Akira

Natto

The scariest of Japanese foods might be natto. Natto has relatives, like tempeh and tofu, but natto is whole soybeans fermented. Somehow, the process makes them gooey, and when you stir it with your chopsticks it forms long, gooey strings, like mozzarella on hot pizza slices.

But it doesn't taste like mozzarella. It tastes like bad tempeh, an overpowering aroma of soy attacking your nostrils, prying open your olfactory nerves, and rushing to your brains.

Overall, it's not that bad.

If you bury it in soy sauce.

Chapter 11 : Japan

It was November when we reached the countryside of Japan, a unique archipelago whose cuisine is entirely unlike the rest of Asia's, or even the world. Without access to spices, or even the methods being used across the world for hundreds of years.

The Japanese are a strange people, but we felt right at home.

Japanese Pickles

Pictured: Eggplant, Radish, Daikon, Cucumber, and Umeboshi.

Japanese pickles tend to be sweet and intense, and are well matched with rice. There's no shortage of vegetables preserved this way, frequently found refrigerated in sealed packages.

Umeboshi are the best known. These are small ume (Japanese plums) pickled and extremely sour.

Legend has it, in times of famine, the poor would only have rice and umeboshi. And in extreme famine, they would put their umeboshi on top of the rice, and only think about eating it, and then eat the rice, so they might save their umeboshi for the next day.

Tables of Contents : Greece

Chapter 9 :Greece

Ouzo

Greek Salad

Gyros

Fava

Lemon Chicken Soup

Chapter 8: Scotland

Cock-a-Leekie Soup

Rumbledethumps

Clapshot

Green Pea Soup

Cauliflower, Cheese, and Whiskey

Chapter 7: Peru

Majarisco

Pesque de Quinoa

Locro de Zapallo

Seco de Cabrito

Cherimoya

Red Tamarillo

Chapter 6 : Indonesia

Avocado Juice

Nasi Goreng - Fried Rice

Chicken Satay

Beef Rendang

Rambutan

Chapter 5 : Egypt

Ful Medames

Fava Bean Hummus

Kushari

Chapter 4 : The Indiana State Fair

Deep Fried Cheese

Deep Fried Butter

Chocolate Covered Bacon

Chapter 3 : Spain/Catalonia

Pa Amb Tomaquet

Meatballs in Almond Sauce

Calçotada and Romesco Sauce
Escalivada

Chapter 2 : Cajun/Creole

Red Beans and Rice
Alligator Gumbo

Catfish Courtbouillon

Crawfish Etoufée

Chicken Creole

Chapter 1 : China

The Century Egg

Bok Choy : Basic Stir Fry

Peking Duck

Snow Fungus : Chicken and Snow

Fungus
Chinese Eggplant : Chinese Eggplant Stir Fry

Cellophane Noodles : Ants Climbing a Tree
Longans

Chapter ? : Japan

Coffee Mochi

Chapter ? : Vietnam

Sesame Candy

Chapter ? : Korea

Aloe Vera Drink

Chapter ? : The Midwest

Niagra Wine

Cherry Wine

Chapter ? : Africa
The Horned Melon

Dragonfruit

Where: Central and South America

The dragonfruit is a curious bizarrely shaped fruit with a red and green petaled shell. The edible interior, pictured here, is creamy white with black, crunchy seeds like a kiwi, and a clean, cool taste that is delicious, though easily overpowered. The fruit is deceptively moist (though not as much as a prickly pear or watermelon).

Kashmir Ki Kali

If one dish showcases the unique aromas of mustard oil and asafoetida, this peculiar dish is it. The original recipe called for peeling the potatoes prior to deep frying them. while probably traditional, I'd hardly call it necessary.

Dama Oluv

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 1/2 hours

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

2 lbs small red potatoes or fingerlings

1 cup mustard oil (possibly more for deep frying)

3 cloves

1 tsp cumin

1 pinch asafoetida

2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp aniseed powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup yogurt

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp mixed black pepper, cardamom, and cinnamon powders

Cooking:

Clean the potatoes thoroughly, with a potato brush if you have it. Then boil them, skin on, until they are soft. Drain them, and prick them all over with a fork.

Deep Frying:

Heat the mustard oil in a small pot, and then deep fry the potatoes in the mustard oil until they become light, and most of the moisture has been forced out of them. Be patient! This step will take a while.

And More Cooking:

When finished, let the oil cool, and then pour 1 cup of oil into a large pot. Heat the oil, and then add cloves, cumin, and asafoetida. Stir it, and then add the chilli powder, turmeric, and 1 tbsp of water. Keep stirring until the oil begins to separate.

Add the yogurt, aniseed, and ginger powders, and stir until the yogurt is mixed in. Add the fried potatoes, stirring them until they are covered in the spice mixture, and then add enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a simmer, and cook for at least an hour, until the oil separates.

Add the garam masala, and the mixture of pepper, cardamom, and cinnamon powders. Mix gently, and serve!

The recipe takes both time and patience, but it is very unique and delicious!

Sikandar

Fenugreek probably isn't a spice you're familiar with, nor is it used in western cooking. You have tasted it, since the seeds provide the "imitation" maple flavor in pancake syrup. It is one of the oldest spices/herbs used, and you may find it in import stores. The Indian terms menthi and methi are the most common alternate terms.

Methi Maaz is a unique mix of lamb, mustard oil, and fenugreek.

Methi Maaz

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless lamb, cut into chunks

2 lbs fresh fenugreek, chopped

1 cup mustard oil

1 tsp ginger powder

2 tso fennel powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 pinch asafoetida

2 cloves

4 brown cardamom pods

2 cinnamon sticks

1 cup milk

3 tsp dried fenugreek

salt to taste

Cooking:

Put lamb cubes into pot in 3 cups of water and boil until they are semi-tender. Remove the meat from the broth, and save the broth.

In the broth, add ginger powder, fennel powder, cloves, brown cardamom pods, cinnamon, turmeric, and milk and boil the stock for ten minutes. Then remove from heat and set aside.

Heat mustard oil and add adafoetida and salt. Using your hands, crush the fenugreek and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the meat and fry for a couple more minutes. Add the broth and simmer until it reduces to a gravy.

Sprinkle dried fenugreek on top, and serve with rice.

Veer Zaara

Rogan Josh is a popular lamb and spice dish. I found it on this page. I've adjusted the terminology and ingredients based on what you'll find out here (the midwestern US for newcomers). This is absolutely delicious.

Rogan Josh

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time 2 hours

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

2 medium onions, finely chopped

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

2 tsp salt

1 tsp turmeric

3 tsp garam masala

2 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chilli powder

1 1/2 lbs leg of lamb, cut into bite-sized chunks

16 oz can crushed tomatoes

4 tbsp yogurt

cilantro (optional)

Cooking:

Heat oil in a large pot until hot, and then sautee onions until soft, then add the garlic and ginger and fry for a couple of minutes.

Add thesalt, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, cumin, and chilli powder, and fry until aromatic. Then add the chunks of lamb and cook for five minutes, until meat has fully browned. Then add the can of tomatoes, and cook for five minutes.

Add the yogurt, and then bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then reduce heat and gently simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Take off heat and add fresh cilantro leaves to taste. Serve with naan or rice.

Chapter 9 : India - Kashmir

Half a century ago, India won its long-fought "peaceful" war of independence against Great Britain, onlyto split into two countries, India and Pakistan. One part of India, Kashmir, is precariously cut between the two, with India controlling a larger portion of this land.

Kashmiri food is similarly divided, between the vegetarian and non-vegetarian. The Kashmiri cuisine of the Muslims uses meat, lamb being the most popular, while the Hindus survive on a variety of vegetables, and both using India's amazing array of spices.

Butter Ghee

Butter Ghee is common across India for its rich flavor.

Mustard Oil

Mustard Oil mis common for flavoring and deep frying in Kashmiri cuisine. It's pungent aroma might seem daunting but it adds a wonderful flavor to recipes.

Asafoetida

Asafoetida is a spice whose aroma is so powerful, one can smell it sealed and frozen through plastic wrap. It smellls of rotten onions and garlic, and a pinch can flavor a dish.

And it tastes... wonderful. Sure, it might stink up your spice cabinet so badly it's all you smell when you open it, but once fried up in some oil the miasma of rotten onions vanishes and the flavor comes out.

Odyssey

I can't rave enough about how fantastic this soup is.

Lemon Chicken Soup

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 8-12

Ingredients:

8 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1 chopped onion

2 stalks celery, chopped

6 tbsp chicken base

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup white flour

1 cup cooked rice

1 cup diced, cooked chicken meat

16 slices lemon

8 egg yolks (you don't need to white for this, go make some meringue or something)

Cooking:

In a large pot, combine the chicken stock, lemon juice, carrots, onion, celery, and chicken base, and bring to a boil, then lower and simmer for twenty minutes.

Produce a Roux:

Melt the butter in a pan over very low heat, and mix in the flour. Cook very slowly, stirring constantly. There's an art to this, and it takes patience. If you burn it, throw it out and try again. In about five minutes the mixture will be peanut butter colored. This mix, known as a Roux (pronounced "roo") will thicken your lemon chicken soup.

Add it Together:

Gradually mix the roux into the soup, and simmer it for 10 minutes more. Then beat the egg yolks seperately, and slowly pour a few spoonfuls of soup into the mixture, stirring constantly. Slowly bring the yolks up to temperature this way, and then mix them into the lemon chicken soup. Add the rice and the chicken.

Garnish with lemon slices.

300

Fava, you might think, would be made out of fava beans. On occasion, it is, but also lentils. I'd be lying if I claimed I knew the origins of the dish, but it is a delicious, blended yellow lentil soup.

I must admit, this recipe comes out not entirely unlike hummus, but it is thoroughly enjoyable.

Fava

Prep Time: 30 minutes (soaking the lentils)

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

3 cups yellow lentils

5 cups water

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Cooking:

Soak the lentils for 30 minutes, then rinse. (This step is not strictly necessary with lentils, but will improve the flavor a bit)

Cover the lentils with 5 cups water, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Skim the foam off with a spoon, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, and put the mixture through a blender, mixcing in the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Serve either hot or cold. You can garnish it with chopped onion or capers.

The Legendary Journeys

Let's be honest about this- Gyros are street food, and normally I try to put up recipes that they might actually make at the country I'm covering. But this recipe, modified to use pork (like they do in Greece) is certainly delicious.

Of course, real gyros are formed into a cylinder of meat on a spit, turning slowly near a heat source, and then shaved. But you know what? This will still taste good.

Cucumber sauce, sour cream, or even Greek Salad are great condiments for this.

Gyros

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

1 lb ground pork

1/4 cup minced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp lemon juice

pita bread

Preparation:

Combine pork, onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, and lemon juice in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Shape into oblong patties.

Cooking:

Grill patties until thoroughly cooked, around 8 minutes turning once.

Clash of the Titans

Now, a "Greek salad" in the US is an iceberg lettuce salad with a little romaine, topped with green peppers, tomatoes, feta cheese, and kalamata olives.

By contrast, an actual Greek salad is just those ingredients, with olive oil, and lemon juiced mixed in. By itself it's delicious, or you can use it to top sandwiches, like gyros, but I'll post those up later.

Greek Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

3 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

3 tomatoes, cut into wedges

1/4 red onion, sliced into rings

1/2 cucumber, seeded and sliced into chunks

1/2 green pepper, julienned

4 oz feta cheese

16 kalamata olives

Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper into a dressing. Seperately, toss the tomato wedges, onion, cucumber, green pepper, and feta cheese. Pour the dressing over the top and add the kalamata olives.

Chapter 8 : Greece

Greek cuisine is easily mistaken for Egyptian and Levantine, but is not entirely the same. It does rely, as you might predict, on large amounts of olives and olive oil, and uses a large amount of lemon.

Ouzo

Ouzo is a form of distilled liquor from Greece, infused with the flavors of anise, mastic, and badiane. Traditionally, one might pour it over ice in a glass, producing a milky white appearance not altogether unlike the infamous absinthe, but it's easily enjoyed mixed with Coke if you can ignore the strong anise (licorice-like) flavor.

Table of Contents: Peru

Chapter 7: Peru

Majarisco

Pesque de Quinoa

Locro de Zapallo

Seco de Cabrito

Cherimoya

Red Tamarillo

Chapter 6 : Indonesia

Avocado Juice

Nasi Goreng - Fried Rice

Chicken Satay

Beef Rendang

Chapter 5 : Egypt

Ful Medames

Fava Bean Hummus

Kushari

Chapter 4 : The Indiana State Fair

Deep Fried Cheese

Deep Fried Butter

Chocolate Covered Bacon

Chapter 3 : Spain/Catalonia
Pa Amb Tomaquet

Meatballs in Almond Sauce

Calçotada and Romesco Sauce
Escalivada

Chapter 2 : Cajun/Creole

Red Beans and Rice
Alligator Gumbo

Catfish Courtbouillon

Crawfish Etoufée

Chicken Creole

Chapter 1 : China

The Century Egg

Bok Choy : Basic Stir Fry

Peking Duck

Snow Fungus : Chicken and Snow

Fungus
Chinese Eggplant : Chinese Eggplant Stir Fry

Cellophane Noodles : Ants Climbing a Tree
Longans

Chapter ? : Japan

Coffee Mochi

Chapter ? : Vietnam

Sesame Candy

Chapter ? : Korea

Aloe Vera Drink

Chapter ? : The Midwest

Niagra Wine

Cherry Wine

Chapter ? : Africa
The Horned Melon

Rambutan

Where: Indonesia

Rambutan are a close relative of longans and lychee. The fruit loks visually like lychee, except instead of short spikes covering it, long, reddish fur like protuberances cover the delicate white fruit. Peeling one takes a bit of skill, but a knife doesn't hurt.

They taste... well, almost exactly like lychee, and not all too dissimilar to longans. Not entiely sure how to describe it to the unitiated, but a sort of light, sweetalmost pear-like flavor, with an almost shrimp like gelatinous texture.

Given tey are a little harder to come by than lychee or longans, they're not worth hunting down except if, like me, you're ridiculously curious, although they did get a mention on Stargate Universe recently (and fed to an alien who promptly spit them out, but no accounting for taste there...)

Braveheart

So... about that Scotch thing. I have been avoiding those recipes, truth be told. It's not that I don't like Scotch. In fact, between me and Scotch I'm pretty sure the word you're looking for is love. But not the kind of love you feel for a sweet girl that never does you wrong. In fact, it's more like the love you feel for a girl who's sold you out time and again, betrayed you, and turned her back on you and just when you think you could tell her off she smiles and kisses you on the cheek and suddenly all seems right with the world.

But here's a "traditional" Scottish recipe, in the sense that the Scottish tradition is drowning a perfectly good recipe in Scotch... making it a hundred times better.

Cauliflower, Cheese, and WHISKEY

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower florets

6 oz mushrooms, finely chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

8 oz grated cheese

1/3 cup scotch whiskey (bourbon will do, but really, scotch is better)

1 ounce oatmeal

pinch of nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

2 oz walnuts

Cooking:

Boil cauliflower stalks in hot water for five minutes, and drain. Mix with green peppers and mushrooms in a baking dish.

Heat cream until warm in a medium pan, slowly stirring in cheese until cheese has melted. Remove from heat, and add the oatmeal and scotch. Add salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg to taste. Pour over cauliflower/green pepper, onion mixture and sprinkle walnuts on top. Bake for 45 minutes.

Trainspotting

Now, I know what you're thinking: pea soup? Isn't that that harsh stuff that comes from dried spli peas?

The answer is yes, and know. Split peas are typically the biter and firm pidgeon pea, and which lacks the green peas sweetness and colour. Now, a blended pea soup incorporating the common snow pea would be something else, and perfectly easy, right?

Green Pea Soup

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 8 minutes

Serving Size: 3-4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter

1 bunch scallions, sliced

1 clove garlic, finely minced

2 cups chicken stock

1 lb frozen peas

1 head lettuce, shredded

1 tsp sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Cooking:

In a medium pot, melt butter in a pan and use to soften garlic and scallions. Add stock, peas, lettuce, sugar, salt, and pepper, and simmer for five minutes. Cool, and then put throuh a blender.

This can be served hot or cold. If served hot, garnish with cream or sour cream. If cold, garnish with fresh mint.

Black Horse and...

Clapshot. It sounds like something you might have gotten after taking a bargirl home and forgetting to use you-know-whats.

Now, it is something really rather simple. In fact, a couple of Thanksgivings ago I decided throwing turnips into a pot of potatoes and mashing the lot seemed innovative, but it seems the Scots got there long before I did, so I don't get naming rights by a couple hundred years.

Clapshot

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Servingf size 6-8 people

Ingredients:

1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 2" pieces

1 lb turnips, peeled and cut into 2" pieces

8 chives, chopped

2 tbsp butter

pepper and salt to taste

Cooking:

In a large pot, boil the potatoes and turnips until soft. Drain, and mash together with the butter and chives.

For additional flavor, you can add celeriac and parsnip to the boiling proces, and pureed onion and garlic to the mashing stage.

No You Girls

ontinuing the Scottish tradition of ridiculous food names, we have Rumbledethumps. Not, onions, cabbage, and potatoes in any dish warms the cockles of my heart, and melting cheese over it only makes the whole deal better.

Rumbledethumps

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Serving size: 2-4 people

Ingredients:

1 lb potatoes

4 tbsp butter

3/4 lb cabbage, shredded

1 large onion, thinly sliced

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Cooking:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel and boil potatoes until soft, then drain and mash the potatoes.

In a large frying pan, melt the butter, and add the cabbage and onion, turning until soft (do not carmelize).

Add half the cheese and all of the potatoes. Stir until cheese has melted, mixing in salt and pepper to taste.

Take off heat, place in a serving dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the serving dish, and place in oven and bake until cheese on top has melted. Enjoy.

There Can Be Only One!

The Scottish have an incredible knack for giving foods the silliest names possible. For example, in America a soup like this would have been named "Chicken Leek Soup" or "Chicken Vegetable", or something else equally drab.

To get Chicken broth, you can use chicken base, canned broth, or make your own by boiling chicken bones. While the last one sounds difficult, you'll produce a much better tasting soup with it. Based on this recipe (but modified because chopping up hot chicken is a pain in the arse)

Cock-A-Leekie Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

2 lb chicken meat, cut into 1" cubes

4 cups chicken broth

1 carrot, sliced

1 celery stalk, sliced

1/2 cup barley

2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 bay leaf

2 sliced leeks

Cooking:

Heat all ingredients except leeks, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add leeks. Simmer 15 minutes or more, until chicken is done.

Skim the foam off the broth and remove bay leaf.

Serve.

Chapter 7 : Scotland

Across the rolling highland hills, we travelled until we reached Edinburgh. British cuisine itself is not all that well respected internationally, and Scotland in particular has a questionable reputation. It's infamous national dish, haggis, is comprised of sheep lung, sheep heart, and sheep liver mixed with oats and packed into a sheep's stomach. The USDA has determined it is "unfit for human consumption" and it is impossible to import or purchase authentic haggis in America. Reently, in Doctor Who, the Doctor delivered the line "you're Scottish, fry something", and the scene cut away to bacon.

I personally must object. Scottish cuisine has one thing going for it:

Whiskey.

In fact, if you search for Scottish recipes around the internet, you'll find that nearly every one contained Scotch as an ingredient. I am almost certain that without Scotch, Scotland would starve.

Before venturing after me, you might think about picking some Scotch up. You'll also find you need some oats. Oatmeal is a staple of Celtic cuisine, and there's no shame in that!

Beyond that, Scottish cuisine is not entirely unlike old fasioned American cooking. It might not be the lightest, but there's no doubt some flavors worth exploring.

Table of Contents : Indonesia

Chapter 6 : Indonesia

Avocado Juice

Nasi Goreng - Fried Rice

Chicken Satay

Beef Rendang

Chapter 5 : Egypt

Ful Medames

Fava Bean Hummus

Kushari

Chapter 4 : The Indiana State Fair

Deep Fried Cheese

Deep Fried Butter

Chocolate Covered Bacon

Chapter 3 : Spain/Catalonia
Pa Amb Tomaquet
Meatballs in Almond Sauce

Calçotada and Romesco Sauce
Escalivada

Chapter 2 : Cajun/Creole

Red Beans and Rice
Alligator Gumbo

Catfish Courtbouillon

Crawfish EtouféeChicken Creole

Chapter 1 : China

The Century Egg
Bok Choy : Basic Stir Fry

Peking Duck

Snow Fungus : Chicken and Snow

Fungus
Chinese Eggplant : Chinese Eggplant Stir Fry

Cellophane Noodles : Ants Climbing a Tree

Longans

Chapter ? : Japan

Coffee Mochi

Chapter ? : Vietnam

Sesame Candy

Chapter ? : Korea

Aloe Vera Drink

Chapter ? : The Midwest
Niagra WineCherry Wine

Chapter ? : Peru
Cherimoya

Red Tamarillo

Chapter ? : Africa
The Horned Melon

Goat Meat

Goat. If you're American and reading this, chances are you might have had goat cheese, but never eaten goat itself. It has a strong, bold flavor quite unlike other red meat.

This recipe also requires anatto. Anatto is readily available anywhere you can find authentic Mexican ingredients. It looks a lot like red lead paint powder, and is used to achieve the saffron-like color in this dish (and is quite a bit cheaper than saffron).

This recipe also uses aji amarillo. If this is unavailable, you can substitute jalapeno.

Seco de Cabrito

Marinade Time: 4 hours

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 1/2 hour

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

3 lbs goat meat

1 bottle beer

1 tbsp ground anatto

2 tbsp aji amarillo paste

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 bunch fresh cilantro

1/3 bunch fresh parsley

2 aji amarillo

1 tsp cumin

2 chopped yellow onions

6 garlic cloves

1 chopped tomato

1 lb potato

Preparation:

Cut the goat into 1 inch cubes. Make a marinade out of garlic, anatto, aji amarillo paste, salt, black pepper, and beer. Marinate goat for at least four hours prior to cooking.

In a blender mix cilantro, parsley, onion, cumin, aji amarillo, and 1/4 cup stock and blend until smooth.

Cooking:

In a large pot heat 3 tbsp oil, and fry the goat meat until browned. Add the cilantro blend, and enough water to cover goat, and heat for four minutes. Add the marinade, and bring to a boil. Boil for two minutes, and then reduce to simmer and add the potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are soft.

Serve with rice.

This dish is exotic, and the flavor of goat may put off some of the less adventurous, but it's well worth the effort. The original, somewhat garbled recipe, called for yucca. Personally, I'm not sure I'm a fan of the yucca and potatoes seem perfectly Pervuian, but either way it's delicious.

Locro de Zapallo

Squash, peas, and corn... The essential ingredients of the Americas are all represented inthis dish.

You can use jalapeno instead of aji amarillo, if you can't find it.

Locro de Zapallo

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

3 lbs squash, cubed

1/3 cup oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp aji amarillo

1 tsp oregano

3/4 cup peas

3 white potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes

2 cups sweet corn

1/2 cup evaporated milk

3/4 cup shredded white cheese (most likely montery jack or white cheddar will work)

3 green olives, pitted and halved

salt and pepper to taste

Cooking:

Heat oil in a pot and then add the onion, garlic, aji amarillo, and oregano. Cook until aromatic. Then add the squash, peas, potato, and corn. Cover, and simmer until squash and potatoes are soft.

Add milk and cheese. Mix until cheese is melted, and pepper and salt to taste.

Serve topped with chunks of cheese, and the olives.

This dish is really quite nice. The olive topping pulls it together really nicely. I'm not entirely certain whether it was originally intended to be squash or pumpkin, though I suspect it doesn't matter which you use.

Pesque de Quinoa

Quinoa is a little known tan or red Incan grain that has recently experienced a surge of popularity after several hundred years of the human race ignoring it. With a wonderful flavor, an ideal protein profile, and all the advantages of cereal grains and non of the disadvantages, you may want to stop by your local health food/natural/yuppie grocery store to try some, in any variety of ways. Ironically, I had a hard time finding English-language Peruvian recipes for it, but I did manage to get this one translated via Google Translate.

Pesque de Quinoa

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

2 cups milk

1 medium potato, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp goat cheese

Pepper and salt to taste

Prep:

In a strainer, wash the quinoa thoroughly

Cooking:

In a medium pot, sauté onion in butter until soft. Add the quinoa and milk, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, and add the potato. Simmer, covered, 30-35 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Remove from heat, and mix in goat cheese, salt, and pepper.

This dish is really easy and wonderful. I definitely recommend trying it.

Macchu Picchu

Mashed green plantains and fish? It sounds like an unlikely pairing, but happens to be delicious.

If you can't find aji amarillo, you can substitute jalapeno. The aji paste can be replaced with chilli paste.

I found this recipe on google, and used google translate to get something....somewhat comprehensible. However, it came out great! I baked tilapia, though I suspect the original recipe would have used blanched shellfish...

Either way, it's delicious!

Majarisco

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 lbs seafood

5 green plantains

1 onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp aji paste

2 diced aji amarillo

1 cup water

salt and pepper to taste

Cooking:

Blanch or grill seafood to soften for a few minutes, then remove from heat.

Slice up and fry the bananas in an oiled pan until soft, then remove from heat and mash.

In an oiled pan, fry the onion, garlic, aji paste, and aji amarillo until soft. Then add the seafood, crushed bananas, and water, and mix over low heat until warm.

Chapter 7 : Peru

Our arrival in Peru revealed a land unlike most of its predecessors. Once the home of the great Incan Empire, Peru remains a hotspot for biodiversity, with more breeds of edible foods indigenous than msot other countries. Peanuts, tomatoes, potatoes, tamarillo, quinoa, amaranth, aji peppers, and many varieties of corn are from this diverse country.

We set off quietly into the crowds, surrounded by unknown things; hot yellow peppers, goat meat, and green plantains.

Inca Kola was the most popular soda in Peru, a hazardously yellow carbonated beverage with a strong, bubble gum flavor.

A more pleasant local beverage was Purple Corn Drink, a sticky sweet concoction made from a dark variety of maize.

But the most important thing to watch out for, wary traveler, was aji amarillo, a long, yellow hot pepper. The paste and flesh of this capsicum variety is to be found everywhere in this mysterious country, and while jalapeno makes a reasonable substitute, the flavor of aji amarillo is by far the better of the two.

Next Time: Plantains and fish? Majarisco!

Recipes By Ingredient

Alligator

Alligator Gumbo

Almonds

Calcotada and Romesco Sauce

Meatballs in Almond Sauce

Andouille

Alligator Gumbo

Red Beans and Rice

Beef

Ants Climbing a Tree

Bok Choy

Stir Fry Bok Choy

Catfish

Catfish Courtbouillon

Celery

Alligator Gumbo

Catfish Courtbouillon

Chicken Creole

Crawfish Etouffee

Red Beans and Rice

Cellophane Noodles

Ants Climbing a Tree

Chicken

Chicken and Snow Fungus

Chicken Creole

Chilli Oil

Chicken and Snow Fungus

Chilli Pepper

Crawfish Etouffee

Crawfish

Crawfish Etouffee

Eggplant

Chinese Eggplant Stir Fry

Escalivada

File Seasoning

Alligator Gumbo

Ginger

Chinese Eggplant Stir Fry

Stir Fry Bok Choy

Green Bell Pepper

Alligator Gumbo

Catfish Courtbouillon

Chicken Creole

Red Beans and Rice

Okra

Alligator Gumbo

Parsley

Alligator Gumbo

Catfish Courtbouillon

Chicken Creole

Crawfish Etouffee

Meatballs in Almond Sauce

Pork

Meatballs in Almond Sauce

Red Beans

Red Beans and Rice

Red Bell Pepper

Calcotada and Romesco Sauce

Escalivada

Sake

Ants Climbing a Tree

Scallions

Alligator Gumbo

Ants Climbing a Tree

Catfish Courtbouillon

Calcotada and Romesco Sauce

Crawfish Etouffee

Stir Fry Bok Choy

Sesame Seeds

Chicken and Snow Fungus

Sesame Oil

Chicken and Snow Fungus

Snow Fungus

Chicken and Snow Fungus

Tomatoes

Chicken Creole

Escalivada

White Wine

Meatballs in Almond Sauce