Spaghetti Carbonara; and Enchilada Casserole

I confess I got a little discouraged about my international food project -- but only for a minute. Last week I cooked some international comfort food, supposedly Mexican, but I doubt you’d find it in Mexico. It was a tasty and easy Enchilada Casserole. Last night, I was inspired again, because Dusty asked me if I’d abandoned my international food project, and I told him that I sort of had, because I didn’t think he was into it. He suggested that I make Spaghetti Carbonara. I had never eaten that, didn’t really know what it was. So I started reading recipes and decided to give it a go. It came out really good.



Spaghetti Carbonara calls for bacon. Bacon in U.S. grocery stores isn’t so good, except for breakfast when you cook all the fat off and make it nice and crispy. In England the bacon is about what we would call ham. So for the Spaghetti Carbonara I used a center cut ham slice, that the grocery stores sell as “ham steak”. It’s about ¼” thick and I angle sliced it to make it thinner.

My Spaghetti Carbonara:

Ingredients -

½ box of spaghetti - 8 ounces

Olive oil

¼ cup dry white wine

1 center cut ham steak - angle sliced, and the bone piece discarded

2-3 cloves of garlic - minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons flour (I actually used corn starch, and I don‘t know how much)

1 ½ cup low fat milk

½ cup low fat sour cream

¼ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated (I used good quality pre-grated cheese, but not the one in a can)

¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Pepper



Sauté the ham in olive oil in a large skillet. Then cook the spaghetti noodles. As the ham is cooking add the onions and garlic, stirring frequently. Next add the oregano. When the onions are soft, and the ham is slightly browned, add the flour or corn starch. Stir so that everything is coated evenly. Add the milk and wine; keep stirring so that the sauce starts thickening. Remove from the heat and stir in sour cream and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle pepper and parsley on top, makes a nice presentation. (I should have taken a picture.) Served over pasta, and a tossed salad on the side make an easy and sophisticated dinner. Preparation time was about twenty minutes; cooking time about the same.



Dusty, my favorite food taster and critic, said it was good, that I had the taste just right. He also said that my sauce should have been a little thinner, (maybe the corn starch wasn’t such a good idea). I didn’t know how this dish was supposed to turn out, and of course adjusting the thickness of sauce is easy enough, I could have just added water.

Enchilada Casserole:

Ingredients -

2 lbs. ground beef (I use 93% lean)

1 ½ teaspoons cumin

2-3 cloves garlic

4 teaspoons chili powder

Pepper

Water

1 cup sour cream

1 lb cheddar cheese

2 cups picante sauce

12 tortillas (I used flour tortillas, but corn tortillas might give it more the enchilada taste)


Brown the ground beef, and drain the fat. Add cumin, garlic, chili powder, and pepper to taste. Then add some water and let it simmer until most of the water evaporates. While it’s simmering away, spread ½ cup of picante sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Then place 6 tortillas on top of the sauce, letting the edges overlap to fit. Spread another ½ cup of picante sauce on top of the tortillas. Place all of the beef mixture on next. Spread sour cream on top of the beef mixture. And spread half of the grated cheddar on top of that. Place the remaining six tortillas on top of all of this. And then on top of that spread the remaining cup of picante sauce; and sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake covered for 40 minutes; and uncovered for five minutes. Mira!

Easy and tasty. This dish would be a great crowd pleaser for a Cinco de Mayo party. Serve with some guacamole and margaritas. It also is good the next day reheated in the microwave.

Third Annual Whale Shark Festival ~ Isla Mujeres, MX ~ July 16-18

Isla Mujeres is one of my favorite places on earth. Dusty and I found this island paradise together on our very first vacation together. And WOO HOO! We are going there again soon on vacation. Can't wait. I wrote about the Second Annual Whale Shark Festival last year, and it's that time again. The Whale Shark Festival is next weekend in Isla Mujeres, MX. I can't make it, wish that I could. Maybe next year.

From a press release posted on Ceviche Tour's website:

Celebrating the beauty and culture of Isla Mujeres, Mexico, and championing the need to preserve a fragile marine ecosystem, ecotourism travel agency Ceviche Tours and the Isla Mujeres Department of Tourism have partnered to announce the Third Annual Whale Shark Festival, a community extravaganza that showcases the achievements, the traditions and the environmental splendor of Isla Mujeres.


The Festival will be held July 16-18, 2010 in Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico.

Last year thousands flocked to the family-friendly Whale Shark Festival, which offers guests an opportunity to participate in ecotourism adventures such as swimming with whale sharks, the largest fish in the ocean and an endangered species; traditional dancing performed by local troupes; exploring ancient Mayan ruins and much more.

A portion of the Festival proceeds will be donated to several environmental not-for-profit organizations.

Sustainable Eco-Tourism

The Whale Shark Festival is an effort to raise awareness of the need to preserve the area’s marine ecosystem. Isla Mujeres is part of the second largest barrier reef on the planet, and serves as the nursery of the Caribbean and the migratory path of whale sharks as well as sea turtles, water foul and game fishes.

“Sustainable eco-tourism engages guests in the effort to preserve the indigenous culture of Isla Mujeres, their way of life and the marine environment,” said John Vater, who co-founded Ceviche Tours with his wife, Adriana, and longtime friend and Isla Mujeres native Luis “Cuco” Refugio and his family. “Environmental preservation and sustainable eco-tourism will help sustain Isla Mujeres for generations to come.”

Exciting Activities for All

Guests of the Festival can participate in a wide array of activities: Bloom of 200+ Whale Sharks -- Kicking off the Festival will be the much anticipated whale shark bloom, where hundreds of these gentle giants will come together to swim in a group near the coast of Isla Mujeres. Last year was the largest aggregation ever witnessed.

Approximately 1,400 whale sharks make their way through the waters of Isla Mujeres every summer, according to Dr. Robert Hueter, Director of the Center for Shark Research, Mote Marine Laboratory and speaker at the 2009 Whale Shark Festival.

Swimming with Whale Sharks -- Guests can swim with whale sharks and join an effort by Project Domino, a conservation program implemented by the Mexican government, to protect and preserve these graceful creatures. Guests can add their underwater photos of the whale sharks to Project Domino’s visual database of the unique markings, or spots, that can identify individual whale sharks and track them. Images from the Project Domino regional database are shared with a global database from nonprofit ECOCEAN.

“International events, and especially those such as the Whale Shark Festival which have a strong local element as well, are absolutely essential to increase the conservation culture through environmental education,” noted Rafael de la Parra, Lead Marine Biologist for Project Domino, a sponsor of the 2010 Festival.

A Family-Friendly Event -- The Festival will feature activities for kids to learn about helping the environment. “Educating children about the importance of recycling, showing them how they can get involved to protect the marine environment and its biodiversity -- with beach cleanups, and just the choices they make every day – is vital to our future,” said Catalina Galindo de Prince, executive director of the nonprofit Amigos de Isla Contoy, A.C., a sponsor of the 2010 Festival.

Academic Seminars and Film Showcase -- Scientists from around the world will attend to present a series of Academic Seminars on marine biology, sustainable ecotourism and Mayan architecture.

Booking Travel Travel arrangements and bookings for whale shark tours can be made through the Ceviche Tours Website (www.cevichetours.com).

For More Information For a complete listing of 2010 Whale Shark Festival activities and for more information, visit http://www.whalesharkfest.com/ or http://www.cevichetours.com/. Ceviche Tours provides sustainable ecotourism and travel services to the Yucatan and Isla Mujeres, Mexico. Founded by John and Adriana Vater of Spa Adriana in Huntington Village, NY, with longtime friend and Isla Mujeres native Luis “Cuco” Refugio and his family, Ceviche Tours works with the indigenous islanders of Isla Mujeres to help preserve their culture and maintain the integrity and beauty of the surrounding marine environment. Through education and photo identification efforts, Ceviche Tours joins the worldwide effort to protect and preserve whale sharks. As participants on our whale shark tours, guests are invited to be part of those identification and tracking efforts.

For more information, please contact http://www.cevichetours.com/.

Photo by John Vater

More About Whale Sharks

The biggest fish on the planet is the Rhincodon typus, the whale shark, growing up to sixty feet long; primarily roaming the depths of the seas. These behemoths prefer deepest waters, only spending time in the shallows to mate or spawn. Whale sharks have been sighted as far apart as the Great Barrier Reef, the Maldives, and the Caribbean. Because of their persistent shyness, little is known about these great creatures. Scientists are not completely certain whether whale sharks should be classified as an endangered species; so worldwide efforts are taking place to count and track whale sharks. I find it fascinating to consider that an animal larger than a school bus can be so difficult to track.

Because of the ongoing oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico scientists are especially interested to know the effect on all marine life. Non-profit organizations, researchers, and promoters of eco-tourism have drawn together to sponsor this event to raise awareness about whale sharks and the environment it calls home.

The purpose of the festival is to draw attention to the whale shark and the fragile ecosystem of the Caribbean waters surrounding Isla Mujeres. During the event, festival guests will be invited to take part in tracking the whale sharks, by being “citizen scientists” and contributing their original whale shark photos to the regional and international databases. Festival goers can swim with the whale sharks; according to John Vater co-founder of Ceviche Tours, “Swimming with whale sharks is an unforgettable experience. The Whale Shark Festival will be a tremendous opportunity for travelers to participate in ecotourism adventures and to immerse themselves in the culture of Isla Mujeres”,

Whale sharks earned their common name because of their size, not because they are whales. Whale sharks are sharks, distinguished from whales by many structural and biological differences. Like all sharks, whale sharks have a cartilaginous frame, rather than bone; and a leathery skin without scales. They also “breathe” through gills, as do fish; and lay eggs instead of giving live birth. Although whale sharks are enormous they are no threat to humans since they feed only on microscopic plankton or krill. As these ocean going giants swim along, they open their mouths wide to capture their food. Once inside their mouths, the tiny marine organisms are encased in a net-like membrane that prevents their escape. Whale sharks swim with their mouths open so wide that their mouths block their view, and they cannot see where they are going. Over time and through evolution they have adapted. They have sensors all along their bodies that allow them to locate objects in the water. This way they navigate without seeing.

Week 2 - International Food Project

For the second week of this international food project I made Crispy Ginger Beef. I suppose its Chinese, it was a stir fry recipe, and it came out great. We switched the night for our international night to Fridays, because Dusty wanted to try a bottle of wine. A lot of wines give him a headache so he wanted to be sure he wouldn't have to work the next day.

I chose this recipe because I had over-bought fresh ginger for my Rogan Josh recipe last week. I discovered that I really like ginger. The smell of ginger as I'm grating is luscious. Here's the recipe, this time I pretty much followed it, and again I found the recipe on http://www.recipezaar.com/ posted by Miraklegirl:

Crispy Ginger Beef

1 lb flank steak or sirloin steak, sliced into narrow strips (I used sirloin)

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup water

2 eggs

1 large carrot, julienned

3 green onions, chopped,

1/4 cup fresh ginger, minced (I grated it)

5 garlic cloves, minced

canola oil

3 tablespoons soy sauce

4 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 cup sugar

3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

1. Combine cornstarch, eggs, and a little water in a large bowl. Stir to make it creamy. Use this to coat the beef. Set aside, and do all your other prep before proceeding.

2. Cut your carrots into julienne strips; chop the green onion; grate the ginger; mince the garlic; and set aside for your stir fry.

3. Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and crushed pepper in a bowl and set aside for later.

4. Start your rice. I use plain white medium grain rice. Remember 1:3 ratio. One part rice to three parts water, and you'll never go wrong.

5. In a large skillet or wok put about an inch deep of canola oil and heat it up. You want to get it hot enough to fry the beef, but not smoking.

6. Toss the beef in the cornstarch and egg mixture prepared earlier to coat it on the outside. Add it to the hot oil and cook until its crispy on the outside. If you need to, you can cook the meat in batches and set each batch aside on a plate covered with a paper towel to drain off some of the oil. After all of the meat is cooked, drain off most of the oil only enough to cover the bottom of the pan.

7. Now add the carrots, onion, ginger, and garlic -- in that order. Stir fry until the carrots are almost tender.

8. Next add the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and crushed pepper mixture to the stir fry. Heat to a boil, then add the beef.

9. Heat all of this together, and you're ready to serve over rice.

Hope you didn't forget the rice and burn it. Stir fry happens quick when its going, you have to be organized and have everything laid out and ready to go. I'm thoroughly enjoying this international cooking expedition. I don't know what country to try next week. I'll be researching recipes until I come up with something that sounds adventurous and appetizing.

There are a few unexpected bonuses related to this project. Dusty is trying new kinds of wine. He did not like the Pinot Noir he bought. I thought it was alright, but it can't go to waste, because I'll just cook with it. We'll try another bottle of wine next week. The other bonus is that that we must eat together at the table -- its a rule. We often eat in front of the TV, which is mostly ok, but cooking like this is making dinner special, and I'm liking that. And of course, trying new recipes is fun, and right now while we're not traveling, we can still taste and dream of exotic places.

Bon Apetit!

International Food Week Project

So sorry I've been neglecting this blog for some time. But since it is primarily a travel blog, and I haven't been able to go anywhere .. there hasn't been much travel to talk about. I can only dream. But I also promised when I first started this blog that I would write about cooking and food too. Dusty and I came up with an idea to cook food from a different country every week. I do the cooking and Dusty is my favorite tester.

Last week, Thursday night, I created my own version of Rogan Josh. I used a recipe I found online, but I'm not very good at following recipes. It's not that I can't, its just that I don't. Mom always said if you can read you can cook. True. I like cooking because it's fun and creative. And the part of following recipes exactly, is not for me.

I don't bake very often. Which is a good thing, considering my predisposition to embellish or ignore recipe instructions. Baked goods do not lend themselves well to my creativity. So I do follow recipes when I bake, promise.

I've only eaten Rogan Josh a couple of times. Once on the cross channel ferry going to France, and it was really good. And then a couple of times purchased it pre-made from Sainesbury's. So I wasn't exactly sure how it was supposed to come out. The recipe called for lamb, which I couldn't find. Albertson's lamb was puny and the lamb at Walmart was vacuum sealed and imported from New Zealand. New Zealand lamb is supposed to be the best, but it sounded like it came from too far away for me to want to cook it. So instead of lamb I used veal. I also didn't use the cardamom pods the recipe called for, because it only called for five pods and I couldn't see spending $15. for a little tiny jar of seeds just to use five pods, so I left it out.

Here's what I used as ingredients: (more or less)
diced veal - about 3/4 pound for two people
2 tablespoons of oil - I used olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cloves
3 red chilis chopped
2 small onions chopped
2 inches fresh ginger, grated
3-5 cloves garlic, grated
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 cup of yogurt -  I used plain Greek yogurt
salt
2 tablespoons tomato paste - I probably should have used more, the color wasn't red enough
1 tablespoon ground almonds

The recipe said to put the chilis and onions in a food processor, which I did not. I just chopped them semi-fine instead. I heated the oil in a large skillet and added the garlic, chilis, and meat; and sauteed them until the meat was cooked on the outside and the chilis and onions were half done. Then I added in the ginger, chili powder, stirred that all together for a few minutes. Then I added the yogurt and a little water. (I also added a couple of tablespoons of white wine, which could have been a mistake and might have been the cause of the yogurt coming out funny and curdling). I simmered over a low heat for about 15-20 minutes. Served it over rice.

It came out fine. Like I said the yogurt was a little funny, and now I think I know why. The overall flavor was good, and I would try this again. Only next time, I'll plan better and be sure to find some lamb. And next time, add more tomato paste, and probably not add the wine, or try a different yogurt.

When I grated the ginger I was astonished at the wonderful smell. I had seen ginger root in the store, but never had used it in any dish before. I'm hooked. Next week's international food project is "Crispy Ginger Beef". I already found the recipe.

I go to http://www.recipezaar.com/ and search out recipes and then, like I say, adapt them to my taste.

Bon Apetit!