Week 4 - Austria and Bhutan

Not a combination you would normally see alongside each other. But incredibly, both are landlocked countries, although Austria is nearly twice the size, and both are mountainous.

Austria
- Linzertorte (Or jam tart, as my son called it)
- Cherry Strudel
- Wiener Schnitzel

I used the recipes from a previous blog when we had travelled to Austria. Although I did a very simply Cherry Strudel. I had some frozen cherries, which I de-frosted and mixed with a tin of cherry pie filling. I then layered some bought filo pastry on the work top - two sheets with an inch overlap, then covered it in melted butter and repeated this until I had five sheets. Spread the cherry filling then rolled it up and baked for 30 -40 mins. It was lovely, so easy to do - my husband wanted custard with it, which we did and it scored a 10 / 10!

Bhutan
- Phaksha Pa (pork with vegetables)
Something wasn't right with this dish for my husband and I, although my son loved it!

- Ema Datshi (chilli cheese stew)
As I was going to serve this to a nine year old I slightly changed it. I stewed down some peppers, as well as the onions and tomatoes, and reduced the chilli content. I don't eat cheese and neither my son nor husband like feta, so I used a paprika cheddar, as I still wanted to get the 'kick' that this dish gives. It was still a strange combination for them, yet they loved it - despite it being quite hot (I had some, without cheese in)

- Momo Dumplings
I had fun and games with getting wonton wrappers. I looked into making them myself, but was a little afraid I wouldn't get them thin enough. I also explored substitutes and then made a decision. Now, the purists among you will not like this, but I decided to fuse Austrian and Bhutan cuisine. So, I used the filling from the momo dumplings, but used filo pastry and turned them into a savory strudel. I served it with the Ema Datshi and we all thought it worked brilliantly!

Phaksha Pa (pork with vegetables)
Source: http://ediblyasian.info/recipes/phaksha-pa (accessed 02/FEB/2017)

Ingredients • 1 medium onion [about 4 ounces, 110g], peeled and quartered • Fresh ginger, peeled and cut into a 1 -inch [2. 5cm] cube • 1 medium daikon or white radish [about 31/2 ounces, 100g], peeled, halved lengthwise. • 1 stick unsalted butter [4 ounces, 8 tbsp, 115g] • 1 pound boneless pork shoulder [450g], cut into 6 by 1/2 inch [15 by 1.25cm] strips • 1/2 cup water [120ml] • 2 tablespoons chili powder • 2 teaspoons salt • 3 large heads bok choy [about 3 pounds total, 1.3kg], stems removed and leaves cut into 1/2-inch [1.25cm] strips • 6 ounces dried pork [170g], cut into 3 by 1/2 inch [7.5 by 1.25cm] strips • 1 large fresh green pepper [about 1/2 ounce, 15g], seeded and cut into julienne strips

Directions:

Dice the onion reasonably finely
Slice the ginger and crush it in a pestle and mortar. Set aside. Slice the daikon with the thick [6mm] slicing disc.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the pork shoulder, onion, daikon, water, chili powder, and salt and simmer over low heat until the pork is just tender, about 1 hour and 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the bok choy in a saucepan of boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.
Add the ginger, bok choy, dried pork, and chili pepper to the stew and simmer over low heat until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes.
Makes 6 servings [about 7 ounces each, 200g].

Ema Datshi (chilli cheese stew)
Ingredients

• 250g of chillies (green and of medium hotness)
• 1 onion chopped longitudinally
• 2 tomatoes
• 250g Danish Fetta cheese
• 5 cloves of garlic, finely crushed
• 3 leaves of coriander
• 2 tspoon vegetable oil

Directions
Cut chillies longitudinally (1 chilli = 4 pcs). Put these chillies and chopped onions in a pot of water (approx. 400 ml). Add 2 teaspoon vegetable oil. Then boil in medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add tomato and garlic and boil for another 2 mins. Add cheese and let it remain for 2-3 mins. Finally add coriander and turn off the heat. Stir. Keep it closed for 2 mins. And then you are ready for a treat of good Ema Datshi. Serves 3. As always, serve with a generous portion of red rice or polished white rice, along with some other dish.
Note: The cheese that is actually used cannot be found outside Bhutan. They are a local farmer’s cheese with a unique texture that doesn’t dissolve when put in boiling water. None of the Bhutanese outside Bhutan that I know have found a good substitute yet. Other’s have suggested “farmer’s cheese” or a mixture of various kinds of cheeses. This dish is VERY HOT.
Contributer: Kunzang Namgyel. kn15@uow.edu.au

Momo Dumplings

source: http://www.mytaste.com/click/index/2591407/food.com (accessed 05FEB2017)

Ingredients                

Yield 4 dozen dumplings                                                                      

For the dumplings

¹⁄₂ lb yak meat or ¹⁄₂ lb beef, ground

¹⁄₂ onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 ounce Chinese wine (xiaoshing)

2 teaspoons flour

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, finely minced

1 (12 ounce) package wonton wrappers

1 few large lettuce or 1 cabbage leaf

For the dipping sauce

¹⁄₄ cup soy sauce

¹⁄₄ cup rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon chili oil

1. With your hands, thoroughly mix the ground meat with the onion, garlic, xiaoshing, flour, soy sauce and jalapeno.
2. Lay out a few of the wonton wrappers and spoon a small amount of the filling into the center of each.
3. Fold the wonton wrapper in two and then pinch the edges to make a tight seal.
4. Line your steamer basket with the cabbage or lettuce leaves.
5. Add the dumplings (don't let them overlap) and steam for 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, mix the dipping sauce ingredients.
7. Serve the dumplings hot with the dipping sauce.

Week 3 - Armenia and Bangladesh

Well, my nine year old son picked an Armenian recipe out of a cook book we had. It was fiddly to do, but he loved it - as did the rest of us. I served it usually with the Bangladesh dish 'dolma' and it worked, in a strange way...

He also liked the fact that it had never frozen in Bangladesh, due to its low laying and tropical terrain and its national animal is a tiger! Apparently all children in Armenia are taught chess at school - that's pretty interesting and they are passionate about wine and apricots; not a bad combo. It sounds an amazing country, and one that will go on my bucket list.

Armenia - Manti
Bangladesh - Dolma
Bangladesh - Balushahi (a cross between a welsh cake and doughnut!)

Armenia - Manti

I made a pasta dough, but other recipes used an egg.
1 1/2  cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup water

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING:
1/2 pound ground lamb (or beef or both)
1 small onion, shredded or grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp red pepper powder or paprika
pinch black pepper
2 Tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup oil or melted butter to brush on the mantis

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SAUCE:
2 cups water or beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon red pepper paste (can use a few drops of tabasco sauce instead or red chili sauce)
pinch of salt and black pepper and paprika
2 cups yogurt
1/2 tsp garlic paste with salt
1 tablespoon red pepper powder (Aleppo pepper) or sumac or a few drops of chili sauce


1. Combine the meat with the spices and grated onion and parsley; set aside in a bowl covered in the fridge.
2. Make the manti dough; place in a mixer bowl the flour, salt, spices and add the water and oil mix until the dough is smooth, moist but firm. Roll it up in plastic wrap, set it aside for one hour or two. When ready to make the manti, roll it out as thin as possible and cut it into small squares, about 3-4 cm in size. According to some website you can get special rolling pins. I just rolled out the pastry, thinly and cut it to size. It took some time, but I had the radio on, so it was good time!
3. Place a small amount of meat filling on each square and pinch both ends simultaneously so that the dumpling looks like a tiny boat. Grease a pan and place each manti side by side on the pan. Gently brush the top of the manti with the melted butter or oil (or spray oil on the surface)
4. Preheat the oven to 350F and roast the mantis until they take on a golden color.

NB I didn't do the rest of this, as I served it with something else. However, I have included the full recipe:
5. Meanwhile, heat the water, red pepper paste and tomato paste which will be used to baste the manti, making sure the mixture is almost boiling; pour the sauce all over the manti and reinsert in the oven. Leave in the oven for about 10 minutes or so or until the manti have absorbed the sauce almost entirely. Meanwhile, whip the yogurt and garlic with a fork till smooth and pour into a saucer to serve alongside. 
6. Serve with yogurt and a dash of red pepper powder or sumac or a few drops of chili sauce on top of the yogurt sauce.
The sauce etc is from: http://www.tasteofbeirut.com/manti/ (accessed 03FEB2017)


Bangladesh - Dolma
Source: https://www.banglarecipes.com.au/tomato-dolma-tomator-dolma/ (accessed 27JAN2017)

400 grams mince meat

6-8 tomatoes(small size preferable)

1 and ½ tbsp. finely chopped onion

1/4 cup onion paste

2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

½ tsp chilli powder or to taste

½ tsp black pepper powder(optional)

2-3 green chilli chopped

1 bay leaf

2 cardamom pods

½” cinnamon stick

2 tbsp breadcrumbs

½ cup milk

1 tsp sugar

3 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

This is the recipe from the web, however I cooked my tomatoes in the oven and then made a separate tomato sauce with a tin of toms, and the spices cooked it down for about 40mins, then added some milk and continued cooking. The tomatoes took about 30mins in a medium oven to cook; as I didn't want all the fat from the meat in the dish. It was delicious....

1. Use a sharp knife to slice the top off each tomato. Use a teaspoon to scoop out seeds and flesh and set aside.
2. Mix mince, chopped onion, chopped green chilli, ½ tsp ginger paste, coriander leaf, bread crumbs and ½ tsp salt together; stuff each tomato and make kofta(meat ball) with rest mince mixture.
3. Heat the oil and add bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon stick.
4. After a minute add onion paste and sauté 2 minutes.
5. Add ginger, garlic, chilli powder and salt; cook till oil is separated. Add milk and bring to boiling point.
6. Add sugar and pepper; give a stir and stuffed tomato and meat ball in the gravy.
7. Cook in under closed lid 6-8 minutes or till you get your preferable gravy consistency.
8. Serve Tomato Dolma / Tomator Dolma with rice, polau or even with paratha / roti.

Bangladesh - Balushahi

Source: https://www.banglarecipes.com.au/balushahi-2/ (accessed 27JAN2017)

Ingredients

Flour(maida) – 1 and 1/2 cup)

Ghee – 1/3 cup

Baking soda – 1/2 tsp

Greek yogurt – 1/3 cup

Sugar – 2 cups

Mace – 1 flake (optional)

Oil – for fry

Mawa for garnishing

1. Make sugar syrup with sugar, ¾ cup water and mace and keep aside.
2. Sift flour and soda bicarbonate into a large bowl
3. Add ghee to flour mixture and crumble it.
4. Add the beaten yogurt and knead into a soft dough (use as much yogurt you need to make soft and pliable dough. Don’t make smooth dough). Cover the dough with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and allow it to rest for at least half an hour.
5. Divide the dough into 18-20 equal portions. Make the dough balls, balls will not be smooth and will have cracks all around; make a deep dent in the centre of the balls.(check the picture)
6. Heat enough oil on medium heat. Gently slide in the prepared dough balls (don’t overcrowd as Balushahi will expend to about 1-1/2 time and they should not overlap.) and deep-fry on low heat. Frying in low heat is very important; otherwise it will not be cook inside.
7. Turn them over twice and fry till they turn golden. Take out fried Balushahi’s over layered of paper towel so it can absorb the extra oil.. It will take about 10-12 minutes to fry each batch.
8. Soak Balushahi in the syrup all around for 5 minutes and remove them. Garnish them with mawa and Mouthwatering flaky Balushahis are ready (though I will prefer to wait 2 hours before serve Ballshahi).

Week 2 - Andorra and Bahrain

Andorra isn't that much smaller than Bahrain, however the population size is enormous!

We liked our meals from both these countries and were surprised along the way...

Andorra: Escudella (stew)
Andorra: Cunillo (Rabbit stew)
Bahrain: Muhammar (sweet rice) dish

Bahrain - Machboos (chicken with rice)

Andorra: Escudella (stew)
source: http://travelbystove.palfreymedia.com/andorra-recipes-escudella.asp (accessed 23JAN2017)
This was lovely, although I didn't put in the pasta.

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry white beans (I used a 16 oz package of the small white ones)
• 1 ham bone
• 1 marrow, bone
• 3 chicken thighs (the recipe called for 1/4 of a chicken, but boneless-skinless is so much easier)
• 14 ounces raw pork sausage, rolled into balls
• 1 thick ham steak, cut into chunks
• 1/2 head green cabbage
• 1 large white potato, cut into large chunks
• 1/4 cup uncooked rice
• 1 cup pasta shells
• 1 cup canned garbanzo beans
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Roll the raw sausage into one- or two-bite sized balls.
2. Rinse the dry beans in cold water.
3. Meanwhile, cook the sausage balls over medium heat.
4. Dice the ham.
5. Put the beans, sausage, ham, chicken and bones into the pot with 8 cups of water.
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer, covered for two hours. The chicken should be very tender, almost falling apart.
7. Remove the bones and bring the remaining stock and meat back up to a boil (if there isn't a lot of liquid you can add more water).
8. Add the cabbage, potato, rice, pasta shells, garbanzo beans and salt and pepper.
9. Cook for another 30 minutes, or until the potatoes and rice are tender.

Andorra: Cunillo (Rabbit stew)

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/andorran-cunillo-rabbit-in-tomato-sauce-499353 (accessed 23JAN 2017)

I must admit, ours looked much nicer the photo suggests!

1 rabbit jointed (about 1.5kg) or you can use chicken thighs

¹⁄₄ cup white vinegar, about

1 -2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 onions, sliced

500 g crushed tomatoes or 500 g chopped tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

250 ml white wine

120 ml water

salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Wash the rabbit and rub with a little vinegar then joint and cut into about 15 serving pieces.
2. Add olive oil to the base of a large cast iron casserole dish and fry the rabbit in this until nicely browned. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Add the garlic, onion and tomatoes to the pan and fry gently for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the bay leaf, thyme and oregano. Now add the white wine and water and increase the heat so the mixture comes to a boil.
5. Reduce the volume by about half then add the rabbit and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
6. Reduce to a simmer, cover securely and cook gently for about 90 minutes, or until the rabbit is tender.

Bahraini Muhammar (sweet rice) dish

source: http://www.food.com/recipe/traditional-bahraini-muhammar-sweet-rice-dish-304145 (accessed 23JAN2017)

This is one of the most famous Bahraini dishes. It is a sweet rice dish which is typically served with fish. I just wanted to add: this recipe calls for 6 cloves, HOWEVER, I think it REALLY ONLY NEEDS 2 cloves! I did 3 cloves, for two of us and it was fine.

This was our surprise, I did it with Cod, as this fitted in with Andorran food too, as well as peas and oven cooked cherry tomatoes in olive oil and basil. Really nice.

Ingredients                                  

Servings 6                                                                                                                                                                                            

2 cups basmati rice, washed

¹⁄₄ teaspoon saffron

2 tablespoons rose water

3 cardamom pods, cracked

6 cloves (see Note above!)

1 cinnamon stick

¹⁄₄ cup ghee or ¹⁄₄ cup butter

¹⁄₂ cup sugar

1. Soak together saffron, cardamom, cloves, and rosewater; leave aside to steep.
2. Add rice to 6 cups of lightly salted boiling water: boil to half cooked - about 8 minutes; drain.
3. Stir sugar through the hot rice.
4. Heat the ghee or butter in the same pan the rice was boiled and add the sweetened rice. Sprinkle the rose water mix on top.
5. Cover the rim of pan with a cloth or paper towels and place lid on tightly.
6. Cook over very low heat about 20-25 minutes. Transfer to serving platter.
7. Top with melted butter.Directions

Bahrain - Machboos (chicken with rice)

Source: http://www.daringgourmet.com/chicken-machboos-bahraini-chicken-rice/ (accessed 23JAN2017)

"Chicken Machboos, or Machboos ala Dajaj (“spiced chicken and rice”), is the national dish of Bahrain, a small island country in the Persian Gulf neighbored by Saudi Arabia and Iran.  Machboos is similar to Biryani (from the Indian subcontinent) and Kabsa (from Saudi Arabia), all with varying cooking methods, ingredients, degree of spiciness, and assembly.   But all three are essentially meat and rice dishes."

Ingredients

• 2 large onions, diced
• 3 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon baharat (see recipe below)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• A combination of chicken thighs, legs and breasts (about 3 pounds)
• 1 hot green chile, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 5 large cloves or garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 large roma tomatoes, diced (or 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, juices drained)
• 2-3 dried limes (loomi), several holes punched throughout each one
• 5 green cardamom pods
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 stick cinnamon (about 2 inches long)
• 2½ teaspoons salt
• 2½ cups chicken stock
• 2 cups basmati rice (soaked for at least 15 minutes, then rinsed and drained)
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• Rosewater for sprinkling (optional, but recommended)
• For the Homemade Baharat:
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1 cinnamon stick (about 2 inches long)
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• ¼ teaspoon green cardamom seeds
• 1 tablespoon paprika powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• For the Baharat:
• Set the paprika and nutmeg powders aside. Place all remaining ingredients (whole seeds, cinnamon stick and cloves) in a small frying pan and dry roast over medium-high heat, tossing regularly to prevent scorching, for 3-4 minutes or until very fragrant. Transfer to a spice or coffee grinder and let cool. Add the paprika and nutmeg and grind all the ingredients to a fine powder. Store left over baharat in an airtight jar.

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and fry the chicken pieces on both sides until the skin is brown and crispy. Transfer the chicken to a plate and leave the remaining oil in the Dutch oven.
2. Add the ghee (or butter), reduce the heat to medium, and fry the onions until starting to brown, about 10-12 minutes.
3. Add the ginger, garlic, and green chile pepper and saute for another 2 minutes.
4. Add the baharat and turmeric and cook for another minute.
5. Return the chicken pieces to the Dutch oven along with the tomatoes, dried limes, cardamom pods, cinnamon, ground cloves and salt. Add the chicken stock and stir to combine. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for one hour.
6. Add the cilantro, parsley and drained rice and stir to combine. Return it to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for another 15-20 minutes until the rice is done and has absorbed the liquid.
7. Transfer the chicken and rice to a serving dish (either leave the chicken pieces tossed in with the rice, or place the chicken on top of the rice), and sprinkling with 1-2 tablespoons of rosewater (optional).
8. Serve with a green salad and yogurt raita.

Week 1 - Another adventure! Eurasia...

2016 didn't quite work with the different foods from different counties of Britain. Although we did follow it, for a fashion, throughout the year. But we found that each county has very similar foods, but called different things - such as Welsh Cakes, we had these several times under different names.

So, at the end of 2017 the family sat around and discussed 2017 challenge and came up with Eurasia! Each week we will cover an European country, as well as an Asian country and maybe have a meal which blends both. Something we are doing differently this year, is working through them in alphabetical order rather than 'pick randomly' out of a box.

Week 1 - Albania and Afghanistan

Menu for the week:
Albania - Leek Casserole (Tave me Presh)
Albania - Mixed Vegetables (Turli perimesh)
Afghanistan - Chelo nachodo (chicken & chick-pea stew with rice)
Afghanistan: Meatballs With Noodles Tossed In Yogurt

Our combined meal were the meatballs with the Mixed veg as well as a version of Afghanistan rice.


Albania - Leek Casserole (Tave me Presh)

I sourced several places for the recipe including: http://albaniantranslators.com/recipes.html (Accessed 19JAN2017). There are other variations which thicken the casserole and add more flavour, but we kept to this one. One website suggested eating it with bread, and this was really nice - specially if you let the juices be absorbed by the bread!

Servings: 4
Ingredients:

2 lbs leeks
1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 lb ground meat
1 tablespoon tomato sauce
Mild red pepper
Salt
Pepper

Cooking Instructions:

Cut off the green leaves from leeks; wash and cut leeks slantwise into 1-inch thick slices. Sauté in a little oil and place in a baking pan. Sauté onion and ground meat in remaining oil. Add beef stock, tomato sauce, red pepper, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Pour meat mixture over the Sautéd leeks. Bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees F. Serve hot.

Mixed Vegetables (Turli perimesh)
We all loved this one, which we had with Afghanistan meatballs!


Servings: 4
Ingredients:

2 lbs various vegetables (peppers, eggplant, okra, zucchini, potatoes, etc)
1/2 cup oil, divided
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup peeled chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt
Pepper

Cooking Instructions:

After cutting off inedible tips of vegetables, wash and slice them into 1-inch squares. Sauté vegetables in half of the oil and remove them from the frying pan. Sauté onion and tomatoes in the remaining oil, and season with parsley, salt, and pepper. Put everything in a stock pot with a cup of water, cover tightly, and simmer until almost all moisture has cooked away. Serve hot, accompanied by steak, meatballs, or any other main dish.


Afghanistan: Chelo nachodo (chicken & chick-pea stew with rice)
source: http://www.asian-recipe.com/afghanistan/afghan-meat-dishes.html#che (accessed 19JAN2017)

I cooked rice my own way...
Here is a family-style dish to be served any time of year. It is a substantial soup stew, well seasoned in Afghan style & combined w/a crispy-bottomed rice provides contrasting texture to stew. The stew & rice are served separately.

Ingredients

Yield: 6 servings Ingredients:

• 5 c -water
• 4 Chicken legs and
• 4 Chicken thighs, loose skin -discarded
• 4 Chicken thighs, loose skin -discarded
• 1 c Dried chick-peas, soaked in -water overnight & drained
• 2 md (1 cup) onions, chopped
• 1 Rib celery w/leaves, sliced
• 1 lg Carrot, sliced diagonally
• 1 (1/2 lb) zucchini, sliced
• 1 ts Salt, or to taste
• 1/4 ts Pepper
• 1/4 ts Ground cumin seed
• 1/4 c Fresh coriander, chopped
• 1/4 c Fresh dill, chopped
• 4 c Water
• 1 ts Salt
• 2 c Raw rice, well rinsed
• 1/4 c Corn oil

Directions

1. To prepare stew: Bring water to a boil, add chicken pieces, & remove foam as it cooks. Add chick-peas, onions, celery, carrots, zucchini, salt, pepper, & cumin seed. Cover pan & cook over moderate heat for 45 mins. Add coriander, dill, & lemon juice & simmer over low heat for 15 mins more. This is sufficient to tenderized chicken & ingrate all seasonings.
2. To prepare rice: Bring 4 c water & salt to a boil in pan. Add rice & cook over moderate heat for 5 mins. Drain rice in colander & rinse w/cold water. Return rice to pan and pour oil over all. Cover pan & cook over low heat for 1/2 hr. No other water is added & rice cooks only moisture clings to it after rinsing. The rice will develop a crisp bottom layer.

Serve rice & stew separately. Each diner takes their own portion of rice & covers it w/as much stew as they wish. Serve warm.
VARIATION: 2 lb of boneless beef chuck cut into 6 equal pieces may be used in place of chicken, but cooking will take longer. Cook beef stew over moderate heat for 1 hour. Add coriander, dill, & lemon juice, reduce heat to low, & simmer, covered, 1/2 hour more, or until beef is tender. Recipe: “Sephardic Cooking” by Copeland Mark — 600 Recipes Created in Exotic Sephardic Kitchens from Morocco to India — Copyright 1992 Published by Donald I. Fine, Inc., New York, N.Y. D. Pileggi

Afghanistan: Meatballs With Noodles Tossed In Yogurt
source: http://www.asian-recipe.com/afghanistan/afghan-meat-dishes.html#che (accessed 19JAN2017)
I only did the meatballs from this recipe

4 servings
Serving Size : 6
MEATBALLS

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 spanish onion finely chopped
• 6 large ripe plum tomatoes core — peel, chop
• 4 sun-dried tomatoes finely chopped NOODLES
• 1 pound fresh fine egg noodles in Asian markets
• 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh mint chopped

Directions

For the meatballs:
In a bowl, combine the beef, cinnamon, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, salt, pepper, and half of the garlic. With clean hands, mix thoroughly, then shape the meat into 3/4-inch meatballs. Set them aside.
In a large, flameproof casserole, heat the oil, add the onion, and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until it is very soft. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the meatballs. Cook, turning them often, until they lose their pink color.

County 9 - Doctor Foster's Home!

Over ninety per cent of Gloucestershire is countryside, over half of which is designated as an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (ONB). The county is dominated in the East by a band of limestone hills known as the Cotswolds and to the west by the ancient Royal Forest of Dean. The Cotswolds hills rise to over 1,000 feet at Cleever Hill, a place that is wonderfully scenic and quintessentially English. The lush countryside and picture-postcard villages makes this area of Gloucestershire a highly popular tourist destination.

The River Severn runs through Gloucestershire from north to south. The Severn Valley is about 8 miles wide in the north and known locally as the Vale of Gloucester. To the south of Gloucester it narrows to become the Vale of Berkeley.

Britain's Severn Bore (a large surge wave that travels inland along the estuary of the River Severn) is a spectacular natural phenomena and is one of the largest in the world. The Severn estuary is shaped such that the incoming tidal waters are funneled into an increasingly narrow channel, as the tide rises. This forms a large wave that can travel all the way up the river to Gloucester.

http://www.travelaboutbritain.com/gloucestershire/gloucestershire.php (accessed 02.03.2016)

 

CUISINE

I found that local delicacies include: Double Gloucester - a soft mellow cheese made with full cream milk and Gloucestershire Squab Pie - lamb and apples topped with a swede and potato mash.

 

OUR EXPERIENCE

I was born in Gloucester, but didn’t live there for long, so I was intrigued by what we would have. The pancakes were lovely, better eaten as cooked than warmed up later but still not bad. We had them with syrup, so not a waist friendly meal, but a lovely warm treat on a rainy after school run. We also had them as a pudding after homemade chicken soup – delicious. The pie was tasty, although the recipe I had used a pastry top instead of the swede and potatoes mash. I think either would work. The apples just disappeared, the meat was tender enough and the beauty was I could quickly assemble and then cook. 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Pancakes...................87

Squab Pie..................85

 

Gloucester Pancakes

6 oz flour

1 tsp baking powder

4 oz shredded suet

1 egg, beaten

salt

milk

lard for frying

Mix the flour, salt and baking powder. Rub in the suet. Knead in the egg and sufficient milk to get a firm dough. Roll out 3/4ins thick and cut into 2 ins rounds. Fry in a little melted lard until golden brown on both sides. Serve with warmed syrup or jam.

Source: English Favourite Recipes published by J Salmon

 

Squab Pie

You'd be forgiven for thinking this dish might contain young pigeons, otherwise known as squabs, but this pie has always been made with lamb; which is set off by the sharp apple and spices.

 

SERVES 4

225 g (8 oz) plain flour salt and pepper

50 g (2 oz) butter

50 g (2 oz) lard

700 g (1 1/2 lb) lamb neck fillets, sliced into 12 pieces

1 large cooking apple, peeled, cored and sliced

450 g (1 lb) onions, skinned and thinly sliced

1.25 ml (1/4 tsp) ground allspice

1.25 ml (1/4 tsp) grated nutmeg

150 ml (1/4 pint) lamb or beef stock

fresh milk, to glaze

 

1. Put the flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter and lard until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add enough cold water and mix in to form a firm dough. Knead lightly until smooth, and then chill until required.
2. Place half the lamb in the base of a 900 ml (1 1/2 pint) pie dish. Arrange half the apple slices and half the onion slices over the top. Sprinkle over the allspice and nutmeg and season to taste. Repeat the layers, and then pour over the stock.
3. Roll out the pastry to fit the dish and use to cover the pie, moistening the edges so the pastry is well sealed. Use any pastry trimming to decorate.
4. Brush the pastry with milk and bake at 200°C (400°F) mark 6 for 20 minutes.
5. Reduce the temperature to 180°C (350°F) mark 4 and cook for a further 1 hour 15 minutes.
6. Cover the pastry if it shows signs of becoming too brown. Serve hot.
    
   NB Can do a swede and potato mash topping.
   Source: http://www.allbritishfood.com/gloucestershire%20squab%20pie.php (accessed 03/03/2016)

Country 8 - South Yorkshire

The main settlements of South Yorkshire grew up around the industries of mining and steel manufacturing. The main mining industry was coal which was concentrated to the north and east of the county. There were also iron deposits which were mined in the area. The rivers running off the Pennines to the west of the county supported the steel industry that is concentrated in the city of Sheffield. The proximity of the iron and coal also made this an ideal place for steel manufacture.

 

Although the modern county of South Yorkshire was not created until 1974, the history of its constituent settlements and parts goes back centuries. Prehistoric remains include a Mesolithic "house" (a circle of stones in the shape of a hut-base) dating to around 8000 BC, found at Deepcar, in the northern part of Sheffield. Evidence of even earlier inhabitation in the wider region exists about 3 miles (4.8 km) over the county boundary at Creswell Crags in Derbyshire, where artefacts and rock art found in caves have been dated by archaeologists to the late Upper Palaeolithic period, at least 12,800 years ago. The region was on the frontier of the Roman Empire during the Roman period.

 

 

OUR EXPERIENCE

I so wanted to make the Parkin, but when I realised I had to wait 5 days for best results I knew we would eat it after the South Yorkshire week – but next time Yorkshire comes up, I will make it then! The bacon and beans was ok, except I don’t think I cooked it long enough, plus as I don’t eat cheese the topping wasn’t as nice. I have, however, done it again and this time I put sweet potato on mine and cheese on the boys; and we all loved it! (oh, and thickened it a bit more)

 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Bacon and Beans…............85

Wanted to cook:

Parkin

 

Bacon and Beans

INGREDIENTS:

5 Yorkshire leek sausages (other flavoured sausages can be used)

1 celery stick, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 white onion, diced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

200ml water

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tin white beans (400g), washed and drained

salt and pepper

4 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

100g cheddar cheese, grated

 

METHOD:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 185°C.
2. Heat a large pan or pot and seal off the sausages. Once sealed, remove from the pan, and cut into four pieces. Turn pan down to a medium heat.
3. Add the vegetables to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the tomato paste to the vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes, then return the sausage pieces.
5. Add the water, Worcestershire sauce and beans to the pan. Bring to the boil, then pour into the baking dish.
6. Layer the sliced potatoes over the top, then scatter the cheese over the top. Bake for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.

Parkin

Ingredients

110g soft butter

110g soft dark brown sugar

55g black treacle

200g golden syrup

225g medium oatmeal

110g self-raising flour

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground mixed spice

2 medium eggs, beaten

1 tbsp milk

Pinch of salt

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 140C/120C fan/Gas Mark 1. Grease and line a 20cm x 20cm square cake tin.
2. In a pan, over a gentle heat, melt the butter, sugar, treacle and golden syrup. Don't allow the mixture to get too hot or bubble. When they have melted together remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
3. In a large mixing bowl sift in the dry ingredients and make a well in the centre. Gradually add the melted butter mixture and fold together. Pour in the beaten eggs and milk and combine together.
4. Pour into your baking tin. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, however keep an eye on it as parkin can easily become dry and over baked.
5. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 20 minutes. Tip onto a cake rack and leave to cool completely.
6. Store the parkin in a cake tin and wrapped in greaseproof paper. You must keep it in a tin for a minimum of 1 day and up to a week before you cut it. Leaving it to develop will give it a moist and sticky texture, as well as making the flavour richer and deeper.
    

Country 7 - Kent

Kent is best known as the 'Garden of England', a phrase first coined by Henry VIII. It claims to be the oldest county in England and contains some 17000 listed buildings. Kent is most famous for its oast-houses, having tall conical or pyramidal roofs. These are the old kilns used for drying hops, once grown throughout the county, and many of which have now been converted into beautiful luxury homes.

 

The county is roughly triangular in shape, covering the south east corner of England. The chalk ridge of the North Downs runs centrally, east to west across the county, reaching over 800 feet in places. South of the downs runs a parallel ridge called the Ragstone Ridge. The Vale of Kent, a rich lowland to the south of the county, forms part of the Kent Weald. To the east lies the majestic city of Canterbury, home of the Anglican Church of England.

Kent is blessed with a spectacular coastline; just along the south coast stands the famous and iconic White Cliffs of Dover, which run from Kingsdown to Folkestone, a well-known symbol of Britain. To the south west is a wide expanse of low-lying marsh called Romney Marsh, where the shingly promontory of Dungeness extends southwards into the English Channel.

'the ten miles between Maidstone and Tunbridge (which the Kentish folk call the Garden of Eden) ... there, there are, on rising grounds... not only hop-gardens and beautiful woods, but immense orchards of apples, pears, plums, cherries and filberts... and, all taken together, the vale is really worthy of the appellation which it bears.' William Cobbett (1830), "Rural Rides"

 

 

OUR EXPERIENCE

We had accepted a Vegetarian Week challenge from family, so we could not have the fish pie or stews that I found. I didn’t make the Apple and Cheese pie either, as I don’t eat cheese; but I hope to do so one day, hence the inclusion. The Oast Cakes were lovely, we really enjoyed them one day after school and reminded me of Welsh Cakes.

 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Oast Cakes............87

Wanted to cook:

Kentish Apple and Cheese Pie

 

Oast Cakes

 

Original Receipt from Rishton Cricket Club (Ladies Section) Recipes, 1955

8oz. plain flour

1oz. sugar

1 level teaspoon baking powder

3oz. currants

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3oz. Marg

5 tablespoons water

Sieve the flour, baking powder add salt. Rub in 2oz. Marg. Add the sugar and currants, and mix to a soft dough with the lemon, juice and water. Shape with the fingers into small pieces and roll into rounds ¼" thick on a floured board. Fry on both sides in remaining 1oz. Marg, adding a little at a time until golden brown (about 6-8 minutes). Eat hot instead of scones at teatime. Makes 18-20 Oast Cakes.

Sourced: http://www.foodsofengland.co.uk/oastcakes.htm (accessed 24.03.2016)

 

Kentish Apple and Cheese Pie

 

This is a pudding, apparently Charles Dickens loved it. The cheese, just under the top crust of the pie, really enhances the flavour of the apples. But if for some reason you want to hide the cheese, you can add it to the pastry, which is how the pie is served in some pubs.

 

6 oz puff or shortcrust pastry

1 ½ lb cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced thickly

3-4 oz sugar

3-4 cloves

Small pinch nutmeg

½ cup water

4 oz cheddar, sliced

Set the oven to 425F or Gas 7. Using half of the apples, put a layer in a greased pie dish. Sprinkle half the sugar on top. Lay the rest of the apples in the dish and put the cloves into some of the slices. Sprinkle with the sugar, nutmeg, and water, then lay the cheese on top.

Roll out the pastry and cover the dish with it. Brush with some milk and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Serves 4-6

(Favorite Kentish Recipes by Pat Smith)

http://www.crazyenglishwomancooks.com/2008/06/kentish-apple-and-cheese-pie.html (accessed 02.03.2016)