Praying For Love In A Laplap Dance And Paying In Naivety

NATIONAL DISH OF VANUATU - Laplap

We jump aboard our sailing boats today (or cruise liner if you're lucky) and make our way across the Pacific Ocean to Vanuatu. Vanuatu has been known to Westerners since the 1600's and colonised by the French and British in the 1800's. But the Ni-Vanuatu cast off the colonial shackles in the 1980's, making Vanuatu a relatively young country enclosed in an ancient island.

Laplap is a staple of the Ni-Vanuatu, and can be found at the local markets. It is a combination of taro, cassava, bananas and coconut milk, but can contain other ingredients. Wrapped in banana leaves, it is then baked in the coals of a large outdoor fire. The end result being like an island vegetable cake, if you will. And of course you don't eat the banana leaves. Unless you need the roughage.

Enjoy, or as they say in Vanuatu, Enjoem! (they have their own version of English)



For an Ni-Vanuatu island experience: http://www.vanuatuatoz.com/l.html

Difficulty:         4

Appearance:   2

Taste:              2 

TOTAL:            8

There wasn't a great deal of difficulty in assembling the Laplap, but it was a bit tricky wrapping the parcels. The older and drier the banana leaves, the easier they will split. So try to get fresh banana leaves if you can. I fully understand that we all don't have a banana plantation in the backyard.

There wasn't a lot of colour inside the banana leaves, more a sea of white mush wrapped in a green blanket. The coconut milk gave off a nice fragrance whilst cooking, but when unwrapped, I must admit Laplap didn't look the most appealing.

The tasting was an interesting adventure. My step sister took one bite and declared it a fail, but I was eager not to be so dismissive. I plunged my fork to get to all the layers, and after that first bite I didn't mind the taste. The chicken worked surprisingly well with the mushed banana, and of course was complimented by the coconut milk. However, once I finished the chicken it all went pear shaped. Firstly, I understand that I couldn't cook it in a traditional outdoor oven, and that I probably assembled the Laplap wrongly in the first place. With the chicken now gone, the mush of the taro and cassava had a strong chalky, alkaline taste. This was too strong to eat, and the poor Laplap had to end there. I'm sure that if I was sampling Laplap at a Ni-Vanuatu market, that it would taste remarkably different. And if I ever get that chance, that is exactly what I will do.

Ugali, Well You Came And You Gave Without Taking

NATIONAL DISH OF KENYA - Ugali

Back to the cradle of civilisation we travel today, to the country of Kenya. The national dish of Kenya is Ugali, a dough like dish made from maize flour cooked with water. Now I can hear what your thinking, "Leo this Ugali sounds familiar, haven't we seen this before at The GGJ?" And now your thinking, "How did you know what I was thinking? Are you some kind of Witchdoctor? GET OUT OF MY HEAD VOODOO MAN!"

Well to answer your first question, yes, yes we have. Throughout the land of Africa porridge like food comes in many forms and is made from different core ingredients. So far we've made Nshima from Zambia and Dumboy from Liberia. Of course there are other African countries that have similar meals, but we've already talked about them in other posts. So if you're interested, go back through the archives and have a look. Don't worry, I'll wait here until you're done.

Welcome back! Now you've seen the other posts you are familiar with the customs of making and eating such a dish. Now even though I may make similar dishes, the mealing experience doesn't feel repetitive. This is because there is always a different side dish specific to a region that gives the dish extra flavour.

Enjoy, or as they say in Kenya, Furahieni chakula chenu! (that is the beautiful language of Swahili)





For all things Kenyan cuisine related: http://allthingskenyan.com/food-ugali.html

Difficulty:         4

Appearance:   2

Taste:              2 

TOTAL:            8

The reason I have given the difficulty a 4 instead of a 5 (like the similar Nshima), is that the Ugali had less water and more maize flour than the Nshima. This made it much harder to remove all the lumps to provide a smooth porridge consistency. But with some time, patience and a LOT of elbow grease, I managed to get it to an edible consistency.

The appearance was pretty much the same as Nshima, dough like that is able to hold it's shape. But it was a whole lot yellower!

Adding more flour makes the Ugali more dense, and the thicker it is the harder it is to swallow. I prefer it to still be thick but adding a bit more water would have been better. Now, let's talk about the side dish that it is served with, Sukuma Wiki. Sukuma Wiki is a vegetable stew made primarily from kale. It adds flavour and more texture to the Ugali, and helps it go down better. Plus it tastes great, so that's a bonus. I don't want Kenyans to feel that I am being disrespectful or that I don't like their food. I guess my palate is very different, and if I grew up eating Kenyan cuisine I would have a higher appreciation for it. But I did enjoy the Sukuma Wiki.

And to answer your second question, my impressive mind tricks are still being tested, so we're not sure what kind of supernatural being I am yet.

Chelow, Is It Me You're Looking For?

NATIONAL DISH OF IRAN - Chelow Kabab

In Melbourne, for the last hurrah of summer we have The St Kilda Festival. Although you would be forgiven for living in Melbourne this year and not knowing the word 'summer'. Down on the foreshore, there is bands, stalls and plenty to do for the family. The main street is closed off and all the bars and restaurants down Acland St are filled to the brim with customers. And of course there are drunken revelers that fill the streets after it finishes. I don't really enjoy going down there unless there are some good bands playing. For you can never get into bars or get served, and if you lose your friends you can't call them cause the phone reception is blocked due to the amount of people down there. So instead I throw a BBQ for anyone to come over to eat, drink and be merry on a Sunday. Food, alcohol, so who else would be there? The Molefaces!

And for a relaxed BBQ I chose the national dish of Iran, Chelow Kabab. Chelow Kabab consists of a kebab served with steamed, saffroned basmati rice. Other accompaniments include grilled tomatoes, sumac sprinkled on the rice/meat, and lavash bread. Then there is the controversial accompaniment of raw egg yolk that is placed on top of the rice. Although this is more of an older traditional and is not really practiced today. And I don't feel warm inside about the prospect of raw egg yolk, so we won't be partaking in that method either.

Enjoy, or as they say in Iran, نوش جان! (nooshe jan)



Recipe for some Iranian BBQ lamb: http://www.persiancity.com/recipes/recipe.asp?ID=55

Difficulty:         4

Appearance:   4

Taste:              4 

TOTAL:           12

Creating the marinade, cutting up the meat and letting it marinate overnight are pretty much the steps to this recipe. And of course cooking it at the end. So not much difficulty. However, where the difficulty lies is trying to prevent your hands being stained by the saffron tinged meat. Although it did get me one step closer to one of my life goals: becoming a member of The Simpsons.

The simple cooked meat of the Kabab looked and smelled inviting, but when assembled with the sides of the roasted tomatoes, basmati rice and lavash bread, the appeal factor multiplies by 10!

The meat tasted great (kudos to master BBQ'er Mark George), and the sumac I sprinkled on the end was a new taste for me. The red powder gave a deceptive tart and lemony taste that countered the strong taste of the saffron. And it paired beautifully with the sides. Wrapped in some lavash bread, add a bit of rice and some sour cream or yogurt....DELISH! The only downside would the grilled tomatoes. I love me a good tomato, but something happens when you try to pretend that it's a piece of steak and began grilling it. In my book, it goes from YAY to OMG WHAT DID YOU DO? Thankfully there was plenty of meat to ignore the grilled tomatoes. And The Molefaces that tried it loved the flavour.

I'm In My Room It's A Típico Tuesday Night

NATIONAL DISH OF HONDURAS - Plato Típico

I generally like to cook a special dinner for The Molefaces on their individual birthday (we don't have a group birthday, that would be crazy!) And the first of the year is the adorkable Mark George. Mark George works in IT, and although he doesn't fit the complete geek stereotype (for starters he has a girlfriend Carli) he would fit nicely in The IT Crowd. Normally a very reserved and shy boy, when with the Molefaces Mark George shows a whole new side. From his awkwardly awesome robot dancing, to his penchant for lime flavoured food, Mark George is a fountain of knowledge. He also trains for and participates in marathons, though I still fail to understand why anyone would run 42km (Mark George: 42.195km!), unless they were being chased by a homicidal maniac. As perfect as he seems, Mark George does have a huge flaw: he barracks for the Melbourne Demons. And he also called the blog 'The GGL'. Who would get one of the GREATEST acronyms in the world confused?! So South of the River travelled Carli and Mark George for their first GGJ experience.

And as it was a special occasion I thought we needed a grand meal, resulting in the national dish of Honduras Plato Típico. Plato Típico, Spanish for "typical dish", is a collection of dishes that one would find served regularly in households across Honduras. It can be a simple meal, or a lavish production for the whole family. Generally made up of several components, for example:

• Carne Asada (cuts of beef marinated overnight in sour orange juice and various spices, then grilled)
• Chimol (chopped tomato, onion, coriander with lemon juice and spices. Similar to salsa)
• Fried Plantains
• Grilled Chorizos
• Refried Beans
• Guacamole
• Tortillas

Enjoy, or as they say in Honduras, ¡Buen apetito! 



Here's all the links you'll need to make this Honduran feast:
Carne Asada - http://www.whats4eats.com/meats/carne-asada-recipe
Chimol - http://www.foodloup.com/2010/09/chimol-honduran-salsa/
Fried Plantains - http://www.whats4eats.com/vegetables/platanos-fritos-recipe
Refried Beans - http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/refried_beans/

Difficulty:         2

Appearance:   5

Taste:              4 

TOTAL:           11

There was some good time management needed for this dish with it being a little time consuming. Thankfully, Mark George didn't mind waiting for his meal, and Carli was willing to to play GGJ assistant. I recommend not cooking the meat in a pan, for the marinade will potentially scorch your pan, rendering it useless. Although I did find a new favourite hobby, mashing beans in a frying pan. It is ever so fun!


This Honduran feast was certainly a feast for the eyes. So many colours, textures and aromas all blending together to form one super meal.

All together Plato Típico was delicious. But to give a better critique, we're gonna break it on down. The meat was tender and the marinade made it juicy (pardon the pun). I was surprised the main ingredient being orange juice, but it didn't overpower the flavour of the meat which was good. Put on a tortilla and covered in guacamole, refried beans, chimol and sour cream made for one tasty burrito.
The chimol on it's own was an interesting variant of salsa. A bit more tart due to the lemon juice, but chunky and flavourful nonetheless.
The fried plantains had a crispy skin with a sweet and mushy inside, which although tasted good I couldn't eat a lot of them.
Adding some cheese to the refried beans gave a good texture and flavour to the mashed beans. They paired so well with the sour cream and guacamole.
And the crown on an already beautiful dish is the extremely delicious chorizo. We all love chorizo, so much so that when I told Carli that we were having individual servings of chorizo, I reckon she was ready to pronounce me as some kind of God.

We capped the evening off with episodes of the HI-LARIOUS British sitcom 'Miranda' and some Birthday Chocolate Lime Crème Brûlée. So Happy Birthday Mark George, hope you enjoyed your Honduran feast!

My Life Would Succ(otash) Without You

NATIONAL DISH OF EQUATORIAL GUINEA - Succotash

I know what you're thinking, "Leo you is crazy! Succotash is not a dish, it's something Sylvester says!" Well although that awesome lisping cat does spout 'Sufferin' Succotash' whenever something doesn't go his way, Succotash is in fact a dish containing white beans, corn and capsicum cooked in a curry sauce.

Most of the recipes I found talk about Succotash coming from America, where it is a traditional Thanksgiving dish. Even Wikipedia pronounces the name stems from Native Americans living in the New England region. Now this may be all true, and who am I to argue? I don't have a PhD in Succotash (shock horror I know!) But the recipe that I was after needed to be Equatoguinean (awesome demonym). With a little scouring of the internet, I managed to find a recipe that was West African inclusive.

So with fear of inciting the beginning of the Apocalypse, where did Succotash originate? I'm assuming it was created in Africa and brought across to the Americas, where is has flourished. But you know what they say when you assume? I am generally right!

Enjoy, or as they say in Equatorial Guinea, ¡Buen apetito! or Bon appétit! (both Spanish and French are official languages)

Link towards the West African version: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-succotash

Difficulty:         4

Appearance:   4

Taste:              4 

TOTAL:           12

So basically with Succotash, you just throw all the ingredients into a pot and let them simmer. It is made easier (and takes less time) if you use canned beans instead of dried ones.

For such a simplistic meal, I was pleasantly surprised by the complexity of the outcome. The colours of the corn, beans and capsicum vibrantly compliment each other, with none of them overpowering.  And the fragrance was amazing. You know how I love a good aroma coming from the kitchen.

But the best surprise was the taste. The vegetables were SO fresh and crunchy and were made to pop by the flavour of the sauce. The only spices that were used are curry and chili powder, but man do they pack a punch! Succotash is generally a side dish so I cooked a small batch. In hindsight that was extremely foolish. My step-sister who lives with me was not yet home, so I left her some in the fridge. Needless to say it was all gone before she came home. After one bite I was hooked. I'm thinking Succotash needs to be added to this year's Thanksgiving menu. So to finish off, a word of advice: if you're making a batch of Succotash, pretend you're cooking for 20 people (or equally the Molefaces). This is the only way to stave off inevitable disappointment when you reach the bottom of your bowl. "Oh no! I ate all my Succotash! Oh that's right, I made enough to feed New York City. SCORE!"

A Pub With No Biryani

NATIONAL DISH OF PAKISTAN - Biryani

Many countries that are in close proximity share and influences each others cuisines. Sometimes when you have a great dish, an envious nation may take it on as their own national dish, with subtle changes form the original. And with hundreds of years of trade and travel existing between people from all over the globe, a dish created by one ethnic group can end up being adapted by another anywhere else in the world.

This is the position of where we find Biryani the national dish of Pakistan. Biryani is a dish made up of meat, vegetables, spices and rice (but can also contain fish and eggs amongst other ingredients). Different to other rice dishes such as Pilaf, Biryani has the rice and sauce cooked separately whereas when cooking Pilaf the rice is cooked with the sauce. After the separate cooking, the rice is mixed with the sauce, and layered to create a richly flavorful and spice-filled aromatic dish. Thought to have originated in Iran, Biryani was spread by travelers and merchants through the Middle East to South Asia and beyond.

Pakistan cherished in the introduction of this new dish, and over the years have adapted it into their own. Sindhi Biryani is a largely popular version of Biryani that contains chicken (although many varieties of Biryani can be found throughout Pakistan). It also contains yoghurt in the recipe, which can set it apart from other variations of Biryani. It is loved so much that the national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines, serves it to customers travelling to Pakistan.


Enjoy, or as they say in Pakistan, !مزےکریں (maze karein)  




For a Pakistani take on the Biryani: http://www.simple-easy-recipes.com/indian-recipes/traditional-chicken-biryani-recipe/

Difficulty:         3

Appearance:   4

Taste:              4 

TOTAL:           11

A few processes to this one, but still not a difficult dish to make. It is only time consuming due to cooking the rice and sauce separately, before adding them together. However, most of the time is spent relaxing whilst the Biryani simmers and does it's thing.

With so many spices and herbs add to both the rice and the sauce, your kitchen will smell fantastic! The concoction displayed when the rice is added to the sauce is also a treat, although with the use of chicken instead of lamb or beef it can leave the dish looking visually bland.

Despite this, I am thoroughly ecstatic to be making a rice dish that contains chicken and not beef or lamb. Throughout this journey so far, it has become apparent that most cultures prefer their rice with beef or lamb, but for me the taste can become too monotonous. Thankfully Pakistan has provided an alternative with this delicious dish. I love, love, LOVE Indian food, but have not tried much food from the other nations in the subcontinent. With the glorious aromatics wafting from my kitchen, I knew this was gonna be a tasty meal, but was a little concerned about the spicy factor. After several bites the full flavour revealed itself. Although it did create a little heat in my mouth, the textures of the chicken and vegetables were scrumptious. Not to mention the melding flavour from all those spices. Looking forward to sampling more novel dishes from the subcontinent.