Roses Really Smell Like Pou-Pou[tine]

NATIONAL DISH OF CANADA - Poutine

O Canada! Our home and native land. Well it would be if I was Canadian. It is Canada Day today and I decided to celebrate our cousins of the Commonwealth by cooking up some Canadian culinary delights for my chums!

I travelled to Canada in 2009 for my good friend Tim's wedding. And although I only got to see one city (shout out to all the Edmontonians!) I thoroughly understand why Tim chooses to live there (another reason would be of course his wonderful wife Florence). Edmonton is a very scenic city. Situated in the lush North Saskatchewan River valley, the North Saskatchewan River bisects the city from it's origin in the close by Jasper National Park. Surrounded by prairies and forests, Edmonton is a nirvana for adventurous types. Or those looking to strike it rich in the oil fields around Edmonton.

But for me it is Edmonton's commercial attractions and the general way of life that sells the city. Edmonton has an IKEA (although I didn't get to go to it), a Costco (my first foray into the phenomenon), Tim Hortons (genius for inventing Maple doughnuts and Timbits), and of course a myriad of Poutine stockists. I had my first native Poutine experience at the Mecca of shopping centres, West Edmonton Mall. The largest shopping mall in North America, it contains an amusement park, a waterpark, a seal show, an ice skating rink, a mini-golf course, an indoor shooting range, a hotel, a petting zoo, an indoor skate park, a few nightclubs, a chapel, and 4 radio stations. It even has themed areas like Bourbon St, Europa Blvd and Chinatown. It seriously was like Disneyland for shopping addicts! However, what I became addicted to whilst in Canada was A&W Root Beer! Could not get enough of it.

It was my birthday whilst I was in Canada and Tim took me to Outback Steakhouse to make me feel more at home. A very loose Australian themed restaurant, it was comical to see how Americans perceive the Australian way of life. Items on the menu include Walkabout Soup, Alice Springs Chicken, Sydney's Sinful Sundae, and Chocolate Thunder from Down Under. One thing that wasn't comical was that I found a new love...the Bloomin' Onion. I won't even describe it to you, but if you've never experienced one, you need to go find one and devour it NOW!

Since I've been home I have scoured for the products which I loved during my Canadian times, and I have found a few. Thankfully I have found A&W Root Beer and a Bloomin' Onion, but have resigned the hope that I will ever find Molson Canadian or a Tim Horton equivalent in Australia. So if there is any generous Canadians out there that would be willing to send me some, I promise I will construct a place of worship in your honour!

Some countries have dishes that they don't perceive to be their national dish, but the rest of the world may. Poutine is one of those dishes. Largely affiliated with Quebec, however can be found across Canada, from fast-food chains and street stalls to diners and pubs. Poutine is a dish of fresh cheese curds placed atop some French fries and then smothered with brown sauce or beef gravy! Sounds delicious? Of course it does! If you answered no, you need to be evaluated and receive 500cc's of Poutine STAT! Any aversion people have to the notion of Poutine will melt away after the first forkful (which leads to the first bucketful!)

Enjoy, or as they say in Canada,  Enjoy! (ou bon appétit, si vous venez du Québec)



Need some delicious comfort food?: http://www.montrealpoutine.com/recipes.html
Recipe to make your own homemade cheese curds: http://www.ehow.com/how_5106352_make-cheese-curds-poutine.html

Difficulty:         4

Appearance:    4

Taste:               5

TOTAL:            13

Note: Difficulty is scaled in reverse to the other categories, where 1 =  was extremely difficult to make, and 5 = was easy to make.

There was not a great deal of difficulty in making the chips. Chopping the potatoes with a chipper makes it a lot easier. The interesting process was making the curds from scratch. It didn't take that long and it was cool to see the milk transform before your eyes. You need to make it the night before though and the use of cheesecloth to rid all the whey out of the curds. And the gravy can be as simple or as difficult as you want. A regular instant gravy is fine, but a tasty gravy made from stock is brilliant!

There may not be a lot of colour to Poutine (white, brown and gold), and it may look greasy to some, but to me it symbolises the epitome of comfort food. The method of double frying creates a crunchier chip, which is juxtaposed to the softness of the cheese curds. You can tell if the curds are fresh if they "squeak" when chewed. But it is the beef gravy which gives of an irresistible aroma, that can be smelled rooms away and directs people to the culinary divination. Warm, crunchy and cheesy all rolled up into one. Comforting success!

The day of celebration for our Commonwealth cousins was a roaring and fun filled success! The poutine was delicious of course, and it was easily washed down with some Canadian Club, which for Chad and I it is the boisson de choix! But the surprise of the night was the revelation of the Nanaimo Bars. I asked my friend Tim why they had not introduced me to Nanaimo Bars whilst I was in Canada, but he had never heard of them, so I can forgive that. I highly recommend those that like chocolate and custard in slice form to find the recipe and make them quickly! The only thing missing was some awes Canadian entertainment [read: any of the Degrassi series], and of course some A&W Root Beer and Molson Canadian! O Canada, we stand of guard for thee!

I Griots You, That's All I Want

NATIONAL DISH OF HAITI - Griots avec Riz et Pois

I was growing tired of Melbourne's bleak and tempestuous weather, and the problem is we're not even officially in winter! Normally I thrive in the cold, but this year we didn't really have a summer and so it feels like winter has started WAY too early. So I thought I would take a week off and head north to the Gold Coast for some well needed higher temperatures, some R&R, and some catch up time with my best mate Emma. So The GGJ is going on tour!

Emma and I have known each other for over a thousand years, and even though we started out unlikely friends, we are now as thick as thieves. We have very different personalities. Emma is smarter, more compassionate, more composed, more orderly, and generally diviner than I. But one thing I win is I am HI-LARIOUS. And even though she now lives over 1700km away, our indescribable connection (and indecipherable language) makes it feel like it's only 30kms! Now she has lived in Queensland for 5 years, and I am such an awesome friend that I have visited her not even once. So I thought she had earned not just some Leo-Emma face time, but a chance to sample my wonderful cooking. It was the least I could do for someone that has brought Mimeo and Shannon Attitude Problem into my life!

Emma is not only my best mate, but also my publicist. She has sent the link of The GGJ to everyone in her office, and it has certainly helped with increasing my view count. So a BIG shout out to those at John Deere, thanks for reading guys! And it was by this act that I found The GGJ's #1 fan - Denise. Denise works with Emma and regularly keeps up with the happenings of The GGJ. So I thought since I was in the neighbourhood, I just HAD to go and cook for her and Cath. I asked them to choose a region that they would like their dish to come from, and they selected the Caribbean. Now I am always mindful of the dietary requirements of people I cook for, some from the past which include vegetarian, gluten free, fructose free, allergic to seafood etc. But was not expecting such a limiting requirement from Denise and Cath......Cath is allergic to garlic. Automatically my heart goes out to Cath, for I feel my life would be detrimentally affected without garlic in it. In fact I asked Denise, when she found out this important fact was her first response "umm...I think it's time we see other people". Of course this was not what she did, for Denise is a lovely human being (she goes for North Melbourne Kangaroos as well, so she's obviously a genius!). And by dropping the garlic and sticking with Cath, they have been blessed with the cherubic Ollie.

So with no garlic in mind I looked through recipes of national dishes throughout the Caribbean. Normally it can be difficult to choose a country, but there was only 2 out of 14 Caribbean national dishes that had no garlic, so picking was easy! Haitian Griots avec Riz et Pois is fried pork with rice and beans, which is a staple that can been found all over Haiti. Relatively inexpensive, it is a good source of energy but also provides in abundance iron, protein and amino acids. The fried pork is generally marinated in bitter orange juice with shallots and chilli, boiled in water and then finally fried until crunchy on the outside but still soft on the inside. Sounds delish yes?!

 Enjoy, or as they say in Haiti, Bon Appeti!

Difficulty:         3

Appearance:    4

Taste:               3

TOTAL:            10

Note: Difficulty is scaled in reverse to the other categories, where 1 =  was extremely difficult to make, and 5 = was easy to make.

There are a few processes here, with you making 3 components of a bigger meal. This would have turned into a bit of a juggling match if I had to cook it in my miniscule kitchen. Thankfully at Chez Perks they have a massive amount of bench space. Not to mention so many burners on their stove top that you could mistake it for the fire and light show at Crown Casino Promenade. Also I had some help from some incredible sous chefs and camera crew.


The final result was a combination of textures and flavours directly from The Caribbean. The fried pork although with a deceptive taste was fantasmagorical! Crunchy on the outside, but deliciously soft and succulent on the inside. And the flavour of the marinade was still evident, with the pork having a nice citrus taste. However it would have been more apparent if you didn't add water to cook it in, thereby diluting the marinade. The rice didn't have a lot of seasonings to give it it flavour, but that doesn't mean it lacked any. The capsicum and kidney beans not only provided a great taste, but also a burst of colour to juxtapose the white of the rice. The only downside to the dish (personally, personally, personally in my opinion) was the plantains. Green bananas just don't cut it. And it doesn't help that I didn't really caramelise them properly.

The night ended on a culinary high note with home made Haitian ice cream. First of all, I was astounded that I could make ice cream without a fancy expensive ice cream maker. But then I remembered that obviously people have been doing it for hundreds if years. DER LEO!! But as I found sometimes in the kitchen, you don't always need fancy kitchen contraptions to create a masterpiece! And the chocolate and clove ice cream was a testament to that! Not a big fan of the clove, but it's mix with chocolate was beyond amazing and requires that you make a large batch to keep up with demand.

So thanks to all my Queensland fans (now friends) for allowing this crazy amateur cook into your life (and more importantly your kitchen). I appreciated your hospitality, not to mention your "yummy" noises. The GGJ may have to make another trip to your fair state real soon!

The Pupusa In Denial

NATIONAL DISH OF EL SALVADOR - Pupusa

I have been getting slack of late, and feel that I am not cooking enough dishes during the week. Well this week was a very busy one, with 2 friends having birthdays, a friend's band having a gig, a uni assignment was due, so there wasn't much time. To get around this I thought I would make something that appeared quite simple, straightforward and easy to make. Well we all know that appearances are deceiving! And the end result can lead to a meal that looks disappointing and leaves you having to apologise to anyone from that country. So a note to future self, travel back in time and pick something else, for El Salvadoran Pupusas need some time to make. Particularly if you are a complete novice like myself.

Made from maize flour, Pupusa is a thick, hand-made tortilla. They can be stuffed with a multitude of fillings such as: cheese, refried beans, cooked ground pork or Loroco (a vine flower bud form Central America). Then they're fried until a rich golden brown. It is generally served with Curtido, a cabbage slaw made with vinegar and chilies. They are a cross between empanadas and tortillas that can be found throughout Central and South America.

Enjoy, or as they say in El Salvador, ¡Buen provecho!


Link to challenging El Salvadoran snacks: http://www.whats4eats.com/breads/pupusas-recipe

Difficulty:         2

Appearance:    3

Taste:               3

TOTAL:             8

OK this would have to be one of the hardest dishes I have made so far. Due to my terrible tortilla making techniques, my Pupusas looked like they had been in a car accident as their filling was hemorrhaging out of the dough. The simple looking method of flattening the dough between your palms was deceptively difficult. I will certainly have to get lessons before I attempt to make them again. Or cheat and buy a tortilla press.

Now objectively speaking, my pupusa looked horrible. I'm surprised that the El Salvadoran government didn't barrage into the kitchen and charge me with crimes against humanity. This is certainly one of those dishes that would of course look perfect if prepared by a native.

Even though my pupusa didn't look like any photo I saw on the internet, they didn't taste that bad. The refried beans and the cheese made it a tasty savoury snack. And the maize flour made them taste like Doritos (funny that!), so that's awesome in my book. The only downside was they were a little dry, so next time I would serve with a large dollop of sour cream. And I would of loved to try the Curtido, but choose against it for I didn't have enough time and I'm not a fan of slaw in the first place. So to finish off, I am very sorry to the people of El Salvador, I didn't mean to butcher your cuisine. If there is anyone that is willing to pay for me to travel to El Salvador so I can culinary repent, I would be fully amenable to that!

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!

It's Not Easy Being Green Fig

NATIONAL DISH OF ST LUCIA -Green Fig and Saltfish Pie

So I have been slack with posting this year. OK REALLY slack. But that doesn't mean that things are still not happening at The GGJ. Cooking of national dishes is still going on, as is the filming of said cooking. Just the editing and posting of the videos is where the process has broken down. But I'm pushing myself now to get these up before I have to go back to university. So expect a few new posts in a few days. (That is for those that actually read this vlog, do any of you exist?)

Off we go back to the Caribbean today, to the tiny island of St Lucia. St Lucia was named after Saint Lucy of Syracuse, the patron saint of those who are blind. Lucia is derived from the latin word for light and let's just say that they could have used some when they made Green Fig and Saltfish Pie the national dish.

Green Figs are essentially plantains and Saltfish is dried, salted cod. With the added vegetables, this is basically banana and fish pie. A BIZARRO combination if I ever heard one. And apparently it's a breakfast dish. But I climbed off my culinary high-horse and tried to remain open minded about what this dish would taste like. A impromptu BBQ was called at Chad's, so I decided that if I was to experience something "exotic" then I would need some other guinea pigs to sample it as well. So off I went with my fish pie (not a euphemism), which looked marvelous. Chad doesn't like when sweet and savory things mixed, so I had to wait until he finished to inform him there were bananas in it. And with that little omission the BBQ was underway...


So enjoy, or as they say in St Lucia, Enjoy!


For the brave at heart and stomach: http://www.recipes4us.co.uk/Fish%20and%20Shellfish%20MC/Green%20Fig%20and%20Saltfish%20Pie%20%20%20HT%20%20%20MC%20%20%20West%20Indian%20%20%2085mins%20plus%20soaking.htm

 
Difficulty:       3

Appearance:  4 

Taste:             3 

TOTAL:        10

The main process for the pie was getting the layers correct and even, which is by no means a difficult thing to do. I do love it when pie recipes don't instruct you to make pastry from scratch.

OK so the end result wasn't really that bad. It looked great and coulourful, and smelled wonderful. The layers added a great look to the dish, I wished that I had taken a photo, but you know how the mind works after a few beers.

The taste was surprisingly good. Not delicious, but by no means horrible. That is my opinion only. The boys (Chad, Sean and Marc) loved it and commented on how even though you would think the flavours would not compliment each other, they really did. This was even after I told Chad about the banana being alongside savoury items. It must have been good though because everyone had seconds. Further proof that one should not look at the cuisine of other nations with judging eyes.

Whack-a-Mole!

NATIONAL DISH OF MEXICO - Mole Poblano de Guajolote

 
Welcome to the first of many, many, many stops (did I mention that there are many?) on this culinary crusade around the world. Now as an amateur cook with a RIDICULOUSLY tiny kitchen, I knew that this would be a challenge, but it turned out surprisingly well.

After scouring several websites looking for a traditional recipe I settled on this one: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4629176

I became disheartened by ingredients I have never cooked (let alone seen) before and was worried that I wouldn't be able to find the correct chillies. Thankfully I live in multi-cultural Melbourne, and with a little looking I found an excellent Spanish deli for all my Iberian and Latin American needs.

Since I was filming as well as cooking, and me being a weirdo with only 2 hands, I realised how difficult this could become. So with all my ingredients in check, I thought I would prepare them for use before I started.
And here's the first installment of The Global Gastronomic Journey. Enjoy, or as they say in Mexico, ¡Buen apetito!



So by rating out of 5, with 5 being the best score:

Difficulty:         4   (not very difficult, and only slightly time consuming)
Appearance:     3   (not the best looking dish, but with good texture)
Taste:               3   (nice meld of textures of the turkey and coarse mole sauce with a good kick of chilli)

TOTAL: 10

However, the next day I warmed some leftovers up for lunch and to my surprise - it tasted better! I would give it a 4 now. So my suggestion is to leave it overnight and feast the next day!