Makes 1 giant bowl. Vinegar lovers unite! With very little effort you can have this Salvadoran slaw at your next barbecue or gathering. To be authentic, serve slightly “pickled” – about 1-3 days after making it. This should be vinegary and with the slightest hint of heat. Serve with pupusas. Ingredients: 1 cabbage, cored and sliced thinly 1/2 red onion, sliced thinly 2 carrots, grated 1 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1/8 cup olive oil salt and pepper, to taste (I put in 2/3 tsp salt) Method: Time to get out all your aggression on some red onion, cabbage, and carrot. Chop, chop, chop like there’s no tomorrow. Well really… slice thinly. Chopping is a bit too coarse for this recipe. When you’re done, mix the vinegar with olive oil, red pepper flakes and oregano. Add a little water if desired (maybe 1/8 cup) and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the veggies. Toss and refrigerate for 1-3 days. It gets better and better and … …
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Makes 18-22 cupcakes Don’t expect cheese and tortillas. Instead, think poundcake. Think party food. Think happy mornings, popping a few too many quesadillas in your mouth. In El Salvador they eat rich, buttery quesadillas in the morning with a big cup of coffee and I suggest you do the same. You’ll love the slight crunch of the sesame seeds in combination with the sweet/salty cake. I’m proud to say that this recipe was awarded First Place in food52‘s Gluten-Free Baking Competition. Best served with dulce de leche and a cloud of whipped cream. Ingredients: 1 cup rice flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 pinch salt 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 3 eggs 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup grated hard cheese, like cotija (parmesan can be substituted) sesame seeds, to taste Method: Get your baking shoes on! You’re about to whip up a batch of Salvadoran goodness. Gather your ingredients, then preheat the oven to 350F. Whisk together the rice flour, baking powder, and salt. Meanwhile, in a standing mixer, cream the butter with …
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Makes 6-10 pupusa Take a big bite of El Salvador with cheesy pupusas. Many locals eat pupusa several times a week – some are filled with beans, others meat. But, no matter how you fill it, there’s an art to shaping the mighty pupusa. Here’s Martha Stewart’s demonstration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kShxKY1mrPM Here are four things I wish I knew when I got started: Make your dough fairly moist. Play with the consistency. You don’t want a lot of cracking on the edges. The one Keith is holding is perfect. My others (pictured in the recipe) were a little dry and as a result, not so great. Rub vegetable oil on the pupusa before you put it on the griddle. This will keep it from – ahem – drying out. It will also give it a pretty, golden color. The one Keith is holding is nice and golden. The others are pale because I forgot this step. Make the pupusa thinner for a cheesier effect. Use salt. It really pulls the flavors together. By making sure I did …
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Makes 1 cup Want to drink a rose? White Coffee is the fabulous way to be romantic. Just boil a pot of water and 15 seconds later you’ll be sipping on a hot cup of romance, relaxation and restful enjoyment. Although called white coffee, this popular Middle Eastern drink is really a caffeine-free blend of hot water with floral essences, spices, herbs, or aromatics. Our version is made especially for Valentine’s Day with one of the most popular variations, rose water. Psst, it helps to serve this drink with a bundle of pretty, pink roses. Ingredients: 8 oz hot water 1-2 tsp rose water sugar cubes Method: Get out one of your favorite tea cups. It should be delicate, old, and – even when empty – full of memories. This tea set came from two places. I purchased some of them at an antique mall right after college, in Connecticut (oh, about 9 years ago). The rest once belonged to Keith’s grandmother in Oklahoma. She had the same exact set. Is that fate or what? …
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Makes about a quart On the streets of Cairo, Egypt, people on their way to work stop by a street vendor to grab a few bites of Ful Medames. They hover around, scooping the dip up with Egyptian flatbread – a sight as common as an American dunking a donut into their coffee. This breakfast of champions is full of protein and… thanks to all the goodies drizzled on top?…. totally, utterly addictive. Ingredients: 1 onion, chopped 2 tomatoes, chopped 2 15 oz cans fava beans, drained and rinsed *these should be small, round fava beans not the giant ones we see in the dried foods section. salt Garnish: Fresh chopped parsley 1 lemon, juiced 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped (optional) olive oil Serve with pita bread wedges Method: In a medium pot add onions… … tomatoes … and fava beans Splash in some water… enough to almost cover. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for about 45 minutes or until the flavors meld nicely. Puree or mash the beans. …
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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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Serves 6 In Egypt, there are entire restaurants devoted soley to the production of Kushary. Giant vats are filled with the necessary ingredients and kept warm over low heat. With each order, a quick-moving server walks their ladle through the vats, filling the customer’s bowl up to the brim with pasta, rice, lentils, spicy tomato sauce, and fried onions. While it is difficult to reproduce this type of assembly at home, it is possible to layer all the ingredients in a casserole and keep warm. This is how we’ve approached this mega popular Egyptian dish. NOTE: If it seems a bit overwhelming, think about breaking this recipe up over a few days (make the pasta and sauce one day, the rice and lentils anther day…) just keep everything refrigerated until you’re ready to assemble. Ingredients: 1 cup dry macaroni 1/4 lb angel hair pasta, broken into 1-2″ pieces 1/8 cup olive oil 1 1/2 cups long grain rice 1/2 cup dry lentils Garnish: 1-2 onions, sliced thinly and pan-fried in olive oil 1 batch Spicy Egyptian …
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Makes 2 cups Spicy, garlicky, and tangy, this “doctored” tomato sauce goes great with pasta, rice, or all of the above (a.k.a. kushary … noodle, rice and lentil casserole). Feel free to tone down (or up) the heat, if you like things a little milder. Often extra sauce is placed on the table so diners can heap it on in whatever quantity desired. Ingredients: 1 can tomato sauce (15 oz) 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1/2 tsp cayenne (or to taste) 1 tsp vinegar salt (only needed if your sauce is “no salt added” sauce) pepper Method: Add tomato sauce to a small pot. Stir in the garlic, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Drizzle in the vinegar. Give the mixture a stir and let simmer for five minutes, or until the garlic is cooked through. Serve over Kushary, or anything else that needs a little kick! Spicy Egyptian Tomato Sauce Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Spicy, garlicky, and tangy, this “doctored” tomato sauce goes great with pasta, rice, or all of the above …
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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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I’m not sure what Saturday morning breakfast looks like at your house but make me one promise… some Saturday soon… whip up one of these crazy open-faced cornmeal omelets. Tip: make life easier on yourself and cook up the cornmeal with dinner, the night before. Happiness is just two eggs away! Serves 1 For the omelet: 1 tablespoon butter 1/8 cup green onion 2 eggs 1/2 cup cooked cornmeal 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro 1/4 cup shredded cheese (monterey jack and cheddar blend) Garnishes: Shredded cheese Cilantro Green onion Method: Whisk eggs together with cooked cornmeal. Add in the cheese, cilantro, green onions, salt, and pepper. Melt butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Trust me on the non-stick part. I tried to make this in a regular pan and it stuck like crazy. When the butter is sizzling, pour in the egg mixture. Cover and cook gently. The goal is for the top to be cooked before the bottom burns. Gentle heat is your answer. Sprinkle with cheese and let melt. Cover again if …
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Warm salsa is a novelty to me, but not to lovely Ecuador. They love spooning this nutty, oniony mixture over potatoes, but it is also enjoyed with anything from chicken to guinea pig. For a more fluid salsa, add extra milk and puree to desired consistency. Adapted from Latin & Caribbean Grocery Stores Demystified by Linda Bladholm. Makes 2 cups Ingredients: Oil 1 Tbsp whole Achiote/annato (available whole or ground) 1/2 tsp cumin 1 small onion, chopped 1 cup unsalted peanuts 3/4 cup milk palmful of coarsely chopped cilantro salt & pepper to taste Method: Have you ever had a warm salsa? No? Let’s remedy that. Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a medium skillet. Add annato and cook until the oil is stained red. Now.. this is very important… REMOVE the annato from the oil. I forgot and, let me tell you, these puppies stay very crunchy. Fry your onions in the stained oil until soft and caramelized. Add the cumin… Unsalted peanuts and milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for …
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Sweet, cinnamon-loaded apple empanadas are perfect for popping at parties. Popular throughout south and central america, these tidbits will be gone before you can put the tray down. Try serving warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of dulce de leche. Makes 4 dozen 3 1/2″ empanadas Ingredients: 2 batches of empanada dough For the filling: 4 cups peeled, chopped apples (about 3 medium apples) 1/2 cup sugar 1/8-1/4 cup raisins 1 tsp ground cinnamon 4 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp cornstarch 1 egg to brush on the pastries before baking 3 1/2″ cutter Method: First, prepare the empanada dough. Next, put on a happy song while you peel and chop the apples. Preferably this one from Ecuador. When you’re chopping go a little smaller than I did (it will make it easier to fill such the empanadas). Gather the rest of your ingredients… in a moment the sweet apples, cinnamon, sugar, and raisins will make your entire house smell like “good.” Melt butter in a pan with sugar and cinnamon. Add apples and …
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