Global Recipe Project

Tony pulled India from the jar and I am ecstatic! However, I'm not going to do my regular recipes of curry...besides we've still got nearly 177 countries to go and I suspect many of them will include curry.  Instead I'm looking for inspiration from Indian's celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor. The menu: Gobhi Matar Egg Bhaji Mango Lassi Naan I was not going to kill myself by preparing all of them--only three :) I could spend months making Naan and it wouldn't taste as good as I'd like so I bought garlic Naan from Trader Joes.  (It's actually incredible and it takes less than 3 minutes to heat up). Mango Lassi Rating: 7 out of 10 Wasn't sweet enough nor yogurt-y enough.  However, for a light refreshing treat, I'd make it again. Gobhi Matar Rating: 6 out of 10 The dish lacked a little flavor.  (However, I absolutely love the last minute dash of garam masala) Additionally, Tony hates peas so he brought the average rating for this down considerab...

Tonight's country is Cape Verde--the island republic off the coast of Senegal and Cachupinha is on the menu. While preparing for tonight's meal I spent a few minutes researching and reading about Cape Verde.  I also did a google image search... my god it's beautiful.  So beautiful, in fact, I looked for airline tickets.  (Unfortunately they're a little pricey from California). Cachupinha 5 ears of fresh corn 100g smoked sausage 1 small squash, chopped 1/2 lb lima beans (fresh if possible) 2 ripe tomatoes 2 tbsp olive oil pepper & salt 1 bunch of fresh cilantro 1 large onion, chopped Scrape off the fresh corn. Saute the onion and sausage in olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Add the corn and the rest of the ingredients and enough water to barely cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until all the vegetables and beans are tender. Prior to serving, season with salt and pepper and garnish with cilantro. Rating: 8 out of 10....

My sister is visiting from Boston and I gave her the task of picking the next country.  She skillfully pulled out Thailand which was good since we already had a recipe and the ingredients for Pad Thai. It's pretty difficult not to like Pad Thai.  Noodles, soy sauce, chicken and peanuts.  There's really nothing you can't love.  The recipe I followed is found here . (However, I omitted the dried shrimp) Rating: 7 out of 10 The Pad Thai sauce was very delicious and the right balance of sweet and salty. I will certainly use that again on multiple recipes. Tony's Rating: 6 out of 10. "I've had better." 'nuff said I guess...

The card for Mexico mysteriously fell out of the mason jar...just in time for the tamale holiday season. I love tamales. They're a perfect "humm humm" food (I think that expression only exists in my household but anyway, basically it means comfort food--though not a fast-food-type junk food). Pork Tamales: 1 lb shredded pork 5 dried red chilies 8 oz tomato sauce 3 cups chicken stock 2 tbsp cumin 1 garlic clove (minced) 2 cups masa harina (I used Maseca) 2/3 to 1 cup vegetable oil corn husks (soaked for at least 2 hours in water) Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place chilies on a baking sheet and roast them for 3-5 minutes. After they're roasted put them in a sauce pan with enough water to just cover them and let them soak for 20 minutes.  Add the tomato sauce, 1 tbsp cumin, garlic and 1 cup of chicken stock.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.  Blend the entire sauce mixture for 20 seconds.  Put the pork in a sauce pa...

Armed with a healthy dose of vodka and the better part of the afternoon free, I'm making Borsch and pierogis . Borsch (Adapated from "Russian Borscht" posted by Olga Thomas at http://www.ukraineorphans.net/id51.html) Ingredients 3 liters of really good beef stock 1 lb of beef stew meat (cubed) 1.5 lbs of beets (peeled and par-boiled) 4 potatoes (peeled and cubed) 4 slices of cooked bacon (chopped and fat reserved) 1 lb of tomatoes 1 onion (chopped) 1 cup of cabbage (shredded) 1 bell pepper (chopped) 1 carrot (sliced) 1 lemon 3 tbsp tomato paste 1 tsp honey 2 tbsp fresh parsley 2 tbsp dried dill Salt Pepper Vegetable Oil Method: In a dutch oven, brown the meat in 1.5 tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. Set aside to dry. Bring the stock to a boil in the dutch oven and add tomatoes, potatoes and salt & pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Saute the onions, bell pepper and carrots in 1 tbsp of oil over medium heat for ...

With all the gluttony these last few days, I couldn't bring myself to make chivos (those amazingly-enormous-meat-lover sandwiches).  So, instead I made Dulce de leche. And, because I live with a french man, we ate the gooey goodness slathered on slices of bread. Delicious. Rating: 7 out of 10. Tony: I can't really say why I gave it a 7 but it lacked a certain....definitiveness. Dulce de Leche (version Uruguay) 250g sugar  (1 1/4 cups) 1 liter milk (1 quart plus 4 tbsp) 1/4 tsp baking soda 1 tsp vanilla extract This recipe will make roughly 1 cup of dulce de leche.  (I know, that sounds absurd but it's true, it boils down to practically nothing. So, if you want more adjust the recipe accordingly.) Bring the milk to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the rest of the ingredients.  Continue stirring occasionally until the mixture begins to thicken.  Continue cooking and stirring using a wire whisk until it becomes a beautiful auburn color...

We're traveling back to Africa tonight to visit the war torn country of Sudan. So, we're dedicating the meal to peace and security in this African nation. Since the weather is finally cooling down, and I can justify making a wintery dish, we're having Shorbet Ads or lentil soup. I have always been a fan of lentils and this dish did not disappoint.  I followed the recipe exactly which meant that I needed to find the red lentils it calls for (no $.99 bag of those traditional green lentils for me). I located them in a local Ralphs grocery store in the international food aisle.  They were ridiculously expensive but I really did not have a choice. Anyway, they're a great little legume that cooks exceptionally fast and has a beautiful golden color. The recipe was adapted from www.sudan.net/society/recipe.html  and The African Studies Center at the University of Pennsylvania - Sudan: Menus & Recipes From Africa. Ingredients 2 cups Ads Magroosh (split red l...