Thanks in part to you fantastic readers, I have the privilege of advancing to the second round of Project Food Blog! I loved all of your comments and I'm very grateful for your support, so thank you. There is some really good competition out there!
For the second challenge, we are asked to tackle a classic dish from another culture. My choice? I'm taking us all on a quick trip to Egypt! Here are a few reasons why:
Lucky for Egypt, it lies at the coast of the African continent. This means there is a large body of water nearby. Not to mention, the Nile river flows through what once was Mesopotamia. This means the land is fertile. Which means there's more to eat than sand in Egypt. Things are looking great so far.
While researching this particular cuisine, I was pleased to discover that its influences include Persian, Arab, Greek, Italian and Turkish- which makes sense considering they're in pretty close proximity. Culinary staples in Egypt are beans, peas, cucumbers, dates, figs, grapes, wheat, barley, and by the coast, fish.
Which brings me to the point of this post: I used many of these culinary staples to create a classic and delicous Egyptian meal. The menu: Catfish with Lemon-Tahini Sauce, Koshary Pasta, and Stuffed Dates.
(from Gourmet, August 1999)
Ingredients:
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup well-stirred tahini
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
two 6-ounce catfish fillets
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
Directions:
Coarsely chop garlic and puree in a blender with tahini, water, lemon juice, cumin and salt. Set aside.
Crush coriander with a knife or a mortar and pestle. Pat fish dry and season with salt and pepper. In a 10-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Saute fish for 2 minutes, then turn over and sprinkle with coriander. Cook 2 minutes more, or until cooked through.
Divide tahini sauce between two plates and top with fish, some oil from the skillet, and parsley.
Yield: 2 servings
*Note: I doubled the recipe and it turned out great.
The catfish was probably the most challenging and intriguing part of this meal. I had never cooked it before, and I don't think I've ever eaten it. However, it turned out great! Catfish has a thick, meaty texture and was a perfect centerpiece for the meal. The strong tahini sauce lent itself well to the mild flavor of the fish, and the coriander wasn't too powerful. Overall, it was a complex medley of unique flavors that I had never experienced before. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
(from TourEgypt.net)
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups cooked whole-wheat penne pasta
2 Tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp. ground cumin, divided
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup cooked lentils
1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
3 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, thinly sliced and carmelized (optional)
Directions:
Cook grains and lentils according to package directions. Combine rice and pasta in the bottom of a shallow serving platter or casserole dish. Keep warm.
Whisk together vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Add cooked lentils and stir to combine. Spoon over rice and pasta.
Combine tomatoes, water, sugar, cinnamon, salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin and red pepper in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until heated through, stirring occasionally. Stir in squash and cook another few minutes over low heat. Spoon tomato mixture over lentil layer. Partially stir tomato mixture into the other layers, but do not completely combine all layers. If desired, top with carmelized onions.
Yield: Serves 4-6 people.
The Koshary pasta was delicious. The combination of flavors, especially the cinnamon, reminded me of my favorite Moroccan dishes. Lentils, rice and pasta together were hearty and comforting- I can see myself making this again in the dead of winter and substituting seasonal vegetables. It's a stick-to-your-ribs kind of dish! Everyone loved it.
(a family recipe)
Ingredients:
10-20 dried dates
10-20 walnut halves
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Directions:
To prepare, make a slit in one side of a date so that you can open it up. Stuff with either a walnut half or a bit of peanut butter, then roll in sugar. Repeat with remaining dates and nuts or nut butter.
Little did I know that my family's traditional holiday treat hails from Egypt! My mom has been serving these for years and they are my brother's favorite snack. They're super fun to make, and everyone helped put them together. For Elliott, who'd never had them before, they were a huge hit. I don't think we had any leftovers!
I would call this Egyptian meal a huge success. It was out of my comfort zone, new to everyone, and very good. Although my family members were the only guests, I secretly pretended that Cleopatra herself was seated next to me, enjoying every bite. I think she would have been pleased. Until my wish to dine with her is granted for real, fantasizing will have to do.
*Please note that most of the pictures were taken by Elliott while I was cooking. I can only claim one of them as my own. Let's give him a big round of applause, he deserves it.
For the second challenge, we are asked to tackle a classic dish from another culture. My choice? I'm taking us all on a quick trip to Egypt! Here are a few reasons why:
- Because I really, really, really want to go there.
- Because if I could share a meal with anyone, ever, in the history of humankind, it would be Cleopatra.
- Because I was in the middle of studying Ancient Egypt for an Art History exam, and I thought, if I was a chef around 2600 BC, what would I cook for a Pharaoh?
- Because Egypt is a bit... dry, and I was immensely intrigued by what can possibly be made (deliciously) in the North African desert.
Lucky for Egypt, it lies at the coast of the African continent. This means there is a large body of water nearby. Not to mention, the Nile river flows through what once was Mesopotamia. This means the land is fertile. Which means there's more to eat than sand in Egypt. Things are looking great so far.
While researching this particular cuisine, I was pleased to discover that its influences include Persian, Arab, Greek, Italian and Turkish- which makes sense considering they're in pretty close proximity. Culinary staples in Egypt are beans, peas, cucumbers, dates, figs, grapes, wheat, barley, and by the coast, fish.
Which brings me to the point of this post: I used many of these culinary staples to create a classic and delicous Egyptian meal. The menu: Catfish with Lemon-Tahini Sauce, Koshary Pasta, and Stuffed Dates.
Catfish with Lemon-Tahini Sauce
(from Gourmet, August 1999)
Ingredients:
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup well-stirred tahini
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
two 6-ounce catfish fillets
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
Directions:
Coarsely chop garlic and puree in a blender with tahini, water, lemon juice, cumin and salt. Set aside.
Crush coriander with a knife or a mortar and pestle. Pat fish dry and season with salt and pepper. In a 10-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Saute fish for 2 minutes, then turn over and sprinkle with coriander. Cook 2 minutes more, or until cooked through.
Divide tahini sauce between two plates and top with fish, some oil from the skillet, and parsley.
Yield: 2 servings
*Note: I doubled the recipe and it turned out great.
The catfish was probably the most challenging and intriguing part of this meal. I had never cooked it before, and I don't think I've ever eaten it. However, it turned out great! Catfish has a thick, meaty texture and was a perfect centerpiece for the meal. The strong tahini sauce lent itself well to the mild flavor of the fish, and the coriander wasn't too powerful. Overall, it was a complex medley of unique flavors that I had never experienced before. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Koshary Pasta
(from TourEgypt.net)
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups cooked whole-wheat penne pasta
2 Tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp. ground cumin, divided
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup cooked lentils
1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
3 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, thinly sliced and carmelized (optional)
Directions:
Cook grains and lentils according to package directions. Combine rice and pasta in the bottom of a shallow serving platter or casserole dish. Keep warm.
Whisk together vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Add cooked lentils and stir to combine. Spoon over rice and pasta.
Combine tomatoes, water, sugar, cinnamon, salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin and red pepper in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until heated through, stirring occasionally. Stir in squash and cook another few minutes over low heat. Spoon tomato mixture over lentil layer. Partially stir tomato mixture into the other layers, but do not completely combine all layers. If desired, top with carmelized onions.
Yield: Serves 4-6 people.
The Koshary pasta was delicious. The combination of flavors, especially the cinnamon, reminded me of my favorite Moroccan dishes. Lentils, rice and pasta together were hearty and comforting- I can see myself making this again in the dead of winter and substituting seasonal vegetables. It's a stick-to-your-ribs kind of dish! Everyone loved it.
Stuffed Dates
(a family recipe)
Ingredients:
10-20 dried dates
10-20 walnut halves
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Directions:
To prepare, make a slit in one side of a date so that you can open it up. Stuff with either a walnut half or a bit of peanut butter, then roll in sugar. Repeat with remaining dates and nuts or nut butter.
Little did I know that my family's traditional holiday treat hails from Egypt! My mom has been serving these for years and they are my brother's favorite snack. They're super fun to make, and everyone helped put them together. For Elliott, who'd never had them before, they were a huge hit. I don't think we had any leftovers!
I would call this Egyptian meal a huge success. It was out of my comfort zone, new to everyone, and very good. Although my family members were the only guests, I secretly pretended that Cleopatra herself was seated next to me, enjoying every bite. I think she would have been pleased. Until my wish to dine with her is granted for real, fantasizing will have to do.
*Please note that most of the pictures were taken by Elliott while I was cooking. I can only claim one of them as my own. Let's give him a big round of applause, he deserves it.
