Day 92 & 93: Cape Verde & Mauritania

Lamb for the Mechoui

Tristan and Inigo were anxious to cook another dish for their African challenge. “We are too slow, we´ll never finish Africa!” complained Inigo. “Let´s do two simple dishes!” proposed Tristan. With a little help from the Atlas and a cookbook, Epicurious Kids chose Mechoui from Mauritania, a grilled lamb dish and Canja de Gahlinha from Cape Verde.

Chicken

Trimming the bird

Inigo prepped the Canja de Gahlinha by trimming the fat and skin off the chicken thighs while Tristan cut the tomatoes and green beans for the sauce. “Let me do the onions too,” Tristan proposed bravely. Normally Inigo´s task, he didn´t mind handing over the teary job of onion chopping.

The Mechoui on the other hand only required some seasoning and easy prep of studding the lamb loin with garlic and rubbing the meat with spices. Then it was basically over 2 hrs of slow cooking in the oven. Once both dishes were ready, the Epicurious Kids were eager to savour their dishes. Being a school day, they needed to jump back to homework duties after a nice warming meal of Mechoui and Canja de Gahlinha.

Canja de Gahlinha

Mechoui from Mauritania

Day 76 & 77: Oman & Algeria

Patience is the key ingredient!

Tasting Bourek

Another dish to make for the Gulf and the Epicurious Kids were feeling goofy today. “What should we cook for Oman?” asked Inigo. Tristan was checking out some recipes and settled for the region #2 protein, lamb. “What about the appetizers?” asked Inigo. Bourek from Algeria was Inigo´s dish of choice. Menu decided.

Trimming off the fat

Brown onions? Not good!

The marinade was easy enough with baharat, turmeric, coriander and onions. Inigo had the bad luck of getting some rotten onions which he immediately discarded. “Gross, this is brown and mushy!” Tristan kept his focus and continued on the serious task of trimming off the fat and sinewy tissue off the lamb leg. After massaging the dry rub onto the leg of lamb, Tristan popped it in the oven for 45 minutes in 175 degrees Celsius.

Helping hands

mixing in some brotherly love

Then Inigo insisted on getting the ground beef cooked and cooled before wrapping up in the phyllo dough for the Bourek. Tristan added some spices to the sautéed onions, and then added the meat. After browning the mixture, Inigo started the arduous task of prepping each thin layer of phyllo dough with olive oil and creating the layer for the meat mixture.

Layer by layer

Bourek and roll

Inigo was concentrated in his Bourek task. Layer by layer, he brushed and folded the phyllo dough before finally spooning in the meat mixture. A nice fresh mint leaf was layered on the meat mixture before sealing the phyllo parcels. Then the phyllo pockets baked  golden brown for approximately 25 minutes. “Everything taste better when cooked from scratch!” exclaimed Inigo. Tristan nodded his head between bites of Bourek.

Deftly folding phyllo

Algerian Bourek

Enjoying Bourek between brothers

Omani lamb and grilled eggplants

Day 68: Greece

Rainbow of yummy goodness!

It´s all greek for the Epicurious Kids! Moussaka was the choice of todays culinary challenge. But Tristan was hesitant on the aubergine, eggplant substituting what he thinks should be lasagna sheets for the dish.

Eggciting eggplant!

Putting in some spice

Inigo had the same hesitation for the cheese heavy Bechamel sauce. Despite their concerns, Epicurious Kids were up for the challenge. Inigo diced the onions, while Tristan patiently sliced 6 eggplants on a bias and soaked them in salted water to extract the bitterness.

Split tasks: stirring the bechamel & prepping the eggplant

Sharing some cheesy jokes while eggsecuting the Moussaka

Patience was a main ingredient in this foodie challenge. There were many more steps after all the laborious cutting and dicing. Tristan had to dry the eggplants and place them in a baking sheet with oliver oil for baking while Inigo sauteed the minced lamb with tomatoes, onions and allspice.Inigo then started making the roux for the Bechamel sauce, after grating some Gruyère and Parmeggiano for the sauce at the end.

Layering on some love

Colourful Greek salad

Sprinkling some parmeggiano love

Chopping some Feta cheese

After all the Moussaka was popped into the oven, Epicurious Kids focused of prepping the Greek Salad. To Inigo´s dismay, Tristan pulled out the feta cheese and olives as key ingredients. “Not more cheese! And olives?!”  Tristan was adamant that Inigo learned to get over his food boundaries. “Try it and I am sure you´ll like it!” Taking a bite of the Moussaka, Tristan declared it to be one of his favourite country dish in the challenge so far — with eggplants even!

Must have Moussaka! Kalí óreksi!

And sure enough Inigo took a bite of the greek salad breaking the famous saying “it´s all greek to me!” Kalí óreksi!

Day 65: Ireland

Searing the deal for Irish stew

The long winter gets a boost from Ireland. After a busy weekend, piano lessons, soccer, badminton and swimming, nothing refuels the body like a good old-fashioned Irish Stew.

Peeling pretty Irish

Potato peeling — zen moment of the day

Irish stew was a perfect dish to prepare at the end of a busy weekend. Minimum prep, maximum taste. Tristan and Inigo were excited to get the stew going. Peeling parsnips, potatoes and carrots then cutting leeks, done in a jiffy. Inigo worked in silence with potato peeling, leek cutting.

Silence of the lambs

Snipping at parsnips?

After the quick prep, the lamb browned and ready to stew.  Inigo added cold water to the pot filled with lamb and veggies.  The stew needed some slow simmering.  “How long do we have to wait before it is done?” asked Inigo impatiently. “Well, we need to add the Rosemary in 45 minutes…” reasoned out Tristan, “then it should be done in 15 minutes.”

An hour later, the wonderful lamb stew beckoned the Epicurious Kids back to the kitchen with its tantalizing aroma. “It´s ready!” Inigo exclaimed. The dish was quickly plated and before it could even reach the table, Inigo could not resist taking a big slurp. “Delicious!”

Piping hot Irish Stew

Taster VS Chef

Day 53: Albania

Hats off to a little cooperation

Albanian cuisine was an easy choice.  Tave Košė topped the list of Albanian dishes. Lambed baked in yoghurt sauce sounded easy enough for a school night. Piano lessons and homework done, simple ingredients and a hefty oven time made this dish the perfect choice!

Let the fun begin!

All hands on deck

Carrots we swiftly peeled without incident on who gets to do what. Tristan was busy with the lamb, learning the art of fat trimming.  He was worried about the technique required, the knife had to be moved just so to cut the gristle without cutting off too much meat. “This is hard mom,” he sighed.

Worker bees

Cutting out the fat

EZ P-Z

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inigo was adept at the art of carrot peeling.  Quietly and surely, he speedily went about his task. Lamb quartered, carrots prepped, the pan was ready for some action.

Seasoning is key

After some expert seasoning, the lamb was ready for the fire.  Browned on all sides, they were baked in the oven for 30 minutes.  Then came the yoghurt sauce. The recipe called for a lot of butter.  Tristan wrinkled his nose and asked “is that good for you, can we use half?”  The Epicurious Kids used half the butter and began melting it for the roux.

Roux, roux, roux my boat...

Buttery roux

Once the roux was ready, Tristan cracked 5 eggs gently onto the yoghurt with Inigo looking on. After some flawless egg cracking, a proud Tristan urged Inigo to mix his Albanian concoction. “We need to wait for the lamb to brown and then add the sauce to the pan…” explained Tristan to Inigo.

You stir, I pour

The sauce mixed well, thickened, Inigo was eager to pour it in the lamb casserole.  After an hour in the oven, the dish came out a bit worn for wear.  The Epicurious Kids were not expecting odd pieces of lamb sticking out from their dish caked in a cooked yoghurt sauce. Concerned, Inigo asked “mommy, did we do something wrong?” This was the first time a dish turned out questionable for the Epicurious Kids.  Quickly, to allay their concerns, we googled a couple of foodie shots of this Albanian dish. Thankfully, their dish turned out to be exactly as the recipe dictated. Tristan quipped quickly, “Never judge a book by its cover, Inigo!”

Baked Albanian Tave Košė

Day 32: Syria

Syrian food is very similar to other Levant country dishes.  Rich in grains, nuts, aromatic spices and vegetables, it is an abundance in ingredients.  The Epicurious Kids wanted to do something different than the traditional Kabob dish, grilled meats and mezze platters.  They were saving these for Lebanese and the other Middle Eastern countries.

And with the end of the school year around the corner, I was eager to make something quick and easy.  Daoud Pasha, meatballs in tomato sauce and aromatic spices seemed to fit the bill.  Inigo started massaging the spices into the ground meat, while Tristan slowly simmered the tomatoes in aromatic spices.

The more hands the merrier

The perfect meatballs

After the quick movement of rolling the meatballs into perfect round globes, the meat was quickly fried and mixed into the sauce.  No messing around here.  The sun was shining outside, after a week of rain and the boys only had one other ball in mind:  football!  I couldn´t blame them.  This will be quick and easy Syrian food.  After a short simmer, and stir, the meatballs was served over brown rice and gone in seconds!

Syrian meatballs --- fast food middle eastern style

Day 31: Jordan

Jordanian cuisine has its roots in Bedouin cooking.  Simple preparations and common dishes with other Middle Eastern countries like mazza to start a meal (mezze in other Levant countries) is not uncommon. The Epicurious Kids were excited to venture into the tradition rich Jordanian kitchen and it was quickly decided to prepare the most important dish in a Jordanian culture: Mansaf or Mensef. The preparation was simple enough, lamb pieces cooked in yoghurt and served over rice on a flat bread.

Deboning the lamb

Big boys don´t cry...

The national dish of Jordan, feasting on Mansaf is taken seriously and hours are spent in its preparation.  Mostly the cooking time requires slow and gentle heat, taking over an hour of careful mixing.  Preparing the ingredients was simple enough, the Epicurious Kids were only stumped by the jameed, dried yoghurt on the list, even I have never heard of this. So we improvised and thanked technology for refrigeration and picked a regular greek yoghurt instead.

Mixing in the yoghurt

Whenever onions need to be sliced, chopped or cut, Tristan decided it would be his teary task to take over.  “This would only make me immune to all the crying, mommy,” he bravely stated. “And I will be in-charge of the cutting and peeling,” declared Inigo usefully.  At this point, the kids have honed certain kitchen skills in their short time going through their challenge.  I told them that they need to master all aspects of the kitchen, they need to be good at everything.

After some quite concentration, and dedicated gentle stirring, the meat was done. “This was easy!” declared Inigo.  Tristan said that it probably was because they had to cook it moving from one place to another, like nomads.  “But it is better than sandwiches on the road!” insisted Inigo.

Bedouin workers slave over Arabic bread and Mansaf sauce

Nuts from a nut

A large serving plate was then covered with a doughy flat Arabic bread and dampened with yoghurt.  On top of this, Inigo heaped a layer of rice.  The meat is then piled on top. Tristan then sprinkled almonds and pine nuts over the dish.  Ready to serve!

A meal fit for a King!

Day 30: Iraq

New equipment and gadgets are always exciting to discover, for Epicurious Kids, the open fire — in all forms, is one of the top culinary experience.  Their new grill is now being put to the test in firing up Iraqi kabobs to perfection.  The meal was EZ enough to prep for, pieces of lamb were filleted to workable cubes for the stick, and a grilled eggplant salad was the chosen accompaniment for the Lamb Kabobs.

Precision is key

Broccoli days

Inigo managed the protein while Tristan cut some red onions, broccoli and seasoned baby tomatoes to kabob with the lamb.  When the time came to skewer the meat pieces, Tristan was slightly concerned he would “kabob”” his finger.  After a few trial runs, his confidence returned and was on his way to finishing off his mix grill.

Point taken

focus is key

With the sun shining outside, a rare occasion in Belgium, we fired the grill and tried it out.  The timing for the eggplant vis-a-vis the meat was a fine balancing act and I put Inigo in-charge.  He was as vigilant as an owl.  This was a simple and quick meal made EZ by the new grill.  The boys were excited to serve their creations having been on hiatus now for three months from their “world tour”.

And finally the feast

Moveable Feast

Feast fit for (grill) Kings

Day 29: Iran

Organic or regular tomatoes???

The minty smell of freshness

Landing in Michigan the Epicurious Kids were already in a heated debate over their next culinary adventure with their cousins Paulo and Sofia.  Russia was the initial plan for the botched Easter menu, but after an informal poll with the family, Iran seemed to be the popular choice.  Kabab Koobideh (minced lamb) with Maast-o-Khiar (yoghurt sauce) and some grilled fish Maahi Kabab and then some rice or polow (pilau) of course…

Trying to squeeze in some food shopping and cooking time with 4 kids under the age of 8 was an ordeal in itself.  In between errands and childcare, we decided to make a quick stop at the local Meijer´s and buy 5 simple ingredients: minced lamb, tomatoes, cilantro, cumin and pomegranate juice.  It was crunch time and we only had 30 minutes to find, purchase everything and pick-up Sofia and Sasha at school.  EZ enough, I thought.  I underestimated  the sheer size of American stores.  The distance between the green section to the meat section was about 30 aisles and a 5 minute sprint with 3 kids in tow…

Sourcing ground lamb in Michigan --- EZ!

Prepping his beautiful fish

When the ingedients were finally sourced, girls picked up at school, we set up in the kitchen, the fish station the lamb station and the prepping area.  Everyone was eager to start cooking, cutting and stirring… we needed some order amidst the eager faces and excitable hands.  Inigo couldn´t be separated from his favourite protein, fish, while Paulo and Tristan were given the minced lamb to make the kebabs…  For Paulo´s first time in kitchen stadium, he was eager and naturally skilled in using his hands and knife.  A good listener, he watched as his cousins handled the fish, cut off the gills and seasoned in the pomegranate mixture (intriguing ingredient!).  Now it was his turn to do it.  Success at the first try!

Epi Kidz boost local economy by hiring local help

Tristan mentors Paulo in the art of prepping fish

However, the concentration levels fluctuated from intense concentration to Bakugan brawls in the living room and an impromptu tag game in the garden. Everyone was still eager to run back in the kitchen, in between steps to lend a helping hand.  Inigo, in the meantime, was seriously finishing off his fish preparation and madly mixing in the spices for the kebab mixture.  Sofia was peeking cautiously into the kitchen trying to figure out the commotion.  She wanted to wait at the last minute to participate in this craziness.

After mixing in the dry spices into the minced lamb mixture, the kids added some chopped garlic, onions, coriander.  The Pilau was slowly cooking, and Sofia wondered why the rice was yellow.  From the turmeric, explained Tristan.  She wrinkled her nose unconvinced.

Each his own stations

It takes a village to stir polow!

The Three Muskateers

The anticipation was palpable as the kids kept rushing between the kitchen and the grill where their uncle Gino was busy tending to the kebabs and the fish.  “When is the Iranian food ready?!” they kept chirping every 1 minute.  They were clearly excited to sample their own concoctions.

After a few more minutes, four tiny tummies were ready at the table to feast on their creations.  We decided to make it easy on ourselves by buying the pita bread.  After quickly whipping up Maast-o-Khiar — a yoghurt, cucumber dip for the kebab,

we set the table and celebrated a job well done.  Sofia was the first to taste everything.  An avid foodie and enthusiastic eater, she was neck-to-neck with cousin Inigo.  Too bad baby Sasha has to watch the chaos from a distance—for now.

Sasha surrounded by her posse

Polow Sabzi

Kabab Koobideh with Maast-o-Khiar and Pita Bread

Maahi Kabab

The second Epicurious Kids meal abroad was a resounding success.  The kids were proud of their work and exhausted.  Nothing like sharing a meal together with loved ones.  In this case the secret ingredient is:  family!

Next stop… perhaps Iraq.  Right now, we are hangin´with the posse.

One for All and All for One! Yum!

Thumbs up for Iran! Cuisine that is...

Day 24, 25, 26: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan & Tajikistan

Countries in the central Asian region share traditional nomadic traits.  Their nomadic lifestyle make them essentially non vegetarian.  Their main diet revolves around the meat of horse and mutton as well as various milk products.  The kids found it interesting to see how there were strong similarities across cuisines once they crossed over Mongolia.

The most popular Kazakh cooking technique is based on boiling.  A typical Kyrgyz party begins with the dastarkan full of breads especially borsok a type of fried bread that is very central to Kyrgyz culture. Bread is given an almost sacred standing in Kyrgyz culture. Bread is never placed on the ground or thrown away.  “Mommy, it´s like Mongolian food where they cook everything from the tail to the nose…” observed Tristan, “no waste.”

Boy meets dough

to each his own dough

One dish that kept coming up with passionate testimonials across the region was Lagman —spelled in many different ways depending on the country.  Lagman is a noodle dish with meat common in all the Central Asian states.  This dish has it´s roots from Chinese Lo Mein noodles, with a  rich broth, thinly sliced beef, tomatoes and peppers.  Every country has its variation, of course.  The kids thought that the Kazakh and Kyrgzs version had the most in common so we chose a recipe that reflected both cooking cultures.

Doughing away for his Tajik Chebureki

Pasta dough for Lagman and pastry dough for the Chebureki

Working in some love for my Chebureki stuffing

For Tajikistan, pastry needed to be an element of our dish since bread products were a big thing. Chebureki seemed to be the perfect foil for the noodle soup.  Again, this meat filled pastry can be found in the kitchen of other countries in Eastern Europe as well from Georgia to Azerbaijan.

For the two dishes, we needed two different type dough.  It seemed achievable at the outset.  Were we wrong.  From timing to execution to plating, we were lagging behind on all fronts.  It was too ambitious working with two different doughs, and prepping the accompanying protein and then cooking them in two different ways. Egad.

Meanwhile, in the soup section

Inigo started the dough for the pasta, this was salted.  Tristan was working on the Tajik Chebureki pastry wrap.  Everyone was working feverishly to get each dough prepped for the two dishes.  Inigo was slowly rolling out his pasta dough while Tristan began cutting out circles for his Chebureki.  “I can help you with that Tristan, it´s like the Momos!” Inigo declared.

Finger precision with the Chebureki

Rolling with perfection

Iron Chefs basking in Chebureki glory

A long and winding road...

The pasta dough was challenging.  The clock was ticking and the kids were eagerly working the dough wanting their hands on everything

Pasta making the old fashioned way...

With a little help from our friends...

Going over our capacity

The next step was rolling out the pasta dough thinly onto the table, keeping it well floured to prevent it from sticking.  Our limited work space made it impossible to execute this step properly.  The woes of a badly equipped rental kitchen.  To roll out the pasta dough, we decided to whip out the Italian pasta maker, and forego the hand twirling acrobatics which no one had done before.  Wise decision.

Delicious Lagman

The mood in the kitchen was buoyant despite the late hour and the stress.  The soup smelled heavenly, the fried dumpling kept disappearing, with tiny fingers snatching them before they had a chance to reach the plate.

The Lagman was ladled onto the bowls, piping hot and lovely.  Tristan was serving the Chebureki while chewing on a sample bite.  The silence at the table was testament to everyone´s hunger—and enjoyment.  This was worth all the hardwork and sweat.

For this Easter weekend?  We will be in Russia!  Come along and enjoy the feast!

Chebureki after the storm

Juicy bite worth the wait

Soupy goodness, ahhh Lagman´s my man