In my research on pasteles, I wondered what the classical sides were that complemented those wonderful “tamales”. A Puerto Rican potato salad is often mentioned. This is my iteration of that delicious salad, which does not need to just be served with pasteles! Notes: I love Yukon Gold potatoes and find that when mixed with…
The first mention of pasteles occurred in 1843 however, the first recipe in a cookbook was in the 1930s. Pasteles were influenced by the indigenous peoples of Puerto Rice, West Africa and Spain. It has been suggested that pasteles originated from the American Taino Native American tribe. These are “tamales” for want of a better…
This dish is not spicy and can be used with a dipping sauce. The shrimp are savory, but delicately so. However, on rice, or with noodles it works well. These shrimp are wrapped with Spring Roll wrappers. It is important to keep the oil between 350 and 375 degreew F when deep frying these wrapped…
Interestingly, this dish is frequently ascribed to Malaysia, but actually it is originally from Brunei, a small country on the island of Borneo. Recipes abound some with fish, some with shrimp and others vegetarian. Pulut Panggant translated into English means BBQ glutinous rice. I did not find this recipe too burdensome. You have to plan…
These Afghan dumplings are delicious and will impress your guests. These dumplings can be made either with meat or vegetarian. I recently served these at a church coffee hour and since we are fasting, it needed to be vegetarian. The dumplings are stuffed with leeks, and the tomato topping can be made with ground beef…
I have been blessed to have a number of Syrian familes in my church. Their food is just wonderful. This recipe is for a “pie” and it is my iteration on the traditional method of making these wonderful packets of flavor. The dough is very unique with the addition of 1 cup of oil. This…
Shrimp can be wrapped in all kinds of noodles and then deep fried. They make a great appetizer or full meal and have a great presentation. These can be a great addition to a tailgate party as well. Using a good dipping sauce will crank up the savoriness of this dish. Wheat Flour and rice…
As mentioned in the blog on Injera, Ethiopian flat bread, there are a numerous different vegetarian dishes that are made in Ethiopia and for which the Injera works very well. Ethiopians are a very pious people. They are Orthodox Christians and fast up to 200 days a year. The vegetarian dishes obviously play an important…
Ethiopia is a fascinating country; one I hope to see some day. It is a very devote country with the majority of its inhabitants being Orthodox Christians. These Christians fast over 200 days out of any given year. Therefore, they have a rich culinary history of vegetarian dishes. In addition, Ethiopia has been invaded, conquered,…
Sushi Rice is used in many different types of wraped dishes in Japanese food. Sushi rice appears simple, but there are aspects to its preparation that are a bit more complicated. Since I cook lots of rice, and like things like congee, I splurged and purchased a great rice cooker. It makes all kinds of…