Songbird Sweet And Sauerbraten Jane

NATIONAL DISH OF GERMANY - Sauerbraten

It's the most wonderful time of the year! IT'S EUROVISION DAY!!! I feel that Andy Williams wasn't really singing about Christmas, but more so about the fabulous Eurovision.

Last year we were "metaphysically" in Norway, but with the win of the fantastic Lena with a bizarroly simple and not flashy (Eurovision sacrilege!) song "Satellite", this year we're heading to Düsseldorf.

This was the 4th Annual Leo's Eurovision Extravaganza, and we've certainly come a long way from the first Eurovision Party. From a few friends sitting around a small screen eating nibbles, to a packed 3 hours of colossal entertainment! Australia, being so far away from Europe, does not broadcast Eurovision live. When Eurovision starts at 9pm on Saturday 14th May German time, it would be 5am Sunday 15th May in Australia. Therefore, SBS doesn't broadcast the Eurovision final until Sunday night primetime. This means that all Sunday, Australian Eurovision diehards have to avoid all media channels to prevent accidently finding out who won!

Weeks of planning go into hosting a successful Eurovision party, from the streamers and flag-inspired balloons to drinking games and sweeps. But the most challenging is the timing of serving food to correspond with the relevant country's performance.

The Molefaces enjoy cooking (well most of them) and when the participants for the final are announced, each party attendant is given a country. Not only for them to support and cheer on, but also they are asked to bring a dish that is associated with their selected country. Consequently, we generally have more food than necessary, but they are spaced apart enough to help with digestion. Then for those who are drinking, a drinking game challenge is selected. These can be innocuous like drink if they "have instruments on stage", or can potentially lead the recipient to alcohol poisoning like drink if "there is pyrotechnics", "a key change" or "costume reveal". Then once everyone has performed, we sit back drunkenly and digest the feast whilst we wait the good hour or so until the winner is revealed.
Lastly, once the winner has been chosen, if you have picked that country from the sweep, you have to get up and perform for the crowd!

Sauerbraten is a like a pot roast, usually beef roast but can be from other meats. It is marinated for several days, and although the marinade recipe can differ across regions, it is generally a mixture of vinegar, red wine, water, vegetables, spices and seasonings. The acidic marinade helps to tenderise the cut of meat as well as discolour and flavour it. After cooking the marinade is made into a gravy to be leisurely poured over the meat. Meal accompaniments also vary from region to region, with red cabbage, potatoes (dumplings, boiled or mashed) and noodles being traditionally served alongside sauerbraten. And of course with it being German, it is best served with Märzenbier or a nice Riesling.

Enjoy, or as they say in Germany, Guten Appetit! 




Das ist meine recipe link: http://www.quick-german-recipes.com/sauerbraten-recipe.html

Difficulty:         4

Appearance:    4

Taste:               4

TOTAL:            12

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

So this dish wins for the most amount of pre-planning needed. You HAVE TO marinate the beef for 3-5 days before you are ready to cook. This is not a simple run down to the supermarket, pick up some ingredients, come home and whack it on the stove kind of dish. But once you do actually get up to the cooking phase, the ingredients are essentially just left on the stove to cook until tender.

I was thoroughly glad that sauerbraten was the German national dish, for the aromas that emanated from the kitchen whilst cooking were amazing! Guests were welcomed into Cinéma d'Eurovision, by the wafting smells of beef infused with red wine, garlic and bay leaves. And the brown tinged result were off-set by the accompanying mashed potato and sour cream.

All that marinating and cooking left the sauerbraten so tender and delicious. I love the taste of red wine infused meat, but the other seasonings melded well to give complex flavours despite there being only a few extra ingredients. Germany performed close to the middle of the night and shortly before was the United Kingdom. Lady Cara had drawn the UK and made mashed potato and gravy to represent that country. This went remarkably well with the sauerbraten, and may not have been coincidence (there has been accusations of country assignment rigging in the past). And the EuroMolefaces seemed to enjoy it, even though it came after 4 entrees and 3 mains.


So overall we had 4 entrees, 5 mains and 4 desserts. That represent 13 nations out of a possible 25! For most groups that amount of food would be a challenge. But this is the Molefaces we are talking about. Piece of cake! (which we would probably eat as well.) Below is a quick video of what was on offer.




As you saw the surprise winner this year was Azerbaijan! And although it is one of my greatest dreams to attend a Eurovision final, I don't think I'll be making it to Baku next year. Which is a shame since I've already cooked the national dish of Azerbaijan and could do with some more delicious Yarpag Dolmasi! Another great Eurovision Party was had by all. Danke Deutschland!!


(For those playing at home, Germany has performed in all Eurovision song contest since the beginning, and is the most represented country. This may have something to do with they are a part of the 'Big 4' (UK, France and Spain are the other 3, although if Italy continues to participate it will become the 'Big 5') These countries are the biggest financial contributors to the EBU (they broadcast Eurovision) and are therefore always qualified for the final. No need to audition for Europe!
Having said that, Germany have not fared well in the past. They have only won the competition twice (1985 and 2010), placed second 4 times, and third 5 times. However, those high placings were mainly 30 years ago and they have also placed last 5 times also. Good luck for the upcoming years Germany, for I love making German food!)

But February Made Me Shiver, With Every Pabellón I'd Delivered

NATIONAL DISH OF VENEZUELA - Pabellón Criollo

When one thinks of Venezuela what does the mind conjure? El presidente Hugo Chavez, the highest waterfall in the world (Angel Falls), so much petroleum they could bathe in it, and of course beautiful women. In fact Venezuela has won 5 Miss Worlds and 6 Miss Universes! Well it is with that we shall segue to the last of the Moleface birthdays for April. It's a double play GGJ birthday dinner for Moleface Leah and honorary Moleface Sarah. And since both ladies are internationally beautiful, drop water from a great height, spout petroleum, and are dictators, I thought it was fitting that I cook the Venezuelan national dish for them.

Now I haven't known Sarah for that long. She works with Leah and has slipped into Moleface activities like birthdays, emcee for The Logos Awards and of course Eurovision (PS. 1 WEEK TO GO!!) with aplomb. A nice wholesome lass from Tasmania, Sarah's quiet and refined behaviour contrasts most Moleface behaviour nicely. So much so that sometimes I forget she is there. And then after going to tell her about events that transpired she tells me quite affronted "Leo, I was there. I was standing right next to you!" Well whatever Sarah, just don't put your Creme Brulee in the oven for it will curdle!

And what can one say about Lady Leah. Nothing good, so I best be quiet. No I jest, or do I? A great buddy of all sorts, Leah is able to carry a multitude of metaphorical friend hats and dons the appropriate one for whatever occasion is called for. Whether it's the lively, vivacious drinking buddy; the takes-whatever-comes-our-way travelling companion; the trivially vacuous banter chum; or the compassionate and endearing confidant. Sometimes those hats are party hats and prevent us from getting into pubs cause we're too drunk!

A few years ago I travelled to Canada and the US for my friend Tim's wedding, and planned to stay in New York City for 10 days. After one drunken night with just Leah and I (who are two-thirds of the 3 L's, the other being Lady Lara) we decided she'd fly over and join me for a week. And so she did, and Leo and Leah took over Manhattan! And I have always been there for Leah like a brother (with similar names we have be confused for siblings). Like when she had to get emergency dentistry in NYC and I left to get Subway. Or when we went to a wildlife park with free range kangaroos and emus. Five kangaroos and 2 emus surrounded her, and I was able to leave the situation, so I casually walked away unscathed. But she would say I was at my most impressive when she had to go into a shop's basement to get fake designer handbags in NYC, and I said I would stay above ground so that if I heard a noise I could flee unharmed! My reasoning is that Leah is from Darwin, and I thought they bred them tough in the Northern Territory. But whatever the world throws at us, the original 'celebrity couple' will always be protected by Mr Owl. So take that Paparazzi Possum!

Now onto the food. Pabellón Criollo is the Venezuelan equivalent of the old rice and bean dish that can be found throughout the world. Their version consists of shredded beef, rice and stewed black beans. It is then accompanied with fried plantain slices. This is meant to resemble the Venezuelan flag, and it does. Well it does if we pretend that black is really blue!

Since many Venezuelans are Catholic and that beef consumption is prohibited during Lent, the beef is substituted for freshwater fish or Capybara (largest living rodent, like a giant guinea pig). It is believed that missionaries in the 16th century were struggling to convert indigenous South Americans to only eat fish during Lent. So they wrote to the Catholic church and told them the Capybara had scales, webbed feet and lived in the water. The Catholic church therefore classified them as a fish and they were allowed to eat them during this Holy time. The decision has never been reversed.

Enjoy, or as they say in Venezuela, ¡Buen provecho! 



Want to eat the Venezuelan flag?
Shredded beef: http://www.venezuelanfoodanddrinks.blogspot.com/2008/10/recipe-carne-mechada-venezuelan.html
Black beans: http://www.venezuelanfoodanddrinks.blogspot.com/2008/09/recipe-caraotas-negras-venezuelan-black.html

Difficulty:         3

Appearance:    4

Taste:               4

TOTAL:            11

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

This one was pretty easy to make with only a little preplanning needed for the shredded beef. But I got stuck making a birthday cake for Leah and Sarah and so they arrived whilst I was halfway through cooking. Thankfully they didn't mind waiting and it actually didn't take that long to throw the other sides together. Also they would like me to expose my complete amateurish cooking style. So the recipe asked for black beans and I could not readily find some canned black beans. Since I didn't have the adequate time to soak dried black beans overnight I had to improvise. So with using my initiative I got white beans and simply soaked them in black food colouring!

The beef looked succulent and tender and the sofrito smelled fantastic. It symbolised the red of the Venezuelan flag. The rice symbolised the white, and it did a great job with it just being plain white rice. The blackened white beans surprisingly worked a treat, and if you didn't know their true identity you would assume they were normal black beans. They randomly symbolised the blue of the flag. The yellow of the flag was symbolised by the fried plantain slices that bordered the 3 mounds of beef, rice and beans.

The beef tasted amazing and the ingredients and spices of the sofrito gave it a good kick. The rice was once again just rice. The plantains caramelised quite well and gave a nice sweet flavour that juxtaposed the savoury meat. But the surprise of the dish was the black beans. They actually tasted pretty good and the food colouring had no adverse affects on the dish. The ladies, after they stopped laughing hysterically about the "black" beans, commented on what a lovely dish it was.

Dessert consisted of another tribulation Moleface birthday cake: Red Velvet Cake! Now I have always wondered what said cake entails and how one would go about making it. Well now that I've ticked that one of the list let me just say that for me to make another one it would have to be for a very special occasion. Like if Man landed on Mars, or more importantly if the cast of Friends came to dinner! I put the red food dye in to the cake batter, and instead of partially mixing it through, just threw on the electric mixer. My kitchen could then only be described as the aftermath of the elevator scene in The Shining! But after cleaning up and making the addictively delicious cream cheese icing we finished the night by watching Lady Gaga's concert on TV whilst eating blood cake.

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY Moleface Leah and honorary Moleface Sarah! I hope you enjoyed your food coulouring laden Venezuelan feast!!

I Halwo And I Whine, I'm After You

NATIONAL DISH OF SOMALIA - Halwo

Halwo (spelled and pronounced in many different ways), is a dense slab of sweet confection that can be found from North Africa right across the Middle East through to Central and South Asia. Halva is Arabic for "sweet" and is most associated with Arab world. Generally there are two types of Halva:

- a flour based variety that is gelatinous and mainly consists of flour, oil and sugar
- a nut-butter based variety that is crumbly and mainly consists of nut-butter (such as tahini) and sugar.

Both varieties contain other ingredients and spices to bring out a multitude of flavours. In Somalia, Halwo is served for special occasions, such as wedding receptions or Eid celebrations (feast signalling the end of Ramadan). Somalian Halwo is made from cornstarch, sugar, cardamom, nutmeg, and ghee. Peanuts are optional but are sometimes used to bring out the flavours and texture of the Halwo.

Enjoy, or as they say in Somalia, ku raaxayso cuntadaada!



For some Somali dessert action: http://www.somalirecipes.com/2009/07/halwahalwo-somali-sweet.html

Difficulty:         4

Appearance:    3

Taste:               2

TOTAL:             9

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

This was not that difficult to make, but it was time consuming and involved much stirring to be needed. And if I had to wait 15 more minutes to add some more ghee, I think I would have gone on a rampage! Luckily this did not happen. Crisis averted!

The halwo had a very rich deep reddish brown colour whilst it was cooking, and when boiling it looked like liquid magma bubbling up from a volcano. After I threw in the spices my kitchen became so fragrant but there still lingered the sweet aroma of the sugar cooking. I decided to add the peanuts at the last minute because I felt it was too red. It added a new dimension of texture and flavour, not to mention new colouring.

Now taste is a funny thing, very subjective. I cut the the dense slab in to what I thought were adequate pieces, but were unfortunately too large. The overtly sugary taste was too strong for my liking, although I did enjoy the flavours of the cardamom and nutmeg. I think my opinion of the Halwo would have been higher if I had some ice cream to cut the sweetness. I also had some friends try it, and they were adamant that they enjoyed it. But a part of me still feels like they were just being polite. Having said all this, if I'm ever in Somalia I will certainlly give their Halwo a try,

One Mintue I Held The Varenyky, Next The Walls Were Closed On Me

NATIONAL DISH OF UKRAINE - Varenyky

Well it is Anzac Day here in Australia, a day that many Australians consider to be more of a national day than our actual national day (Australia Day). April 25th is a public holiday in Australia and New Zealand, in which we commemorate and honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). Specifically those who fought on the beaches of Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I. Special events of the day include Dawn Service Memorials across the country, where solemn prayer, a few minutes of silence, playing of "The Last Post" by a lone bugler and the laying of wreaths occur. Also an Anzac Day Parade is performed in most cities, where veterans of past wars and current serving members of the Australian Armed Forces march down streets. Some people then head to local pubs or RSLs for some drinks and the traditional game of two-up. And then of course there is the traditional Anzac Day AFL match between fierce rivals Essendon and Collingwood.Theses games are always sold out and are generally the most attended game outside of the finals.

This year Anzac Day coincided with Easter, so instead of a 4-day weekend, we got a 5-day weekend. I travelled to my hometown for the obligatory family Easter, and after seeing my family and consuming so much chocolate that Willy Wonka would be disgusted, I returned to Melbourne after 3 days. This is evident of how I feel about the hometown life. 3 days is bordering on too long. Most of The Molefaces were out of town except K Horns, and so I thought we make some Ukrainian dumplings or Varenyky. And even though we didn't make some Australian food to commemorate the day, K Horns is from New Zealand. So it's just like we formed our own ANZAC culinary alliance.

Varenyky are crescent-shaped stuffed dumplings similar to Polish pierogi. Made from unleavened dough, they are generally filled with mashed potato, cheese or sauerkraut. Another favorite for dessert contain cherry filling. They are then boiled, then fried, then topped with fried onion and accompanied with sour cream, and then finally devoured. I say devoured and not eaten, for after you have one varenyky, the rest of the batch will be guaranteed to be quickly consumed!

Enjoy, or as they say in Ukraine, Смачного! (Smačnoho)

The recipe for a dumpling of a different kind: http://www.allthingsukrainian.com/Recipe/Varenyky/index.html

Difficulty:         3

Appearance:    4

Taste:               4

TOTAL:            11

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

Although never having made Varenyky, I have made Pierogi before. So I harnessed that past experience for the task. Normally I don't have a helper for the whole dish, but K Horns was an invaluable kitchen assistant. Even though she didn't have the ideal cooking utensils, we improvised, as seen in the video. I appreciate that she let me take over her kitchen, and in the end her varenyky looked better than mine.

After boiling the varenyky, they looked like steamed dumplings but a little less appetising. However, once you fry them over the onion they brown up quite nicely. And then if you have an extraordinary food presenter such as K Horns, the final arrangement looks tantalising!


Now I love a good dumpling, but majority of my dumpling experiences are of the Asian persuasion. These Ukrainian varenyky were amazing, particularly the cheese variety we made. And as I've mentioned before, anything is gonna taste delicious when accompanied by sour cream! Next time though I feel I need to throw some meat into the filling, and top with bacon!


(For those playing at home, Ukraine have fared pretty well in past Eurovision performances. After 8 appearances since their debut in 2003, they have won once and came second twice. In fact they won in just their second appearance! Ruslana won in 2004 with her highly energetic performance of "Wild Dances". Her performances, in particular the pyrotechnics and traditional-inspired leather costumes make it one of the memorable wins in the past decade. Ukraine have never been knocked out after the semis and so have never missed a final. And with less then 3 weeks to go, it will be interesting to see what Ukraine has in store for this year.)

A Fool Could See, Just How Much I Adobo You

NATIONAL DISH OF THE PHILIPPINES - Adobo

We are up to the second out of three Moleface brithdays for April, and this one is for Theresa Maree. I met Theresa a few years back through Carli. At the time Carli, Theresa and Lara were living together in an apartment that became known as Cankle Central. Cankle Central was pretty much the social spot for the Molefaces. A place for a few pre-drinks before we head out on the weekend, a quiet movie night, and the venue for our Idol Cooking Contests. It was the place that solidified the friendship of the Molefaces.

Theresa is another Moleface that coincidentally hails from my hometown. She also grew up on a farm, but you wouldn't know it to look at her. Fashionable, trendy, and cosmopolitan she definitely is, but she still retains her country kindness, good nature, warmth and values. Willing to try anything new, particularly cuisine-wise, Theresa has a bravery that can be found in children. Which explains why we've found her on numerous occasions alone in her bedroom, blowing bubbles with glee! But my favourite thing about Theresa is her humility. Willing to do anything for her friends and family, I admire her outlook on many topics. Particularly, she has shown me how not to be overly concerned about others' negative feelings, thoughts or behaviours, especially since you cannot control them. Control what you can, and don't worry about the haters.

So she chose a South East Asian meal for her birthday dinner, and picked out of the metaphorical hat was The Philippines. Initially I wanted to change, for the recipe didn't contain bok choy (one of my favourite vegetables, but also a buzz word I've created. Used when greeting someone or as an exclamation of understanding-

Leo: I burned the cheesecake, now it's ruined!

Theresa: Just cut the top off it and it'll be fine.

Leo: Ah bok choy!)

But after researching the national dish of The Philippines, I certainly wanted to cook Adobo. Adobo is meat that is marinated in soy sauce, vinegar and garlic. It is then simmered in the marinade until tender. Although it bears a Spanish name, Adobo is originated from The Philippines. Served both at special feasts and for daily meals, Adobo is complimented with rice. Perfect for travellers, campers or those without refrigeration, Adobo has a long shelf-life. This is due to the vinegar it is marinated in inhabiting the growth of bacteria. In fact the flavour of Adobo is so beloved in The Philippines, they've capitalised on it and developed Adobo-flavoured nuts, chips and noodles.

Enjoy, or as they say in The Philippines, Kainan na!




A link to my new favourite marinade: http://www.adobochef.com/show_recipe?recipe_id=6002&recipe_name=traditional_chicken_adobo_recipe

Difficulty:         5

Appearance:    4

Taste:               5

TOTAL:            14

I know I keep spouting on about how some dishes are quite easy to make, but Adobo would have to win the prize. Hardly any prepping at all, just marinate the chicken pieces in the vinegar, soy sauces and seasonings for a few hours. Then simmer on the stove top for a few more hours til tender.

With not many ingredients to the dish I was surprised by the myriad of aromas that were emanating from the kitchen whilst the Adobo was cooking. And when served, the colour of the sauce had shaded the chicken a vibrant brown contrasting with the chalky white of the rice.

And the taste...Oh the taste!! The sweetness of the soy sauce mixed with the tanginess of the vinegar infused the tender and succulent chicken, flavouring the meat as it slides off the bone. And the garlic and peppercorns add an excellent flavour punch that compliments the rest of the sauce, making it my new FAVOURITE marinade ever! So simple, fresh and tasty! I'm gonna have to get me some of those Adobo-flavoured chips shipped to Australia stat!

And being Theresa's birthday I made her a cheesecake. Not knowing which flavour to choose and after scouring the internet for ideas, I did the selfish thing and picked a type that I would devour with ease: a Snickers cheesecake! I burned the top of the cheesecake, but fixed that by lopping the top off and topping the rest of the delectable cheesecake with whipped cream. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Theresa Maree, I hope you enjoyed your Filipino meal, even if there was no bok choy!

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!

So Just Poulet The Trigger

NATIONAL DISH OF GUINEA - Poulet Yassa

You may remember it was Mark George's birthday dinner a few months ago, but tonight it is the birthday dinner of the other half of that Moleface couple. Some would say the more glamourous of the two. Others would not based on Mark Geroge's geek chic. (I LOVE his Plaid-apus and Hypota-moose shirts!) This is the first of 3 Moleface birthdays in April, so The GGJ kitchen will be extra busy this month!

Carli, a graphic designer by trade, works for a gardening/media company where she puts in some crazy work hours. A hard worker from way back, I first met Carli in 2005 whilst we were working in a take away shop over the summer, at a resort in our home town. We bonded over our love for tacky 90's music, and shared a similar warped sense of humour. After the summer we returned to our respective universities and lost contact. That was until a few years later Carli moved to Melbourne. We picked up the friendship where we left it, and have had non-stop laughs since.

With a penchant for polka dotted dresses and headbands with bows, Carli embodies the elegant style of a refined lady. But get some drinks into her and the true Moleface comes out, and so does her alter-ego Rachel. Rachel on the other hand, has a penchant for using pashminas as courting weapons and has an extensive, albeit drunken, vocabulary ("I JOVE YOU!")

And as much as I love Carli for all that she is by herself, without her I would not have been introduced to the other Molefaces. So for one of the greatest gifts I have been given in my life, I felt that the least I could do would be to put some effort into her birthday dinner to commemorate our origin of friendship. And what better way to do that than to cook something from the continent of origin for humanity.

Poulet Yassa is a spicy marinated chicken dish prepared with onions and lemons, and served on a bed of rice. It can be found throughout Western Africa, and is a specialty in the Casamance region of Senegal (which borders Guinea, The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau). We of course will be making the Guinean version in The GGJ kitchen this evening.


Enjoy, or as they say in Guinea, Bon appétit! 



Recipe for the African variation on Lemon Chicken: http://www.friendsofguinea.org/aboutguinea/recipes.shtml#yassa

Difficulty:         5

Appearance:   4

Taste:              4 

TOTAL:           13

I love me a good recipe that basically consists of marinating meat, and then cooking it slowly until it falls off the bone. Well this recipe ticks both those boxes, thereby making the difficulty quotient quite low.

I have a slight aversion to Lemon Chicken of the Asian variety. It's too syrupy and lemony, so not a fan. So was a little apprehensive when I saw what this dish had entailed. But with a wonderfully fragrant kitchen and an open mind, we sat down for Moleface Carli's birthday dinner to sample the wares that Guinea had to offer. The chicken was wonderfully tender, it just slid off the bone. And the few seasonings that were added to the marinade certainly permeated the chicken. Although my fears were partially realised. I thought lemon did overpower the dish slightly, but the other diners respectfully disagreed. I think they were saying that out of politeness though, cause there was a lot of lemon. Next time I would reduce the amount of lemon juice and add a little African heat to the dish with some Piri-piri chillies. I also served up some Jus de Tamarin as a beverage, but the tart taste of the Tamarind didn't go down as nicely as the Honduran Horchata.

We topped the night off with a marvelous (if I do say so myself) Chocolate Cherry Cake for the birthday girl, which was pretty much a Black Forest cake. Now I am repulsed by cherries (in fact most stone fruits excluding juicy mangoes), but bizarroly Black Forest cake is one of my absolute faves based on the cherries and kirsch. And of course the chocolate! So Bon Anniversaire Lady Carli, I hope this African feast made you feel at home!