Ají: The Kick in South American Cuisine

As a huge fan of spicy fare, my recent journey through South America wouldn´t have been complete without "ají". I enjoyed the regional differences between recipes, but certainly had my personal favorites.

Ají (pronounced Ah-HEE) is the Latin American word for all hot peppers. Used for centuries as a condiment and digestive stimulant, it is believed to have healing powers. Ají is traditionally used with every meal and is commonly incorporated into a regional sauce, which varies widely depending on the country and the personal taste of the chef. 

The sauces often contain tomatoes, cilantro (coriander), local spicy peppers and raw onions. Ají has been used in Andean countries, such as Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru, since before the time of the Incas. Chile has its own milder blend, known as "Pebre", and Argentina has the "Chimichurri". 

I'd like the share a few of these tasty recipes with you...

CHILEAN PEBRE

Let's begin with the mildest of the options; the Chilean version, known as "pebre". 

The word pebre in Catalán means pepper of any type. According to sources, the origin of Chilean Pebre dates to the arrival of Catalán engineers and highly skilled masons, under the supervision of the Italian architect Joaquin Toesca, for the construction of the Tajamares de Santiago. Catalán workers made a simple sauce (salsa) using cilantro, oil, vinegar and salt, which they called "pebre" for its main ingredient; the ají. This was probably due to the lack of ingredients, like pine nuts and roasted almonds, to make Romesco sauce (a Catalán bell pepper sauce). Chileans love their pebre, and it's the most common condiment to accompany bread, meat or most other dishes.

I found this sauce to be very similar to the Mexican "pico de gallo"-- refreshing, but far too mild for my personal taste. 

Pebre recipe #1
Pebre recipe #2


ARGENTINEAN CHIMICHURRI

Since Argentina is famous for its beef, Chimichurri was created as the perfect complement to grilled meat. It's not clear where the unique name originated, but it's made of finely-chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, hot peppers (optional, but recommended) and wine vinegar. 
Best of all, it takes about 10 minutes to make!

Not only is it delicious, but also nutritious. Fresh parsley, the dominant ingredient in chimichurri, is an herb that not only has a distinctive and delicate flavor, but is also high in vitamin C, calcium, iron, vitamin A and carotenes. Combine that with the healing properties of fresh garlic and olive oil, and you've got one tasty elixir. Who needs all the extra sugars and artificial flavorings of BBQ sauce?

This is one of my personal favorite sauces to accompany steaks...or just about anything, for that matter! I´ve also discovered it makes a great addition to salad dressings. In my opinion, no BBQ is complete without it.

Authentic Chimichurri Recipe


PERUVIAN AJÍ

Peru is a vast country and has dozens of variations of ají sauces. However, what impressed me the most was the diminutive "ají charapita"(Capsicum frutescens), which originates in the Peruvian Amazonian region of Iquitos. The people in this region are called ‘charapas’, which is a slang term describing the people’s laid back mentality. 

The ají charapita is not grown commercially, and is mostly harvested from wild plants or grown in back yards. While in the Iquitos region, I ate this tiny potent pepper whole, with just about any kind of dish, and am currently investigating how to grow it in my own garden. Unlike many spicy peppers, we found that the "charapita" spares you any painful side-effects the following day, which is an added bonus. This pepper is not only spicy, but has a delicious citrus flavor, similar to the habanero. It complemented the tasty local fish dishes to perfection. If you can find it where you live, you're very lucky, indeed!

Here are some recipes for Peruvian ají sauces:

Ají verde (made with jalapeños)

Ají amarillo paste (if you have access to the elusive yellow pepper) 



ECUADORIAN AJÍ

Ecuadorian ají also varies depending on the region. My personal favorite is made with "tomate de árbol" (tree tomato), which gives it a lovely yellowish color and fruity undertones. 

A tree tomato or tomate de arbol is a South American fruit that looks somewhat like a roma tomato, but pointier and with a thicker skin. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find the fruit outside of Ecuador, but a traditional ají sauce can also be made in its absence.  The main ingredients are hot peppers, onion, cilantro and lime juice, and is perfect to accompany ceviches, rice dishes and patacones (fried plantain fritters) 

Ecuadorian ají with tomate de árbol  

Ají criollo

I recommend trying out some of these recipes to add a little kick, and South American flavor, to your own cooking. Stay tuned for more recipes and spicy tales from South America...


BUEN PROVECHO!!!






















Interesting read:
http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/what-loving-or-hating-spicy-food-says-about-you

Maple Syrup: A Sweet Discovery

Happy New Year!

This year I spent the winter holidays in beautiful rural Vermont, where I got an inside glimpse into the fascinating world of maple syrup production. 

                     

During our stay, we were given a private tour of a friend's "sugar shack" (the wooden shed where the delicious syrup is produced), as well as tasty samples. We also visited the slightly kitch, yet informative, New England Maple Museum, which explains how maple syrup production has evolved since its discovery by the Native Americans. I'd like to share a little of its history with you...


What exactly is maple syrup? 

Maple syrup is a substance usually made from the xylem sap of sugar maple, red maple, or black maple trees, although it can also be made from other maple species. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before the winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in the spring. Maple trees can be tapped by creating holes in their trunks and collecting the extracted sap. The sap is processed by prolonged heating to evaporate much of the water, leaving the concentrated syrup. Surprisingly, it takes about 40 gallons of sap to make just 1 gallon a maple syrup! 

The syrup is then filtered to remove sand-like particles. The filtered syrup is graded and packaged while still hot, usually at a temperature of 82 °C (180 °F) or greater. The containers are turned over after being sealed to sterilize the cap with the hot syrup. Packages can be made of metal, glass, or coated plastic. The syrup can also be heated longer and further processed to create a variety of other delicious maple products, including maple sugar, maple butter or cream, and maple candy or taffy.

A Brief History

Early settlers in the Northeastern U.S. and Canada learned about sugar maples from Native Americans. Various legends exist to explain the initial discovery. One is that the chief of a tribe threw a tomahawk at a tree, sap ran out and his wife boiled venison in the liquid. Another version holds that Native Americans stumbled on sap running from a broken maple branch.                                                                                      

Native Peoples continued to boil down the sap every spring using hollowed out logs into which the sap was poured and rocks heated in a fire were placed in to make the sap boil, thicken and harden into chunks of maple sugar. Early explorers recorded maple sugar as the only source of energy sustaining Native Peoples over the long hard winter months. They also developed rituals around sugar-making, celebrating the Sugar Moon (the first full moon of Spring) with a Maple Dance.

When settlers came with metal tools, they drilled small holes in the trees, whittled wooden spouts and replaced the wooden troughs used by Native Peoples with wooden buckets and covers. They made their maple sugar in large iron kettles suspended over a fire by wooden poles or tripods. Making maple sugar was common in Vermont, being some distance from any seaport where white sugar was imported.

As maple sugaring evolved, arches were built, containing the heat from roaring wood fires and holding large flat pans on top. Constructing buildings to house these “boilers” was the next step. Sugarhouses today still resemble those early structures with the characteristic cupola on the roof allowing the sweet maple scented steam to billow forth. Unfortunately, I won't be there to see the sap collection and evaporation process in person this year. 

The traditional evaporation process, via wood fire, is still used by many syrup producers in Vermont. While production methods have become more efficient since colonial times, the process remains basically unchanged. I noticed that most Vermonters take great pride in their product, taking maple syrup in their coffee instead of sugar and joking that their syrup is of much higher quality than that of their Canadian neighbors. I'm sure Canadians would beg to differ, but it's true that the Canadian region of Quebec holds roughly 75% of the global maple syrup production. Vermont is the largest U.S. producer, claiming roughly 5% of the industry. 
                                                                                                                                                         
Which grade is right for you?

Maple syrup can be pretty pricey, so you'd better be sure you know what you're in for when you splurge on a bottle. Even directly from the source, expect to pay around $50 a gallon - and MUCH more if you're in Europe. Between all the grades and shades of maple syrup out on the market (not to mention the imposters below!), it can get a little confusing.

All maple syrup is graded according to scales based on its density and translucency.
One would expect "Grade A" to naturally be the best, however, it's really just a question of taste and usage. As you may imagine, the darker the syrup, the more intense the maple flavor. Darker syrups are more commonly used in cooking, while the lighter grades are mainly used directly, such as on pancakes. Personally, I prefer the stronger kick of the darker grades. 

Health Benefits of Maple Syrup

While both are calorie-rich, the main aspect that sets maple syrup apart from refined sugar is the fact that it also contains some minerals and antioxidants. Pure maple syrup contains small amounts of calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese. These minerals play essential roles in your body, including cell formation, immune support, maintaining healthy red blood cells, keeping bones and teeth strong, regulating muscle contractions and balancing fluids.

100 grams of maple syrup contains:

• Calcium: 7% of the RDA.
• Potassium: 6% of the RDA.
• Iron: 7% of the RDA.
• Zinc: 28% of the RDA.
• Manganese: 165% of the RDA.

In my opinion, it's hard to find a dish that maple syrup won't compliment.

Interested in incorporating real maple syrup into your cooking? 
Try out some of these delicious recipes:

Maple Roast Turkey and Gravy  (my Thanksgiving standard)
57 Magical Ways to Use Maple Syrup  



I hope you all enjoy a sweet year ahead!

Catnip (aka "Kitty Crack")

As a faithful cat owner (aka "employee"), I dedicate this entry to all our little feline companions, who can also appreciate the wide world of herbs. 

What exactly is Catnip?

Catnip plants (Nepeta cataria and other Nepeta species) are members of the mint family and contain volatile oils, sterols, acids and tannins. These herbs are native to Europe, Asia and Africa, and were brought to North America by settlers. Nowadays, the plant is popular in herb gardens, especially of cat owners, and can be found growing in the wild as a weed.

An open bag is an empty bag...

Have you ever seen a cat under the effects of catnip?
No? Grab your popcorn--it's an entertaining show! Watch as it magically transforms your lazy kitty couch potato into a flipped-out ball of ecstasy.

Shortly after exposure to the dry or fresh leaves, they enter a temporary euphoric state in which they rub their heads and body on the herb or jump, roll around, vocalize wildly and drool. This response lasts for about 10 minutes, after which the cat seems to enter a buzzed stupor or "afterglow" and becomes temporarily immune to catnip's effects for roughly 30 minutes. Response to catnip is hereditary; about 70 to 80 percent of cats exhibit this strange behavior in the plant's presence. It tends to only affect cats that have reached sexual maturity (around six months old). Despite the wild "psychedelic" reaction it may induce, catnip is considered to be nonaddictive and completely harmless to our feline companions. 

How does it work its magic?     

Cats get high off catnip by inhaling the nepetalactone in the plant - a chemical which binds to receptors inside a cat's nose and stimulates sensory neurons in the brain. This appears to alter activity in several brain areas: the olfactory bulb, the amygdala and the hypothalamus, which plays a part in regulating emotional response. However, nepetalactone isn't the only chemical that triggers this reaction in cats. Others include actinidine and iridomyrcin, which are both found naturally in other plants. Tigers, lions and other large cats are also susceptible to these chemicals. 

So, why doesn't it have the same effect on us?

Our olfactory systems and brains are structured differently from those of cats. However, humans have been using catnip since the 1600's for other reasons. Europeans used the plant as a mild sedative by brewing tea with its leaves, smoking them or chewing them. It has also been said to cure flatulence, hives and toothaches. In the 1960's some users claimed it could be smoked as a substitute for marijuana and altered their state of consciousness, but scientists later determined it was just a placebo effect. 

Catnip oil can be used as a natural insect repellent and can be quite effective against termites and fleas. Concentrated nepetalactone is 10 times more powerful than DEET, the most widely used chemical repellent. 
Nowadays, catnip is primary grown for the benefit of our feline friends. 

Is your kitty a fan of the herb? Why not try growing it at home?

Growing Catnip

More Catnip Tips

                      

Time for an intervention...

Za'atar: Jewel of Middle Eastern Cuisine

Many years ago, while working in the kitchen of a family-owned Lebanese restaurant in Portland, Oregon, I would watch the owner as he whipped up a heavenly flatbread that was sprinkled generously with a strange mix of spices, before being baked in the wood oven. He kept this aromatic blend in a cherished ceramic pot in the kitchen and told me that in his country it was known as "Za'atar".

What exactly is Za'atar? 
Za'atar (Arabic: زَعْتَر‎ , also known as zaatar, za'tar, zatar, zatr, zattr, zahatar, 
zaktar or satar, is a generic name for a family of related Middle Eastern herbs. These include Origanum (oregano), Calamintha (basil thyme), Thymus (thyme), and 
Satureja (savory). 


Za'atar is also the name for a condiment made from the dried herb(s), mixed with sesame  seeds,  dried sumac, and often salt, as well as other spices. Both the herb and spice mixture are popular throughout the Middle East, including Armenia, Iran, Palestine, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Libya, Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and Morocco. In many families, unique blends are passed down from mother to daughter.

Will the real Za'atar please stand up?

Each country has its own unique blend that can vary widely in taste and color. Dried sumac, which has a tangy lemon flavor and deep red color, is especially common in Jordanian za'atar blends. Syrian za'atar is usally brownish in color, due to pepper and cumin. Lebanese may add dried orange zest for breakfast dishes, while Israeli blends may include dried dill. My personal favorite blend includes plenty of thyme, sumac and sesame seeds for a tangy, nutty taste.  

Healing properties

Like many spice mixtures in the Arab World, za'atar is high in anti-oxidants, which help prevent cancer and heart disease, among other illnesses. In the 12th century, the Spanish Jewish philosopher Maimonides is said to have prescribed it to his patients to treat a variety of ailments. Modern studies have concluded that he had good reason for this. Sumac is full of flavonoids, and thyme and oregano are packed with thymol (an essential oil), which has antioxidant, anticeptic and fungicide properties. 

Besides the health benefits, it is an extremely versatile condiment and can be sprinkled on just about any savory dish, including bread, hummus and other dips, meat marinades, soups, stews, etc. 

Za'atar's uses are practically limitless and as flexible as its ingredients!

So, why not experiment with this versatile spice blend into your kitchen?

Here are some ideas to get you started...

Make your own Za'atar blend:

Homemade Za'atar Recipe

Tasty recipes:

Za'atar Popcorn

Za'atar Kale Chips

Eggplant Caviar with Za'atar Flatbread

Manakish Za'atar

Za'atar and Pomegranate Roasted Chicken

Chickpea Za'atar Salad

 !  بالهنا والشفا

Glühwein & Other Mulled Winter Drinks

HAPPY NEW YEAR, FELLOW SPICE-LOVERS!!

There's nothing quite like a mug of hot spiced wine to warm the belly on a cold winter's day. This year I had the wonderful opportunity to partake in the Hamburg Christmas Market festivities and indulge in one of my favorite winter holiday traditions...mulled wine! I was amazed by the wide variety of this hot beverage available amidst the market labyrinths (not to mention the tasty culinary selection to accompany them) 

So, as any connoiseur would do, I made it my mission to try them all!   

Prost! - ein Toast!

What exactly is Glühwein?

Glühwein (translating to, "glow-wine," due to the hot irons once used for mulling) is usually prepared from red wine, heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, cloves, star aniseed, citrus fruits, sugar and ocasionally cardamom and vanilla pods. If you fancy a lighter flavor, white wine can also be used to make Weißer Glühwein (white mulled wine). 

These mulled wines are sometimes drunk mit Schuss (with a shot), which means that rum or some other liquor has been added. For me, the extra shot was overkill--and especially precarious if you're on an extended glühwein crawl.  

Glühwein Recipe #1 

Glühwein Recipe #2

Fruit wines, such as blueberry wine and cherry wine, are occasionally used instead of grape wine in some parts of Germany. Heidelbeerpunsch (mulled blueberry wine) was my personal favorite. Another tasty option is Apfelpunsch (spiced apple cider), with an added shot or rum for those who want a punch to their punsch. If you need a break from the booze, but are still craving a hot drink, there is always the non-alcoholic Kinderpunsch ("kiddie punch") option.

Feuerzangenbowle (translating to "fire tong punch") is another popular variant of traditional Glühwein in Germany, and is shown in the photos below. It shares the same recipe, but for this drink a rum-soaked sugarloaf is set on fire and allowed to drip into the giant copper pots which hold the brew. The result is divine!

                                 The dramatic Feuerzangenbowle in the making 

Although mulled wines are the most popular choice, one must not forget the tasty Eierpunsch (egg punch), which is made with egg yolks, sugar, white wine and vanilla. Sometimes whipped cream or custard is added to make it frothier.

A typical recipe of Eierpunsch with white wine to serve 3-4 persons would be:

• 1 bottle of white wine (750 ml)
• 4 eggs (or 8 egg yolks)
• 5 tablespoons of sugar
• one packet of vanilla sugar (equivalent of 2 tsp sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract)
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 4 cloves
• 250 ml of strong tea
• lemon or lemon juice

Prepare the 250 ml of tea and allow to cool. Whisk the 5 tablespoons of sugar into the eggs (or egg yolks) and add a little cold white wine and then beat vigorously. Add the vanilla sugar to the mixture and pour in the remaining white wine, cinnamon, the cloves, lemon juice and the cooled tea. It is also optional to add 50ml of dark rum to the mixture. Transfer the mixture to a pan and gently heat. Do not let the mixture heat too quickly. Before it comes to a boil, remove from the heat. The mixture should be foaming on top. Remove the four cloves. Serve hot and foamy in a mug with whipped cream on top and a ginger cookie. (This recipe can also be made with red wine. However, do not add the 250 ml of tea to the mixture. This will also affect the number of servings too.)

                        A typical hot drink menu at one of the many market stalls I visited

I wish you all a fruitful and spicy 2014, and recommend that you do your own mulled wine tasting in one of the many traditional German Christmas Markets next holiday season!!