Gourmet Global

Bonbini!!

I haven’t blogged all week so I am posting an extra long one today - with travel information about a unique destination and a recipe to boot!!

The island of Curacao is the largest of the Netherland Antilles and is a unique Caribbean island. One of the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao), The Dutch influence remains strong in its architecture, culture, language and cuisine. For a little bit of Europe in the Caribbean, Curacao is the island destination for you.

There is something for everyone on the island of Curacao for relaxation, history and culture:
Beautiful beaches don’t fail on this island, located outside of the hurricane belt
In just an hour and a half, you can go to Caracas for a shopping spree and be back in Curacao for dinner
The oldest synagogue in the Americas, a visit to Mikve Israel-Emanuel is a unique part of Curacao history
The historic port city of Willemstad is a UNESCO World Heritage site
Golf courses
Scuba diving and snorkeling

Hearing the unique language of Papiamentu (a patois language originating from the fusion of English, Spanish, Dutch, French and Portuguese) is a listening experience. If you speak Spanish, you will understand most of it but then there will be other words that will be totally foreign to you - the same if you speak Portuguese or Dutch. These three have the largest influences on the language.

Just take a look at their numbers - Spanish, Dutch, Portugues and French are all represented.

one - un
two - dos
three - tres
four - kuater
five - sinku
six - sies
seven - shete
eight - ocho
nine - nuebe
ten - dies

Here is a delicious recipe for Keshi Yena, the national dish of Curacao. Keshi (a bastardized version of the Spanish queso for cheese) and Yena (a bastardized version of relleno - the word for stuffed in Spanish). It is a stuffed Edam cheese (the Dutch influence on their cuisine).

Ingredients:
Ingredients:

5 eggs
2 sliced onions
1 small garlic clove
1 chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup of sliced olives
1 tablespoon of capers
1 tablespoon of parsley
1/2 Scotch Bonnet pepper, minced
3 chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons of ketchup
2 tablespoons of piccalilli
salt and pepper to taste
1 entire Edam cheese ball, about 2 to 2 1/2 lb.
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire Sauce
2 pounds of ground beef (alternatively, you can use chicken or fish)

Directions:

On the upper part of cheese cut a small circle and scoop out the inside, leaving the shell of 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch.

In a pan add oil and saute onions, garlic and peppers. Once onions are translucent, add the ground meat or the fish and saute until cooked thoroughly.

Add tomatoes and all other seasonings. Simmer until the tomatoes are reduced, for
about 20 minutes. Whisk 4 of the eggs together. Add to sauteed mix until the eggs scramble.

Now grease a casserole dish then fill the cheese with sauteed meat and vegetables.

Cover with cheese lid and spread the remaining beaten eggon top of cheese as a sealer.

Now set the casserole in oven at 350 F for 1 1/2 hours.

If you cannot find an entire cheese ball or simply prefer a different method, you can also use slices of Edam cheese. Slice to about 1/4″ thickness. Butter casserole dish and place slices, overlapping eachother on the bottom and sides of the entire casserole dish, leaving extra slices to cover the filling.

Put the sauteed filling inside, the cover with leftover cheese slices. Brush with beaten egg to
seal. Bake in 350 F oven for 1 1/2 hours.

Enjoy and plan a vacation to Curacao for a unique Caribbean island vacation like no other.

Global Tastes & Travels Inc.
http://www.globaltastesinc.com
mireille@globaltastesinc.com
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This little eatery has a huge variety of empanadas to satiate any palate - not just your usual beef or cheese that you usually get at most Latin eateries. Everything from Empanada Reggaeton (caribbean style roast pork with sofrito seasoned yellow rice and grandules) to the Polish Empanada with sausage and sauerkraut. This place epitomizes fusion cuisine with American Empanada stuffed with hot dog and American cheese or how about a Beef and Broccoli Teriyaki Empanada?

In addition there are soups, salads arepas and unique tapas like cassave (yuca) stuffed with beef and pork. And traditional Latin meals served with rice and beans like Pollo Guisado and Chuleta Epanizada.

All natural cooking - no trans fats and the empanadas are all made with whole wheat or corn flour. $2.50 for most of the empanadas - the most expensive is the Viagra, stuffed with a seafood stew. These empanadas are truly stuffed - For $5.00 you can have a delicious lunch and be full until dinnertime. They deliver, so the next time you want to eat in for lunch, I highly recommend Empanada Mama.

• A lot of bang for your buck
• Delicious Fusion Cuisine
• Natural Cooking

Empanada Mama is a hit in my book!!

Global Tastes & Travels Inc.
http://www.globaltastesinc.com
mireille@globaltastesinc.com
Become a fan on Facebook !!

So I had some ripe bananas and went about creating something different. I realize most of you wont have the variety of international food products located in my pantry, so use substitutions when appropriate, but the variety of flavors produced by the variety of products is one of the things that makes this stand out - I haven’t thought of a name yet for this recipes - Suggestions are welcome - Please post!!!

It is a wonderful low sugar dessert, having fruit and honey provide the sweetness, instead of processed sugar.

1/3 cup plantain flour (Caribbean)
1/3 cup manioc flour (Brazil) - aka as cassava or yuca
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup fig paste (Middle Eastern/Greek)
1/3 cup honey
14 oz. can peaches in pear juice
2 bananas, sliced
1 egg
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons grated coconut (not the flaked, sweetened stuff but the dessicated freshly grated)
non fat cooking spray

Combine all dry ingredients. Whisk in egg and buttermilk. Add honey and fig paste. Add 1/2 cup pear juice (from can of peaches). Mix well - make sure there are no clumps of fig paste.

Spray a casserole dish with non stick spray. Pour half of the above mixture in casserole. Place the peaches on top and then the sliced bananas. Cover with the rest of the batter. Top with coconut. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until knife inserted comes out clean.

Serve warm!!

Substitutions - Use 1 cup all purpose flour, instead of the variety of flours.
Any flavor preserves can be used as a substitution for the fig paste (strawberry would be wonderful)

Hot Cocoa - one of those comfort drinks that automatically remind you of your childhood - while sometimes my mother served the packaged stuff that comes in the envelopes for speed and convenience, when she served Caribbean Hot Cocoa, that was our special treat!!

This is still something you can’t find in the US , so she used it sparingly because it was only when we went to the Caribbean or when someone we knew went, were we able to get fresh cocoa from the Caribbean. Boiled with evaporated milk and spices - it is Heaven on Earth!!

So the next time you go to the Caribbean, instead of coming back with another T-shirt or keychain you don’t need, go to any grocery store and buy some cocoa. It is sold either in cones or sticks and sometimes comes in a little bag with the cinnamon and bay leaf.

I still had some cocoa and fresh cinnamon bark left from my last trip to Dominica, and so here is my recipes for Caribbean Hot Cocoa. If you can’t get any fresh cocoa from the Caribbean, use a dark chocolate bar - as pure cocoa as you can get.

1/2 cone cocoa, grated, about 2 cups
3 cups evaporated milk
1 cup water
2 pieces cinnamon bark (or cinnamon sticks)
1 bay leaf (if it is fresh, use 2 if it is dried especially the ones sold in the US which tend to be a lot smaller)
2 star anise (optional)
sugar, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir thoroughly to make sure all cocoa is melted. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes so that the flavors can infuse. Add sugar, to taste. Serve immediately.
As it cools, a skin will form on the surface. Just stir it back in or remove, if desired.

Enjoy!!

As I mentioned last week, rabbit run down was on my menu for Sunday. Rabbit looks exactly like chicken breast. The color and texture of the meat is exactly the same. The only difference is the shape. When you take it out of the package, it is of a wide, tubular shape, with some legs. If you find problems handling it (because you know it is rabbit), you can just have the butcher cut it up for you. They will do this at Akropolis Meat Market, where I mentioned on my last post I had bought the rabbit at.

What you have heard is true - It is just like chicken.
It cooks very quickly, just like chicken. After it is cooked and you cut the meat, it shreds just like chicken breast. Pieces that are overcooked will taste dry (just like chicken).
Run Down is a recipe that can be made with almost anything - I have made it with breadfruit and salted cod before, both of which complements the coconut milk sauce. Rabbit was no exception - the sweetness of the coconut milk mixed with the heat of the Scotch Bonnet pepper made this entree a superb marriage of flavors.

Attached is the photo of Rabbit Run Down - Hope it stirs you to try some rabbit this week!!

I run a Cooking & Dining Group here in New York, via Meetup.com (http://cooking.meetup.com/14/) and we change our theme every month to a different country. We started this last year and we figure it will take about 5 years to reach every country and island nation in the world. We plan on exploring the cuisine of every nation, no matter how small or remote. Our greatest challenge, however, is finding some of the ingredients that are not commonly eaten here. This month we are doing the food of Dominica, the Nature Island of the Caribbean. Dominica is a small island in the southern Caribbean, rich in natural resources and culture.One of the dishes I will be cooking this Sunday is Rabbit Run Down. In this dish, rabbit is stewed down with peppers and other seasonings, in coconut milk. You may wonder where to find rabbit in New York, without paying an arm and a leg at some gourmet or organic market. Well, let’s see, is their any other cultural group that has a large neighborhood that eats rabbit? There is - the Greeks. Where is the highest concentration of Greeks in New York - Astoria!! - Hop on the N train to 30th Avenue, walk a few doors down and you are on the steps of the Akropolis Market, where you can buy a whole rabbit (already skinned and cleaned of course) for about $20.

Dominica’s cuisine is an interesting fusion of African, French, British, Chinese and native Kallinago culinary traditions (If you would like more information on exploring the beauty and cuisine of Dominica with foods like Crab Calaloo - see attached photo - email culinarytours@globaltastesinc.com)

Here is the recipe to use the rabbit you just bought at Akropolis:

Rabbit Run Down (complements of An Adventure in Caribbean Cuisine)

1 2 lb. rabbit

1 pint coconut milk

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon curry powder (Caribbean brand, not Indian)

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 sprig of thyme

1 Scotch Bonnet pepper (or habanero), crushed

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

6 allspice berries

1 - Cut the rabbit into serving portions.

2 - Bring the coconut milk to the boil and add the rabbit, salt and curry powder.

3 - Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour, or unti tender.

4 - Add all other seasonings about 5 minutes before removing from the heat. Stir to combine and serve immediately with white rice.

Breadfruit - when people here this name, they are confused - Is it some kind of bread? Is it some kind of fruit?

Technically, it is a fruit originating from the South Pacific. It has a core, like a pineapple, that must be removed prior to eating. However, it is more like a vegetable in that it must be cooked prior to eaten. It is versatile and can be cooked in a variety of ways. Very similar to potatoes, it can be boiled, roasted, fried, whipped. If you go to Caribbean neighborhoods in New York (like Flatbush in New York or Richmond Hill/Jamaica in Queens), you can purchase fresh breadfruit at the fruit and vegetable stands.

Breadfruit Puffs is a delicious appetizer that you can impress your guests with, by using a unique ingredient most of them probably have never heard of. It is very simple to make and they are addictive - You can’t just have one!! I learned this recipe when I was in Dominica last year.

Breadfruit Puffs:
1/2 breadfruit (boiled or roasted)
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
Flour, for coating
salt and pepper, to taste
1 pinch nutmeg

Cook Breadfruit. Once it is fork tender, peel and remove the skin and core the breadfruit. Mash it. Combine breadfruit with seasonings. Whisk egg and milk. Add to breadfruit mix and stir to combine. Form tablespoon size portions into balls. Roll in flour and fry in hot oil until golden brown.

Hope you enjoy your attempt at breadfruit puffs!!

Good Evening or should I say morning at 12:30am??

One key ingredient I forgot to include in the recipe last night - fresh parsley - Hope no one tried to make it tonight without this important ingredient. Adding 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, finely chopped to the marinade adds a freshness to the chicken. Otherwise the chicken will seem a bit heavy with the double whammy of two smoky spices - the cumin and the coriander.

Please try the recipe with the 1/4 cup of parsley and I always appreciate your feedback.

Now the difference between these herbs for those who are unfamiliar with them:
Parsley, cilantro and chandon beni (pronounced shadow beny) are all relatives. Most people are familiar with both parsley and cilantro. They look very familiar. For years, the only way I could tell them apart was by smell. Cilantro has a very strong smell.

Parsley is an herb with a mild grassy taste. It is a holistic herb. Many people in the Caribbean drink parsley tea to aid in the control of high blood pressure and the Cherokees use it in a tonic to strengthen the bladder.

On to cilantro. Cilantro or coriander as it is called everywhere else in the world except the United States and South America - we always have to be different, don’t we? Just like the Metric System - we can’t be like the rest of the world!! Anyway, cilantro has a much stronger taste and aroma than parsley and has a citrus like taste. The coriander plant also bears fruit. These dried fruits aka coriander seed are one of the primary ingredients in all curries. Coriander leaf is the herb of choice for most of Asia, parts of Africa and in Scandinavian countries. It is one of those things - you either HATE it or you LOVE it - no middle ground, so you just have to try it (if you have not already done so) and decide for yourself!

Chandon beni, aka culantro, recaito or saw leaf herb (depending what part of the world you are from) is the other relative of parsley and cilantro. It smells and tastes are similar to cilantro, but even stronger. A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY is the rule when you are using this herb. It is the most common herb used on the island of Trinidad. Very few savoury dishes will be cooked there without the addition of the ever present chandon beni. Since coriander is so prevalent in East Indian cuisine, the Indians who came probably found this as the best alternative since coriander is not indigenous to the Caribbean. Chandon beni has a similar taste, although it does look different - this became their replacement for coriander.

Please try chandon beni ( the one many of you have probably never heard of) and let me know what is your favorite all purpose herb!!!

Belated Happy St. Patricks Day!!! - Well yesterday was St. Patty’s Day and I had to commute home among all the intoxicated Irish people , but all in good fun.
Since I am not Irish, I did not have Corned Beef & Cabbage or Colcannon

I cooked a dish from my roots with my Dominican grandmother (not Dominican Republic). Here is a great recipe for Creole Baked Chicken - Enjoy - If you don’t like spicy food, replace the Scotch Bonnet pepper with bell pepper:

Ingredients:
lime juice
3 lbs. chicken
2 T white wine vinegar
2 T sunflower oil
1 T minced garlic
1 minced Scotch Bonnet Pepper
1 onion, chopped fine
2 t ground cumin
2 t ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Wash chicken with juice of 1 lime. Rinse well.
Place all ingredients in a large bowl with chicken pieces. Mix thoroughly to combine. Leave to marinate at least 1/2 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place chicken pieces along with all marinade ingredients into large baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes, until cooked thoroughly.
Uncover. Raise oven to broil. Put baking dish in broiler part of oven. Bake for 5 minutes until golden brown. Rotate pieces and broil on other side.
Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Hope your dinner is as good as mine was!!!

Hello Everyone:
Now that we have started Daylight Savings Time, I hope everyone is ready for Spring!

I have been a negligent blogger - I have been so busy since my return, now coordinating all of the logistics to make the tour a fabulous one for all of you attending, but here is my update on my visit to Trinidad. Trinidad was fabulous. Located in the southern Caribbean, it is not one of the most popular travel destinations when people are planning their Caribbean vacations. People do not know what they are missing.

Due to the oil refineries, Trinidad is one of the most industrialized Caribbean nations. Because of this, the capital city of Port of Spain is not a place you want to spend much time in. It is a not so clean city with shopping and the like. But once you leave Port of Spain, Trinidad is a beautiful island. The northern coast is dotted with beaches. Maracas Beach is one of the destination spots for foodies. Richard’s Bake and Shark is famous island wide - Shark perfectly battered and fried in between fried bread and you can condiment to the max with everything from ketchup to shado-beni sauce to kuchela (green mango pickle) and hot sauce. It was delicious. After Bake & Shark, catch the waves on the wonderful coastal beach, located just across the road.

Pitch Lake was another spot I did not know existed before traveling to the island. One of the natural wonders of the world, Trinidad’s pitch lake is one of only three in the world and the only country allowed to export the pitch (asphalt) which is used to make everything from batteries and radios to roads and cars. It is amazing! - You are walking on this tar, which is interspersed with mineral sulphur pools and clearwater pools with fish swimming in them.

The South is dominated by the Indian population and this is apparent by the 85-foot Hanuman built by the ashram in Waterloo and the Temple in the Sea, which is exactly as the name states. Here is where you will find the best curry and dalpourie, along with palourie and aloo pies.

Char Sui Pork, which I had, demonstrated the Chinese influence on the island. Soong’s Great Wall located on San Fernando Hill is the oldest Chinese restaurant on the island is the best Chinese food you will ever have!

Here is just a little introduction to Trinidad and once I get my tour logistics set - you will be hearing more!

So come join me in Trinidad in May, 2009!!!