Phew! I did it. And at the end of it all, I would say I'm proud of how my final presentation went. My script and PowerPoint came together well, and even though I'm usually HORRIBLE at public speaking, I don't think I did too bad.
I'm really glad that I chose to persue cooking for this project, because it's something that I can use beyond just the project. It's a life skill that I'll be utilizing my whole life, and I think it was beneficial to sharpen up my skills in this project. Not only that, but it was so cool being able to cook dishes from all of the different countries. I'll definitely be preparing some of those recipes for my family/friends in the future! I think it's interesting that I can tie history into my food as well. Going beyond just preparing a dish from a foreign country, and delving into the history of the food was something that was very interesting to me. I usually don't research the background of a food every time that I make a meal, but when I did for this project, it gave you a new appreciation for what you were cooking. History from the spices/herbs used in recipes also allowed me to compare one European dish to another.
All in all, I enjoyed this project! I'm happy with my final products, as well as my final presentation.
For
my interview, I had to opportunity to talk to Manju Malhi, via e-mail. Malhi is
British chef, who specializes in Anglo-Indian cuisine, and is currently living
in London. She has won multiple cooking competitions, including a BBC “Food and
Drink” programme with Antony Worrall Thompson. Malhi had her own cooking show, Manju’s Simply Indian series, which
aired on the Taste Network in 2001. This was followed by the publishing of her
award winning book, Brit Spice (which
was published by Penguin Books in 2002!). Manju Malhi has also published two
other books (India with Passion and Easy Indian Cookbook), and is working on
a 40-part series on British food right now. Additionally, she writes for
newspaper and magazines on Indian food.
I knew when I was looking for an easy to
follow cookbook with a few simple recipes which I couldn’t find so I decided to
write one. But I needed to get a publisher so entered a competition for a BBC
show asking entrants to cook an innovative recipe and send the video to them.
To cut a long story short, I won the competition, sent off my cooking showreel
to several agents and then got the agent to publish my first book Brit Spice
which was combining spices with everyday British ingredients.
2.
What is your favorite type of cuisine? Why?
I think it would have to be Indian
cuisine which I’m known for preparing in the west but in India, I’m known for
preparing British food as I had a series broadcast to over 800 million people
showing how to prepare simple dishes. I do like all kinds of cuisines but I love
experimenting with unusual flavours.
3.
What are your specialties as a chef?
My specialties as a chef are modern
contemporary Indian cuisine. Simple foods with spice. Okra is my favourite
vegetable dish - lightly sautéed with onions and brown mustard seeds.
4.
What are your favorite foods to cook with?
My favourite foods are fish and
vegetables with various spices.
5.
Would you describe your food as a form of "art"? If so, how?
I
suppose I try to create good food using good ingredients - so I’d like to think
that my food is an art if people enjoy it and relish the flavours.
6.
What makes your dishes different than others? What makes them special?
I try
and think out of the culinary box as much as possible whenever I can to seek
new flavours that people would enjoy and that the novice cook would be able to
recreate simply and easily.
7.
How would you say your food/cuisine differs from those in other countries
around you?
I make the dishes different by adding spice combinations which work
really well and following the aromatic notes of each spice and how they bring
out the flavours of other ingredients. Living in the UK has made me realise
that global foods are widely and easily available - any ingredient or any spice
can be found. It’s like living in a harmonious culinary community.
This
week I decided to cook 3 different things from 3 different countries!
Kourabiedes:
The
first thing that I prepared was Kourabiedes, also known as Greek butter
cookies. Greek cookies can date back all the way to 1,200 BC. Bakers had a hard
time finding baking supplies and ingredients, and used only staple foods
(flour, butter, sugar, etc.) to create their cookies, which is why the recipes
are so simple today. Covering the tops of cookies with powdered sugar, like I did,
is a popular tradition in Greece.
The
recipe I made used easy ingredients – 1 cup of butter, ¾ cup of sugar, 1 egg,
vanilla and almond extract, and 2 cups of flour. I creamed the butter, sugar,
and egg together, and then stirred in the vanilla and almond extracts. Then I blended
the flour in to make my cookie dough. Next I took small pieces of the dough,
and rolled them in crescent-like logs. I baked them for 10 minutes, and then
dusted them with powdered sugar. Done! They were so easy to make, and tasted
delicious.
Stoemp:
Next,
I make stoemp, which are Belgian mashed potatoes. Throughout history, fresh
meat was hard to come by, specifically in Belgium. Potatoes were easy to
prepare, and stayed fresh longer than other foods. Traditionally, stoemp is
served with boudin (sausage), bacon, fried eggs, or (in some families) horse
tenderloin. Throughout Europe, there are many dishes similar to stoemp. “Bubble
and squeak” from England, “Colcannan and Champ” from Ireland, and “Rumbledethumps”
from Scotland are just a few. For
this recipe, I used 4 large russet potatoes, heavy cream, 1 small onion, 2
garlic cloves, 3 leeks, and vegetable stock. I peeled, and boiled the potatoes
until they were tender, and then mashed them. I then melted butter into a pan,
and added the chopped garlic and onion. Once the onions were slightly softened,
I added my sliced leeks, and sautéed them until everything was translucent.
Then I added the ¾ cup of heavy cream and ½ cup of stock, and let it simmer for
10 minutes. After, I separated the onion mixture from the liquid, and mixed in
the onions and leeks into the mashed up potatoes. I reduced the liquid in the
pan for a few minutes and then added that to the potatoes. I mixed everything
together, and add salt, pepper, and butter to make them less dry. They were
really delicious. It seemed like a lot of work just for mashed potatoes,
because they didn’t taste extremely different than plain potatoes. Although,
the leeks added a lot of good flavor. The recipe was easy to follow, and I would
definitely make this again if I had to.
Cheese
Fondue:
Finally,
I made a cheese fondue. Fondue is known as the “Swiss national dish”, and is
now found in many different countries. Early history suggests that melted
cheese was a peasant food, and good way to use up old cheese and leftover
bread. These fondue recipes appeared as early as the 1,600’s in Switzerland. On
the other hand, some people think that fondue originated in the 1,800’s in the
Swiss Alps, made to use hardened cheese and bread during the winter. Either
way, fondue was a classic peasant dish used across Switzerland after World War
I.
I
used a super simple recipe for my cheese fondue, which is most similar to how
it would’ve been made many years ago. I used garlic and rubbed it on the inside
of the fondue pot. Then I added about 4 ounces of beer as a base, and added ½ teaspoon
of mustard powder. Next, I added 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and
melted it down while continuously stirring it. I also cut up a baguette and 2
Granny Smith apples to dip. This super easy recipe tasted really good, and was
very filling. As a lover on fondue, I know have a new appreciation for it,
knowing its history. I would definitely make this again!
Check out this quick YouTube video.. all about fondue!
This week I am focusing on Germany, so for
one of my dishes I decided to make an apple strudel. Apple strudel has been a
favorite dessert in many parts of Germany for hundreds of years. It’s usually
reserved for special events, such as holidays or birthdays.
So, when you think of an apple strudel, it
doesn’t sound too complicated, right? Well, that’s what I thought too, and boy,
was I wrong about that. The recipe itself was super easy to follow, but my end
product was not the prettiest...
To start, I peeled and sliced 5 Granny
Smith apples (which took a good amount of time), and then softened them but
simmering them down with water and brown sugar. Next, I created the mixture
that I would be putting on each layer of the strudel – it consisted of
cinnamon, sugar, and chopped pecans. Then came the hard part. So, I used a type
of pastry known as phyllo dough. If you’re unfamiliar with what it is, it’s a paper-thin
dough that is extremely fragile. I layed down each sheet of the phyllo dough,
and sprinkled the nut mixture and brushed butter on top before repeating this 7
times. Up until this point, I thought I was doing pretty good. Now I had to put
a line of the apple mixture (consisted of golden raisins, brown sugar, and
apples) down the sheet. Well, apparently I put way too many apples because
after that I was supposed to roll the sheets into a log, which was impossible.
The bottom layer of the dough was beginning to rip, so if I knew that if I
tried to roll it, the whole thing would fall apart. So, to improvise, i just
decided to put another sheet on top of the apples, and top that with butter and
a sprinkle of brown sugar. Let me just say, it did not turn out to be the
prettiest thing. I’m not sure if it would even be categorized as a strudel,
although it did taste pretty good in the end.
Overall, I would rate the actual recipe a
6/10, because it didn’t give very good instructions on the amount of apples I
should have put in the center of the strudel. As for the taste, I would give it
an 8/10.
For my second dish this week, I made a pork and sauerkraut recipe. Eating sauerkraut on New Year's Eve has been a tradition in Germany for hundreds of years. People believe that the dish brings wealth and blessings in the new year. Before the meal, those at the table wish one another as much money and happiness as the number of shreds of cabbage in the pot of sauerkraut. As for the pork portion of this meal, people believe that the pig symbolizes good luck and well-being. Therefore, many think that eating a meal with pork on New Years will bring luck in the new year. The recipe that I used was super easy to follow, and only took a few minutes to prepare. I decided to slow cook my pork in a crock pot, to make it more tender. I used a 4 pound pork loin, and placed it in my crock pot. Then I sprinkled that with caraway seeds, which gave it a lot of flavor, and pepper. I diced up an apple, and put that in there, and then poured 2 bags of sauerkraut (and the juice) on top. Lastly, I sprinkled brown sugar on top of the sauerkraut, and drizzled it with melted butter. It cooked for a total of 8 hours (which made it the perfect thing to do on the snow day!). When it was time to eat , I served it with mashed potatoes (the traditional thing to do in Germany), as well as peas. I would rate the recipe a 10/10, as it was very easy to follow. I would rate the taste 9 or 10/10. The pork was very flavorful, and I think that slow cooking it made it even better. I personally HATE sauerkraut, but the taste was absorbed by both the apple and pork in the crock pot, so it wasn't as bitter.
Below is a video I watched prior to making my apple strudel. The chef in this video makes his own dough, unlike I did. Although, it was helpful to watch how he rolled the apples into the strudel, since I struggled with that. Check it out!
Food is a
major part of German culture. In historic Germany, cuisine would vary
throughout the country based on what was available to the people in different
regions. Similar to many other countries, salting, curing, and pickling were
(and still are) a common way to prepare meat and fish. (Sauerkraut is just one
example of this ancient cooking method that is still used today!) Milk, butter,
and cheese from sheep and goats were often served during feasts in early-day
Germany. Some of the first spices used were parsley, dill, and celery, which
are still used in many German dishes today. Today, Germans often serve things
such as wild game, lamb, and pork, falling back on their rich heritage. Some of
the most popular German foods include Frankfurt’s (sausage similar to a hot
dog), knodel (potato dumpling), and lebkuchen (cookies). Another staple food in
Germany are potatoes, which are prepared in many different ways throughout the
country.
So
today I made crêpes!! While they originated in France, they are known
throughout the United States. From "crêpe trucks" to crêperies, they
can be found all over, which is my main reasoning on deciding to prepare this
dish. In France, crêpes are traditionally served Virgin Mary's Blessing Day,
which is now more popularly known as "Le Jour des Crêpes"
("The Day of the Crêpes"). The traditional belief is that if you
could catch the crêpe with a frying pan after tossing it in the air with your
right hand and holding a gold coin in your left hand, you would become rich
that year. The French believe that the roundness, and golden color of the
crêpe resembles the sun and its rays. Because crêpes can be served as both a main meal or a dessert in France, crêperies have very diverse options.
The recipe that I used for the crepes is actually from my grandmother. I don't have any French decent, but I guess she just developed a good crepe recipe! When I was younger, my mom used to make this recipe for breakfast on special occasions (yum!). Anyways, the ingredients are the basic ones found in pretty much any crepe recipe... 3 eggs, 1 cup of milk, 1 tablespoon of oil, 2 cups of flour, and a pinch of salt. Simple! Once you gather your ingredients, you just mix them all together with an electric mixer, to incorporate the air into it. I used a griddle to cook them on, but you can also use things like a pan. Just pour the batter onto the griddle to your desired size, wait until it's golden brown, and it's done! Typically, you can fill your crepe with jam, jelly, fruit -- or pretty much anything. But I just prefer a little bit of syrup and confectioner's sugar. It's amazing how a food with such cultural importance can be so simple and delicious!
