eat it up with a spoon directly out of the container. The milk and cream mixture completes its glorious transformation in less than thirty minutes in a machine (which is a great plug and play alternative to the hand cranked models of yore). Today’s recipe comes all the way from Grenada yet tastes so familiar, almost like summertime eggnog, thanks to the addition of their pride and joy – the noble nutmeg. I call it ever-so nutmeg because it is ever-so good. The bonus? Our recipe is a little lighter than some ice creams, which typically include equal parts milk and cream. NOTE: If you purchased a 2 cup container of heavy cream, …
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Serves 8 (really this depends on the size of your mangoes) What would you make if you had milk and ginger root, but no refrigeration? What if you had mangoes but no ice cream machine or blender? You’d use up that milk as fast as possible – whip it up into a ginger custard and toss it with stewed mangoes! This is a high class treat in The Gambia, where real milk is far less common than imported powdered milk. As for the parfait glasses? Totally a Sasha-spin. Feel free to just dollop the cream with a gallop of mangoes in the center of a small bowl for rustic appeal. Inspired by “Stewed Mangoes” in The World Cookbook for Students. Ingredients For the stewed mangoes 3-4 small mangoes, diced 1/4 cup water 1/3 cup sugar, or as needed (if your mango is ripe you may not need any sugar) For the ginger custard 1 1/2 tsp packed fresh grated ginger 2 eggs 1 cup whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 1/3 cup sugar Method: First for …
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Makes about 1 1/2 quarts The Finns are a healthy bunch. Between foraging for berries and milking cows, it is no wonder that they also enjoy slurping blueberry milk – an antioxidant rich powerhouse of a drink. Not to mention – it’s blue – an underutilized color in cooking. Pretty cool in my book. This recipe is adapted from The Best of Finnish Cooking. They used half as much milk than I did – which would make a thicker and much bluer mixture. Play around and see what works for you. Ingredients: 1 pint blueberries 1 quart milk 1-3 Tbsp sugar 1-2 cups ice Method: If you have the time, I highly recommend milking a cow for this recipe. There weren’t any available this weekend, so I had to use the old standby – supermarket cow. Whole milk is best. Borrow a small child to help make this recipe. Miss Ava ate more blueberries than she added to the blender, so – if you do – be sure to buy extra. Splash on the milk. …
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Makes 1 giant loaf (or as many smaller shapes as you’d like) Pulla is the ultimate Finnish bread dough. Feeling sad? Shape it into a teardrop. Feeling confused? Twist the heck out of it. Feeling like Pippi Longstocking? Braid it! Feeling creative? Shape it into men, women and children. Feeling pregnant? Just make little buns, baby! There’s also plenty of choice in regard to flavorings. Pulla always tastes of glorious cardamom. After that? You can leave it plain or fill it. Sweeten life up with a bit of brown sugar, butter, and spices (that’s what we opted for in this recipe), or get things movin’ with some prune filling. You can even fill it after baking with a bit of jam and whipped cream. Usually this is assembled “hamburger style” with a bun sliced in half and whipped cream gilding the outer edges of a jam-burger. What to expect: No matter how you handle it, pulla should not be anywhere as sweet as a cinnamon roll. The soft, rich dough is quite a bit more …
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Makes one 8″ round loaf My sister and I whipped up this Eritrean-inspired sweet bread and proceeded to stuff our faces with it all day long, until even the crumbs were gone. The cumin flavor is unusual, but goes perfectly with the sweet raisins. While most Hembesha are made thin and extremely ornately, my sister and I decided to make this thick, quick and dirty version so we could spend more time playing with Ava on a balmy 70F degree day in February. And so we could have more surface area to slather the hembesha with butter. Purist or not, I hope you can understand the lure of springtime in the winter. Ingredients: 4 – 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour 2 tsp instant dry yeast 1/4 tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp cumin 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter, plus extra for brushing 2/3 cup raisins 1 tsp salt 1/3 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 cup lukewarm milk Method: Grease an 8 inch springform pan. In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the flour, …
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Serves 2-4 What is breakfast like at your house? Does one person eat more sugar than oatmeal? More syrup than pancake? That’s Mr. Picky. One day I fully expect him to eat a bowl of nothing but sugar. Meanwhile I just barely dust my breakfast with sweeteners. While eating, we take turns shaking our heads at each other’s crazy eating habits. Today, take your sugar out for a spin on a bowl of millet porridge, an African treat. Particularly popular in central Africa, you can make this dish as sweet as you like (although the characteristic whole grain/bitter flavor will remain strong in millet) – or you can leave it unsweetened for a more savory dish. Ingredients: 1 cup millet flour (available at African markets or some health food stores) 1/2 tsp grated ginger 1/8 cup sugar, plus extra as needed 1 cup water 1 1/2 -2 cups whole milk cinnamon for garnish, to taste Method: Good morning sleepyhead! Rub the fog from your eyes. Grating a little fresh ginger will help awaken the senses. This …
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Serves 3 In El Salvador, Atol is made with fresh corn kernels, milk, cinnamon, and sugar. My version is simplified for the home cook – but if you have the time, and if it is in season, cut the corn straight off the cob. Do it while listening to Salvadoran music, just because. Ingredients: 1 lb frozen corn, thawed 2 cups milk 1 cinnamon stick 1/4-1/2 cup sugar extra milk, as needed ground cinnamon for garnish Method: Add golden nuggets of goodness to a medium pot. Balance a cinnamon stick on top. Pour milk over the cinnamon stick… and click on the heat. While the milk is coming to a simmer, pour on the sugar. (If you don’t have a crazy wild sweet tooth, just add 1/4 cup. Also, if your corn is ultra sweet you may not need so much). Give everything a buzz with an immersion blender. Simmer about 15-20 minutes, then strain out all the fibers and yucky bits. Put those in your garden. Reheat the strained mixture if it cools down …
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Serves 6 Egyptians have been eating Um Ali for hundreds of years. Clifford A. Wright tells the story well: One day while hunting in the Nile delta, the sultan developed a ravenous appetite and stopped in a small village. The peasants wished to please the sultan, so the best cook of the village, Umm Ali, pulled out a special pan and filled it with the only ingredients she had around: some dried wheat flakes, sultanas [raisins], nuts, and coconut. She covered it with sugar and milk and put it in the village’s oven. Excerpt from A Mediterranean Feast As simple as can be, this sweet, milky blend of pastry, nuts, raisins, and coconut flakes will be a distinct addition to your Egyptian Global Table. Ingredients: 1 sheet of puff pastry, baked 1/4 cup almonds 1/4 cup raisins 1/4 cup coconut chips (or 1/8 cup shredded coconut) 1/8 cup sugar 1 cup whole milk 1 cup half and half Method: Bake the puff pastry according to package directions. It will turn into a giant, greasy pillow. Try not …
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Makes a gallon (4 quarts) If you’ve never had locro de papas, you’re in for a surprise. The fine people of Ecuador love this comforting and healthy soup, especially on a chilly day. And why not? Tinged orange from ground annato, most of the flavors remain familiar – potato, cheese, avocado, and cilantro. Feel free to substitute parsley if you hate cilantro. Just so long as you try this soup. You’ll love it. Ingredients: 1 onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1/2 tsp cumin 1 tsp ground annato/achiote 3 giant baking potatoes, peeled and cubed (each about 6″ long) 2 cups of milk enough water to cover the potatoes 1-3 cups extra milk for thinning to desired consistency salt & pepper 1 cup shredded cheese – cheddar or Monterey jack a palmful of chopped cilantro For the Garnish: chopped cilantro crumbled queso blanco 1-2 avocados, cubed green onion, sliced Method: Prepare yourself for an assault of deliciousness. First, cook the chopped onions in a large pot until softened. While they’re cooking, add in the crushed garlic… … …
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