A taste of imec

A tA

ste of im

ec

in 2009, IMEC lights 25 birthday candles.

And since a celebration is always accompanied by good food, we want to treat you with this cook-

book to thank you for your continuous support. ‘A taste of IMEC’ is a culinary travel around the

world. We’ve collected some of the favorite dishes of our employees originating from about 60

countries. As you will see, besides being excellent researchers, they are also talented cooks.

On January 16, 1984 IMEC’s memorandum of association was signed. Now, 25 years later, I’m proud

to see that IMEC has developed into a world-renowned research institute. This is due largely to the

perseverance of its founders, the leadership of Professor Baron Roger Van Overstraeten, who would

look back proudly at the achievement of his life’s dream, the continuity of the cooperation with

the government of Flanders, governmental institutes and Flemish universities, and most of all … the

enthusiasm of its employees. The perfect combination of people who have built up years of know-

ledge and experience at IMEC and the continuous inflow of young talent from all over the world,

was and still is a prerequisite for world-class research. Also the continued support of our industrial

and university partners was indispensable for our evolution and growth. Together, we succeeded in

putting Flanders on the world map of micro- and nanoelectronics.

We look forward to a bright future for IMEC.

I hope you enjoy this taste of IMEC … a taste of the world!

Gilbert Declerck, CEO IMEC

this cookbook was made possible thanks to the contributions of the following people:

Michael T. Andreas, Alexandru Andrei, Esteban Angeletti, Maryam Ashouei, Ali Awan,

Fabrice Axisa, Salma Bakr, Jennifer Braggin, Lindsay Brown, Trevor Carlson, Ronald

Cottam, Jérome Daviot, Harold Dekkers, Ingrid De Wolf, Pamela Fischer, Takuo Funaya,

Cat Ghiotti, Danny Goossens, Dirk Hendrickx, Alexei Ivanov, Geraldine Jamieson,

Abdulaziz Karimkhodjaev, Annemie Kumps, Andrada Lazea, Peter Lemmens, Cathy Liu,

Zhe Ma, Stéphane Malhouitre, Mauricio Manfrini, Dirk Manger, Katrien Marent, Olfa

Marzouk, John McCormack, Satya Munaga, Malgorzata Pawlak, Nga Pham, Lars-Åke

Ragnarsson, Daniel Ruiz Aguado, Deniz Sabuncuoglu Tezcan, Sandeep Sangameswaran,

Dino Seelig, Arturo Sibaja-Hernandez, Sang-Pil Sim, Inge Struys, Xiao Sun, Cristina

Torregiani, Dimitrios Velenis, Rafael Venegas, Srisaran Venkatachalam, Frank Vleugels,

Shuzhen You, Brazilian co-workers.

˘

A tAste of imeccelebrAtinG 25 yeArs OF INNOVATION IN 2009

celebrAtinG 25 yeArs OF INNOVATION IN 2009

We offer you this cookbook for the occasion

of IMEC’s 25th anniversary.

Food brings people together. So did this

cookbook. IMEC colleagues from all corners

of the world shared their recipes and personal

anecdotes for their favorite dishes. Dishes that

remind them of a relative or dear one. That

bring them closer to their culture or homes

during their stay in Belgium.

We selected recipes from the five continents:

Europe, Africa, Asia, the Pacific and the

Americas. For each continent, the recipes are

grouped per culinary region, from west to east,

north to south. Each recipe is typical for the

country of origin – through the ingredients,

method of preparation, flavors, traditions and

historical influences. Enjoy!

TABLE O

F CON

TENTs

AAam lassi ................................................................................................................107

Alfajores de maicena ................................................................ 131

Asparagus, the Flemish way ...........................................7

Asperges op Vlaamse wijze ............................................7

BBeef, Burgundy beef .....................................................................21

Beef, Spicy beef sauce ......................................................... 115

Bibimbap .................................................................................................................95

Bird’s milk ...............................................................................................................49

Bobotie .......................................................................................................................59

Bœuf Bourguignon ...........................................................................21

Borsch .............................................................................................................................53

Bread, Flat bread ..................................................................................99

Bread, Turkish bread ....................................................................77

Brownies .................................................................................................................. 121

CCabbage rolls ................................................................................................47

Caipirinha .............................................................................................................133

Canistrelli au citron ........................................................................29

Carrot cake ........................................................................................................119

Chaiy binaanah ........................................................................................69

Chicken Parmigiana ......................................................................... 111

Chicken, Aztek chicken

with chocolate sauce ................................................. 127

Chicken, Breaded grilled

chicken - Italian style ...................................................... 111

Chicken, Pomegranate

chicken curry .....................................................................................73

Chirashi sushi .................................................................................................83

Chocolademousse met koffie ............................25

Chocolate, Coffee-flavored

chocolate mousse .................................................................25

Chutney, Coconut chutney

& coriander-tomato chutney...................101

Cincinnati chili ........................................................................................... 115

Cookies, Cornstarch cookies ................................ 131

Cookies, White chocolate cookies

with almonds and cranberries ................ 117

Corn bow ties ..........................................................................................125

Couscous with lamb ..................................................................65

Croquettes, Meat croquettes .................................9

DDosa .................................................................................................................................103

Doughnut, Deep-fried twisted

doughnut dipped in syrup ..................................61

Dumplings, Dough dumplings

of sauerkraut and mushrooms ...............45

EEndive, Belgian endive with ham ...................19

Ebi to yasai no tempura.....................................................85

FFesttagssuppe ............................................................................................ 43

Fish and shrimp stew with nuts....................129

GGalaktoboureko .......................................................................................31

Gong bao xia .................................................................................................93

HHong shao rou .............................................................................................91

Humitas....................................................................................................................125

Hyderabad murga biriyani ..........................................105

IIrish coffee ..........................................................................................................39

JJansson’s frestelse...............................................................................35

Jansson’s temptation ..................................................................35

KKhoreshe fesenjan ............................................................................73

Koeksisters ............................................................................................................61

Koskossi bilahm elkharouf............................................65

Kuzu sis Kebap ...........................................................................................75

LLamb shish kebab...............................................................................75

Lapte de pasare .....................................................................................49

Lemon canistrelli ..................................................................................29

Lian ou pai gu tang............................................................................81

Lime cocktail................................................................................................133

MMango yogurt drink ..................................................................107

Mapo tofu...........................................................................................................89

Meat croquettes ......................................................................................9

Milk pie ..........................................................................................................................31

Mint tea.....................................................................................................................69

Mole Poblano ........................................................................................... 127

Mosselen ...................................................................................................................17

Mussels ..........................................................................................................................17

NNaan ..................................................................................................................................99

Naariyal and dhaniyaa-tamaatar

chatni ...................................................................................................................101

Nem ran ....................................................................................................................87

OOm Ali ............................................................................................................................67

PPalov ...................................................................................................................................55

Pancake, Pancake made from

rice and lentils ..............................................................................103

Pancakes with raspberries .............................................27

Pannenkoeken met frambozen........................27

Pasta al forno ................................................................................................23

Pasta, Oven-baked pasta .................................................23

Pastry with nuts .....................................................................................67

Pide .......................................................................................................................................77

Pierogi .............................................................................................................................45

Pork, Red cooked pork .........................................................91

Potato-onion omelet ................................................................. 13

QQuiche Lorraine .......................................................................................15

R Rice, Boiled rice with meat

and vegetables .............................................................................95

Rice, South Indian fried

rice dish with chicken ...............................................105

Rice, Steamed rice with lamb

and vegetables ..............................................................................55

Rice, Vinegared rice with fresh

vegetables and fish toppings .....................83

Roast beef with Yorkshire pudding .......37

SSalad from Nice ..........................................................................................11

Salade Niçoise ................................................................................................11

Sarmale ........................................................................................................................47

Savoury tart .......................................................................................................15

Shrimp and vegetable tempura ......................85

Shrimps, Spicy shrimps

with peanuts .......................................................................................93

Soup, Lotus root soup

with ribs............................................................................................................81

Soup, Beetroot soup .................................................................53

Soup, Wedding soup .................................................................43

Spicy beef sauce ................................................................................. 115

Spicy shrimps with

peanuts ............................................................................................................93

Spicy tofu and pork stew .............................................89

Spring rolls, Vietnamese

spring rolls ................................................................................................87

Stew, Fish and shrimp

stew with nuts ............................................................................129

Sushi, Chirashi sushi ......................................................................83

Sweet-and-sour oven dish ..........................................59

TTortilla de patatas................................................................................ 13

Tofu, Spicy tofu and pork stew .....................89

VVatapá .........................................................................................................................129

Vleeskroketten .............................................................................................9

WWitloofgratin met ham ..........................................................19

IND

EX

tsp = teaspoon = 15 ml

tbsp = tablespoon = 30 ml

1 cup (liquids) = 9 fl oz = 250 ml

recipes serves 4 unless

mentioned otherwise.

AsiA ......................................................................................................................................................

EAST / SOuTHEAST

Lian ou pai gu tang 81Lotus root soup with ribs / China

Chirashi sushi 83Vinegared rice with fresh vegetables and fish toppings / Japan

Ebi to yasai no tempura 85Shrimp and vegetable tempura / Japan

Nem ran 87Vietnamese spring rolls / Vietnam

Mapo tofu 89Spicy tofu and pork stew / China

Hong shao rou 91Red cooked pork / China

Gong bao xia 93Spicy shrimps with peanuts / Taiwan

Bibimbap 95Boiled rice with meat and vegetables / Korea

AsiA ......................................................................................................................................................

SOuTH

Naan 99Flat bread / India

Naariyal and 101 dhaniyaa-tamaatar chatni Coconut chutney & coriander-tomato chutney / India

Dosa 103Pancake made from rice and lentils / India

Hyderabad murga biriyani 105South Indian fried rice dish with chicken / India

Aam lassi 107Mango yogurt drink / India + Pakistan

PAcific ..........................................................................................................................................

Chicken Parmigiana 111Breaded grilled chicken - Italian style / Australia

tHe AmericAs ...........................................................................................................

NORTH / THE uNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Cincinnati chili 115Spicy beef sauce / USA

Cookies 117White chocolate cookies with almonds and cranberries / USA

Carrot cake 119USA

Brownies 121USA

tHe AmericAs ........................................................................................................

CENTRAL / SOuTH: LATIN AMERICA

Humitas 125Corn bow ties / Chile

Mole Poblano 127Aztek chicken with chocolate sauce / Mexico

Vatapá 129Fish and shrimp stew with nuts / Brazil

Alfajores de maicena 131Cornstarch cookies / Argentina

Caipirinha 133Lime cocktail / Brazil

eUroPe ..........................................................................................................................................

WEST / CENTRAL / SOuTH / SOuTHEAST

Asperges op Vlaamse wijze 7Asparagus, the Flemish way / Belgium

Vleeskroketten 9Meat croquettes / The Netherlands

salade Niçoise 11Salad from Nice / France

Tortilla de patatas 13Potato-onion omelet / Spain

Quiche Lorraine 15Savoury tart / France

Mosselen 17Mussels / Belgium

Witloofgratin met ham 19Belgian endive with ham / Belgium

Bœuf Bourguignon 21Burgundy beef / France

Pasta al forno 23Oven-baked pasta / Italy

Chocolademousse met koffie 25Coffee-flavored chocolate mousse / Belgium

Pannenkoeken met frambozen 27Pancakes with raspberries / Belgium

Canistrelli au citron 29Lemon canistrelli / France-Corsica

Galaktoboureko 31Milk pie / Greece

eUroPe ........................................................................................................................................

NORTH / NORTHWEST

Jansson’s frestelse 35Jansson’s temptation / Sweden

Roast beef with Yorkshire pudding 37United Kingdom

Irish coffee 39Ireland

eUrAsiA ....................................................................................................................................... CENTRAL EAST – EAST

Festtagssuppe 43Wedding soup / Germany

Pierogi 45Dough dumplings of sauerkraut and mushrooms / Poland

sarmale 47Cabbage rolls / Romania

Lapte de pasare 49Bird’s milk /Romania

eUrAsiA ....................................................................................................................................... NORTH / CENTRAL

Borsch 53Beetroot soup / Russia

Palov 55Steamed rice with lamb and vegetables / Uzbekistan

AfricA ...........................................................................................................................................

WEST / SOuTH / CENTRAL / EAST-CENTRAL

Bobotie 59Sweet-and-sour oven dish / South-Africa

Koeksisters 61Deep-fried twisted doughnut dipped in syrup / South-Africa

AfricA ...........................................................................................................................................

NORTH / MAGHREB

Koskossi bilahm elkharouf 65Couscous with lamb / Tunesia

Om Ali 67Pastry with nuts / Egypt

Chaiy binaanah 69Mint tea / Maghreb countries

AsiA ......................................................................................................................................................

WEST / SOuTHWEST / MIDDLE-EAST

Khoreshe fesenjan 73Pomegranate chicken curry / Iran

Kuzu sis kebap 75Lamb shish kebab / Turkey

Pide 77Turkish bread / Turkey

A tAsteofimeccelebrAting 25 yeArs of innovation in 2009

Recipe serves 4

EuropE west / centRal / south / southeast

asparagus, a hand-picked

treasure.They are harvested from mid-April until

June 24. We only eat asparagus during that

period, and we buy them directly from

the farmer. That way we are sure to have

real fresh soil-grown asparagus. They are

my favorite vegetable – and the recipe,

although simple, is a real classic in the

Flemish part of Belgium.

White asparagus are available all year

round, but most are grown in hydroculture.

Asparagus grown in soil has a more delicate

flavor. The edible part of the white

asparagus is grown underground, in beds

of light, sandy soil. During the harvesting

period, every day the farmers inspect the

beds. Whenever they see a crack in the

soil, they know an asparagus is about to

pop above the soil. With a special spoon,

they then carefully cut and extract these

delicate treasures.

Frank Vleugels

Recipe serves 4 EuropE west / centRal / south / southeast

Place the asparagus stalks on a work surface and clean them separately: hold the tip between your fingers, and with a kitchen knife, peel the asparagus sparingly from tip to bottom. trim 2-3 cm (1 inch) off the ends of the stalks and rinse them.

Bring water to a boil and add a pinch of salt. add the asparagus, tied in bunches to make sure they cook evenly. Preferably, the tips of the asparagus should remain above the water. cook al dente for about 10-15 minutes (depending on the thickness). then drain the asparagus on kitchen paper or on a clean towel. Keep warm.

cook the eggs for 10 minutes; then let them cool under cold water. Mash the hard boiled eggs with a fork. Keep warm.

chop the parsley leaves fine.

Melt the butter until golden. Be careful not to burn it.

arrange four asparagus on a plate with the tips pointing in the same direction. sprinkle the mashed eggs over the asparagus, and top with warm, melted butter. season with salt and freshly ground pepper and finish with the chopped parsley.

ingredients

1 bundle asparagus (firm stalks with bright tips)

4 eggs

200 g (7 oz) butter, unsalted

8 sprigs flat parsley

Salt and pepper

Asperges op Vlaamse wijzeAsparagus, the Flemish way / Belgium

7

Meat croquettes are the staple

food of the netherlands.

People eat them as a snack.

They get them from snack bars or cafés.

Or they extract their croquettes 'from

the wall', meaning they go to one of the

thousands of croquette vending machines

that are built into the walls of buildings.

This recipe is, of course, for handmade

croquettes; they are the deluxe version of

the Dutch meat croquettes.

Harold Dekkers

Meat croquettes are typically made from leftovers, so you can use any kind of meat or a combination according to your personal taste.

EuropE west / centRal / south / southeastRecipe serves 4

Meat croquettes / The Netherlands

cut the meat in 4 cm (1½ inch) cubes. clean the celery, carrots and onion and chop roughly. Put meat, vegetables and bouquet garni in a large, heavy saucepan. cover the ingredients with water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. cover the pan and let the ingredients simmer over low heat for about 2 hours, until the meat is tender. Drain the mixture and keep the broth.

separate the meat from the vegetables. tear the meat into small chunks and set aside to cool.

Pour the broth through a fine sieve. Bring it to a boil in a small saucepan and boil it down to half its volume. Keep aside.

Put butter in a small, heavy saucepan and melt over low heat. add the flour, mix it into the butter, and cook over low heat. stir until the mixture is combined to a paste. now slowly add the reduced broth, stirring constantly. cook over medium heat until the sauce is smooth and thickened into a firm pulp.

add the meat and cream to the sauce. Mix well until the sauce is absorbed. add broth or water if the mixture is too dry. season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Refrigerate for a couple of hours until the mixture is stiff.

with the meat mixture, form cylinder-shaped croquettes.

Put the breadcrumbs in one bowl, the flour in a second, and the egg white in a third bowl. Beat the egg white lightly with a few drops of water. coat the croquettes first in the flour, then in the egg white, and finally in the breadcrumbs. Repeat this to get a double coating.

heat vegetable oil in a deep-frying pan to 175°c (345°f). add the croquettes and deep-fry them until the outside is golden brown and the croquettes are cooked throughout. serve immediately.

ingredients

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) meat (veal, chicken, beef, pork)

2 stalks blanched celery

3 carrots

1 onion

1 bouquet garni (few sprigs flat parsley and thyme and 1 bay leaf)

50 g (1¾ oz) butter

80 g (3 oz, ½ cup) all-purpose flour

100 ml (3½ fl oz) heavy cream

Salt and pepper

Nutmeg

1 egg white

150 g (5 oz, 1 cup) dry breadcrumbs

80 g (3 oz, ½ cup) all-purpose flour, to coat

Vleeskroketten

9

the sun onyour plate.

Salade Niçoise is a complete dish. Full

of vitamins, and often eaten with a

crispy baguette. Be careful though to

choose the best tomatoes, ripened in

the Mediterranean sun.

Cat Ghiotti


Salad from Nice / France

Peel the potatoes, place them in a pan, cover with water and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and let simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes until tender. Drain and quarter the potatoes; let cool.

Meanwhile, put the eggs in a pan and cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for 6 minutes. Drain off the hot water and add cold water to cool. Drain and peel the eggs. halve them lengthwise.

trim the tips of the beans and wash them. take a pan and a matching strainer. in the pan, bring water to a boil and add a pinch of salt. Place the beans in the strainer and lower it into the boiling water. cook for 4 minutes until just tender. Refresh immediately under cold running water to keep the fresh green color. transfer the beans to a plate to cool.

wash the tomatoes, cut them in 8 wedges and sprinkle with salt.

Peel the onions and cut in very thin slices.

Drain the tuna, tear it into chunks and add the anchovy filets.

Make the vinaigrette in a small bowl: whisk the olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

in a large salad bowl, add the potatoes, the beans, tomatoes and olives. add 1 table-spoon of vinegar and toss to coat.

Distribute the salad over 4 plates. top with the tuna, anchovies, the egg halves and the onion slices. Drizzle the remaining vinegar over the salad and serve immediately.

ingredients

For the salad:

4 small potatoes

2 eggs

100 g (3½ oz) baby green beans

8 firm cherry tomatoes

2 red onions

300 g (10 oz) canned tuna in oil

12 anchovy filets in oil

24 black olives

A pinch of salt

For the vinaigrette:

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp lemon juice

Salt and black pepper

salade niçoise

11

the perfect tortilla has exactly

1 drop of liquid egg remaining in

the middle.Tortilla is Spain’s most famous dish.

Unlike other dishes, tortilla is not restricted

to particular regions or social groups. And it is

also the most famous type of tapas; you will

find tortillas in every bar in Spain. It is what

workers eat during their lunch; or students

when they have a break. It is what you eat

when you come together with friends, or at

8 in the morning when you return from

a party. You eat tortilla with wine or beer,

on a sandwich or with salad. And you always

have tortilla during excursions and picnics.

Daniel ruiz Aguado

This tortilla with potatoes is the most famous one, but there are many variations possible, with red/yellow sweet pepper, cheese, ham, mushrooms, zucchini, ….


Potato-onion omelet / Spaintortilla de patatas

heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. add the potatoes when the oil sizzles and season with salt. fry for about 15 minutes. turn the potatoes several times until they are tender inside, not brown or crisp. if your pan is large enough, add the onions when the potatoes are about halfway done. otherwise, fry the onions separately in a little bit of olive oil until golden yellow and tender. Drain the excess oil from the potatoes and onions.

lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl until they are frothy. season with salt and add the potatoes and onions.

wipe out the pan and heat a few drops of olive oil. add the egg, potato and onion mixture. carefully flatten the mixture so the potatoes do not stick out. turn down the heat and fry for about 2 minutes until the eggs have mostly set, but are still wet in the middle.

Put a flat plate, at least as wide as the pan, over the pan. hold the plate firmly in place and turn the pan, so the tortilla lands on the plate. carefully slide it back into the pan, increase the temperature and bake for another 3 minutes. slide the tortilla onto a large plate and let it rest for about 5 minutes.

tiP! You can serve the tortilla warm or let it cool to room temperature. cut 4 large pieces, or many small wedges.

ingredients

400 g (14 oz) potatoes, peeled and sliced as thin as possible

1 large onion, peeled and sliced into small cubes

6 eggs

100 ml (3½ fl oz) olive oil

Salt

13

Pâte

brisée is a pastry

made from flour, butter,

salt, egg and water or milk. It

is easy to prepare, especially with

a food processor. And it is often

used for French pastries, such

as sweet or savory tarts.

Quiche lorraine is originally

from the east of france.

But now it has become a dish

that is prepared everywhere

in france. A few years ago, my wife and I moved

to East Germany. Cooking the dishes we

used to eat at home, such as Quiche

Lorraine, was one of the things that kept us

in touch with France. Eventually, we moved

to Belgium. We still make the quiche – it

takes no time, the children like it and

the ingredients are easy to find.

Stéphane Malhouitre


Savoury tart / France

to prepare the pastry (pâte brisée): sift the flour into a large bowl or food processor, make a well in the center and add the butter, egg, salt and water.

if you don’t use a food processor, gradually work the flour with your fingertips or with a fork. with the heel of your hand, press the dough away from you to knead and mix all the ingredients. with a food processor, blend for about 30 seconds. if the dough is too dry, add a little bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. work the dough until you have a firm dough ball.

wrap the dough in plastic foil and chill it for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.

Grease and flour a 24-26 cm (10 inch) cake mould. Preheat the oven to 180°c (350°f / Gas 4).

on a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry dough until it is 4 mm (1/6 inch) thick. fit this dough into the cake mould, adding a 2.5 cm (1 inch) rim. Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork. Refrigerate.

Meanwhile prepare the filling: remove the rind from the bacon and cut it into small strips. Blanch the bacon for 2 minutes in boiling water and drain well on kitchen paper. add it to a non-stick frying pan and fry until golden brown on medium heat. stir in half of the cream and let simmer until thickened. season with pepper.

in a bowl, whisk the eggs with the remaining cream and season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.

spread the bacon and cream mixture over the pastry. add the egg and cream mixture. top with the remaining bits of butter.

Bake in the oven until lightly brown, this for about 20 minutes. cut into wedges and serve warm.

ingredients

For the pastry:

220 g (7 oz, 2 cups) all-purpose flour

1 egg

120 g (4 oz, ½ cup) unsalted butter, cut into small bits

60 ml water (2 fl oz, ¼ cup) water

Salt

For the filling:

200 g (7 oz) bacon

5 eggs

300 ml (10 fl oz, 1¼ cup) heavy cream

2½ tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp butter, cut into small bits

Salt and pepper

Nutmeg

Quiche lorraine

15

the taste of holidays and sea.

Mussels have a delicious taste, are easy

to prepare and are ready quickly. They are a

guaranteed success when you have friends

over for dinner.

Mussels remind me of holidays. We usually

conclude a windsurfing day-out at the

seaside with mussels and French fries in our

favorite mussel restaurant.

Katrien Marent


ingredients

For the mussels:

3 kg 200 (7 lbs 2 oz) mussels (preferably jumbo-sized)

3 onions

½ bunch (40 g, 1¼ oz, 1 cup) flat parsley, finely chopped

4 stalks white celery


200 ml (7 fl oz) white wine

Pepper

For the mussel sauce:

4 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tsp broth

2 tsp mustard

A pinch of salt and pepper

Mussels / Belgium

wash the mussels well under cold, running water, scrubbing them with a stiff brush. cut off the beards. Discard all mussels that remain open or that are broken. leave the mussels for 10 minutes more in fresh water.

Peel the celery and cut in small slices. Peel the onion and cut in thin slices.

Melt the butter in a large pot with a lid and braise the celery and onion. add the mussels, parsley and wine.

Bring to a boil and cover. shake the pan a few times during cooking until the mussels are open. Remove the cover and cook for a few minutes more.

Meanwhile, prepare the mussel sauce. whisk together all ingredients for the sauce and finish with pepper and a pinch of salt. Place in a small cup.

Put the mussels in a bowl, discarding any that did not open. cover with the vegetables and cooking liquid and serve with bread or french fries (chips) and mussel sauce.

mosselen

17

it took 20 years to develop the

growing method. Belgian endive (also called chicory or

Brussels Lof) is a Belgian vegetable, not

so commonly known outside of Belgium.

Around 1830, it was discovered in the

basement of the botanical garden in Brussels.

It took 20 years to develop a growing

method. From then on, chicory conquered

the Belgian kitchen, where it was used as a

delicate winter vegetable and crunchy salad.

Dirk Hendrickx

In the old days, chicory provided a welcome

variation in the monotonous winter diet of

cabbage and leeks. Nowadays, you can buy

them all year long, mostly grown in aquacul-

ture. However, when grown in the soil, they

definitely have a superior taste.

Danny Goossens

Chicory with ham and cheese is one of my

favorite dishes. The recipe is legendary in our

family. My mother got it from the neighbors

who were endive farmers. She is very proud

of it and when she prepares it, there is a

festive atmosphere in the family. Everybody

is really fond of it.

Ingrid De Wolf

Accompany

this dish with a

good brown Belgian beer

(Corsendonck pater, Chimay

Grand Reserve or Bleu,

Westmalle Dubbel, …)

or with red wine.


Belgian endive with ham / Belgium

hollow out the cone-shaped centers in the root of the endive stalks to reduce the chicory’s bitterness (if you do not like the bitter taste). Remove all outer leaves with red or brownish spots.

Melt 25 g (1 oz) butter in a non-stick frying pan until golden. add the chicory and stew until lightly colored. season with some salt and pepper. add 2 tablespoons of water, cover the pan, and braise for 20 minutes. Remove the chicory from the pan and drain well.

Meanwhile, prepare the white cheese sauce. Melt 40 g (1¼ oz) butter in a saucepan over medium heat until golden brown. add the flour and whisk well. Gradually add milk and keep stirring so the ingredients form a paste. add more milk and cook over medium heat, whisking continually, for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Make sure there are no more lumps. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese. taste, and optionally, season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.

Preheat the oven to 180°c (350°f / Gas 4).

cover the bottom of an ovenproof dish with a thin layer of sauce. wrap each stalk in a slice of ham. arrange the stalks next to each other in the dish. cover them completely with the remaining sauce. sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the dish and top with the remaining butter cut into small chunks. if the stalks and cheese sauce are still warm, place the dish immediately under the preheated grill for 5 minutes until golden crispy on top. if not, cover the dish with a foil, place it in the oven and cook for about 10 minutes. increase the heat to 220°c (425°f / Gas 7), remove the foil and grill for another 5 minutes.

serve immediately with mashed potatoes or a sliced baguette.

ingredients8 Belgian endive (chicory) stalks

8 slices cooked ham

75 g (2½ oz) butter

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

500 ml (17 fl oz, 2 cups) milk

200 g (7 oz, 1¼ cup) Emmental cheese, grated

Breadcrumbs

A pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)

Salt and pepper

Witloofgratin met ham

19

Bœuf Bourguignon

is a traditional farmer’s dish

from Burgundy. For the farmers, all the ingredients

were readily available and cheap: beef,

vegetables, mushrooms, and wine.

To marinate and stew the beef, take a

good, tasty wine (such as a Burgundy wine,

or another wine made from pinot noir

vines). Don’t use a cheap wine – it will only

add color but no taste. To drink with the

dish, you may select a stronger wine, such

as a Bordeaux or a Rhone Valley wine.

You marinate the beef to make it more

tender and tasty. If you have high-quality

meat though, this is not necessary.

Jérome Daviot

Bœuf

Bourguignon is

served with cooked

potatoes or (garlic)

bread.


Burgundy beef / France

cut the beef into cubes of 5 cm (2 inch). Place the beef cubes in a deep bowl, and cover with Burgundy wine and the bouquet garni. leave to marinate for a couple of hours or overnight.

Drain the beef, but keep the marinade. Discard the bouquet garni. Pat the meat dry with a paper towel and keep cool.


cut the bacon in cubes. heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed ovenproof pot. fry the bacon until golden brown but not crispy, for about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pot and set aside.

add the beef cubes to the pot. turn up the heat, frying the cubes on all sides while stirring frequently. add the flour until the meat is coated, and let simmer the beef for a few more minutes. Deglaze the pan with 125 ml (4½ fl oz - ½ cup) of the Burgundy marinade and bring to a boil. add additional marinade until the beef is covered.

cover the pot with baking paper or aluminium foil (or a lid) and braise in the oven for 1½ - 2 hours until the meat is tender. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside. Drain the liquid and boil it in the pot, reducing it by a third.

Meanwhile, add half of the butter in a non-stick frying pan and fry the onions and carrots until golden brown. Remove the onions and carrots with a skimmer and set aside. heat the remaining butter in the same pan, add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, increase the heat and fry for another 2-3 minutes, until golden brown and dry.

add the onions, carrots and mushroom mixture to the pot, as well as the bacon and the beef. Put the stew in the oven for another 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bouquet garni and flavor the stew with salt and pepper.

ingredients

1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) beef (good quality, for stews)

100 g (3½ oz) bacon, unsalted

bottle red Burgundy wine


40 g (1¼ oz) butter

2 tbsp olive oil

3 carrots, peeled and cut into slices

16 pearl onions (or very small onions)

16 mushrooms, cleaned

1-2 tbsp all-purpose flour

Salt and pepper

bœuf bourguignon

21

a few hours before my

mother gave birth to me, she

was preparing pasta al forno. My father took the dish along to the

hospital. So I can proudly say that the

first smell of my life was the smell of

pasta al forno! In my home, pasta al

forno was always served on Sundays

or special occasions. My mother took

a long time to prepare it – she even

started working on the pasta the day

before. I remember standing next to her

when she was frying the eggplants. The

time it took to prepare the dish, and the

delicate smells that lingered in our house

during those hours, make me remember

pasta al forno with special fondness.

For me, pasta al forno sums up the

typical characteristics of Italian food: the

attention that is given to eating together,

the long loving work preparing the

dishes, and the pleasure of good food.

Cristina Torregiani


Oven-baked pasta / Italy

Prepare the tomato sauce: heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over low heat. add the garlic and remove immediately when it turns golden. Make sure not to burn the garlic, otherwise the oil will have a bitter taste. the oil is now flavored with garlic. carefully (this may splatter!) add the tomato purée, salt, sugar and the basil leaves. let simmer this sauce over low heat for at least 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the eggplants into slices not too thin. heat 5 tablespoons of olive oil in a small, non-stick frying pan until the bottom is covered with oil. when the oil sizzles, add a portion of the eggplant. fry for a few minutes on each side, until soft and golden. Place the slices on kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil. Repeat this for all the eggplant slices.

cook the pasta: fill a large pot with a lot of water (the pasta should be covered generously, otherwise it will stick) and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. add pasta and cook for of the time indicated on the package instructions, as the pasta will finish cooking in the oven. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and mix it with 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce, until the pasta is lightly coated with sauce.


assemble the pasta al forno: cover the bottom of a large oven-proof dish with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Put a layer of pasta on top, followed by a generous layer of tomato sauce, grated Parmigiano cheese, and a layer of eggplants and mozzarella. Repeat this until all ingredients are used. last, finish with a layer of tomato sauce.

cover the dish with aluminum foil and place it in the oven for about 20 minutes. uncover the dish and place it in the oven for another 10 minutes or until the mozzarella is melted and the top is a little crispy.

ingredients

600 g (1 lb 4 oz) pasta (penne or other short pasta)

1 l ready-made tomato purée

2 eggplants

2 mozzarella, cut in slices

150 g (5 oz, 1 cup) Parmigiano cheese, grated

75 ml olive oil

1 garlic clove, peeled

12 leaves fresh basil, torn by hand

1 tsp sugar

Salt

Pasta al forno

23

Belgium is the chocolate

country par excellence.

And for Belgian chocolate aficionados

like me, the dessert of choice is a

delicious chocolate mousse!

Annemie Kumps


heat the water and instant coffee in a medium-sized saucepan. add chocolate and stir over medium heat until the chocolate is melted. set aside to cool down.

whisk the egg whites in a bowl until they begin to form peaks. Gradually whisk in the powdered sugar. continue to whisk for 3-4 minutes until stiff.

in another bowl, beat the cream until thickened (consistency of yogurt).

using a spatula, gently fold spoonfuls of the beaten cream into the chocolate mixture until combined. then fold in the egg whites until the mixture is fluffy and light.

spoon the mousse into little cups or glasses and chill for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

chocolademousse met koffie

200 g (7 oz) dark chocolate, broken into pieces

50 ml (2 fl oz) water

1 tsp instant coffee

2 egg whites

½ tbsp powdered sugar

200 ml (7 fl oz, 1 cup) heavy cream

Coffee-flavored chocolate mousse / Belgiumingredients

25

these are

quintessential Belgian pancakes.

With a bit of practice, you can serve a

pancake in 10 minutes. The secrets to

make them so thin, golden, and tasty:

keep your frying pan really hot, and

don’t forget to add a pinch of salt.

Inge Struys

Eat your pancakes

with sugar or marmalade.

Or you can finish them with any

kind of fruit (apples, strawberries,

bananas, …). Ice cream lovers

may want to finish pancakes

with a serving of vanilla

ice cream.


Pancakes with raspberries / Belgium

separate the egg. Beat the egg white until the mixture holds stiff peaks.

add the milk, sugar, honey and salt in a separate bowl. sift in the flour and whisk to form a smooth pancake batter. add the egg yolk. carefully whisk in the egg white.

heat a 30 cm (12 inch) non-stick frying pan over high heat. add a small cube of butter and melt. Pour in a ladle of pancake batter (50 ml, 2 fl oz) and swirl the pan so the batter is evenly spread in a thin layer. Bake over medium heat until the bottom side is golden. with a thin spatula, flip the pancake and bake for another 20 seconds. slide onto a plate and keep warm.

Repeat this with the remaining batter, each time adding a little butter. stack the pancakes as you make them.

Prepare the raspberry jam: wash the raspberries and carefully drain them on a paper towel. add half of the raspberries with the sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan and boil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. stir occasionally. Remove from heat and cool.

fold two warm pancakes and put them onto a (warm) plate. add some raspberries, dust with powdered sugar and serve with the raspberry jam.

ingredients

For the pancakes:

1 egg

250 g (8 oz, 1 cup) all-purpose flour

500 ml (17 oz) milk

50 g (2 oz) butter

1 tbsp white sugar

1 tbsp honey

A pinch of salt

For the raspberry jam:

200 g (7 oz) raspberries

200 g (7 oz, 1 cup) white sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

Powdered sugar, to dust

Pannenkoeken met frambozen

27

this is a dessert from corsica, the

country of my grandparents.

It’s a little cake named canistrelli

(pronounce 'canistrell'). It was my

favorite cookie when I was a kid,

especially when it was flavored with

lemon and served with vanilla cream.

Next to lemon canistrelli, there are also

anis canistrelli – canistrelli with green

anis seeds or canistrelli with white wine,

oranges, almonds, white raisins, .…

The name canistrelli comes from

'canestro', which means basket in

Italian. Formerly, canistrelli were stored

in baskets full of straw to cool down.

Fabrice Axisa


Lemon canistrelli / France-Corsica

Preheat the oven to 180°c (350°f / Gas 4). line a baking tray with baking paper.

in a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and lemon zest. Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, oil and wine. with a fork, gently stir the liquids into the flour mixture until combined. Knead shortly with your hands until the dough is firm and forms a ball. add more flour if the dough remains sticky.

transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough with a rolling pin, or flatten it with the palm of your hands, to a rectangle form, 1 cm (½ inch) thick. with a sharp knife, cut the dough into cubes and carefully transfer these to the prepared baking tray. leave some space between the pieces as they will rise.

Bake for 20 minutes until the canistrelli are set. lower the heat to 165°c (325°f / Gas 3) and bake for 10 more minutes until they turn golden. transfer to a wire rack to cool.

canistrelli are served cold.

ingredients

600 g (1 lb 4 oz, 4 cups) all-purpose flour

250 g (8 oz, 1¼ cup) sugar

Lemon zest of 5 organic lemons

2 packets vanilla sugar (3 tsp)

1 packet baking powder (2 tsp)

150 ml (5 fl oz) vegetable oil

125 ml (4 fl oz, ½ cup) white wine

2 eggs

canistrelli au citron

29

it’s all about stacking layers of

fine ingredients on top of each

other. Galaktoboureko is well-known

throughout Greece. It combines the

typical ingredients of Greek desserts:

layered filo pastry and syrup.

This recipe, like other Greek recipes, is

a like a chip designer’s dream: stacking

layers of fine ingredients on top of

each other. Next, the stack is baked,

so the layer’s delicate flavors fuse. The

result offers much more taste than

the individual layers could ever do.

Its name, galaktoboureko, comes

from the words milk ( in Greek)

and bourek (from Turkish burek, baked

or fried filled pastry). So, literally, the

name translates as milk pie.

Dimitrios Velenis


Milk pie / Greece

Prepare the filling cream: beat the eggs with the sugar until the sugar has dissolved. add the vanilla sugar and lemon zest and beat for a few minutes more.

Boil the milk over medium heat and gradually drizzle the semolina flour into the milk, stirring continuously until the cream is thick and ready. add butter and stir. Remove the milk from the heat and add the egg and sugar mixture. stir until all ingredients are blended. let the cream cool down, then cover the pan with a clean towel.

take a medium-size baking tin (25 x 35 cm, 10 x 14 inch). Brush the bottom, sides, and rim of the pan with melted butter. Divide the filo sheets; half will be used for the bottom of the dessert, half for the top.

add one sheet of filo on the bottom of the baking tin, starting at one side and letting the excess filo extend over one side. Brush the filo on the bottom of the pan with melted butter. lay another sheet over the first, brush with butter, and continue until half the filo sheets have been used.

Pour in the filling cream and spread evenly. turn the extending edges of the filo over the cream.

Place the remaining filo on top, again buttering each sheet, and making sure the edges are folded inside. Butter the top of the last filo and sprinkle with some drops of water.

with a sharp knife, cut through the top filo layers, making diamond shapes. Don’t cut all the way through though. this will allow the syrup to penetrate the pie better, and it will make it easier to cut the prepared galaktoboureko afterwards.

Preheat the oven to 180°c (350°f / Gas 4). Bake the galaktoboureko for 45 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

Meanwhile, prepare the syrup. cook the water and sugar over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. flavor with the lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon stick and cloves. let it boil for another 10 minutes and leave to cool. Remove the cinnamon and cloves.

when the galaktoboureko is ready, top it with the syrup and let it cool for at least 4 hours (but preferably overnight).

Do not cover the pastry, so it remains crispy.

ingredients

10 sheets filo pastry

125 g (4½ oz, ½ cup) butter, melted

For the filling cream:

6 eggs

300 g (10½ oz, 1½ cups) white sugar

1 packet vanilla sugar (1½ tsp)

1 tsp lemon zest

2 l (72 fl oz, 8½ cups) milk

250 g (8 oz, 2 cups) fine semolina flour

1 tbsp butter

For the syrup:

750 ml–1 l (30-36 fl oz, 3-4 cups) water

1 kg (2 lb 4 oz, 4 cups) white sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 small cinnamon stick

3 cloves

galaktobourekoRecipe serves 8-12

31

EuropE noRth / noRthwest

all swedish have their own

Jansson’s recipe. Christmas in Sweden is synonymous

with large buffets. The herring buffet

serves variations of pickled herring and

the Jansson’s frestelse. The cold buffet

includes bread and fillings such as ham and

salami. And then there is a warm buffet

with meatballs, ground meat with cabbage,

spare ribs, sauerkraut, red cabbage, Brussels

sprouts, … Then, if you still have space

left, there is rice pudding with cinnamon

and milk.

All Swedish have their own Jansson’s

recipe. This is my favorite; I learned it

from my father. He tops his Jansson’s

with grated potato, breadcrumbs and

butter before putting it in the oven.

It makes a delicious crust!

Lars-Åke ragnarsson

A perfect Jansson’s

frestelse is served with

knäckebröd and Swedish

cheese, and with a cold

lager and an aquavit on

the side.

Recipe serves 4

Jansson's temptation / Sweden


Peel the onion and cut into thin slices. Peel the potatoes. save 1 or 2 potatoes for the finishing touch, cut the rest into fine strips.

Grease an ovenproof dish and cover the bottom with a layer of potato strips. add onions, anchovy filets and finish with more potato strips. flavor with about ½ of the cream and some of the anchovy oil. cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes.

take the dish from the oven and remove the foil. add the remaining cream. coarsely grate the remaining potatoes and sprinkle over the dish. top with the breadcrumbs and the remaining chunks of butter. Bake in the oven for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

let cool for a few minutes before serving.

tiP! the anchovies you’ll find in the Belgian stores are slightly different from the swedish anchovies. for an authentic swedish flavor, use anchovy-style sprat filets (available at iKea) instead of the anchovy filets on oil.

ingredients

8-10 medium-sized, firm potatoes

1 large onion

200 g (7 oz) anchovy filets on oil

300 ml (10 fl oz, 1¼ cup) heavy cream

2 tbsp breadcrumbs

30 g (1 oz) butter

Jansson's frestelse


35

in Yorkshire, when i was a kid,

a woman was only considered

a good Yorkshire-woman if she

could make good Yorkshire

pudding. And everyone in the villages knew who could

and who couldn’t! It really was the distinguishing

sign. My father was from Yorkshire, but my

mother wasn’t. She never made Yorkshire

pudding because she didn't want her cooking to

be compared to that of Yorkshire women, and

to my father’s mother in particular.

Roast beef was a standard meal in the fifties,

which were still pretty hard times in England.

On Sundays, we had freshly roasted beef. And

then on Monday, we would get cold beef. On

Tuesday, there would be stew, made from the

remaining beef. And somehow, we muddled

– culinarily speaking – through the rest of the

week until the next Sunday came along.

ron Cottam

Recipe serves 4

united Kingdomlet the beef warm to room temperature for about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 220°c (425°f / Gas 7).

Rub the beef with olive oil, salt and pepper. heat a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. add the beef to the dry frying pan and sear quickly on all sides until brown and crispy.

transfer the beef to a fairly shallow roasting pan. surround the beef with rosemary sprigs, and scatter the thyme leaves over the beef by pulling the sprigs through your fingers. top with chunks of butter. Place the roasting pan on a wire rack in the middle of the preheated oven and roast for 1 hour. Baste the roast with beef dripping after half an hour.

while the beef is roasting, prepare the Yorkshire pudding batter. Mix together the eggs, flour and salt in a large bowl. Gradually pour in the milk and whisk vigorously until the batter is fluid (like pancake batter). cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes.

lower the temperature of the oven to 175°c (350°f / Gas 4) and roast the beef for 20 more minutes. if you have a meat thermometer, it should read 57°c (135°f) for medium rare, depending on the size and shape of the roast and the amount of fat. it should be 65°c (147°f) if you prefer medium.

about 10 minutes before the roast is done, place 4 soufflé cups (120 g, 4 oz capacity each) on a spare shelf in the oven to preheat. when the roast is done, remove it from the oven. set aside and loosely cover with aluminum foil. let it rest for about 20 minutes. this allows the juices to set, and makes it easier to carve the meat.

Remove the soufflé cups from the oven and increase the temperature to 200°c (400°f / Gas 6). fill each cup with 1 table spoon of beef dripping and return the cups to the oven until the fat is smoking (2-3 minutes). Remove the Yorkshire pudding batter from the refrigerator and fill each cup three-quarters full with batter. Return the soufflé cups to the oven and bake for 20 minutes until fluffy, golden brown and crispy. Do not open the oven until ready (as the puddings may deflate).

Meanwhile, prepare the gravy: warm the roasting pan over low heat and stir the sediment with a wooden spoon. add some water (or beef stock made from a stock cube) and juices from the meat and boil until reduced by half.

Remove the Yorkshire pudding from the oven. carve the roast beef with a very sharp chef’s knife or an electric knife. Place a soufflé cup on a warm plate, together with 2 slices of roast beef topped with some gravy. serve immediately. accompany the roast beef and Yorkshire pudding with oven-roasted potatoes.

ingredients

For the roast beef:

1 kg 400 (3 lbs) rump of roast (rib or sirloin)

2 tbsp olive oil

50 g (2 oz) unsalted butter

4 sprigs rosemary

4 sprigs thyme

Salt and pepper

For the Yorkshire pudding:

3 eggs, beaten frothy

125 g (4 oz, 1 cup) all-purpose flour, sifted

275 ml (9¾ fl oz, 1 cup) full-cream milk

4 tbsp beef dripping

½ tsp salt

roast beef withyorkshire pudding


37

Whiskey originated in Ireland over

600 years ago, but Irish coffee is a

comparatively recent phenomenon.

It was invented by an Irish barman

called Joseph Sheridan in the 1940s. One

winter's night, some American travelers, on

a stopover at Shannon airport, asked for

something to fortify them from the cold

weather. Sheridan proposed adding a little

whiskey to their coffee. These tourists must

have enjoyed this innovation because shortly

afterwards Irish coffee started appearing in

restaurants and bars in the United States.

My wife hates the taste of whiskey so

when I am making Irish coffee she always

reminds me to make hers without alcohol.

One Christmas, several years ago, she picked

up my Irish coffee (with whiskey) by mistake

and drank it before I noticed the mix-up. She

commented on how much she enjoyed it, so

I didn't say anything.

one of the secrets of a

good marriage is knowing when to say nothing!

Ever since, I have always put a little

whiskey in her Irish coffee. She has never

noticed the additional magic ingredient

and often comments that no one

can make Irish coffee as good as I can!

John McCormack

Recipe serves 4

Ireland

use 4 irish coffee glasses or heat-resistant glass tumblers. Pour the whiskey into the glasses, and add the coffee, leaving about 2 cm (¾ inch) at the top of each glass for the cream.

stir in a level teaspoon of brown sugar. even if you do not normally take sugar in your coffee you need a little now to help the cream to float.

whip the cream until it is just starting to thicken. it is important not to overwhip the cream as it must still be pourable.

Pour the cream carefully onto the coffee so that it floats on top. to help prevent it from mixing with the coffee, pour the cream onto the back of a spoon held just above the surface of the coffee.

the coffee is drunk hot through the layer of cream.

ingredients

120 ml (4 fl oz, 1 cup) Irish whiskey

120 ml (4 fl oz, 1 cup) heavy cream (or whipping cream)

360 ml (12 fl oz, 1½ cup) freshly brewed coffee

4 tsp brown sugar

irish coffee


39

Recipe serves 4

EuropE centRal east / east

a soup forspecial occasions.

Festtagssuppe – it’s all in the name – is

a soup for special occasions. It is typical

for my native region, which is Franconia,

to the north of Bavaria (Germany).

Festtagssuppe is served on special occasions

such as weddings and first communions,

where 100 or more people are invited to

the table. Traditionally, the preparation of

Festtagssuppe starts the day before the

actual diner. The ingredients and the way of

preparing them have been handed over for

generations and are never changed.

Until some time ago, we had this peculiar

tradition: the cook, who had been working

for 2 days straight, put a piece of cloth in

the wood oven and let it slightly burn. She

then attached it to a large spoon in the

form of a sack. It was passed around the

table, so that the guests could see that the

cook had worked so hard that her apron

got burned. Everyone around the table then

put a small amount of money in the burned

sack as a tip for the cook.

Dirk Manger

Recipe serves 4

Wedding soup / Germany

Place a pot with 3 l (7 lbs) of water over medium heat. add the beef, bones, vegetables, bouquet garni, salt and crushed peppercorns, and bring to a boil. skim off any scum, then reduce the heat to low-medium and let simmer for at least 2 hours. Drain through a sieve and remove the meat, bones and vegetables. Drain the broth once more through a cheesecloth, to make sure any remaining splinters from the bones are removed. then pour the broth into a clean pot and let simmer at low heat for half an hour. You need at least 1 l (2¼ lbs, 4 cups) for 4 people.

Meanwhile, prepare the meatballs. in a large bowl, mix all ingredients into a firm mixture. add more breadcrumbs if the mixture is not firm enough. form ping-pong-sized balls with your hands. Plunge the balls into the simmering broth and bring to a boil. lower the heat and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave the balls in the broth for another 5 minutes.

add all ingredients for the batter in a bowl. Mix into a thin fluid batter (like pancake batter). fill a deep, non-stick frying pan with 5 cm (2 inch) vegetable oil and heat at 175°c (350°f). carefully pour in batter through a skimmer with large perforations, and fry the resulting strings for a few seconds until golden. Drain on paper towels.

Place the strings in a soup bowl; then add the soup and a few meatballs.

ingredients

For the soup:

1 kg (2¼ lbs) good quality beef (e.g. from a young ox) + some bones

2 stalks celery, cut in pieces

3 carrots, cut in pieces

1 large onion, peeled and cut in half


Salt and pepper

For the meatballs:

250 g (8 oz) ground beef liver

2 eggs

1 onion

2 tbsp chopped leaves of flat parsley

Ground nutmeg

Salt and pepper

Breadcrumbs

For the batter:

2 eggs

4 tbsp evaporated milk (10-20% fat)

100 g (3½ oz, ¾ cup) all-purpose flour

A pinch of salt

A pinch of baking soda

festtagssuppe


43

Pierogi is a christmas dish, but my mother knows i love it, and she always

prepares it when i visit Poland.

On Christmas Eve, the whole family is

united around one table. The oldest

person at the table opens the celebration

with the Christmas story from the bible.

The whole family then prays for the family

members that passed away during the past

year. Then everyone exchanges hostia

pieces, wishing each other all the best and

apologizing for any issues.

Traditionally, Christmas dinner consists

of 12 Christmas dishes, representing the

12 apostles. The cold dishes are put on

the table and you can eat them whenever

you like. The warm meals are served one

after the other: Beetroot soup, Pierogi

and fish. Last, the desserts, a variety of

cakes, are served.

Malgorzata pawlak

Pierogi can be served

in two ways: (1) Fry the onions

until golden and translucent. Place

some boiled pierogi on a plate and cover

with the fried onion and oil. Season with

salt. (2) Fry the boiled pierogi in sunflower

oil on medium heat. Make sure the oil does

not get too hot; the pierogi should be

equally golden on all sides.

Recipe serves 4

Dough dumplings of sauerkraut and mushrooms / polandMix all ingredients for the dough and knead. But not too long, the dough should still be a bit sticky.

scatter some flour on your working surface and rolling pin, to prevent the dough from sticking to the surface. take a portion of the dough, and roll it out with a rolling pin until it is 2-3 mm (1/16 inch) thick. Make sure the dough is not too thick. cover it with a clean towel and leave to rest.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. if you use canned sauerkraut, usually it is already cooked and the strong acid flavor is gone; just chop it finely. if you use raw sauerkraut, cook it first with 2 cups of water for about 20 minutes or until it is soft. Dry and cool the sauerkraut. then chop it finely.

add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large non-stick frying pan and place over medium heat. when the oil sizzles, add the chopped onions, season with salt, and fry until the onions become translucent. add the fried and chopped mushrooms, sauerkraut and more oil if necessary. season with salt and pepper, and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is combined. fry the onion, sauerkraut, mushroom mixture until golden brown. cool the filling before use.

with the rim of a teacup or glass, cut circles from the rolled-out dough. Put a teaspoon of the filling on one half of each circle. cover with the other half, forming a half-moon shape. Press with the palm of your hand to remove any remaining air. Drip some water on the edges of the pierogi, and seal them well with your fingertips or with the teeth of a fork.

fill a large pot with plenty of water, add ½ teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil. carefully add a batch of pierogi; do not overfill the pot. after 2 minutes of cooking, stir them carefully with a wooden spoon. Keep the water at a good boil and cook for 3-5 more minutes until the pierogi float to the top. from that moment on, cook for 3 more minutes. the total cooking time should be about 8 minutes, and not exceed 10 minutes.

carefully, not to break them, remove the pierogi from the water one by one with a slotted spoon. Place them on a clean towel. take care that the pierogi do not touch or they will stick.

Repeat with the remaining pierogi; make sure the water is boiling before you add the next batch.

ingredients

For the dough:

450 g (1 lb, 3 cups) all-purpose flour

Extra flour for kneading and rolling the dough

½ tsp salt

1 large egg

2 tbsp sour cream or 3 tbsp sunflower oil

125-250 ml (4-8 fl oz, ½-1 cup) lukewarm water

For the filling:

1 kg 800 (4 lbs) sauerkraut

450 g (1 lb) wild mushrooms, fried and finely chopped

2 onions, fineley chopped

Sunflower oil

Salt and pepper

Pierogi


45

sarmale is a christmas dish.

In the North of Romania, sarmale

is prepared with cabbage and in the

South with wine leaves. In the North

it resembles French cabbage rolls with

rice filling, in the South it is similar

to Greek stuffed wine leaves.

Sarmale takes some time and effort

to prepare, so it is typically served at

Christmas, as an in-between after the

starter and soup, and before the roast.

In every family, a huge cooking pot of

sarmale is prepared, enough to eat

sarmale for one and a half week. So

when you visit family or friends the

days after Christmas, they serve you

their sarmale stock. In the end, you’ve

had enough sarmale to survive until

next Christmas.

Alexandru Andrei

Serve the

sarmale with

sour cream.

Recipe serves 4

Cabbage rolls / romania

Put the rice in a large bowl and pour boiling water over it. let soak for 15 minutes, then drain and keep aside in a large bowl.

heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. add the carrots, onions and tomato paste. fry and stir until the vegetables are tender. then add them to the bowl with rice.

use the same non-stick frying pan and heat 2 more tablespoons of oil over medium heat. add the pork and beef and fry shortly for about 3 minutes until the meat is brown on the outside. with a wooden spoon, break up the meat into crumbs while frying. add the meat to the bowl with rice and vegetables and season with paprika powder, caraway seeds, salt and pepper. stir until everything is combined and set aside to cool.

carefully remove 16 leaves from the cabbage and place them in a large pot with about 10 cm (4 inch) of water and the lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes until tender and flexible. transfer to a sieve, rinse under cold running water and drain.

Grease a pot and cover the bottom with half of the sauerkraut.

Prepare the rolls: place 2 tablespoons of the meat, vegetable and rice mixture in the center of a cabbage leaf and wrap the leaf around to cover. start at the vein side, fold the sides over onto the filling. continue rolling to the edge of the leaf. Put the roll edge-side down in the pot, onto the sauerkraut. Do this with all the leaves: tuck the rolls tightly in the pot in a single layer. add a second layer if needed. top the rolls with the rest of the sauerkraut, including the juice. Pour boiling water into the pot to cover the cabbage rolls and place over medium heat. cover and let simmer for about 45 minutes.

ingredients1 medium cabbage

2 tbsp lemon juice

500 g (1 lb) sauerkraut

125 ml (4 fl oz, ½ cup) sour cream

For the filling:

200 g (7 oz, 1 cup) uncooked rice

4 tbsp sunflower oil

3 carrots, roughly grated

3 onions, chopped

3 tbsp tomato paste

250 g (8 oz) ground beef

250 g (8 oz) ground pork

1 tbsp sweet paprika powder

1 tbsp caraway seed

Salt and pepper

sarmale


47

traditional and popular.

The name 'Lapte de pasare' is Romanian;

it translates as 'bird's milk'. The dessert is

traditional and very popular in Romania. It is

made of egg white dumplings served with

a milky custard sauce. Usually the sauce is

thin, almost liquid, with a high proportion

of milk and with the dumplings floating on

the milk. There is a variation with a thicker

sauce, served on top of the dumplings.

Lapte de Pasare is an elegant dessert,

also befitting festivities where

champagne is served. Pofta buna!

Andrada Lazea

Recipe serves 4

Bird's milk /romania

add the milk and vanilla sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites until the mixture holds stiff peaks. while beating, add half of the sugar. optionally flavor the egg whites with a few drops of orange essence.

with the help of two tablespoons, form dumplings. Boil these for 1-2 minutes and on all sides in the milk. the dumplings will absorb some of the milk and then coagulate. Remove the dumplings from the milk and set aside. Keep the milk.

Place the egg yolks in a large metal bowl suspended over, but not touching, a pan of boiling water. Mix the egg yolks for a few minutes with the milk and the rest of the sugar. the mixture should thicken but remain thin enough so that it can be poured. add the dumplings – they should float on top of the sauce. Remove from the heat and let cool in the refrigerator.

serve cold, in a glass or crystal cup. Decorate with mint leaves or orchid flowers.

ingredients

1 l (36 fl oz, 4½ cups) milk

1 tsp vanilla sugar

6 eggs

200 g (7 oz, 1 cup) sugar

Orange essence (optional)

Mint leaves, to decorate

lapte de pasare


49

Recipe serves 4

EurASIA noRth / centRal

at celebrations, you combine

it with Russian vodka.

Borsch is a thick beetroot soup, famous

in Russia and all over East and Central

Europe. Borsch is served as a main dish,

in large portions, eaten from large plates.

According to a popular Russian saying,

grandmothers are the best cooks, even

better than restaurant chefs. And yes,

my grandmother’s borsch is the best

I’ve ever tasted.

Alexei Ivanov

In winter it

can be served hot, but in

summer it is mostly served cold.

For cold borsch, add more sugar.

Instead of pure beef, you may also use

a mixture of beef and pork, poultry

or even fish, depending on the

season or occasion.

Recipe serves 4 EurASIA noRth / centRal

Beetroot soup / russia

Place the beetroot in a pan and cover it with water. Bring to a boil and let simmer over medium heat for about 35 minutes or until the beetroot is tender. Remove the pan from the heat and let the beetroot cool in its liquid.

cut the beef in 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes. heat the oil over medium heat in a large non-stick frying pan and sear the beef cubes on all sides. Remove the beef cubes from the pan and set aside.

fry the onion in the same pan until soft, stirring occasionally. add the garlic and caraway seed and fry gently, without browning. add the seared beef, carrot, celery, bay leaf and allspice powder. cover with the beef stock. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 2 hours on low heat, until the meat is tender. carefully remove the beef cubes and set aside. sieve the broth and remove the vegetables.

Meanwhile, remove the beetroot from the liquid and keep ½ l (17 oz, 2 cups) liquid aside. cut two beetroots in small cubes and purée the rest in a food processor until smooth. add the vinegar to keep the deep magenta color and to add a slightly sour flavor. taste and, if necessary, add more vinegar. season with salt and pepper.

Bring the broth to a boil and add potato cubes, tomatoes, tomato purée, cabbage, beetroot purée, beetroot liquid and sugar. cover and let simmer for at least 15 minutes. add the meat and let simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes. add the beetroot cubes. sprinkle dill and parsley and season to taste.

serve hot, in small bowls, topped with a spoonful of sour cream and with a chunk of bread.

ingredients

600 g (1 lb 5 oz) beetroot, peeled


450 g (1 lb) beef

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ tsp caraway seed

1 carrot, finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

A pinch of allspice powder

1 bay leaf

1 l (36 fl oz, 4½ cups) beef stock

1 potato, peeled and cut in cubes

200 g (7 oz, 2½ cups) tomatoes, chopped

1 tbsp tomato purée

200 g (7 oz, 2½ cups) white cabbage, shredded

½ tsp brown sugar

2 tbsp dill leaves, chopped

1 tbsp parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper

100 ml (3½ fl oz) sour cream

borsch

53

legend has it that palov

was served to alexander the Great and his

army when he invaded Marokanda (nowadays

samarkand).Palov is one of the main dishes in

the Uzbek cuisine. The Uzbeks are

very proud people: they say they

cook the most delicious and tasteful

palov in Central Asia. On special

occasions such as weddings, the

Oshpaz, or master chef, cooks the

palov on an open flame, sometimes

serving up to 1,000 people from

a single cauldron. It takes years

of practice to prepare this dish –

containing up to 100 kilograms of

rice – for such a crowd.

Abdulaziz Karimkhodjaev

Recipe serves 4

Steamed rice with lamband vegetables / uzbekistan

first, prepare the lamb. this preparation is called zirvak: cut the lamb in 3½-4 cm (1½ inch) cubes. heat the oil in a large, heavy pot on a medium heat. carefully, to avoid spattering, add the onions, carrots, lamb cubes and half of the salt. fry, stirring frequently, for about 6 minutes or until the meat is seared all over, and the vegetables are tender. Pour in the water and spices and bring to a boil. lower the heat and let simmer over low heat for about ½ hour. add water if the mixture is no longer moist.

Meanwhile, soak the rice in cold salted water for 30 minutes. then rinse it under cold water until the water is clean. this will remove the starch and will keep the rice from sticking to the pot at the end of cooking. Drain the rice.

top the zirvak with the rinsed rice. carefully spread out the rice; do not mix it with the zirvak. slowly pour hot water over until it is about 2 cm (¾ inch) above the rice. add the remaining salt and bring to a boil. cook on medium heat until the water is evaporated. in uzbekistan, this is done in a kazan, a cone-shaped pot.

scoop the rice to the middle of the pot into a small pile, again without mixing the rice with the zirvak.

Pierce holes through the layer of rice, using the handle of the spoon. the moisture of the palov will evaporate and cook the rice. the holes allow the steam to pass through the rice.

lower the heat, cover the pot with a lid and let simmer for 15 minutes. take care the palov doesn’t burn. as ever, do not stir or mix the rice with the palov. Remove the pot from the heat, and set aside for 10 more minutes until all fluids are evaporated.

scoop a pile of rice on a plate and top with the zirvak.

ingredients

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) lamb, without bones

250 ml (8 fl oz, 1 cup) vegetable oil

6 large carrots, finely diced

4 onions, finely chopped

750 ml (1½ fl lbs, 3 cups) water

½ tsp salt

½ tsp caraway seeds

½ tsp cumin

Paprika powder, to taste

1 kg (2 lbs 4 oz) rice

Palov EurASIA noRth / centRal

55

Recipe serves 4

AFrICAwest / south / centRal / east-centRal

Bobotie all over africa.

Bobotie is a traditional South-African

sweet-and-sour dish with ground meat.

The origin of Bobotie can be traced

back to the Huguenots that fled France

in 1600-1700 and settled in the Eastern

Cape, where the dish was further

enriched with Malay influences.

Geraldine Jamieson

The yearly 'trek' had come

To visit 'ouma' by the sea

Food for the road had been baked

By my mom, my sis and by me

The road was long and hot

Hunger pangs took their toll

'Koeksisters' sweetened the mouth

While savory 'vetkoeks' filled the hole

Ouma's 'melkert' waiting on table

When we arrived in time for tea

There she was in the kitchen

Putting together the 'Bob-o-tie'

Recipe serves 4 AFrICA west / south / centRal / east-centRal

Sweet-and-sour oven dish / South-Africa

Preheat the oven to 180°c (350°f / Gas 4). Grease a large ovenproof dish.

heat the olive oil. fry the onion and garlic until wilted. add curry powder, turmeric and cumin. Mix, then fry for another minute until absorbed. add 1 tablespoon of water if too dry. Remove from heat and add the ground meat.

tear the bread into small chunks and place in a large bowl. add 2 tablespoons of milk, 1 egg, apricot jam, dried apricot or mango, raisins, almonds, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. add this mixture to the seasoned meat. Mix well and let simmer for 15 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.

Place the mixture in the ovenproof dish and flatten the top. stick the 2 bay leaves in the meat mixture. cover with aluminum foil and bake for ½ hour in the oven.

whisk in the remaining milk, egg and salt and cover the ground meat mixture. Bake for another 15 minutes, uncovered, until the top is golden brown and the egg mixture has set.

serve with yellow rice (white rice mixed with a pinch of saffron).

ingredients

600 g (1 lb 5 oz) beef (or lamb), ground

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp turmeric

1 thick slice white bread

125 ml (4½ fl oz, ½ cup) milk

2 eggs

1 tbsp lemon juice

30 g (1 oz) raisins

2 tbsp almond, flakes

1 tbsp apricot jam or chutney

2 tbsp dried apricots or mango, chopped

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp curry powder

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper

bobotie

59

in south-africa, you can buy them

in food stalls on every street

corner. they are especially popular at rugby matches,

where they are eaten as sweet

snacks.Koeksisters are made from fried dough

dipped in a cold syrup of sugar, ginger and

lemon. The trick is to dip your freshly fried

hot koeksisters in the cold syrup. This will

seal the syrup outside and leave the inside

of the koeksisters dry and crispy.

Koeksisters are quite a bit of work to

prepare, but well worth the job: they

taste delicious!

Geraldine Jamieson

Recipe serves 4

Deep-fried twisted doughnut dipped in syrup / South-Africa

Prepare the syrup: put all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a light boil. Boil over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has completely dissolved. cover the mixture with a lid and boil for 1 more minute. Remove the lid and boil the syrup for a further 5 minutes, without stirring, until it is thick and syrupy. Remove the syrup from the heat and allow it to cool for at least 2 hours in a refrigerator, but preferably overnight.

to make the batter, sieve the dry ingredients together. Mix in small chunks of butter with your fingertips. Beat the egg in a separate bowl and add 250 ml (8 fl oz, 1 cup) of the milk or water. Mix lightly with the dry ingredients until you have a soft dough. add more milk or water if the dough is too stiff. Knead well until small bubbles form under the surface of the dough. cover with a damp cloth and allow to stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

form koeksisters: roll out the dough, 1 cm (½ inch) thick. cut strips of 1 cm (½ inch) wide and plait 2 strips together.

heat vegetable oil to 180-190°c (360-375°f) in a non-stick frying pan. test the oil: a chunk of bread should turn golden brown in a minute. fry the koeksisters for about 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown. then turn them over with a fork and fry some more until the other side is golden brown as well. Remove the koeksisters and drain them on kitchen paper.

Place the container with the syrup in a bowl of ice so that the syrup will stay cold. Plunge the koeksisters in the cold syrup for 1-2 minutes. Remove them from the syrup with a slotted spoon, allowing the excess syrup to drip back into the container. Drain your koeksisters on a wire rack.

ingredients

For the syrup:

1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) sugar

500 ml (17 oz, 2 cups) water

10 cm (4 inch) fresh ginger, peeled and grated

½ tsp tartaric acid (or ½ tsp lemon juice, since tartaric acid is hard to find)

A pinch of salt

Lemon zest and juice of ½ lemon

For the dough:

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) all-purpose flour

½ tsp salt

2 tbsp baking powder

55 g (2 oz) butter

1 egg

250-375 ml (9-13 fl oz, 1-1½ cups) milk or water

Koeksisters AFrICA west / south / centRal / east-centRal

61

Recipe serves 4

AFrICAnoRth / MaGhReB

Couscous

is a staple ingredient of

North African cooking. It is made

from semolina grains, easy to prepare,

and very versatile. You may serve it

warm or cold, in salads, as stuffing

or as accompaniment. Using chicken

or vegetable stock instead of water

adds an additional flavor.

everybody in our family is crazy about

my mother’s couscous!

Every time my parents prepare

couscous, they invite me and my

sisters with our families to come and

join them for dinner. My favorite is

couscous with lamb, but you can

also prepare couscous with chicken

or squid. Vegetarians may want to

replace the meat with some extra

zucchini, pumpkin and chickpeas.

olfa Marzouk

Recipe serves 4 AFrICA noRth / MaGhReB

Couscous with lamb / Tunesia

in a bowl, mix the sweet paprika powder and cayenne pepper, grated ginger, bay leaves and 5 tablespoons of olive oil. coat the lamb chops and marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

in a small frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over low heat and fry the onions for 2 minutes, or until translucent and soft.

in a large, heavy frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. fry the lamb chops for 4 minutes on all sides or until just cooked through. add water to cover the lamb and bring to a boil. cook for 30 minutes at the boiling point. add the sautéed onions, orange juice, honey and cinnamon. season with salt and pepper. cook for another 15 minutes at the boiling point. add the almonds and prunes and mix until well combined. Remove from the heat, cover, and set aside to rest.

Meanwhile, place the dry couscous in a large bowl. add boiling water, covering the couscous and adding an extra 1.5 cm (½ inch) of water. set aside for 10 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Just before serving, fork through the couscous to separate the grains. then add the butter and fluff up with a fork.

spoon the lamb chops on a plate and top with the sauce. sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and serve immediately with the couscous.

ingredients600 g (1 lb 5 oz) lamb chops, cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes

115 ml (3½ fl oz) olive oil

2 tbsp sweet paprika powder

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp ginger root, finely grated

3 bay leaves

3 small onions, peeled and sliced

300 ml (10 fl oz, 1¼ cups) water

2 oranges, juice only

125 ml (4 fl oz, ½ cup) honey

1 tsp cinnamon

8 prunes, pitted

75 g (2½ oz) whole blanched almonds, roasted

Salt and pepper

180 g (6 ½ oz, 1 cup) couscous

300 ml (10 fl oz, 1¼ cups) boiling water


Sesame seeds, to garnish

Koskossi bilahm elkharouf

65

the mother of ali.

The name 'Om Ali' is Arabic and translates

as 'the mother of Ali'. My father is called

Ali, and so my grandma is Om Ali. When

we're eating Om Ali, we always joke that

we're eating grandma!

Legend has it that Om Ali was the wife of

the Sultan Ezz El Din Aybek, an Egyptian

ruler during the Mamluk era. Om Ali was

the first wife of the sultan and the mother

of his son Ali. After some years, the sultan

divorced Om Ali to marry the evil Shajar

Al-Dur. However, when Sultan Aybak

wanted to remarry a second time, Shajar

Al-Dur went crazy and killed him. Now

Shajar Al-Dur and Om Ali had a dispute

over whose son would be the successor to

the Sultan. In the end, Om Ali bribed Shajar

Al-Dur's servants to kill her by beating her

with wooden slippers. The whole city

celebrated Shajar Al-Dur’s death enjoying

the delicious dessert that Om Ali prepared

for this occasion.

Salma Bakr

Om Ali is an Egyptian dessert made from layers of crispy puff pastry

and nuts, and covered with sweet milk, cream and butter. Egyptians are crazy about it; they eat it on celebrations such as weddings

and family parties, but also on everyday occasions.

Recipe serves 4

Pastry with nuts / Egypt


Place the pastry on a buttered baking tray. Bake until puffed and the top layer turns crunchy and golden. watch closely: this will take only a short time. continue until all the sheets are baked.

Preheat the oven grill.

in a bowl, mix the walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, raisins, coconut and 1 tablespoon of sugar. crush the crunchy pastry and stir the pieces into the nut mixture. line a baking tray with baking paper and spread the mixture evenly.

Bring the milk and half the sugar to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Pour the sugared milk over the nut and pastry mixture.

Beat the heavy cream with the remaining sugar until stiff peaks form. spread the cream evenly over the mixture in the baking tray. Place the om ali under the grill until its top is golden brown.

serve hot.

ingredients

250 g (8 oz) ready-prepared puff pastry, in sheets

½ l (16 oz, 2 cups) milk

60 ml (2 fl oz, ¼ cup) heavy cream

125 g (4½ lb, ¾ cup) white sugar

30 g (1 oz, cup) walnuts, chopped

60 g (2 oz, ¼ cup) pecans, chopped

60 g (2 oz, ¼ cup) hazelnuts, chopped

60 g (2 oz, ¼ cup) raisins

50 g (1¾ oz, ¾ cup) coconut, flakes

om Ali

AFrICA noRth / MaGhReB

67

served in decorated glass

teacups. Traditionally, mint tea is served in

decorated glass teacups. It is poured

from a height, so that a layer of foam

is formed on the surface. The most

popular tea used is Gunpowder tea,

but Chinese green tea will do as well.

As the tea has to be served really hot,

there is only one way to drink it: the

Maghreb way. So slurp from your teacup

with a lot of pleasure and noise!

olfa Marzouk

Recipe serves 4

Mint tea / Maghreb countries

Bring 1 l (35 fl oz, 4 cups) water to a boil and rinse the teapot with a small amount of water. add some more hot water and swish around to warm the teapot.

wash the mint leaves under cold running water and shake to remove the water. Rub the mint leaves and stalks for a few seconds to release the flavors.

empty the teapot. add the tea, mint and sugar. cover with hot water, making sure all mint leaves and stalks are covered. if not, they will turn black and release a bad taste.

let the tea brew for no longer than 3 minutes (or it will turn dark and bitter). stir the leaves a few times with a large spoon.

Pour the tea into glass teacups and serve very hot.

tiP! to finish, you may sprinkle some pine tree seeds over the tea in your glass.

ingredients

10 fresh mint sprigs, undamaged

1½ tsp Gunpowder tea (or Chinese green tea)

6 tsp sugar

1 l (35 fl oz, 4 cups) water

chaiy binaanah

AFrICA noRth / MaGhReB

69

Recipe serves 4

ASIAwest / southwest / MiDDle-east

few ingredients, rich flavor.

Khoreshe fesenjan is an Iranian chicken

stew with pomegranate and walnut. It

is one of my favorite dishes and a

simple recipe, with few ingredients,

but the result is very rich in flavor.

Nuts are a typical ingredient in the

Iranian kitchen. But they are not cheap,

and therefore khoreshe fesenjan is served

on special occasions, for guests or family

visits, or at parties such as New Year's Eve.

Maryam Ashouei

You can personalize

the recipe: replace the

chicken with small meatballs or

sweet potato, or make it sweeter by

adding sugar. Also, you can easily

turn it into a vegetarian sauce

for rice; it will still taste

wonderful.

Recipe serves 4 ASIA west / southwest / MiDDle-east

Pomegranate chicken curry / Iran

heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan. add the chopped onion and fry until golden. add the chicken legs, season with salt and pepper and fry until the chicken legs are golden brown on all sides. add the water and bring to a boil. cover with a lid and cook for 25 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken legs from the pan and set the legs aside.

Meanwhile, add the walnuts to a food processor and process. the result should be a paste.

add the walnut paste and the pomegranate paste to the chicken broth and stir to combine. let simmer for about 2 hours on low heat, until the sauce is brown and the walnut oil floats on the surface.

add the chicken legs and cover them with the sauce. let simmer for another 20 minutes. serve with white rice.

to garnish: add a handful of pomegranate seeds and sprinkle them over the dish.

ingredients

4 chicken legs

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

250 ml (8 fl oz, 1 cup) water

250 g (8 oz, 1½ cup) walnuts

3 tbsp pomegranate paste

Salt and pepper

Khoreshe fesenjan

73

turkish tradition has it that

kebabs were invented by

medieval turkish soldiers.

They used their swords to grill meat

over open-field fires. However, the

dish has been native to the Near East

and East Mediterranean - especially in

Greece - since ancient times.

Deniz Sabuncuoglu Tezcan

Recipe serves 4

Lamb shish kebab / Turkey

start preparing the shish kebabs a day ahead. cut the lamb into 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes, trimming off any excess fat and silver skin. Place the lamb cubes on a non-metal plate.

Prepare the marinade: mix the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, onion and oregano in a bowl. Pour the marinade over the lamb and season well with pepper and salt. turn the lamb cubes over with a spoon to coat them well. cover with plastic foil and refrigerate overnight.

the next day, remove the plate from the refrigerator 1 hour before and keep at room temperature.

Blanch the shallots in boiling water for 5 minutes, then plunge them into cold water. Peel and trim. slice the sweet pepper in half along the length; remove the seeds and ribs, and cut in 2.5 cm (1 inch) squares. clean the mushrooms with a mushroom brush or paper towel. arrange the lamb cubes and vegetables on the skewers, pressing them firmly together.

Preheat the grill (or barbecue). Place the kebabs on a wire rack or side by side across the length of a roasting pan, and grill until the lamb is just done, pink but not raw, 4-5 minutes for each side.

Place 2 shish kebabs on a plate and serve with pide or rice.

tiP! should you use bamboo skewers, first soak them in water for at least 30 minutes.

ingredients

For the shish kebabs:

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) lamb, boneless

12 shallots

1 green sweet pepper

1 yellow sweet pepper

12 mushrooms

For the marinade:

3 tbsp olive oil

1 lemon, juice only

2 garlic cloves, grated

1 onion, grated

1 tsp oregano

Salt and pepper

ASIA west / southwest / MiDDle-east

Kuzu sis kebap

75

in every turkish city you’ll find

pide houses. The dough thickness and shape

may vary from city to city.

Pide is a flat bread, whose history

extends far into antiquity, since flat

breads in general, whether leavened

or not, are among the most ancient

breads, needing no oven or even

utensil for their baking.

Deniz Sabuncuoglu Tezcan

Recipe serves 4

Turkish bread / Turkey

Mix the yeast with the sugar and ½ cup of lukewarm water. sift the flour in a large bowl, add the yeast mixture, and stir until combined. Make a well in the center and add the rest of the lukewarm water.

turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 15 minutes with your hands until the dough is elastic and smooth and doesn’t stick to your hands. cover the dough with a damp clean towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1-1½ hours or until the dough has doubled in size.


turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut it in half. stretch each piece so you have a flat, round cake of around 30 cm (12 inch). flatten the center a little more.

Grease a baking tray and scatter some flour over it. Place the dough of one pide on the tray.

Mix the egg yolk with olive oil and sugar and brush half of the mixture on the top of the pide. Dip your pointing finger in the olive oil and make indentations on the top of the dough. scatter half of the sesame seeds over the dough and place the baking tray in the middle of the oven. Bake the pide for 15 minutes, or until golden. next, bake the second pide.

cool the pide on a wire rack.

ingredients

7 g (1 packet) dried yeast

1 tsp sugar

500 g (1 lb 2 oz, 3½ cups) all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

375 ml (13¼ fl oz, 1½ cups) lukewarm water

Olive oil, to grease

1 egg yolk

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp sesame seeds

Pide

ASIA west / southwest / MiDDle-east

77

Recipe serves 4

ASIAeast / southeast

Known for its healing and

healthy properties.

My mother taught me how to prepare

this dish, which is very popular in the

south of China. It’s a typical lunch or

dinner dish, one of the dishes of a meal.

I always take the soup first and then the

rice and other dishes, but you may as well

do it the other way around.

Lotus root soup with ribs is not only tasty

and easy to prepare, it is also known for its

healing and healthy properties. Lotus roots,

jujube fruit and cuttlefish have been used

in Chinese medicine for centuries.

Being abroad, I miss the Chinese food.

What the Chinese restaurants here

serve does not resemble the real Chinese

kitchen. In China, you still taste the flavor

of the different ingredients; it is not

mixed and covered with sauce.

Shuzhen You

Recipe serves 4 ASIA east / southeast

Lotus root soup with ribs / China

Blanch the pork ribs in boiling water. wash them well in cold water to remove the remaining impurities; then drain them. trim off the excess fat and set aside.

soak the red dates for a few minutes, until softened.

Peel the lotus roots and cut in slices. Put the roots in a bowl of water to prevent them from turning black. You may use canned lotus root if fresh roots are not available.

Prepare the broth: place the cleaned ribs, the sliced lotus root and the cuttlefish in a large pot with 1 l of water and bring to a boil. lower the heat and let simmer for 45 minutes. skim the surface if necessary.

taste and flavor with salt. serve in small bowls.

tiP! when you prepare everything in one bowl, it will have the perfect flavor.

ingredients

400 g (13 oz) pork ribs

300 g (10 oz) lotus root

1 tbsp red Chinese dates (jujube)

1 dried cuttlefish (if available)

1 l (32 fl oz, 4 cups) water

Salt

lian ou pai gu tang

81

sushi means vinegar rice.

In the old days, sushi was prepared with

fish, rice and added salt to ferment and

preserve the fish. Nowadays sushi has little

resemblance to the old-style sushi. It is

prepared with rice and vinegar, but the

fish and other toppings are fresh.

Sushi rolls with fillings wrapped in seaweed

are called maki sushi. They are the sushi

variety famous all over the world. In Japan,

maki sushi is only one of the many sushi

variations. Nigiri sushi are prepared by

manually squeezing sushi rice and putting

ingredients on top. At celebrations or

family reunions, chirashi sushi is popular;

chirashi sushi is a bowl of rice with

ingredients nicely arranged on top.

For the novice, eating sushi with

chopsticks may be dangerous. You

could end up staining your neighbor's

clothes with shoyu (soy sauce).

Takuo FunayaSushi is served with

shoyu (soy sauce) and wasabi

(spicy Japanese horseradish). Mix a

tiny bit of wasabi (be careful, a little

bit goes a long, long way) in a small

bowl of shoyu and dip the topping of

the sushi. Eat vinegared ginger

between the bites to cleanse

the palette.

Recipe serves 4

if you use dry shiitake, soak them at least 2-3 hours in advance or preferably overnight. to do so, cover them with warm water in a small bowl. Before cooking the sushi rice, wash it thoroughly until the water is clear. Place the rice in a pot and cover with water until about 1.5-2 cm (½-¾ inch) above the rice. Bring to a boil. lower the heat and cook, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes, until the water is almost evaporated. stir carefully, without mashing the grains. Remove the pot from the heat and cover with a clean towel.

combine all ingredients for the sushi rice vinegar and mix vigorously until dissolved. while the rice is still warm, gradually sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the rice, fanning the rice as you go. Do not stir, and avoid mashing the grains. cover the pan with the towel and set aside. Place the deep-fried tofu in a sieve and pour hot boiling water over it to remove the excess oil. Drain the sheets and pat dry with paper towels. cut in fine strips, and set aside. Remove the tip and strings from the snow peas. Blanch for about 30 seconds in boiling salted water. Drain, cut in fine dices and set aside.

Drain the shiitake mushrooms and squeeze them gently to discard any remaining water. Remove the stems and cut the shiitake caps in fine dices. Place a non-stick frying pan on medium heat, add the shiitake, and stir in the soy sauce. lower the heat and cook until the soy sauce is evaporated and the shiitake are done.

Prepare the lotus root (renkon): pour about 250 ml (8 fl oz, 1 cup) of water in a large bowl and add 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar. Peel the lotus root and cut in half lengthwise. cut in very thin slices and place immediately in the vinegar water to avoid discoloration. soak for 5 minutes. fill a medium-sized pot with enough water to cover the renkon and bring to a boil. add 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar and the lotus root. cook for about 2 minutes until they are soft but still crunchy. while the lotus root is cooking, place in a bowl: 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix vigorously. taste and add a little water if too sour. Drain the lotus root and add it to the vinegar mix while still hot. leave to marinate.

Remove the heads and shells of the shrimps. with a knife, carefully remove the dirt from the tails and rinse under cold running water. Place the sake, mirin and salt in a small pan and bring to a boil. add the shrimps and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside. cut the eels (unagi) in 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces.

assemble the chirashi sushi: mix half of the rice lightly with the shiitake, tofu and half of the shredded egg. transfer to a serving plate and cover with the remaining rice. top the rice mixture with the sliced lotus root, shrimps, eel, shredded omelet and peas. finish with seaweed (nori) and salmon roe. serve at room temperature.

ingredients

ASIA east / southeast

chirashi sushiVinegared rice with fresh vegetables and fish toppings / Japan

For the sushi rice:

360 g (11½ oz, 2 cups) Japanese short-grain sushi rice

For the sushi rice vinegar:

2 tbsp sugar

½ tsp salt

4 tbsp Japanese rice vinegar

2 tbsp water

For the toppings:

8 fresh (or dry) shiitake mushrooms

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 piece deep-fried tofu (abura-age)

60 g (2 oz) snow peas

1 lotus root (renkon)

4 tbsp Japanese rice vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

½ tsp salt

12 raw shrimps

4 tbsp sake

2 tbsp mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine, for cooking)

A pinch of salt

3 roasted, marinated eels (unagi)

2 tbsp shredded seaweed (kizammi nori)

4 tbsp salmon roe (ikura)

83

light and fresh-tasting.

Tempura reflects all the qualities of

Japanese cuisine: the use of fresh

ingredients, the artful presentation,

and the perfect technique of a skilled

chef. The result is a fried food that

is light and fresh-tasting.

Tempura was brought to Japan,

surprisingly, by the Portuguese. Before

long, the dish was adapted to the

Japanese cuisine. Today it is popular

both in and outside of Japan. There

are restaurants specializing in tempura,

ranging from inexpensive fast food

chains to very expensive five-star

restaurants. Many restaurants offer

tempura as part of a set meal or

a bento (lunch box).

Takuo Funaya

Itadakimasu! 'I receive/accept thiswith thanks'. In Japan, every meal begins with a slight bow and the expression 'Itadakimasu'.

Recipe serves 4

Shrimp and vegetable tempura / JapanRemove the heads and shells of the shrimps but keep the tails. Make little incisions on the inside (stomach side) of the shrimps and lightly press the back to straighten them. with a knife, carefully remove the dirt from the tails. then pat the shrimps dry with kitchen paper, and refrigerate them.

Remove the stem, ribs and seeds from the sweet pepper, and dice it. cut the carrots in two, lengthwise. cut the zucchini and sweet potato in slices of 1 cm (½ inch). Don’t cut the shiitake.

in a small saucepan, mix all the ingredients for the dipping sauce. heat over low heat. Keep warm.

Beat the egg in a bowl and add the ice cold water. add the flour and mix lightly with a couple of chopsticks (hashi), leaving some lumps in the mixture. the lumps, along with the cold batter, result in the typical fluffy and crisp tempura texture after frying. add ice cubes to keep the batter cold.

heat the peanut oil in a deep pan or wok to 175°c (350°f). add the ½ teaspoon of perfumed sesame oil.

Dust the shrimp and vegetables in flour, soaking up any remaining moisture. then shake off any excess flour. lightly dip the ingredients, one by one, into the batter. start with the vegetables, as it takes longer to fry them. Deep-fry the ingredients until crisp, turning them once. Between batches, skim off the bits of batter that float in the oil to keep the oil clean.

Drain the tempura on a wire rack or a paper towel and keep warm until everything is fried.

Pour the dipping sauce in 4 little bowls. serve the tempura on a plate with the dipping sauce.

tip! add daikon (grated Japanese radish) to the dipping sauce to aid the digestion.

ingredientsFor the filling:

8 raw large shrimps

1 red or green sweet pepper

2 small carrots

½ zucchini

½ sweet potato, peeled

4 fresh shiitake (Japanese mushrooms)

600 ml (20 fl oz, 2.5 cups) peanut or canola oil

½ tsp perfumed sesame oil

For the tempura batter:

1 egg

250 ml (8 fl oz, 1 cup) ice cold water, prefer-ably soda or sparkling water


2 ice cubes

For the dipping sauce:

125 ml soy sauce

2 tbsp mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)

½ tsp perfumed sesame oil

1 tsp sesame seeds

ebi to yasai no tempura


85

Vietnamese spring rolls are made from

rice paper. Living abroad, I always prepare

them when I have friends for visit.

My favorite variation is made with crab

meat which gives the spring rolls a strong

flavor, but you can also prepare vegetarian

spring rolls or make variations with shrimps.

nem ran - vietnamese

spring rolls - is a traditional dish

in vietnam.It is often served as the first dish

(appetizer) or combined with other

dishes. It has long been a preferred food

on special occasions such as New Year

and other family festivities. Unlike other

Vietnamese dishes, spring rolls are prepared

in the same way throughout the whole of

Vietnam.

Nga pham

You may store

spring rolls in the freezer.

To do so, fry the rolls for 2.5

minutes. Then let them cool down

and freeze. When you want to use

them, fry the rolls for 3 more

minutes. Rolls that are fried

twice are more crispy.

Recipe serves 4

Vietnamese spring rolls / Vietnam

Place the wood-ear mushrooms (or chinese dried mushrooms) in a heatproof bowl.

cover with warm water and set aside for 30 minutes to soak. Drain and finely chop.

soak the noodles for 15 minutes in hot water to soften. Drain and cut into approxima-

tely 5 cm (2 inch) strips.

in a food processor combine the drained mushrooms, pork (or a combination with

chicken or shrimps), shallot and carrot. Gently pulse until minced, not mushy. add

the egg and pulse until the egg is absorbed. transfer this mixture to a large bowl.

season with pepper and fish sauce (or salt). add the noodles and bean sprouts and

mix all the ingredients with a wooden spoon until combined. set aside.

Moisten each rice paper wrapper with a wet towel and allow to soften until flexible.

Be careful not to moisten the rice paper too much or it will tear and fall apart. when

the rice paper is flexible, place about 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of

each sheet. fold the left and right side of the rice paper into the center. then roll up

the bottom edge, but not too tightly as this will cause the paper to split while frying.

Repeat this for the remaining rice paper sheets and filling.

heat the peanut oil in a frying pan to 180°c (360°f). to test if the oil is ready, add a

cube of bread. it should turn golden brown in 20 seconds. fry several rolls at a time

over medium heat for about 4 minutes or until golden on all sides. Drain the rolls on

a wire rack and then place them on kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining rolls,

heating the oil between batches.

tiP! to serve, arrange coriander, lettuce leaves and cucumber on a large plate to be

put in the center of the table. fill several bowls with a sweet chili sauce for spring

rolls. the coriander and lettuce leaves are wrapped around the rolls and then dipped

into the sauce.

ingredients

12 round rice-paper sheets, diameter 18 cm (7 inch)

Peanut oil, to fry

For the filling:

25 g (½ cup) dried wood-ear mushrooms

75 g (2-3 oz) glass noodles (mung bean vermicelli)

300 g (10 ½ oz) pork (or chicken)

1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 egg, lightly whisked

1 tbsp fish sauce or 1 tsp salt

200 g (7 oz) bean sprouts (soybeans)

1 tsp pepper

nem ran


87

literally, 'mapo' means

'old woman with a pockmarked

face'. Legend has it that an old widow who

had survived smallpox was forced to

live at the outskirts of Chengdu – the

capital of Sichuan. One night she was

visited by a farmer and his son who took

shelter from a rainstorm. Pleased with the

company, the old woman prepared them

a meal with the ingredients she found in

her larder – including the dish now known

as mapo tofu. The cooking reputation

of the old woman soon spread among

farmers visiting Chengdu’s markets. Being

farmers, they would often bring along the

ingredients for her dish.

As time passed, the dish evolved. However,

the staple ingredients have always been:

an ounce of ground pork or beef, a few

ounces of tofu, and an ample amount of

ground Sichuan pepper.

Xiao Sun

Mapo tofu is a popular dish from the Sichuan province in Southwest China. It reflects the style of Sichuan cooking, which is spicy. Mapo tofu is served in a bowl, as one of the many dishes of a Chinese meal.

Recipe serves 4

Spicy tofu and pork stew / China

Drain the tofu and cut it into 2 cm (¾ inch) cubes.

Prepare the sauce: mix the chicken stock, bean paste, half of the soy sauce, rice wine and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. set aside.

Put the ground meat in a large bowl with the remaining soy sauce and the sesame oil. stir to combine and let marinate for 15 minutes.

heat a wok over high heat, then add oil. the oil should become hot, but not yet smoking. add the meat and stir-fry, breaking up any lumps. add more oil if the meat sticks.

add the garlic, ginger and half of the spring onions and stir-fry for about 15 seconds until fragrant. add the sauce, stir and bring to a boil. now gently mix in the tofu. Reduce the heat and let simmer for another 5 minutes.

Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water and add to the wok to thicken the sauce. taste and season if necessary. finish with freshly ground sichuan pepper and the remaining spring onions.

ingredients

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) tofu

250 ml (8 fl oz, 1 cup) chicken stock

1 tbsp hot bean paste

250 g (8 oz) ground pork or beef


2 tbsp soy sauce

1½ tbsp Shaoshing rice wine

½ tsp dark sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tsp ginger, grated

4 spring onions, sliced

Salt

1 tbsp cornstarch

Sichuan pepper

mapo tofu


89

Red cooked pork is popular all

over China, but different names and

varieties exist in different regions.

30 years ago, when i was a

child, china was very poor. as we

couldn’t afford to eat meat

every day, red cooked pork

was a treat. To this day, it is special to me,

recalling the delicious smells

when my mother was cooking.

Zhe Ma

Recipe serves 4

Red cooked pork / China

trim the fat from the pork and cut it into 5 cm (2 inch) cubes.

heat some oil in a large non-stick frying pan and add the pork. fry the pork pieces on all sides until brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. Drain off the oil from the pan.

Put ¼ of the red wine in the pan. add the sugar and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is syrupy. add the pork, onion, ginger and garlic. toss to coat and cook for another 5 minutes.

add the shaoshing rice wine, soy sauce, five-spice powder and the remaining wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for about 2 hours, until the meat is tender and shreds easily with a fork. season to taste: the dish should be fairly sweet.

add cooked rice in a bowl. spoon the pork and sauce over the rice and sprinkle with sliced spring onions. top with a few coriander leaves.

ingredients

1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) pork shoulder

250 ml (8 oz, 1 cup) red wine

2 tbsp sugar

1 onion, chopped

2 tbsp ginger, grated


200 ml (7 fl oz, ¾ cup) dark soy sauce

4 tbsp Shaoshing rice wine

1 tsp five-spice powder

4 spring onions, sliced

Coriander leaves

Vegetable oil

Hong shao rou


91

One hour ... the time I had to leave

my office and meet my (then future)

husband Peter while he was visiting

Taiwan. A short but valuable moment,

which we enjoyed over gong bao xia.

After that, every time we met, we

ordered the same dish.

for us, it symbolizes

getting together.

The owner of the small restaurant

where we eat our gong bao xia is my

mother's age. The restaurant's interior

is decorated with old Taiwanese-

style furniture and pictures. When

the owner first served us gong bao

xia – prepared with red hot chilies

– we were afraid the dish would be

too spicy. But the red chilies smelled

delicious and the peanuts were dry

and crispy.

No doubt, next time when

we visit Taiwan, we will eat

gong bao xia.

Cathy Liu – peter Lemmens

Serve in small

bowls and top with

chopped spring

onions.

Recipe serves 4

Spicy shrimps with peanuts / Taiwan

Remove the heads and shells of the shrimps, but keep the tails. carefully cut a slice at the back and remove the dirt from the tails. Pour water in a large bowl, add the shrimps and 2 tablespoons of salt, and leave for 15 minutes. then place the shrimps in a colander and rinse under cold running water to remove the salt and any remaining impurities. Pat the shrimps dry with kitchen paper and refrigerate.

cut the red hot chilies in very thin slices. the seeds will make the dish extra hot; you can remove them if you want your shrimps to be less hot. Peel the garlic and cut it in thin slices. Peel the ginger root and finely grate it. Put all ingredients in separate small bowls and keep aside.

cut the spring onions in small slices and set aside.

heat a large, non-stick frying pan on medium heat and add the peanuts. toss for a few minutes until the peanuts turn golden brown.

Prepare the roux: combine rice wine, egg white, sugar, soy sauce, starch and vinegar in a bowl and mix well until combined.

heat the peanut oil in a wok on a high heat until the oil starts to smoke. fry the shrimps for 2 minutes, remove, and set aside. stir in the chilies, garlic and ginger and fry for a few seconds to release the fragrance. add the peanuts and mix with a wooden spoon. cook for 1 minute, add the roux, and mix well to combine all ingredients.

Remove the wok from the heat and stir in the shrimps. flavor with sesame oil.

ingredients

20 rainbow or tiger shrimps

3 red hot chilies

3 garlic cloves

2,5 cm (1 inch) fresh ginger root

3 tbsp peanut oil

80 g (3 oz, ½ cup) unsalted peanuts

2 stalks spring onions, green part

½ tsp sesame oil

For the roux:

1 tbsp rice wine

1 egg white

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp rice vinegar

gong bao xia


93

Bibimbap is mixed rice - bibim meaning

‘mixing together’ and bap ‘rice’. It is a

traditional South-Korean dish consisting

of rice mixed with several ingredients,

hot chili paste and sesame oil.

There are many Bibimbap variations.

The most popular one, also my favorite,

is Chunjoo Bibimbap, with bean sprouts,

roots of balloon flower and green

pumpkin, meat, fried eggs and chili paste.

Chunjoo is famous for its tasteful bean

sprouts and the abundant sun in the

Chunjoo region makes the chili spicier.

Koreans say: 'if you loose your

taste and appetite, bibimbap will help

you recover'.Sang-pil Sim

Recipe serves 4

Boiled rice with meatand vegetables / Korea

wash the rice several times in cold water until the water is clear. Drain and place the rice in a heavy pot. add 600 ml (20 fl oz, 2½ cups) cold water. cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer, covered, for about 15-20 minutes or until the rice is done. Remove the pot from the heat and set aside, covered.

Prepare the vegetables and set aside in separate bowls: Rinse the (soy) bean sprouts. Put them in a large pot with 125 ml (4 fl oz, ½ cup) water and ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 8 minutes. Drain and mix with 2 table spoons of sliced spring onion, ½ teaspoon of minced garlic and ½ teaspoon of sesame oil.Put the spinach in a pot of boiling water and blanch for 30 seconds. Rinse it under cold running water, drain, and squeeze lightly. season with a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Blanch the carrots in boiling water for 1 minute and drain. sprinkle the zucchini with ½ teaspoon of salt and mix. after a few minutes, wash out the salt. Blanch the zucchini in boiling water for 1 minute and drain.sauté the shiitake slices with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil until soft. add 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, ½ teaspoon of sesame seeds, and stir for 2 minutes.

cut the beef into thin slices and coat the slices with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. when the oil turns hot and smoky, add the beef and stir-fry for 1 minute. Mix ½ teaspoon of sesame oil with the beef.

Beat the egg lightly with a fork. Place 1 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick frying pan and pour in the egg mixture. fry until the mixture is set. turn the omelet on a chopping board and slice it into thin strips.

Prepare the chili paste seasoning: mix the chili paste with the remaining slices of green onion and minced garlic, and add sugar and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Place in a small bowl.

Place the cooked rice in large bowl and arrange the vegetables on top. sprinkle with the remaining sesame oil and sesame seeds. arrange the beef on top. Place the egg in the center.

tiP! During dinner, pass around the chili paste seasoning in a separate bowl. add your preferred amount of chili paste and mix with a spoon.

bibimbap


ingredients

360 g (11½ oz, 2 cups) short-grain (Korean or Japanese) rice

50 g (1¾ oz) (soy) bean sprouts

50 g (1¾ oz) spinach

50 g (1¾ oz) carrots cut into thin strips (julienne)

1 zucchini, cut into thin strips

50 g (1¾ oz) shiitake mushrooms, cut in thin slices

50 g (1¾ oz) beef eye filet

1 egg

25 g (1 oz, ½ cup) finely sliced spring onion


50 ml (2 fl oz) vegetable oil

50 ml (2 fl oz) sesame oil

1½ tsp salt

2 tbsp chili paste

75 ml (3 fl oz) soy sauce

1 tsp sesame seed

½ tsp sugar

95

Recipe serves 4

ASIAsouth

I was born in the Netherlands,

and learned to enjoy Indian food

while I was employed in Ireland,

where my Indian friends served me

all the wonderful Indian dishes.

this is my favorite.

Dino Seelig

Recipe serves 4 ASIA south

Flat bread / India

Prepare the yeast mixture: place the yeast in a bowl. add and stir 2 tablespoons of warm water and a pinch of sugar. cover the bowl and leave to rise.

in a large bowl, sift the flour and stir in the baking powder, salt, remaining sugar and 2 tablespoons of ghee (or olive oil). add the yeast mixture and gently fold it into the flour. Gradually add the yogurt and stir until combined. Mix until the dough forms a ball.

transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface and knead it with your hands for about 5 minutes until it is elastic. if the dough is too dry, add some oil or yogurt. if it is too liquid, add some flour. Place the dough in a bowl; cover it with a clean towel and leave it for 2-3 hours at room temperature until it has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 220°c (425°f / Gas 7). line a baking tray with baking paper.

Divide the dough into 8 lemon-sized balls and let rest for another 3-4 minutes. with the palms of your hand, press each ball into an oval shape ½-1 cm (¼-½ inch) thick. Place on a baking tray, brush lightly with the remaining ghee (or olive oil), sprinkle the coriander and onion seeds on top and bake for about 10 minutes, until puffed up and golden brown.

tiP! serve warm, with a curry or chicken dish.

ingredients

2 tbsp dry yeast

1 tbsp sugar

600 g (1 lb 5 oz, 4 cups) all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp melted ghee at room temperature (or olive oil)

½ l (17 fl oz, 2 cups) yogurt

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp onion seeds

1 tsp salt

naan

99

Chutney is a spicy mix that is

served with dishes, such as dosa.

Good chutney will whet your

appetite.It will spice up even the blandest

of foods. Indian chutneys are spicy

and hot. Spicy because they contain

a lot of Indian spices and hot because

of the chilies that are added. If the

real Indian chutney is too hot for

your taste, you can keep the

spices, but don’t use the chilies.

Sandeep Sangameswaran

Recipe serves 4

Prepare the coconut chutney as follows:

if you use fresh tamarind, first put it in water for 10 minutes, then crush to extract the juice. fry the chili, garlic and nuts in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat for 1 minute to release the flavors. Put in a blender and add the coconut and tamarind (juice or paste). for a firm chutney, grind. and for loose chutney, blend and add water and salt.

Prepare the coriander-tomato chutney as follows:

wash the coriander and pick the leaves from the stem. cut the tomato into small cubes. Place the coriander and tomato in a blender. add the coconut, chilies, and tamarind paste and blend to a thick paste.

heat the vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan and, when hot, add the mustard seeds. stir-fry on low heat for a few seconds until the flavors are released. add the urid dal and fry golden brown. add the ground paste and fry until the raw smell disappears. add salt to taste and serve.

tiP! serve the chutney in small bowls with dosa (for recipe see p. 103).

ingredients

For the coconut chutney:

1 long tamarind bean (or 1 tbsp tamarind paste)

4 red hot chilies, seeds re mo ved and finely sliced

70 g (2½ oz, ½ cup) fresh coconut, grated


1 tbsp ground nuts

Salt

For the coriander- tomato chutney:

40 g (1¼ oz, 1 cup) coriander leaves

1 large tomato

70 g (2½ oz, ½ cup) fresh coconut, grated

2 green hot chilies, seeds removed and finely sliced


½ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp urid dal (yellow lentil)

A pinch of tamarind paste

Salt

naariyal & dhaniyaa-tamaatar chatni

ASIA south

Coconut chutney & coriander-tomato chutney / India

101

thin crispy dosas make an amazing

breakfast. Dosa, a dish originally from South India,

is hugely popular in the UK and the US.

Dosas can be combined with side

dishes such as chutney (for recipe see

p. 101), sambar or masala. It is also a

popular breakfast or light meal (along

with chutney) in many parts of India.

Sandeep Sangameswaran

Recipe serves 4

Pancake made from rice and lentils / India

Mix the plain and parboiled rice and the urid dal and wash. add plenty of water and the fenugreek seeds. allow to soak for at least 7-8 hours or overnight. again wash the rice by draining the water 2 to 3 times. Drain and place the rice mixture in a blender. Grind to a paste; the rice should be cut into sand-like grains. add sodium bicarbonate and salt and mix well. Keep this batter aside in a warm place for another 8 to 10 hours. after this fermentation, stir well.

Beat the yogurt to make it smooth. add to the rice batter. add water if needed: the consistency of the batter should be thick enough so that it spreads uniformly on a spoon.

heat a non-stick frying pan on high heat. when hot, gently pour in a small ladle of batter in the center of the pan. spread with the back of the spoon into a thin circle in such a way that the sides are formed first and the center is filled with batter. Pour a teaspoon of ghee (or oil) over the surface of the dosa and also around its edges. hold the pan by its handle, lift up and swirl to make the drizzled ghee (or oil) spread all over the dosa. flip and bake for 1 more minute until crisp. Repeat with the remaining batter.

serve warm with chutney.

ingredients

180 g (7 oz, 1 cup) plain, white rice

180 g (7 oz, 1 cup) parboiled rice

4 tbsp white urid dal (lentil)

½ tsp fenugreek (menthi) seeds

½ tsp sodium bicarbonate

½ tsp salt

125 ml (4 fl oz, ½ cup) plain, white yogurt

10-12 tsp ghee or oil as preferred

DosaASIA south

103

There are many regional and personal

variations of this dish. My mother’s

recipe and the one from Hyderabad

(Andra Pradesh) are my favorites.

chicken Biriyani is prepared for

sundays and special occasions.

The kitchen of South India varies from

the North Indian cuisine starting with the

base ingredients. In the South, the staple

ingredients are rice and pulses. These are

used in an infinite number of dishes from

breakfasts to desserts. In the North of

India, the base ingredients are roti and

naan (wheat flour).

Srisaran Venkatachalam

Recipe serves 4

Rinse the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. Place the rice in a large bowl, cover with water, and soak for at least 30 minutes; then drain.

cut 3 onions in thin, long slices. heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. add the onion slices and fry until golden brown. set the fried onions aside.

Blend the remaining onion, the ginger slices and the garlic into a fine paste and set aside.

cut the chicken in pieces of around 5-7 cm (2-3 inch). alternatively, use chicken legs. with a sharp knife, make fine cuts on one side of the chicken pieces. this will allow the spices and flavors to enter during frying.

heat the remaining oil in a large, deep pan over high heat. the oil should become hot but not yet smoking. add the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves. lower the heat and fry the spices until fragrant.

carefully - the hot oil will splatter - add the ginger, garlic and onion paste. stir-fry and mix well until the paste is golden brown and has combined with the spices.

add the green chilies and half of the chopped coriander and mint leaves.

add the chicken and stir-fry until glazed and coated all over. add the red chili, coriander powder, turmeric, and garam masala and stir for 1 minute. lower the heat. add the tomato purée and let simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the oil separates and floats on top. stir and turn the chicken occasionally.

add the rice, 300 ml (10 fl oz, 1½ cup) water, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Do not stir; the rice should cook on top of the chicken mixture. check after 12 minutes; if the rice is dry, add 50 ml (2 fl oz, ¼ cup) of water and continue cooking.

when ready, mix the rice but do not stir too much. sprinkle the fried onions on top, and add the remaining chopped coriander, mint leaves and lemon juice.

Hyderabad murga biriyani

ASIA south

South Indian fried rice dish with chicken / India

ingredients

750 g (1½ lbs) chicken (filets or legs)

400 g (14 oz, 2 cups) Basmati rice, uncooked

4 medium-sized onions

2.5 cm (1 inch) fresh ginger root, peeled and cut in slices

2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in quarters

5 cardamom pods, crushed

2 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

2 bay leaves

2 green chilies, finely chopped

1 tsp red hot chili powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala

A pinch of turmeric

1 cup tomato purée

1 lemon, juice only

1 bunch coriander leaves, finely chopped

1 bunch mint leaves, finely chopped

125 ml vegetable oil (or ghee)

½ tsp salt

105

Mango lassi is a popular drink in

india and Pakistan.It originates from from Central Punjab

(Northwest India). Lassis are enjoyed

chilled as hot-weather refreshment.

In Central Punjab, the summers

can be extremely hot. Farmers, having

to work on the land under the scorching

sun, first made this drink by adding salt

to milk. They kept the drink fresh in thick

clay pots. Later, mango was added.

Mango is India’s national fruit; it is

available in abundance, everywhere

in India and Pakistan.

Satya Munaga – Ali Awan

Instead of mango, you may also use pineapple or papaya. You may vary the sweet lassi version by preparing a salty lassi (replace the sugar by 1 tsp of salt and add 1 tsp ground cumin).

Recipe serves 4

Mango yogurt drink / India + pakistan

transfer all ingredients into a blender and process.

Pour into glasses and add some crushed ice.

tiP! for a good Mango lassi, you’ll need ripe, tasty mangoes. if these are not available, you may also use mango pulp.

ingredients

1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped

150 ml (5 fl oz) milk

175 ml (6 fl oz) natural yogurt

2 tsp sugar

Crushed ice, to serve

Aam lassi

ASIA south

107

Recipe serves 4

pACIFIC

true aussies can't live

without it. Chicken Parmigiana is one of

Australia’s national dishes. You will

find it in almost all pubs, bars, and

casual restaurants of Australia.

As the name of the recipe suggests,

the dish is an adaptation from the

Italian pollo alla parmigiana. University

students took the dish home from

their pubs and made it popular

throughout Australia.

Chicken Parmigiana is served with

French fries (chips) and salad. Most

pubs also have 'Parma and Pot'

nights, where the dish is served

with a beer included.

Lindsay Brown

Recipe serves 4 pACIFIC

Breaded grilled chicken - Italian style / Australia

slice the chicken breasts horizontally. Place them on a chopping board and flatten them with a meat mallet until the filets are approximately 1-1.5 cm (½ inch) thick.

in one bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the milk. in a separate bowl, add the flour and some pepper and salt. and in a third bowl, put the breadcrumbs. Dip each chicken filet in the flour, then in the egg mixture, and finally in the breadcrumbs.

heat the oil and butter in large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. fry the chicken filets approximately 3 minutes on each side until they are golden brown.


transfer the chicken filets to an oven dish. then spread 1½ tablespoon of tomato sauce over each filet and sprinkle them with both cheeses. Grill the dish until the cheese has melted.

tiP! serve with a salad and french fries.

ingredients4 chicken breast filets

1 egg

125 ml (4½ fl oz, ½ cup) milk

125 g (4½ oz, ½ cup) all-purpose flour

150 g (5 oz, 1 cup) dried breadcrumbs

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

Salt and pepper

For the garnish:

250 ml (8½ fl oz, 1 cup) Italian tomato sauce (passata)

70 g (1½ oz, ½ cup) Parmesan cheese, grated

70 g (1½ oz, ½ cup) Mozzarella cheese, grated

chicken Parmigiana

111

Recipe serves 4

THE AMErICASnoRth / the uniteD states of aMeRica

chili is a spicy stew that is

popular all over the us.

This variety – Cincinnati chili – was

imported by Macedonian immigrants

in the 1920s. I learned to appreciate and

cook it when I was a student at Oxford,

Ohio, which is near Cincinnati.

Cincinnati chili is typically served over

spaghetti or as a Coney (hot dog) sauce.

It has a thinner consistency than other

chilies and it gets its distinctive flavor

from the small measure of chocolate or

cinnamon that is added. Garnish your chili

dish with oyster crackers and season with

Tabasco sauce. I also like adding sliced

jalapeño peppers.

Michael T. Andreas

For Cincinnati chili

over pasta, there are

several styles:

3-way: pasta + chili

+ shredded cheddar cheese

4-way: 3-way + red beans

5-way: 4-way +

diced white onion

Recipe serves 4 THE AMErICAS noRth / the uniteD states of aMeRica

Spicy beef sauce / uSA

heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. sauté the onion, garlic and chili powder. crumble the beef in the pan. Raise the heat and fry until the beef is slightly browned.

add all the remaining ingredients and cover the pan. lower the heat and let simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and let simmer for another ½ hour until most of the liquid is vaporized but the mixture is still liquid. Remove the bay leaves.

tiP! serve in a large bowl with one or more of the following: spaghetti, chopped onions, red kidney beans, or finely shredded cheddar cheese. accompany with oyster crackers.

ingredients

1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) ground beef


2 medium sized onions, chopped


½ l (16 oz, 2 cups) water

3 tbsp tomato purée

250 ml (8 fl oz, 1 cup) tomato sauce

100 ml (3½ fl oz) brown beer


1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp unsweetened cocoa (or dark chocolate)

1 tsp allspice powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp paprika powder

A pinch of oregano

2 tbsp chili powder

½ tsp coriander seeds

6 bay leaves

1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper

cincinnati chili

115

At first I found it hard to come

up with recipes typical for my

part of the US, which is New Jersey.

But then my colleagues mentioned

cookies! These cranberry cookies

are definitely typical; New Jersey

is a large producer of cranberries.

americans love to bake

cookies.And at Christmas, we organize

cookie exchange parties, allowing

friends and family to try out all

kinds of cookies ranging from

the classic to the downright

experimental.

Jennifer Braggin

Recipe serves 4

Preheat the oven to 190°c (375° f / Gas 5).

Beat the butter, sugars and egg into a creamy mixture until all of the sugar has dissolved. then sift the flour and baking soda into the butter and egg mixture. add the salt and brandy (optional) and stir until the flour is absorbed.

add the white chocolate chunks, cranberries and almonds and blend well.

line up two baking trays with baking paper. from the dough, form hazelnut-sized balls and arrange them on the baking tray. Make sure there is enough space between the balls so they don’t stick during the baking. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

take the cookies out of the oven when they are still doughy and moist on the inside, but crisp on the outside.

ingredients

110 g (3½ oz, ½ cup) unsalted butter, softened

110 g (3½ oz, ½ cup) golden brown sugar

110 g (3½ oz, ½ cup) sugar

1 egg

300 g (7 oz, 1½ cup) all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking soda

150 g (5 oz, ¾ cup) white chocolate (small chunks)

150 g (5 oz, 1 cup) dried cranberries

50 g (1¾ oz, ¼ cup) almonds, flakes

A pinch of salt

1 tbsp brandy (optional)

White chocolate cookies with almonds and cranberries / uSA

cookies

THE AMErICAS noRth / the uniteD states of aMeRica

117

carrot cake is a good example

of a recipe that is made in many

american homes, but that is as

varied and diverse as the americans

who make it. Carrot cake can be made with walnuts

or pecans; some people add pineapple,

coconut, or raisins; some people make it

with white frosting while others swear

by a cream cheese frosting. It is a dessert

you will see at a family picnic, at a quality

restaurant, or even as a wedding cake!

This is my mom's recipe; I prepare

carrot cake whenever I miss home.

pamela Fischer

The cake can be

made in 3 separate layers

(as described in the recipe) or it

can be put in a larger pan (9x11

inch rectangular baking pan, as

the picture shows) or even used as

cupcake batter to make little

individual cakes.

Recipe serves 4

uSA

Preheat the oven to 165°c (325°f / Gas 3). Grease and flour three 20 cm (8 inch) cake layer pans.

Beat the sugar and vegetable oil into a creamy mixture. add the eggs one at a time, each time beating the mixture until the egg is absorbed.

sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. add this to the egg mixture and beat until smooth. Gently fold in the carrots, walnuts and coconut.

Pour one-third of the cake mixture into each pan and bake for 30 minutes. allow the cakes to cool to room temperature.

Blend all ingredients for the frosting into a smooth mixture, with no more lumps of powdered sugar.

spread the frosting on top of each layer, and stack them. finish with frosting the top and sides of the layer cakes.

ingredients

For the cake:

350 g (11½ oz, 1¾ cup) sugar

300 ml (10 fl oz, 1¼ cup) vegetable oil

4 eggs

250 g (8 oz, 2 cups) all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp salt

400 g (13 oz, 3 cups) carrots, grated

40 g (1¼ oz, ½ cup) coconut, flakes or chopped

165 g (5¼ oz, 1 cup) walnuts, chopped

For the frosting:

250 g (8 oz) cream cheese

2 tsp vanilla sugar

50 g (1¾ oz, ¼ cup) butter

450 g (1 pound, 3¾ cups) powdered sugar

carrot cake


119

the best brownie is one that is

just baked, still slightly warm, crispy on top

and with melted chocolate chips

in the middle. This is our customized version of

the brownie recipe that has served

us well over the years. This recipe

has been on an index card for years,

and has been heavily updated as the

recipe has been improved. These rich

brownies are delicious alone, or with

a warm cup of milk or hot chocolate.

The optional ingredients may add

an interesting flavor.

Trevor Carlson

You can use any chocolate, though in America, we use Tollhouse chocolate chips. They are quite delicious and definitely remind me of home.!

Recipe serves 4

uSA

Preheat the oven to 180°c (350°f / Gas 4). line the bottom of a square (23 cm, 9 inch) baking tin with baking paper.

Break the eggs and beat them lightly with a fork.

Mix the butter, sugar, and vanilla and beat for several minutes until soft and creamy. add the beaten eggs a little at a time and mix until combined.

sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt in a bowl. fold them in gently with the egg and butter mixture without knocking out the air.

scrape the batter into the baking tin and smooth the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

test the brownies to make sure they are ready: pierce the center with a fork; it should come out dry. if it is not dry, return the brownies to the oven for a few additional minutes.

let the brownies cool in the tin. Remove, cut into squares, and optionally sprinkle with powdered sugar.

tiP! feel free to add your favorite ingredients such as chopped nuts, chocolate chips or M&Ms, directly to the batter before cooking.

ingredients

2 eggs

170 g (6 oz, ¾ cup) butter, melted

340 g (11½ oz, 1½ cup) sugar

1½ tsp vanilla extract

60 g (2¼ oz, ½ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder

85 g (3 oz, ¾ cup) all-purpose flour

A pinch of salt

Powdered sugar, to serve

brownies


121

THE AMErICAScentRal / south: latin aMeRica

humita is spanish for

bow tie.Humitas are packed in a

corn leaf in the shape of a bow.

They are popular all over South

and Central America.

The main ingredient is ground

corn mixed with basil and onion.

Other ingredients depend on

the country. In Argentina, cheese

is added, while in Peru, sweet

humitas with raisins are popular.

rafael Venegas

Depending on the

variety of the corn, a little bit

of sugar may be added to the corn

filling. The Chilean variety needs

sugar, but American corn does not.

You can also use canned corn, but

the taste may be a bit different.

Recipe serves 4

Corn bow ties / Chile

carefully strip the corncobs from their husks. Keep the bigger and best husk leaves, wash them in water and pat dry. if the leaves are too hard, put them in boiling water for a few minutes to soften. Drain and pat dry. set aside to use for the humitas packets.

cut off the kernels from the corncobs vertically with a knife. Keep the corncob. Place the kernels in a food processor and pulse shortly, enough to obtain a soft paste that is not liquid. the corn mixture should be thick enough to form a mound that keeps its shape. however, if the corn is too dry and doesn’t blend well, add a little milk.

Place the butter in a large pan, large enough for the corn filling. Melt on medium heat and sauté the shallots until they turn translucent. add the vegetable oil, basil, salt and paprika powder and stir until combined. let simmer for a few minutes and keep stirring. add the corn paste and stir to mix.

cook for 5 minutes and check the consistency. the mixture should be creamy, not thick nor soupy. if it is too dry or thick, add milk little by little, stirring constantly. stop adding milk when the mixture begins to lose consistency. if the mixture is too soupy, add polenta or cornmeal and cook while stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken. the amount of milk or polenta (or cornmeal) needed depends on the moisture content of the corn.

when the consistency of the paste is as desired, remove from the heat and let cool. Refrigerate, preferably overnight, as the paste will thicken a bit more.

Prepare the packets: take one husk, or two small husk leaves overlapped. the size of the packets will vary, depending on the size of the husk leaves, personal preference, or the occasion.

spoon about 2-4 tablespoons of the cold corn mixture in the center. Make small rectangular packets. fold one side of the husk over the corn mixture. fold the pointy end of the husk down and tuck in while you fold the other side over. close firmly and attach at the middle, using a 1.5 cm (½ inch) wide strip cut from the husk leaves, giving it the shape of a bow tie.

Place a wire rack on the bottom of a large pot or cover the bottom with the reserved corncobs. Pour in water, but just enough not to cover the wire rack or corncobs completely. Bring water to a boil and place the humitas, seam side down, in the pot. cover with a lid and steam for 20-30 minutes. check the water from time to time, add more water if necessary but make sure it does not touch the humitas. serve warm or cold.

ingredients

Makes filling for about 12 humitas:

6 large corncobs, including husks

2 shallots, chopped

3 tbsp butter

8 basil leaves, finely chopped


1 tsp salt

2 tbsp paprika powder

125-250 ml (4-8 fl oz, ½-1 cups) milk or polenta or cornmeal

Humitas

THE AMErICAS centRal / south: latin aMeRica

125

Mole is a thick sauce, typical

of the Mexican cuisine, where

each region has its own mole.

My hometown Puebla is

the city where Mole Poblano

originated. This Puebla mole is the most

famous. It is prepared with hot

chilies, nuts, banana and of

course chocolate. Every day of

the year, somewhere in Mexico,

there is a village celebrating its

annual fair. On this occasion, the

women prepare their own mole

in huge cazuelas for 50-100

people. It is a point of honor

that everybody is welcome

to eat, dance and party.

Arturo Sibaja-Hernandez

Recipe serves 4

Aztek chicken with chocolate sauce / Mexico

cut the chicken pieces in half. Place them in a large pot, cover with water, flavor with the onions and garlic, and bring to a boil on medium heat. cook for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the stock and set aside. also remove the onions and garlic and place in a bowl. Keep the stock aside.

Peel the tomatoes. Remove the seeds and cut into small cubes. add to a blender together with the dried chili, almonds, peanuts, tortilla, anise seeds, coriander seeds and chocolate. also add the onions and garlic from the stock. Blend everything to a fine paste (mole poblano). add some drops of warm water if the paste is not smooth enough.

heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. add the boiled chicken pieces and fry softly until golden brown on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan.

add the paste to the same pan and stir well, on low heat, in the remaining oil until combined. add the chicken and turn it around until it is coated with the mole poblano. add stock until the chicken is covered. season with a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. lower the heat and let simmer for 30 more minutes.

Place in a bowl, sprinkle with some toasted sesame seeds, and serve with cooked rice and tortillas.

tiP! horchata is a popular drink in Mexico. it puts out the fire on your tongue when eating spicy food. it is prepared with rice, milk, cinnamon and vanilla and served ice cold.

ingredients4 chicken breasts or legs

2 onions, in quarters

2 garlic cloves, cut in half

4 plum tomatoes

3 tbsp dried hot chilies

25 g (1 oz) almonds flakes

25 g (1 oz) peanuts, toasted and ground

1 tortilla, crumbled

½ tsp anise seeds

½ tsp coriander seeds

50 g (2 oz) dark chocolate (75% or more cacao solids), roughly chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

25 g (1 oz) sesame seeds, toasted

Salt

mole Poblano


127

to me, vatapà represents the

fusion between the original

Brazilian kitchen and the african

kitchen. Vatapà originates from Bahía,

in the northeast of Brazil, a region

with a strong African influence.

It is a very tasty and exotic

dish which illustrates well the

multicultural character of Brazil.

Vatapà is sold at the food stalls

that are very typical for Bahía.

Brazilian co-workers

Dendé oil is a staple ingredient

in the Brazilian cuisine. It is a bright

orange palm oil available in Latin-

American stores. You can substitute it

with half West-African palm oil and

half peanut oil.

Recipe serves 4

Fish and shrimp stew with nuts / Brazil

Peel the onion and garlic and chop them finely. Peel and grate the fresh ginger root. cut the chilies in half along the length; remove the seeds and ribs, and chop finely. Place these ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

chop the coriander leaves finely. Peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds and chop coarsely.

cut the white fish into 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes.

Remove heads, shells and tails of the raw shrimps. cut in half, lengthwise, and remove the dirt from the tails. Rinse under cold running water to remove any remaining impurities. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Refrigerate the shrimps and fish.

Grind the dried shrimps to a powder in a blender.

in a large pot, heat the dendé (or peanut) oil over medium heat. add the onion, garlic, ginger and chili mixture. sauté for about 5 minutes until fragrant; be careful not to burn it. add the ground shrimps and stir for 1 minute to combine. increase the heat and add the chicken stock, ½ cup at a time. Keep stirring to keep the mixture smooth. cook for about 15 minutes until reduced. stir in the coconut milk, peanut butter, lime juice, salt and tabasco and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and let simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Brush a saucepan with a little oil and place the pan over medium heat. when the oil starts to sizzle, add the fish cubes in a single layer and fry for 2 minutes. Pour in the broth mixture and slowly bring to a boil. add the chopped tomatoes and coriander leaves, and cook for about 8 minutes, or until the fish is done. add the shrimps and cook for 2 more minutes until the shrimps turn pink.

Distribute the vatapá evenly among 4 bowls. squeeze a wedge of lime over each bowl and add a lime wedge. Garnish with coriander sprigs and serve hot with cooked white rice.

ingredients3 tbsp dendé oil

1 large onion

3 garlic cloves

5 cm (2 inch) fresh ginger root

4 large red jalapeño chili peppers

½ bunch coriander leaves

6 medium plum tomatoes

100 g (3½ oz) dried shrimps

12 large, raw shrimps (prawns)

750 g (1½ lbs) white fish filets (e.g. pollock, cod, whiting, snapper, monkfish)

500 ml (17 oz, 2 cups) chicken stock

500 ml (17 oz, 2 cups) coconut milk

100 g (3½ oz) peanut butter

1 tsp salt

2 drips tabasco, to taste

2 limes, juice only

6 sprigs coriander, for garnish

1 lime, cut into wedges

Vatapá


129

Alfajores de maicena are a

sweet dessert from Argentina.

they can be eaten after a

meal or during tea time.

One of the ingredients is dulce de

leche, which plays an important role

in the Argentinean culinary tradition.

In English, dulce de leche would

translate into milk caramel, milk

candy, milk jam, or caramel spread.

Esteban Angeletti

Recipe serves 4

Cornstarch cookies / ArgentinaPreheat the oven to 175°c (350°f / Gas 4).

sift the cornstarch with the flour and baking powder in a bowl.

Beat the butter and sugar until creamy. add the egg yolks one at a time until absorbed. then add the dry ingredients a little at a time. add lemon zest and mix to form a stiff, elastic dough. let rest for at least half an hour.

stretch the dough on a surface covered with flour until it is about 1 cm (¼ inch) thick. cut the dough into circles of about 5 cm (2 inch) diameter using the rim of a drinking glass or a round cookie cutter. Put the circles on baking paper or ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes. let cool.

spread some dulce de leche on one cookie and put a second cookie on top. Repeat this with the rest of the cookies.

Put the grated coconut on a dish and roll the alfajores through the coconut to coat them.

tiP! Make your own dulce de leche: place 500 ml (2 cups) of whole milk and 125 g (½ cup) of sugar in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved. Bring to a boil and stir in 1 vanilla pod, cut along the length (alternatively use 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar) and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda, dissolved in some cold milk. lower the heat and keep cooking, stirring constantly when the mixture thickens. Remove the pan from the heat and cool before use.

You can test if the dulce de leche is ready by cooling a teaspoon of the dulce mixture on a dish. it is ready when the mixture is firm and does not move when you swirl the dish.

ingredients

300 g (10 oz, 2 cups) cornstarch


2 tsp baking powder

100 g (3½ oz, 1 cup) sugar

200 g (7 oz) butter or margarine (at room temperature)

3 egg yolks

1 tbsp vanilla extract

Lemon zest of 1 lemon

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) dulce de leche

100 g (3½ oz) coconut, grated

Alfajores de maicena


131

a refreshing aperitif.

The word caipirinha is

diminutive of caipira, referring

to someone from the

countryside (a hillbilly). However,

when people order a nice and

cold caipirinha, they don’t have

this meaning on their mind.

Brazilians drink caipirinha

as a refreshing aperitif, or

when they go to the beach

on a sunny afternoon.

Mauricio Manfrini

Normally,

you make it with

lime, but you may also use

other fruits such as pineapples,

kiwis, strawberries or

passion fruits.

Recipe serves 4

Lime cocktail / Brazil

Prepare the caipirinha directly in the serving glasses. for each glass (large, not too high), cut the lime in quarters and put it in the glass. cover the lime quarters with 2 tablespoons of sugar. with a wooden stick or spoon, smash the lime and sugar, slightly crushing the limes and releasing the juice.

Pour a shot of cachaça (50 ml, 2 fl oz) in the glass and add crushed ice. stir gently until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is combined.

serve with a sprig of mint.

ingredients

4 limes

8 tbsp white sugar

200 ml (7 fl oz) Cachaça (sugarcane alcohol)

Crushed ice

4 sprigs mint

caipirinha


133

colophon

publisher Prof. Gilbert Declerck CEO

Editors Hanne Degans Jan Provoost

Graphic design and layout Kunstmaan

photography Jan Pollers

Image processing Jochen Verghote

Food stylist Lucid, Katleen Willaert

realization Chris Vanherck

With thanks to Dille & Kamille, Antwerpen, Belgium Bazarbizar, Antwerpen, Belgium Zara Home, Wijnegem, Belgium Hermans Suikermais BV, Kessel, The Netherlands

Contact person Katrien Marent Corporate Communications Director [email protected]

IMEC Kapeldreef 75 B-3001 Leuven - Belgium

Phone +32 16 28 18 80 Fax +32 16 28 16 37 www.imec.be

The entire content of this publication is protected by copyright, full details of which are available from IMEC. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise - without the prior permission of the copy right owner.

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TABLE O

F CON

TENTs

AAam lassi ................................................................................................................107

Alfajores de maicena ................................................................ 131

Asparagus, the Flemish way ...........................................7

Asperges op Vlaamse wijze ............................................7

BBeef, Burgundy beef .....................................................................21

Beef, Spicy beef sauce ......................................................... 115

Bibimbap .................................................................................................................95

Bird’s milk ...............................................................................................................49

Bobotie .......................................................................................................................59

Bœuf Bourguignon ...........................................................................21

Borsch .............................................................................................................................53

Bread, Flat bread ..................................................................................99

Bread, Turkish bread ....................................................................77

Brownies .................................................................................................................. 121

CCabbage rolls ................................................................................................47

Caipirinha .............................................................................................................133

Canistrelli au citron ........................................................................29

Carrot cake ........................................................................................................119

Chaiy binaanah ........................................................................................69

Chicken Parmigiana ......................................................................... 111

Chicken, Aztek chicken

with chocolate sauce ................................................. 127

Chicken, Breaded grilled

chicken - Italian style ...................................................... 111

Chicken, Pomegranate

chicken curry .....................................................................................73

Chirashi sushi .................................................................................................83

Chocolademousse met koffie ............................25

Chocolate, Coffee-flavored

chocolate mousse .................................................................25

Chutney, Coconut chutney

& coriander-tomato chutney...................101

Cincinnati chili ........................................................................................... 115

Cookies, Cornstarch cookies ................................ 131

Cookies, White chocolate cookies

with almonds and cranberries ................ 117

Corn bow ties ..........................................................................................125

Couscous with lamb ..................................................................65

Croquettes, Meat croquettes .................................9

DDosa .................................................................................................................................103

Doughnut, Deep-fried twisted

doughnut dipped in syrup ..................................61

Dumplings, Dough dumplings

of sauerkraut and mushrooms ...............45

EEndive, Belgian endive with ham ...................19

Ebi to yasai no tempura.....................................................85

FFesttagssuppe ............................................................................................ 43

Fish and shrimp stew with nuts....................129

GGalaktoboureko .......................................................................................31

Gong bao xia .................................................................................................93

HHong shao rou .............................................................................................91

Humitas....................................................................................................................125

Hyderabad murga biriyani ..........................................105

IIrish coffee ..........................................................................................................39

JJansson’s frestelse...............................................................................35

Jansson’s temptation ..................................................................35

KKhoreshe fesenjan ............................................................................73

Koeksisters ............................................................................................................61

Koskossi bilahm elkharouf............................................65

Kuzu sis Kebap ...........................................................................................75

LLamb shish kebab...............................................................................75

Lapte de pasare .....................................................................................49

Lemon canistrelli ..................................................................................29

Lian ou pai gu tang............................................................................81

Lime cocktail................................................................................................133

MMango yogurt drink ..................................................................107

Mapo tofu...........................................................................................................89

Meat croquettes ......................................................................................9

Milk pie ..........................................................................................................................31

Mint tea.....................................................................................................................69

Mole Poblano ........................................................................................... 127

Mosselen ...................................................................................................................17

Mussels ..........................................................................................................................17

NNaan ..................................................................................................................................99

Naariyal and dhaniyaa-tamaatar

chatni ...................................................................................................................101

Nem ran ....................................................................................................................87

OOm Ali ............................................................................................................................67

PPalov ...................................................................................................................................55

Pancake, Pancake made from

rice and lentils ..............................................................................103

Pancakes with raspberries .............................................27

Pannenkoeken met frambozen........................27

Pasta al forno ................................................................................................23

Pasta, Oven-baked pasta .................................................23

Pastry with nuts .....................................................................................67

Pide .......................................................................................................................................77

Pierogi .............................................................................................................................45

Pork, Red cooked pork .........................................................91

Potato-onion omelet ................................................................. 13

QQuiche Lorraine .......................................................................................15

R Rice, Boiled rice with meat

and vegetables .............................................................................95

Rice, South Indian fried

rice dish with chicken ...............................................105

Rice, Steamed rice with lamb

and vegetables ..............................................................................55

Rice, Vinegared rice with fresh

vegetables and fish toppings .....................83

Roast beef with Yorkshire pudding .......37

SSalad from Nice ..........................................................................................11

Salade Niçoise ................................................................................................11

Sarmale ........................................................................................................................47

Savoury tart .......................................................................................................15

Shrimp and vegetable tempura ......................85

Shrimps, Spicy shrimps

with peanuts .......................................................................................93

Soup, Lotus root soup

with ribs............................................................................................................81

Soup, Beetroot soup .................................................................53

Soup, Wedding soup .................................................................43

Spicy beef sauce ................................................................................. 115

Spicy shrimps with

peanuts ............................................................................................................93

Spicy tofu and pork stew .............................................89

Spring rolls, Vietnamese

spring rolls ................................................................................................87

Stew, Fish and shrimp

stew with nuts ............................................................................129

Sushi, Chirashi sushi ......................................................................83

Sweet-and-sour oven dish ..........................................59

TTortilla de patatas................................................................................ 13

Tofu, Spicy tofu and pork stew .....................89

VVatapá .........................................................................................................................129

Vleeskroketten .............................................................................................9

WWitloofgratin met ham ..........................................................19

IND

EX

tsp = teaspoon = 15 ml

tbsp = tablespoon = 30 ml

1 cup (liquids) = 9 fl oz = 250 ml

recipes serves 4 unless

mentioned otherwise.

AsiA ......................................................................................................................................................

EAST / SOuTHEAST

Lian ou pai gu tang 81Lotus root soup with ribs / China

Chirashi sushi 83Vinegared rice with fresh vegetables and fish toppings / Japan

Ebi to yasai no tempura 85Shrimp and vegetable tempura / Japan

Nem ran 87Vietnamese spring rolls / Vietnam

Mapo tofu 89Spicy tofu and pork stew / China

Hong shao rou 91Red cooked pork / China

Gong bao xia 93Spicy shrimps with peanuts / Taiwan

Bibimbap 95Boiled rice with meat and vegetables / Korea

AsiA ......................................................................................................................................................

SOuTH

Naan 99Flat bread / India

Naariyal and 101 dhaniyaa-tamaatar chatni Coconut chutney & coriander-tomato chutney / India

Dosa 103Pancake made from rice and lentils / India

Hyderabad murga biriyani 105South Indian fried rice dish with chicken / India

Aam lassi 107Mango yogurt drink / India + Pakistan

PAcific ..........................................................................................................................................

Chicken Parmigiana 111Breaded grilled chicken - Italian style / Australia

tHe AmericAs ...........................................................................................................

NORTH / THE uNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Cincinnati chili 115Spicy beef sauce / USA

Cookies 117White chocolate cookies with almonds and cranberries / USA

Carrot cake 119USA

Brownies 121USA

tHe AmericAs ........................................................................................................

CENTRAL / SOuTH: LATIN AMERICA

Humitas 125Corn bow ties / Chile

Mole Poblano 127Aztek chicken with chocolate sauce / Mexico

Vatapá 129Fish and shrimp stew with nuts / Brazil

Alfajores de maicena 131Cornstarch cookies / Argentina

Caipirinha 133Lime cocktail / Brazil

eUroPe ..........................................................................................................................................

WEST / CENTRAL / SOuTH / SOuTHEAST

Asperges op Vlaamse wijze 7Asparagus, the Flemish way / Belgium

Vleeskroketten 9Meat croquettes / The Netherlands

salade Niçoise 11Salad from Nice / France

Tortilla de patatas 13Potato-onion omelet / Spain

Quiche Lorraine 15Savoury tart / France

Mosselen 17Mussels / Belgium

Witloofgratin met ham 19Belgian endive with ham / Belgium

Bœuf Bourguignon 21Burgundy beef / France

Pasta al forno 23Oven-baked pasta / Italy

Chocolademousse met koffie 25Coffee-flavored chocolate mousse / Belgium

Pannenkoeken met frambozen 27Pancakes with raspberries / Belgium

Canistrelli au citron 29Lemon canistrelli / France-Corsica

Galaktoboureko 31Milk pie / Greece

eUroPe ........................................................................................................................................

NORTH / NORTHWEST

Jansson’s frestelse 35Jansson’s temptation / Sweden

Roast beef with Yorkshire pudding 37United Kingdom

Irish coffee 39Ireland

eUrAsiA ....................................................................................................................................... CENTRAL EAST – EAST

Festtagssuppe 43Wedding soup / Germany

Pierogi 45Dough dumplings of sauerkraut and mushrooms / Poland

sarmale 47Cabbage rolls / Romania

Lapte de pasare 49Bird’s milk /Romania

eUrAsiA ....................................................................................................................................... NORTH / CENTRAL

Borsch 53Beetroot soup / Russia

Palov 55Steamed rice with lamb and vegetables / Uzbekistan

AfricA ...........................................................................................................................................

WEST / SOuTH / CENTRAL / EAST-CENTRAL

Bobotie 59Sweet-and-sour oven dish / South-Africa

Koeksisters 61Deep-fried twisted doughnut dipped in syrup / South-Africa

AfricA ...........................................................................................................................................

NORTH / MAGHREB

Koskossi bilahm elkharouf 65Couscous with lamb / Tunesia

Om Ali 67Pastry with nuts / Egypt

Chaiy binaanah 69Mint tea / Maghreb countries

AsiA ......................................................................................................................................................

WEST / SOuTHWEST / MIDDLE-EAST

Khoreshe fesenjan 73Pomegranate chicken curry / Iran

Kuzu sis kebap 75Lamb shish kebab / Turkey

Pide 77Turkish bread / Turkey

A tA

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A taste of imec

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