Category: Uncategorized

Lebanese lemon-garlic chicken (djeaj bil furrin)

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This recipe requires advance planning, as the chicken needs to marinate for 2 days before it can be cooked.  Place a 4 lb chicken (cut into 10 pieces) in a large bowl containing 6 cups water and 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar.  Drain and set aside.  Then place the chicken pieces into the following marinade:… Continue reading Lebanese lemon-garlic chicken (djeaj bil furrin)

Jordanian chicken with rice, cauliflower, and eggplant (makloubeh)

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I tried my first glorious bite of makloubeh sometime around 2007, when a Palestinian-American friend and colleague brought me some from her family's weekend cooking. I was blown away by its flavors and textures, and I soon started searching for recipes. I learned that makloubeh is popular in many Middle Eastern countries. This recipe is… Continue reading Jordanian chicken with rice, cauliflower, and eggplant (makloubeh)

Korean soy-braised beef with mushrooms and hot peppers (jang jorim)

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This is one of my childhood favorites, something that always reminds me of my mom. Cut 2 ½ to 3 lbs of boneless stewing beef (such as flank or beef chuck) into bite-sized cubes (1.5-2") and place in the bottom of a large pressure cooker. Cover with 1 ½ cups soy sauce and ½ cup… Continue reading Korean soy-braised beef with mushrooms and hot peppers (jang jorim)

Salvadoran chicken broth with vegetables (caldo de pollo con verduras)

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While on our honeymoon at ClubMed, we had a delicious soup that inspired us to try our hand at home.  First, make the chicken broth by combining 1 ½ lb  chicken wings, necks and gizzards (here, 3 lb chicken wings and drummettes), 4 stalks chopped celery, 1 lb chopped and peeled carrots, ½ bunch each chopped cilantro… Continue reading Salvadoran chicken broth with vegetables (caldo de pollo con verduras)

Vietnamese daikon and carrot pickle

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Very excited about making this pickle for the first time.  Recipe from Andrea Nguyen’s The Banh Mi Handbook and available on her glorious food blog, VietWorld Kitchen, https://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2009/05/daikon-and-carrot-pickle-recipe-do-chua.html.  (Dec. 2014) Sources: Andrea Nguyen's The Banh Mi Handbook: Recipes for Crazy-Delicious Vietnamese Sandwiches (Ten Speed Press, 2014); Andrea Nguyen, author and teacher, Vietworldkitchen.com.

Korean wakame seaweed soup with beef (miyuk guk) 

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Soak about 1-2 oz dried wakame seaweed in room temperature water and set aside.  Saute 1/2 lb lean beef (cut into bite-sized pieces) in a little oil.  When browned, add 5-6 shiitake mushrooms (fresh or reconstituted dry), cut into ½" slices  Sauté until fragrant, then add 2 large Yukon potatoes (or 1 large Russet potato) cut into large, bite-sized chunks (here,… Continue reading Korean wakame seaweed soup with beef (miyuk guk) 

Ghanaian black-eyed pea stew with fried plantain (red-red)

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Recipe is here: http://thespiceisland.blogspot.com/2010/04/red-red-greatest-recipe-known-to.html?m=1 We reduced the oil to ½ cup (from 1 cup). This recipe calls for dried shrimp, so it is not vegetarian. I read somewhere that West African cuisine utilizes smoked shrimp, as opposed to dried shrimp. To mimic the flavor of smoked shrimp, we combined tiny dried shrimp (from a Chinese… Continue reading Ghanaian black-eyed pea stew with fried plantain (red-red)