tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211762582024-03-20T16:08:39.608+01:00Around the World in 80 MealsThe idea of this blog is to enjoy typical meals with people of 80 different nationalities who live in the Netherlands and the UK. Both a culinary and cultural journey for me personally and a way to shed a more positive light on the "multicultural society".
Some tips:
*Recipe links can be found in or at the end of the posts.
*Looking for a certain nationality? Use the "Search this Blog" function!80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-60805324620256372242008-12-21T19:34:00.008+01:002009-07-28T00:13:53.880+02:00Meal 50. Chinese-Singaporean feastThough Derek (or Des) is originally from Singapore, he's lived in Australia since he was 9, and now in Oxford for a year or so. To my untrained ears, he soun<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1WDwi6_9GxRy9P-vVmIv1aWfkA4VyHsYdX7fZ-VLLtfrRSn7kAVDh2TyAB2_7bmuI6h_okOtf0gpmat8y2Z6Bni16gOnHK9Y73Qivf2pahUB4Cfs8TVX0Xyun2jGFPfuHcKh/s1600-h/IMGP1652.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1WDwi6_9GxRy9P-vVmIv1aWfkA4VyHsYdX7fZ-VLLtfrRSn7kAVDh2TyAB2_7bmuI6h_okOtf0gpmat8y2Z6Bni16gOnHK9Y73Qivf2pahUB4Cfs8TVX0Xyun2jGFPfuHcKh/s320/IMGP1652.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363264217473224114" border="0" /></a>ds like somebody speaking 'posh', but with a bit of an Australian accent thrown in.<br />He loves to eat and to cook, and tonight is my lucky night: time for a feast. We've spent many a happy moment in preparation discussing Singaporean cuisine and its similarities to Chinese and Indonesian/Malay cooking (with which I am more familiar).<br />Though it is 'only' a city state, Singapore has almost 5 million inhabitants and is one of the most densely populated nations on earth. Before meeting Des, I had already read a very enthusiastic article about the world famous <a href="http://www.best-singapore-vacation.com/5-step-guide-to-eating-at-a-singapore-hawker-centre.html">'hawker centres'</a> which seem to bring together specialists of various dishes in hygienic-but-authentic outdoor or indoor conglomerations of foodstalls. Some people seem to visit Singapore only for the food! Sadly, I've only been airport for a stopover...<br /><br />In preparation, Derek has bought bagloads of ingredients at the <a href="http://oxford.openguides.org/wiki/?Lung_Wah_Chong_Chinese_Supermarket">local Chinese store in Oxford</a>...this is a great shop that I enjoy wandering around in a mildly perplexed state. One day I came home with paper money that had "Bank of Hell" printed on it...so called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell_bank_note">Hell Money</a>, used to provide d<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHWq-NFhX36E2SVwBrPrCGXnDPC56c4OHMiN_Vz-Me-9O4oeanqlSqgYY1exN9sUu61ZCzfgJhzGJcuGtqFIBe1xdv-ob5Sqhxp0AvoIRz4SDOnlQvHBLSm5oif79MwZd71Gs/s1600-h/IMGP1656.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHWq-NFhX36E2SVwBrPrCGXnDPC56c4OHMiN_Vz-Me-9O4oeanqlSqgYY1exN9sUu61ZCzfgJhzGJcuGtqFIBe1xdv-ob5Sqhxp0AvoIRz4SDOnlQvHBLSm5oif79MwZd71Gs/s320/IMGP1656.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363263727176767426" border="0" /></a>ead ancestors with cash for the afterlife. I also saw a guy in front of me in the queue with a 2 kg bag of frozen chicken feet, hard to get at the local Sainsbury's. Derek shows me some packages that say "Dried Provisions" on them as the only indication of what can be found inside (for those who cannot read Chinese script). Luckily he is a man with a plan and gets to preparing the feast for me and his flatmate. All I need to do is watch and chop the occasional vegetable.<br /><br />To start, I am served <span style="font-style: italic;">bak kut teh</span> soup with bean sprouts, mince-meat and salted vegetables. These were served with steamed <span style="font-style: italic;">char siu</span> buns (pictured at left). This is the only part of the meal that I have easily recreated at home...as all it involves is buying the fro<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMAW1xhKBbMUYJ5jIsx_fOOv3R0WCnPBuWhXqrARRlMhiY41yrGwUBAEpsgpSELKiAZ9zGMsvcXe3GP-g0H0t3ml0x7AktKkLR1fzBy2svHP3mrESfPSU8JAmTyArA8IT8lgt/s1600-h/IMGP1653.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMAW1xhKBbMUYJ5jIsx_fOOv3R0WCnPBuWhXqrARRlMhiY41yrGwUBAEpsgpSELKiAZ9zGMsvcXe3GP-g0H0t3ml0x7AktKkLR1fzBy2svHP3mrESfPSU8JAmTyArA8IT8lgt/s200/IMGP1653.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363265001263504178" border="0" /></a>zen buns and steaming them above hot water for ten minutes. I love the sweet and savoury taste of the pork filling.<br /><br />The main course consists of an authentic dish of stir-fried <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kai-lan"><span style="font-style: italic;">kailan</span></a> and cloud-ear fungus with baby corn an<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH4ij0zVyTOxziJ3Z4Fiij8Z15yEDzPwnUT0yJrG0yHcnNeVXqS71PVwYCF8pKQDaHb8ATY7jHF7kGHvTbyxecTtjukGRcVVQNOk-Msi935YV3Uzlcq3IQhe9i1-RocEMNFUze/s1600-h/IMGP1657.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH4ij0zVyTOxziJ3Z4Fiij8Z15yEDzPwnUT0yJrG0yHcnNeVXqS71PVwYCF8pKQDaHb8ATY7jHF7kGHvTbyxecTtjukGRcVVQNOk-Msi935YV3Uzlcq3IQhe9i1-RocEMNFUze/s320/IMGP1657.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363265392352727266" border="0" /></a>d oyster sauce. Kailan is otherwise known as 'Chinese broccoli' or 'Chinese kale'. I would say it's more like kale than broccoli, see right. The <a href="http://chinesefood.about.com/od/glossary/g/cloudear.htm">cloud-ear fungus</a> was one of the 'Dried Provisions'. When fresh...they supposedly resemble human ears. Not sure where the clouds come in.<br /><br />The final savoury dish is prawn <span style="font-style: italic;">laksa </span>noodles served with fried onions and hard-boiled eggs.<br />I am absolutely stuffed and need to give everything some time to digest before having any space for desert. Desert is more of a 'fusion' dish, lovely vanilla ice cream with lychee and raspberries.<br />You can understand why this meal deserves the epithet 'feast' as with so many dishes, it is difficult to chose the one most representative for the whole meal. I think I'll need to travel to Singapore sometime in the near future and venture outside of the airport, but in the meantime hope to entice Derek to teach me more about this cuisine (=cook for me) while we're both still in Oxford.80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-16175069345163150082008-09-26T00:02:00.015+02:002008-12-16T03:01:40.059+01:00Meal 49. Polish Żurek, Bigos and Gołąbki<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoKcUYu5Wvw7rlsrrGdIw1mTXtuYwrKvdZRJDkopf61MXYFCMPSyOq0Tuj_hHesbRC5W567Sb10Wp59rCxSBy5TUvNKT4Rbu_dd8iHTNG-wloLPNjmgocejvaEjorVtJAp9gn/s1600-h/jolamakingstuffedcabbage.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoKcUYu5Wvw7rlsrrGdIw1mTXtuYwrKvdZRJDkopf61MXYFCMPSyOq0Tuj_hHesbRC5W567Sb10Wp59rCxSBy5TUvNKT4Rbu_dd8iHTNG-wloLPNjmgocejvaEjorVtJAp9gn/s320/jolamakingstuffedcabbage.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280184950390163058" border="0" /></a>When I arrive at this cosy house in North Oxford for the Polish meal, it turns out the blog was checked out beforehand and lots of photos were made of all the preparations to help me<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTXdp8LVIy3M3vnoKkAVC6Rg6g-OUUQgpEeFxLXvuru-IEEDj0DWis5izvxYFBaR2SwYcWlX6AVqaoLcff6yBTo08TmP-mdHlWCnZkYPe2v0xn-iAiqhNSyPlpGpsWxqcZAOAP/s1600-h/jennywithjolantainkitchen.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTXdp8LVIy3M3vnoKkAVC6Rg6g-OUUQgpEeFxLXvuru-IEEDj0DWis5izvxYFBaR2SwYcWlX6AVqaoLcff6yBTo08TmP-mdHlWCnZkYPe2v0xn-iAiqhNSyPlpGpsWxqcZAOAP/s200/jennywithjolantainkitchen.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250089251823448610" border="0" /></a> out. This allows me to relax and just chat to Jolanta about what Polish cuisine is like. She warns me:"It is delicious, but it is possibly the most difficult food in the world to digest!"<br />Possibly this is due to the large role cabbage plays in Polish dishes. Our starter, the white s<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOSuDQkqzlnFMux8V1JzSQm1fRNifyfiuZSgro8fhKzC1IbPu1ZfYbqWZhXoFavde-n8tEAJdY_XzpQGBJ-JUezXV0SWPlImj9ussVeyMYuSnx37sBkEj1ozg7gkQjMY0ZkPV/s1600-h/zurek.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOSuDQkqzlnFMux8V1JzSQm1fRNifyfiuZSgro8fhKzC1IbPu1ZfYbqWZhXoFavde-n8tEAJdY_XzpQGBJ-JUezXV0SWPlImj9ussVeyMYuSnx37sBkEj1ozg7gkQjMY0ZkPV/s320/zurek.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280184134791559778" border="0" /></a>oup <a href="http://www.polandforall.com/recipe-polish-zurek-soup.html"><em>żurek</em><em></em></a> (see picture), does not contain this vital ingredient. The main course, though, consists of stuffed cabbage (<a href="http://www.polandforall.com/polish-stuffed-cabbage-rolls-recipe.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">gołąbki</span></a>) and <span style="font-style: italic;">bigos</span>, which takes two days to prepare and has both normal and sour cabbage in it. It should normally be drunk with cold vodka!<br /><br />The stuffed cabbage rolls are called 'pigeons' (due to a somewhat similar shape?) and have a lovely mince and rice filling. In the photo above you can see Yolanta preparing them. They are youngest daughter Zuzanna's favourite and she manages to finish at least four of them. Looking at her slim figure, I must assume that they aren't prepared that often!<br /><br />Contrary to my prejudiced expectations, Darek (at right) actually did mos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbJ5zzZyu0xAfK3y9bak-uD3ypNDGOzkGO6tqsbxRr1uSP6-e2npOGu315izVpbf39kHO-gvlG-RMWxICTVj7pQ4OOy11kz_mtPhPMDCutnWAhyphenhyphenxNb_P3J9v6amul1rabkxnv/s1600-h/darekcuttingcabbage.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbJ5zzZyu0xAfK3y9bak-uD3ypNDGOzkGO6tqsbxRr1uSP6-e2npOGu315izVpbf39kHO-gvlG-RMWxICTVj7pQ4OOy11kz_mtPhPMDCutnWAhyphenhyphenxNb_P3J9v6amul1rabkxnv/s320/darekcuttingcabbage.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280186770229919378" border="0" /></a>t of the cooking. He and Jolanta met when they were 16 and 13 and by now they've been married 18 years! Their cosy household is a warm haven for the (often single) young Poles who end up in Oxford for work or study.<br />Though they love everything about Poland (except the politicians), the economic insecurity meant that their move to the UK took away a lot of stress. As Jolanta succinctly puts it:"I no longer have to choose between buying food and paying the rent."<br />I am very impressed by how fluently she speaks English a<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRrMne4Avjcr83vHzVwYf2MisJjy5jYhTbf8YLQ27TkFkgW-6J-k4Aexn8BRcVJfeiqwRAY50DkvAChB0kYZKmmJg2ipPZLgU79jrWUyO9cVNldjUJjRUd9zJ3eVCMI-mZrNi/s1600-h/ewelinamakingcake.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRrMne4Avjcr83vHzVwYf2MisJjy5jYhTbf8YLQ27TkFkgW-6J-k4Aexn8BRcVJfeiqwRAY50DkvAChB0kYZKmmJg2ipPZLgU79jrWUyO9cVNldjUJjRUd9zJ3eVCMI-mZrNi/s200/ewelinamakingcake.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280187188321958114" border="0" /></a>fter so few years here. She said she <span style="font-style: italic;">thought</span> she spoke it while still in Poland, but could not understand a word people said in the UK when she just arrived. Incredibly, she is now well on her way to being an accredited interpreter.<br />Though at the moment she is still the senior ward housekeeper at the stroke unit in Oxford's major hospital: "Learning to follow what the stroke patients are trying to say is a bit like learning a new language; it is satisfying that I can understand them almost all the time by now."<br /><br />The dessert after this lovely dinner is a spice cake prepared by Ewelina (at left) who helped me contact the family initially. A<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfFImfr1kPMyJeyenpXBibcyaB_e8TKmaDhv29u8zWAeSv1de8l6v7h4aIfVF4UhqhyQDVDR2swAfLaHNi2MM_y20kRKbdEAKnthqVLaLg1TvDUE_s3ORdaCepCWWpo9xN_yp/s1600-h/zuzannalickingbowl.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfFImfr1kPMyJeyenpXBibcyaB_e8TKmaDhv29u8zWAeSv1de8l6v7h4aIfVF4UhqhyQDVDR2swAfLaHNi2MM_y20kRKbdEAKnthqVLaLg1TvDUE_s3ORdaCepCWWpo9xN_yp/s320/zuzannalickingbowl.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280183455979195634" border="0" /></a>nother of Zuzanna's favourites (see below)!<br /><br />We discuss how we would actually need a "Polish meal part 2" to include classic dishes as pierogi, borsht and cheesecake.<br /><br />I'm up for it, and can confide that I had no digestive problems after this first copious meal...<br /><br /><a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/12/polish-bigos.html">Here</a> is the recipe Jolanta emailed me to recreate the <span style="font-style: italic;">bigos</span> at home. Be aware that it tastes best if prepared a few days in advance!80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-56374610382191407832008-08-18T01:12:00.015+02:002008-09-02T03:33:15.188+02:00Meal 48. Greek Cypriot Makaroniatou Fournou and Ttavas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwUTdM6M9aeM3q3OJ0XAW32h6jpM1diCD8C3F384L16Tt_iRjFq1hgoAlYA7ku5T3vvbSEm73qhFVbR2a8KKbcC5Ed4jFNVcEIB-QDzu-aYGcefuApHJN_tn-NXlIfczmbAn-/s1600-h/yianniswithmakaroniatoufournou.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwUTdM6M9aeM3q3OJ0XAW32h6jpM1diCD8C3F384L16Tt_iRjFq1hgoAlYA7ku5T3vvbSEm73qhFVbR2a8KKbcC5Ed4jFNVcEIB-QDzu-aYGcefuApHJN_tn-NXlIfczmbAn-/s320/yianniswithmakaroniatoufournou.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235630205679214162" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDZcuqjWML2-6ECMRXtaNdWMXB0rLdCfGPI7r4iOgjF06jRnzC2M7NgsDJBQ3xIzUd4mqilGOGQAe7-6t3XOUPCH5cniBno-JhHKnBgJi6sdqvaDQZYv9bLUHn3OtTrDSpj6k/s1600-h/mariaandyiannisnexttooven.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDZcuqjWML2-6ECMRXtaNdWMXB0rLdCfGPI7r4iOgjF06jRnzC2M7NgsDJBQ3xIzUd4mqilGOGQAe7-6t3XOUPCH5cniBno-JhHKnBgJi6sdqvaDQZYv9bLUHn3OtTrDSpj6k/s320/mariaandyiannisnexttooven.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235629715791050610" border="0" /></a>Maria, a social psychologist, has gone to great lengths to provide an authentic Greek Cypriot meal. The email with recipes solicited from her mother and grandmother is stuck to the fridge. For expert advice on the desert, <span style="font-style: italic;">galactoboureko</span>, a visit was arranged to a local Cypriot matriarch. Maria's compatriot, Yiannis (<span style="font-style: italic;">at right</span>), is helping out - the local matriarch is his auntie. In total, seven people will be enjoying this feast tonight, including Pascalis, a Greek friend who can help separate the typically Greek Cypriot from the plain Greek dishes.<br />We start off with pita and haloumi, a lovely cheese that is probably Cyprus' most famous export. Maria tells me her grandma prepares this every morning as breakfast for her grandfather.<br />In general, most Cypriots prefer to start the day with something a bit lighter, such as <em>frappé.</em><br />Pascalis immediately informs us that this cold c<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhfAtSjIyjun3aW65D85m9G9xXlct4pYN3SRU2eJnNTxBew0yxqLC2hpOZo6sXT6A_Svnl9mPyFf00NpBCSoo_66FdkkwJDf7Z40bdvWz2OXziH1xJRExP5TxSd54hbkDlS5s/s1600-h/mariawithmakaroniatoufournou.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhfAtSjIyjun3aW65D85m9G9xXlct4pYN3SRU2eJnNTxBew0yxqLC2hpOZo6sXT6A_Svnl9mPyFf00NpBCSoo_66FdkkwJDf7Z40bdvWz2OXziH1xJRExP5TxSd54hbkDlS5s/s320/mariawithmakaroniatoufournou.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239927452515777250" border="0" /></a>offee beverage was invented at the International Trade Fair in Thessaloniki (in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_frapp%C3%A9_coffee">1957</a>). So now you know the origins of this famous frothy drink!<br />The main course consists of <span style="font-style: italic;">Makaroniatou Fournou</span> (a pasta dish with bechamel sauce), and <span style="font-style: italic;">Ttavas</span>, made with beef and tomatoes. Both are oven dishes and preferably cooked in an authentic mud oven in your back garden.<br />As we all dig in and enjoy the hearty fare accompanied by a feta salad, I try to find out more about Cyprus. For example, what drives the economy? "Tourism!", answers Maria, while<br />Pascalis laughs: "Money laundering!"<br />Cyprus has been through a lot...Maria's synopsis is that is was ruled by the Ottoman empire who sold it to the British Empire in the late 19th century. In 1960, Cyprus gained independence after a number of years of protest against the British rule.<br />The first president was an archbishop and remained in power for 17 years! For some reason, the s<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmngGKvwzPkUoDDoaF4sRaY8mWnleZsrRCGJfkKYiibAP1SqRaUdJ9NFVqN6_DES2VFsTZ8Z-urfeIuf0A6SiOFfYWTR3-Vn2T5gJoxA5EcqzJtsw8y_XjWTxOXTHe8NRcJDK/s1600-h/mariaservingmakaroniatou.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmngGKvwzPkUoDDoaF4sRaY8mWnleZsrRCGJfkKYiibAP1SqRaUdJ9NFVqN6_DES2VFsTZ8Z-urfeIuf0A6SiOFfYWTR3-Vn2T5gJoxA5EcqzJtsw8y_XjWTxOXTHe8NRcJDK/s320/mariaservingmakaroniatou.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235629721768258994" border="0" /></a>econd candidate was a psychiatrist... and since early 2008 the government is leftist.<br />But Cyprus is most well know for the division between Greek and Turkish territory. Maria has been to the Turkish part quite often, but Yiannis has never has. He does feel it is part of 'his country'. Though the situation is far from ideal, it is relatively peaceful, with no fighting or terrorism, and according to Maria, many people are alright with the current status quo.<br />Besides the locals, Cyprus has seen an influx of British expats who enjoy the climate and the relatively cheap property.<br />As well, I am told there are now quite a few "Russian artists". This is a polite euphemism for prostitutes...so even a Polish hooker would be referre<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXogICOAUmopDNUmWuYnVd-vTps31W_gJUTRXvxlqzXXL286KHOuvcyi8hHI3VF-GbIl0MX6wmjQDsX03gXPIR6nG5ixZLryV3STz7t76MccWUDRNlKPzJx7znfjSvcV0oGrga/s1600-h/mariawithcommandaria.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXogICOAUmopDNUmWuYnVd-vTps31W_gJUTRXvxlqzXXL286KHOuvcyi8hHI3VF-GbIl0MX6wmjQDsX03gXPIR6nG5ixZLryV3STz7t76MccWUDRNlKPzJx7znfjSvcV0oGrga/s200/mariawithcommandaria.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239928651371611378" border="0" /></a>d to as a "Russian artist"!<br />Similarly, the many domestic helpers are known as "Sri Lankese", though they might be from the Philippines, Malaysia, etc. Maria tells me it is now so common to have help from overseas, that her own mother, when spotted cleaning by the neighbour's help, was asked:"So...where are you from? Sri Lanka?"<br /><br />We finish off the meal with the lovely Galactoboureko pudding and sweet Commandaria wine, brought over from Cyprus by Maria's parents during their last visit. You can see how much fondness she has for this wine at right.<br /><br />Here is the recipe for <a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/08/greek-cypriot-ttavas.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ttavas</span></a>, the beef stew.80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-46382286957077070502008-07-07T07:08:00.007+02:002008-07-07T09:09:29.735+02:00Meal 47. Belarusian Draniki and Bliny<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Se0yckeV7K4zTihnxqwdrlRpgXFvGn97OBmrgLoNvhIgKPssdQKvdL7OPv9e0TUaQw-glY1LqqSdXuFJEmR_7MquRLr2STWewHYJh_2KAt44YV_9Gs5ilTikb8OcAjNmx9x_/s1600-h/IMGP1346.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Se0yckeV7K4zTihnxqwdrlRpgXFvGn97OBmrgLoNvhIgKPssdQKvdL7OPv9e0TUaQw-glY1LqqSdXuFJEmR_7MquRLr2STWewHYJh_2KAt44YV_9Gs5ilTikb8OcAjNmx9x_/s320/IMGP1346.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220136212480688530" border="0" /></a>This meal is quite special to me, as it marks the continuation of the project in the UK. Inni is my first host in Oxford and is cooking for me at her student housing in the centre of town.<br />Impressively, she has gained a full scholarship, and is one of the few Belarusian students in the UK, though the country is quite big, with a population of around 10 million.<br />I have to admit my mind goes pretty blank when the country Belarus is mentioned, though it is really not that far away (bordering Poland and Lithuania). Strangely, Belarusian cities like Minsk and Brest <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkDMsQhJIFb9XtLylUeXzFxLCajT5K4NRnVpLfnEI-uOvJp2FFlhuVE5wKykan45TsoHes9hYq-lw4BxbLsXrywFFcfWrGij4nGCResLoZwBsnM2imrE20GzwogmaWCcaXq5M/s1600-h/IMGP1347.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkDMsQhJIFb9XtLylUeXzFxLCajT5K4NRnVpLfnEI-uOvJp2FFlhuVE5wKykan45TsoHes9hYq-lw4BxbLsXrywFFcfWrGij4nGCResLoZwBsnM2imrE20GzwogmaWCcaXq5M/s320/IMGP1347.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220135902200665746" border="0" /></a>seem a lot more familiar. I even had a friend planning to travel "between four Brests", as there are cities called Brest not only in Belarus, but in France, Germany and Macedonia as well.<br /><br />The dinner starts with traditional fare that I do associate with the region: red cabbage salad (very<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYQjISqiksLvul5UaGxOj9pbYqGv0RWh-ijDPWNFq2qXj5rNFZXhyphenhyphenk1ykxEKQ5rcZ8wZRHg-mbqu3Mfaa8UJe3td7k2766xS0gbXOmVFnpJU3IgDdms5aYSVUVIQ_OJJR4hfI/s1600-h/IMGP1345.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYQjISqiksLvul5UaGxOj9pbYqGv0RWh-ijDPWNFq2qXj5rNFZXhyphenhyphenk1ykxEKQ5rcZ8wZRHg-mbqu3Mfaa8UJe3td7k2766xS0gbXOmVFnpJU3IgDdms5aYSVUVIQ_OJJR4hfI/s320/IMGP1345.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220135541345924034" border="0" /></a> easy to make) and potato pancakes called <span style="font-style: italic;">draniki. </span>They are made with grated potatoes and onions and bound with some egg and flour. Very similar to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_pancake"><span style="font-style: italic;">latkes</span></a> my father often makes, though Inni uses a much finer grater. The desert, <span style="font-style: italic;">bliny</span>, crêpe like pancakes, again reminds me of a dish my dad makes, called <span style="font-style: italic;">blintzes</span> (see <a href="http://80meals.blogspot.com/2006/04/meal-17-jewish-american-borsht-challah.html">Meal 17. Jewish-American Borsht, Challah and Blintzes</a>). This might just be because his family came from the Ukraine, near Belarus, with similar cuisine. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3xGl3kd6-EGuhOA-vFnO2QUCAfO7tZD-ZjDgvkESrM7cHszykRonfiZU-vx3bhZLSc8Dg0gEZVukcKAgZBz85r42sHgLB877utwHReQJg-gOHF5cm6B-PtUIT5jBKvmFIKgx/s1600-h/IMGP1348.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3xGl3kd6-EGuhOA-vFnO2QUCAfO7tZD-ZjDgvkESrM7cHszykRonfiZU-vx3bhZLSc8Dg0gEZVukcKAgZBz85r42sHgLB877utwHReQJg-gOHF5cm6B-PtUIT5jBKvmFIKgx/s320/IMGP1348.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220135902534780514" border="0" /></a>Though Inni tells me the medium-sized town she grew up in, called Borisov, used to be predominantly Jewish. However, most of them left or were killed long before she was born.<br /><br />Belarus has opened up considerably after the Soviet collapse, but is still pretty much a communist state. When prodded, Inni can come up with memories of how rare bananas were when she was younger. In her recollection, her mother came home one special day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWfH5IKheiqfk6tBdFqT-UarUm_nX9KWin2-QC8TmVHrcpqr94UuhF2tIZlufIrNMD-0j3IIKgsTJnna_0i0efcuqXDLbcBEpzSPG2rJWcap9EMKNebZA1uRLSlksB8BJtveu/s1600-h/IMGP1353.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWfH5IKheiqfk6tBdFqT-UarUm_nX9KWin2-QC8TmVHrcpqr94UuhF2tIZlufIrNMD-0j3IIKgsTJnna_0i0efcuqXDLbcBEpzSPG2rJWcap9EMKNebZA1uRLSlksB8BJtveu/s320/IMGP1353.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220136218738689730" border="0" /></a> with a whole suitcase of bananas. Inni didn't really like them as they were too firm for her taste. By the time they had ripened and become softer, she discovered she loved them. But by then, they were almost finished and she had to wait a long time before she could eat them again!<br />This story is quite 'exotic' to me and seems typical for someone from a former Soviet state. In most other aspects, I have to say Inni is very much a product of the global village; speaking fluent English, well travelled within Europe and even planning a trip to Nepal.<br /><br />I give her the names and email addresses of my Nepalese friends (see <a href="http://80meals.blogspot.com/2006/01/meal-2-nepalese-chicken-curry.html">Meal 2.</a>) and imagine a distant reunion of 80meals participants.<br /><br /><br />To make your own Belarusian meal, click <a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/07/belarusian-cabbage-salad-draniki-and.html">here</a> for recipes (that Inni diligently penned down for me, at right).80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-43981133194060405372008-02-08T02:58:00.009+01:002008-07-03T20:27:09.256+02:00Meal 46. Albanian Groshe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6D9zfJjb_EBH_O_ZspAD8xtEbLA4uGaQyTBKGpYkvFhOYxqGtxOFJICfKKYmEp174W3Fpr0mK1GzkNTNZEAAE2V7Oh9TMWkvKrAdEGtBzz_1qYdhzPADCurGS9QQAhuBom-cp/s1600-h/IMGP1162.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6D9zfJjb_EBH_O_ZspAD8xtEbLA4uGaQyTBKGpYkvFhOYxqGtxOFJICfKKYmEp174W3Fpr0mK1GzkNTNZEAAE2V7Oh9TMWkvKrAdEGtBzz_1qYdhzPADCurGS9QQAhuBom-cp/s200/IMGP1162.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185829852202358290" border="0" /></a>I stumble across the lovely Eri as I am picknicking in the park with a friend. He is sitting all alone with lots of delicious food surrounding him which surprises me. Who would make so much food to eat by himself?<br />Of course, it turns out his friends were only temporarily absent. But by the time I find this out, he has offered me some of the food and I have speedily convinced him that he is the perfect candidate to make the Albanian meal for this project!<br /><br />Though he has been living in Holland for the last ten years, he still has a strong dose of national pride and has plans to return to his country of birth when he graduates from law school. [Update: at the time of publishing this blog, he HAS graduated and IS back in Albania]<br />His brother <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lulzim_Basha"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Lulzim</span></a> also studied law in Utrecht and is now minister of Foreign Affairs in Albania,<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuuvgSSPChInBT0jyS2d1-WS0XkABWf3gAnSfHOf1AZ75xyme_ZPm8siS6XDIV3stiMCTnm4xUqtIEJ-Ur0GwBEzUTu8qwXAgC62jdwk_WV4T7Xe31MG-GN3QhLXOWKTbBtgAU/s1600-h/IMGP1170.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuuvgSSPChInBT0jyS2d1-WS0XkABWf3gAnSfHOf1AZ75xyme_ZPm8siS6XDIV3stiMCTnm4xUqtIEJ-Ur0GwBEzUTu8qwXAgC62jdwk_WV4T7Xe31MG-GN3QhLXOWKTbBtgAU/s320/IMGP1170.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164438411436616466" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxG-eJbbZ_nEdiO9KJe6Fx1RTP9g35pkQ6yONwaofZZhNc33o7LOk0yCrMNq5-rJ0NXyjrM5UjU0W4urvZPNhaN9GSFMSTLAop7TlRh7av6LN3Cxv9scu2loch0PTT4XOECKB/s1600-h/IMGP1164.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxG-eJbbZ_nEdiO9KJe6Fx1RTP9g35pkQ6yONwaofZZhNc33o7LOk0yCrMNq5-rJ0NXyjrM5UjU0W4urvZPNhaN9GSFMSTLAop7TlRh7av6LN3Cxv9scu2loch0PTT4XOECKB/s200/IMGP1164.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164438080724134658" border="0" /></a>a fact that makes Eri understandably proud. Googling him turns up <a href="http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/pix/2007/may/84471.htm">photos</a> with Condoleezza Rice, what a surprise!<br />Anyway, no offense to Lulzim, but Eri is obviously the handsome one, and proves to be an excellent cook as well.<br />The white bean soup he is making for the project takes about four hours to prepare, so while everything is simmering on the fire we actually have time to go out for a coffee. I know, normally it is not a good idea to leave something on the fire unattended for so long, but we survived to tell the tale.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYn5KoZFO7ubULiSCiF2cvnUNjHbuvCmLldRUlEW8EW3xkLaLL5ApcFAafBsVjVI5UXbyjkjetmAMOgblP7NGecAOyVfHaKFls7X9q5gnjRWuI0whGat6CS6jkdmomXnsnvS-t/s1600-h/IMGP1172.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYn5KoZFO7ubULiSCiF2cvnUNjHbuvCmLldRUlEW8EW3xkLaLL5ApcFAafBsVjVI5UXbyjkjetmAMOgblP7NGecAOyVfHaKFls7X9q5gnjRWuI0whGat6CS6jkdmomXnsnvS-t/s200/IMGP1172.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164439227480402738" border="0" /></a>Sadly, Eri later tells me the recipe is top secret, so normally you would need your own Albanian sources to find out how it is made.<br />But, after a bit of sniffing around online I discovered a list with<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLUPih8WrRICmHueTamHYsMCLXHuIqhY8Yla9bK96_nVXLCGbFQqYPCzkQuRKvfWgl4TLsYU_sXsKYw2t53ZK0rVatWIaWNZ9l4xgqDOaLi2j3oMwAlDuG58PmWKPHYpd06sH/s1600-h/IMGP1175.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLUPih8WrRICmHueTamHYsMCLXHuIqhY8Yla9bK96_nVXLCGbFQqYPCzkQuRKvfWgl4TLsYU_sXsKYw2t53ZK0rVatWIaWNZ9l4xgqDOaLi2j3oMwAlDuG58PmWKPHYpd06sH/s320/IMGP1175.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164438849523280674" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://www.thealbanians.com/food/soups.htm">Albanian soup recipes</a> online that seems quite trustworthy. Strangely, though Eri assures me this soup is called <span style="font-style: italic;">groshe</span>, they seem to think that is made from lentils. Whereas <span style="font-style: italic;">fa</span><span style="font-style: italic;">sule</span> would be white bean soup. If any Albanians are reading this, let me know what you think!<br />In general, cuisine from this relatively unknown country is quite similar to its neighbours' and you might even find <span style="font-style: italic;">tarator</span> on your table (as seen in Meal 45 from Bulgaria). Many of the dishes can be compared to other "Balkan" cuisine and Turkish and Greek food.<br />One thing I am still curious about is a drink called <span style="font-style: italic;">Dukagjin</span> made with grape juice, sugar and mustard! <span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;" ></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_zDHwLHXKPfw/R6vDQ3IP6uI/AAAAAAAAAIE/o1bHuwknrRo/s1600-h/IMGP1162.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_zDHwLHXKPfw/R6vDQ3IP6uI/AAAAAAAAAIE/o1bHuwknrRo/s320/IMGP1162.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164436092154276578" border="0" /></a>80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-7168460143546493542007-08-12T17:14:00.000+02:002008-02-11T04:20:46.650+01:00Meal 45. Bulgarian Tarator, Musaka and Pitka<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_z7ZzXF_t5cwJGwlufb-JjljlyvYW-6Am4xOnYkbtGhXI4uTiOcGFtvP8KXtU092ur1cuB38jOXAKawpxyubnnjfDhGm84rU2GhRDNPoyxQlg2Y0_ngv2dcfLTaVkm4GBBlT1/s1600-h/IMGP1077.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_z7ZzXF_t5cwJGwlufb-JjljlyvYW-6Am4xOnYkbtGhXI4uTiOcGFtvP8KXtU092ur1cuB38jOXAKawpxyubnnjfDhGm84rU2GhRDNPoyxQlg2Y0_ngv2dcfLTaVkm4GBBlT1/s320/IMGP1077.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097837712212239714" border="0" /></a>How I get in touch with my various generous hosts is quite diverse. Often it happens through mutual friends, and I stumbled across the host for my Albanian meal (no. 46) while he was picknicking in the park. Kristina, however, contacted me just minutes after I got a Skype account. I saw her last name and immediately asked where she was from....and what do you know, Bulgaria, unchartered territory for this blog! She seemed to take my strange request for a meal in her stride (after she checked out the website) and a few days later I am ringing her doorbell just minutes away from my own home. I get to know her husband (a mathematician with Russian roots) and her baby boy, Marin, with luminous blue eyes.<br />Kristina came to Holland to study piano and now practices daily in her colourful flat.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQsZfk9a4IrqKyKKv1-6lePwneeRTOe_HCkVH5h8959dGfIc3hnaUtR6_fzQG691vFkYZ7qUGUprVfk1IDqbzyfRxZw9MObvQX3NtEJiQyAcNN_7cdXfikFhNSKI96oCSw20_L/s1600-h/IMGP1064.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQsZfk9a4IrqKyKKv1-6lePwneeRTOe_HCkVH5h8959dGfIc3hnaUtR6_fzQG691vFkYZ7qUGUprVfk1IDqbzyfRxZw9MObvQX3NtEJiQyAcNN_7cdXfikFhNSKI96oCSw20_L/s320/IMGP1064.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097837334255117650" border="0" /></a> Her son is growing up surrounded by music...and good food!<br />Our starter is a deliciously tart yoghurt and cucumber soup called <a href="http://www.soupsong.com/rcucumb1.html">tarator</a>. Kristina assures me is very simple to make and it seems perfect for summer dinners; you can just take it from the fridge and it's ready to serve cold.<br />The main course is warm and hearty, a 'meat and potato' dish, <span style="font-style: italic;">musaka</span>. It is somewhat similar to the more famous Greek moussaka, but without eggplant (aubergine). Kristina is a bit embarrassed, because he<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-uNSNOe1kgv3mWwp1N87eSgcv5bbX-G-AvHSYisM1nyh0YjhyOfOwV7LgGzJIFHSSoaY96yMMO6-q3npBelVJl9mst83l6MoDyKAwUwlaGmL0EdK4D0AsL8TeAjjUj7zhGjS/s1600-h/IMGP1071.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-uNSNOe1kgv3mWwp1N87eSgcv5bbX-G-AvHSYisM1nyh0YjhyOfOwV7LgGzJIFHSSoaY96yMMO6-q3npBelVJl9mst83l6MoDyKAwUwlaGmL0EdK4D0AsL8TeAjjUj7zhGjS/s320/IMGP1071.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097838407996941682" border="0" /></a>r musaka turned out darker than she would have liked (some would even say burnt), but it is quite tasty nevertheless! It is accompanied by fresh salads and a lovely flower-shaped bread called <span style="font-style: italic;">pitka</span>.<br />After dinner we discuss similarities between Russia and Bulgaria as former USSR nations, I play with Marin (carefully, as I don't want him to catch my cold)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDOQgPjeKLex4fflZzwjcNDHbGPoDaGeSxC-r35UKhsvRNSlzjrf44twJebtczz69aLsFmhggeHEisU3H4qDfOpicTKy5aeUKQECUP9MXfQ3QmDV1JqQhMJAOSlpH0TU3gCx_/s1600-h/IMGP1081.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDOQgPjeKLex4fflZzwjcNDHbGPoDaGeSxC-r35UKhsvRNSlzjrf44twJebtczz69aLsFmhggeHEisU3H4qDfOpicTKy5aeUKQECUP9MXfQ3QmDV1JqQhMJAOSlpH0TU3gCx_/s320/IMGP1081.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097838420881843586" border="0" /></a> and listen to an impromptu piano recital from Kristina. Sadly, I have to admit I cannot remember the evening in much detail as I have delayed posting this story almost a year after moving to the UK. Every time I log in to Skype I feel enormously guilty seeing that Kristina is online and without anything to show for all her efforts. The last time we chatted through Skype, she even sent me new photos of her son, who has of course grown enormously since I saw him. But the luminous blue eyes and gentle smile are the same. I wonder if he will feel Russian-Bulgarian when he grows up, or Dutch-Bulgarian-Russian? But who knows where their little family will settle permanently? A pianist and a mathematician can grow roots in many countries...80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-58124795844882162582007-05-16T14:31:00.000+02:002007-08-12T17:14:01.485+02:00Meal 44. Bengali Motor Polao and Pangas Mach<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jvjHYzJ2xdMIyHhOCWYNLBnwPxsE49Oq2CUQCDtzks3IL-DIXyhZssqkTUPz5CgoVE1MRrf5vW2BYArsde8Xa8KR7WPnT_112-W7v4dS3CHIksK5ly68RERUJjOMyR7_jshi/s1600-h/IMGP1048.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jvjHYzJ2xdMIyHhOCWYNLBnwPxsE49Oq2CUQCDtzks3IL-DIXyhZssqkTUPz5CgoVE1MRrf5vW2BYArsde8Xa8KR7WPnT_112-W7v4dS3CHIksK5ly68RERUJjOMyR7_jshi/s320/IMGP1048.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5065137092762766642" border="0" /></a>Ahmed is the master cook of this authentic Bengali meal. Though I was first a bit confused by the difference between "Bengali" and "Bangladeshi", a quick search taught me the latter epithet refers strictly to the nation. Bengali includes West Bengal, officially part of India. As this evening with Ahmed teaches me, he does feels the ties with India. We watch highlights of Bollywood movies, a compilation of mostly musical interludes with the megastar <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shah_Rukh_Khan">Shah Rukh Khan.</a><br />Somehow, in my long and (I try) multicultural life, I have never really watched a Bollywood movie. I'm impressed by how they seduce me with their fantasy world. The songs and dances vary from the classic to the modern, in desolate landscapes and ornate palaces. Ahmed explains how in one classic dance sequ<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOH9BAzlpHH1kqkA1hElrwq_2_9dwmfbie1ZlBdaOGNWhYHwajGqbMrVgFEfc81CxhfvNIA5ALbvbTSFgAV7rr0GHGW8eLHvaEJ3YF-YE2AQw5l33tEkKfP-4bEoPQil66mok/s1600-h/IMGP1044.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOH9BAzlpHH1kqkA1hElrwq_2_9dwmfbie1ZlBdaOGNWhYHwajGqbMrVgFEfc81CxhfvNIA5ALbvbTSFgAV7rr0GHGW8eLHvaEJ3YF-YE2AQw5l33tEkKfP-4bEoPQil66mok/s320/IMGP1044.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5065136736280481042" border="0" /></a>ence, every movement of the arms, the legs, the head means something. He can understand what the female character is trying to express to the male love interest without a word being spoken. Amazing! In all of the romantic sequences shown, the actors never kiss, though some touching of the naked female stomach obviously is allowed. Ahmed tells me nowadays some actors do kiss for real, but that it is bad for their image. You will see a tantalizing amount of 'almost' kisses, which to be fair, might be more interesting in the end.<br /><br />Now, for the cooking...when I enter the communal kitchen in Ahmed's student house, I am impressed by the enormous pan of rice waiting for us. It is more than enough for the four people that will be enjoying this meal tonight. As Ahmed is leaving to return to Bangladesh in just a few days, I wonder who will eat it all. The rice is infused with<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1nAHrC_ckGrczWorkCi5r8L00_iAU3sdiw1UNGIKL4YG09uGhuEORt71YctRfQBwiKOQjS9kxzvnmWpmJ9pxICxG2y2SLjRdgLzPFwCeLXSRg1u3TCZ0l_2vPGYsRJMuIrzj/s1600-h/IMGP1045.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1nAHrC_ckGrczWorkCi5r8L00_iAU3sdiw1UNGIKL4YG09uGhuEORt71YctRfQBwiKOQjS9kxzvnmWpmJ9pxICxG2y2SLjRdgLzPFwCeLXSRg1u3TCZ0l_2vPGYsRJMuIrzj/s320/IMGP1045.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5065136753460350242" border="0" /></a> yellow colour, and aroma, because of the saffron added. Ahmed obligingly poses with the <span style="font-style: italic;">Motor Polao</span> rice at right. But the fish is more special. He calls it <span style="font-style: italic;">Pangas Mach</span>. Googling that turns up nothing, though I do find <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panga">Panga</a> is a type of fish found in the Indian Ocean. It is serves with <span style="font-style: italic;">Dal Aloo Ghanto</span>, a lentil sauce. The vegetables draped on top are called "Indian root" in Bengali, but Ahmed isn't sure of the English translation. It is all artfully served and quickly gobbled up by me, a young Dutch friend who is always up for Bengali food, and Shusil, our Nepali friend who prepared the <a href="http://80meals.blogspot.com/2006/01/meal-2-nepalese-chicken-curry.html">second meal</a> for this project.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIVbZf8aPSxn3sgy9kyEdGGT-2hCwwRE0Rf2Z0l1Cz_memRzcRpDUPjgwStot4g6lfnbTLrDYc3-scRAIesqToThqDsVPD32y7TOLIP3m8aMlftNygss1LBJGlysK93GLhvWW/s1600-h/IMGP1053.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIVbZf8aPSxn3sgy9kyEdGGT-2hCwwRE0Rf2Z0l1Cz_memRzcRpDUPjgwStot4g6lfnbTLrDYc3-scRAIesqToThqDsVPD32y7TOLIP3m8aMlftNygss1LBJGlysK93GLhvWW/s320/IMGP1053.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5065137105647668546" border="0" /></a>The same relaxed atmosphere is present now as at that evening more than a year ago. As we go to leave the dirty dishes in the kitchen, we find Ahmed's housemates preparing a meal including magic mushrooms...in general, in my world, stimulating company beats chemical stimulants any time! Although, in a way, maybe food counts as a stimulant as well? I do enjoy good company more in combination with good food!<br /><br />To check out some Bengali recipes at home, try out these websites:<br /><a href="http://www.bangalinet.com/recipe.htm">Bangali.net</a><br /><a href="http://theory.tifr.res.in/bombay/history/people/cuisine/bengali.html">A collection of Bengali recipes</a><br /><a href="http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/%7Epalwal/">Anita Pal's Bengali recipes</a>80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-29978128867469671252007-05-11T17:58:00.000+02:002007-05-11T19:46:31.386+02:00Meal 43. Sahrawi Couscous<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-abIplhdk037AH6ahAE0boCUAxMe3Ks1qlvM5rceEWV40-OJ6w2nwmg6m2aDnhUlypJsOK3AO7B_WJUIoQ7uLyhaDnoLAZVRyut7t1pjr8DUO0jaQF1zapW8cL_rvIWgJklqh/s1600-h/vegetablesandcouscous.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-abIplhdk037AH6ahAE0boCUAxMe3Ks1qlvM5rceEWV40-OJ6w2nwmg6m2aDnhUlypJsOK3AO7B_WJUIoQ7uLyhaDnoLAZVRyut7t1pjr8DUO0jaQF1zapW8cL_rvIWgJklqh/s320/vegetablesandcouscous.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5063357333975189154" border="0" /></a>This meal is the most "political" meal I have had during the whole project. The nationality "Sahrawi" probably won't ring a bell for most people. It is the term used by/for refugees from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahrawi">Western Sahara territory</a>. This is a huge chunk of Morocco; on some maps it will have a different color. After Spain left Morocco in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Western_Sahara#Spanish_Sahara_.281884-1975.29">1975</a>, control of the Western Sahara has been disputed by Mauritania, the Moroccan government and Frente Polisario, who want independence for the region.<br /><br />And it is the representation for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polisario">Polisario</a> in the Netherlands, Ali, who will be making cousc<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8waTu4qwvS5MCOy8F8Kfu_npvBLzE7ageSUkvyu27kM3Hc0eHwHwdIPhYRlq6yFZPZ0Xqf08DYT2NMJEZR2D-sCPmJ-sGWU38GDpgbSmKd2j-7KyOqI_F0Zm1ejU24DayM8Yy/s1600-h/alicooking.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8waTu4qwvS5MCOy8F8Kfu_npvBLzE7ageSUkvyu27kM3Hc0eHwHwdIPhYRlq6yFZPZ0Xqf08DYT2NMJEZR2D-sCPmJ-sGWU38GDpgbSmKd2j-7KyOqI_F0Zm1ejU24DayM8Yy/s320/alicooking.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5063357510068848306" border="0" /></a>ous for me tonight. I got to know him through a friend of mine, who got a visa from him to visit the Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria. It is very interesting to meet someone whose life has been influenced so strongly by the politics of his home country. He had just been studying medicine in Spain for three years when he was called back in the mid seventies to help his country fight the Moroccan rule. He mostly served by running the Red Cross and remembers the period as very difficult. There was a lot of fighting then, guerilla warfare with a lot of people getting hurt or killed.<br />The Polisario formed a kind of government in exile of the Sahrawi refugee population in Algeria. Ali was their minister of education for a while and tells me about many young Sahrawi being educated in Cuba. Mostly as doctors and as teachers. They shared the language and the common p<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6SC76WkdNzXcfo2rjyVXUhJscdsHRVgA3g1ZFaw-APGwqqvG2pj90PYCpscMME9iwtGhyphenhyphenuUPFdeUWJdtMOaGbwy-jGSsb6d-MSWXN92OsyubDqL1A8bYaUvCHpm-7C4Z12IP/s1600-h/sahrawicouscous.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6SC76WkdNzXcfo2rjyVXUhJscdsHRVgA3g1ZFaw-APGwqqvG2pj90PYCpscMME9iwtGhyphenhyphenuUPFdeUWJdtMOaGbwy-jGSsb6d-MSWXN92OsyubDqL1A8bYaUvCHpm-7C4Z12IP/s320/sahrawicouscous.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5063357329680221842" border="0" /></a>ast as Spanish colonies.<br />Ali has had many different "nationalities", as the Sahrawi passport is only recognized in certain countries and he has to be able to travel freely to represent Polisario. At the moment, he is officially Spanish.<br /><br />During the preparations for the meal, we speak about the past and present of his country and I am impressed by his gentle spirit. His attitude seems to be a mix of sadness, frustration, determination and hope. The fight for independence has been going on for so long now, more than 30 years. And though there has been a ceasefire and talk of a referendum si<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgV-koEqM0q1GN7oIkwVdIKQD9nThAC6DQB4uaitlWoToesIIv8bzcfdHz3l7P1bQfCLlUapwd7CPirCP0DsFmHtZfXecwskvXcQW8Ir1RQTp9S9GDYJFgsCfHAN7SdxlSx3T/s1600-h/alifluffingcouscous.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgV-koEqM0q1GN7oIkwVdIKQD9nThAC6DQB4uaitlWoToesIIv8bzcfdHz3l7P1bQfCLlUapwd7CPirCP0DsFmHtZfXecwskvXcQW8Ir1RQTp9S9GDYJFgsCfHAN7SdxlSx3T/s320/alifluffingcouscous.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5063357514363815618" border="0" /></a>nce 1991, no real steps forward have been taken. It is virtually impossible for a Sahrawi to travel from the camps in Algeria to his birthplace because of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moroccan_Wall">wall</a> that has been built by the Moroccan government.<br /><br />In essence, the couscous Ali is preparing is not that different from the Moroccan couscous I had earlier (see <a href="http://80meals.blogspot.com/2006/03/meal-12-moroccan-couscous.html">Meal 12. </a>). Again, the couscous is steamed twice, with a lot of attention to the "fluffing" in between, as seen at right. It is served with succulent lamb, chick peas and a multitude of vegetables. Squash, carrots, cabbage, bell peppers, tomatoes and <span style="font-style: italic;">nabos</span>, turnips. Ali tells me that though this is typical, a more unique meal is eaten in the Sahara desert. When groups of men head out into the desert for whatever reason, they will take flour, onions and meat with them. The flour is made into unleavened bread with the sand as an oven. This is served with a sauce of meat and onions on top. For the authentic experience I think I would have to travel with them into the desert! Who knows if this might happen one day...who knows what the situation of the Western Sahara will be then...80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-19761796448852193642007-03-23T12:22:00.000+01:002007-06-07T18:14:33.675+02:00Meal 42. Peruvian feast<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgOUj87KDyQ3Go3vzPTl5k51sHvuW56FAUrWn8bq4Tv3oeg507w1zobgYKv3zT_kDpEH9PO9ZwWgAHln-XDiL3aDeQVkD6zFeblIDerZqe0-aK4AJ3EiIlithe58hu4y3xJ4B/s1600-h/jenny8.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5063310875313948226" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgOUj87KDyQ3Go3vzPTl5k51sHvuW56FAUrWn8bq4Tv3oeg507w1zobgYKv3zT_kDpEH9PO9ZwWgAHln-XDiL3aDeQVkD6zFeblIDerZqe0-aK4AJ3EiIlithe58hu4y3xJ4B/s320/jenny8.jpg" border="0" /></a>Tonight is the night of the Peruvian feast. Once again, it is a feast, as my hostess, Valeria, has made so many dishes it is impossible to choose one as the "main dish". Besides Valeria, her Dutch partner Geert and me, two other friends have been invited to make all the cooking worthwile. Aparently, Valeria has been at work since the early morning!<br /><br />We start out with an appetizer of deep-fried yuca with <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">salsa amarilla</span>, a sauce made with yellow bell peppers, cheese, milk and fine cracker crumbs. I used to love havind <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">yuca frita</span> as a snack when I lived in Costa Rica, as a kind of Latino french fries with ketchup. The yellow sauce is new to me.<br />I have to admit that before this meal, my only association with Peruvian food was: "Guinea <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-jszI6bNvmO9Us2ICyeG_62LU1Hj1HIy70tlLvEBs3auv1X87_panp6-Yp-7joA0Jq3bcRAIx-rSOfEaOvdO7JgNIQIe33uJcTVlY1t7rJuDf8lvY11VLtmnE01jvyjUZfi4M/s1600-h/jenny2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5063311120127084146" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-jszI6bNvmO9Us2ICyeG_62LU1Hj1HIy70tlLvEBs3auv1X87_panp6-Yp-7joA0Jq3bcRAIx-rSOfEaOvdO7JgNIQIe33uJcTVlY1t7rJuDf8lvY11VLtmnE01jvyjUZfi4M/s320/jenny2.jpg" border="0" /></a>pigs!" It seems like all tourists come back from Peru with not only photos of the Machu Picchu, but of fried guinea pig on a plate as well. A locally popular type of meat, the little animals are easy to raise next to the house. Often women are responsable, and sometimes children as well.<br /><br />But when I ask Valeria, she exclaims:"Cuy!?" No, too much trouble to get <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">cuy</span> in the Netherlands, and besides, there are more than enough other great dishes she would love to make.<br />After the fried yuca, we are seated around the large dinner table and dig into the wonderful<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2fppJXw019cc47L-i1wLlxDdH40xEcuoMehpjYiZ97Y8G3c5HcPaz55ZqBh_EIESpq-S0XI6vs9WYlP57uq9dDLdCK4TfNUqNGdGTedhsO_x2jjWZAULqfoSji8ZNbYf3tlI/s1600-h/jenny7.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5063310883903882834" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2fppJXw019cc47L-i1wLlxDdH40xEcuoMehpjYiZ97Y8G3c5HcPaz55ZqBh_EIESpq-S0XI6vs9WYlP57uq9dDLdCK4TfNUqNGdGTedhsO_x2jjWZAULqfoSji8ZNbYf3tlI/s320/jenny7.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">ceviche</span>. Valeria's version of this dish involve nice, big, juicy chunks of fish marinated in lemon juice, with finely chopped red onions, celery, coriander and hot pepper.<br />Then come the <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">papas rellenas</span>, potato patties filled with ground meat and raisins. I love the combination of meat with the sweetness of the raisins, also found in Chilean empanadas (see <a href="http://80meals.blogspot.com/2006/03/meal-13-chilean-empanadas-and-cazuela.html">meal 13</a>). You can see Valeria preparing the patties at right.<br /><br />Easy to make yourself is the salad of hard boiled potatoes <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2NWTtHbfc49eCTxeh67LPiyUPfnsi4WdYtd9uTL3JdSDWppVSSokae7UZZFTtJcMt_SQQ_AgfULgNJbXoqcfc4C-CnukKYRrHap5VyJ2TEzdYP_bWimWIBcOnz6lYh9kRtXw6/s1600-h/jenny1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5063311111537149538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2NWTtHbfc49eCTxeh67LPiyUPfnsi4WdYtd9uTL3JdSDWppVSSokae7UZZFTtJcMt_SQQ_AgfULgNJbXoqcfc4C-CnukKYRrHap5VyJ2TEzdYP_bWimWIBcOnz6lYh9kRtXw6/s320/jenny1.jpg" border="0" /></a>and eggs, olives and yellow sauce, otherwise known as <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">papas a la huancaina</span> (at left). This yellow sauce is versatile!<br /><br />We also have fried calamares and fish with a dip, rice with chicken, beef with vegetables (<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">lomo saltado</span>), and as a grand finale the dessert. One of Valeria's first presents to Geert was a Peruvian cookbook, and now he knows how to make fried <a href="http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imagen:Peru_Picarones.jpg"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">picarones</span></a>, a sweet ring-shaped pumpkin pastr<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_JR4v6LQKQ0zmVdxqTkHLClXVQQRV39Nl1BMeCrxihMxDQrl7Vk7u3K2P5xqzZx69UPvCef6fEI2DoddehJqdGdDcWfOmiCVIGmVzM2QjW3lUz-f9nMPESK5AIlvtdGd5R2V/s1600-h/jenny5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5063311124422051458" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_JR4v6LQKQ0zmVdxqTkHLClXVQQRV39Nl1BMeCrxihMxDQrl7Vk7u3K2P5xqzZx69UPvCef6fEI2DoddehJqdGdDcWfOmiCVIGmVzM2QjW3lUz-f9nMPESK5AIlvtdGd5R2V/s320/jenny5.jpg" border="0" /></a>y served with syrup. Yummy!<br /><br />We discuss how they met, while he was travelling in Peru. Valeria has traveled extensively in her own country as well, and they met on the road. Their photos make me want to step on the plane to Peru! What a beautiful country. Plus, now I know there'll be more than enough good things to eat, not just guinea pigs!<br /><br /><a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/05/peruvian-picarones.html">Check the recipe if you want to learn how to make picarones as well.</a>80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-43647804293711742432007-01-26T17:12:00.000+01:002007-03-23T12:02:54.122+01:00Meal 41. Latvian Rosols<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjcbcpNZBwYgYlXUgxLfVYiDG_H1SvZ3QMWOZRTffCBl9h6dHChcuXkdFoZWeg8ltFY8BkpW8fp6xT-fWA-axrUEOgYcVSFmVCMvSA8Lg6BpBrAVXWpXE5hM7Pr_vmsCK8oOu/s1600-h/nandacuttingsausage2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjcbcpNZBwYgYlXUgxLfVYiDG_H1SvZ3QMWOZRTffCBl9h6dHChcuXkdFoZWeg8ltFY8BkpW8fp6xT-fWA-axrUEOgYcVSFmVCMvSA8Lg6BpBrAVXWpXE5hM7Pr_vmsCK8oOu/s320/nandacuttingsausage2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045069293773342226" border="0" /></a><span style="" lang="EN-US">Nanda has invited over Digne, a friend who lives in the Hague as well. They met up through a Latvian "Myspace" type website. Digne was checking out the profiles and..."Hey! There are more Latvians here in the Hague!" So now she is here, the official inspector of <em>Rosols</em>, the special potato salad served on birthdays, holidays and all other special occasions. It's a festive dish, but "even boys know how to make it!" <span class="fullpost"> Nanda's father often makes it for her when she</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8uJZEHJXxMTITVhu5oQo2zIb3YA2dSXarmNyxErH9gXbWlTPKdUpaMLu590nKkzCwIZHsVoNKnp6jiq3L1cHbIefU8XSmR_bL5x6LyFUZ6Wjs5WiCKzJviQW6Epw5AwpAIcD/s1600-h/nandashowingdignerosols.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8uJZEHJXxMTITVhu5oQo2zIb3YA2dSXarmNyxErH9gXbWlTPKdUpaMLu590nKkzCwIZHsVoNKnp6jiq3L1cHbIefU8XSmR_bL5x6LyFUZ6Wjs5WiCKzJviQW6Epw5AwpAIcD/s320/nandashowingdignerosols.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045068932996089330" border="0" /></a><span style="" lang="EN-US">'s back in Riga for a visit. The last couple of years she's lived in France (to study sound engineering) and here in Holland (to study </span><a href="http://www.kabk.nl/studierichtingen/as/index/-/nl"><span style="" lang="EN-US">ArtScience</span></a>).<br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">While we're chopping and dicing the sausage, carrots, gherkins, eggs and potatoes, Nanda tells m</span><span style="" lang="EN-US">e lots about Latvia. Russia plays a big part in its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Latvia#Soviet_period">recent history</a>, they occupied Latvia till 1990. Till then, all "official" things, like shop fronts or tram tickets, were in Russian. After independence, </span><span style="" lang="EN-US">everything was written in Latvian, but on some facades, the bleached out shadows of the Russian letters are still visible. There's quite a polemic going on now about the language, as the big Russian minority (almost a third of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvia#Demographics">population</a>) want Russian to become the offical </span><span style="" lang="EN-US">second language of the nation. Nanda was even affected by this struggle </span><span><span style="" lang="EN-US"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPeMkhyphenhyphennWqOu6xH8Ho7WfvsOqu4A_8xXVRNLFUOl4bdWz_HJf4cSpYc_TH8G9XwlQmbzxNGeeRmDSKzUvMw_hj5hijaivg5ZR0BXFEYm4fckw5K7Y4St8W3JCdxCP7nf0rExdm/s1600-h/nandasrosolspan.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPeMkhyphenhyphennWqOu6xH8Ho7WfvsOqu4A_8xXVRNLFUOl4bdWz_HJf4cSpYc_TH8G9XwlQmbzxNGeeRmDSKzUvMw_hj5hijaivg5ZR0BXFEYm4fckw5K7Y4St8W3JCdxCP7nf0rExdm/s320/nandasrosolspan.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045068147017074146" border="0" /></a></span></span><span style="" lang="EN-US">personally...when she worked at the ministry of education there was a bomb scare in the building . All because they wanted to change education so that all lessons would be taught in Latvian.<br />Nanda tells me sometimes at the mark</span><span style="" lang="EN-US">et she will be speaking to the vendors in Latvian and they will answer in Russian. A bilingual dialogue... The salad progresses and Digne inspects the proportions of the different ingredients. The pieces have to be chopped very finely, as “only grandma’s make rosols with big chunks!” Then generous amounts of sour cream and mayonnaise are added. The aspect mostly reminds me of potato salads I have had in the past at barbecues or parties. But here in Holland it doesn’t have a special name or significance…and often it’s bought at the supermarket and not made at home. Which does make a big diffe</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXL8wtFiAMMaZUYtabu8l76kO-UVP6j3pOnIWFwVMSEQro6ILhLGHwMLCAvxkEOYsOr7KWpWFsCGQzGDLzq7O2NYsrdjXSqvOGbqHN4Pub4rgSNfJtOTI6w5e_XVMlOu9zfiH/s1600-h/nandawithsweets.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXL8wtFiAMMaZUYtabu8l76kO-UVP6j3pOnIWFwVMSEQro6ILhLGHwMLCAvxkEOYsOr7KWpWFsCGQzGDLzq7O2NYsrdjXSqvOGbqHN4Pub4rgSNfJtOTI6w5e_XVMlOu9zfiH/s320/nandawithsweets.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045068937291056642" border="0" /></a><span style="" lang="EN-US">rence, as I notice when I take my first bite. The <span style="font-style: italic;">rosols</span> isn’t really photogenic, but it is delicious comfort food and I can imagine it being seen as a “festive” dish.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">After dinner we enjoy a cup of lindenflower tea, with lindenflower honey to sweeten it, also typical for grandmothers according to Nanda and Digne. To accompany it, some rock hard caramels that need an unexpected amount of viole</span><span style="" lang="EN-US">nce to separate them from their friends. Here at right you see Nanda holding a Latvian souvenir…it’s a bread that’s a couple of months old, but she doesn’t want to throw it away just yet. Amazingly, this “real” bread just turns hard and doesn’t get moldy.</span><br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">Click <a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/03/latvian-rosols.html">here</a> for the original Rosols recipe. It's easy to make!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><br /><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-73108625050668384032007-01-04T11:33:00.000+01:002007-01-26T16:34:54.367+01:00Meal 40. Costa Rican Gallo Pinto<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7W6rXDs5T2toPOoWKQ9WcB7-tSifeD37FCk5y9Ayc7kFu3WMqhpRnE7LwCVxjJYT4xTPsDZV2itbJamieHYiSBF4Ttg66Ti64aIJ_yJTUJr5l2-1bInBTakiyltyzdzr2oytc/s1600-h/fresiacooking.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022871625523805026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7W6rXDs5T2toPOoWKQ9WcB7-tSifeD37FCk5y9Ayc7kFu3WMqhpRnE7LwCVxjJYT4xTPsDZV2itbJamieHYiSBF4Ttg66Ti64aIJ_yJTUJr5l2-1bInBTakiyltyzdzr2oytc/s320/fresiacooking.JPG" border="0" /></a>This meal is special....firstly because it is the 4oth meal and thus is the half-way mark of my trip. Secondly because it is Costa Rican, and the food brings back memories of my exchange year in that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_rica">Central-American country</a> seven years ago. It's great to laugh and chat again with people who have been to the same places and speak Spanish the Costa Rican way. Saying <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voseo">vos</a></em> instead of <em>tu</em> will sound ridiculous in almost any other country.<span class="fullpost"><br /><br />Fresia is a Ph.D. student of Physics here in the Netherlands, and her friend Marcela as well, but in Brazil. They have invited Carlos as well, and even though he is Colombian, he is in charge <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPESJS3bWchdp5thTxTXij5dqJu2tj7B5k4Ink985Oa4PUMvMPkfx7e2edMDy5z32p5PM7nMjrvWbYrLwbyQhpVW9_WRFABMQXbO51FTq3D9Lzb0upg5uhJLNuwZqbxyOclgA/s1600-h/fresiawithsalsalizano.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022872067905436562" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPESJS3bWchdp5thTxTXij5dqJu2tj7B5k4Ink985Oa4PUMvMPkfx7e2edMDy5z32p5PM7nMjrvWbYrLwbyQhpVW9_WRFABMQXbO51FTq3D9Lzb0upg5uhJLNuwZqbxyOclgA/s320/fresiawithsalsalizano.JPG" border="0" /></a>of the <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patacones">patacones</a></em>...the twice-fried plantains both countries have in common (see <a href="http://80meals.blogspot.com/2006/05/meal-20-colombian-bandeja-paisa.html">Meal 20. Colombian Bandeja Paisa</a>).<br />A truly unique part of Costa Rican cuisine, though, is the world famous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salsa_Lizano">Salsa Lizano</a> (at right) that Fresia specially brought from back home to give her food that typical flavour. The weird thing is that when I look at the bottle a bit closer, the Lizano company turns out to be owned by Unilever, a British-Dutch food (and cleaning <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmVHTI1QYjmT3_F8_N9ubeOmDelCT4dvtFIaVuE5lRb_HMKYakUUYmixHIJYEzjeaZrheewWba96iV5egAVFDY1TXkOfk00kSsalMzWvCBNINVy3TqGtxUEE2QYU-IaM0q7GrM/s1600-h/marcelacooking.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022871629818772338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmVHTI1QYjmT3_F8_N9ubeOmDelCT4dvtFIaVuE5lRb_HMKYakUUYmixHIJYEzjeaZrheewWba96iV5egAVFDY1TXkOfk00kSsalMzWvCBNINVy3TqGtxUEE2QYU-IaM0q7GrM/s320/marcelacooking.JPG" border="0" /></a>products) conglomerate. That's globalization for you!<br />Fresia has a whole collection of tico (=Costa Rican) food and condiments, but the locally famous spirit <em><a href="http://www.costaricauncovered.com/guaro-rum-beer-drinks-costa-rica.htm">guaro</a></em> isn't included. "I'm afraid of giving my country a bad name if I let people here drink that!", she admits.<br />Serving the very popular <em>ceviche</em> is a better tactic. This delicious and refreshing dish made of raw fish, onions, lemon juice and cilantro (coriander leaves) is easy to make and often served for lunch.<br /><br />But more "typically tico" is the rice and beans called <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallo_pinto">gallo pinto</a></em>. It's supposedly name after the "painted rooster" whose black and white feathers are similar to the colours of this dish. During my year in Costa Rica I must have had this about 365 times...it can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Cilantro, fried onions and garlic and Salsa Lizano give it a typical taste, and the chopped bell peppers are added for a touch of colour.<br />Marcela remembers how her mother made rice attractive for her kids by adding peas, grated carrots or bell pepper. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3RH4nysDZKm7Nqd0PceeIns1_WbnlWdEP6cXc8_VwqFG8Ncx2iihMsp4-RWiValvfcvSLjc_iB4lKFbSC8TK82KIsSYtwd94uIzCE8ReEZYqdpkSo4w4h_igr7gT8JgbPCMd/s1600-h/gallopinto.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022872072200403874" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3RH4nysDZKm7Nqd0PceeIns1_WbnlWdEP6cXc8_VwqFG8Ncx2iihMsp4-RWiValvfcvSLjc_iB4lKFbSC8TK82KIsSYtwd94uIzCE8ReEZYqdpkSo4w4h_igr7gT8JgbPCMd/s320/gallopinto.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />As we eat, we listen to traditional songs that were always played at Fresia's dance classes. Though in the discos you will mostly hear salsa, merengue with some pop and reggae thrown in, quite a lot of young Costa Ricans have learnt folk dancing at school or university.<br />I mention how I was surprised that my host family hadn't learned to spell my name correctly after living with them for half a year (<em>Yeny</em> instead of <em>Jenny</em>). Later I noticed many Costa Ricans don't care about the spelling of their own name. One day it's <em>Mainor</em>, the other day <em>Minor</em>. And <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2zZbPWrLDgf_zMHhydD6-CtAF8Cwv2tzIIpd1hPP89DpmDcFDFKBeVCs-5qRM3girSEaWMzfoYMHDeBe_x4AzuzY6m2LvKAIGckbCLFnKcEnhU-rlv-DNfNhy4BVt7DvZu6Y/s1600-h/costaricancombinado.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022871638408706946" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2zZbPWrLDgf_zMHhydD6-CtAF8Cwv2tzIIpd1hPP89DpmDcFDFKBeVCs-5qRM3girSEaWMzfoYMHDeBe_x4AzuzY6m2LvKAIGckbCLFnKcEnhU-rlv-DNfNhy4BVt7DvZu6Y/s320/costaricancombinado.JPG" border="0" /></a>you wouldn't believe the quantity of boys named <em>Jhonny</em>!<br />Fresia laughs:"You wouldn't think so, but my name has been spelled in I don't know how many different ways! Fressia, Frezia, Frecia..."<br />What is also different, is the fact that many people (mostly younger males) are always referred to by some strange nickname. <em>El Muerto</em> (the Dead Guy) for an unusually pale friend, <em>Watchi</em> for someone who looked like a local watchman, <em>Chile</em> for a guy who was from there originally, etc. On my last trip I was presented to a <em>Repollo</em> (Cabbage)...his backpack bore the slogan: "Say no to violence against vegetables!"<br /></span><br /><br /><br />If you'd like to try your hand at ceviche, here's <a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/01/costa-rican-ceviche.html">the recipe</a>.80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-79445101541419535742006-12-30T16:56:00.000+01:002007-01-22T16:01:19.807+01:00Meal 39. Thai Thom Yum Kung<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRLSm6u9XgmobZevKP0eajLuBU08BKljzcMJ8VUH5B6rSM5DdqK41aMc_pc5JtBr8WFsNN8qQT-pL7g1Tb9uT1bbe-GAj7ks8zqN22_Y2CwLcdMysAZ25tECQXeEkdbRU_kiW/s1600-h/bibiwithshrimp.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022869937601657682" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRLSm6u9XgmobZevKP0eajLuBU08BKljzcMJ8VUH5B6rSM5DdqK41aMc_pc5JtBr8WFsNN8qQT-pL7g1Tb9uT1bbe-GAj7ks8zqN22_Y2CwLcdMysAZ25tECQXeEkdbRU_kiW/s320/bibiwithshrimp.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>When I see all the ingredients Bibi has gathered around her to prepare the Thai meal, I am seriously intimidated. I give up ever recreating this meal before she has even started. When she tells me she's planning to open a Thai restaurant, I feel somewhat better...I'm dealing with a professional here.<br /><div><br /><div><br />Like Mike (from my <a href="http://80meals.blogspot.com/2006/07/meal-29-chinese-stir-fried-chicken.html">Chinese meal</a>), Bibi is a "European" name, as her Thai name is too long and complicated to pronounce for most Westerners. <span class="fullpost"><br />Most Thai have a nickname, and even the<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEsG7fw7laoggnNe2fzJOH4RNzkV727pJhB_vTa8ImEc-lzqHZAMNHKf0zrrGISsJrZNpHqt_2INzxU22d7NSWWfambakryuOtBWA92ELeEUg4TlZ66FyC_gj0vzQ3TYUzvtBG/s1600-h/IMGP0958.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016111512239387650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEsG7fw7laoggnNe2fzJOH4RNzkV727pJhB_vTa8ImEc-lzqHZAMNHKf0zrrGISsJrZNpHqt_2INzxU22d7NSWWfambakryuOtBWA92ELeEUg4TlZ66FyC_gj0vzQ3TYUzvtBG/s320/IMGP0958.JPG" border="0" /></a>kings are not known by their full name! Bibi says:"We just call them King nr. 5 or King nr. 9."</div><br /><div>The official name for Bangkok is so long, there's even a special song to help you remember is. Mostly it's just called Krung Thep, which roughly translates into "City of Angels". Anyway, Bibi isn't even from Bangkok!</div><br /><div>While I'm helping her remove the heads of the big shrimp for our soup, she explains how she <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzlukl_WWBWwn4kTYp2YuWf1Ha154_jhBnUGfeO79fWpTM6HLXGiXQLD-rsHnPXOMutPwZzt-cSw6PSiarqe5oAAlQrZCwl59ByZyx0CzYC9UuG7M8mp0gjXSMKztlnMuJpqq/s1600-h/IMGP0961.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016110825044620258" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzlukl_WWBWwn4kTYp2YuWf1Ha154_jhBnUGfeO79fWpTM6HLXGiXQLD-rsHnPXOMutPwZzt-cSw6PSiarqe5oAAlQrZCwl59ByZyx0CzYC9UuG7M8mp0gjXSMKztlnMuJpqq/s320/IMGP0961.JPG" border="0" /></a>needs to be in a good mood while cooking: "I have to be in a good mood for the food to taste good! If I'm in a bad mood, the dishes somehow always turn out too salty or too sweet..."</div><br /><div>I'd never heard that before!</div><br /><div>As she is cooking for non-Thai, Bibi has been so nice as to adapt the level of hotness to our tastes. She says what we are eating is "children's level". She herself always brings a little box of chili powder whenever she's eating out or at a restaurant. This way, she can surreptitiously add a bit of spice to the dishes that taste very bland to her.</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3KWgfIsYokZP73noyHt7UXcalynM8MVNvk4pm7ZH78tZO9F7MC8lFbDTLX3afAEWfaEb-WFhOFkjjQv3LONkwS6I2ojyzOWywmWCl8AvdgVj77OUqLEutuWtzZCAhKxWoyyE/s1600-h/IMGP0976.JPG"></a>But even within Thai adults there is a variation in what people can stand. Bibi's aunt cooks such spicy food that Bibi's father will not accept dinner invitations to her home anymore!</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAoGEMVYQ7qEzF9PXGoB4yt-iWaWFUvPXnwqNj4dnorR8EoVcU7duCnHkw3EnaJXw20lkexKM9QyMn5DY9BEc7bKpi_QhT7yDHhyphenhyphenF6LirZ3O7OcR_hd58HqJL6MoejJzbTdoAl/s1600-h/IMGP0967.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016112100649907234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAoGEMVYQ7qEzF9PXGoB4yt-iWaWFUvPXnwqNj4dnorR8EoVcU7duCnHkw3EnaJXw20lkexKM9QyMn5DY9BEc7bKpi_QhT7yDHhyphenhyphenF6LirZ3O7OcR_hd58HqJL6MoejJzbTdoAl/s320/IMGP0967.JPG" border="0" /></a>Our meal starts with little snacks; egg rolls, meat patties and frothy omelet. The omelet is so airy because it's poured into the pan from great heights...Bibi jokes:"We will pour it from the second floor, if we want it to be really light!"</div><br /><div>The spicy <em>Thom Yum Kung</em>, brings a nice flush to my cheeks and every<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4SKF2Yg7sl31pP-xmf6m-UnBA8ax4AfGRNaAz6V1gGlxCfusCJHRFKu-hfRVQEoeMDjqZVEH9v6A0s8EmeuxS9SMmY1vy6jJDTtOA1ETVNZH1IsHMtbbP0pasRWDGhZ1eZCU/s1600-h/IMGP0973.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016110820749652946" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4SKF2Yg7sl31pP-xmf6m-UnBA8ax4AfGRNaAz6V1gGlxCfusCJHRFKu-hfRVQEoeMDjqZVEH9v6A0s8EmeuxS9SMmY1vy6jJDTtOA1ETVNZH1IsHMtbbP0pasRWDGhZ1eZCU/s320/IMGP0973.JPG" border="0" /></a> spoonful springs a new surprise of mushrooms, coriander or shrimp. Somehow I find it impossible to make good pictures of the food this time. Especially of the main dish, white rice with Beef Curry Matsaman. This is a special recipe, originally only eaten in the King's Palace, according to Bibi. "Every dish has a story in Thailand."</div><br /><div>I feel blessed to be able to taste it on this cold rainy winter day in Holland. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>As a final lesson, Bibi shows me how to make a spring roll with a napkin (photo at right). I still feel as if I'm in a course about Shakespeare before even learning the alphabet! If she does indeed open a restaurant, I will be the first visitor.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /></span><br />Click here for a simplified recipe for <a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/12/meal-39-thai-tom-yum-kung.html">Thom Yum Kung</a>. </div></div></div>80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-72784013194691521622006-12-14T21:20:00.000+01:002007-01-01T20:10:39.798+01:00Meal 38. Burkina Faso Chicken Gizzards<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKRsv8ihI1hPVupudiMjaX30ByI5g6WdM81DdbHrJTUD7ATQs29QgWcfR5heLMST5AKyWT2KBIfbJdBSqcFidA6oeYKcNEoIDGfgAHzisYTQZaBgABZWxa7yA6HeiI8Hoke2N/s1600-h/burkinagizzards.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014343488798173346" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKRsv8ihI1hPVupudiMjaX30ByI5g6WdM81DdbHrJTUD7ATQs29QgWcfR5heLMST5AKyWT2KBIfbJdBSqcFidA6oeYKcNEoIDGfgAHzisYTQZaBgABZWxa7yA6HeiI8Hoke2N/s320/burkinagizzards.jpg" border="0" /></a>Moussa is my host tonight, from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burkina_Faso">Burkina Faso</a>, "the land of good people". As happens more and more often during this project, I have to admit I've never consciously met anybody from this country before. When Moussa hears me speak in French, he exclaims "Ah! It's as if you I'm hearing a Mossi woman speaking! Your accent is exactly the same as the <a href="http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/Mossi.html">Mossi</a> ethnicity in Burkina!" Somehow the mix of French learnt at school and while travelling in Africa, mixed with Dutch and American accents, led to a similar way of speaking...<br />I was warned that Moussa is a very good cook, but that he has a penchant for using "organ <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CCVHkiJD8jHeTR83H6MzdMDBslQ8gADVOdvH1J73GhXr6DcdggygNvoaLxbPQd49PR_4O3LnFa2e4lreo7m5qQmh6fBuRwIgnyJUgtxis9xOXp6AccFHi_g0Di51wQi0GaEp/s1600-h/burkinaaloko.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014344107273464018" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CCVHkiJD8jHeTR83H6MzdMDBslQ8gADVOdvH1J73GhXr6DcdggygNvoaLxbPQd49PR_4O3LnFa2e4lreo7m5qQmh6fBuRwIgnyJUgtxis9xOXp6AccFHi_g0Di51wQi0GaEp/s320/burkinaaloko.jpg" border="0" /></a>meat", a first for this project, I must say. So it is no surprise to see what (as a veterinarian, not as a consumer) I recognize as chicken stomachs, also known as gizzards in proper English. They are being marinated in oil, vinegar, onions, garlic and salt.<span class="fullpost"><br />While I get a complete workshop in how to prepare Burkinese food, Moussa tells me more about his childhood. While he is the oldest son of a large family, he was raised by his great-grandmother, "the woman who has loved me <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvXSYrhGbQ_P_LWn37oHX7GYLgdJe_0a_7-2luVdde-4kzzjC9EEM4UXWpvK8vOS3rAronxlAFULZ3N3RGFUz7iOWoexGsg2nF9RCw17Pbm29iqLylUhC-fpYh5DZJ6mIwuTY/s1600-h/moussa1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014343493093140658" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvXSYrhGbQ_P_LWn37oHX7GYLgdJe_0a_7-2luVdde-4kzzjC9EEM4UXWpvK8vOS3rAronxlAFULZ3N3RGFUz7iOWoexGsg2nF9RCw17Pbm29iqLylUhC-fpYh5DZJ6mIwuTY/s320/moussa1.jpg" border="0" /></a>most in life".<br />"She always gave me everything, we were so attached, that when I slept, she slept. When I awoke, she got up as well!"<br />But all good things come to an end...in his case, when his great-grandmother died, at the ripe old age of 106. He found it hard to cope without her.<br />By this time I have not only learnt how to marinate gizzards, but lamb as well. And how to fry plantain, <em>aloko</em>.<br />I have to say, the gizzards are pretty tasty, and I appreciate their chewiness. The plantains are also good, but not new to me, as the gizzards are and the Lamb with Peanut Sauce. I knew there were countries in Africa where peanutsauce was <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJlv1wAXv9ao47iMIPhX6nRIV9N5CCF9STux8XpwxgaXJkqNG2R_e3xLO63VYMtHIlaURH58bRO0Hg4_ATOC3YX_dPhyphenhyphenTR59Y2JL0QrNdbzTO1L7Iz8EfqI-TWlSiEg1OqOVV/s1600-h/moussa2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014343493093140674" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJlv1wAXv9ao47iMIPhX6nRIV9N5CCF9STux8XpwxgaXJkqNG2R_e3xLO63VYMtHIlaURH58bRO0Hg4_ATOC3YX_dPhyphenhyphenTR59Y2JL0QrNdbzTO1L7Iz8EfqI-TWlSiEg1OqOVV/s320/moussa2.jpg" border="0" /></a>popular (from a favorite "graphic novel", <a href="http://www.bedetheque.com/Planches/AyaDeYopougon_20112005.jpg">Aya de Youpogon</a>, which plays in Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso's relatively rich neighbour).<br />After a surprisingly delicious <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtiI1jbAORVfLQzY4b0_DcqJQuAlqFqHCupMtGxXLYkAV8JluS2iyAEBqqebpM8t5ZJ6i69GJMKqXARZnZrMiT0avPnV6jnfEJEQ_FZZOiWdMyT_sMcnR5EfSj0knA8kAq727/s1600-h/moussatea.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014344107273464034" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtiI1jbAORVfLQzY4b0_DcqJQuAlqFqHCupMtGxXLYkAV8JluS2iyAEBqqebpM8t5ZJ6i69GJMKqXARZnZrMiT0avPnV6jnfEJEQ_FZZOiWdMyT_sMcnR5EfSj0knA8kAq727/s320/moussatea.jpg" border="0" /></a>meal, it's time for tea. This involves a gunpowder tea, mint leaves, a tiny tea kettle and the pouring of tea from great heights, dozens of times! The end result is a very strong "men's tea". It's like a stiff drink, and keeps some people up all night. Moussa tells me, in Burkina Faso the men get excited and call out: "Ataya, ataya!" when the tea is brought out. I can imagine the scene, somehow.<br /></span><br /><br /><br />For those who are adventurous and can find gizzards at their local butcher: here is the <a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/12/burkina-faso-chicken-gizzards.html">very simple recipe.</a>80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-29016165912752765322006-11-28T17:16:00.001+01:002006-12-13T16:43:06.587+01:00Meal 37. French-Canadian Poutine<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8JzTxf8_ofGsQGgaOLcAiDe2_O2BLYknIIX_Av12gLEuZGtiFqI3qJC5p7po2i4-8FaMZTqSk_1mutfxsqIH21I8_JhVDa33kBAZgl8eYi5ugxV7QoCqvnlA5__UccDsrOBR/s1600-h/davidmakingpoutine.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5007688881626070994" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8JzTxf8_ofGsQGgaOLcAiDe2_O2BLYknIIX_Av12gLEuZGtiFqI3qJC5p7po2i4-8FaMZTqSk_1mutfxsqIH21I8_JhVDa33kBAZgl8eYi5ugxV7QoCqvnlA5__UccDsrOBR/s200/davidmakingpoutine.jpg" border="0" /></a>The way I met David is quite exemplary for the so-called global village. On holiday in Costa Rica, I met a nice Canadian girl and we kept in touch through email. When her high scool friend David came to study in Holland, she let me know. So now I'm here to taste real <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poutine">poutine</a></em>, a fast food dish I already heard about on the Caribbean coast...<br />According to David, it's a real blue collar dish and is supposed to be "disgusting, soggy and cholesterol laden", though in a good way. The potatoes should ideally be fried in old oil, so the fries get a brownish colour. I'm not allowed to call it "Quebecois", as the love for poutine is more related to the French-Canadian culture than to the geographic boundaries...I have to admit I used to think the two were the same.<br />This famous dish is not eaten at fancy restaurants, but at the roadside, at home or at hockey rinks all over Canada. But David wouldn't <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhpgfzcWKwVoK_KHZ4VTpkzADMd1QRbC02rFUR95j-IfDtq2GqFpiI46b7WDzuOtTwgdu8V3PVMlnmQ4bND2dhEefOtQ9fbmHVVRLtG_txa5pJ193jvbSgRfWSUZBpJBPoPpS/s1600-h/poutine2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5007689001885155298" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhpgfzcWKwVoK_KHZ4VTpkzADMd1QRbC02rFUR95j-IfDtq2GqFpiI46b7WDzuOtTwgdu8V3PVMlnmQ4bND2dhEefOtQ9fbmHVVRLtG_txa5pJ193jvbSgRfWSUZBpJBPoPpS/s320/poutine2.jpg" border="0" /></a>know about that, he isn't fan of this quintessentially Canadian sport. To quote him literally: "I associate hockey with players on steroids...no skill seems to be involved most of the time! I actually prefer long track skating." Hope he doesn't have any hockey loving friends reading this...<br /><br />To recreate the orginal poutine, it was impossible to find the right ingredients here: the cheese curds on top are best bought in one specific village, and the gravy used is sold specially as "sauce for poutine". But he has improvised before, while studying in Sweden. This time the cheese is Dutch Gouda, and the gravy is "brown sauce" from Knorr.<span class="fullpost"><br />You fry the potatoes in (preferably old) oil, shake them with salt in a paper bag to distribute the salt and absorb excess oil. Then pour over gravy and<br /></span><span class="fullpost"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KHeXVEWOBceHmyscUJsCKuui9NpLaq5Vnz2tIHXXgRzkgP08_XQPLAViaLqxQOUp0w2dZrIiXXByKBOEA2DI7atC8IfGxDdBgIcslhEuZdcO1yqv0IvMfqq7oNd6le17L53i/s1600-h/davidwithpoutine.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5007689293942931442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KHeXVEWOBceHmyscUJsCKuui9NpLaq5Vnz2tIHXXgRzkgP08_XQPLAViaLqxQOUp0w2dZrIiXXByKBOEA2DI7atC8IfGxDdBgIcslhEuZdcO1yqv0IvMfqq7oNd6le17L53i/s320/davidwithpoutine.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />shredded cheese (curds).<br />Sounds easy, right?<br />But I think I'll wait till I'm in Canada to try the real thing, instead of<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KHeXVEWOBceHmyscUJsCKuui9NpLaq5Vnz2tIHXXgRzkgP08_XQPLAViaLqxQOUp0w2dZrIiXXByKBOEA2DI7atC8IfGxDdBgIcslhEuZdcO1yqv0IvMfqq7oNd6le17L53i/s1600-h/davidwithpoutine.jpg"></a><br />trying to make it myself here in Holland. It actually reminds me a bit of the Dutch "friet speciaal" or a "patatje oorlog"; the first is fries with mayonaise, ketchup and chopped onions, the<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KHeXVEWOBceHmyscUJsCKuui9NpLaq5Vnz2tIHXXgRzkgP08_XQPLAViaLqxQOUp0w2dZrIiXXByKBOEA2DI7atC8IfGxDdBgIcslhEuZdcO1yqv0IvMfqq7oNd6le17L53i/s1600-h/davidwithpoutine.jpg"></a><br />second consists of fries with mayonaise and peanut sauce. In these "dishes", the fries on the bottom always end up a bit <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT2PtDmxx_m_e1vxbkCKYV6B6GjQXlMrwQQ4IPuuJrbwadnjJl6gcOndYgCmZtzhQyX7KrDb-9ECG35WV_YZA9QyJzuT4UqopNQ_yc6KLLTSLsbe2pPZjSzsmCc3bRZB8xBPCm/s1600-h/david1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5007689422791950338" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT2PtDmxx_m_e1vxbkCKYV6B6GjQXlMrwQQ4IPuuJrbwadnjJl6gcOndYgCmZtzhQyX7KrDb-9ECG35WV_YZA9QyJzuT4UqopNQ_yc6KLLTSLsbe2pPZjSzsmCc3bRZB8xBPCm/s200/david1.jpg" border="0" /></a>soggy too. And I never prepare it at home, I always buy it at the snackbar.<br /><br />After dinner, we head out to the oldest bar in the Hague with some fellow Canadians and I hear for the first time that Canadians are supposed to say "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eh#Canada">eh?</a>" at the end of every sentence (and "<a href="http://www.cracksmokingshirts.com/html/models/732.jpg">fuckin'eh</a>" when drunk...not the same as <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fucking+a">"fucking A"</a>, by the way). Somehow I've managed to get to know quite a few Canadians without ever noticing them using "eh"!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KHeXVEWOBceHmyscUJsCKuui9NpLaq5Vnz2tIHXXgRzkgP08_XQPLAViaLqxQOUp0w2dZrIiXXByKBOEA2DI7atC8IfGxDdBgIcslhEuZdcO1yqv0IvMfqq7oNd6le17L53i/s1600-h/davidwithpoutine.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KHeXVEWOBceHmyscUJsCKuui9NpLaq5Vnz2tIHXXgRzkgP08_XQPLAViaLqxQOUp0w2dZrIiXXByKBOEA2DI7atC8IfGxDdBgIcslhEuZdcO1yqv0IvMfqq7oNd6le17L53i/s1600-h/davidwithpoutine.jpg"></a><br /><br /></span>80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-18533026117586001592006-11-22T17:35:00.000+01:002006-11-28T17:09:34.223+01:00Meal 36. Slovenian Jota and Štrudel<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/8130/2584/1600/bredajota.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/8130/2584/320/bredajota.jpg" border="0" /></a>In many cases, "love" is the reason my hosts end up in the Netherlands. For Breda, from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia">Slovenia</a>, it took the shape of Bert. A real Groninger, he came to Slovenia as a surveyor 30 years ago (a project involving gas pipelines) and brought Breda back home with him. They now have two grown daughters who speak both Dutch and Slovenian. The long trip by car to Slovenia has been made dozens of times, and they now divide their time between a small village <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/8130/2584/1600/bredaslovjota.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/8130/2584/320/bredaslovjota.jpg" border="0" /></a>in Groningen and Breda's birthplace back home. I am proudly shown photos of their new "summer home" and of the house Breda grew up in.......a centuries old fort with walls almost 2 meters thick! With walls that thick, they just built the toilet <em>in</em> the wall.<span class="fullpost"><br /><br /><div>Even so, it could be quite cold in the winter. It was Breda's father's job to get the fire started in the morning. To get warm enough for this task, a stiff drink was needed first! This practice was shared by many businessmen, who would start the day with a nice coffee and cognac at the local café.</div><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/8130/2584/1600/bredastrudel2.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/8130/2584/320/bredastrudel2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The hearty meal Breda is serving tonight is also meant for cold winter nights. We start off with roasted chestnuts from a tree they've planted themselves in the garden. The main dish, <em>Jota</em>, is traditionally served in mountain huts after a long day's work. It consists of some kind of pickled turnip -<em><a href="http://www.kolinska.com/uploads/products/foto_droga/kisla_repa660g.jpg">Kisla Repa</a>-</em>, sausage (both specially brought over from Slovenia), potatoes, brown beans and lard with bacon. Breda's oldest daughter was vegetarian for a long time, but would make an exception for the bacon bits!</div><div> </div><div></div><div>Breda's son-in-law, Erik, tells a story about less delicious food. When he helped out at a farm a couple of years back, the vegetables they got for lunch were from jars of preserves from the cellar. They seemed quite old, and the farmer's widow they worked for would scrape off the layer of mold on top before serving the contents. After she died, it turned out there were preserves in the cellar from <em>before</em> World War II! </div><div>The positive side is that you can eat 60 year old food without even becoming sick. But Erik says he never really enjoyed those lunches...</div><div> </div><div></div><div><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/8130/2584/1600/bredastrudel1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/8130/2584/320/bredastrudel1.jpg" border="0" /></a>The high point of <em>this</em> meal is the apple strudel for dessert. I enjoy watching the preparations almost as much as eating the hot delicacy, sprinkled with powdered sugar. Nowadays, Breda only makes this apple pastry about twice a year, so it is really a special occasion. Although it isn't difficult to make, it does require several steps and a big table, so I don't see myself doing it anytime soon in my cramped student quarters.</div><div></div><div>After strudel with cappuccino (Slovenia <em>is</em> close to Italy, after all), I receive a Slovenian going away present made by Breda's sister. It's a jar of plum preserves smelling very strongly of rum. I've tried it already and it's great with custard.</div><div></div><div>Although Breda loves good food, <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/8130/2584/1600/bredastrudelplate.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/8130/2584/320/bredastrudelplate.jpg" border="0" /></a>miraculously she still fits in her 30 year old wedding dress and the stylish velvet jacket she is wearing to a party after dinner. Breda and Bert drop me off at the train station on the way to the party and I am left in the cold with a warm feeling inside, contemplating how generous and hospitable people can be to previously unknown guests like me...</div><br /><br /><br /></span><br /><br />If you have the time, a big table and an old table cloth, you can try Breda's <a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/11/slovenian-apple-trudel.html">Štrudel recipe</a> at home.80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-78566261192185700122006-11-11T05:44:00.001+01:002006-11-14T10:36:09.555+01:00Meal 35. Lithuanian Barščiai and Potatoes with Dill<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/8130/2584/1600/gintarepotatoes.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/8130/2584/320/gintarepotatoes.jpg" border="0" /></a>It's the first time I eat <em>barščiai</em> for this project, but not the first time I eat "<em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borscht">borsht</a></em>", an easier way to spell it in English. As you can see in <a href="http://80meals.blogspot.com/2006/04/meal-17-jewish-american-borsht-challah.html">meal 11</a>, where it al revolves around my father's beetsoup.<br />Gintare (which means "amber" in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuania">Lithuanian</a>) is preparing the soup as her grandmother always did it. This recently graduated sociologist does agree the <em>barščiai</em> she is making is similar to many other beetsoups around the world, though for example in Belarus they would add cabbage.<br />Secretly I am glad we are not eating another local specialty, smoked pig's ear, which is served as a snack with beer. While Gintare is preparing the potatoes, we sip on tea and gobble up some yummy chocolates she brought from home. She's only really lived in the Netherlands for a short time, but sometimes feels frustrated by the language and the bureaucratic procedures. Recently she was called by a girl, who had found Gintare's name through some list of expat Lithuanians. She called and explained her situation, and Gintare commiserated :"Oh yes, I know how you feel...", but then found out while she had only lived here for 2 months, this girl had lived here for over 3 years! <span class="fullpost"><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/8130/2584/1600/gintarepotatoes2.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/8130/2584/320/gintarepotatoes2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />There aren't that many compatriots in Groningen, though she will also feel immediate bonding with Latvians, who speak almost the same (Baltic) language and have a similar culture.<br />I ask:"What about Estonians?", also a Baltic state, after all.<br />"Oh no! They are much more similar to the Finnish...a bit more reserved as well."<br />Well, that's good to know. I wouldn't be surprised if the Dutch were compared to the Flemish, but I would if they were deemed similar to the Germans.<br />I will ask the Latvian girl who will be cooking for me in December what her opinion is on the <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/8130/2584/1600/gintareeating.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/8130/2584/320/gintareeating.jpg" border="0" /></a>matter...<br />Vilnius (Lithuania) and Riga (Latvia) are now part of Europe and sadly, both are becoming popular destinations for Brittish "<a href="http://www.lastnightoffreedom.co.uk/Abroad/pac_viln.htm">stag parties</a>", involving drunk young lads looking for a cheap alcohol and pretty girls. They don't show too much appreciation for its beautiful baroque city centre.<br />I hope an advantage of joining the EU is an improvement in dental care. Gintare tells me a story about barbaric practices during her childhood including drilling in teeth without painkillers. She was so scared of the dentist she didn't go for seven whole years. At the end of this period, two <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/8130/2584/1600/gintareborsht.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/8130/2584/320/gintareborsht.jpg" border="0" /></a>weeks of dental work were needed to repair the damage!<br />The soup is delicious, by the way...Gintare's grandmother would be proud.</span><br /><br />The potatoes fried in butter with dill are served on the side and are such an easy and effective side dish, I promise myself to make it one day soon. I have to admit, for the borsht/barščiai I will use my own grandmother's recipe!<br /><br />For those without these loyalty issues, try the <a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/11/lithuanian-bariai.html">Lithuanian version</a>.80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-1162587529939558452006-11-03T21:50:00.000+01:002006-11-13T18:59:41.642+01:00Meal 34. Trinidadian Pelau<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/trinnielouisewcookbook.jpg"></a>The Trinidadian <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Pelau</span> Louise is making for me tonight is not 100% typical; the protein component is not the traditional chicken, but vegetarian "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Quorn</span>", made from some kind of <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/trinnielouisewithmeal.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/trinnielouisewithmeal.jpg" border="0" /></a>fungal protein. Sounds a bit weird, but actually tastes good. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">pelau</span> is of Indian origin (like half of the inhabitants of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidad_and_Tobago">Trinidad</a>, including writer V.S.Naipaul), though similar dishes exist - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">pilau</span>,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilaf"> pilaf</a>, etc. - from many Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries. The Caribbean character of <em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">pelau</span> </em>consists of the coconut cream, hot peppers and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gungo_pea"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">gungo</span> peas</a> (a bean with a nutty flavour). And the use of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">caramelized</span> brown sugar.<br />It reminds me somewhat of the rice 'n peas from my (11<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">th</span>) <a href="http://80meals.blogspot.com/2006/03/meal-11-jamaican-rice-n-peas-and-jerk.html">Jamaican meal</a>.<br />I ask Louise what differences there are <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">between</span> Jamaica (my only reference in the Caribbean) and Trinidad. She mentions the fact that the Jamaican men that came to study at her university were always bowled over by the beauty of the (straight-haired <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Indo</span>-) Trinidadian girls on campus. Louise herself is "easy on the eyes" with her wide smile and stylish dreadlocks, as her husband <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Douwe</span> (with even longer dreads) must acknowledge. I would never have <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/trinniedouwewithpelau.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/trinniedouwewithpelau.jpg" border="0" /></a>guessed she was a petrochemical engineer, a profession I associate with ambitious young men in suits. But then, what do I know? I've never knowingly met one, Louise is the first. <span class="fullpost"> For her job, she has to be away for two-week periods every month, now in a small town in Germany, working on pipelines buried beneath the ocean floor. Too much time separated from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Douwe</span>! I'm guessing her parents in Trinidad must miss their three children a lot, as they are all living in Europe at the moment.<br />We relive <em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Trini</span></em> culture by leafing through an illustrated dictionary that includes such phrases as <em>Fresh Water Yankee</em>. The definition is: "A <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Trini</span> who goes to America and comes back acting and talking Yankee. Originally someone acting Yankee without even going overseas, or crossing salt water." Thus the fresh water reference.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/trinniepelaudish.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/trinniepelaudish.jpg" border="0" /></a>In an <a href="http://www.afriqueonline.com/Pages/Trini/Trini20.html">online version</a> I also find: <em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Sucuyant</span></em>, "A <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Trini</span> vampire that sheds its human skin and flies at night as a ball of fire, sucking the blood of its victims while they sleep." I wish Louise was here to explain that one for me now!<br />Less menacing is the word <em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">maco</span></em>, meaning a nosy person or a gossip. It's also the name of one of Louise's favorite glossy magazines, filled with peeks into rich Caribbean people's lives. We <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/trinniepelau.1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/trinniepelau.1.jpg" border="0" /></a>admire the photos of a leafy garden of a stylish house in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Curaç</span>a<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">o </span>and fantasize about what it would be like sitting on the porch at night. Quickly reality sets in when D<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">ouwe </span>realizes: "We would be scratching ourselves like crazy because of all the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">mosquitoes!</span>"<br />Oh well, maybe in our ideal Caribbean home, we would need to build a <strong>screened</strong> porch. In chilly Amsterdam, D<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">ouwe </span>and Louise do have some impressive tropical plants, among them a <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monstera_deliciosa">M<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">onstera </span>d<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">eliciosa</span></a></em> with incredibly glossy leaves. Their trick is dusting them with some kind of silicone gloves...<br /><br />Feel like more domestic tips? </span><br /><br />Click here for Louise's instructions for making <em><a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/11/trinidadian-pelau.html">T<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">rini </span>P</a><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)"><a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/11/trinidadian-pelau.html">elau</a>.</span> </em>Chicken or Q<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">uorn,</span> you decide.<br /><em></em>80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-1162576275312546672006-11-03T18:46:00.000+01:002006-11-11T05:40:27.170+01:00Meal 33. Iranian Khoresht FesenjanWhen I meet Vida in person, I am struck by how beautiful and vivacious she is...in our emails <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/vidacooking.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/vidacooking.jpg" border="0" /></a>beforehand I had just noticed her Dutch was faultless. For this last trait, her husband Eric deserves some of the credit, as he got to know Vida as her tutor of the Dutch language. That he was so eager to teach her voluntarily, might have to do with the first two qualities mentioned!<br />Together, they have created a very cosy home and two gorgeous and sweet kids, Atousa and Kian. These guys are very happy Vida is making <em>Khoresht Fesenjan</em> tonight, as they love Iranian food, and don't get to eat it all that often. Vida tells me how some of her childhood memories come back when she sees them eat. <span class="fullpost"><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/erik.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/erik.jpg" border="0" /></a>They fight over the crisp little potato slices served with the rice, just as Vida and her siblings did way back when.<br />In general, she finds Iranian food a bit unhealthy, devoid of vegetables, save one exception: the ever-present <em>sabzi </em>(herbs or green vegetables). She has made a beautiful dish of <em>sabzi</em>, with elegantly curled spring onions, and radishes made to look like little flowers. We eat this with feta cheese and thin bread, together this is called <em>Naan-<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/iranianmeal.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/iranianmeal.jpg" border="0" /></a>0-Paneer-0-Sabzi</em>. Sounds pretty exotic (and similar to Indian meals with <em>naan</em> and <em>paneer</em>), but it just means "Bread-with-Cheese-with-Herbs".<br /><br />I am quite amazed by the combination of walnut and pomegranate sauce for the chicken, the <em>Khoresht Fesenjan</em>. The only other nutty sauce I know, is the famous Indonesian peanut sauce (see Meal 31 as well). And I have to admit, I've <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/IMGP0850.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/IMGP0850.jpg" border="0" /></a>never made anything with pomegranate. It mostly reminds me of the less innocent grenades, the weapon which is named after this fruit. Vida had a special bottle of Iranian syrup for this recipe, but you can also use pomegranate juice, which is available in most big supermarkets (and which we drink to accompany our meal).<br />After enjoying our really Iranian food, we are treated to a less typical Toblerone chocolate fondue. Yummy! If you understand Farsi, you <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/atousarecorder.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/atousarecorder.jpg" border="0" /></a>can read about it on <a href="http://vida-m.blogspot.com">Vida's own blog</a>.<br />And to top it all off, our after dinner entertainment is provided by Kian playing the keyboard and Atousa giving us a little concert with her recorder. So sweet...<br /><br /></span><br /><br />If you'd like to try the walnut&pomegranate sauce or the bread-with-cheese-with-herbs, click here to view the recipes:<br /><br /><a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/11/iranian-khoresht-fesenjan.html">Khoresht Fesenjan</a><br /><a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/11/iranian-naan-o-paneer-o-sabzi.html">Naan-o-Paneer-o-Sabzi</a>80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-1162292437293226672006-10-31T11:51:00.000+01:002006-11-13T16:45:23.678+01:00Meal 32. Japanese Teriyaki Swordfish and Ginger MackerelYusuke is our cook tonight, together with his good friend and fellow biologist, Nobuto. It seems much preliminary effort has gone into the meal, with Yusuke having bought ingredients on a <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/IMGP0706.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/IMGP0706.jpg" border="0" /></a>recent trip to Japan and in a specialized store in Amsterdam.<br />Everything is served in pretty little dishes, very pleasing to the eye. Which confirms my stereotype of the Japanese as "lovers of beauty".<br />We start out with some <a href="http://www.consciouschoice.com/2000/cc1307/cooking1307.html"><em>eda-mame</em></a>...these green soy beans, simply boiled in salt water, are great as a snack with a beer! They have a slightly nutty flavour and it is fun to pop them open in my mouth.<br />Then Yusuke makes me try an innocent looking pickled plum...it is a taste explosion! They are incredibly salty - so much so that Yusuke claims one <em>ume-boshi</em> is enough to flavour a whole bowl of boiled rice. This meal is called the "Japanese flag", as the round plum in the middle of the rice resembles the red circle on a white backround.<br />Afterwards, we are served spinach, prepared with soy sauce and sesame seeds, and eaten with <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/yusukemiso.1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/yusukemiso.1.jpg" border="0" /></a>chopsticks of course. As well as matchsticks of <em>yama-imo</em>, "mountain potato", a white sticky root flavoured with fish flakes and (again!) soy sauce.<br />This evening makes me realize how important soy is for Japanese cuisine, and how versatile it is. At left, you see Yusuke happily showing off a pot of <em>miso,</em> the salty fermented soy paste used to add taste to our mackerel.<span class="fullpost"><br /><br /><br />As we enjoy the swordfish and mackerel skillfully prepared by the two friends, we chat about Yusuke's first impressions of Holland. It turns out he first came here on holiday, to participate in "orienteering camps". He shows a map with little numbers on it and explains that the object is to find all the posts as quickly as possible with just the map and the compass. Quite popular in Holland and Sweden, <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/japanesefood.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/japanesefood.0.jpg" border="0" /></a>but I'd never heard of it! He is teaching me stuff about my own country...<br />When he really came to live here he started noticing curiosities as girl lying in the city parks in their bikinis and wearing such tight pants their waists bulge out on top. Hmmm.<br />Also, he changes my impression of Japanese as little worker bees, by mentioning they often go out for drinks after work as well as going on many organized trips, e.g. to view the cherry blossoms in spring. Sounds a lot more relaxed than I had imagined.<br />I am also becoming quite relaxed, maybe because I am drinking the<em> sake</em> like water....somehow it doesn't taste that alcoholic! Yusuke tells me it is good sake he brought from Japan, called something that roughly translates into "White Dragon Like Water". The fact that I don't taste the alcohol is a sign of its pureness.<br />We finish the delicious meal with a special treat: green tea with floating in the murky water...little gold flakes! It doesn't affect the taste, but it sure looks cool.<br /></span><br /><br />Click here if you'd like to make <a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/11/japanes-teriyaki-swordfish.html">Teriyaki Swordfish</a> or <a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/11/japanese-ginger-mackerel.html">Ginger Mackerel </a>yourself, but be sure to stock up on soy sauce and sake!80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-1158645107902178942006-09-19T07:25:00.000+02:002006-11-11T05:40:27.007+01:00Meal 31. Surinamese Pitjel, Telo and Chicken<img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/martinmetkouseband.jpg" border="0" />Tonight a Surinamese meal with reknowned cook Martin and his girlfriend Liza, in their sunny garden terrace. Martin tells me he could have made many different dishes: Surinam has as many cuisines as it has ethnic groups. His own roots seem to cover the whole spectrum...he's part Chinese, Indian, Creole and Javanese. His great-aunt ("Oma Tjoekop") provided the "Indonesian" part of this meal: the peanut sauce. Though she still lives in Surinam, she is Martin's source of the dried concentrate he needs to make the spicy sauce. "I wouldn't dare prepare this dish without it!" he confesses.<br />At right, you can see how happy he is with the famous "garterbelt" beans (<em>kouseband</em>), a Surinamese staple ingredient.<span class="fullpost"><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/cassave.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/cassave.jpg" border="0" /></a> Other favorites included in tonight's meal are fried cassava (<em>telo, at left</em>) and fried plantain.<br />To accompany the food we drink Heineken and <a href="http://www.fernandes-softdrinks.com/">Fernandes</a> soft drinks. This local brand started out with "Fernandes Red" and "Fernandes Green", and when those proved immensely popular, expanded its "exotic drinks" impe<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/kip.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/kip.jpg" border="0" /></a>rium with "Blue" and "Yellow". I find it amusing that nobody ever refers to what fruit the drinks are supposed to taste like. (I think the inspiration for Green is apples).<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/surinaamsemaaltijd.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/surinaamsemaaltijd.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The <em>pitjel</em> is an assembled dish of loose elements that work well together. If we're being poetic, we could say the same about Surinam, a country where people of distinct cultures live together harmoniously.<br />While enjoying the <em>pitjel </em>with two of Martin's colleagues (from the Netherlands Basketball Federation), we discuss the Surinamese habit of making <em>tjoeries </em>(CHOO-rees). This sign of disapproval consists of pursing the lips and sucking in air as loudly as possible. The lips should be sucked against the teeth, else it doesn't work...<br />The <em>tjoerie</em> has even been mentioned as early as 1933 in the <a href="http://www.suriname.nu/301ges/brief38.html">correspondence</a> of a Dutch missionary to Surinam! Martin and Liza mention that when Surinamese men make flattering remarks to women on the street, the object of their affection will never respond. Only if the remark is highly amusing, will she deign to react...by making a <em>tjoerie</em>. (<strong>Warning:</strong> Never do this to your parents! It is highly disrespectful! )<br /><br />Click here if you'd like to recreate this meal (without Oma Tjoekop....)<br /><a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/09/surinamese-spicy-peanut-sauce.html">Peanut sauce</a><br /><a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/09/surinames-telo-deep-fried-cassava.html">Telo, deep fried cassava</a><br /><a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/09/surinamese-pitjel.html">Pitjel, assembled dish</a><br /></span>80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-1153846654620084492006-07-25T17:46:00.000+02:002006-11-13T16:46:09.889+01:00Meal 30. Vietnamese Bò Bóp Thâú (Beef Salad)<img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/crushinggarlic.1.jpg" border="0" />An has lived in the Netherlands for three years now, and has already developed a taste for <em>zuurkool</em>, otherwise known as sauerkraut. She likes to add sugar, thus creating a nice sweet and sour taste. An:"My parents are from the North of Vietnam, and that is where I grew up. In the North, we prefer our food to be quite simple. The predominant taste is salty. I have lived in the South too, where they like sweet dishes. And my husband is from the centre, where the food is spicy!"<br />Today, the dish is both spicy and a bit sweet. The beef salad, <em>Bò Bóp Thâú</em>, is perfect summer food. The marinated and fried strips of beef are added to a colourful mix of thinly sliced bell peppers.<span class="fullpost"><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/vietnamesemeal.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/vietnamesemeal.jpg" border="0" /></a>It's funny to see how An crushes the garlic with the butt of a big knife, instead of with a garlic press. The technique reminds me of the <a href="http://www.melroseflowers.com/mkic/images/equipment/cooking_methods1.jpg">mortar and pestle</a> they use in Indonesia (and elsewhere) to make sambal. The salad itself is eaten by heaping a bit of it on a pieace of krupuk (shrimp cracker) and popping that in your mouth.<br />In Vietnam An teaches at the university, and now she is doing her Ph.D. here, to gain practical experience for the lab that has just been built back home. The Ph.D. is being paid for by Vietnam and hopefully will guarantee more job stability in the future. I am impressed by the big sacrifice she is making by leaving her husband and young daughter behind...she only gets to see them once a year.<br />Yes, An says, Vietnam is still a poor country, but things are changing. The last 15 years or so, the country has modernized a bit, becoming more democratic and more open to foreign investments. Why do foreign companies like Vietnam? An: "Well, my guess is it's because the Vietnamese work very hard, are friendly and don't complain!"<br />"A good thing is that the Vietnamese do not only do the low level work. There is a construction <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/eatingvietnamesemeal.1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/eatingvietnamesemeal.1.jpg" border="0" /></a>that involves companies employing locals in management positions as well. After five to ten years, only the chief manager is foreign, and after twenty years, the company should be completely Vietnamese!"<br />If this really works out that way, it does seem like a good development. An's daughter will probably grow up in a very different Vietnam.<br /><br />Click here for the "French inspired" recipe for beef salad: <a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/09/vietnamese-b-bp-th-beef-salad.html">Vietnamese Bò Bóp Thâú</a><br /></span>80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-1153413728201332372006-07-20T17:49:00.000+02:002006-11-13T16:46:33.109+01:00Meal 29. Chinese Stir fried Chicken with Red Pepper<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/mikemassagingchicken.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/mikemassagingchicken.0.jpg" border="0" /></a>Mike has been studying Economics in Maastricht for a few years now. His real name is Jin, but to make is easier for us Europeans, he lets us call him Mike. He tells me that at elementary school, all the pupils get to choose an English name.<br />Though he is a bit shy about having his photo taken, Mike is very open about everything else and answers all my questions about China...even when I want to know about the little kids with a big hole in their pants instead of diapers!<br />As I help him take the skin off the chicken legs, we talk about his first weeks in the Netherlands. He still was the typical Chinese guy, and even when he arrived at a friend's place dying of thirst<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/chineserecipe.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/chineserecipe.jpg" border="0" /></a>, he didn't dare accept the first offer of a drink. In China, you should politely decline the first two times the host offers you something and then accept the third time. But here his friend just accepted the first no and didn't ask again. Leaving poor Mike with a parched mouth...<br />Also, when he would give people a light, he would expect them to touch his hands in thanks, which is polite in China. But in Holland this is deemed to be slightly too intimate when your cigarette is being lit by a stranger.<span class="fullpost"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/makingtheomelet.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/makingtheomelet.0.jpg" border="0" /></a>During the preparations I am blown away by the 25 kg bag of rice Mike has in the kitchen. This size would be enough to feed a small family for two months...<br />The rice is cooked in an electric rice cooker he brought over from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shen-Yang">Shen Yang</a>, his home town. His cool pan (with Chinese symbols on the bottom) and many of the spices were purchased in a Chinese shop here in Holland.<br />Mike learnt to cook from his grandmother, but only really started practicing after he came here. He tells me less and less young people know how to cook nowadays, partly because they eat out a lot. The meal he is making for me tonight is a "famous meal", and he has downloaded a recipe from internet to be sure he does everything in the right<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/twochinesedishes.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/twochinesedishes.0.jpg" border="0" /></a> order. The recipe looks very exotic to me!<br />The stir frying is a real show, the hot oil sizzling, especially when the omelet mix is thrown in...an enormous puffy omelet appears in just a few seconds. The omelet with tomato is a big success amongst Mike's European friends, probably because of the secret ingredient...sugar! And maybe because of the mysterious "<a href="http://images.yifanmall.com/429b.jpg">chicken broth mix</a>" from Knorr that Mike adds to the omelet and the chicken dish. The ingredients list corn starch, salt and monosodium glutamate (the famous flavour enhancer <em>ve-tsin</em>).<br />After everything is done I do my best with the chop sticks and enjoy the spicy chicken, chinese cabbage with glutinous vinegar sauce and sweet omelet with tomato. Mike tells me <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/chinesemeal.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/chinesemeal.0.jpg" border="0" /></a>that if we had been in China, as a host he should have been sitting with his back to the door. This unspoken rule of communication also entails that in restaurants the person sitting in that position is the person that pays! Good to know if I ever make it to China...</span><br /><br />Click here for the recipes:<br /><a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/07/chinese-stir-fried-chicken-with-red.html">Chinese Stir fried Chicken with Red Pepper</a><br /><a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/07/chinese-sweet-omelet-with-tomato.html">Chinese Sweet Omelet with Tomato</a>80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-1152643522738253882006-07-11T20:38:00.000+02:002006-11-11T05:40:26.433+01:00Meal 28. Romanian Mămăligă cu Brânză<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/antoenherman1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 239px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 193px" height="193" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/antoenherman1.jpg" width="267" border="0" /></a>Antoanella and her Dutch boyfriend Herman met while he was on holiday in Romania. Though in the beginning she hardly spoke any English or Dutch nor did he speak any Romanian, by now they've been a couple for many years and live together in Rotterdam. He has learned some Romanian, and Anto's Dutch is good enough to have completed her Master in Physical Geography here. For fun, she's even started on the novels in Herman's alphabetically arranged bookcase. She's already at the end of the B's!<br />Before dinner, we have wine and some appetizers, including <em>Salată de vinete</em>, aubergine dip with a smoky flavour. Romanian wine is very famous...in Romania. Anto tells about a local wine winning an important medal in Brussels. But when she googled it, the only sites that reported about this prize were Romanian ones.<br />Besides wine, (home-brewed) strong liquor is a big favourite in Romania. When travelling by bus <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/antowithmamaliga.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/antowithmamaliga.jpg" border="0" /></a>or train, it's common that people will go round with plastic cups and 2 L coke bottles with some kind of moonshine. Even if it's 10 o'clock in the morning...this makes travelling by public transport quite fun!<span class="fullpost"><br />Though a Romanian host will unvaryingly offer ample amounts of food and drink to visitors, it wasn't always that easy to come by ingredients. Anto recalls how during the Communist era, Christmas would mean waiting in line for meat for <em>days</em>. Families would queue in shifts so as not to lose their place in line. The best job during those days was in a shop, even a shoestore. That way, you could trade shoes for food.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/mamaliga.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/mamaliga.jpg" border="0" /></a>Anto's grandfather worked at a farm collective, and with six kids it was sometimes hard to feed them all. He was allowed to take home hay, so would sometimes smuggle along little bags with milk hidden amongst the hay.<br />Nowadays, Romania is actually doing pretty well according to Anto, and she doesn't really understand why Dutch people still send trucks full of food, clothing and toys to her country. Many other countries are a lot poorer...but she and Herman think the Dutch that started sending over help after the fall of Communism just enjoy their time in Romania. Nice <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/stuffedpepper.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/stuffedpepper.jpg" border="0" /></a>food and drink, locals happy with the gifts...why change the routine? If the food served there is similar to what Antoanella is serving, I certainly wouldn't! After the appetizers, we start with <em>Mămăligă cu Brânză</em>, a kind of polenta with a choice of butter, yoghurt, sour cream and feta like cheese that can be added to taste. The next course is a delicious stuffed pepper, which should be served with bread. Actually, everything should be served with bread in Romania, even if it's a carb laden dish like lasagna or rice. Bread is also used as a kind of utensil, you eat with a fork in one hand and a piece of bread in your other one, to fold around meat or to soak up the sauce. Spoons and knives are hardly ever used.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/pumpkinpastry.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/pumpkinpastry.jpg" border="0" /></a>Our last course is pumpkin pastry made with filo dough. In the Netherlands we aren't familiar with pumpkin in sweet dishes, but I love it! Antoanella assures me all these dishes are easy to make, although the aubergine dip does take some time. If you'd like to try, click on these links for the recipes: </span><br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/07/romanian-salat-de-vinete-aubergine-dip.html">Salată de vinete (aubergine dip) </a><br /><a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/07/romanian-mmlig-cu-brnz-polenta-with_14.html">Mămăligă cu Brânză (polenta with cheese) </a><br /><a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/07/romanian-ardei-umplui-stuffed-green.html">Ardei umpluţi (stuffed green pepper) </a></span><br /><span class="fullpost"><a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/07/romanian-plcint-cu-dovleac-pumpkin.html">Plăcintă cu dovleac (pumpkin pastry) </a><br /><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"></div>80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-1152557430065785762006-07-10T19:17:00.000+02:002006-11-11T05:40:26.338+01:00Meal 27. Catalan Pa amb Tomàquet and Patatas a la Riojana<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/JavierandElenainkitchen.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/JavierandElenainkitchen.0.jpg" border="0" /></a>Elena is one of the few Spaniards I know who has taught herself Dutch within a year...most of them concentrate on learning English and stop after five words of Dutch! I don't really blame them, but it does make Elena's accomplishment even more impressive.<br />She lives in Utrecht with her husband, Javier, and together they have planned an "inter-regional" Spanish meal. Elena is from Barcelona and will make the famous Catalan <em>Pa amb Tomàquet</em>, and Javier will prepare a potato stew from his region, Rioja. Most people will know of it through it's famous wines...usually Rioja is the only wine people know from Spain. They must have a good PR department! Although<em> cava</em>, from Catalonia, is becoming quite well known by now too. Though by now, I have visited quite a lot of Catalonia, in the beginning it was a big surprise to find out it was such a separate region, with it's own culture and language (<em>Pa amb Tomàquet</em> would be <em>Pan con Tomate</em> in Castillian Spanish).<br />Some foreign students who come to Barcelona on exchange make this same mistake, thinking that speaking Spanish should be enough to follow courses in Spain.<span class="fullpost"><br />Though Elena and Javier do love their country, they seem to have adapted to Holland amazingly well. They even are okay <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/jennypreparingpaambtomaquet.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 270px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 197px" height="214" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/jennypreparingpaambtomaquet.jpg" width="291" border="0" /></a>with just buying a sandwich for lunch and eating it while walking to the next appointment! While in Spain, lunch usually is the meal of the day with three courses and a glass of wine...<br />They praise the Dutch custom of students moving out of <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/patatasinpan.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/patatasinpan.jpg" border="0" /></a>the parental house when they start studying. "It makes you independent earlier on in life," says Elena. Many young people in Spain only move out when they get married. Partly it's a "cultural thing", partly the rent is just too high, especially in Barcelona.<br />The <em>Pa amb Tomàquet</em> is fun to prepare; rubbing on garlic cloves and tomato halves till only the skin is left, then drizzling on olive oil and sprinkling on some salt. Here at left you see me rubbing on the tomato. The added flavours make the bread infinitely superior to just plain old bread and taste great with Spanish ham like Serrano or Manchego cheese.<br />The potato stew Javier prepares is an old favorite, you won't find it at a fashionable tapas restaurant...but the chorizo sausage gives it a spicy twist. It's definitely not hard to make, so if you can get chorizo, you should give it a try:<br /><br /><a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/07/patatas-la-riojana.html">Patatas a la Riojana</a> (recipe)<br /><br /><a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/07/catalan-pa-amb-tomquet_115255098187551033.html">Pa amb Tomàquet</a> (recipe)<br /></span>80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21176258.post-1152031518386645702006-07-04T18:31:00.000+02:002006-11-11T05:40:26.266+01:00Meal 26. Flemish Witloof uit den Oven<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/lauracooking.1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/lauracooking.1.jpg" border="0" /></a>When I arrive at Laura's house in Leiden, I can already see her cooking through the kitchen window. As you can see in the photos, she has adopted the "typically Dutch" custom of leaving the curtains open which lets passers-by easily look in. Laura's parents, when visiting from Belgium, have laughed at this feature, as well as at the incredibly narrow and steep staircases used in this crowded country to save space.<br />The thing I notice most myself when entering Belgian Flanders by train is that the houses there seem a bit dirtier and less well-kept. But Laura, who is originally from Antwerp, tells me her impression is that as she leaves the Netherlands, she can start breathing. In Belgium, there is more space, <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/laurametnandanaopdearm.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="293" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/laurametnandanaopdearm.0.jpg" width="209" border="0" /></a>and more freedom in building styles. Funny how we have different interpretations of crossing a border!<span class="fullpost"> <br />While preparing the Flemish meal for tonight, Laura exhibits the art of "cooking with one arm", as her left arm is holding daughter Nandana. This typical image recalls the traditional role of the mother in the kitchen...but in fact, both Laura and her Dutch husband Alex have busy careers at Leiden University. Laura even praises Dutch men in general and Alex in particular for being quite emancipated. Her Belgian girlfriends, she smiles, are already impressed if their partners do the dishes...<br />During the cooking, Nandana is either held in Laura's arm, holding on to her skirt or playing with a jar of rice kernels on the countertop (a useful trick if you want two free arms to cook...).<br />Once the casserole of Belgian endives, <em>Witloof</em>, is "<em>in den Oven</em>", she is brought upstairs and put to bed.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/witloofenalex.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/witloofenalex.0.jpg" border="0" /></a>I enjoy a glass of champagne with Alex, and learn that this is a typical Belgian custom. In Holland, we only drink it to celebrate some special event, but there is common to drink it with an everyday meal. Laura praises the Vranken, an affordable, good quality brand "that made champagne accessible to all Belgians". Sadly it is unavaible here.<br />Though the Netherlands and Belgian Flanders used to be one country, there are quite a few differences in culture. After sixteen years of life in the Netherlands, Laura says a few of the things that come to mind are that Belgians seem a bit more "family oriented", are less direct/open (e.g. would not discuss toilet paper qualities over dinner) and don't talk about money as much as the Dutch!<br />The Witloof uit den Oven, Belgian endives rolled in ham and covered in cheese sauce before<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/1600/witloofuitdenoven.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6495/2139/320/witloofuitdenoven.0.jpg" border="0" /></a> going in the oven, is served with a generous serving of mashed potatoes. It reminds me a lot of my own mother's traditional Dutch meals with Belgian endives...the two countries do share quite a few customs. Although Laura is greatly disappointed in the selection of potatoes in our supermarkets, they don't have the right ones to make French fries! Actually I should say Flemish fries or Belgian fries, as their thick variety is especially delicious, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. There is even a whole website dedicated to <a href="http://www.belgianfries.com/index.cfm?Module=recept1">Belgian fries</a>, which traditionally are served with a good steak or mussels.<br />Laura herself is curious what the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallonia">Walloon</a> meal will be like...this region of Belgium where French is spoken is almost a separate country so certainly deserves a separate entry in this blog!<br /><br /><br />Here is the link for the recipe (quite easy to make!):<br /><a href="http://80mealsrecipes.blogspot.com/2006/07/witloof-in-den-oven.html">Flemish Witloof in den Oven</a><br /></span>80mealshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02854767857978235357noreply@blogger.com1