Scotland

Scotland (#52) Scottish Shortbread

The grand finale, the 52nd country in 52 weeks!  I used to work with a woman from Scotland and every Christmas she made Scottish shortbreads as gifts, and presented them all wrapped in a beautiful tartan plaid ribbon.  Scottish shortbread dates back to the 12th century and became popular by Mary, Queen of Scots.  There are just a few simple ingredients - flour, butter and confectioners sugar.  Some recipes call for vanilla flavoring so I used my special Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste.  Historically, shortbread was expensive and reserved as a luxury for Christmas, Scottish New Year's Eve and weddings.  This is the first time I have ever made shortbread, but I will add it to my Christmas baking repertoire.

 

As I reflect on my year of cooking 52 countries in 52 weeks, I must say this has been such a great experience, and I’ve truly enjoyed the journey.  I’ve learned a lot about different cuisines and cultures and want to continue on my quest to cook my way around the world.  In 2014, I’ll be cooking and blogging my way through every corner of France and Italy.  Bon appétit and buono appetito!

Ukraine

Ukraine (#51) Chicken Kiev

I have wanted to make this for quite awhile, and I’m glad I finally did.  Chicken Kiev is a traditional Russian dish from the early 20^th century, and became popular on American menus in the 1960’s.  The ingredients are simple, but putting it all together took a little finesse.  I combined butter with minced garlic, chopped parsley, and lemon juice, then shaped it in a log and put it in the freezer to harden.  The chicken cutlets were pounded to about 1/8 inch thick, and a pat of the butter placed in the center.  The chicken is then wrapped up in a bundle, dredged in flour, egg and panko bread crumbs, then fried in canola oil.  I served this with lots of fresh squeezed lemon and mashed potatoes.  So delicious!

One more country to go!  Scottish shortbread coming soon.

Luxembourg

Luxembourg (#50) Bouneschlupp (Geen Bean and Potato Soup)

When I googled Luxembourg cuisine,  I found the national dish, Bouneschlupp.  I love green beans, potatoes and bacon so I knew I had to make it.  Not to mention, Luxembourg is bordered by Germany, France and Belgium, and influenced by their wonderful cuisine, so I knew the dish would be a hit.  The recipe is so simple.  First, you cook diced bacon then add shallots, garlic and haricot vertes.  Season with salt and pepper and add water and simmer for about 40 minutes.  Then add diced Yukon golds and cook until tender, about 30 minutes.  About 10 minutes before serving, nestle a smoked beef sausage in the soup to heat through.  Ladle the soup in a bowl and top with slices of the sausage.  Today happened to be overcast and rainy so this soup was perfect for a chilly, fall day in Arizona. 

Belize

Belize (#49) Garnachas

Garnachas are the Belizean equivalent to tostados or sopes.  They’re a common appetizer or party food and can be made with a variety of toppings.  The recipe that I found, was simply black beans, marinated onions and asiago cheese served on a crisp fried tortilla.  The onion mixture was a nice alternative to salsa.  It was made of diced onions and a finely diced Serrano pepper, then marinated in white wine vinegar.  The recipe called for a habanero pepper, but they’re often not available, so the Serrano turned out to be perfect.  I used peanut oil to fry the tortillas which gives them a much better flavor than vegetable oil.  Top the tortilla with black beans, the onions and lots of cheese.  Actually, any cheese would be good, but the asiago called for in the recipe was wonderful.  This was probably one of the easiest recipes I’ve made and I’ll definitely be making it again, especially when I’m looking for a 10 minute dinner.

Taiwan

Taiwan (#48) Lo Bah Png (Meat Sauce with Rice)

It occurred to me I had not yet explored the country of Taiwan, and a Google search led me to a wonderful recipe for Taiwanese comfort food – Lo Bah Png.  This recipe was so easy to make, and the kitchen smelled so good while it was simmering on the stove.  I sautéed garlic and shallots, then added shitakes and ground pork and cooked until the pork was cooked through.  A mixture of water, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar and Chinese 5-spice was added to the meat mixture and simmered for about an hour.  I love Chinese 5-spice; it consists of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel and pepper.  To serve, fill a bowl with rice, top with the pork mixture, and sprinkle with green onions and cilantro. 

Only four more countries left!  I'm thinking Singapore, Luxembourg, Belize and Scotland will make the list.  Recipes are lined up and ready to go!

                           

Israel

Israel (#47) Schnitzel

There’s an Israeli restaurant in town that serves chicken schnitzel.  I didn’t realize that this was a popular dish served throughout Israel until I did a little research and found that it made its way to Israel with European Jewish immigrants.  I also discovered that there are many countries that have their own version of schnitzel, not just Germany and Austria, but other countries such as Brazil, Iran and Croatia.  This dish is one of my favorites of all the countries I’ve cooked so far.  I bought cutlets then pounded them out until they were fairly thin, then dredged them in flour, eggs, and panko bread crumbs that had been tossed with paprika.  I lightly fried them in a skillet for about three minutes on each side.  I served this with lots of fresh lemons from my backyard tree.  I also made an Israeli salad by dicing a tomato, cucumber, red onion, and finely chopped parsley, then tossed with equal parts of lemon juice, olive oil, and a dash of sea salt.  Schnitzel is often served with French fries or mashed potatoes.  This dish will be a regular in my kitchen.  It was absolutely wonderful.

Malaysia

Malaysia (#46) Satay (Chicken and Peanut Sauce)

Satay is popular in Malaysia and all throughout Southeast Asia.  It’s typically cooked by street vendors on an open flame and served with a dipping sauce.  I cooked mine on my Le Creuset grill pan and it was wonderful!  I marinated chicken thighs cut into strips, in a mixture of lemongrass, shallots, cloves, brown sugar, coriander, cumin, turmeric, fish sauce and canola oil that had been whizzed in my food processor.   After marinating for about an hour I threaded the chicken on wooden skewers and grilled them until they were cooked through and had a nice char on the outside.  For the peanut sauce, I whisked together some salad oil, chunky peanut butter, soy sauce, cider vinegar, sugar and red pepper flakes, then tossed it with scallions.  This was such a simple recipe with a lot of wow factor.  I loved it!