al Jumhuriyya al Jazā'iriyya ad-Dīmuqrāţiyya ash Sha'biyya

All of a sudden, I've hopped continents.  I was just scouring one of my favourite international cuisine sites, thegutsygourmet.net, looking for a simple dish that was a bit different from what I have been making for the last few weeks.  So, here I am in Algeria!  Oh, what a colourful, storied country, this largest country on the African continent is definitely on my bucket list (if only because of its incredible ancient history).

The dish I encountered as the national dish of Algeria was Saffron & Raisin Couscous.  I had only made couscous a few times before, and was never terribly impressed with it, but I did really like this version.  To quote a line from an old show the kids used to watch, "couscous, the food that's so nice, they named it twice".  Well, that was indeed the case for this recipe.  Sadly, I can't find the Algerian African or Berber phrase equivalent for bon appetit.

I like the idea of making and eating foods that would more likely be eaten by the average citizen of the country I am "visiting".  Since we haven't had an opportunity to travel there, this is a way for the kids and I to experience  at least a taste of each country.

Gônoprojatontri Bangladesh

The People's Republic of Bangladesh is a small country, bordered by India & Myanmar/Burma.  While it shares some of the history and culture of India, there is frequently tension between the two countries.  Bangladesh is apparently the 8th most populated country in the world, & the most densely populated large country, impressive stats in the population arena!  The country is plagued by floods and frequent cyclones, unfortunately.  For my culinary trip here, I made a Chicken Korma, a dish which was clearly influenced by its North-East Indian and Middle Eastern neighbours.  It was a simple, tasty meal, we definitely enjoyed it!

Su Tripti

Bhārat Gaṇarājya

Indian cuisine is so very diverse, I couldn't really find a single national dish.  Rather, I found an incredible variety of dishes, as varied as the regions from which they originated.  I thoroughly enjoyed my research, the history and culture of the country is as colourful and fascinating as its cuisine.  I must say, I'll never be bored again - once I finish the initial world tour, I'll be able to go back to many of the countries and spend time exploring their regional cuisines!  I do love Indian cuisine, so it was difficult to decide what to make.  In the end, I made Chicken Biryani, a simple and delicious introductory taste to the country's cuisine.

Sukh bhojan!

Pyidaunzu Thanmăda Myăma Nainngandaw

We're back!!!  After a wonderful trip along the west coast of North America, we are back home and ready to explore the culinary world.  

Burma, or the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, is a country that is home to a great deal of international controversy.  Apparently, it has the worst-performing health care system in the world, and it is plagued by reports of "consistent and systematic human rights violations".  While it may not be top on my list of countries to visit, that does not mean that its culinary identity isn't worth exploring.  It's a bit like the Olympics, where politics and sport are, for the most part, separated as much as possible.  So, the same idea holds true for me here, the political climate of the country won't be a factor in my culinary world tour (though it may be subject to comment, lol)!

So, for Burma/Myanmar, I made Mohinga, which is considered to be the national dish.  It is a fish soup, with rice noodles, and is absolutely delicious!  It is quite a simple dish to make, and it is so very tasty - I would definitely make it again.  But much to my consternation, I cannot find a Burmese equivalent to "bon appetit".  The closest phrase I could find means "I am hungry", which will just have to do!

Nga bite sa de!

Summer Vacation Hiatus

Well, I am off to enjoy some first-hand encounters with various regional North American cuisine, so I won't be doing my usual weekly culinary visits for a bit.  I'll be back in August!  Until then,

cin cin

Hanguk

Korea, a country divided.  Again, the country I chose is one which is torn apart by war.  This particular country has been divided in two, and continues to be the sight of much military strife.  My searches for information and pictures brought up disturbing images of soldiers and wounded civilians.  There is a huge cultural divide between North and South Korea, but when it comes to food, it appears that Kimchee is a unanimous choice, so it was clear that it had to be on our menu for tonight.  However, because the dish has to marinate for several days, I didn't make it myself.  I did manage to find a Korean grocer in the city, which apparently is well known amongt the Korean community for its homemade kimchee.  Along with the Kimchee, we had some Pulgogi, a beef dish, and the ubiquitous rice.  I also made a Chap Ch'ae, which is a chicken and noodle dish.  Sesame oil was used to season both of the meat dishes, and they were absolutely delicious as a result!

                   jal meogeosseumnida

Jomhūrī-ye Eslāmī-ye Afġānistān

In choosing Afghanistan as the next stop on my culinary world tour, I was hard pressed to find information about the country that did not involve the current military involvement of Canada and other counties.  From what I read, the country has a very volatile history, especially in recent years.  But there is much more to the country than recent events suggest.  For example, the farming communities are among the earliest in the world, and many different kingdoms and dynasties have played a role in the country's past.

My chosen dish was Quboli Palaw, a saffron rice dish made with chicken.  It was a simple, tasty dish, with raisins adding a delightful flavour. 

                           

                                           ishtya larel

中國

China, to me, is a land of infinite variety and incredible history. In more recent times, its approach to human rights leaves something to be desired, but no one can argue with the importance of its role throughout ancient history.

Choosing a menu was almost impossible!  There is an amazing variety amongst the regional cuisines, and I wondered the internet for hours on end, reviewing recipes and reading about the different regions and their histories.  In the end, I went with a couple of fairly simple dishes, steamed wontons and a sweet and sour chicken, served with plain rice. A bottle of Tsingtao beer accompanied the meal.

This is yet another country where it is impossible to do justice to its cuisine in just one meal.  Luckily, we are all fond of the flavours of Chinese cuisine, and so it is no inconvenience for us to make use of all the different recipes I found! 

                                                      sihk faahn

Qazaqstan Respublïkası

Kazakhstan, a country about which I knew....absolutely nothing.  But that was before my culinary world tour, that's for sure.  Now, I know that it borders Central Asia and Eastern Europe, it is the world's largest landlocked country, and it was the last Soviet republic to declare its independence.  The national dish appears to be Beshkarmak, which in Kazakh means "five fingers", which refers to the manner in which it is eaten.  It is a very simple dish, and I have to admit, I did break my "too cute to eat" rule by using lamb, as called for in the traditional recipe.  I would describe the dish as a peasant's dish, which I do not mean to be a derogatory description.  Rather, it is a simple dish to make, with few ingredients, but it is hearty and filling.  It was definitely worth the "trip"!

                                                As bolsın!

Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao

Laos is a tiny country with a history that defies its size, with a strong Buddhist influence.  Tonight's meal was a definite success, as we all enjoyed it.  We had Laap, a spicy beef dish considered to be the national dish of Laos, along with a sticky rice, chicken and mixed vegetables and Mee Lad Na, a fried noodle dish.  Jordan was totally thrilled with the noodle dish, and was more than happy to clean the bowl!  Jessica, my talented young sous chef, definitely enjoyed the flavouring of the chicken dish.  What I do find quite interesting is that there are only small differences in seasoning amongst some of the Asian countries, and while many of the main ingredients are quite similar, the flavours can be surprisingly different.  I will say, the dishes tonight were delicious and will be both the noodle and chicken dishes will be added to our regular menus.

khàwp ja̖i lãi lãi 

Taiwan

As to whether Taiwan is an independent country is perhaps a bit controversial, but I thought that its cuisine certainly warranted its own separate treatment. My bit of research of the country shows an incredible juxtaposition of the ancient and the cutting edge of modern technology.  The National Palace Museum in Taipei is the national museum of the People's Republic of China, one of the top 5 museums in the world.  

For my menu, I chose a Taiwanese beef noodle soup, which was a very simple, tasty dish.  I followed with one of the national dishes, Bawan, and the ubiquitous Asian side dish of rice.  The bawan was an interesting culinary experience, a steamed pork and shrimp dumpling of sorts, which was quite delicious.  I must admit, I am using a wide variety of cooking techniques in this culinary world journey!

                                   mànmàn chī!

Nippon-koku

Japan, a tiny country which has recently suffered a huge catastrophe.  My daughter, who was lucky enough to go on a school trip to Japan, is totally in love with the country and everything Japanese, so I was a bit concerned about being able to do justice to Japanese cuisine.  We started with a vegetable Sushi, which was actually fun to make.  We followed it up with Sukiyaki, with Yakitori on the side.  It was quite delicious, actually, and Jess was so impressed with the sushi that she even took a picture of it - I must have done something right!  I did find a Sapporo beer to accompany the meal, and a Junmai Ginjo Sake.  While I am not a fan of sake at all, we did need to add it to the yakitori, so we did have a very tiny sip, before finishing off the meal with a cup of green tea.  We had joked about doing a tea ceremony, but my daughter said that I would never be able to figure out whether she made my tea cold as an insult to me or out of concern that I might burn myself if the tea were too hot!

On a more serious note, the earthquake and tsunami which struck Japan recently were heartbreaking to see and hear about.  The Japanese are such a respectful people, and one of the most indelible memories my daughter has of the trip was how incredibly clean the cities were.  There were very few garbage cans in evidence, yet the streets were spotless.  It is just so sad to think of how that pristine environment was soiled by such a tragic disaster.

                                           itadakimasu

Republik Singapura

Singapore, the Lion City, is a small city-state with a large population.  I was absolutely amazed as I read about this country - its military is the most advanced in South-East Asia, and the city itself is the world's fourth leading financial centre.  It is a truly impressive city!

For the meal, I chose to make a Chili Crab, together with a Chicken Rice dish, which is apparently a staple in Singapore markets.  And finally, my search of the local MLCC did bring results - Tiger Beer!  The menu was a simple one, but quite tasty, especially the crab dish.  And now, I have lots of lovely tasty homemade chili sauce in my fridge!

                                     makan makan!

Islāmī Jumhūrī-ye Pākistān

For this stop on my culinary tour, I chose the cuisine of Pakistan.  

We had a Vegetable Biryani, coupled with a Nihari (beef stew).  A bit of research indicated that these two are considered to be the national dishes of Pakistan.  Neither of the children were especially thrilled with the cuisine, unfortunately.  The nihari was very spicy, and I loved it.  The biryani was tasty, but its flavour was overwhelmed by the nihari.  The country has a long and incredibly varied history, impossible to do justice to in a brief summary in a blog such as this.

                                                        maze karein   

                                     

Cộng hòa Xã hội chủ nghĩa Việt Nam

This weekend, I decided to do Vietnamese cuisine.  Because it was the Easter weekend, I  had finished all my shopping early, since I didn't want to have to face the lineups at the stores on Saturday, the day after the stores were closed all day & the day before the stores were closed all day.  People seem to go into panic mode before and after grocery stores close for the day - it's like they have to stock up/re-stock before or after a fast!  Consequently, on Saturday morning, I had spare time on my hands and decided to go to my favourite cookware store, d. a. Neils Cookware.  Yes, I know it's a store, but I kind of figured it wouldn't be that busy because it is a bit of a higher end cookware store, not one to appeal to the average person!  I was right, it wasn't too terribly busy, and it was a great idea, too!  It turns out that they had a guest chef doing a demo that day on.....you guessed it, Vietnamese cuisine!  Needless to say, I grabbed the recipes!  The sandwich that she made was absolutely delicious, but the soup, the traditional Vietnamese Pho Bo (which was on my menu for the evening) was a bit disappointing - meatballs and pasta??  Not exactly traditional, I would say.  But it certainly made me quite excited about going home and getting on with my own meal!

For my menu, I chose to make a Pho, considered by many to be the national dish of Vietnam.  It has been said that no bowl of Pho is ever the same, as it is basically a noodle-based broth served with a selection of meat and vegetables to add.  I used a more traditional sliced beef, rather than meatballs, and rice vermicelli as opposed to a wheat-based pasta, to keep an element of ethnic authenticity.  Along with this, I made another very popular Vietnamese dish, spring rolls, which I served along with my homemade Nuoc Cham (dipping sauce).  All in all, another delightful culinary and taste experience!  I really loved the spring rolls, so they will definitely show up in my kitchen again - easy and delightfully tasty!

                               chúc ngon miệng

Preăh Réachéa Nachâk Kâmpŭchéa

Cambodia - definitely not the country I was originally thinking of doing, but I ran across a recipe that just jumped out at me as challenging and different.  Amok Moan, or Coconut Chicken Curry Parcels, where the chicken is steamed in banana leaves - wow!  Once again, I headed to Lucky's Supermarket for some of the more unusual ingredients, including the banana leaves.  And it worked, it was really delicious!  I started with a Cambodian Hot and Sour Soup, which is one of my favourite soups, and this one, made with oyster mushrooms, did not disappoint - it was really flavourful.  Then followed the Amok Moan and a Char Kroeung, or a chicken stir fry with a tasty sauce, served on rice vermicelli.  Mmmmmm!  

                          anjoe-in pisaa ao-y baan ch'ngain

Sri Lanka

Okay, I think I still have some taste buds left!!  Actually, I do, but they sure had a workout tonight.  I decided to head to Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon), with its multi-ethnic and multi-religious population, for my menu tonight.  The island nation has been called the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, and has one of the longest documented histories in the world.  From a varied selection of recipes, I chose a Chicken Curry, with a side of Cucumber Salad.  The light salad was a delightful counterpoint to the spicy heat of the curry.  The curry was delicious, incredibly spicy, and exactly what I needed to clear my sinuses!

seiradewa

Ratcha Anachak Thai

All of us love Thai food, so this particular meal was a pleasure to research, cook and eat!  I spent half my day scouring Asian markets for kaffir lime leaves - I am definitely impressed with the selection of herbs & vegetables available in this city.  There are many benefits to this cooking world tour, besides giving me something to do to escape my boredom.  I have improved my knife skills, and can slice and dice up a storm.  I have opened our eyes - and our palates - to a world of new foods and flavours.  Plus, I have learned a bit more about each country, even if only about its culinary heritage.

For my menu tonight, I started with a Thai Tom Yum Soup, for which I am proud to say I made my own tom yum paste.  When I saw the sodium content on the store-bought paste, I couldn't bring myself to buy it, so I found a recipe for it & made my own.  Now, I have some leftovers for future meals.  I made some jasmine rice to go with the main course of a Chicken Pad Thai, which is a colourful and flavourful dish.  To accompany the meal, I was able to get some Singha beer, which was quite enjoyable.

                                     kŏr hâi jà-rern aa-hăan!

Republik Indonesia

For a number of different reasons, I have decided to leave Europe and move on to some Asian cuisine.  Because of the understandable similarities in cuisines, I was finding it difficult to get excited about selecting my menu.  Not that there aren't still some delightful cuisines there that are still to be experienced, but I am looking for a bit of a change.  Plus, I have decided that I need to diet, to lose some weight before summer, so for the next month or two I need to be able to select cuisines that will work with the particular diet I have in mind.  Stirfrys, which involve lots of cleansing vegetables, will work just dandy.  I will eventually wend my way back to Europe, back to England for some fish and chips, Norway and Slovenia, among others.  A friend of mine suggested that I look to current events for help in selecting a country, and I was sorely tempted to do Japan in view of the recent tragic earthquake, but I knew the kids would want to be here, so it will have to wait until next weekend.  

So, here I am in Indonesia (following in line with my "Eat, Pray, Love" theme, I guess).  I was totally delighted with my choices, particularly the Nasi Goreng, which comes close to being the national dish of Indonesia.  That is an especially hard thing to pin down, because there are some distinct regional differences.  But it is a delicious dish, and probably would have been enough by itself.  I started the meal off with a Soto Ayam, a yellow chicken soup (thanks to the addition of tumeric), and a chicken satay with peanut dipping sauce accompanied the Nasi Goreng.  While there are Indonesian beers (made by the same company that makes Heineken in Indonesia), none were available at the MLCC, so I went with a Tiger beer from Singapore, which was a pleasant lager.  All in all, I am quite happy with my decision and I am quite sure I'll enjoy the next leg on this journey!

Selamat makan!

Éire

Ireland is another place that is definitely on my bucket list of places to see.  I am proud to claim my Irish heritage, my maternal grandmother's family hails from the Emerald Isle.  That must be why I have always thoroughly enjoyed a pint of Guinness, right from the first time I tasted it.  I have heard it said that in Ireland every second building on the street is a pub - my  kind of country!

For this particular weekend, in honour of the recent celebration of St. Patrick's Day, I chose Irelad. On our menu tonight was an Irish stew, made with Guinness, of course, accompanied by Irish soda bread.  At the MLCC, they were offering an Irish Taster's pack with Guinness, Kilkenny, Smithwick's & Harp, so I had my choice of delightful Irish beer!

                                                cin-cin

Konungariket Sverige

I thought I might change things up a bit & head to Scandinavia - Sweden, to be more specific.  And of course, for Sweden one has to make ...... Jansson's Frestelse (Jansson's Temptation).  Oh, and Köttbulla (Swedish meatballs), too, of course!  I have to say, I have never been a fan of anchovies, and tonight was a reminder of why that is so!  Apparently, Swedish anchovies are different from what we know as anchovies, but I couldn't find the Swedish version (next time, I would search much harder)!   As for the meatballs, well, not much I can say there, meatballs are meatballs, of course, and they are pretty straightforward.  I did a mix of ground beef and ground pork, which did add a bit of flavour.  Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed the search for and selection of the menu - I think I am becoming obsessed with cooking (becoming....??)!

I must say, the last weeks have prompted me to look into a tour of Europe for my holidays next year - how wonderful it would be to see many of these places and enjoy these cuisines on their home turf!

                                 Smaklig måltid

República Portuguesa

Well, for a small country on the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal has much to offer.  Its name derives from the Roman name Portus Cale, and it is the home of Vasco da Gama.  It has the 19th-highest standard of life, and it is the 8th most globalized country in the world - not surprising in view of its location, actually.

Because it borders the ocean, one of the traditional dishes is Bacalhau, or smoked cod, for which the Portuguese have as many ways to prepare as there are days in the year.    But I could not bring myself to make it, probably only because I discovered that it needed to be soaked for hours before using in any recipes....oops, too late for that!  So we settled instead for Bife A Portuguesa, with Batatas A Portuguesa.  Much to my surprise, the meal was enjoyed by all, even my finicky son who usually does not like beef.  A simple meal to make, with a complicated beverage choice!  Portugal has an extensive wine selection, far more than I expected to encounter.  I did learn something about the incredible variety of wines, from the Vinhos Verdes region to the Dão region of the country.   Ultimately, I chose a Gazela Vinhos Verdes, a young almost sparkling white, to accompany the meal preparation, and then a lovely red, Doque de Viseu Quinta Dos, for the meal itself.  The white was recommended by one of the associates at the local MLCC, which she said became quite popular following last year's Portuguese pavilion at Folklarama.   I am not really a fan of sweeter wines, so the white was simply okay.  But the red was, well, fabulous might be an understatement!

                                                  saude

O‘zbekiston Respublikasi

Uzbekistan, formerly part of the Soviet Union, is not one of the more well-known countries.  It changed hands many times throughout history, from Iranian nomads to Alexander the Great to Genghis Khan to the Russian Empire, so there are a lot of different ethic influences on this region.

The Uzbek signature dish is palov, or plov.  a dish which typically consists of rice, pieces of meat and vegetables.  Because it is a totally landlocked country, grains and meats factor heavily in the country's cuisine. But mutton, or lamb, falls within my "too cute to eat" rule, so I opted for a plov with chicken and dried fruit, which was delicious.  Uzbekistan is largely secular, so there are wineries there (a bit surprising for a Muslim country), but I wasn't able to find a Uzbek wine here, so I went with black tea, which apparently always accompanies a meal in Uzbekistan.

                                               oldick!

Sakartvelo

I discovered a few interesting things about Georgia when researching its cuisine.  The country borders the Black Sea, and is one of the first countries to have adopted Christianity in the 4th century.  It also plays a role in Greek mythology, as the location of the golden fleece sought by Jason and the Argonauts, which may be based upon the practice in Colchis (western Georgia) of using fleece to sift for gold dust in rivers.  

We started off with Bostneulis Kharcho, a tomato soup with walnuts and vermicelli.  I must say, once the walnuts were added, the soup turned an unappealing brownish colour, but the soup was quite delicious!  Our main course was Chkmeruli, a garlic-fried chicken which also called for walnuts in the recipe - and way too much garlic, in my opinion!  Soko Arazhanit, or mushrooms in cream accompanied the chicken, along with the hit of the meal Khachapuri, an absolutely delightful, delicious cheese bread, definitely something we will be making again.  As I wasn't able to find any specific beverages at the local MLCC, I went with Baltika, a Russian beer, since it was as close as I could get.

                                          

                                                    На здоровье

Jomhuri-ye Eslāmi-ye Irān

Persia brings to mind images of beauty and luxury, and Iran brings to mind images of an oppressed people - two distinct images that are hard to reconcile.  The beauty of Persia remains, but it is obscured by the current government regime.  But enough political commentary, that is so far away from what this blog is all about!  

I'll stick with the beauty of the country, and the interesting options for its cuisine.  Like the entire European and Middle Eastern areas, all of these countries have a lot of influence on each other's cuisine.  It was hard to find a national dish, other than rice!  So, of course, I made rice - Kateh, to be specific.  There are more than a few ways of making rice in Iran, which I found surprising!  Kateh is pretty much the most basic method of making basmati rice, but that being said, it turned out perfectly - not too wet & clumpy and not burnt & dry, so it made the perfect bed for the Khoresht Ghaarch - a simple chicken dish with mushroom sauce, made deliciously tasty by the addition of lime juice and saffron.  On the side I had Salad-e Shirazi, a simple salad of diced cucumber, tomato & onion. flavoured with lime juice & mint.

As for my choice of beverage, I had water with my meal.  There were no alcoholic beverages available, which is not surprising since the use of alcohol is forbidden by sharia law, so water seemed like a reasonable choice!  I must say, the meal was so flavourful that water was the perfect choice!

                             be salâmati!

Österreich

Austria is another country to which I claim an ethnic connection, one of my paternal grandparents was born in Austria.  It is a country of beautiful contrasts, from the rustic alps to the sophisticated beauty of Vienna, and one which I fully intend to visit, not just by way of cuisine!

For our menu, I chose the infamous Weiner Schnitzel, which my daughter was thrilled to learn did not involve wieners at all!  Rather, they are named after the lovely city of Vienna, and all of us really enjoyed them.  Yet another food added to our regular weekly menus, as it was quite simple to make and very tasty.  They were accompanied by Kaese Spaetzle, which was really good, even though my dough was a bit too soggy.  For dessert, I made some Vanille Kipferl, small tasty treats.  

For beverages, the food preparation was accompanied by a bottle of Wachau Gruner Veltliner, from a grape apparently native to Austria.  For the meal itself, first a can of Stiegl Salzburg Beer, and then a can of Gosser Beer.  I am finding myself with lots of  leftover wine in my cupboard and fridge, which I am definitely going to have to do something about!

                                       mahlzeit!

Koninkrijk België

Once again, learning about Belgium was an interesting lesson in European history and a chance for me to learn a bit about a country about which I knew not much more than a few trace memories of its place in the history of the world wars.

On the culinary side, I learned that moules-frites are quire a popular Belgian meal, but I would never have thought of pairing mussels and french fries together.  Once again there was an almost overwhelming selection of appealing recipes, so I went with the Carbonnades Flamandes, or Flemish beef stew, which is apparently the national dish.  Very easy to make, and absolutely totally delicious.  I added a few breadsticks on the side, but the beer stew itself was a delicious meal.  A few bottles of Stella Artois (one of my favourite beers), and some lovely chocolate to end the meal, and I am quite happy with my culinary tastes of Belgium!

                                            Bon appetit!

Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Germany has a troubled past, but not all of it is negative, it is just that much of their history has been obscured by one horrific period. Okay, I must admit the thing that surprised us the most was how many of the German recipes I found used ....pickles. I did expect the potato to be ubiquitous, which it was, but not the pickle! Our foray into Germany was one I was looking forward to. I was also surprised to learn that the reisling grape was of German origin - not that I am such a wine expert, but still, it came as a surprise. Of course, this meant I had to have a reisling. On my weekly trip down to the local liquor store, I selected a 2007 Selbach Reisling Spatlese. I also picked up some Beck's beer, because Germany is quite famous for its beer and it just didn't seem right not to have beer!

We started off with a Potato Soup, which I found to be quite filling, and because this particular recipe called for sausage and bacon, it would have made a meal in itself. The main course was a Beef Rouladen, which was really fun to put together, with a potato salad on the side. In the past, I have only had cold potato salads, so it was a new experience to have a hot potato salad. Everything was quite tasty, but nothing so delicious as our dessert, the Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte - German Black Forest Cake. My oh my, what a delight!

                              Gesegnete Mahlzeit!

Kongeriget Danmark

For this next meal, I decided to change things up a bit, and head to an area that I haven't ventured into yet.  I thought it might be interesting to check out some northern European or Scandinavian cuisine, so I chose Denmark.  A small, interesting country with one of the most fascinating cities - Copenhagen, and one of the best beers out there - Carlsberg!  Copenhagen has been recognized as one of the most environmentally friendly cities, and also as one of the cities with the best quality of life.  Carlsberg is just, well, delicious, in my humble opinion!

After some searching, I decided to make a Kødrulle, which is a pork meatloaf cooked in beer. It was fun to make, even if I did have to run out at the last minute to get some cheesecloth that I was absolutely certain I already had but simply couldn't find. Oh, and yes, I did hesitate momentarily when choosing this particular recipe, wondering whether the beer would be better consumed directly than used to cook the meal. Having made the dish, I would now say that I should have paid attention to that thought. This is not one of the dishes that will make it onto my regular menu, as I didn't exactly enjoy it. Ah, well...I can't expect that everything I make will be a success. As an accompaniment, I had some Brændende Kærlighed. Translated into English, the name of this dish is "Burning Love", and it was exactly the type of recipe I am looking for - simple and delicious! So, not an entire loss, and I did get to enjoy a couple of bottles of Carlsberg!

                                            spise godt

Україна

The Ukraine, another land of my forefathers - well, sort of.  From what I know of my paternal grandparents, one of them was from the Ukrainian part of Poland and one of them came from the Polish part of Austria, so that all makes me.......Canadian!  Yeah, it's just a whole lot easier, especially when you factor in the mixed ethnicity of my maternal grandparents.  In any event, I chose the past weekend to enjoy some Ukrainian cuisine in honour of Ukrainian Christmas.

We of course had to have pyrohy, a staple from my childhood and one that my children enjoy, as well.  Since I always have some handy in my freezer, that was an easy one - oh, you didn't think I was going to do homemade pyrohy, did you?  Not a chance!  I've made homemade pyrohy before, frequently as a sous-chef to my mother, but also on my own, and I find they aren't that difficult, but they are time-consuming.  Also on the side we had some Kartoplia Solimkoi, which are simply deep-fried straw potatoes (my son calls them miniature french fries).  Our main dish  was Chicken Kiev, mmmmmm!  I was quite surprised with how simple it was to make.  While I have eaten it before, I have never actually made it before, so I am really glad that I did.  What a simple, delightful meal which was quick to prepare and enjoyed by all!  My beverage of choice was Lvivske premium lager, which was a perfect accompaniment to the meal.

Just as an aside here, I just want to mention that my cooking tour of the world isn't intended to focus on the haute cuisine of any particular country.  What I am looking for are foods that are more for everyday meals, something that I might make again.  My idea came from a desire to introduce some variety into our meals, and to get away from those lazy home delivery or fast food options that were becoming all to common for us.  So far, I have to say, this quest has definitely been successful, and we have already enjoyed a few repeats.  I am definitely getting what I asked for, and having a lot of fun along the way!

                          приємного апетиту

Sicilia

Okay, so I have already "been" to Italy, so Sicily may be a bit of a stretch since it is not an individual country.  I'm calling it a re-cheat.  However, Jordan was still quite upset with me that he had missed out on Italy, which is the one country that really appeals to him, and since it is New Year's Day, I  decided to be a bit flexible.  So, Sicily it is!  This meant that I had to hunt down recipes specific to the island, not that difficult a task, actually.

For an appetizer, we had Gamberi Limone - there had to be some type of seafood, of course!  The main course was pasta con pecorino, with a Sicilian risotto on the side (heavy on the carbs, lol).  I had never made a risotto before, and I found that this recipe was a bit labour-intensive.   Delicious, but labour-intensive.  Net result was that while I was trying to double-task with chopping an onion & stirring the risotto, I managed to remove a small chunk out of my little finger.  Luckily (??), the spurting blood came nowhere near any of the food, so once I was all bandaged up I was able to resume my cooking and, may I add, still manage to prevent the risotto from burning to the bottom of the pan. 

The choice of an accompanying beverage was not easy, since I couldn't find anything specifically from the Sicilian region at the MLCC.  So I "settled" for a bottle of Ruffino Orvieto Classico, which turned out to be an  excellent choice!  

                                         buon appetito!