Wonders of the World

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046 - The Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock, and Islam Nov 04, 2018

Show notes

Another big episode, as Muhammad arrives on the scene. An illiterate merchant in faraway Arabia, Muhammad develops a new faith and community that builds upon the monotheist faiths of his people's neighbors. Ali A Olomi, historian and host of the Head on History podcast, joins me to discuss Muhammad's impact as well as the holiest site in Islam: the Kabaa in Mecca.

But most people are forbidden from visiting the Kabaa, so the wonder for this episode is the holiest site in Islam that others can, in theory, visit: the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. Randa Ulankiewicz drops by to discuss visiting those sites and Palestine in general.

From the foundation of the religion to its remarkable rise and conquest of Syria and Mesopotamia, we'll cover the world-changing impact of the world's most unexpected major religion.

This episode is therefore much longer than normal, with significantly more detail than usual. But there's stuffed grape leaves and hummus, so it's worth it.

Sources:

Armstrong, Karen. Islam: a Short History.

Armstrong, Karen. Muhammad: a biography of the prophet

Donner, Fred McGraw. Muhammad and the Believers: at the Origin of Islam

Lonely Planet Israel & the Palestinian Territories

Lonely Planet Saudi Arabia

Moon Guide to Jerusalem

Balik Ekmek (Istanbul Fish Sandwiches) Oct 17, 2018

Show notes

The classic Istanbul fish sandwich is simple, easy, and delicious. Fish, bread, a little spices, onion, lettuce, lemon. That's it. Some recipes will include mayo, which isn't my bag. Others get more complex with the salad topping. I like to keep it simple, to let the taste of the fish shine through.

Some notes:

If you don't have fresh mackerel (or smoked), try something like sea bass or haddock. You're going for a firm ocean white-fleshed fish.
Use an Italian-type bread - not as crusty as a French baguette. You're going for pillowy but with a nice chew.
Za'atar is increasingly available as prepared blend. To make your own, mix 1 tbsp (15 ml) each of oregano, sumac, cumin, sesame seeds and 1 tsp (5 ml) salt and black pepper.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 fresh ocean fish filets - preferably mackerel, but sea bass or haddock would do
handful of arugula
1 small red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
juice of 1 lemon
1 loaf Italian bread
1 or 2 Hungarian wax peppers (optional)
2 tomatoes, thick-sliced
1 tsp (5 ml) za'atar
olive oil, for bushing
salt

STEPS

Preheat the grill to medium-high.
Sprinkle a little salt over the onions and mix well. Grill the peppers until they begin to char slightly. Remove from the heat.
Cut the bread loaf into pieces the same length as the fish fillets. Split down the middle and lightly toast both sides on the grill. Brush the cut sides with olive oil. Keep warm.
Lightly brush both sides of the fish with olive oil. Grill the mackerel fillets over a high heat, skin-side down for 3–4 minutes. Once the skin has begun to crisp up, flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
1. With an alternate fish, use a fish basket to ensure the fish keeps it shape.
2. With smoked haddock, you need not cook as long - you just want to warm it up.
Take the warm toasted bread and place slices of tomato on one of the cut sides. Place the fish on top of the tomatoes and then add the other ingredients, finishing with grilled pepper and za'atar. Season, squeeze over a little lemon juice, top with the other half of the bread and eat immediately.

Recipe adapted from https://www.cooked.com/uk/Rebecca-Seal/Hardie-Grant-Books/Istanbul/Meat-and-fish/Fish-sandwich-recipe

Photo by Daniel Roy

045 - The Hagia Sophia and Emperor Justinian Oct 11, 2018

Show notes

It's the story of a farmboy, an actress, an unruly mob, and a bacterium. The Roman Empire evolved, and based in Constantinople, it reached a new golden age under the leadership of Justinian. His success is best seen in the masterpiece church: the Hagia Sophia, or Ayasofya in Turkish.

The Hagia Sophia was the greatest cathedral in Christendom for a thousand years, then a resplendent mosque, and now a fully restored museum. But shortly after its construction highlighted the peak of Eastern Roman prosperity, a bacterium came to Constantinople and brought the empire to its knees.

Joining me to talk about Justinian, the Hagia Sophia, and the plague is the great Robin Pierson, host of the History of Byzantium podcast. Robin recently visited Istanbul and talks about exploring its Byzantine sites as well as how Turkish food charmed even his palate.

There are fish sandwiches to eat and Ratatouille references to enjoy.

Sources:

Heather, Peter. The Restoration of Rome: Barbarian Popes and Imperial Pretenders

Lonely Planet Istanbul

Lord Kinross. Hagia Sophia

Norwich, John Julius. Byzantium: The Early Centuries

Paul the Silentiary, Descriptio S. Sophiae

Procopius. The Secret History

Procopius. Wars of Justinian

Rick Steves' Istanbul

Rosen, William. Justinian's Flea: Plague, Empire, and the Birth of Europe

Music by Turku, Nomads of the Silk Road from their album Alleys of Istanbul

044 - The Citadel of Sigiriya and King Kassapa Sep 27, 2018

Show notes

Rising from the Sri Lankan jungle stands the citadel of Sigiriya. An immense rock of volcanic origin, Sigiriya was transformed into the magnificent palace of Kassapa, a king whose story will blow your mind. Think Macbeth meets Othello with a dash of a Poe short story. You're going to enjoy this one. By a tremendous bit of serendipity (which is useful, given that the word "serendipity" comes from the Arabic word for Sri Lanka), my daughter's two best friends are of Sri Lankan descent, and one of their mothers joined me for an in-person interview about visiting the magnificent citadel, other sites in Sri Lanka and of course, all the great things to eat, including kiribath, a coconut milk rice dish that serves as the official first meal of every new year. Sources: Bullis, Douglas and Wendy Hutton. The Food of Sri Lanka: Authentic Recipe from the Isle of Gems. Culavamsa, translated by Wilhelm Geiger Lonely Planet Sri Lanka Rough Guide to Sri Lanka Wanasundera, Nanda Pethiyagoda and Jo-Ann Spelling. Sri Lanka. Music by Niranjala Sarojini

Ceviche Sep 15, 2018

Show notes

The best lunch I've ever eaten was ceviche in Lima. Hands down.

Traditional Peruvian ceviche is amazingly simple. Seafood, lime juice, red onion, and chile. That's it. Plus sweet potato and corn on the side.

As I said in the episode, you probably won't be able to make the real thing, because your seafood, as fresh as it might be, won't be as fresh as the seafood in Lima. Fed by the Humboldt Current, caught that morning, and served for lunch because dinner would be too late: that's Limeño ceviche.

But if you do have good seafood available, this will get you pretty darn close!

Some notes:

If you have one, use a mandoline for the red onion to get it as thin as possible.
Feel free to substitute scallops or shrimp or octopus or really any seafood, diced in the same size, for the fish, or mix them.
If you can get Peruvian aji amarillo (yellow pepper), use that, but this jalapeño will do.
If you can find giant-kerneled Peruvian corn, that would be ideal, but whatever you have will do.
The fish needs to be as fresh as possible. Buy from a reputable fishmonger. If you cannot prepare and eat immediately, keep the fish on ice in the refrigerator to maintain as much freshness as possible.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 lb (0.5 kg) fresh ocean fish filets - like grouper or sea bass - sliced into 1/2 inch (1 cm) chunks
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 or 2 jalapeño peppers, seeds and ribs removed, minced very fine
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped cilantro leaves
salt and pepper
1 large sweet potato
2 ears of corn, husked (maize, if you prefer)

STEPS

In separate pots, boil the corn and sweet potato until tender. When cool, peel sweet potato. Slice corn into 2 inch (5 cm) segments, slice potato into 1 inch (2.5 cm) segments.
Combine fish, onion, lime juice, cilantro, and chiles in a bowl, mixing gently with your hands. Use gloves, if you're worried about the acid and chile. Season with salt and pepper.
Let sit for 15-20 minutes.
Serve.

Recipe adapted from https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/07/classic-peruvian-style-fish-ceviche-recipe.html

043- The Nazca Lines and the Rise of Peruvian Civilization Sep 13, 2018

Show notes

Etched in the rocky plains of the southern Peruvian coast, the Nazca Lines fascinate visitors and archaeologists. While we still don't know why the Nazca people created lines, shapes and figures that could only be seen from the air, we have some hypotheses. We also know: not aliens.

Max Serjeant from the Latin American History podcast talks about how civilization came to ancient Peru, how the Nazca and their predecessors tamed the desert, and why archaeologists think the Nazca created their geoglyphs.

Tracy DeLuca, an avid traveller who recently flew over the lines, tells about her experience, both the amazing views and the stomach-churning turns.

We also talk about Lima, one of my favorite cities, with its colonial architecture and incredible food scene, featuring ceviche, some of the best food on earth. So grab a pisco sour and enjoy!

Sources: Dubé, Ryan. Moon Guide to Peru

Hadingham, Evan. Lines to the Mountain Gods: Nazca and the Mysteries of Peru

Lonely Planet Peru

Masterson, Daniel. The History of Peru

Moseley, Michael E. The Incas and Their Ancestors

BONUS! History Fangirl Podcast: the Lost History of Angkor Aug 31, 2018

Show notes

BONUS EPISODE! In March 2018, Drew Vahrenkamp appeared on Stephanie Craig's History Fangirl podcast to discuss what was once the largest city on earth, in area at least: Angkor, Cambodia. For the upcoming holiday weekend in the US, we are honored to share this episode with you. Please check out more of Stephanie's interviews with travelers, historians, bloggers and podcasters at https://historyfangirl.com.

************** Angkor, along with its most famous temple Angkor Wat, is one of the most unique places in the world. The French claim to have discovered it when Cambodia was part of French Indochina, but like so many "lost" places the locals always knew about it. However, much of what we know about the ancient city comes from inscriptions and other artwork on the temple. And because the jungle climate much of the other information we have about the city may be lost forever, but we do know that it was the largest pre-industrial city in the history of the world.

My guest today is Drew Vahrenkamp of the Wonders of the World podcast. We chat about the ancient history of Angkor, how tourism in the city has changed dramatically over the last two decades, and how history lovers grapple with the ancient past of Cambodia, and the more recent reign of the Khmer Rouge.

Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup Aug 25, 2018

Show notes

Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province, is justifiably famous for this dish, a delectable, spicy beef broth served over hand-pulled noodles, with layers of beef and daikon radish on top. Restaurants all over Gansu ladle out this dish as a pick-me-up breakfast.

You can't make the real thing, because some of the actual ingredients are only available to restauranteurs in China and because hand-pulling noodles is incredibly challenging — they even have schools for it in Lanzhou.

So this is a legitimate home version from the terrific cookbook All Under Heaven.

Really exciting: it's an excuse to use that InstantPot you got for the holidays and have been struggling to find uses for. Woot! You can do this without a pressure cooker, of course, but it will help to have one.

The challenge here is getting all the ingredients. It will be hard to do if you don't have access to an Asian grocery.

One last note: this dish will taste much, much better if you let it rest for a day or so to let the flavors blend. Prepare it the day before you plan to serve it, then reheat on the stove.

As usual with red meat, I won't get to make this at home, so if you can get the ingredients and try it out, please let me know!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1.25 - 1.5 lbs (2-3 kg) boneless beef shank (or 3 lbs (5.5 kg) with the bone)
3 tbsp (45 ml) vegetable oil
1/4 cup (60 ml) thinly sliced fresh ginger
1 large leek, cleaned, split lengthwise, sliced into 1 in (2 cm) lengths or 1 medium yellow onion, cut into eighths
3 1/2 tbsp (50 ml) bean sauce
1/4 cup (60 ml) mild rice wine
1 tbsp (15 ml) rock sugar
1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce
1 lb Chinese radish, sliced and quartered
10 cups (2.3 liters) unsalted beef stock (feel free to make your own, of course)
Spices:
- 1 small black cardamom pod
- 2 tsp (10 ml) fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tsp (5 ml) white peppercorns
- 3 pieces sand ginger
- 3 pieces licorice root
- 1 piece aged tangerine peel (1/2 inch/2 cm diameter)
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 5 pieces star anise
1 bunch fresh cilantro as garnish
black vinegar as garnish
Chile oil as garnish
2 lbs (1 kg) fresh noodles

INGREDIENT NOTES:

Beef shank - Brisket would work well here, as would short ribs.
Bean sauce - This is not bean paste, which is mostly wheat.
Soy sauce - Chinese soy sauce is different from Japanese soy sauce (which is often more widely available in the US). Japanese sauces tend to be lighter and saltier, so don't use as much or it will be super-salty.
Rock sugar - Chunks of crystallized sugar; you can substitute equivalent amount of brown sugar or white sugar.
Chinese radish - Looks like a turnip, actually a radish. You can substitute daikon; western radishes are a bit spicier.
Sand ginger - A variety of ginger that is a little more aromatic than regular ginger.
Licorice root - Dried licorice root. It is what it sounds like.
Aged tangerine peel - You can dry your own and it would work fine, or in a pinch, peel an orange and remove the pith. It won't be as concentrated so you might use a bigger piece.
Black vinegar - I love this stuff; you can use a blend of rice vinegar and balsamic to replicate.
Chile oil - available at most markets or make your own by soaking chile pepper flakes in hot (but not too hot) oil.

STEPS

Pat the beef very dry.
In a pressure cooker or wok, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat, then add the beef and the ginger.
Brown the beef on both sides, adding the leek.
Tricky: scootch the beef and veggies to one side of the pan, lift it so the oil collects in the other, and add the bean sauce, cooking for 30 seconds to release the aromas. With a regular pressure cooker or wok, this is no problem, but with an InstantPot, you'll want to lift the pan out of the machine (USING A POTHOLDER) to do this.
Pour in rice wine, then add soy sauce and sugar, stirring well to combine.
Spread the radish around the beef, and cover with beef stock. If your cooker/wok isn't big enough, you might not need the full 10 cups / 2.3 liters.
Now, onto spices. Using the flat of your knife, crack the cardamon pod. Put it and the other spices into a cheesecloth bag or a mesh ball and add it to the soup.
Cover and seal. In a pressure cooker, you'll want to cook for an hour. In a wok, you're looking at three hours after you've brought it to a boil, adding more stock as you go if the levels drop.
Once it's done and the pressure has dropped enough that it's safe to open the pressure cooker, or after three hours braising in the wok, check the meat. It should be really tender. If not, give it another 15 minutes of pressure or 30 minutes of simmer. Regardless, add the rest of the stock if you haven't already.
Taste the seasoning and adjust if needed. Remove the spices and the beef. Refrigerate everything.
Go to sleep, go to work, do whatever it is you do.
When you're ready to serve, skim the fat off the soup, and reheat. About 10 minutes before dinner time, boil water and cook the noodles until they float. While they cook, slice the cold meat against the grain - it will keep its shape better when cold.
Take the noodles out with a Chinese spider or tongs and place them in each bowl. Put the meat on top, then ladle the soup onto that. Garnish with chopped cilantro and have the oil and vinegar available.

Recipe adapted from All Under Heaven: Recipes from the 35 Cuisines of China by Carolyn Phillips

Photo from user N509FZ on wikipedia

042 - The Mogao Caves of Dunhuang and the Silk Road Aug 23, 2018

Show notes

A great trade route connected China to the West: the Silk Road. No place in China better illustrates the value of that route than Dunhuang, site of the Mogao Caves, grottos carved into a cliffside which hold the largest collection of Buddhist art anywhere. In Gansu province, Dunhuang was the site of the Jade Gate, where the main road left China into the lands beyond. Nathan Cherry of the Silk Road History Podcast helps tell the story of these caves, their city, and the route, starting with the expedition of Zhang Qian, China's Lewis (or maybe Clark?) who first traversed into the unknown. More stories follow: the son of immigrants who translated the sutras, the daughter who went to war, the crown prince who saved countless artifacts. The caves are remarkable; the town is too, nestled against giant sand dunes at the edge of the desert. To eat, try Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup, the perfect breakfast, if you like soup for breakfast - Westerners might find this a perfect dinner instead. Selected Sources: Keay, John. China: a History Kwa, Shiamin and Wilt L. Idema. Mulan: Five Versions of a Classic Chinese Legend, with Related Texts Lagerwey, John and Lü Pengzhi, editors. Early Chinese religion. Part 2, The period of division (220-589 AD) Lonely Planet China Stephan, Annelisa. "14 Fascinating Facts about the Cave Temples of Dunhuang" from The Iris from the Getty Museum The Dunhuang Academy's website (http://public.dha.ac.cn/)

Exciting News Aug 14, 2018

Show notes

A quick update about the podcast, with news of all sorts. To learn more: click here

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