HEALTHY EXOTIC FOOD AT HOME

2009-11-07T01:36:00.000-08:00

which country do you think has the best food?

Welcome to Bira's blog. My mother across the Atlantic, in Dakar, Senegal cooks the best food in the world. In fact it runs in the family because her secrets were passed down to her by grandma who used to own the kitchen. Anyone can brag about their grandma's cooking skills but how do we really know where to find the best tastes?

There are many cordons bleu out there but not everyone is privileged enough to enjoy their food as much as they would like. People who travel a lot around the globe are more likely to taste real exotic food as opposed to a culturally adapted and modified recipe from a local specialty restaurant.

I've heard from my Mexican friends that the Mexican food we eat in restaurants in the US is quite different in taste from the authentic dishes in Mexico. I have heard the same argument from my African, Swedish, French, Italian, Indian and Thai friends. Such a thing is understandable because restaurants have to adapt to their clientèle to stay in business. Besides, some of the ingredients used in the country of origin of a particular dish are often not available elsewhere to replicate it's authentic taste.

All that being said, creativity and practice can lead to mouthwatering sensations while keeping the dish's cultural identity alive. Many culinary professionals have used recipes form other parts of the world. The greatest chefs were able to apply their ingenuity to improve the savor or texture and produce fantastic new delights. No matter what culture it represents, if a dish is really good, most people will like it. Everyone claims to have the best flavors but my question about which country has the best food still remains unanswered. I think people should enjoy more often some of the exotic dishes only available at select fine dining restaurants. Not everyone is a chef but as the saying goes: "If there is a will there is a way".

Readers are invited to try different dishes submitted in this blog at home and share their experiences with us. Perhaps that will answer our question and help us on our choice of exotic restaurants in the future. Apart from the cultural enrichment we get from this exchange, we get to eat a little healthier for a change. It can also be a fun thing to do for during the week rather than placing an order for dinner. It's a proven fact: "you are what you eat" and some parts of the world have healthier nutritions concepts than others. Maybe this will help balance our diet.

I decided to write this article to invite everyone to tell us why their grandma's food is the best and share a few recipes with us. Since the internet is a world phenomenon we can exchange recipes from all parts of the world (tell us the name of your dish when submitting recipes). We will soon have a wide array of authentic exotic food recipes to choose from and cook at home. This can be a lot of fun for couples.

Please bookmark this page to come back and share your experience. Next time you can experiment with a dish from another country. It's like traveling and eating out but this time you are the Chef and you're cooking exotic food right from your home kitchen.

Hello everyone,

This is Bira again. I was asked to lead the way and submit the first recipe. Since I come from Senegal, a beautiful and exotic country, I could not refuse. I decided to share a couple of my mom's secrets with our readers.

"YASSA AU POULET"

Barbecued Chickens with Lemon and Onions over Rice

Yield: 8 portions

Note that the chicken in the Yassa is marinated, partially broiled or barbecued to obtain required browning, and then finished in the oven, smothered in the onion- lemon sauce. This dish is superb.

Rub: 1 LEMON, cut in half heavily over

4 2 1/2-lb. CHICKENS cut in halves. Spread chickens out in a 12 x 18 x 2-inch baking pan

Cover with: 3 lbs. WHITE ONIONS, thinly sliced

1/2 cup CHOPPED PARSLEY

1 Tbs. COARSE BLACK PEPPER

1 Tbs. COARSE SALT

3 BAY LEAVES

1 tsp. THYME

1 tsp. CRUSHED RED PEPPER (optional). Pour: 1 cup LEMON JUICE and

1 cup SALAD OIL over the chickens.

Allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
Remove the chickens and broil (preferably over charcoal) until chickens brown on all sides and are about half done.
Simmer the onion mixture above over direct heat stirring up from bottom to prevent onions from browning. Onions should remain white. Cook no longer than 5 minutes.
Return chickens to pan, smothering them with the onions.
Pour 1 quart CHICKEN STOCK (including giblets) over the mixture.
Bake at 375' for 20 minutes until onions turn a light golden color.
Cook 1/2 to 1 Ib. WHITE RICE as directed on package.
Place serving of COOKED RICE on a dinner plate.
Top with 1 BROILED CHICKEN HALF.
Cover with 1/2 to 1 cup YASSA ONION MIXTURE.
Garnish with WATERCRESS or PARSLEY.

"Ceebu Jeun"

Rice, Fish and Veggies

This rice (ceeb) and fish (jen) recipe is the national dish of Senegal and can also be made with beef (Yaap). Most Senegalese will serve the rice on a large platter with the fish and veggies in the center. Normally you eat from a common bowl, with clean hands. Take a piece of fish or veggies and some rice in your right hand. Squeeze to make a ball and pop it into your mouth. Delicious !

1/2 lb rice

1 lb fish

cabbage

carrot

2 potatoes

onion

eggplant

2 lemon

1 cup oil

small can tomato paste

clove garlic, minced

salt

parsley

dried hot pepper (hotter the better)

Crush together garlic, 1/2 bunch parsley, salt, pepper, and dried hot pepper.
Rinse the fish. Make 3-4 holes in the fish and stuff with seasoning mixture.
Heat oil in large saucepan. Add sliced onions and salt. Dilute tomato paste with 1/2 cup water and add in two minutes with fish. Let simmer 5 minutes.
Add 6-7 cups water and largely chopped vegetables. Let cook for one hour. Once the veggies are cooked, remove them along with the fish and a little sauce. Use the broth to cook the rice. When cooked, serve on large platter in a 1-2 inch flat layer with veggies and fish piled in center. Enjoy !!

Exotic Food

HEALTHY EXOTIC FOOD AT HOME