Spanish Paella Dinner

Spanish custom is to eat dinner later in the evening, around 9 or 10 pm.  I'm happy to say that we stayed true to this custom for my Spanish paella dinner.  In all seriousness, if you're planning to cook paella the traditional way, outside on a barbecue, don't be in a rush because like any cookout the process is half of the fun.   Make sure to have lots of wine and tapas and enjoy!

My friend Stacey was kind enough to host the dinner at her penthouse apartment with terrace and it was absolutely the perfect setting.  I had a scare at the beginning of the evening when I burned my hand on some broth for the paella.  Thanks to everyone who pitched in to help finish the preparations - the dinner turned out to be a huge success.

The Tapas:
The great thing about tapas is that they can be extremely easy and straightforward.  You can never go wrong with a good cheese tray.  I chose a selection of three Spanish cheeses as well as Serrano ham.  I also served some Marcona almonds and anchovy-stuffed olives.

Although I purchased my olives already prepared, I found this recipes for olives with herbs that looked easy and good:
http://www.euroresidentes.com/euroresiuk/Recipies/tapas/olives-herb-sauce.htm

This tomato and basil salad was excellent, serving as both appetizer and side dish.  The quality of the tomatoes is of course key.
http://www.euroresidentes.com/euroresiuk/Recipies/tomato_basil_salad.htm

One of my favorite tapas in the world is the garlic shrimp served sizzling in olive oil.  The recipe I chose  called for a little bit of hot pepper and smoked paprika (pimenton).

http://www.tienda.com/recipes/sizzledshrimp.html

My other all-time favorite small plate is sauteed chorizo.  This recipe caught my eye because of the addition of red wine.  For both the shrimp as well as the chorizo be sure to serve plenty of extra bread to soak up the extra juice.
http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/sauteed-chorizo-red-wine.aspx?nterms=53630

The Paella:
OK, now for the main event.  First, I had to make a decision on whether or not to buy a traditional paella pan.  I wasn't sure how much I would actually use it; however, the paella pan was supposedly a key ingredient in making a traditional paella with soccarat, etc., etc.  I discovered they were really not all that expensive (about $30 for a large one) so decided to go for it.

After reading through many paella recipes I finally decided on this one made with shrimp, clams and mussels:
http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/paella-shrimp-clams-mussels.aspx?nterms=53630&ac=fp

I learned a few really interesting techniques from this recipe.  First, the recipe calls for infusing the saffron in simmering clam juice.  I can tell you from experience this works much, much better than using water or other liquid that is simply "hot."  The yellow color was intense, which is a big part of the point.  Second, the recipe called for cutting the tomato in half and grating it to make the sofrito, the combination of pureed tomato, onions, and garlic that forms the flavor base for the dish.  Grating the tomato was a completely ingenious way to puree the fleshy part of the tomato while at the same time efficiently separating it from the skin.

One other tip to keep in mind:  soak the clams in a bowl of cold water for at least a half hour before cooking to eliminate any sand.

The things that make this dish really special are the sofrito, which releases a wonderful aroma while cooking, the shellfish/saffron broth, and of course that traditional Spanish paella rice that soaks up all the liquid.  Here is a picture of the dish of honor while it finishes cooking on the barbecue:

And here is an extra pic of Matt, myself, and Stacy posing near the paella:

The Desserts:
I attempted to make an authentic Spanish dessert called tocinillo de cielo ("Heavens little pig") which looks similar to flan.  I'm sure the dish is delicious; however, the recipe I chose had vague instructions and suffice it to say the results were disastrous.  Take a look at the recipe and you'll see what I mean:  http://www.spain-recipes.com/tocinillo-cielo.html

Reminder to self:  never try to "wing it" when it comes to desserts, baking is an exact science.

Since I could not subject my guests to my failed Spanish dessert experiment, I served some delicious purchased goodies instead:  chocolate mousse cake and lemon merigue pie.  Authenticity isn't everything.

Spanish Cuisine - History & Fun Facts

Introduction:
Like many of the countries on this blog, Spanish cuisine has been shaped by multiple external forces.  In ancient times, the Greeks and Romans introduced olive oil and wine-making.  The Moors, who ruled Spain for over 500 years, brought all kinds of good stuff including rice (think paella), citrus fruits, and spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, and saffron.  As a leader in exploring and colonizing the Americas, Spain was one of the first nations in Europe to discover new foods such as tomatoes, potatoes, corn and peppers.  Many of these "New World" ingredients have become staples in Spanish cooking.

Dishes vary according to region but certain characteristics hold true across the entire country.  Spain is a major producer of pork products including Serrano ham and chorizo.  Fish and seafood are abundant due to the fact that the country is surrounded by water on all sides.  And, like many other European countries, Spain produces a variety of delicious wines and cheeses.

Personally, when I think of Spanish food, two things come to mind: tapas and paella.  I knew I had to incorporate both in my upcoming Spanish dinner and set out to do a bit of research.

Tapas:
The term refers as much to a style of eating as any particular dish.  Tapas are without a doubt one of the most popular exports from Spain - except for those of you who do not like to share, and you know who you are..

Here are some pics of a tapas bar in Madrid and some close-ups of those small plates:

In case you are curious about the history of tapas:
- Some claim that tapas originated with the Spanish king Alfonso the 10th, who fell ill and could only eat small bites of food with wine.  Once he recovered from his illness the king decreed that no wine was to be served in inns unless accompanied by food (to prevent the adverse effects of drinking on an empty stomach).
- The word "tapa" literally means "to cover"; traditionally, when serving wine in a tavern the glass was covered with a piece of meat or cheese, in part to keep insects out!

Paella:
Paella originated in Valencia along the Mediterranean and later spread to the entire country.  It started out as a peasant dish, cooked by workers in the fields utilizing whatever meat and vegetables were available.

As I learned from my research, there's a lot more to traditional Paella than yellow rice.  Apparently, great paella is all about the technique.  Here are the essentials:
- Authentic paella is cooked outdoors over a charcoal barbeque or gas burner.
- It must be cooked in a traditional flat, shallow paella pan.  This way all of the ingredients cook in one layer so the flavors meld together.  The pan also helps develop 'socorrat', the crust that forms when the rice sticks to the pan and becomes crispy.
- The type of rice used is extremely important.  Traditional paella rice (either "Calasparra " or "Bomba") is short-grained and absorbs more liquid than other kinds of rice.
- Saffron gives the dish its signature golden yellow color.

Here's a picture of traditional paella cooking over a wood fire:

Jamaica - Jerk Chicken and More

Jamaican cuisine is a fusion of styles, techniques and ingredients reflecting the cultures of the various people who have settled on the island over the years, starting with the Native Americans and including Spanish and British colonists, African slaves and Asian laborers who worked on the sugarcane and coffee plantations after slavery was abolished.

Jamaica's most famous export, jerk chicken, is a prime example.  The term most likely comes from the Spanish word charqui, meaning jerky or dried meat.  Christopher Columbus, who was shipwrecked on Jamaica for months, wrote about the Native American's method of preparing meat with peppers, allspice and sea salt.  Later, escaped African slaves living in the mountains of Jamaica, known as Maroons, adopted the preservation technique and also began cooking the meat over a wood fire.

As it has evolved over the years, jerk cooking uses a paste or marinade made with allspice (or pimento) and scotch bonnet peppers, among other ingredients.  Jerk seasoning is used with a wide variety of meats, including pork, goat, and fish.  Traditionally the meat is cooked over a pimento wood fire or even an old oil drum converted to a smoker.  Here are some pictures showing how jerk chicken is prepared in Jamaica today:

Jerk chicken can be made with either a dry spice rub or a wet marinade.  I decided to go with the wet marinade because it just seemed like more fun.  Here's the recipe I chose: http://www.whats4eats.com/poultry/jerk-chicken-recipe

As you can see, the recipe calls for a staggering number of ingredients including the requisite allspice and scotch bonnet peppers.  The Asian influence is evident in the use of scallions, ginger, garlic and soy sauce.

One helpful hint:  use a blender or food processor to grind up the veggies, including the peppers.  It will save a ton of time and since they are going into a marinade you want to pulverize them as much as possible.

The peppers I used were simply called "Jamaican" on Fresh Direct so I have no idea whether they were scotch bonnet or habaneros or what.  My fingers tingled from the residual heat for hours after handling them:

And here is a picture of that delicious marinade doing its magic:

My friend Linda and I ended up cooking the chicken in the oven because it was easy that way.  The final result was delicious - a little spicy but not excessively so and full of flavor.  Let's just say that not a single piece was let over!

I also made a traditional Jamaican side dish called rice and peas, actually rice and kidney beans cooked with coconut milk.  I added the lime slices as a garnish.
http://eatjamaican.com/recipes/riceandpeas-recipe.html

And finally, what is a Jamaican celebration without rum punch?  Her is a great recipe for planter's punch.  There are many variations on this theme.  One traditional way to serve planter's punch is with shavings of nutmeg on top.  Enjoy!
http://www.whats4eats.com/beverages/planters-punch-recipe

Nigerian Food in Brooklyn!

First, some confessions.  I haven't been able to keep up with my original 2012 schedule because of unforeseen real life events.  I won't subject you all to the gory details but suffice it to say that work has been crazy and I've had some apartment renovation emergencies.  I'm still going to try my best to complete all 12 countries this year but I won't be able to stick to any predetermined schedule.

Anyway, onwards and upwards to Nigeria! 

First for some interesting facts about this West African country:
- Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the most populous country in the world where the majority of people are black
- Its economy is one of the fast-growing in Africa partly due to large oil reserves
- Nigerians are about 50% Muslim (in the north) and 50% Christian (in the south)
- The country gets its name from the Niger river and also borders the Atlantic ocean (hint:  fish is important in Nigerian cuisine)
- The largest city is Lagos, along the coast
- Nigerian cuisine has been heavily influenced by trade including the spice trade from Asia (hint:  Nigerian cuisine is hot and spicy)

I decided to organize a trip to an authentic Nigerian restaurant and was pleasantly surprised to find several good options in the outer boroughs.  I decided on Buka in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn because it had good reviews and wasn't too far afield:  http://bukanewyork.com/

My friends and I went for lunch and let's just say we tried a little of everything.  When we first arrived the place was completely empty but by the time we were midway through our entrees several hundred Nigerians showed up as part of a school reunion.  Talk about getting slammed - none of us could figure out how the kitchen accommodated the sudden onslaught!

Here are some pics of the restaurant before it got crowded:

Appetizers:
Moi moi is a characteristic Nigerian dish described on the menu as "ground steamed honey bean cake with hard boiled egg and flaked fish." I wasn't sure quite what to expect but it was really delicious.  Moi moi has a texture like pudding and tastes starchy, spicy and savory.

To round out the starters we also had akara (fried bean cakes with spicy dipping sauce), dun dun (yam fries with tomato and onion dipping sauce), suya (beef kebab with special local spices), and grilled shrimp with suya spices.

Main Dishes:


Spicy stew with Fufu:  This is the most popular meal in Nigeria according the Buka's menu.  Fufu is made from a root vegetable (either yam or cassava), similar to mashed potatoes in both taste and texture.  Fufu is served with a spicy tomato-based stew made with a variety of meats and sauces.  It is customary to eat fufu with your hands, dipping a small piece in the stew, and so the dish is served with a bowl of water to wash your fingers.  We chose the goat stew with efo, a sauce made with shredded spinach and dried fish.

Beef with Buka sauce:  The sauce is made with a special kind of beans and lots of peppers.  Delicious, but  be warned, this may be the spiciest dish known to man!

Grilled shrimp with fried rice:  Like the appetizer dish, shrimp kebab with the suya spices.

Asaro (yams cooked with fresh herbs in broth) and yam and eggs:  Yams are of course a staple in African cooking.  African yams a little different from yams in this country, firmer and lighter in color.

Igbin (large West African land snails!!):  Yes, we were actually adventurous enough to order this dish but no one was really crazy about it.  Very, very chewy with a somewhat muddy flavor.  Still, we were glad to say we tried it.  The snails are in the dish on the right in this picture:

Side dishes:  Joloff rice (with tomato and spices), brown beans, and fried plantains.

Like I said at the beginning, we tried a little of everything!


Beverages:

Probably the most unique thing we saw at Buka was the "Nigerian Viagra" behind the bar.  Apparently it's a sort of cure-all for aches, pains, etc.  The bartender told us it tastes terrible so no one was brave enough to try it.

We did, however, try palm wine, a lightly fermented drink with a fresh citrus taste, as well as some good Nigerian beers. 

And here is a picture of the group:

UK Fish 'N' Chips - Party

To begin with, let's just say that if you're having a fish 'n' chips party, plan on the cooking process being interactive.  You cannot make this dish very far in advance or it will get soggy.  So have plenty of appetizers, munchies, and beverages for your friends at the beginning.

Ploughman's Platter & Salad:

The ploughman's platter is a genius idea for an appetizer because you don't have to cook anything, just assemble.  The most important thing is the quality of the ingredients.  I used the following link as a very loose guide in creating my ploughman's platter (note, I did not attempt to make my own pickles):  http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/11532

I used rustic brown bread and some beautiful English cheddar and Stilton.  To be traditional, I threw in some cornichons on the side along with a pat of good quality butter.  I also included some sliced sopressata, just because I like it.

In addition to the ploughman's platter, I had plenty of nuts, chips and other munchies on hand.  I also made a salad with mixed baby greens, sliced grape tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.

The Main Event:

First, the ingredients:  the vast majority, about 65% of English fish 'n' chips, is made with cod, so the choice of fish was easy.  For the chips you need to use a floury potato, with plenty of starch.   I used russet potatoes.

Next, I needed a really good traditional beer batter:
http://www.food.com/recipe/real-english-fish-and-chips-with-yorkshire-beer-batter-183399

I added a little old bay to the batter for extra flavor.  I was afraid the beer I used made it too bitter, so I added just a touch of sugar, as well as a splash of malt vinegar and fresh lemon juice.

For the frying process itself, I considered purchasing a deep fryer but decided against it because of the expense and the space needed to store an extra appliance.  Instead I opted to use my le creuset dutch oven and a deep fat thermometer.  My makeshift fry station looked a bit like a science experiment gone wrong but it actually worked out nicely.  My friends were standing by with a fire extinguisher just in case!

Good fish n' chips is all about the frying technique.  I followed the instructions in the beer batter recipe (link above) with great success.  Some extra tips:  sprinkle salt on the food as soon as you take it out of the oil and keep it warm in a 200 degree oven.



 



Sauces and Condiments:

I made sure to have plenty of traditional condiments on hand:  malt vinegar, tartar sauce, curry sauce, HP brown sauce, and, of course, ketchup.

The tartar sauce recipe could not have been easier and got rave reviews:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/tartar-sauce-recipe/index.html

The curry sauce took a little more love but was well worth the trouble:
http://norecipes.com/blog/fish-n-chips-with-curry-sauce/


Dessert:

My friend Fleur volunteered to make desserts, which was a huge help.  She brought traditional English shortbread cookies (dipped in chocolate, no less), some cookies with caramel and chocolate, and carrot cake.  Delicious!



And here's an extra pic of me enjoying the fruits of my labors:



Mushy Peas - An Epilogue:

Although I didn't have time to make it for the party, I really did want to try this modern version of English mushy peas:   http://britishfood.about.com/od/psrecipes/r/peapuree.htm 

I had some leftover fish n' chips ingredients and leftover sauces so I decided to try it on my own.  The addition of fresh mint makes the pea puree special.  It really adds a beautiful color to the plate of fish 'n' chips.

UK Fish 'N' Chips - Research and Planning

 

When I selected the UK as one of my countries, I knew I had to do fish n' chips.  My friends wholeheartedly agreed and so I began planning my fish n' chips party, my first event of 2012. 

First - some fun facts about fish n' chips, considered by many to be the English national dish:

• Chips originated in either Belgium or France, depending on who you ask; fried fish was brought to England by Jewish immigrants from Portugal and Spain.
• The idea of serving fish and chips together likely orginated in England but no one knows where or when.
• Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist, published in 1838, refers to a "fried fish warehouse" where the fish was served with bread or baked potatoes.
• Fish n' chips was one of the few foods never rationed during World War II, helping maintain morale on the homefront.
• The practice of serving fish n' chips wrapped in newspaper survived until the 1980's when newspaper ink was deemed unsafe to touch food.

So fish n' chips has a rich and lengthy history in the English diet, a very worthy star attraction for my little party.  But what else should I serve for UK night?

One obvious answer:  traditional condiments.  Everyone knows about malt vinegar and my American friends would expect tartar sauce.  I also discovered that curry sauce was a popular accompaniment at English fish n' chips shops or "chippies" as well as "brown sauce,"  a somewhat sweeter version of A1 steak sauce.

Mushy peas are the classic fish n' chips accompaniment.  Traditionally, the dish consists of dried marrow fat peas soaked overnight and boiled to a mush-like puree.  Although the traditional version does not sound appealing to American tastes, I did find some modernized recipes calling for fresh garden peas pureed with fresh mint.   A simple green salad would also make an excellent accompaniment.

I needed at least one more dish to round out the meal.  My friend Christi suggested a "ploughman's platter," a selection of cheeses, meats, and bread, as an appetizer.  Then my friend Fleur jumped in with an offer to make traditional English cookies for dessert.

Planning completed!

Plan for 2012

Get ready - I've set the schedule for 2012:

The goal is one country per month.  Some will be full-on dinner parties, some will be just a meal at home with me and my dog.  Restaurant and food shopping excursions may be on the agenda, as well, to help get into the spirit.

I selected the countries through a semi-random process, trying to get a good mix of well-known/lesser-known countries as well as a variety of regions and cultures.  Enjoy!

Jan - UK
Feb - Pakistan
Mar - Nigeria
Apr - Kuwait
May - Spain
Jun - Paraguay
Jul - Jamaica
Aug - Costa Rica
Sep - Singapore
Oct - Hungary
Nov - Georgia
Dec - Norway

Holiday Extra - Desserts

During the year I try to limit my dessert-making because, well, I eat too much of the finished product.  But the holidays are meant for a little indulgence, right? 

Looking back over my experiments in 2011, my favorite new dessert recipe was for alfajores, the Argentinian shortbread cookies with dulce de leche (milk caramel) filling:

http://southamericanfood.about.com/od/snacksstreetfood/r/alfajorpe.htm



I really wanted to share this with my family when I was home in Virginia for Christmas but could not find dulce de leche in the local grocery store.  So I went on-line and discovered the coolest thing ever - you can make milk caramel at home by simmering an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a pot of water!  It takes 2 hours of simmering, then just let the can cool, open and voila! - beautiful, thick caramel.  Here's a pic in case you don't believe me:

Also, since the UK will be my first country in 2012 I decided to try a recipe for sticky toffee pudding.  This English dessert has gotten quite a bit of buzz this year on the Food Network, etc., and so there are a lot of recipes out there.  I chose this one because it says you can make the cake part in advance, then heat it up with the butterscotch sauce right before serving:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sticky-toffee-pudding-with-butterscotch-sauce-recipe/index.html

The cake contains chopped dates but you would really never know it, the dates seem to disappear in the batter.  And the butterscotch sauce is what makes this dessert awesome!