Slow Fish Challenge: Baked Trout with Creme Sauce(Truta Cremosa)

The Slow Fish Movement is part of the larger Slow Food Movement. Slow Food is everything that fast food is not. It is slow in the making and in the eating. It is fresh and not processed. It comes from neighborhood farms and stores. It is dedicated to traditional ways of growing, producing, and preparing food.

The Slow Fish Movement promotes artisanal fishing and neglected fish species. It inspires reflection on the state of the Seas' resources by adhering to guidelines that foster sustainability and environmental responsibility. Most importantly, Slow Fish provides guidelines that consumers of seafood can follow to promote sustainability. These include:

• Buy less well-known species of fish and avoid buying salmon, striped catfish, tuna, cod, swordfish and farm raised shrimp. The less well-known species are less expensive and just as delicious. These species are easy to find. There are over 25,000 edible species but we only eat about 15. To learn more about these alternatives, visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium website and SeaChoice.
• Buy fish that are in season. This is the best time to buy fish because this is when they are not reproducing.
• Buy local fish. This helps to reduce pollution that occurs from transporting fish over long distances. Local fish will also be fresher and taste better.
• Respect local traditions. For example, traditional recipes for fresh soup use different fish depending on what is in season.
• Buy 1 medium to large fish (2 to 5 Kg) if you are cooking for a group of people.
  

In general, we should eat fish that are local, adult, seasonal, and have a short life cycle. It is important to find out how the fish was caught or farmed. These methods should not destroy ecosystems or deplete stocks. Finally, we should be aware of labels. These should list the name of the species, list the location from where the fish came, and it should indicate how it was caught and processed.

The Slow Fish Website is currently conducting the Slow Fish Challenge in which visitors to the site are encouraged to put together a dinner that features fish that adhere to the guidelines described above. We decided to have a family dinner that featured locally caught rainbow trout along with as many local ingredients as possible.

Our first stop for ingredients in the Slow Fish Challenge was at the Clifton Mill in Clifton, Ohio. Here we picked up the flour that we needed to make the roux for the creme sauce. The Clifton Mill is one of the largest water powered grist mills still in existence. It sits at the top of the Clifton Gorge and benefits from the natural hydraulic power of mass amounts of water being channeled into the gorge.

At one time, the United States had over 100,000 mills in operation. Now there are less than 100 mills that are operating and still in their original condition. You can learn more about the history of these mills at the Clifton Mill website and also at the Society for the Preservation of Old Mills website.


Young's Dairy is our second stop for ingredients in the Slow Fish Challenge. It was founded in the late 1940s when Hap Young bought this 60 acre farm. Over the years, it has grown into a family friendly destination complete with two restaurants, a miniature golf course called Putters and Utters, a bakery, an ice cream parlor, and a petting zoo. Young's Dairy still maintains its own herd of dairy cows and sells fresh milk daily. They also produce a wide assortment of cheeses. We purchased a roll of butter made from Young's Jersey cow milk and salt. We used this to make the creme sauce for the rainbow trout.



Our final stop for ingredients for the Slow Fish Challenge was at Freshwater Farms in Urbana, Ohio. Freshwater Farms is Ohio's largest indoor fish hatchery. They raise large-mouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, and channel catfish. Like Young's Dairy, this establishment is also very family friendly with tours, trout feeding, and a sturgeon petting zoo. They have a market that sells fresh and smoked trout fillets, caviar, and locally made jellies, jams, honey, and maple syrup.

Here is the recipe that we used for the Slow Fish Challenge: Truta Cremosa (Trout with Creme)

Ingredients:
4 Rainbow Trout fillets
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 rib of celery, diced
1/4 cup dry white wine
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, diced
1/2 package of bacon, diced
1 tspn sage
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 pint of heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup whole milk
1 tspn Cayenne pepper

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Coat a baking dish with olive oil and place the trout fillets in the pan skin side down. Be sure to pat any extra moisture from the fish before placing them in the dish. Lightly season the fillets with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
3. In a skillet over medium heat, brown the bacon. Remove the bacon from the skillet and save for later. Drain off 3/4 of the fat/oil that remains in the skillet.
4. With the skillet still over the medium heat, add the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes and then add the wine. Continue cooking until the vegetables reduce to a thick consistency.
5. Remove vegetable mixture from the heat and spoon it evenly over the trout fillets.
6. Top the fillets evenly with the parsley and sage.
7. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. The trout is done when it easily flakes with a fork.
8. While the fish bakes, make a white roux by mixing the butter and flour together in a skillet over medium heat. Stir continuously until the mixture turns light brown.
9. Add the whipping cream, milk, and Cayenne pepper to the skillet and stir until the mixture begins to thicken. Then add the Parmesan cheese to the skillet and stir until the cheese has melted.
10. Remove the baking dish from the oven and top the fillets with browned bacon bits.
11. Pour the creme evenly over the trout and then top it with the Italian bread crumbs.
12. Serve hot.

Brasil

Hot Brown Recipe

If you like the classic BLT (bacon-lettuce-tomato) sandwich, you will probably like this recipe for Hot Brown as it also features the winning taste combination of bacon and tomato.

This dish comes from Kentucky where it was a popular late-night snack after dances at the Brown Hotel in Louisville. The Hot Brown is topped with a Mornay sauce which gives it a creamy texture with a little spice.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp flour
1/4 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 tspn cayenne pepper
Kosher salt to taste
4 oz. smoked turkey
6 slices of thick bread
2 Roma tomatoes, cut into 6 slices each
12 strips bacon
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Cook the strips of bacon until brown and crispy.
2. Lightly toast each of the slices of bread.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
   
4. Whisk in the flour to make a roux. Cook for a few minutes, stirring the mixture constantly until it becomes golden brown.
5. Add the milk slowly to the saucepan whisking it constantly.
6. Add the salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Cook until the sauce has thickened (about 15 minutes). Keep in mind that when you add the cheese the sauce will thicken even further.
7. Position the top oven rack about 5 inches from the broiler element and preheat the broiler.
8. Lightly toast the bread in a toaster. Both sides should be brown.
   
9. Lay the toasted bread on a rimmed baking sheet. Top each piece with 2 slices of turkey, 2 Roma tomato slices and 2 bacon strips. (Be sure to form a small "X" with the 2 slices of bacon).
10. When the sauce has thickened remove it from the heat and add cheddar cheese. Stir the sauce until it is smooth.
    
11. Pour the sauce over the open-faced sandwiches and then sprinkle each with a little Parmesan cheese.
12. Place under the broiler for about three minutes until the Parmesan is bubbly and the edges of the bread are browned. Serve hot.
    

United States Kentucky

Easter Cake Recipe

Easter Sunday is this weekend. I almost forgot about it until my Mom called me and asked if I could make some dessert for the big family dinner on Sunday. I tried to think of something that was synonymous with Easter that I could incorporate into a dessert. Peeps strangely came to mind.

For those of you outside of the United States and Canada, Peeps are basically hunks of marshmallow that are formed into the shape of some animal and then dusted with food coloring and a light coating of sugar. These treats have been gracing childrens' Easter baskets here since the 1950's. They are produced by Just Born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Anyway, I wanted to use Peeps for this dish so I decided to make a yellow Windsor cake with butter cream icing. I also wanted a clean, uniform surface to mount the Peeps and also a few chocolate eggs so I decided to use yellow fondant icing. The end result was an unusual Easter cake that no one at Easter dinner will forget. Hope Mom likes it??!!

Recommended Equipment:
mixer
9 X 2 baking pan
long serrated knife

Ingredients:
2 tspn baking powder
7/8 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups baking flour
1/2 tspn Kosher salt
7 tbsp vegetable shortening
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp milk
2 eggs
1/2 tspn vanilla
butter cream icing
yellow rolled fondant icing (I used Satin Ice brand)
powdered sugar
Peeps
chocolate eggs


Preparation:

1. In a small bowl, mix together the baking powder, sugar, and salt. Set aside for later.
2. Cream the flour and shortening together in a mixer for 5 minutes.
3. Stop the mixer and add 1 tablespoon of milk and scrape the sides of the mixing bowl.
4. Add the sugar mixture to the mixer and cream for another 5 minutes.
5. In another mixing bowl, mix together the eggs, 1/2 cup milk, and vanilla. Add this mixture to the batter 1/3 at a time mixing 2 minutes for each addition.
6. Scrape the mixing bowl and mix for 1 minute.
7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. Add the batter evenly to the 9 X 2 round baking pan.
9. Put pan in the center of the upper rack and bake for 25 minutes.
10. Check if cake is done by inserting a fork in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean,
11. you can remove the cake from the oven and let it cool.
12. Cover pan with foil and place in freezer for at least 3 hours.
13. Move cake to the refrigerator and let thaw overnight.
14. Using a long serrated knife, cut cake in half (like a hamburger bun).
15. Turn the bottom piece over so that the baked side is facing up and cover it with some of the butter cream frosting.
16. Place the top piece of the cake on top of the bottom piece with the baked side facing up.
17. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining butter cream frosting.
18. Using a piece of string, measure up one side, across the top, and down the other side of the cake.
19. Dust a flat surface with powdered sugar. Roll out the yellow fondant icing to a circle slightly larger than the diameter of the string.
20. Place the fondant icing on the cake. Using a sharp knife, trim excess fondant icing from the perimeter of the cake.
21. Decorate the cake with peeps and chocolate eggs. I used a small amount of the butter cream icing to attach the eggs and peeps to the top of the cake.

United States

Interview: Anna Zoitas

Anna Zoitas is founder and CEO of Seven Deuce Inc., a specialty food product company that includes The Artisanal Kitchen and Urban Tribe brands. She is also the COO and marketing director for her family’s Westside Market chain in New York City.

In 2009, Anna was invited to be one of the judges for the sofi Award at the prestigious Specialty Food Show in New York where she tasted 3,000 food products, judged them and selected the best from each category.

Prior to her current career with Westside Market and as CEO of Seven Deuce Inc, Anna was a partner and owner in ZOI Moda, an online women’s apparel and accessories company located in Athens, Greece.

Fluent in Greek, Anna holds dual degrees from New York University, Stern School of Business, in management and organizational behavior with an emphasis on international business.


The Artisanal Kitchen's latest product: Three Olives Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Anna sent us a sample of the Artisanal Kitchen's Three Olives Extra Virgin Olive Oil. We tried her product with plain French bread and also as an ingredient in our Olio Verde recipe to see how it stands up to heat in cooking applications.

With plain French bread, we found the Three Olives Extra Virgin Olive Oil to have a sweet, fruity taste with a complex aroma. It had superior flavor on its own. You could almost drink it straight from the bottle. This is a complex, high quality olive oil.

Next, we used Three Olives Extra Virgin Olive Oil in our Olio Verde recipe. We first infused the olive oil with garlic over medium heat and then added basil, crushed red pepper, and balsamic vinegar to the mix. The oil did well in the heat and didn't seem to loose any of its character. It really enhanced this already flavorful sauce. I've made this dish many times and the Three Olives Extra Virgin Olive Oil pushed it to a higher level of flavor complexity.

We will definitely purchase this product in the future to have it on hand for use in sauces and salads. If you are in New York, you can find it at any of the Westside Market locations or you can order it direct from the Artisanal Kitchen. It is available in a liter bottle for $13.99.


Q & A with Anna Zoitas

IRS: A couple of years ago you started your own business, Seven Deuce Inc. that now includes the Artisanal Kitchen and Urban Tribe brands. As a young entrepreneur in New York City, what were some of the greatest challenges that you faced?

AZ: As an entrepreneur you are constantly faced with challenges regardless of the point in time – they don’t seem to go away. Challenges is what makes the job so interesting and overcoming them is what makes it rewarding. From identifying a team to, to sourcing the product and optimizing the flavor, to selecting packaging and design , to delivering and bringing to market great quality and consistency there are constant challenges. I think the biggest challenge is to overcome the fear that keeps a lot of us from reaching our goals and true potential. Whether its fear of rejection or fear of failure or fear of success overcoming those fears was the biggest challenge for me to face.

IRS: Describe how you developed your company's latest product, Three Olives Olive Oil. Why did you decide to grow your olives in California instead of the traditional growing regions of Greece, Spain, and Italy?

AZ: I did a lot of searching before I found the ideal product with the quality and price that I was looking for. I wanted to offer something that had the quality of the Greek olive oil that I grew to know and love from my trips to Greece but that was locally produced. The reason I chose a California estate olive oil was because I have more confidence in the freshness. When olive oil travels such great distances you don’t have control over the quality and freshness. To truly enjoy my grandmothers olive oil in its freshest form it would cost a fortune none of the cost would be associated with the product but with the transportation of the product. My philosophy is to support small local farms and growers in the US to insure the deliciousness of my whole artisanal food line. California olive oil producers have developed the market and it’s following the same trend that took place in the wine industry. Three Olives Olive Oil is one of the leaders of that trend.

IRS: The International recipe Syndicate is a blog that features signature dishes from around the World. Do you have any favorite family recipes that you would like to share with our readers that come from your Greek heritage?

AZ: Spanakopita. One of my favorite greek artisan dishes is the spanakopita. Made with lots of fresh greens and feta cheese wrapped in a crusty phyllo dough. (See Anna's spanakopita recipe).

IRS: Choosing an olive oil can be daunting because there are so many brands on the market today. It is difficult to differentiate one from the other. Obviously, you would encourage our readers to try your product. Can you provide some general guidelines that they could use in choosing a good olive oil?

AZ: Some questions that you should ask yourself when choosing an Olive Oil are – What are you using it for? Do you want a strong olive flavor or light flavor? Choosing an olive oil is like choosing between a Merlot and a Cabernet. This is totally about preference.

Some guidelines you can follow are:

• Look for the dark bottle because that’s what protects the olive oil from getting rancid or losing it’s original flavor and antioxidants.
• Check the acidity level. For it to be Extra Virgin it needs to be under .8% acidity -Three Olives is .5%. The lower the acidity the better because there are lower fatty acids.
• Don’t let price drive you. Expensive is always the best and inexpensive isn’t always bad. The price point you should be looking at is $15.99 to $20. Trust the brand.
• Look for the seal whether domestic or imported make sure it is certified by an outside organization.

Three Olives Olive Oil is both gourmet and everyday. It’s flavor is delicate so you can use it for cooking, or pouring on a salad, other olive oils are better used for sautéing or drizzling. I encourage people to try different olive oils to see what they like. I would also encourage people to look for the California Olive Oil Council Seal.

The Artisanal Kitchen label for olive oil tends to be more beautiful reflecting the care that goes into creating the olive oil - into cultivating the olives, producing it and bringing it to market in small batches of high-quality oil that is healthier because of the low acidity, has more subtle flavors and is suited for everyday use.

IRS: You grew up in New York City. If you had to recommend one Greek restaurant in the Big Apple, which one would you choose?

AZ: There are so many to choose from but two of my favorite restaurants are Avra and Mylos. Avra has more of a traditional atmosphere, great seafood, delicious spanakopita and really authentic Greek cuisine. Cozy environment and great service. Mylos has a more modern feel to it, it is a nice open space, very elegant they also have fresh fish imported from Greece.

If you are looking for a Mediterranean restaurant with a great wine bar atmosphere I would recommend Vareli – great place with an exquisite wine selection and Mediterranean tapas offered in a cozy, romantic environment with a rustic feel.

Spanakopita Recipe σπανακόπιτα

Spanakopita or spinach pie is a popular snack in Greece. It's filling consists of spinach and other greens as well as feta cheese. When spinach is scarce, other greens such as chard, sorrel, and leeks are substituted.

Note: I made 1/2 of this recipe and it yielded 16 pieces.

Ingredients:
3 lbs. Spinach
4 bunches of Scallions
2 bunches of Dill
1 bunch of leeks
6 lbs. of Feta cheese
1 lbs. of Parmesan cheese
½ cup of The Artisanal Kitchen Three Olives Olive Oil
6 eggs
6 sheets of traditional phyllo
2 tablespoons butter
Salt & Pepper

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wash, cut and mix greens together in a bowl. Allow to dry completely.
3. Sautee greens in TAK Three Olives Olive Oil for five minutes.
4. Place greens back in bowl.
5. Add eggs and cheese to the greens and mix well.
6. Lay the phyllo on the bottom of the pan leaving so of the phyllo to hang off the pan.
7. Brush on TAK Three Olives Olive Oil on the phyllo.
8. Place mixture of greens and cheese into the phyllo evenly. Cover mixture with the remaining phyllo pieces and fold the pieces from the bottom over the mixture.
9. Brush the top layer of the phyllo with TAK Three Olive Olive Oil and butter.
10. Cook for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.
11. Cool and Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Anna Zoitas [interview]

Greece [ print this recipe ]

Blackberry Pie Recipe

Although it may not look like it, Spring is here. Blackberries are in season in California starting in May. As such, I'm posting this recipe for blackberry pie so that you can take advantage of the fresh blackberries that will soon be available at markets.

This recipe for blackberry pie is really easy!! It uses a store bought graham cracker pie crust. We will make the filling from scratch and use some ground up vanilla wafers to top it all off. Feel free to serve it with whipped cream and a scoop of ice cream on the side.

Recommended Equipment:
food processor or blender

Ingredients:
3 pints fresh blackberries

1 graham cracker pie crust
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 tspn kosher salt
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups small vanilla wafers
2 tbsp unsalted butter

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Put blackberries in graham cracker pie crust.
3. In a large mixing bowl, add 1/3 cup flour and the salt.
4. In another mixing bowl, mix together the sour cream, maple syrup and eggs.
5. Mix the flour mixture and the egg and sour cream mixture together and pour over the blackberries.
6. Cut 2 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and add to a food processor with the vanilla cookies.
   
7. Grind up vanilla wafers and butter together in a food processor or blender until a coarse powder.
8. Melt the butter and add 1 tspn of salt to the butter.
9. Mix with the vanilla wafers and then apply evenly on top of the pie.
10. Put the pie in the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Let pie cool completely before serving.
    

United States

Tuna Crostini Recipe

I had some left over hard boiled eggs and an assortment of condiments in the refrigerator last weekend, so I decided to use them to make tuna crostini, a classic Italian snack. I used 3 pieces of Dimpflmeier Klosterbrot Rye Bread basted with olive oil as the base. The end result was an easy to make snack that only took about 20 minutes to prepare. Here's how to do it:

Ingredients
olive oil
4 pieces of rye bread
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
2 5oz. cans of tuna fish in spring water
1 tbsp relish
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
Parmesan cheese garnish

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, relish, mayonnaise, and sour cream.
3. Drain the water from the cans of tuna. Add the tuna fish to the bowl
4. Mix together all of the ingredients.
5. Cut each piece of rye bread in half.
6. Lightly coat each piece of rye bread with olive oil.
7. Spread the tuna mixture onto each piece of bread and then place it on a baking sheet.
8. Put baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Italy

Lamb Schawarma Recipe שווארמה

During my interview with Levana Kirschenbaum, I learned about a type of sandwich called schawarma that is a signature Israeli dish. So I tried to see if I could find any recipes for schawarma to understand how it is made. I found a couple of recipes that used chicken as the main ingredient. However, when I think of Middle Eastern cuisine, lamb comes to mind. The recipe that follows is a hybrid of a few that I found with some of my own improvisations.

Last weekend was the first time that it was really warm here and it felt like spring. So we decided to grill the lamb for the schawarma outside on the Weber.


We also decided to try a new wine with this dish. Since schawarma is popular across the Mediterranean, we wanted to find a wine from this region as well. We decided on Voga Merlot. This Sicilian wine (in a most un-traditional bottle) turned out to be an exceptional pairing with the lamb schawarma.


This recipe is all about prep-work. You will need to marinade the lamb overnight. In addition, you will need to slice up a few vegetables for condiments as well as make a tahini paste and tzatziki. There is a little bit of work involved in getting the condiments ready but if you get a few bottles of wine and some friends involved, dinner will be ready before you know it! Here is how to do it:

Recommended Equipment:
charcoal or gas grill

Ingredients:
2 pounds lamb
12 slices pita bread
1 cup plain yogurt
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tspn tobasco sauce
2 tspn lemon juice
1 tspn vinegar
1 tspn onions, finely minced
1/2 tspn Kosher salt
1/2 tspn black pepper
1/2 tspn cayenne pepper
1 cup tahini
2 tspn lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tspn chopped parsley
1/2 cup water

condiments
sliced tomatoes
sliced onions
mixed sprouts
romaine lettuce, sliced thin
tzatziki


Preparation:

1. Make the tzatziki.
2. In a large bowl, add yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, Tabasco sauce, black pepper, cayenne pepper, vinegar, onion and salt.
3. Add meat to the bowl and coat with the marinate. Refrigerate overnight.
4. Combine the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and parsley.
5. Whisk well.
6. Add water if needed.
7. Slice up the tomatoes, lettuce, onions for condiments.
8. Grill the meat until done.
9. To make the sandwich slice open a pita, spread some of the tahini sauce onto the bread. Add some lettuce, tomato, sprouts, and onion. Top with the meat and a dollop of tzatziki.

Israel

Tzatziki Recipe τζατζίκι

Tzatziki is used as a sauce with souvlaki or gyros. It can also be served as a dipping sauce with bread. It is light and creamy with a subtle cucumber flavor and goes well with most grilled meats.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 tspn salt
1/4 tspn white pepper
1 cup sour cream
1 cup greek yogurt
1 tspn fresh dill, diced
1 1/2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, diced

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, mix together the olive oil, garlic, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
2. Blend the yogurt and the sour cream using a whisk.
3. Mix together the olive oil mixture and the yogurt mixture.
4. Add the diced cucumber and the fresh dill.
5. Refrigerate for at least three hours before serving.

Greece [ print this recipe ]

Cincinnati Chili Recipe

Cincinnati Chili is different from most types of chili in that it contains the unlikely ingredients of cocoa and cinnamon. These two ingredients give it a most unique color and taste that you have to experience. This recipe for Cincinnati Chili will provide you with the opportunity to try this style of chili without actually ever having to visit the Queen City.

If you do decide to make the trip, I have listed a few famous chili establishments in Cincinnati that are worth visiting. These include Gold Star Chili and Skyline Chili. These restaurants are large chains and can be found anywhere in the city. Empress Chili was the very first chili restaurant in Cincinnati. A few other chili restaurants worth visiting are Pleasant Ridge Chili, Camp Washington Chili, Price Hill Chili, U.S. Chili, Dixie Chili and Blue Ash Chili.

After you have made your own batch of Cincinnati Chili using the recipe listed below, you can serve it in many different ways. In any other city, the names for these different variations would be construed as sexual innuendos. However, in Cincinnati, they only refer to chili. Here they are:

2-way: bed of spaghetti topped with chili
3-way: bed of spaghetti topped with chili and shredded cheddar cheese
4-way: bed of spaghetti topped with chili, shredded cheddar cheese, and diced onions or beans
5-way: bed of spaghetti topped with chili, shredded cheddar cheese, diced onions and beans

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 8oz. cans tomato sauce
4 cups beef stock
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tspn Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp sugar
2 and 3/4 tbsp cocoa
1 tspn cinnamon
1 tspn ground cumin
1/4 tspn ground allspice
1/4 tspn ground cloves
1/2 tspn kosher salt
1/2 tspn cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf

Condiments / Toppings:
spaghetti noodles
shredded cheddar cheese
white onion, diced
kidney beans
oyster crackers
your favorite hot sauce

Preparation:

1. In a large pot, brown the ground beef and onions over medium heat.
2. Add the beef stock and bay leaf to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 3 hours with pot almost completely covered.
4. Remove the bay leaf.
5. Serve chili over hot spaghetti with your choice of toppings

Related Posts / Recipes:
Arrogant Bastard Chili
Spicy Turkey and 3 Bean Chili

United States Ohio

Cole Slaw Recipe

Last month we went to two fish frys at two different churches in our neighborhood. For those of you not familiar with the Lenten tradition, the menu at these fish fries is pretty standard regardless of which church you attend. An entree of white fish, either baked or fried, with french fries and your choice of side dishes. Cole slaw is almost always on the list of "sides." Anyway, the cole slaw at each church that we went to was really bad. Soggy and not so fresh - like it was made around New Years.

Last Friday we were unable to go to a fish fry at church so we had our own family fish fry with fried cod, french fries, and we made cole slaw too. It turned out great and we used it for other meals as it stayed crisp and fresh for the whole weekend.

Ingredients:
8 cups cabbage, finely diced
2 tbsp yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup diced carrot
1/2 tspn salt
1/8 tspn pepper
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tbsp white vinegar
2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Finely dice the carrots and cabbage.
2. In a large bowl, add the cabbage, carrots, and diced onion.
3. In a mixing bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour over vegetable mixture and mix well.
4. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Netherlands

Fish and Chips Recipe

Fish and Chips is England's most famous dish. There is nothing better on a cold and cloudy day than a few pieces of deep fried whitefish on a bed of crispy chips (French fries) wrapped in a newspaper with a splash of brown vinegar.

Ingredients:
1 pound white fish (cod, haddock)
1 1/2 cups pancake mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
club soda
1/2 tbsp onion powder
1/2 tbsp Lawry's seasoned salt
kosher salt and pepper to taste
canola oil

Preparation:

1. Add the flour to a large bowl.
2. Wash fish and pat with a paper towel to remove excessive water. Fillets should still be slightly moist.
3. Lightly season fish fillets with salt and pepper.
4. In another bowl, add the pancake mix and add enough club soda so that the mixture has the consistency of a thick milk shake. Use a whisk to create air bubbles in the batter.
5. Whisk in the onion powder and the seasoned salt to the wet batter.
6. Dip the fish fillets lightly in the flour.
7. Dip the floured fish fillets into the batter so that all of the fillet is coated.
8. Drop fillet into the fryer at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 6 minutes. You will want to only cook 2 to 3 fillets at a time.
9. Fillets should not be touching one another when frying.
10. Remove fillet from fryer and allow to dry on a baking sheet covered with paper towels.
11. Keep in oven on warm until all fillets have been cooked.

England

French Fries Recipe

French fries, pommes frites, or Chips - whatever you want to call them, the key to making them well is all about the frying method. Of course you should use the freshest Idaho potatoes available. But when you fry them, the key is to blanch the fries at a lower temperature first in order to cook the fries through. Then you fry them again at a higher temperature to give the fries a golden color and a crispy texture.

Recommended Equipment:
Deep fryer


Ingredients:
3 Idaho potatoes (try get long potatoes)
2 quarts of peanut oil (because of allergy concerns)
Kosher salt

Preparation:

1. Add ice water to a large bowl.
2. Peel the potatoes. Cut them lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick, square shaped sticks.
3. Add the cut fries to the cold water and let them soak for at least an hour to remove the starch.
4. Rinse the fries in cold water.
5. Heat oil in the deep fryer to 280 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Cook the fries in batches for 7 minutes. Do not try to cook too many fries at one time.
   
7. After the fries have cooked, remove them from the oil and set them on a baking sheet that is lined with paper towels.
8. Cook all of the fries this way first.
9. Next, increase the heat of the oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
10. Cook the fries again for 2 to 3 minutes until they are golden brown and crispy.
11. Drop the fries into a large bowl. Lightly salt them.
12. Cover with a towel and shake the fries to coat them with the salt.
13. Serve them hot.

France

Apple Raisin Farfel Recipe פֿאַרפֿל

Farfel comes from the Middle High German word varveln which means pellet-shaped pasta. It is made from matzo that is ground or cut and used in soups and other dishes. The origin of this dish can be traced back to Ashkenazi Jewish communities in Germany during the middle ages.

Well, enough of the history. This is was the first Kosher dish that I've ever tried to make and I have to tell you that it probably won't be my last. It tasted like a breakfast version of bread pudding. It's a very healthy dish and it's really up to you as to how sweet you want to make it. The apple, raisin, and cinnamon give it a mildly sweet and tart flavor. I added a little pure maple syrup to add to the sweetness and complexity of this dish.

Ingredients:
3 cups milk
3 cups water
¼ cup butter
2 green apples, unpeeled, diced small
1 cup dark or golden raisins
2 tbsp cinnamon
optional: sugar or honey to taste (I actually used pure maple syrup)
Salt to taste
1 pound box Osem Whole Wheat Farfel

Preparation:

1. Bring all but last ingredient to boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Reduce the flame to medium, and stir in the farfel.
3. Cook covered about 5 minutes. If you like it thinner, thin with a little water or milk. Serve hot.

Recipe courtesy of Levana Kirschenbaum

Germany