Chinese Feast

Pork Filled Buns
Dough:
2 1/2 tsp. yeast
1 cup warm water (110)
1/3 cup sugar
2 tblsp. oil
1 tsp salt
3 1/4 flour

In large bowl dissolve yeast in water; blend in sugar, salt, and oil. Let stand in warm place until bubbly. Add flour mix until dough holds together, dump out and knead until smooth and elastic.
Let rise until doubled in bulk. 
Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead for one minute.
Shape into rectangle, cut in half lengthwise and then crosswise to make twelve equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a round about 4 1/2 inches in diameter and press the outside edges to make them slightly thinner, place 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each one. Pull edges of dough up and twist around to seal each one. Cover and let rise 1/2 hour, steam 12-15 minutes.
Pork filling
1 1/2 lbs. boneless lean pork chopped small
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp. fresh ginger
2 tsp. sugar
2 Tblsp. soy sauce
Saute until brown and then add 1 medium onion continue cooking until onion is limp.
In a bowl mix:
2 tsp. sugar
2 Tblsp. soy sauce
1 Tblsp. sherry
1/4 water
1 Tblsp. cornstarch
Add sauce to meat and onion cook till thickened and bubbling.

Sweet and Sour Carrots
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 Tblsp. each vinegar and brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tblsp. cornstarch
1 Tblsp. salad oil
1 lb. carrots
1 small onion sliced
3 Tblsp. chicken broth

In bowl mix the first 4 ingredients, heat oil and saute carrots and onions add rest of the broth and cook until carrots are crisp but tender add sauce and simmer until sauce is thickened and bubbly.
This meal was the funnest so far, we also made orange chicken and rice and the best part was that we cooked together.
We were all in the kitchen. Ella and Ezra were playing with the pecans and oranges at the table and Daddy cut the pork, Elias cut the onion and Eden peeled carrots. I mixed sauces and Mom kneaded the dough. It was a great evening.
The food was very good as we all liked the pork buns the best they were very authentic and it was fun to be able to make something that is hard to find at grocery stores.
We have decided this will be our New Years Eve meal. I love having a family to cook with.

Soupe aux Lentilles et Légumes-Burundi

• 225 g sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 225 g carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 onions, sliced
• 225 g green cabbage, shredded
• 300 g brown lentils
• 225 g green French beans
• 600 ml vegetable stock
• ½ tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper, mixed
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Heat the oil in a pan and then add onions and lentils.
Make sure they are well coated in the oil and add stock. Simmer for 20 minutes until lentils are very soft.
Add the rest of the vegetables and seasoning.
Simmer for a further 15 minutes until lentils are puréed.
Serve with crusty bread.
http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Soupe_aux_Lentilles_et_L%C3%A9gume
 When I made this soup I had no lentils and no green french beans, oh, and no vegetable broth. Part of the joy I get from cooking is the uniquness you can add to each dish and the room to test new methods.
I was already missing many ingredients, so I had a prime oppurtunity to be creative with this recipe.
I cut up all the veggies except the french beans and sauted them in the full amount of oil. In a seperate pot I boiled split peas instead of lentils. They boiled until they were soft. I opened a can, ( I am embarassed about this) of french cut green beans and put them juice and all in with the other veggies. After adding enough water to cover the vegetables I brought them to a boil.
I was at a total loss as to what to do for flavor, no vegetable broth, and there is a limit to what salt and pepper can do. I looked up another African recipe and there were a couple different spices, nutmeg and cardamom, I added some of those and then a good deal of cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, curry powder, more salt and and pepper.
Have you ever started doing something that you feel should  be stoped but against all reason you plunge on with it. That's how I felt, every time I dumped a new spice in I would wonder what I was thinking.
I finally exhasuted myself and began frantically stirring praying that at least the dog would eat it.
I had been cooking by myself and nobody saw my spice binge, I felt awful as the first  usupecting sibling raised his spoon to his mouth. My surprise was intense when I realized that he was not clawing at his mouth nor hightailing it for other places. At this point everyone was eating as if my brew was edible.
After tasting it I was very pleased, it had a delicious spicey kick to it followed by a subtle sweet spice taste, enhanced by the sweet potatoes. Excellent and unexpected results. I am thankful I have the oppurtunity to cook for my family.
The spices I added:
Nutmeg 1/4 tsp
Coriander 1 1/2 tsp
Cumin 2 1/2 tsp
Curry Powder 1 tsp
Cardomom 1/2 tsp
Chilie Pepper 1 tsp
Burundi is a small African country below Rwanda.

Fried Noodles-Brunei

Fried Noodles

Ingredients

• 1 lb Uncooked soba noodles
• 3 tb Low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tb Brown sugar
• 2 ts Crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 c Finely chopped onions
• 1 tb Minced garlic
• 1 tb Peeled & grated gingerroot
• 1 c Snow peas
• 6 ea Scallions, chopped
• 1 t Grated lime peel
• 1 c Mung bean sprouts
• 8 oz Firm tofu -- cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 tb Fresh lime juice
• 1/4 c Chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Prepare noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside. In a large, nonstick saute pan, combine soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add onions, garlic and gingerroot. Cook for 2 minutes. Add snow peas, scallions and lime peel. Toss and cook until peas are tender and bright colored, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add bean sprouts and tofu. Continue cooking and toss just until bean sprouts are slightly wilted. Add noodles and toss to mix. Add lime juice to taste and garnish with cilantro. Serve hot.

 I found this recipe on http://asiarecipe.com/bruveg.html#fried. It was very easy and quite delicious. I think that Asian foods are normally very good. They have alot of fresh vegetables in their dishes. It does take an awful long time to cut all the veggies though. Traditionally they are all supposed to be cut into the same size. I didn't have the patience to though. Large bites of broccolli, little bites of onion, long noodles, and short mung beans. It didn't really change the taste though.
 Brunei is a small country that lies on the South China Sea. It is a little bit bigger than Delaware and borders Malaysia. I am really enjoying learning geography as I learn to cook the different meals.

Belgian Cuisine

 

Gratin of Brussels Sprouts                               

                                                                              

2 lbs. brussels sprouts

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp coarsely ground pepper

1 1/2 cups cream

1/2 cup gruyere cheese

Wash and pick off tough outer leaves of brussel sprouts bring to boil for one minute, turn off drain and rinse with cold water. Simmer cream and spices till 3/4 cup reduced, mix with brussel sprouts in pan a sprinkle cheese over the top. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes.

Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Shallots

8 medium potatoes quartered

3 shallots sliced thin

3 + 5 Tblsp. butter

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp. salt

2 Tblsp. parsley chopped

1 tsp. each nutmeg and pepper

Boil potatoes till soft, in separate pan caramelize shallots in 3 Tblsp butter-saute on high till golden brown.  Mash potatoes with remaining ingredients and sprinkle with shallots to serve.

Beer Braised Chicken

4 lbs. chicken breast chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp olive oil                   

2 Tbsp butter

3 shallots sliced

1 onion sliced

9 mushrooms sliced

1 tsp. sugar

3 cloves garlic sliced
3 medium carrots chopped
1 Tbsp. flour
1 bottle Belgium Beer
1/2 cup beef broth
1 generous tsp. dried thyme

1 lrg. bay leaf

1/2 cup cream

1 Tblsp. chopped parsley

 Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and butter in dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken and saute until golden brown. Remove and set aside. Add onions and mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add carrots. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir well. Add the beer and broth and stir. Add chicken, thyme and bay leaf. Cover the pan and simmer over the low heat until the chicken is tender 40 to 50 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Reduce sauce by 1/3 about 5 minutes. Add half and half. Simmer until sauce has thickened. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. I found all three of these recipes at http://recipes.wuzzle.org/index.php/32/268.

 I was the one who did the shopping for this meal. It was last minute and I needed quite a few things but I was in no hurry. I pottered along to the supermarket and meandered up one aisle and down the next comparing prices and creating a wish list of spices I thought I should have to be a perfect cook. When I got home it was late but most of my family was outside working so I had the kitchen to myself. I took great delight in every task. I didn't fly from pan to pan but leisurely watched the chicken pieces brown, stirred gently the golden mushrooms and onions bubbling in the delicious chicken broth. It was an exquisite delight to lift the lid and inhale the aroma of thyme, shallots, mushrooms, and beer all simmering together in a pot and then to know that as the rest of my family drifted in they too were enjoying the amazing fragrance. It was a delicious meal and we all enjoyed eating it together.

 I am very thankful for all the help my sister gave me. Belgian and French cuisine are famous, I think it is because they taste delicious but also because they are such fun to prepare.         

Belaruse-Halubcy

                                    Halubcy      

1 Large head cabbage gently boiled till soft
6 small potatoes boiled, peeled, and mashed
1 pound ground beef

1 cup chopped mushrooms1 cup chopped and sauted onion

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tblsp paprika

1 tblsp dill weed

2 tsp coriander

4 cups beef broth

1 can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

Mix and mash all the ingredients except cabbage, broth and tomatoes in a large bowl. Take cabbage from water and peel of all leaves that are soft return head to water to continue boiling inner leaves. Lay out peice of cabbage and place a 1/3 cup of mixture on one end, fold sides over and roll up. Repeat until all the stuffing is gone. Then place rolls in large pot add beef broth and tomatoes. simmer for 2 hrs.

Serve hot with a sauce of 1 cup sourcream and 3 tblsp horseradish. I found this recipe on http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/POTATO_HALUBCY_WITH%20_MUSHROOMS

This recipe was really simple but made a delicious dinner and a hearty one. When I was making it I was very sure that this would be my first failure, it wasn't, although my brothers didn't like it my Dad did.

Dyushbara-Azerbaijan Soup

Dyushbara

1 recipe egg noodle dough                                                                           
3/4 lb ground lamb or beef                                                       
1 1/2 Tbl. ground coriander
5 minced cloves garlic
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Mix the meat and the next four ingredients very well.
In a large pot saute 1 1/2 onions in 3 Tbl. olive oil
Add ten cups water and enough beef bouillon to make a strong broth,
cover and simmer till needed.
Roll out the egg noodle dough on a floured surface to 1/8 an inch thick, cut into 1" by 1" squares.
Take a bean sized pinch of meat and place it in the middle of the dough fold over into a triangle and pinch the edges place on pan until ready to cook, sorry, but if you try making them bigger they will not cook right. Bring pot to boil drop in dumplings and cook for ten minutes.
Egg Noodle dough
3 cups flour
6 egg yolks
1/3 tsp. salt
1/3 tsp baking powder
beat together and then add water till a soft but not sticky dough forms let rest 20 min.
 I had wanted to have this dinner ready by 6:00 and recruited my sister to ensure that would happen. Oh, how little I knew. This recipe was absolutely delicious, which is good, because, my sister and I were at the counter 1 1/2 hours making enough dumplings for our family. I rolled out all the dough, cut it into the proper size and then we began. Piece of dough, lay it out flat, pinch of meat ,not too little, goodness, no, not too big, hmm, wish it could be bigger, fold it, pinch it, lay it on the pan. Sounds so simple, oh wait, I have to do this 199 more times. I never realized how long it takes to use up a pound of beef when you are working with pinches.
 I am so glad to have made this recipe, yes, despite all the work, the whole pot was devoured during dinner and my family said several times I should make it again for company. Yes, well it will be one of those dinner parties where you invite people over and everyone, sits around the table pinching ridiculously tiny morsels of meat into dumplings. I am sure they will find the work just as worth it as I have found it.

 Even though I enjoyed the outcome of my work,

 I am very certain that this was not daily fare in Azerbaijan, no housewife could do that: "Well, all I have done to day is weed the whole garden, milked the goats twice harvested the olives, swabbed the house, helped plow the fields, cleaned the stable, watched my 5 children, mended for them, washed for them, and now I am going to spend 1 1/2 hours making dumplings for dinner." I believe that this was a special occasion soup, but the soup makes you want to find a few more reasons for a special occaison.

Albaniaian-Byrek Shiqiptar Me Perime

Spinach Pie (Albanian Name: Byrek me spinaq)  

Ingredients:

1 cup oil, preferably olive oil
1 1/2 packets (or about 30) pastry leaves (Filo Dough)
1 1/2 pounds spinach, chopped
1 cup diced feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 eggs
salt, half teaspoon
(NOTE: A medium-sized, round baking pan is recommended because it's more authentic but any medium-sized baking pan will do).

Cooking Instructions:

Brush the baking pan with some of the oil, and start laying the pastry leaves inside. First, lay two leaves, sprinkle or brush with oil, then lay two other leaves, and repeat the procedure until half of the leaves are laid. Make sure that they cover the pan by hanging them about one inch over the edges of the pan.
Sprinkle spinach with salt, then mix well by hand. Add the feta cheese, oil, onions, eggs and salt, and spread this mixture over the already laid pastry leaves. Finish by covering the spinach with the rest of the pastry leaves repeating the first-half procedure and then roll the hanging edges of the bottom leaves over the pie (think of a pizza crust), sprinkle top with oil and bake moderately at 3501_F for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot, accompanied with buttermilk, or beaten yogurt, thinned down in cold water or with chilled stewed prunes. Enjoy it.
I found it on albaniantranslators.com/recipes

Albania is a small country in South Eastern Europe with decidedly good taste in food.  

 I sauted the spinach and onions as I didn't believe they would actually reach the perfect degree of tenderness. This meal didn't go to my dog and my family enjoyed it, while we were eating I dreamed that all seventy-seven meals I am going to attempt were delicious. Beautiful thought, but I doubt its probability. There is too much room for mistakes. 

   Gezojne  (Enjoy)