Benin-Peanut Sauce June 28, 2010

PEANUT SAUCE

 From www.africanafood.com

3 tbs oil
2 tbs tomato paste
1/2 -1tsp of your favorite piment (hot pepper)-(amount depends how bien intégréd you were or still are)
1/2 tsp salt
1 beef bullion cube
1 cup water-or more depending on the density of the peanut butter you’re using
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup diced onion

Saute tomato paste, hot pepper, salt, onion and bullion cube in oil for a few minutes. Add peanut butter and water. All natural peanut butter is better than the processed type because it doesn’t have any sugar that clashes with the salt. Mix and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Makes enough sauce for 3 servings (1 1/2 cups dry rice)…

 

Served with rice in Benin. Most citizens in this country shop daily for food as they do not have refrigeration. Meats like chicken, beef, mutton and pork are popular in the north and salted preserved fish are popular in the south. Corn is a staple ingredient to make a mush and tropical fruits are popular. Meals are prepared in Benin mid day and evening.

http://www.worldtravelguide.net

 

Belize-Black Beans and Rice

Achiote

Belize is a melting pot of people and therefore a mix of many flavors including Caribbean, Central American and Chinese.  Achiote pictured here is also known as Annatto. It is easily found in the spice section of your grocery store. Goya produces it in small packets. The seeds from the fruit of this shrub or small tree is widely used in Central America, Africa and Asia to color food. It has a subtle flavoring and used by Belizeans in stewing chicken. These seeds are also used by American Indians to make body paint and is nicknamed the lipstick tree. The stewed chicken dish is served with the ever so popular Caribbean and Central American dish, BLACK BEANS AND RICE!!! It is such a tasty and inexpensive side dish to go with chicken, beef or pork. Add sides of avocado, pico de gallo, cilantro, lime and sour cream to make it more exciting. We have found this recipe to vary from the standard, give it a try. I’m sure this week you are making something it will go great with.

Belgium

Please stay tuned for our Belgium Blog! We are soon taking a field trip to the islands Belgian Chocolate Factory!

Belarus – Draniki – Potato Pancakes June 18, 2010

http://www.belarus.by

Mushrooms, Beef and Potatoes are the most common foods in Belarus. We are making potato pancakes, called in Belarus, DRANIKI. We found these on a Blog called http://www.belarusianfood.com. Please take a look at their other Belarusian recipes. TGIF! We hope you all have a great weekend.

Barbados – RUM June 13, 2010

We are taking a moment today to celebrate RUM! As we love everything in the Caribbean, we love Rum! Mount Gay Rum from Barbados is one of the BEST. The Eclipse with ginger ale and a lime is divine! The distillery in Barbados has been making rum continuously longer than anyone in the world. In Barbados a rhyme to remember the traditional Rum Punch goes like this:

One of sour

Two of sweet

Three of strong

Four of weak

Five drops of bitters and nutmeg spice

Serve well chilled with lots of ice!

(This is from Culinaria, The Caribbean)

Source: http://www.slashfood.com

Another cool find from Barbados is the local liquor Falernum. It is made from lime, granulated sugar, rum and water and flavored with almond essence. So if you order a “corn and oil” this drink is served with half Falernum and half Rum. We picked up a bottle of Falernum last time we were in the Grenadines, I liked it but it was way to sweet for Jonny. He is after all a pirate and drinks his rum with water!

Bangladesh-Steamed Shrimp with Mustard and Green Chili June 10, 2010

Harvest in Bangladesh from godgrown.net

Bangladesh is very fertile land for crops but natural disasters often plague the nations farmland. Rice, tea and mustard are the crops most produced. From Bangladesh we made BHAPA CHINGRI – Steamed shrimp with mustard and green chili.  You will find turmeric, green chili and mustard in many recipes.

This recipe is from Virtual Bangladesh:

1lb medium/large shrimp, cleaned and deveined

2tsp brown mustard seeds

1T water

1/4c finely chopped onion

2 green chili (thai) with seeds!

1/4t ground turmeric

1/2t red chili powder

3T mustard oil

1/2c and additional 1/4t salt

Rub the shrimp with the 1/4c cup of the salt and set aside for 5-10 minutes.  Gently wash away the salt over cold water and pat dry.  Coarsely ground the mustard seeds and transfer to a stainless steel bowl.  Add a tablespoon of water and mix thoroughly with the onion, green chili, turmeric, chili powder and oil. Cover the bowl and set the seasoned shrimp aside for 10 minutes.  Place the bowl in a pan of boiling water and steam shrimp for 10 minutes covered until done.  Stir shrimp half way through.

Bahrain – Seafood Bisteeya and Chicken Machboos June 5, 2010

Among these islands in the Persian Gulf we find growing dates, mangoes, pomegranates, bananas, citrus fruits, tomatoes and cucumbers. One would find fresh fish from the Gulf and Arabic food served among the Bahraini. We have found two dishes to share with you. The first is a SEAFOOD BISTEEYA. This is a modern Bisteeya from Food and Wine. It is an incredibly unique dish!  We also would like to let you know about CHICKEN MACHBOOS. This recipe for five includes many spices used in Arabic cooking and is a traditional Bahraini dish. Both recipes are excellent dinner dishes that are filling and full of flavor!

Bahrain in the Persian Gulf