Aruba

Aruban Keshi Yena

I made this dish on Wednesday, August 26th for Andy, his sister Jennifer and me. It is the national dish of Aruba, and is translated as "stuffed cheese." It is not the first time that I made this dish; the first time I attempted this project, while I lived with Lisa and Jessica, I made it. I feel that this time was more successful than last. Last time I attempted to hollow out a giant block of cheese as the recipe is traditionally made. This in itself was difficult, and then the filling didn't fully fit, and I ended up with a goopy mess. This time I did the "cheats" method, layering the filling and the cheese. It was really greasy, but really good. Jennifer and I both had multiple helpings, and I believe Andy would have as well, were he not in a DayQuil induced coma during dinner.

This dish was a lot like lasagna without the noodles. This, I believe, is due to the cheesy, beefy nature. However, some of the ingredients, such as raisins and green olives, provide a little savory or sweet surprise in the bites. It is a very good dish, and not difficult to make at all. The two pounds of cheese required is a bit expensive, however.

Here is the recipe as I made it, mildly altered from the original:

Keshi Yena

Ingredients:
-2 T. olive oil
-1 T. butter
-4 c. yellow onion, diced
-1 large clove garlic, minced
-1 lb. ground beef
-3 large tomatoes, peeled and diced
-1 large green pepper, chopped
-1 T. parsley, ripped
-A few drops hot sauce
-2 T. ketchup
-1/4 c. pimento olives, drained and sliced
-1 T. capers, drained
-1/4 c. raisins
-2 T. sweet pickle relish
-3 large egg yolks
-2 lb. Gouda or Edam cheese, wax removed, sliced

Directions:
1) Sauté the onions and garlic in the oil and butter over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Do not allow the the garlic to burn.
2) Add the meat and brown.
3) Add the pepper, tomato, parsley and hot sauce. Mix well. Add the ketchup, olives, capers, raisins and relish. Stir well. Simmer until the tomatoes have reduced (about 20 minutes).
4) Stir in the egg yolks. Allow mixture to cool.
5) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6) Grease a 13x9" pan. Put half of the meat mixture in the pan. Cover with half of the cheese. Add the other half of the meat mixture on top of the cheese and top with remaining cheese.
7) Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.
8) Preheat the broil. Broil casserole for 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is brown and bubbly.

Serves 12

Armenia

Armenian Herisah and Lahvosh

I made this meal on Friday, August 21st. I chose these two dishes because, according to wikipedia, they are the national dishes of Armenia.

I was a bit worried about the outcome of the Herisah. The original recipe said to soak the zezads (also known as wheat berries or whole wheat kernels) overnight. I forgot to do so, so I put them in the crockpot on low with four cups of water for about 5-6 hours. Also, when buying them, I didn't know whether to choose soft white wheat berries or hard red wheat berries (both found at Whole Foods). I went with the former. So, I'm not positive that the recipe turned out the way that it was supposed to, but it was really good: very simple and hearty. Andy and I both cleaned our plates.

I was also worried about the Lahvosh. The original recipe didn't give times, and I didn't let the yeast (which totally grosses me out, by the way) fully dissolve before adding the sugar and flour. But it rose well, so I guess it didn't really matter, and the end result was quite tasty! They tasted a bit like saltines, but were rather chewier. The sesame seeds all fell off once the lahvosh were baked, so I would suggest either mixing them into the dough or not using them at all. They were kind of a pain to make. I had to roll out and bake each lahvosh individually. It was rather time consuming. But, like I said, they tasted good, so it was worth it.

Without further ado...

Herisah

Ingredients:
-1 c. zezads (also knowns as wheat berries or whole wheat kernels)
-4 c. chicken broth
-4 c. water
-2 c. shredded chicken breast
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 T. butter
-1 tsp. paprika

Directions:
1) Wash zezads and soak overnight in hot water. Keep covered in a warm place. Drain water.
2) Bring chicken broth and water to a boil. Add chicken and zezads. Simmer until all liquid is absorbed, about an hour and a half.
3) Add salt and pepper. Beat the mixture until it becomes smooth like a well cooked mush. Add more water if necessary to make mixture smooth.
4) To serve, melt butter with the paprika and pour over each serving.

The herisah before I beat it

Lahvosh

The lahvosh pre-baking

Ingredients:
-2 c. warm water
-1 package active dry yeast
-2 tsp. sugar
-5 c. all purpose white flour
-1/3 c. melted butter
-1 T. salt
-1/4 c. sesame seeds

Directions:
1) In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar.
2) Add flour and stir until moistened.
3) Add butter and salt.
4) Knead the dough until it is very smooth.
5) Cover and let stand in a warm place for 4 hours.
6) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
7) Divide the dough into balls the size of two hands cupped together. (This recipe makes about 8-10 balls.)
8) On a floured board, roll out the balls until they are the size of a 14" pizza pan.
9) Place the dough on the 14" pizza pan and slit the dough in several places with a fork.
10) Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 5-6 minutes.
11) Move to the middle rack of oven and bake until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

Argentina

Argentine Milanesa and Chipas

Another hit!

I made this dish on Tuesday, August 11 for Andy and me. It provided a lovely distraction from my final project for grad. school (which I should be working on right now, too...). I chose to make milanesa because it is one of Argentina's national dishes. I chose the chipas because I wanted a side, and in searching Argentine side dishes, I found the recipe and it looked delicious. The sugar snap peas are not Argentine; I just needed something to make the meal a little more well-rounded.

This dish was amazing. We could not stop eating the milanesa. It tasted a lot like country fried steak. It was really simple to prepare, too. This is definitely a dish I will make again.

The chipas were incredibly easy to make; probably the simplest thing I've done so far. They are also delicious! The tapioca starch (which I found at Whole Foods) gives them a rather chewy texture. I was able to find reggianito cheese at Whole Foods, and I think that having this cheese made a difference. The original recipe did say you could use Italian cheese too, but that just didn't jive with me. I think the chipas taste like a mix between Cheez-Its and these biscuits I used to make with my cousin in my Easy Bake oven made of Bisquick and Kraft Singles. While it may not sound like it, this is a compliment. The chipas get a 10 out of 10 from me.

Here is the recipe I used, slightly modified from the original:

Argentine Milanesas

The steaks before frying

Ingredients:-2 lb. eye of the round steaks, sliced thin
-4 eggs
-flour
-Italian flavored bread crumbs
-2 T. parsley, chopped
-2 T. grated parmesan
-1/4 tsp. oregano
-1/4 tsp. garlic powder
-vegetable oil

Directions:
1) Salt both sides of the meat.
2) Mix eggs with parsley, cheese, oregano and garlic.
3) Dredge meat in flour; coat well.
4) Dip meat in egg mixture; coat well.
5) Dredge meat in bread crumbs; coat well.
6) Heat vegetable oil in large skillet.
7) Fry steaks in vegetable oil, about 2 minutes per side.
8) Serve warm.

Here is the recipe I used for the chipas, slightly clarified from the original:

Chipas

Chipas prior to baking

Ingredients:
-1 egg
-2/3 c. milk
-6 oz. Argentine reggianito cheese, shredded
-3 T. butter
-1 3/4 c. tapioca starch
-1 c. flour

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking sheet.
2) Stir together egg, milk, cheese and butter in a large bowl. Sprinkle in tapioca starch and flour. Stir to form a dough.
3) Knead dough for 2 minutes on a lightly floured surface.
4) Roll into golf ball-sized pieces and place on baking sheet.
5) Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 10-15 minutes (mine actually went for 17 minutes).

Antigua and Barbuda

Antiguan Fungi and Pepperpot

I made this dish on Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 for Andy and me. I chose this dish because, according to wikipedia, it is the national dish. The dish was very good; both Andy and I enjoyed it immensely. It is very hearty with all of the starchy vegetables, and also holds heat incredibly well. I would recommend this dish for a fall or winter evening. Most of the ingredients would probably be more in season at that point. I find it a little odd that such a hearty meal is the national dish of a Caribbean island nation. It seems more likely to be the dish of a colder place.

It took me about 2-3 hours to make this dish. While there is a lot of prep. work for it (peeling, chopping, etc.), the actual process of making it is quite simple. One note though: WEAR GLOVES when chopping the habañero pepper! My hands are still burning from it and therefore, I've been too afraid to take out my contacts.

Also, due to availability of ingredients, I had to make the following substitutions:
*blackeyed peas instead of pigeon peas
*habañero pepper instead of scotch bonnet pepper
*acorn squash instead of calabaza
*yam instead of white yam

There were many variations on the recipes for both the pepperpot and the fungee. I chose the ones that I could follow the easiest.

Here is the recipe for the pepperpot, modified from the original:

Antiguan Pepperpot



Ingredients:-1 lb. corned beef brisket, cut into 1" pieces
-1.64 lb. ham, cut across lengthwise (the original recipe didn't specify an amount; this is what I used)
-8 c. water
-2 T. vegetable oil
-1 lg. onion, chopped
-4 green onions, chopped
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-1 habañero pepper, seeded and minced
-14 oz. can of whole tomatoes, drained
-1/4 c. tomato paste
-1 T. fresh chives, chopped
-1/2 tsp. ground thyme
-1 med. eggplant, cut into 1" pieces
-1 lb. acorn squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1" pieces
-1/2 lb. yam, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
-1/4 lb. fresh baby spinach
-16 oz can blackeyed peas, drained
-1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1) In a 4 qt. Dutch oven, bring the corned beef, ham and water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the meat is tender, about 1.5 hours. Drain the meat, reserving both the meat and the cooking liquid. Coarsely chop the ham.
2) While the meat is simmering, take the time to peel and cut all of the vegetables.
3) In the same 4 qt. Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, green onions, garlic and habañero pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened, about 4 minutes.
4) Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, chives and thyme, breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes.
5) Stir in the eggplant, squash and yam. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in meat and reserved meat cooking liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are done, about 20 minutes.
6) Stir in the peas and spinach. Cook until the spinach has wilted, about 5 minutes.
7) Season with pepper.
8) To serve, scoop 1-2 cups over fungee.

Fungee

Ingredients:-4 c. water
-2 c. yellow cornmeal
-1 tsp. salt
-6 okras, sliced
-butter

Directions:
1) Place water, okra and salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until okras are done, about 5 minutes.
2) Remove about 2 c. liquid from pan.
3) Meanwhile, add cold water to cornmeal a little bit at a time until the cornmeal reaches a pasty batter. (I think that I ended up using about 1 c. cold water).
4) Add cornmeal mixture to okra water. Over low heat, stir continuously with a wooden spoon until mixture becomes fairly stiff. (I did this for about 7 minutes; I think I should have stirred for closer to 10). When the mixture breaks away clearly from the pan, the fungee is ready.
5) Butter a bowl. Turn the mixture into the bowl and shake it into the shape of the bowl. Turn it out onto a serving dish,
6) Serve with pepperpot.