Wanted: Ghost Adventurer looking for spirited children

I love being an adult,  I love working for my own "allowance",  I love spending money on what I want.  I love being able to do what I want when I want.  Well, hardly ever on that latter statement,  I am a stay at home mom to  a 3 and 5 year old.  And they seem to consume me on their own schedule.

But as I sit on my beautiful patio and sip a glass of wine,   I reflect on the fact that ever since I can remember,  I've always wanted to be an adult.  I can't help but think about school and the choices I made.    I always wanted the shortest schooling possible.  Freshman year of college - I was appalled that other students were able to get AP credit.  What??  MY school didn't offer this.   If there was an accelerated mode of college,  I would have signed up. Why?  So I could become an adult quicker.    In fact,  I had the grades and interest to go to medical school,  but 4-6 more years of schooling and interning was an impossible feat for me to wrap my mind around.   I wanted to make money and be a productive member of society ASAP.

I see this very same desire in my 5 year old son.   He has the adult wanting already and it is STRONG.    Everyday is battle of freedom.   He wants,  I set boundaries.   He wanders,  I chase.   He pushes,  I stand firm.   It is exhausting.  Daily, hourly, secondly... I battle his overwhelming desire for adultness.  He sneaks out of  our house, 3-5 times a day,  just to start a conversation with any adult he encounters.    Neighbors be warned.    They often take their dinners inside just to get some peace.   The guy running down the bike path - blindsided by the cute 5 year old that just wanted to talk for hours.  I've joked that I need to get him a job as a Walmart greeter.  If they hired kids - we'd be the first in line.

Just yesterday, my son was convinced that he was a Ghost Adventurer from the Travel Channel show.   (Probably doesn't help that the lead ghost adventurer is also named Zak).    My young Zach insisted, with the intensity of a mountain lion, that this was his real life purpose and he would not come inside until he found someone with a ghost to rid.     Hours later it was dusk and I was losing my patience fast.   

No amount for Love and Logic,  123 Magic,  Supernanny, blunt force, or bribery, was getting him to change his mind.  "No Mom,  this is real life and I am a real live ghost adventurer.  I am going to stay outside until I find a person that needs my help."

No son,   I need help.  Whose goin' help me with this overly persistent, precocious, strong willed kid that won't listen to anybody but his own head.  

He seeks independence, attention, and affirmation like a mosquito to a warm body.      At the grocery store he talks to any and every adult that will listen.    He purposefully "gets lost" so that he can engage an adult to help him,  even though I'm typically an arms length away.   At the dog park or beach - anywhere really - he immediately finds an adult to engage and hours later I have to pry him away with promises of sushi rolls.

I'm well-read in the art of parenting.    I've got about 20+ books on my kindle to prove it. Not one of these books prepared me for this kid.   That is until I read  Raising the Spirited Child.   This is my bible.    If any of these traits plus more sound familiar to you ,  I encourage you to read this blessed book - it is my child rearing bible.

"Spirited" -  I once thought that was a "nice" term for kids who were strong willed.    That's only a small portion of it.   Spirited kids are like Jim Carrey or Robin Williams on crack.   They are INTENSE, persistent, sensitive, perceptive, energetic, irregular  -  they are just MORE.   More than you'll ever imagine.    My spirited child is all of these things to the Nth degree.   He's tough, he's sweet, he's funny, he's obnoxious, he's going to make one hell of an adult.  But as a child - hold on for the ride!

If you happen to be the lucky recipient of a spirited child,  please let me know.   I really need a support system in place.   This is one wild ride!

Tis the season to be way, way behind ... Bobotie, Cabbage Rolls, Paella, Blanquette de Veau, Endives au Jambon, Momos, and more.

Time to pour a Ska Euphoria,  relax and attempt to account for the past two weeks worth of international recipes.    (Bonus points to those that actually know what a Ska Euphoria is!)

In my holiday haste,  I'm embarrassed to admit that I've gotten really lazy with the recipes.  Sure,  I've still been cooking a national dish every other night or so... but I've found myself going the easy route with using ingredients that I have around the house and not seeking out the exotic.   Truth is there are loads of delicious ethnic dishes that you can make with basic ingredients.

South Africa - Bobotie

  This is the South African version of  good ol' American meatloaf.   It's simple and really tasty.   Even Zach and Lauren gobbled this one up and asked for seconds.  In fact, this was all that was left...

Marc has actually made this recipe before for an ethnic wine tasting party.   We had so many people at the party that I never got a chance to taste it.    Its an easy recipe to feed a crowd!

2 oz. Asian tamarind paste
2 slices square white sandwich bread
½ cup milk
2 tbsp. canola oil
2 lb. ground lamb shoulder or ground beef
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp. curry powder
1 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp.  raisins
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Break tamarind paste into small pieces and place in a small bowl; cover with ½ cup boiling water, and let sit until soft, about 30 minutes. Massage and stir paste and water together with your fingers until paste dissolves; pour through a fine strainer into a bowl, and set tamarind juice aside. Meanwhile, tear bread into small pieces and place in a small bowl; cover with ¼ cup milk and let sit until bread soaks up milk; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat; add meat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned all over and all moisture evaporates, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, and set aside. Return skillet to heat along with butter, and add onions and garlic; cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder and sugar, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes; transfer to bowl with lamb along with reserved tamarind juice, soaked bread, raisins, lemon juice and zest, and 1 egg. Season with salt and pepper, and mix until evenly combined. Transfer to a 9″ deep-dish pie plate, and spread evenly over the bottom.

3. Heat oven to 375°. Whisk together remaining milk and egg in a small bowl, season with salt and pepper, and pour over meat mixture in dish. Bake until custard is set on top, golden brown, and meat mixture is heated through, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Poland - Country Cabbage Rolls

Maybe its my Bohemian heritage,  but something deep inside me craves cabbage.   I love Cabbage sauteed in butter like Italian loves their pasta.    And well,  cabbage rolls they are the ultimate comfort food  in my house.    Typically we serve them up with the traditional tomato sauce but I'm trying a new diet with kids that forbids tomatoes.     This recipe dresses up the traditional cabbage roll with an elegant creamy wild mushroom sauce.    I loved this recipe!  It's from the cookbook, A Polish Country House Kitchen,  and it is absolutely divine.  

Don't be intimidated by the long recipe,  these are fairly easy to make and can be made a day ahead of time or cooked in a slow cooker.     This makes about 16 rolls - plenty for leftovers.

• 2 large heads cabbage
• 5 tbsp/70 g unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup/40 g coarsely chopped onion
• 4 cups/630 g cooked white rice
• 1 lb/455 g coarsely chopped boneless pork or chicken (thigh meat will be juicier, but white meat works as well)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups/480 ml chicken broth or stock

for the wild mushroom sauce

• One 1-oz/30-g package dried mixed wild mushrooms or porcini
• 2 cups/480 ml boiling water
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp minced onion
• 1 lb/455 g mixed fresh wild mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and coarsely chopped (Go for an exotic mix, but if your market offers only portobello, cremini, and shiitake, these will work as well.)
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup/60 ml white wine, preferably dry vermouth
• 1/4 cup/60 ml heavy cream
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Preheat the oven to 350°F

To make the cabbage rolls:
Fill a large pot—one in which you can submerse a whole head of cabbage—with water and bring to a boil. (It is helpful to use a pot with a strainer insert, such as a pasta pot, so you can pick up the insert to remove the cooked cabbage, rather than struggle with spoons or tongs.) Add the first head of cabbage and parboil for about 10 minutes. Remove and let it drain in a colander in the sink until just cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, cook the second head of cabbage, drain, and cool.

Gently pull the outer leaves off each cabbage. (Some of these might be soggy or torn.) Set these aside to line the baking dish. It helps to cut off some of the coarse stem at the beginning and while peeling off the leaves. Your goal is to have 12 to 16 perfect medium to large leaves in which to roll the stuffing. Set aside the small leaves for lining the baking dish as well. If you can get more than 16 leaves to stuff, do so—you can never have too many little doves. Pat each leaf dry and set aside on a kitchen or paper towel.

In a small frying pan, melt 2 tbsp of the butter over medium heat, add the onion, and cook until lightly browned. Remove from the heat and put the onion, rice, and chopped meat into a food processor; season with salt and pepper; and whirl until well mixed. You want to be careful not to overprocess the filling—it should have the consistency of raw meatballs, and not be mushy.

Lay out the "choice" cabbage leaves on a work surface and divide the filling among the leaves: The exact portion size for each one will depend on the size of the leaf. (I dollop the filling on with a tablespoon, placing it near the bottom of the leaf). If any stem remaining on the leaf seems especially tough or thick, you can pare it down with a vegetable peeler. Roll the leaves up, folding in the sides and ends so the stuffing is enclosed.

Line the bottom of a 9-x-12-in/23-x-30.5-cm baking dish with any leftover cabbage leaves. (If, after lining the dish, you find you still have a lot of leftover leaves, store them in the refrigerator and eventually chop them, cook in butter, and season with salt and pepper to serve as a side dish for another meal!). Rest the rolls on top, seam-side down; they can be crowded together, just so long as they don’t overlap. If you run out of room in one baking dish, start a smaller, second one, lining it the same way.

Pour in the chicken broth (it should come about a third of the way up the sides of the rolls, and not submerge them). Dot the tops of the rolls with the remaining 3 tbsp butter. Bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until the tops are golden and slightly crispy.

Remove the cabbage rolls to a platter and keep warm (you can tent them with foil and keep them in the turned-off oven). Discard the leaves lining the baking dish, but reserve the broth, which will be added to the mushroom sauce.

To make the wild mushroom sauce: 
Soak the dried mushrooms in the boiling water for at least 30 minutes, until softened. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer lined with a paper towel or cheesecloth, placed over a bowl. Squeeze the mushrooms until the juices are all extracted. Set the liquid aside. Rinse the mushrooms with cold water, pat dry, and coarsely chop.

In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat and cook the onion until translucent. Add the chopped fresh mushrooms and soaked dried mushrooms, and cook, stirring often, until all the mushrooms are soft and golden.

Sprinkle the mushrooms with the flour, season with salt and pepper, and stir constantly until the mushrooms are well coated. Slowly add the reserved mushroom soaking liquid, continuing to stir until all the liquid is blended in and has thickened. Add the wine, cream, and any broth remaining in the pan in which the cabbage rolls were cooked, adding each one separately, stirring constantly, and allowing the sauce to thicken before adding the next. Add the lemon juice and lower the heat. Simmer the sauce for a good 15 minutes or so, until thick and rich. If the sauce is still too thin after 15 minutes, raise the heat and cook at a gentle boil, stirring, until reduced further.

When ready to serve, pour the mushroom sauce over the cabbage rolls, and serve immediately.

France:  Blanquette de Veau

Recipe

The national dish of France is crepes.  Growing up, my mother was a big fan of crepes and we made them about every weekend.   They are delicious, but I wanted to try something new for this French venture.     I especially wanted to make something rich and succulent to remind me of the exquisite cuisine I experienced while visiting Paris.       I warn you, like most French cuisine,   this recipe is complex and not for those with heart disease.    It is chock full of butter and heavy cream.   Definitely a dish to be served with a dry white wine (as pictured).

Spain:  Paella

Paella (pronouced "Pie-eh-yah") has got to be one of the most beautiful dishes in the world.    It can be made with almost any combination of meats and vegetables and I've seen various different recipes.   We used a combination of two recipes - one from our Spanish Cookbook and one from our Mediterraean Cookbook.

For this simple dish,  you basically add meat and vegetables to rice flavored with saffron* and let it cook. Marc made this recipe the night before Thanksgiving.   Its fairly simple to throw together and only uses one pot!   We loaded ours with mussels, shrimp and chicken with white beans, peas and red pepper.

*Saffron is the stigma thread of a crocus flower and can be extremely expensive.   Try purchasing it at an ethnic market like Cost Plus for the best deal.

Belgium -   Endives Au Jambon

Recipe

This recipe basically consists of cooked belgium endive wrapped in ham and then smothered in a bechamel sauce with Gruyere cheese.    I was intrigued by the simplicity and the simple fact that I've never had endive before. 

Be forewarned -  this recipe is expensive.   Belgium Endive costs about $5/pound and you end up throwing away at least half of it.   Gruyere cheese is also pricey at $15/ lb.    

Special note - when they say to "prepare" the endive,  that means to take out the core.    Typically lettuce is sweet on the inside (like me).  This is not the case for endive.   It has a tough, bitter core (kind of like some people I know!).   Make sure to remove the core or you'll end up with a bitter, disgusting dish that just cost you about $20.

If its not obvious yet,   I don't really recommend this dish.   Save your calories for something else,  like dessert.

Tibet -  Momos  (Tibetan Dumplings)

 

Recipe

Who doesn't love meat filled dumplings?   Ok,  maybe vegetarians but you can always fill them with veggies or tofu.

This recipe looks daunting but  basically its just a steamed pot sticker.  Use wonton skins if you are in a pinch for time.    I made my own dough and cut it into perfect circles using a water glass.   Don't try to roll out perfect circles as the recipe shows - as it is nearly impossible!

 Mystery Dish

Sorry I have no idea what this dish is or where its from.  I know I made it and photographed it.... but no idea what it is.   Must not even be worth a mention.   Blame the holiday haste!

Cheese lovers .... rejoice!

So lately I've been conquering a new recipe almost every night,   you gotta feed your family, right?    And its just so much fun to try something new all the time.   But,  I just can't blog everyday.  So  I've decided to blog once a week with the highlights.

So far this week I've made  Garlic Pork & Yuca Fritas (Guyana), Moussaka (Greece's National Dish), Colombian Beans and Rice,  and Keshi Yena ( Aruba).     All these recipes were delicious and I'll post links with pictures below.

Let me reiterate,  I am a dietitian, but I'm no chef.     My attempts at these recipes are at best amateur in nature and sometimes fail miserably, such as my last post with the Puerto Rican Pastelon.

My attempt at the Moussaka, was gallant but filled with errors.    Somehow amid the burnt eggplant slices and bechamel sauce explosion + forgotten ingredients,   I pulled off an fairly delicious dinner.  Although, you can't go wrong with a dish covered in buttery, cheesy white sauce.  Furthermore,  while I was cooking my bechamel sauce,  a 2 lb. bag of brown sugar fell out of the overhead cabinet - smack into my saucepan.    Hot white sauce shot all over me and the surrounding area. Needless to say,  the kids picked up on a few new cuss words that night.

 Moussaka is the greek version of lasanga with layers of eggplant, meat and a delicious white (bechamel) sauce on top.  If you've never had it,  I highly recommend this recipe:  Moussaka Recipe

It even looks beautiful if you botch the cooking.

And now for the featured recipe:  Keshi Yena.   

 This is a quick and easy dish with a unique flavor.   Just when you think you've had chicken prepared in every possible manner,   this dish will impress with new flavors and  minimal effort.  You can even use leftover shredded chicken if you wish.

KESHI YENA:   RECIPE

"The slaves of the former Dutch colony of Aruba developed Keshi Yena. To this day it is served in the most renowned restaurants on the island. At the time, the Dutch masters of the large plantations ate traditional Gouda or Edam cheese. It was produced in large wheels that were covered in wax. Naturally, they ate them from the center, gradually coring the cheese out until they were hollow and just the waxed rind was left. The leftover hardened rind found its way into the plantation workers’ kitchens where the dish was born. The cooks would peel the wax off and soak the rind in water. Then they filled the center with leftover bits of meat or fish and vegetables and baked it until the cheese melted.

Over time, the dish became known as Keshi Yena, which translates from the local language to “stuffed cheese.” It was prepared in kitchens throughout the island with the addition of olives, raisins, capers, local spices, as well as scotch bonnet peppers. Now in the mainstream, the cheese is stuffed with anything the home cooks or restaurant chefs have available. It is very versatile and can be made with all your favorites ingredients and can be different every time!"

My version:   So I looked and looked and could not find large Edam wheels.  I couldn't even find the little 1/2 pounders in wax.   The only thing close was the little Baby Bells which would have been appetizer size, at best! So I resorted to using the alternative recipe, listed above,  that used sliced Gouda.   

Of course after I purchased all the ingredients,  I spied a wax ball of Edam at of all places....my gym!     I'm not sure why they had a ball of Edam cheese in the display case with the protein bars and bananas... but I really was tempted to ask if I could purchase the ball of half eaten cheese.

Anyhow,  I resorted to my original plan of using pre-packaged slices of Gouda cheese.   In hindsight,  I recommend going with Edam,  sliced super slim by the deli.  My slices were a bit to thick to work with.    Anyway you slice it (ha, ha),   this was a way deliciously rich dish.  You may need a glass of wine or two to cut the richness of the cheese.  Or just to enjoy!

The other worldly recipes:

Garlic Pork:  Garlic Pork Recipe

Yuca Fritas:  Yuca Fritas Recipe

  

If you've never seen a Yuca root (I hadn't) here is a pic:

Columbian Style Beans (Frijoles Columbiano):   Colombian Beans Recipe

 I used basic small red beans, precooked in a  pressure cooker.  Turned out delicious with smoked sausage and rice.

Puerto Rico - not a country but a unique culture and definitely on my list.

It's been way too long since my last post.   You know, life happens... just as shit happens too.  We lost our Great Grandma Mary and had to take an unexpected trip back to Michigan.  Of course in our absence,  business and life keep going and catch up is tough.

 Since my last post,  I've taken my family to seven different countries on our culinary escapade.    I'm now lamenting that my appetite for cooking is much greater than my appetite for blogging.  Sorry!    I'm going to have figure out a better system for keeping up the journal.

 I'm also quickly learning that regional countries use the same regional ingredients  (Duh!)   In order to keep things interesting,  I've decided to bounce around the globe a bit more.

Puerto Rico -  Pastelon

I've been to Puerto Rico twice in my life.  Once when I was 5 and then again when I was 35.   I'm sad to say that I can't recall any memorable dishes that I wanted to recreate.    Our latest trip to Puerto Rico was a whole Huckstadt family affair.  My husband, Marc, and I rented a large condo with my sister, her husband, their 3 young boys and my parents.    We were miles from nowhere in a gated community on the southeast shore of the island.    Our restaurant choices were limited to dining at the golf club or other overpriced hotel choices with Americanized cuisine - blah!    We did escape the family one day for a trip to San Juan.   Truthfully I can't remember what we ate,  but did taste some mighty fine Rum!

Back to the recipe.  Before we left for Michigan,   I cleaned out the refrigerator and was left with just a few scraps of food.   I looked at what ingredients I had and what recipes were on the table,  and decided to make Pastelon.

 In my haste,  I forgot to take pictures.  In hindsight,  I'm glad.   This dish was disgusting - mealy, dry and unflavorful.   As I assembled the ingredients,  I thought that something might be missing from my recipe.  The website picture showed a bubbly, cheesy casserole  and mine looked like a science project gone awry.   At this point I should have investigated further,  but when you have two screaming toddlers running circles around the kitchen and bags to pack,  sometimes you just have to say "uncle".   I've now realized  that my recipe was missing about 8 eggs!    Out of all the recipes for Pastelon,  I had to pick the wrong, totally wrong one.

I'm going to post a link for a different recipe for Pastelon.    Please try it.  This has potential to be a delicious, unique low-carb dish given the correct ratio of ingredients.   On an important side note:   use overripe plantains - the black ones.  ( I didn't - big mistake! )  

http://thisissogoodhome.com/2013/02/01/pastelon-puerto-rican-lasagna-with-plantains/

Pastelon should look something like this.    ( I just may have to try this recipe again.)

Quickie Post - Three more countries this week: Martinique, Cuba, Trinidad/Tobago

My head is spinning in a million directions tonight.   We just made travel plans due to a death in the family and there is so much to do before we leave.   So...  We'll just jump right into the recipes for this past week.   They were all delicious!

Martinique Coconut Chicken Curry

Ingredients

For the spice mix

• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• ½-1 Scotch bonnet chilli, seeds removed  (I used Habanero)
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes

For the coconut chicken curry

• 12 chicken pieces (a mixture of thighs and drumsticks)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tbsp sunflower or groundnut oil
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 500g/1lb 2oz butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, cut into 5cm/2in cubes
• 2 aubergines, cut into 4cm/1½in cubes
• 2-3 large waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 4cm/1½in pieces
• 1 x 400ml/14fl oz can coconut milk
• 300ml/½ pint chicken stock
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 3 small bay leaves
• 1 large ripe mango, peeled, core removed, chopped into 5cm/2in pieces
• 1 large ripe papaya, peeled, seeds removed, sliced
• ½ lime, juice only
• 1½ tbsp rum (optional)

Preparation method

1. For the spice mix, grind the spice mix ingredients to a paste using a mortar and pestle. Set aside.
2. For the coconut chicken curry, season the chicken pieces, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or deep-sided casserole over a medium heat. Add the seasoned chicken pieces and fry for 3-4 minutes, turning regularly, or until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside (keep warm).
4. Heat the remaining two tablespoons of oil in the same pan, then add the onions, butternut squash, aubergines and potatoes, in batches if necessary, and fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly, or until just softened and pale golden-brown.
5. Add the spice mix to the pan and stir well to coat the vegetables. Continue to cook the mixture for 3-4 minutes, stirring well, or until the spices are fragrant.
6. Return the browned chicken pieces to the pan and add the coconut milk, chicken stock, tamarind paste and bay leaves. Stir well and bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering. Cover the pan with a lid and continue to simmer for 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are tender and the sauce has thickened.
7. Add the mango, papaya, lime juice and rum (if using), stir the mixture well, then cover and continue to simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until the fruit has warmed through.

I recommend cutting this recipe in half, unless you want tons of leftovers or have an army to feed!  I cut it in half and  it was still plenty for the four of us plus lots of leftovers.  In fact,  I didn't have a large enough pot to make the full recipe.   On a side note,   I really enjoy these one pot dishes and they seem to be popular in the Caribbean.

So what in the world is this?   Looks like a chewy brownie bit....

No, its tamarind paste!  I bought a tamarind paste bar at the local Asian Market.  It still has the husks in it and they are not pleasant to eat.  Try to find a tamarind paste without husks!   I have to soak my paste in water and remove the bits (pain in the ass!)   You can substitute vinegar or lime juice for tamarind, as well.

Ropa Vieja (Old Clothes)

1 lb country style pork ribs (boneless)1 lb flank steak2 Tbsp Cumin1 large onion, sliced4 cloves garlic2 stalks celery, chopped2 jalapeno peppers or similar1 red bell pepper, chopped1 can black beans, undrained1 tsp.  salt1/2 tsp. black pepper6 Tbsp.  red wine vinegar1/2 bunch cilantro,  chopped finely

Add all ingredients to your slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.   You can also do this on the stove at a low heat for 3-4 hours.   Cook until the meat shreds easily.    Garnish with cilantro.

This was my absolute favorite dish.    Very easy to prepare and really delicious for those meat lovers.  Not sure why they call it "Old Clothes",  maybe because it boils on the stove all day?

Tobago Fried Fish

2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup minced green onion
2 TBSP. fresh parsely, finely chopped
2 TSP. fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 TSP. celery leaves, minced
1 TSP. Worcestershire sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 lbs of white fish (I used Cod)
Peanut Oil or other vegetable oil

Combine all the ingredients, except the fish and oil, to make a batter.   Add the fish and let sit for 30 minutes in the batter.    I recommend cutting your fish into "stick" type pieces as they are easier to fry.  Heat your oil to about 350 degrees or when a piece of test batter bubbles and floats.   Fry until golden brown.   Serve with tarter sauce.


This batter makes a delicious fried fish.   Living in Colorado,  fresh fish is rather scarce.   I know its healthy but we just don't cook it enough.   This was a simple, great tasting way to make fish.   The batter was light and crisp, not heavy or greasy.   I prefer to use peanut oil for frying,  I have a large gallon jug that I keep in the refrigerator (to preserve its freshness).  After using the oil,  I strain out all the impurities and pour it back in the bottle.   Oil can be reused many times as long as you keep it fresh and keep the little bits of food out.

You can use pretty much any oil for deep frying,  just watch your oil's smoke point.  Olive Oil has a lower smoke point - around 375 so watch your temperature.   If you oil smokes or burns - it is toxic to eat - throw it away!    Most home cooks will deep fry fish at 360 degrees

Whirlwind - Three recipes - Three Countries in Two Days...Antigua Pepperpot, Barbados Pumpkin Flapjacks and Jamaican Meat Patties

Better pour myself another beer, this is going to be a long post.   I got a bit overzealous this week and tackled 3 more international recipes,  two from the Caribbean countries of Antigua & Barbados  and then I veered off course to make  Jamaican Meat Patties.    Sometimes you just have to go with what you feel like eatin',  right?

First, let's talk about the National Dish of Antigua,  Pepperpot.    I've never heard of this dish before, but it has claim to fame and dates back to colonial times when George Washington instructed his cook to make this for his troops.

"During the long winter at Valley Forge, George Washington instructed his cook to make this soup to nourish and warm his starving, freezing troops. Though this West Indian dish may seem out of place in colonial American life, it was in fact quite common in and around Philadelphia, the last stop for ships traveling the Southern Trade Route. English ships returning from the islands transported slaves and exotic foodstuffs, so West Indian cookery found its way into the very fabric of Philadelphia life. It is assumed that Washington was familiar with pepperpot soup long before he camped at Valley Forge."

The recipe for Pepperpot that I used called for exotic ingredients such as West Indies Pumpkin, Pig's Snout, Calaloo, and Cho Cho.     This made for an exciting ingredient round up challenge.  

Perplexed at where to begin, I asked my husband, Marc, if he'd heard of these ingredients or where I could find them (he's the cook around here).   He snickered and said he'd ask his Mexican workers if they knew where his wife could find some "Cho Cho".

I thought nothing of this comment,  other than a sincere "Wow, thanks for the help!"  That was until I visited three different grocery stores and discovered that "Cho Cho" looked remarkably similar to Chayote Squash.    In fact,  after a bit of research on my phone,  I discovered that they are, in fact,  one in the same.    The Jamaicans, among others, have affectionately termed this squash "Cho Cho"  as it resembles lady parts.   I'll let you be the judge.

Innocently enought,  after realizing that "Cho Cho" referred to lady parts,  I remembered that Marc was going to ask his Mexican workers about it.   So I frantically text'd him:  "Don't ask any of your Mexican buddies where I can find Cho cho.  I just got some and discovered that it means vagina in Spanish."

He texts back "Yeah,  I know.  I kept telling you that I knew what Chocha meant."  

Great!   Haha - jokes on me.

Anyhow,  I gathered the ingredients the best I could.   I did end up substituting bacon for the pig's snout.    I read that pig's snout has to be special ordered and you have to commit to buying 10 lbs or more.  Yikes,  I'll gladly use the substitute, although I'm now intrigued by pig's snout - especially if it tastes like bacon!

Here's the official recipe:  

Antigua's National Dish:   Pepperpot

• 6 calaloo leaves, shredded
• 500g spinach, chopped
• 1 large aubergine, chunked  (Eggplant)
• 500g okras, chopped
• 500g West Indian pumpkin, peeled and chunked
• 3 cho cho, chopped  (Chayote Squash)
• 500g green papaya, peeled and chunked 
• 1 pint of frozen peas
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1 whole scotch bonnet 
• 500g salt beef, chopped  ( or salt cure your own beef - generously salt and leave in frig for a couple days)
• 500g pigs snouts (fresh or salted), chopped  (or bacon)
• 1 cup beef stock or 1 stock cube
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• a bunch of chives  (or green onions)
• a couple of sprigs of thyme
• 3 tbsp ketchup

Simmer the salt meats in water for about 10 minutes to take away some of the excess salt. Remove and drain. Fry in oil for 10 minutes, add the onions and fresh snouts (if you're using them) and fry for a further 5 minutes. Add the veg except for the peas and stir. Pour in just enough water to cover it all along with the stock and whole scotch bonnet, simmer until the veg is tender. When the meat and veg are cooked through mash the thyme, chives and garlic together in a mortar and add to the pot with the peas and ketchup. Simmer on a low flame until the stew thickens, about 15 minutes or so.

This was quite a delicious stew.  The recipe is vague on the cooking times, and I way overcooked mine.   You should simmer the vegetables for about 1 hour.   I left my Pepperpot on the stove for a few hours and it turned into mush, although it was still delicious mush.

It was a unanimous winner at our house - kids, husband, and I all loved it.  Delicious!

There were two other recipes that I made  -  Pumpkin Flapjacks from Barbados and Jamaican Meat Patties.   Both were delicious and a bit time consuming,  recipes below:

Jamaican Meat Patties

2 tb Olive oil 1 Onion, finely chopped 3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 lb Ground beef, lean 1 tb Curry powder 1 ts salt 1/2 ts freshly ground black pepper 1/2 c Bread crumbs, dry 1/2 c Chicken stock or water 2 Green onions, finely chopped METHOD / DIRECTIONS: Heat oil in large heavy skillet. Add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring till onion wilts. Add ground meat. Cook, stirring until meat is browned and combined with onions. Sprinkle with curry, salt and pepper. Cook about 5 minutes. Stir in breadcrumbs and stock or water. Cook, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Mixture should be thick but not dry. Stir in green onions.

Recipe

Pastry

Country: Jamaica

INGREDIENTS

• 2 c Flour, all purpose
• 1/2 ts Tumeric
• 1/4 ts salt
• 2/3 c Shortening or Butter, cold & diced
• 1/4 c -ice water or more if necessary
• 1 Egg, lightly beaten

METHOD / DIRECTIONS:

Make pastry by combining flour with tumeric and salt. Cut in butter or shortening until in tiny bites. Add water; gather into a ball. Roll out to about 1/4 thickness and cut into 4 circles. Gather remaining dough together and lightly cut out again. Place about 1 Tbsp filling on each circle. Brush edges with lightly beaten egg, fold over and seal. Preheat oven to 400F. Place patties on cookie sheets lined with aluminum foil. Brush lightly with remaining lightly beaten egg. Bake 25 to 30 till browned.

Pumpkin Flapjacks -  Barbados

• 2 cups all-purpose flour $
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk $
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 4 large eggs separated $
• 1/4 cup (1/8 lb.) butter, melted $
• Preparation
• 1. In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, beat milk, pumpkin, egg yolks, and butter to blend. Stir into flour mixture until evenly moistened
• 2. In another bowl, with a mixer on high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into batter just until incorporated.
• 3. Place a nonstick griddle or a 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat (350º); when hot, coat lightly with oil and wipe dry with a paper towel. Pour batter in 1/2-cup portions onto griddle, spreading slightly with the back of a spoon, and cook until pancakes are browned on the bottom and edges begin to look dry, about 3 minutes; turn with a wide spatula and brown other sides, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Adjust heat as needed to maintain an even temperature.

My son, Zach (finger in the picture),  loved helping make these -  or I should say, loved helping himself to the batter!    These flapjacks weren't as fluffy as I would have hoped,  but the pumpkin helped cut some of the typical sweetness of regular white flour pancakes.