Rhodopean Moussaka

My wife is half Greek, so we're very familiar with that country's moussaka. But, the Bulgarian recipe is quite different. No traditional béchamel, but a cheesy yogurt-based topping instead... Fresh, verdant herbs instead of smoky spices. No eggplant layered throughout. And yet, equally mouthwatering to read. So, did the taste live up to our expectations?! ABSOLUTELY! This dish is superb. Here's how I made it.

Topping:

4 eggs, beaten

1½ cups plain low-fat yogurt, preferably Greek style

¼ tsp nutmeg

3 Tbsp flour
6-8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Base:

2 Tbsp oil

1¼ lbs ground beef/pork "meatloaf" mix
Cracked black pepper, to taste

1 onion, finely diced

4-6 garlic cloves, finely diced
4 medium red-skinned potatoes, cubed

2 tsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp fresh oregano, minced

1 tsp salt

1 can (about 15 oz) diced tomatoes

¼ cup fresh parsley, minced

2-3 scallions, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, nutmeg and flour until well combined. Add the feta and stir gently. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large, deep skillet and brown the meat with the cracked pepper. Transfer to a baking dish to await the vegetables. In the same skillet, the onion, garlic, potatoes, tomato paste, oregano, savory and salt and sauté for about 5 minutes, till the potatoes soften slightly and begin to absorb the flavors.

Combine the potato mixture, tomatoes and parsley with the meat mixture in the baking dish. Pour the topping over this and sprinkle with the scallions.

Bake covered for one hour, then uncovered for another 30 minutes. Let the dish rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Even Elliot wants a bite of this one!

Chubritza

Have you ever heard of chubritza? No, not the folk band from California (pictured at left). The herb? Chubritza is the Bulgarian name for “summer savory” and it grows abundantly there. I gather it’s similar to oregano, but way better, they claim.

There’s also a “winter savory,” but chubritza is milder and more widely used in Bulgarian cooking. In fact, according to Wikipedia, the dinner table in a typical Bulgarian home won’t have salt and pepper shakers on it. Instead, you’ll find salt, paprika, and chubritza. When these three are mixed together, it’s called sharena sol (colorful salt).

I can easily find fresh savory in the local supermarket, but it’s not entirely clear whether it’s the same species of the herb. I've never used it before, but it's an ingredient in tomorrow night’s dish. Stay tuned!

Sarmi. Well, almost...

Stuffed cabbage is perhaps one of the most well-known and popular dishes from this region of Europe. Oddly, I've never had it! In a way, I was flying blind on this one, despite a plethora of recipes for every imaginable version of this dish. Why is that? Because I tried to find the most authentic, specifically-identified-as-Bulgarian recipe in cyberspace, and I got this one.

The measurements are vague, the ingredients aren't clearly described, there isn't even a temperature at which they should be baked! But I decided to give it a go, regardless. I've improvised enough throughout my years with the stove, that I was confident I'd figure it out.

Well, I won't even bother to share my method, because it absolutely did not work. The filling tastes decent, but the rice didn't cook and the cabbage is practically flavorless. But, no worries! That's how we learn, right?! And, thankfully, this dish wasn't nearly as expensive as the lamb one was.

But, let's not go back there... Looking forward, I'm not able to prepare my next dish till Saturday. But, THAT recipe is crystal clear and sounds fantastic! It's the Bulgarian version of another widely known dish. I have no doubt it'll be worth the wait.

Onward and upward!

What's in a name?

Did you know there's a very deliberate etymology to the naming conventions in Bulgaria and other Slavic countries? Typically, names use a "patronymic" that references the father's name, occupation, etc. And, a father's first name frequently becomes the middle name of his child.

Suffixes "ov" and "ev"for males and "ova" and "eva" for females are often added to Bulgarian surnames, so the daughter of someone named Petrov might have the surname Petrova. If you examine Bulgarian family trees, you'll usually find that the names morph over time as each generation is born.

Just something to think about as you head out to work with 27 Jennifers.

Vinen Kavarma/Kebap

I did a lot of hunting and gathering regarding this dish, which is touted as a very popular, classic Bulgarian meal. There are many versions of kavarma out there, and the same can be said of kebap. Truthfully, I'm not even sure what the difference is between them, as the names seem to be used interchangeably! The ingredients, however, are essentially the same.

In an effort to keep it healthy, I did change the way this dish is prepared. Pretty much every version I found of this recipe used about a half cup of oil. Rather than let the vegetables absorb seasoned oil, I essentially dry sautéed them, so they absorbed the actual seasonings instead. (Mom does this when she makes her rich, flavorful curry and it works every time!)

I made my kavarma/kebap as follows:

2-3 Tbsp oil
2 lbs cubed pork, dusted with flour, salt and cracked pepper
3 leeks, rinsed and sliced into halfmoons
1 onion, sliced into half-moons
1 cup baby carrots, sliced lengthwise
1 hot cherry pepper, seeded and minced
1-2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp paprika
1 cup wine
2 bay leaves
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, get the oil good and hot. Sear the pork (in batches, if necessary), remove from the pan and set aside. Sauté the leeks, carrots, onion and pepper in the remaining oil until slightly softened. Add the tomato paste and paprika, and allow the vegetables to absorb the seasonings for a couple minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any bits that stuck to the bottom. Return the pork to the pan, add the bay leaves and simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens and reduces, about 10-15 minutes.

Cook's Notes: I had sweet paprika in the cupboard but I just love the taste of smoked, so I opted for that instead. Also, we had an open bottle of red wine, but I also frequently saw white wine being used. Occasionally, some recipes called for more liquid, usually another cup or so of wine or broth, to really make this a wetter stew. Lastly, most recipes I found said that kavarma/kebap should be served with fried potatoes or French fries, but rice or egg noodles would work just as well. Cheers!

Week #3: Bulgaria

Sofia skyline and Vistosha Mountain
(http://en.wikipedia.org)

This week, we're going to jet about 2,000 miles north to Bulgaria in the Balkan Peninsula!

The capital city, Sofia, is home to about 1.3 million people, making it the 15th largest city in the European Union.

Famous Bulgarians include young actress Nina Dobrev, opera singer Ghena Dimitrova, world-record high-jumper Stefka Kostadinova, and the renowned artist Christo.

I've found three recipes that I'll prepare throughout the week, and check back tomorrow for the first!

Mersi! (Thank you!)

Christo installation near World's Fair benches, Central Park, NYC

Sudani White Nile Fish

Trust me, there's fish under there!

Hands down, I think this is my favorite dish, so far.

I based this recipe upon one I found on the blog of an interesting guy named Mark Tanner. He learned to cook many Sudani dishes while staying in Khartoum, and the flavors in this dish just sounded so fresh, a lovely blend of sweet and savory.

Here's how I made it.

2-3 Tbsp oil

2 onions, sliced into rings

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 Tbsp dried cilantro

Cracked pepper, to taste

2 bell peppers, sliced into rings

2 tomatoes, sliced

4-6 pieces fish (about 6-8 oz. each of perch, cod, haddock, etc.)

1 medium sweet potato, thinly sliced

1 carrot, thinly sliced

1 lemon

½ cup golden raisins

½ cup dried apricots, cut into quarters

Preheat oven to 375°. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, oven-safe, high-sided plan. Sauté the onions for a couple minutes, then add the garlic and salt. When the onions are slightly browned, add the tomato paste, coriander, cumin seeds, cilantro and cracked pepper. Juice half the lemon into the pan and stir to blend.

Once the base is nicely combined and seasoned to your liking, layer the remaining ingredients in the pan. Start with the potato and carrots, then top with the fish, bell pepper rings and tomato slices. Sprinkle the golden raisins and apricots over the top.

Cover and transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the fish cooked, approximately 15 minutes. Serve one fish piece per person, with wedges from the remaining half of the lemon.

Cook’s Note: According to the author of the original recipe, this dish is best served with a pasta bake, but I prefer a lighter meal.

Something's Fishy...

So, here's the thing... I planned to prepare a fish stew tonight, my last Sudanese dish, but I just got home from work and figured out that I forgot to thaw the fish! OOPS!!!

My apologies to leave you hanging for another night, but I PROMISE that tomorrow you'll get the scoop on this interesting dish.

Thanks, everyone!

A Light at the End of the Tunnel?

Did you know that Sudan's capital city, Khartoum, is twinned with 12 different cities, including Wuhan in the People's Republic of China, Ankara in Turkey, and St. Petersburg in Russia?


Unfortunately, that's one of the few, non-violent bits of information I was able to unearth about Sudan, a deeply divided country in a corner of the world facing many challenges.

The secretary bird, a national symbol.

The Republic of Sudan is sometimes called North Sudan, distinguishing it from the Republic of South Sudan, which formally seceded on July 9, 2011, after decades of bloody civil war. Even as it gained its independence from the British Empire and sovereignty claims by Egypt in 1956, fighting erupted between the two regions and the First Sudanese Civil War (or Anyanya rebellion) lasted till a peace agreement was reached in 1972.


But tensions soon resumed between the Muslim desert lands to the north and the animist and Christian rain-forested regions to the south. And just a decade later, the Second Sudanese Civil War broke out in 1983 and lasted till the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed by the government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in 2005, but not before causing one of the highest civilian death tolls of any conflict since WWII.


Sudan's current head of state, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, took control of the country in a bloodless coup in 1989 and declared himself president in 1993, instituting national Islamic law. In 2004, shortly before the CPA was signed, military troops and government-supported militia raided Darfur, a western Sudan state, in response to criticism by rebels there, who claimed the Muslim government was neglecting the black African ethnic groups that live there. 


As estimated nearly 3 million people were displaced during the conflict in Darfur, with atrocities committed against another reported half million people. The International Criminal Court officially charged President al-Bashir with crimes against humanity in 2010, but so far he remains free and in power. Several attempts at peace agreements have been attempted since 2006, the latest being the Darfur Peace, or Doha, Agreement in 2011. A new perspective of autonomy and peace for these two nations appears to be holding, and the transition is under way.


But despite being born into a war-torn country, many Southern Sudanese youth are turning to sports instead of guns. Thanks in part to the popularity of NBA stars like Manute Bol and Luol Deng, basketball leagues and tournaments are sprouting up around the country and many young players are being recruited by American colleges. If peace holds, we may even see South Sudanese competitors in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.


Sources:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/sudan
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2011/02/19/sports/SPTSSUDAN0219.html
http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudan

Fuul & Tamia

Well, I got right back on that horse and decided what better recipe to try after last night's dinner debacle than Sudan's national dish: fuul and tamia. And, oyee (hooray)! They're a smashing success! Here's how I made both:


Fuul
1 can (15 oz) lima beans, rinsed and drained (I couldn't find broad or fava beans.)
2 tsp sesame oil (You can also use tahini paste, if you prefer.)
4 dates, diced
1 plum tomato, diced
1 small onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 hard-boiled eggs, diced (You can also used fried eggs, if you prefer.)
4 Tbsp crumbled feta cheese
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and cracked pepper, to taste.


In a medium bowl, I lightly mashed the lima beans. To that, I added the remaining ingredients, mixed it gently, and let it sit while I prepared its accompaniment.


Tamia
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
Fresh cilantro, finely chopped, to taste.
2 slices wheat bread
1 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp ground coriander
Salt and cracked pepper, to taste.


In a medium bowl, mash the chickpeas into a chunky paste. To that, add the garlic, onion, bell pepper and cilantro. Soak the bread slices with water and squeeze out the excess liquid. Break up the bread and add it to the chickpea mixture with the flour, baking soda, coriander, salt and pepper. Let sit for 15 minutes, then form into patties a few inches in diameter and no more than an inch thick. (With these measurements, you'll get about 8-9 patties.) If the mixture is too loose or sticky, you can add a little extra flour.


In a cast iron skillet, heat about 1/2" of canola oil till the surface ripples. Add 2 or 3 patties at a time and fry till golden brown, about 30 seconds on each side. Drain on a plate with a couple layers of paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Don't forget to pat the tops of the patties, as well. 


Let them cool till they're OK to handle, and use the tamia to scoop up the fuul - that's the traditional was to eat this meal.


The fuul has a fresh, herbaceous taste that pairs well with the smokier, savory tamia. Both dishes are a breeze to make, so I hope you give them a try!