Gourmet Global

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)

Looking for a great organic cookie, low in fat and calories that tastes out of this world??? - I highly recommend Paul Newman’s Ginger Hermits!

Made with all natural ingredients:
Organic Unbleached Wheat Flour, Organic Raisins, Organic Molasses, Organic Sugar, Organic Palm Fruit Oil, Oats, Organic Figs, Raisin Paste, Leavening (baking soda, monocalcium phosphate), Ginger and other Spices, Salt, Rice Bran Extract.

They are a great snack for kids - not loaded with sugar, but still chewy and delicious. Cholesterol free and at only 80 calories a cookie, they are a great snack even if you are on a weight management program. About the size of a fig newton, they are very filling.

If you are a ginger fan, the ginger really POPS in this cookie and with its soft texture, tastes almost like gingerbread. However, if ginger just ain’t your thing, hermits are also available in original and cinnamon.

Go to your local food coop or healthfood store, if you cannot find them in your local market.

Also, the fact that all profits go to charity - it’s a good company to support!!!

There was a great article on cnn.com yesterday detailing the healthiest supermarkets in the country:

Whole Foods
Safeway
Harris Teeter
Trader Joe’s
Hannaford
Albertson’s
Food Lion
Publix
Pathmark
Super Target

Plus I have my little two cents to add:
Whole Foods - while I agree it is one of the healthiest, it is also the most expensive and in these hard, economic times you can still get healthy alternatives at a variety of other markets.

SuperTarget - I HIGHLY recommend. Many of my colleagues and friends had been telling me for many months that I have to go to the grocery section of Target and when I finally made it there - WOW, was I impressed. Their store brand, Market Pantry, is very good and made with mostly all natural ingredients. I bought their Italian salad dressing and ketchup. Tasted as delish as any other name brand that you are used to.
Archer Farms, their organic brand is amazing-with LOTS of unique snacks. The Archer Farms line of cereals are delicious -the Triple Berry Clusters is really good but my absolute fave is the Multigrain with Yogurt Cranberries. Made with wheat, kamut, millet, brown rice and oats, it is full of fiber and delicious. I eat it with oat or rice beverage (instead of milk), and it packs a lot of fiber, vitamins and minerals in one bowl of breakfast cereal. Add some sliced banana and it keeps you full until lunch. Also, the potato chips with black pepper and sea salt is to die for.

Some other local markets that did not make it on this list that I highly recommend are:
Fairway - huge selection of fruits and veg. at reasonable prices. The location in Brooklyn is located behind God’s back, as my grandmother would say, but the Manhattan location is very accessible to public transportation and the prices can’t be beat, especially for Manhattan. They also have a large International section - the only place in Manhattan I can get halloumi (one of my favorite cheeses - from Cypress). Organic meat also, at half the price of Whole Foods.

Food Coops are also great. Two are in Brooklyn:
The Flatbush Food Coop, which is only a few blocks from my house so I frequent it often. The prices are a hit or miss - Some things can be really reasonable (especially if they are on sale) and others can be really expensive. Because membership is not mandatory (as it is in most coops) their prices have to be higher because they have more salaries to pay.

The Park Slope Food Coop prices are amazingly cheap, but membership is required. In addition to making a $100 investment in the coop, you must work a 2 hr and 45 minute shift every 4 weeks. You reap the benefits of your work by paying extremely low prices for all natural and organic products.

The 4th street coop is located at 58 East 4th Street. I am not familiar with this food coop but take a look at their website and you can call and find out how they operate.

Sahadi’s on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, in the middle of the Middle Eastern enclave, sells a variety of foods from a variety of cuisines throughout the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Spices, All varieties of Grains, Coffee, Dried Fruits and Nuts as well as Fresh Olives are also in abundance at this market.

Good Morning Everyone:
Now most of you know I am a supporter of fresh food. I use very little canned food, especially vegetables. I usually take the time to use fresh products, but every once in a while I am just too lazy to go out and buy fresh produce, if I do not have it in my house.
There are some great products to always have on hand to make your food flavorful, when you don’t have any onions or garlic and other produce to flavor your food. OR maybe you have a houseful of hungry kids and don’t have the time to spend, chopping vegetables.

South Asian markets are wonderful - there you can purchase onion paste, garlic paste, ginger paste and garlic-ginger paste. You add a teaspoon of this to the frying pan before cooking your meat and you don’t need to spend time chopping. For this recipe I am sharing with you, I did not have any garlic paste in the house, but I did have a jar of the already chopped garlic which is another great timesaver.

This is my recipe for Canned Soup because everything in this recipe comes from a can or a jar but this is a delicious, hearty soup - very low in fat and sodium.

Canned Soup
Servings: 6
1 teaspoon oil
2 teaspoons chopped garlic 1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon fried onion paste
1 Scotch bonnet chili, halved
1 12 1/2 oz. chicken breast, packed in water
1 11 oz. canned corn
1 15 oz. canned potatoes
2 bunches Chinese style noodles
2 teaspoons chicken broth mix
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
In a large pot, heat oil. Add garlic, ginger paste and onion paste. Saute for 2-3 minutes, until lightly browned. Add 4 cups of water and whisk in chicken stock powder to dissolve completely. Add chicken and with a whisk or potato masher, break up chicken pieces. Add Scotch Bonnet chili, bay leaf, paprika and dried herbs. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil.
Add noodles and cook for about 3 minutes, until noodles have begun to soften. Add corn and potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.

For a complete meal, make some quick garlic bread. Take regular sliced bread and spread some butter, jarred chopped garlic and dried parsley. Put in broiler for about 3 minutes and you have some garlic bread to go with your hearty soup.

Enjoy!!

The curry leaf is a unique ingredient, used in Indian cuisine, spicifically in South Indian cuisine. It is not to be confused with curry powder. In fact, curry leaves are not usually included in curry powder’s, either from India and Southeast Asia or the Caribbean.

It is a unique herb found in the gardens of most South Indian homes. Visit anyone in Kerala and I can almost guarantee they will have a kari plant in their garden. It is a primary ingredients used in the sambhar, chutney, dahl and curries of South India. It has such a unique taste, that it is difficult to describe. It has kind of an anise, licorice like taste, similar to Thai Basil, but more potent. Only a few leaves are added at the end of cooking an entire pot of curry. It is left for a few minutes to flavor the curry and then it is unlike any other curry you have ever had. The flavor is indescribable unless you have experienced it yourself.

As with much of the ingredients used in Indian cooking, the curry leaf also has medicinal uses. The Ayurvedic tradition uses kari patta. On their own, they are an excellent digestive and improve stomach functions. Mixed with other ingredients, they serve a variety of uses. One common Ayurvedic cure for diarrhea is mixing these leaves wiht mint and coriander and mixing it with fresh juice. It also has been used in helping to control and sometimes eliminate non insulin dependent diabetes. Results have been proven after drinking kari patta tea for a period of 3 months.

In addition to turmeric, this is another wonderful Indian herb that provides great taste and great health benefits. I have used this in two of the new products available at Global Tastes & Travels. The South Indian Paradise tea includes these wonderful curry leaves, in addition to other typical South Indian ingredients like coconut and lemongrass. Curry leaves are also one of the primary ingredients in the Indian spice blend, in addition to coriander, ginger, mustard, aamchur (dried mango) powder and a myriad of other spices that characterizes the Indian diaspora.

If you want to purchase the fresh leaves in New York, you can find them at Kalustyan’s on Lexington between 28th and 29th and they are also available in Queen’s at Patel Brothers on 74th Street in Jackson Heights, between 37th Avenue and 37th Road. They can be found in the fresh produce section and costs about $1 for a 1 ounce bag.

Try some curry leaves and add it to your stews and soups also for a distinctive flavor.!!

Galangal, aka as Laos is a common ingredient used in Thai cooking, as
well as in other Southeast Asian cuisines like Indonesian and Malaysian.

It is very similar to ginger in appearance, but it is softer and can be
chopped and used in curries and stews, without peeling. It also has the
floral pungency of ginger, but to a lesser degree. This along with a
myriad of other flavors is what makes Thai cuisine so unique. Many
subtle flavors added together create this WOW in your mouth, that many
of us find so irresistible.

It is very difficult to find fresh galangal. There is only 2 places I
know of in New York City, the international food capital of the world,
that carries fresh galangal. They are both in Chinatown - Asia Market
Corporation at 71 1/2 Mulberry Street and Bangkok Center Grocery at 104
Mosco Street.

My Thai Spice Blend that I have developed is a wonderful mixture of all
the flavors that make Thai cuisine unique - Kaffir Lime Leaves,
Galangal, Lemongrass, Chiles, Peanuts and Coriander. Due to the
uniqueness of these products, this is the most costly one to produce and
therefore, it is the most expensive blend of the Global Tastes &
Travels’ spice blends. So now is the time to order it at the discount
rate!! Time is running out.

Thanks!!

The Caribbean Spice Blend is a mix of the cultures and cuisines of the Caribbean. It has the earthiness of its African roots with thyme, parsley and allspice. The Indian influence is present with the addition of cardamom and the heat of cayenne. These are just a few of the influences in the complexities present in this spice blend. It is wonderful on grilled meats and works as a great seasoning base for cooking JERK.

It also tastes great on grilled vegetables!!!! And works as a great spice rub for roasted meats.

The temporary preview sale is still going on at www.globaltastes.mysite.com

Please try and enjoy!!!

Hi Everyone:

Hope you all are enjoying the beautiful Saturday afternoon we are having.

To highlight another one of GLobal Tastes and Travels’ teas, Rose
Paradise is a nice cup to enjoy on a beautiful day like today. It is a
blended green tea made with 100% Green Darjeeling tea leaves.
Darjeeling is the most reknowned tea in the world and I have mixed the
wonderful natural flavor of these tea leaves with rose blossoms, dried
pomegranate and honeysuckle. The tart of the pomegranate with the sweet
of the honeysuckle creates a perfect harmony on your taste buds.

I hope you enjoy your trip to this Rose Paradise.

Time is running out for the preview sale, so don’t forget to place your
advance orders!!!

Good Morning All:

Global Tastes & Travels Inc. Indonesian Spice Blend is the next one I am
going to give you some info about.

Among other herbs and spices, three of the main ingredients in it at
Chiles, Turmeric and Shrimp. It is made with dried Birds Eye’s chiles,
the most common chile used in Asian cooking. Shrimp is a main
ingredient in much Indonesian cooking. Even when vegetables and rice
are cooked, dried shrimp is also added to impart flavor. Turmeric is a
wonderful flavor and color additive. Fresh turmeric looks similar to
ginger, but has a much milder taste. Turmeric is a natural food
coloring used in many food products.

In addition to the wonderful marriage of flavors these products bring to
your table in the Indonesian Spice Blend, there are also great medicinal
values as well. In India, the art of Ayurvedic medicine is usually
handed down from generation to generation and there are studies done
where Ayurvedic medicine has shown to get rid of many life threatening
diseases such as cancer, using all natural products that the earth has
given us.

Turmeric is one of the most commonly used medicinal herbs in India.
There it is called haldi. Haldi is used as a preventitive course as
well as a curing agent in the following ailments: flatulence, jaundice,
bloody urine, menstrual pain, hemorrhage, toothaches, bruises, chest
pain, colic, childhood leukemia, cystic fribrosis, motion sickness,
nausea, colon cancer, Alzheimer’s disease. In some cases, parents have
exhausted all their $ going to traditional doctors who offered no help
and through the use of Ayurvedic medicine, cancers and other illnesses
have been cured in their children.

Chiles are rich in Vitamin C and also help to destroy bacteria and boost
metabolism.

So using this spice blend will not only add flavor to your grilled
meats, soups and stews, but it will also be doing your body some good as
well!!!

Remember, time is running out - the preview sale prices only last until
October 11th!!!!

Good Morning:

I think fall is finally upon us with the cool breeze here today. My computer faces s window and the cool breeze and bright sunshine facing me promises today is going to be a gorgeous day in the Big Apple today.

I am letting you guys in on one of the secrets of my new spice blends. Global Tastes & Travels’ Middle Eastern Gourmet Spice Blend is a gourmet mix of all those flavors that we associate with Middle Eastern food like garlic, cumin, parlsey and many other herbs and spices, but I am letting you in on the secret ingredient that gives it that special umph - Za’tar. Za’tar is used all over the Middle East from Lebanon and Turkey to Palestine and Israel. Although individual country recipes vary, the basics in them all is thyme, sumac, parlsey and sesame seeds.

The addition of Za’tar gives an almost lemony taste to food it is seasoned with, plus all of the other herbs adds zest to your food.

As with all my spice blends, they are 100% sodium free so they are a great way to season food for individuals on restricted diets.

Remember - they are all available at a discount price for a limited time only - please visit globaltastes.mysite.com to place an advance order!