Gourmet Global

Its been about 6 weeks since my last blog post - Hope everyone is enjoying Spring with all the cherry blossoms in bloom!!

Summer is just around the corner and the perfect time to take part in the many local and international culinary festivals that occur in the season.

To start off the season, I will be attending the oldest culinary arts festival in the country - so join me in the Cincinnati slogan and Let The Spirit Move You to spend your Memorial Day Weekend tasting your way through the culinary treats of this city.

Memorial Day is coming around and a wonderful way to celebrate the long holiday weekend is to take part in the oldest running culinary arts festival in the country - Taste of Cincinnati
3 days of food tastings from some of the best resturants in Cincinnati plus non stop music.

Cincinnati runs very close to the Kentucky border. It’s about an 11 hour drive or a 2 hour plane ride from NYC (direct flights from Newark only). Spend Memorial Day in the middle of the American heartland. Use your favorite travel search engine and get an airfare and hotel package for about $470 per person. The best hotel with the best rate is the Hyatt Regency which is very convenient to the festival.

Lets bring a little NYC (or wherever you are from) to the festival this year and bring some added culture to Cincinnati.

When I return I will be posting photos and a recap!!

Global Tastes & Travels Inc.
http://www.globaltastesinc.com
mireille@globaltastesinc.com
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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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Our unique Malaysia Culinary & Culture Tour Itinerary is a 14 day in-depth excursion into the fusion cuisine and myriad of cultures represented in Malaysia.

Just a few highlights:

3 days with the Iban people of Borneo

Cocoa and rice plantations
Kuala Lampur’s night markets
Cameron Highlands
Penang’s Hawker Cuisine
Two Hands on Cooking Classes

Our All-Inclusive Tours include:
Roundtrip Airfare from NYC
Inland Flights
Lodging
Meals
Hands On Cooking Classes
Ground Transportation
All Tours
24/7 Available Guide

Our escorted tours are a combination of cuisine, culture, adventure, relaxation and variety. $4000 all inclusive gives you a lot of bang for your buck!!
Please email culinarytours@globaltastesinc.com today to receive the detailed itinerary and feel free to call with any questions at 347-419-3206.
Global Tastes & Travels Inc.
http://www.globaltastesinc.com
mireille@globaltastesinc.com
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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!!

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!!!

Since I do advertise myself as the Gourmet Global, I am always educating myself on different lands - not only the cuisine, but the culture as well.
When I purchase cookbooks, I do not only look at the recipes but I actually read cookbooks. I love learning about the culture - languages, festivals, religions, traditions - this give me insight so that I then can create my own original recipes using ingredients native to the particular cuisine I happen to be reading about. I like cookbooks that have huge introductions where I can learn so much more than just the recipes can teach me.

On that note, I am currently reading - The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa by famed Aquavit chef, Marcus Samuelsson who was born in Ethiopia but adopted by Swedish parents when he was 3.

I am learning about the differences in the cuisines of the different regions of Africa. An interesting note I discovered while reading his introduction is that foie gras, bread and beer were all invented in Egypt. I knew about the bread from the Bible, but I was especially surprised to learn that foie gras was invented here because I associate foie gras most with the French (especially after my recent trip to Paris).

When I make it to Egypt, I will have to remember to take note if foie gras is as predominant on the menus as it was in France because in all my readings about Egyptian cuisine I have never noticed foie gras being a part of it. I haven’t yet gotten to the recipes part of the cookbook - maybe it is even in the cookbook. I find it interesting that the French are known for something created in Egypt (although it might have been created by the French in Egypt).

Anyway, that is my little bit of trivia for today!

Hello all:
Trinidad as all Caribbean islands are epitomizes fusion cuisine. With heavy influences from Africa, India, China and Spain, as well as the Middle East the food of one of the largest islands in the Caribbean is one of the most diverse cuisines in the world.

Having lived with a Trini the last year and a half, I have an excellent taste tester to brand the authenticity of my own Trini recipes. Although he can give me very little cooking advice (he does not make anything unless it is from a box - his favorite thing to make is Rice a Roni), he can tell me how close it comes to his island cooking. My breadfruit oil down recipe (included below and pictured above during the cooking) he has branded as one of the best (although I did not include the Trini staple herb - chandon beni or shadoe beni (as it is sold in NYC). Thank God I live in the multi cultural neighborhood of Ditmas Park within walking distance of Flatbush (Caribbean Central Station of NY) so finding breadfruit for me is not a problem. I hope you all live near some Caribbean neighborhoods so you can try this recipe. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed if you can find the ingredients.

Anyway, I found this great Trini blog ( http://simplytrinicooking.blogspot.com/)full of amazing recipes and since I am in the process of planning a culinary tour to Trinidad next year, during the annual Taste T&T Festival in May, you can get an idea of what you will be tasting and learning to cook for those who are able to attend by taking a look at some of the recipes on this blog. (If you are interested in this tour, please send me an email)

Let me know what you think of the recipe!!

Mireille’s Breadfruit Oil Down:

Ingredients
1 each, ham hock and pig foot
1 T vegetable oil
1 large onion, minced
2 seasoning peppers , chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 Habanero pepper, seeds removed and chopped fine
1 bunch green onions, chopped fine
2 t fresh thyme, minced
4 c coconut milk
1 large breadfruit, peeled and cut into 8 sections
salt and pepper., to taste

Directions
Place the ham hocks and pig foot in a saucepan. Cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the meat is tender, skimming off any foam that rises. Drain the meat and set it aside.
Heat the oil and sauté the onions, peppers, garlic, Habanero pepper, green onions, and thyme for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the coconut milk, heat, and then add the breadfruit sections, the boiled meat, and salt and pepper.
Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, or until the breadfruit has absorbed most of the coconut milk and is soft. Serve hot.

I have been away in Paris, which is why I have not been blogging. It was a culinary tour, of course and although the food was great and I had a great time, I think Paris is overstated by most people.

Don’t get me wrong - I had a really good time and enjoyed some great meals but I have known people who return from Paris and just oooh and aaah over everything. Paris is a very diverse city as it has always been because of their colonization of many African/Middle Eastern countries, as well as the Caribbean. Unfortunately, due to the limited time I had there, I did not have time to try the Ethnic cuisine of Paris.

If you are part of the foie gras and beef tartare loving community, I am sure you will think Paris cuisine is out of this world, but for this chef, whose culinary preferences lean towards Caribbean and Asian foods I felt the food in Paris left a lot to be desired. For example, I was eating at a very nice restaurant, sort of an upscale Applebee’s enjoying some fabulous lamb chops and on the table next to me, here comes the waitress with a large burger of raw, ground meat and a raw egg is cracked in the middle of it and here is this young man mixing it all together and eating a raw burger. Thank God his table was a little behind me so I did not have to look at it, while I enjoyed my dinner.

Some things the French do fabulous - like hot chocholate not the mediocre instant chocolate made with water you get here, the choocolate here reminds me of the hot chocolate I would get as a child from my mother - fresh cocoa grated and boiled with milk and in France it is topped with chantilly whipped cream - heaven on earth! and mashed potatoes (see attached photo) might seem like something so simple but there it is so light and buttery it just melts in your mouth

With the Euro, expect to spend a lot of money on food and pretty much everything else - a small bottle of water will cost you about $5 US.

Overall, Paris is worth a visit to see things that are unique to Paris - the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, the Eifel Tower at night and if you are into raw beef and duck liver - it is definitely worth the trip! For me, the trip was worth it more for the sights than the food.

I still plan to return to France - hopefully to do the south of France next time - I think I will enjoy that cuisine better - with Coq Au Vin and the like! - Hopefully, you all can join me on that tour!!

All comments are always appreciated!!

Anyone visiting Montreal soon? and looking for some unique Fast Food - Try McCafe! - Canada’s Starbucks - but better!! - Affordable expresso, capuccino’s, gourmet desserts like chocolate mousse cake - and if you want a Big Mac with your Macchiato - no problem!
Right next door is your traditional Mc Donalds and your McDonalds food is welcome in McCafe, so just buy your Big Mac and fries at traditional Mickey D and then carry it over to McCafe and enjoy it with a Macchiato and gourmet dessert for a complete meal.

All at fast food prices!!

Anyone visiting Canada soon, please check it out and let me know what your opinion is, since I have yet to make it there in person. I am simply suggesting it via third person referral. Thanks!!

Canadian McCafe

Come with me to Taste T & T, an amazing 2 days of culinary exploration that will have your taste buds bursting with excitement.
This takes place in the capital city of Port of Spain on the island of Trinidad the last weekend in May every year. The island of Trinidad is very diverse due to Asian immigration and colonization. Their cuisine is heavily influenced by Indian, Chinese, African and Spanish. This culinary festival lets you experiment with all of these, in addition to getting the opportunity to taste the foods created by some of the top chefs on the island.

I am organizing a culinary tour to Trinidad for next year - You will be able to partake in Taste T & T as well as 2 days of cooking classes in native cuisine, a few days of sightseeing and a few free days for you to explore the beauties of the island on your own or take a ferry and visit Tobago for the day. I am still in the process of organizing the logistics, however the estimated cost of the tour will be approximately $2500. This will include airfare, lodging, 80% of meals, entry into demo kitchens as well as gourmet sample tastings at the festival, ground transportation, cooking classes, sightseeing tours for 10 days.

It is going to be a small group of about 20 people, so if you are interested and would like to be given first opportunity once all the logistics and final price is available, please send me an email with your contact information so you can be given first choice.

Thanks!!