Wonders of the World

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Ugali and Mchicha Jan 24, 2017

Show notes

The national dish of Tanzania, if there is one, is ugali, which is basically a very simple form of polenta. You add cornmeal to hot water, cook until it thickens into a solid dough, and then use it to eat with a vegetable stew. When sharing a meal, people will make one big bowl of ugali that everyone can grab pieces that they then dip into their own bowls. To make ugali for four people, first boil 6 cups of water in a large saucepan. Then, slowly pour in 4 cups of cornmeal (as finely ground as you can get), while stirring. Keep stirring - you want it as thick as possible, like thicker than mashed potatoes. Keep cooking and stirring for about 6 minutes. Done. I tried this at home, and I would recommend using the finest cornmeal you can find. I used American corn meal, and it was fine, but I bet if you used masa harina, you will be happy.

Since ugali literally tastes like nothing, the key is to be able to eat it with something delicious. For that the Tanzanians give you mchicha, also known as amaranth, a green that's a lot like spinach and cooked with garlic, onion and tomatoes, or with peanuts in a coconut curry sauce.

This is simple stuff, and totally doable at home, if you'd like a taste before you go. You'll want to start with the mchicha, because it takes longer. Since you likely can't get actual mchicha at your fancy western grocery store, use spinach instead.

Ingredients:

2 lbs spinach (or other green)

1 1⁄2 ounces peanut butter (I used sunflower seed butter for allergy reasons)

1 tomato (It's winter, so I used half a can)

1 onion

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 cup coconut milk

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon salt

Chop the onion and sauté it in the butter over medium heat. Add the tomato and curry powder, stir and let it cook for five minutes or until the onion is soft. Then add the peanut butter and coconut milk, stirring well to combine. Make sure it's all integrated.

Bring back up to a boil and let it simmer, reducing until the sauce is on the thick side. Then add your greens - they will cook down quickly. Thicker greens will take longer. I used baby spinach, and it was done before you could say Ngorongoro. Next time, I'd try something more robust like chard or kale. Season to taste and spoon over the ugali (or rice if you prefer).

A simple, healthy Tanzanian meal. Just like our great great great great great …. you get the idea… grandfathers might have made. Except that not really, since cornmeal comes from the Americas, but you get the idea.

008 - Ngorongoro Crater and the Birth of Humanity Jan 24, 2017

Show notes

We're off to Tanzania, to see Earth's largest unfilled caldera: Ngorongoro Crater. We'll also discuss nearby Oldupai Gorge and the evolution of man. Special guest Michelle Jones talks about her trip to Tanzania. We eat ugali and mchicha.

007 - The Lighthouse of Alexandria and the Rise of the Ptolemies Jan 10, 2017

Show notes

This episode, we visit Alexandria, Egypt, at its peak, as we check out the Lighthouse (or Pharos) and the Great Library. We'll enjoy some ful medames, and talk Ptolemy. Plus science!

Pitaroudia - Chickpea fritters from Rhodes Dec 29, 2016

Show notes

So what do you eat while you're enjoying the sunshine, beaches, shopping, art and architecture of Rhodes? That's tricky, since Rhodes has all the great Greek masterpieces available, but one thing that is truly Rhodian is pitaroudia. Pitaroudia are big, fluffy chickpea fritters. Think falafel, but irregularly shaped, and mixed with tomatoes, mint, and onions, so a different flavor profile. So while you have your fish and souvlaki and spanakopita and everything else, make sure to try Rhodes' national dish.

Here's how.

Ingredients:

2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 1/2 cups onions, very finely chopped 2 tomatoes, grated 1/4 cup mint, finely chopped 1 tsp cumin (optional) salt and pepper olive oil to fry (NOT extra virgin)

Most recipes will tell you to start with dried chickpeas, which you have to soak overnight and then boil for a couple of hours. Look. You're busy. And they make some very high quality canned chickpeas. The foodies tell me there's a difference, but honestly, with chickpeas, I can't tell it. So make it easy on yourself. Start with two good cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained, and grind them in a food processor until they're coarsely ground and kind of mealy.

Then in a big bowl, mix them with 1 and 1/2 cups of very finely chopped onion, 2 medium grated tomatoes - yes grated. It's a mess, but you want flavor and texture without chunks - 1/4 cup finely chopped mint, and salt and pepper to taste. If you like (and I do), throw in a teaspoon of cumin as well. Then add just enough flour to make a dough that will allow you to make patties that won't fall apart, approximately 2-3 tablespoons.

Spread more flour onto a large plate and warm up about a quarter inch of oil in a large heavy skillet. This is frying, so don't use extra-virgin olive oil. Use a frying olive oil with a higher smoke point. If you don't have olive, use canola or vegetable, but the high smoke point is key. Form a patty in your hands with about 2 tablespoons of the dough, dredge it lightly in flour and fry until golden, flipping once to cook on both sides. You can do a few at a time, but not too many - crowding the pan will lower the temperature of the oil and make them greasy. Remove and drain on paper towels. If you need to add more oil, be sure to let it get fully hot before adding more patties. Serve with a tzatziki dip. Yum.

Adapted from: http://www.dianekochilas.com/chick-pea-fritters-from-rhodes-pitaroudia/

006 - The Colossus of Rhodes and the "Besieger of Cities" Dec 27, 2016

Show notes

It's big! It's bronze! This week, we'll head to the Greek island of Rhodes, and hear them undergo two separate sieges, one of which led to the mighty and short-lived Colossus. We'll also sample some classic Rhodian food with all the garlic that implies.

005a - The Two Artemisias Dec 20, 2016

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Bonus Episode! Turns out there were two Artemisias. In this bonus episode, we take a look at Artemisia the First of Halicarnassus, who was a naval commander in the Persian War at the Battle of Salamis. I'll let our old pal Herodotus explain more.

Turkish Swordfish Kebabs (Kiliç Şiş) Dec 13, 2016

Show notes

Kiliç Şiş

Swordfish kabobs can be done with any meaty fish if you don't have swordfish handy. Tuna would work. So would halibut or mahi mahi, probably.

Ingredients:

1.25 lbs swordfish (or similar), cut in 1-inch cubes

24 Turkish bay leaves

2 lemons, cut into 8 wedges each, + 1/2 for juicing

2 red onions, quartered

2 tbs olive oil

1 tsp crushed Aleppo peppers

salt & fresh ground black pepper

Prepare a charcoal grill to high heat.

Mix the final three ingredients plus the juice of the half-lemon. Let the fish marinate for 10-15 minutes. While it's marinating, let the bay leaves sit in warm water for 15 minutes to rehydrate.

Thread fish onto skewers, alternating with bay leaves and onion and lemon wedges. Cook over high heat until the fish is cooked through and the onion and lemon get a little charred.

The key to doing this right is threefold: first, don't overmarinate. I do this way too often, but the acidity starts to "cook" the fish if you leave it too long. So keep to to 15 minutes tops. I'd use maybe a couple of tablespoons of good olive oil plus the juice of half a lemon, maybe a teaspoon of red pepper flakes - use aleppo peppers if you can get them, and some salt and pepper. Really basic. Slice your swordfish or mani or whatever into biggish chunks, marinate them, and thread them onto a skewer.

Tip two: alternate the fish on the skewer with aromatics: onion slices, peppers, lemon wedges, and most importantly, rehydrated bay leaves. This is huge. Just soak some bay leaves in warm water for 15 minutes. The flavor boost is intense.

The third tip is to grill over charcoal. I'm a gas guy because I have kids and very little time to set a fire ahead of time, but if you want maximum flavor, you're going to want to use charcoal. The smoke helps boost the power of those aromatic veggies and bay leaves. Oh, and use an extra skewer for more veggies: tomatoes, onions, peppers.

Unskewer them over a bed of rice pilaf and enjoy!

Here's where I adapted this recipe from: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/swordfish-kebabs-with-lemon-and-bay-leaves

And here's a recipe for awesome rice pilaf: http://www.howtocookeverything.com/recipes/rice-pilaf-seven-ways

005 - The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus and Artemisia of Caria Dec 13, 2016

Show notes

This episode, we're heading down the Turkish Coast to Bodrum, formerly called Halicarnassus and home of the long-lost Mausoleum, symbol of should-have-been-forbidden love. We'll also check out the thermal springs at Pamukkale and eat swordfish kebabs!

004 - The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus and Herostratic Fame Nov 30, 2016

Show notes

This week, we sail to Turkey to visit the great temple of Artemis in Ephesus, which at its peak was one of the world's largest and richest cities. Since the temple is gone, we'll tour the ruined city and eat a seafood feast.

Recipe for Midye Dolma Nov 30, 2016

Show notes

To start with, try the stuffed mussels, or midye dolma, which is our recipe of the week. I found this recipe at http://ozlemsturkishtable.com/2015/06/homemade-stuffed-mussels-with-aromatic-rice-midye-dolma

Ingredients:

25 - 30 large black mussels, cleaned and bearded
2 medium to large onions, finely chopped
1 oz. currants
1 oz. pine nuts
½ cup short grain rice
1 tomato, very finely chopped
Handful (about ⅓ cup) finely chopped flat leaf parsley
Handful (about ⅓ cup) finely chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 – 2 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp. red pepper flakes or chili flakes
5 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup hot water
Salt to taste
Lemon wedges to serve

We start with the stuffing. Soak the dried currants in warm water for 15 minutes to rehydrate them. While they rest, rinse the short-grain rice under cold water, then drain and set aside. Drain the currants and put them aside as well.

Sauté the onions in a 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Then add an ounce of pine nuts and stir frequently for 3 minutes. After that, add the rice, the currants, a very finely chopped tomato, the tomato paste, freshly ground black pepper, cinnamon and salt to taste. spices and season with salt to your taste. Pour in a cup of hot water and stir it all together. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed. At this point, the rice should still have a bit of a bite. Remove from heat and add a handful of chopped parsley and a handful of chopped dill. You can make the rice a day ahead of time, which would help the flavors develop.

Now for the mussels. Mussels seems really daunting, but they're not that difficult. Put 25-30 large mussels in a big bowl and rinse under cold water. Scrub the shells clean, scraping off any dirt that may linger. I find at this point that soaking the mussels in warm water for 15 minutes helps relax them, which makes opening them easier. Use the point of a thin knife to cut around the edges of the two halves of the shell. Open them, but don't separate the two halves.

Pour the juice from each mussel to a bowl. Then, clean them by removing any beards or debris that is still attached. Any mussels that smell funny or are open before you start to clean them should be thrown away. Once the mussels are cleaned and cut, scoop about 2 tsp. of stuffing into each mussel (trying not to overfill) and push the half shells together again.

Place the mussels side-by-side on a wide heavy pan, but do not layer them. If you need another pan, that's fine, but use a single layer of mussels only.

Strain the mussel juice to remove any solids. Add the juice to enough water to fill one cup and pour this over the mussels. It should only cover them about halfway. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove the mussels from the heat and leave to rest so the rice soaks up all the water. These are traditionally served cold, but I like them warm. If you like sweet, succulent, salty, savory, this is for you.

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