CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS IN MUSHROOM & OYSTER SAUCE

•  I suppose chicken is every body's favourite dish, there are so many ways the bird can be prepared and it takes so little time to do it. Also the basic ingredients are the same for pork & turkey and you can add condiments according to your taste.

• 10-12 Fresh chicken drumsticks (with or without skin). Trim the fat.
• 1 large red onion-chopped
• 1 large tomatoe chopped
• 4 cloves fresh garlic-finely chopped
• 3cm fresh ginger-finely chopped
• 1 red Bell pepper choped in sticks (you can use red, yellow & green peppers. 1/2 of each to give it more colour).
• 4 cardammams, 4 cloves & 1cm.cinnaman stick grinded) or onr teaspoon garam masala powder.
• 1tblspoon coriander powder
• 1tablspoon cumin powder
• 1teaspoon turmeric (haldi) powder 
•  Olive Oil for frying
• In a large pan stir fry the above ingredients for 2-3 minutes and add chicken drum sticks. (chicken, pork or turkey breast). fry them for 10 minutes on high heat, moving them constantly, so that the juices are sealed and the chicken remains tender. Now lower the fire and add the remaining ingredients listed below and keep on stirring the contents, so that onions and tomatoes become soft and blend as a thick sauce.
• 
  
• fresh mushrooms (optional)
• 4tbl spoons soya sauce
• 4tbl spoonful mushroom sauce,
• 4tbl spoonful oyster sauce,
• 1tbl spoon crushed black pepper, 
• 1tbl spoon each coriander and cumin powder
•  salt to taste
• 150ml. fresh cream
• 1/2 cup white wine (optional)
• 2 hard boiled eggs to garnish (optional).

Simmer the pan for a few more minutes and adde fresh cream, stir in well so that all the contents are well blended and chicken is ready to eat. Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves and eat it with boiled or fried rice, crusty bread or nan bread, boiled potatoes. Choice is yours.

LENTIL SOUP TO WARM YOU UP.

We often prepare lentil soup, it is easy to prepare, tasty and every one likes it. When my two sons were small, they loved lentil soup with chapati or nan or garlic bread. The preparation is easy and you can also buy them tinned, in a super market.

 300gms. lentils. Soak for about one hour. Gently wash with your hands).
Boil until soft. Reserve one cup liquid.

Chop fresh ginger (2cm),
garlic (4 cloves),
large red onion- chopped
1 large tomato- cut into small pieces.(peeled or unpeeled)
1tbl. spoon coriander powder
1tbl. spoon cumin powder
1 tea spoon black pepper powder
1 Spanish Chorizo ( sausage) cut into cubes 
1 green or red chili (for medium hot just one dry whole red chili)

Pour sunflower seed oil/olive oil in a pot or pan and stir fry the above ingredients for two minutes.
Now pour in the lentils and the cup of water which is reserved (you can add more water if the consistancy is thick).
 Add the ingredients listed below and cook on low fire until the potatoes and carrots are soft.

Sausages for cooking (as many as you like)
1 potato (peeled and cut into cubes)
1 carrot (peeled and cut into cubes)
1 cube beef stock
1 cup white or red wine (optional)

Both red and white wine or a glass of sherry go well with lentil soup. In the photo is a bottle of Marques de Caranó Gran Reserva 2005 (Spanish Red from Cariñena-Aragon). A full Red wine.

Buen Appetito.

 

OVEN BAKED WHOLE LEG OF LAMB

 


The festive season is over, I have not updated my blog since 2008, and it is winter. We are in the month of January 2014. Weather outside is cold, rain and dark and gloomy. Not a single soul in the street outside. Not even a bird stirring in the trees. 

So whether you live in the city or in the country , and if you have live log fire the better, sitting with your family or loved ones, with soft lights and your favorite music, thoughts naturally turn to food and drink.

Many of us drink our favourite tipple without giving it much thought. Beer is the normal drink during the day, unless you have the habit of drinking a gin & tonic, a whisky soda or a campari soda, at any time of the day. Or you drink a coke or an orange or lemon drink. May be an alcoholic beverage is not your usual drink and only water, God's free gift, bottled and tasting of nothing, is for you. Salute.

Actually cooking is for those who love or even like it, they themselves enjoy good food, have time to do it. People who think that cooking is not time lost but time gained. Otherwise it is a chore just to gather the ingredients, mix them, marinate or cook the dish and then to enjoy it.  All takes time. 

So while you are drinking your favourite tipple, and are thinking of making some special food which goes with the wintry weather, you  want to have beef or pork and not fish and saurkraut or red cabbage  and cold bee-troots from the bottle. Unless you want to have chinese or a pizza from the takeway or bake a frozen one, eat it in ten minutes and then watch TV.

So how about lamb? Lamb is the best choice, and if you get it fresh the better. A leg of lamb weighs around 1.8kgs. So you have to have company. Your family and/or  friends. So let us start.

1 leg of lamb, trimmed of fat and sinews ( cut into three-four pieces).
(I always dip the lamb or game in boiling salt water for  two minutes. This seals the juices and flesh remains tender). Pat dry it with kitchen paper.
1 tbl.spoons each grinded corriander, cumin, termeric, cloves, cardamamm, (1/2 spn cinnaman), garlic & ginger  powders. (Fresh garlic and ginger are preferable)
1 tbl.spoonful salt.
300ml natural yoghourt
Beaf broth (2 cubes dissolved in half cup water)
Fresh coriander leaves.
Fresh rosemary twigs.
Juice of half a lemo.

Mix all the ingrediant in a large bowl, soak the lamb and marinate for one to two hours, from time to time pinching and turning the flesh in the marinate.

Heat a heavy bottomed pan, fry the lamb in oil for five minutes until brown.

Now pre-heat the oven to 250 degrees, put the lamb with its juice in a heat proof oven dish, cover it with aluminium foil and put it in the oven.

 Reduce the heat to 200 degree. Check the lamb after 30 minutes, you will find more liquid than when you put it in the oven. Now uncover the lamb, reduce the heat to 180 degrees and gradually the liquid will turn into thick juice. Grill the lamb for further fifteen minutes or until it is tender. Now it is ready to eat.

You can have the lamb with boiled brocoli, coliflower,  baked or boiled potatoes, sweet peppers, green beans and or with garlic bread. Rice too goes well with this succulent dish and beer, red wine are ideal companians.

Bon Appetite.
 

 
Keywords: Lamb, Beef, chicken, Foul,  Fish,  Spices, condiments, Food & Drink, Wine, Sauce, hot sauce, adobo, marinate, curry sauce, vegetables

CHICKEN JALFREZI

Key words: Spices, hot spices, sauce, hot sauce, cooking ingredients, recipes, chicken, lamb, beef, pork, wine, lemons, 


The word jalfrezi, I think, is the anglicized word for colloquial Bengali word jhālpharezī: in Bengali, jhāl means spicy food; in Urdu/Persian, parhezī means suitable for a diet.^{[4] ikipidia}

We know about Chicken Tika Masala much more than chicken  jalfrezi. In the UK, chicken tika (pieces) masala has become the national dish, replacing the traditional fish & chips. In Netherlands, it is the second favorite dish of the Dutch. However, in the U.K, chicken jalfrezi was rated the most popular dish in 2011 (Wikipidia).

In Sind province (now Pakistan) where we lived before the partition of India, in winter months,  chicken or lamb jalfrezi was one of the favorite dishes of the family. Traditionally it is hot and spicy and to dull the sting of green chillies, fresh yoghourt and cream are used. Cool Lassi (sweet or salted) was the delicious way of savouring this tasty dish.

This method of cooking chicken pieces is dry, ingredients blended in a thick sauce,  popular in Bengal, central India and Punjab rather than in Gujarat or Maharashtra, although now a days,  it is popular everywhere. It is eaten with rice in Bengal,  in Punjab eaten with tandoory nan, roti and chappati, as rice is not a staple food with Punjabi and Sikh people.

Well then, to prepare this dish, you will need the following ingredients:-

For 500gm Chicken breasts (cut in 5cm cubes):
If you want to use chicken drum sticks, peal of the skin.

 For the marinade:
150ml fresh yogurt
Juice of half fresh lemon
 chicken broth (1cube dissolved in half cup hot water)
1/2 spoon saffron powder (or strands soaked in hot water together with chicken cube)
500gms  onions cut in thick pieces ( I use equal weight in onions to the weight of chicken or lamb. Onions make the sauce thick).
 5cm piece of fresh ginger root cut thin lengthwise
2 large fresh tomatos (skinned and cut in pieces) or tomatoe puree
1 red pepper (or half green and half red to give colour)
5-6 teeth of fresh garlic (also thinly cut)
1 fresh green chili pepper (if  you like it hot) also cut in thin strips OR red chilli powder
1 tbl.spoon whole cumin seeds (bruised slightly)
Black pepper (crushed) to taste
1tbl spoon turmeric powder
4-6 tbl. spoons olive oil/butter for frying. ( Many people fry the meat in butter, I prefer olive oil)
Half cup sherry or red wine(optional)

Heat a frying pan, pour oil and fry all the ingredients, except yoghourt,  under high heat for about two minutes. Add chicken pieces and fry for five minutes. Add sherry or wine. Now lower the heat and let the chicken simmer for further five minutes.( Frying under high heat seals the juices and makes meat tender).

Now the juices from onions and tomatoes will swim to the surface and it is time to turn and turn the chicken in the pan until the ingredients disolve into a thick sauce. Pour in the yoghourt and let it simmer for a few more minutes. Now the chicken is ready and pour in the cream and turn it a few times until completely disolved in the sauce.  Chicken Jalfrezi is ready.

Buen Provecho.

LIVER IN WHITE WINE SAUCE

Yesterday I made chicken liver in white wine sauce. Most of you must have eaten chicken,beef or pork or lamb liver in one way or the other. I mean, boiled,cooked, fried or pate. Liver is tasty and light, you can eat it with boiled potatoes, potato puree, with rice or spinash and it tastes good.

I used to eat it often, almost every other day in bars if not at home,at eleven or 12 noon (Tapa Time). In Spain you will get a tapa of liver or kidneys, cooked in white whine or sherry, with a slice or two of fresh bread to dip in the juicy liquid and savor it,chewing slowly and sipping from a chilled glass of white wine or sherry (Jerez in Spanish)or cold beer. A beautiful way of having a late breakfast. Or a quick grilled liver bocadillo chased by a a Cafe con leche.

To prepare liver in sherry or white wine is easy. You will need:-(For two persons)
Olive or sunflower seed oil to fry.
500gms Fresh Liver (chicken,lamb,pork or beef)washed and dried on a paper towel.
200ml dry white wine or dry sherry
1 medium onion (thinly sliced in long strips)
2 tablespoon tomato paste or medium size fresh tomato
1 tablespoon oregano or thyme
1 teaspoon grinded cardamams/cloves and a small stick of cinnamon OR whole spices
1 teaspoon bruised cumin seeds
1 teaspoon bruised black pepper
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon saffron powder
Green chilly or dried red chillies (to your taste)
2cm fresh ginger and 5-6 teeth fresh garlic (thinly sliced)
Salt to taste OR one cube beef stock.
Fresh coriander leaves (optional)
In a skillet, fry onions and ginger and garlic for two minutes without browning. Lower heat (to gas mark 2-3) and add cumin and coriander seeds and saffron. And dont forget to add oregano or thyme. Now put in the liver and let it simmer in the onion juice for a few minutes. stir in tomato paste and let it simmer and fry slowly. With a flat ladle or spoon turn the liver in the skillet and pour in white wine or sherry and salt or beef cube and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring slowly. The Liver is now ready to eat.

You can have buttered garlic bread, boiled or baked potatoes, boiled rice or potato puree and drink your favorite drink. You can eat the liver at any time of day or night. Bon Appetite.

Chicken Broth. The Basic Ingredient

Both Thai and Chinese eat a lot of soup dishes, in India chicken or lamb is cooked in light broth. I have always liked chinese soups and broths and when I visited Malaysia and Thailand, I had the opportunity to taste many soup dishes. Chicken Broth is the basic ingredient for many dishes, both meat, fish or seafood. I often make this broth at home, specially in winter months as apart from it being very tasty, it is filling too and warms our belly. Chinese call it The Monks' Broth. All the ingredients listed below are of my own way of cooking.

In a deep pot, pour 3 litres cold water, add:
One whole leg of chicken (skinned and fat removed)
1 large Beef Rib
1 small bone (Pork/Beef)
l large onion, whole or chopped fine.
1 large tomatoe, whole or chopped fine
6 teeth of garlic, finely chopped
1 large chunk of fresh ginger finely chopped
l stalk rosemary
2 large bayleaves
1 tbl.spoon Saffron
2 stalks of fresh leek, finely chopped
1 tbl.spoon freshly crushed black pepper
1 Tbl.spoon Cumin seeds, 4 cardamams, 4 cloves, small piece of Cinnamon (In India it is called dal-chini which is the best)all grinded together.

Bring to the boil all the above ingredients and simmer on a very low heat for one hour. BUT PLEASE TAKE OUT THE CHICKEN LEG AFTER 10-15 MINUTES COOKING.
When the water is reduced, take out the beef rib, cut into small pieces and together with chicken pieces put back in the pot. Your basic chicken broth is now ready. You can add:

1. Cooked Chickpeas -Carrots- Beansprouts- Bean Curd (Tofu will do)

2.Shelled Prawns.
Shredded Pork,octopus,calamari,beansprouts,pork balls, dumplings etc(Sauted in Wok). Garnish the Soup with fresh Coriander leaves and a little Pad Thai sauce. It is delicious. A cold beer or Jasmine Tea is the best drink with these Soups.
Enjoy it.

Lobster in Wine and Ginger Sauce

This is my favorite lobster dish, I have eaten it in Chinese restaurants in Soho in London and in Hua Hin Evening Market(Thailand) and prepared it myself.

Take 2 lobsters, cut them length-wise, chop off claws (but keep them)
200gms. baby clams
200gms. giant prawns (shelled but tails left on)
4 cloves fresh thinly chopped garlic
A good slice of thinly chopped fresh ginger
1 stalk fresh Leak
1 medium size onion (chopped)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 whole dry red chilli to taste
50ml. dry white wine or 30ml dry sherry
4 tbl.spoons olive oil
1 cup Chicken Broth
1 egg
2 tbl.sooons Pad Thai Sauce (available from any Thai/Chinese grocer).

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, pour in chopped onion, ginger,garlic,red chilli and leak. Stir fry for a few minutes. Add pieces of lobster and giant prawns and claw pieces and cover the pot, once or twice stirring the contents slowly. Now pour in the the chicken broth and wine or sherry and cook on slow heat for 10-15 minutes so that wine is reduced and sauce thickened. If you like thicker sauce, mix one tbl.spoon cornflour with water, mix well and add to the pot. Add freshly crushed black pepper and salt to taste. Garnish with fresh Corriander or mint leaves.
Good Appetite.

Lobster, Lobster, Lobster

When I started this blog about my favorite food recipes, I did not realise that there may be thousands and thousands others with the same idea who could also write about food and their favorite receipts too, put photos on their blogs, thus enticing people to read about them. So I stopped writing, I do not know from where to upload photos of food and wine, I write about the food I have enjoyed, and cook at home. But yesterday I had a look at my blog site and saw visitors who have logged in to it. So I am encouraged to see that some people are viewing my blog with interest, and have decided to update my blog.

Some time ago I stumbled upon a website selling fresh Lobsters online and thought about writing some recipes of cooking lobster. I have eaten lobster many times, in Spain, in England, in India and in Malaysia and Thailand. I too have cooked lobsters a few times.The best lobster I have had was in Thailand and in a Chinese restaurant in London. The usual way to prepare a lobster is either to boil it in water or steam it. The lobster has to be alive to boil, a frozen one will not do. China and India both export tinned lobster heads, which are quite tasty. Some time ago I bought a packet of frozen Cray Fish in Holland, which was also imported from China. It was alright in taste.

For two lobsters of 1/2 kilo each:
500gms fresh baby clams
3-4 cups of water,
50 ml Dry White wine.
1 tbl.spoon butter
2 tbl.spoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 shallots, finally chopped
2 clove garlic
2 cms. fresh garlic
1/2 cup fish stock
1 tbl.spoon dry tarragon or a twig of fresh herb
1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
pinch of cayanne
First chop off the heads of the lobsters, remove the coral and preserve.
Chop off the claws, break their shells. Heat olive oil and butter and add lobster pieces. Cover and simmer until you see that the lobsters have a glowing red colour. Add wine, fish stock, coral shell (to thicken the sauce) shallots, garlic and ginger and baby Clams and put it in the oven, on moderate heat, in a covered dish, for about 20 minutes. The sauce should thickened by the time otherwise add little corn flour and mix it well.

You can add a little brandy to the dish when ready and set fire to it ( a la fiambre) if you like. You can eat boiled rice which is nice with the sauce. A chilled bottle of dry white wine will do nicely too.

Churrascarias and Asaderos

In Brazil, in Argentina and in Urguay charcoal grilled meat is a favorite plate. Young bulls are slaughtered and thick steaks are grilled and served with dips. Argentinian beef has become world famous and is imported in many countries. This food was for the working class, for people living and working in the Pampas. Customers sit in a restaurant and large chunks of meat are served by waiters or the Churrasquero himself who would go round the tables serving the steaks. Who could resist the mouth watering and tempting smell of grilled meat?

In Zurich there are Churrascarias, in Antwerp are Argentinian Grill Restaurants. In Spain they are called Asaderos and are very popular places to eat beef or pork steaks, spare ribs and Chuletones ( cutlets). In many towns, there are restaurants in the slaughter- houses (mataderos) where they serve fresh grilled bull meat and specially in the Bull Fighting Season, demand for meat from bulls killed in the corrida, are much in demand. The meat is slightly darker but very tender and considered to give you strength. In Morrocco in many restaurants whole skinned, stuffed goats are grilled in deep earthen ovens. It takes about four hours to grill the meat, which is then cut into pieces and served with rice and nan bread.

When I was young and living in Spain, for many years I went to Pamplona in the province of Navarra (north Spain) to participate in the Corridas celebrated every year. Outside the city and up in the hills there used to be a restaurant serving fresh meat of the bulls killed in the corridas. The place had a thatched roof and the interior and the ceiling of the house was full of vines. A big log fire was burning and over it were hung large slabs of meat. We barely sat down on low round tables than small tumblers (jaras) of wine were placed, together with fresh warm bread and olives. Small cups of onion soup were served and it broke the ice and you felt welcomed. Then you ordered the size and the side of meat you wanted and it was cut from the slabs and thrown on the sizzling fire. I have never forgotten the food we used to eat there. Some times I went there in winter and the first thing I would do was to meet my friends, have a Tinto or a Pintado ( red wine or red & white mixed) in a bar in the city, have a few tapas and then go to this restaurant. In the evenings it was nice to sit in its warm and cozy atmosphere, a roaring fire in front, drinking Vino de Navarra and eating fresh bread with olives and savor the smell of grilling meat and getting hungry until the food was placed on the table.

Pamplona is famous for its cheese & ham and fish croquates and ice cream and if you ever head towards Navarra, do visit Pamplona. It is a treat of a place.

Grilled Pork Spare Ribs

Now that I have written about the ingredients which I use for grilling meat dishes, I will write about oven grilled pork spare ribs. This is a favorite dish for us all and I am sure you also like it. It is easy to make and with the right ingredients it will taste good. For one kilo of spare ribs (trimmed of all fat) take:

4 tbl spoonful Tandoori Paste
1 tbl spoonful coriander powder
1 tbl spoonful cumin powder
1 teaspoonful ginger powder
2 teaspoonful mixture of cardamom seeds,cloves and cinnamon
1 teaspoonful thyme or oregano
2 cups plain yoghurt
1 cube beef stock dissolved in 1/2cup warm water
1 teaspoon black powder
Salt to taste

Marinate spare ribs in the above ingredients for at least one hour. Preheat oven at mark 250 and in an aluminum foil covered oven tray, pour in the ribs and marinade. Grill the ribs at gas mark 180 for 30 minutes., turning over once. The ribs will be ready, richly browned all over. Serve with baked or boiled potatoes, green beans or mixed vegetables and green salad. A light red wine will do nicely.

What is in my kitchen cupboard

If you enjoy cooking for yourself or your family and friends, the ingrediens for different dishes are important. These give flavour, colour, aroma and taste which you like.There are some herbs which I use for all dishes, beef, lamb, poultry, pork, vegetables. Then there are herbs which I use in winter dishes for making them warm in taste. So I will first list here the names of herbs which will go with every dish:-
Dried Herbs (Pounded,grinded or whole)

Coriander powder- Beef,lamb,pork,poultry,fish,vegetables
Cumin powder- Beef,lamb,pork,poultry,fish,vegetables
Basil - Beef,lamb,weal,poultry
Marjoram - Beef,weal
Thyme - Beef,lamb,pork,weal,fish,shellfish
Oregano - Beef,lamb,pork,weal,pizza,pasta,fish,carrots
Anise (seeds) - Pork,poultry
Tarragon - Beef,pork,fish
Rosemary - Beef,lamb,pork,poultry,game
Cinnamon - Beef,lamb,pork,poultry,game,fried pillaf rice,briani
Cloves - Beef,lamb,pork,poultry,game,fried pillaf rice,briani,vegetables,
cabbage,sweet pickels
Cardamom - Beef,lamb,pork,poultry,game,vegetables,sweet pickles.
Bay leaves - Beef,lamb,pork,poultry,cabbage,spinash
Black Pepper - For use in all vegetables and meat dishes
Ginger Powder - Beef,lamb,pork,poultry and game
Mustard seeds - Fish (I use these seeds when I prepare a light sauce for fish)
Tandoori Powder - For grilling beef,lamb,pork,poultry and game and fish

Apart from coriander and cumin seeds, I have also a mixture grinded cloves,cinnaman stick and cardamom seeds which I use in marinade for grilled beef,lamb,pork,game and poultry dishes. This mixture is very aramtic. I use it in mince meat to make meatballs,kebabs and koffte.

Fresh Ginger - For all dishes. Fresh ginger has effect of warmth, I use it liberally in food, sweet and other pickles
fresh Garlic - Use for all dishes.

CousCous with Lamb Curry & Vegetables

From Morroco with Love.


CousCous is a traditional North African dish made from Durum (hard) wheat Semolina and prepared with meat, lamb or chicken curry and vegetables. This is a delicious dish if prepared properly, not the packet variety which you soak in boiling water for five minutes. The wheat is pounded into granules and soaked in water for a few hours and then dried, sifting the grain through your fingers until it is smooth. I first tasted CousCous in Tangier in the mid sixties and used to eat it whenever I visited Morocco. But the best CousCous I ever had was in Casablanca, prepared by an stranger who held me captive for two days.

It was the autumn of 1964 and I went to Casa blanca on a periodical visit. I arrived there early in the morning and having checked in a hotel, shaved and showered and changed into fresh clothes, and came down and stood at the front entrance of the hotel. It was early and I was contempleting whether to go to the people I had come to visit or have some breakfast and strong moroccan coffee first. I had barely stood for five minutes there when a woman in a long kaftan, its hood covering her head, her face covered with an scarf and only her eyes visible, approached me. She came to me purposefully, stopped in front of me and gestured with her hand that I follow her. She was of medium height, slim looking through her kaftan and there was an animal agility about her. A woman covered from head to feet or shrouded in burka, is no strange sight in Morocco, however I was taken-a-back a little but without hesitation followed her. She walked briskly and I followed her at a little distance.

In ten minutes we had plunged in the depth of Casa blanca's drab, dirty, broken down alleyways, the din of daily life drowning the softness of the morning. In my mind ran the thought that I may be taken to some place and robbed or even killed. This had happened to me on a previous visit when I had hired a taxi one evening to go to the beach. It was late in the evening and there were few people, some women with small children playing in the sand. The driver stopped his taxi at some distance, I got out and he took out a knife and asked me to hand over all the money I had. I panicked and gave him all I had but told him not to leave me there alone. I told him the name of the person whom I had come to visit and gave him the address. Now it was his time to panick when he heard the name of the person. He pushed the money in my hand, shoved me in the back of the taxi and driving as if the Devil was on his tail, dropped me a few metres from the place I had told him. When I told my host about the incident, he nodded his head and cautioned me not to go anywhere without first telling him about my destination.

Now the woman leading the way entered a narrow alley, children and dogs lolling in the dirt, a man repairing bicycles in the middle of the street. Abruptly she stopped in front of a small door, opened it with a push and beckoned me to follow. I did and found myself in a huge hall, in the middle were water taps where women were filling water jugs, washing clothes and a few men lounging and smoking. It crossed my mind that this was a Zennana, women's quarters, but before I could react to my surroundings, my guide was climbing the stairs and when I reached her, she opened a door and entered. I followed her. Then she locked the door. She stood there before me and extended her hand. I understood the gesture and gaver her a 1000 Pesetas Note (Spanish money), a large sum at that time. She took the money and left, closing the door behind her. Not a single word had passed between us. I edged towards the door and found that it was locked from the outside. My heart missed several beats.

After what seemed a long while, the lady of the house entered the room, closed and locked the door. In her hand was a large basket full of groceries. She had also brought a 1/4 bottle of White Label whisky, soda water and three bottles of cold beer. Now her head was not covered and her hair was thick and the colour of dark chestnut. Then she took off her scarf and I was pleased to see that she was very good looking, on her cheeks were tattooed small dots. She took off her kaftan, unzipping it all the way down and emerged in a knee length embroidered shirt. She was a slim young woman, about seventeen, with thick eyebrows. She came to me, touching my body with hers, and gave me a very passionate kiss on my lips. Still no word was spoken.

What followed was a flood of erotic passion, sweating bodies entwined and crushing into each other.The day passed in a whirlwind of love making, I sitting on the cot drinking cold beer, whisky & soda and she bustling about in the small room. She went out, brought a bucket of fresh water and bathed me. Then she showered and sitting naked on the floor, started cooking. It was CousCous with lamb curry and vegetables. And it was delicious, I had never tasted such tasty food anywhere in Morocco. The door was locked again and no word passed between us.

I stayed the night with her and next morning when I woke up, she had already brought fresh bread and butter, Nan and olives and had brewed strong and sweet tea. To my surprise, she was singing Indian movie songs. Indian songs are very popular in Morocco. Afterwards we made love and took a nap. Late in the evening,when I indicated to her my wish to leave, she clung to me and would not let me go. So I stayed there the second night too, eating grilled goat meat with rice and nan, chickpeas and harissa (hot chilli paste). In the morning, after two nights's stay, I got ready and followed her all the way to the hotel. Without stopping or saying goodbye, she indicated the hotel and walked on, without looking back. Although I stayed in the same hotel many times and stood near the entrance door expectantly, nobody in a kaftan with head and face covered, ever approached me.

To prepare CousCous:
In a bowl put 300gms semolina, cover with cold water and leave for 20 minutes.

In a deep pot with steamer (a seive will do) heat olive oil and pour in :
2 large onions, peeled and coarsly chopped
1 large tomatoe, chopped
4 teeth of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 piece (3cm) ginger, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon thyme
1 green chilli
100gms Chickpeas (soaked over night in water. You can use canned or bottled ones too).
1/2 teaspoon saffron powder or some whole saffron twigs. OR 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder.
1 teaspoon each Cumin seeds, Corriander seeds, 4 pods Cardaman seeds, Black Pepper and salt to taste (all the spices could be used whole or pounded or grinded).

Fry the contents for 2 minutes and add lamb, trimmed of any fat and cut into cubes and fry for another 2 minutes. Add little water to mix the ingredients and then pour in 2 cups of more water, enough to cover the contents and some more. The idea is to make a thick curry but not too watery. Bring it to boil and simmer on very low heat.
Drain semolina and put it in the steamer and let it steam over the pot.
In the meantime,
peel and cut into cuarters 2 medium size potatoes
1 large turnip (also peeled and cut)
1 large zuccini (cut into large cubes)
1 medium aubergine (eggplant)
100gms fresh green beans
3 medium size carrots
100gms Okra

After 10 minutes cooking, take off the steamer and rub semolina with your fingers, smoothing the grains with little cold water. Add salt to taste and some olive oil. Put the steamer over the pot again and let semolina absorb the juices steaming under it. Repeat this process two-three times. The lamb will take 20 minutes to cook, so add all the vegetables in the pot after 20 minutes and simmer for 10 minutes more. Mix well the contents of the pot before serving.

CousCous is traditionally served on a large plate and meat and vegetables poured over it and eaten with fingers or with an spoon. Cold beer or red wine will go nicely with this tasty dish. You can serve Nan or Pitta bread, olives, humus, harrisa (red chilli paste) and you will have a feast.

If you would like to make CousCoous with vegetables only, prepare the vegetables with onions and a tomatoe and steam the semolina the same way. The choice is yours.

Pig's Trotters in white wine sauce

The winter in Germany is mild, there is no snow, temperatures vary between 04ºC and 15ºC. But it rains all the time and one does not feel like stepping out of the house. So today I am writing about a recipe which once agin is easy to make and can be varied with different ingredients. It is Pig's trotters.
Pig's Trotters in white wine sauce
Take 2 trotters, dice them in hot water for a few minutes.
One medium size onion. Chopped in small pieces
One medium size tomatoe. Peel off skin and cut in small pieces
Oregano or Thyme leaves(1/2 tea spoon)
Two teeth fresh garlic. Chopped fine or whole with skin (as you like)
small piece of fresh ginger. Chopped fine
One cup white wine
Crushed black pepper corns
One cube of beef stock

Have a sip of your favourite wine and prepare the ingredients. Heat olive oil in a pot and fry onion for two minutes. Add tomatoe, ginger and garlic and herbs and fry for another two minutes until the tomatoes are soft and blended well. Add pig's trotters and cook for five minutes, turning them slowly, then pour in the wine and simmer for half an hour on low heat. Turn well all the contents of the pot so the sauce thickens and check seasoning. You can add salt if you like, otherwise the beef cube will be all right for taste.

Pig's trotters with chickpeas
I have always enjoyed chickpeas, fried, boiled with salt & pepper and lime juice, cooked with onions and ginger and garlic and spices, with tamarind, pork tripe. To prepare pig's trotters with chickpeas, simply cook chickpease together with above ingredients. Chickpeas can be soaked overnight in water or you can use tinned or bottled peas, which are ready for the pot.
A piece of Corizo or Morcilla (blood sausage) will further enhance the taste.

Pepper Steak with fresh vegetables

For ten days or so I have not posted any recipes, the truth is, this cold weather is bringing me down and I do not feel like writing or even eating proper food. My son Alexander eats salads, lentil soup and fresh fruit. My wife does the same, she does not touch fresh bread or margarine but eats toast or toasted bread with thinly sliced fresh tomatoes, and with Spanish Extra Virgin Olive oil spread over it. And fresh fruit. So today I am writing about some thing succulent which is easy to make. One good thing about writing food recipes is that you do not get any extra calories and keep your weight down.

As I said, Pepper steak is easy to make, it is tasty and can be accompanied with boiled, baked or mashed potatoes, steamed green peas and thinly sliced carrots etc. So take :

2 beef steaks (200 gms each)
2 teeth of fresh garlic (optional)
1 tbl spoon freshly crushed black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Rosemary leaves
Fresh Cream for cooking
Salt to taste
Fresh mushrooms (if you like)

Prepare a marinade of olive oil, mix in rosemary leaves, thinly chopped garlic, half tbl spoon black pepper and salt. Flaten the steaks a little with the flat side of a knife, press in the ingredients and leave for 30 minutes. Then heat a heavy bottomed frying pan, put one tbl spoon butter or margarine and add steaks with marinade. (The idea of frying meat in butter is because the meat browns easily). Almost always I use olive oil for frying since I use the oil from marinade. Fry the steaks on high heat for five minutes to seal the juices and cook according to your taste.
Sprinkle the remaining black pepper over the steaks and cream.
Add sliced mushrooms for a few minutes.
Add little milk and fresh cream and let it thicken for a few minutes.
If you like a la flambe, sprinkle some cogñac or brandy over the steaks and set is alight it with a match stick. Serve it with fresh vegetables or potatoes to your taste.

Aubergine (Eggplant) for all seasons

I love the dark, purple, slim necked and pot-bellied vegetable with the green collar and harleqeen tail on top. I have eaten aubergeen in India, in Turkey and in Spain. I have eaten it cooked with onions, eaten fried and fried in batter, have had it with zucini. Pickled eggplant is delicious. l write about a few ways you can prepare and enjoy this dish.



1. Oven grilled aubergine

This is very simple. Cut off the green leaves at the top, wrap the eggplant in aluminium paper, put it in the pre-heated oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Take it out when tender, cut it into four lengthwide sections, sprinkle salt&black pepper, finely chopped fresh garlic and pour generously extra virgin olive oil on top. You can have it with pitta or ciabata bread, hummus, olives, fresh cheese.



2. Aubergine with gaberdine

Cut the eggplant into round slices (1/2centimetre) and sprinkle with salt and pour beer over the vegetble. Leave it for 15-20 minutes.



Prepare batter with cornflour, add a pinch of cumin seeds.

( I have made batter with wheat flour which makes the vegetables soggy and heavy with oil, with corn flour is much better. However, the best batter is made with Chickpeas flour(Gram flour) which can be obtained at an Indian grocery store. This flour is much smooth and when fried in hot oil, comes out dry and crispy, with vegetable tender inside.



Pat dry the eggplant slices with paper towel, dip in the batter and fry them in oil until golden brown. Eat them on their own, with tomatoe ketchup or curry dip.



3. Aubergine with onions and fresh garlic

Cut the eggplant in two centimetre pieces, sprinkle with salt and leave for ten minutes.
Peel one large onion and chop.
Peel and chop three teeth of garlic
Cut into small pieces one large tomatoe
One green chilli, cut into small pieces
Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat oil in pot, fry onions and garlic for two minutes, add remaining ingredients and fry for two more minutes, lower the heat and pour in the eggplant pieces. Cover the pot and cook for fifteen minutes

4. Aubergine with Zuccini

Put an eggplant and a zuccini in aluminium paper and bake in pre-heated over for 15 minutes. Or you can cut them in slices and steam them for ten minutes

Heat olive oil in a pan and fry one small peeled and chopped onion and some garlic for one minute. Peel off the skin of aubergine and zuccini and dd them to the pan, slowly mashing them and mixing with onions and garlic and fry for five minutes. Add salt and coarse black pepper.

Meat Balls with Spaghetti - A la Siciliana

The weather continues cold and windy. Although the temperature rose to 9°C, it was down to 5°C before 12 noon. One German minister complained that politicians make less money than football players. The government is putting up billboards and publicity spots for making parents children friendly, so that birth rate in the country may rise. Hilary Clinton won New Hampshire primaries. A woman's tears could move mountains.

The wind is howling outside, my wife has opened all the windows in the house and the balcony door is open. She says that with heating on all the time, the flowers are wilting and the house has to be aired. So I am thinking of preparing a dish which is both light and satisfying. And have decided to make meatballs with spaghetti. This is one of my favorite dishes and once when I went to Italy, some friends invited me to dinner and prepared meat balls, fried green peppers, fried aubergeen(eggplant), olives and fresh goat cheese. The food was fantastic. We had rough sicilian red wine with little water mixed with it.

For the meatballs:
500 gms. minced pork or beef or lamb
One medium onion ( finely peeled & chopped)
Two teeth of Garlic-finely chopped
Ginger-Peeled and finely chopped
Fresh herbs (corriander, mint or oregano)
One teaspoon grinded cardaman,cloves and cinnaman
Salt & Black Pepper to taste
One egg
Dry Bread Crumbs (3 tablespoons)
Mix all the ingredients and shape into golf ball size meatballs

For the pot
Two large onions -peeled and chopped
Six teeth off Garlic -chopped
Ginger (abt. 3cmts)-chopped
2-3 bay leaves
One small tin of tomatoe puree
One cup red wine (I put 1/2 bottle wine in the pot)
Two beef cubes
One green chilli (or 2-3 dried red chillies)
Grinded cumin seeds.
Salt to taste
One twig Rosemary

Heat olive oil in a pot and fry onions for two minutes, add ginger and garlic and fry for two more minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and meatballs. Cook on low heat(gas mak 3) for 30 minutes. The meatballs will be ready, soft and juicy. With a laddle, mix the contents slowly so that the gravy gets thick. Garnish the food with fresh herbs and serve with spaghetti or macaroni.
The meat balls can also be stuffed with soft cheese, mozarella or fetta cheese.
Sicilian, Spanish and French red wine will do nicely with this dish. Enjoy it. Have a nice day.

Food for thought- Chicken Broth

On saturday morning I got up late, the weather refuses to get better, in the last ten days or so we have had the sun just for a day, that also for a few hours. It isn't fair. The news around the world is not better either. After the shock of the assassination of Benizir Bhuto, violence erupted in Kenya and the post election plight of its people continues. Only a few years ago, the european union gave Kenya 300 million euros to fight corruption in the country. What a daft thing to do.

In the U.S. Barak Obama has won the primery in Iowa and snickers are having a field day. I was listening to George Galloway on Radio Talk sport.net and to the comments of some of the listeners. Some were saying he will be killed before the general elections next year, others say he will be assassinated after he is elected. If elected at all, that is. Others are of the opinion that his rivals will play the race card to stop him in his tracks.

Here in Germany the gasoline prices have risen again. Inflation is at its highest in last fifteen years. In U.K. the gas and electricity prices have gone up. Instead of bright sunshine, the continent is submerged in high inflation, rising prices, fear of recession. So I am listening to Hawaian singer Israel Kamakawiwo'ole singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and sipping Hennessy cogñac to assure me that all is not gloom and doom. Two paintings top right are oil on canvas, painting is my other hobby.

So saturday morning I reluctantly got up and helped my wife, who was cleaning the house. This Christmas we have had two christmas trees, me and my wife went to buy one and when we came home, our son had also brought another tree and had already decorated it. We are keeping the one we bought, as it has roots and will keep for the next christmas. So I cleaned the kitchen, washed the dishes, took out the garbage and went and deposited the empty bottles in the muncipal containers. Then I went for a walk in the park behind our house. Usually I give four rounds, each lasting ten minutes. But I had finished two rounds and was starting the third when it started to rain, so I quit and went and played the Lotto (4m jackpot). I could do with some ready cash.

For two days now we have had light food. On last friday I made chicken soup, chicken broth really, which we had for two days. This broth is good for cold days and is easy to make. And you can have it for two days (for four persons).

2 1/2 litres water in a deep pot

One leg of chicken(trimmed of fat)

One bone or one rib of beef

One whole tomatoe

One large onion or three small ones(whole or chopped fine)

2 bay leaves

2 cubes (1 chicken 1 beef)

1 green chilli

1 teaspoon full mixture of cardamans, cloves & cinaman stick

1 teaspoon each grinded corriandar and cumin seeds.

4 teeth peeled & chopped garlic

fresh ginger (about 2 centimeters length).

fresh leek(chopped)

Put all the ingredients in the pot, simmer on low fire, scoop off the foam which rises from the beef. Peel of the tomatoe skin and mash it. Take out the leg of chicken when soft and cut into small pieces. Let the broth simmer for 15 minutes, take out the bone or rib and cut the meat in small pieces and together with chicken pieces, put back in the pot.

Any vegetables can be added to the broth. Carrots, celery, cabbage (thinly chopped), bean sprouts, young corn, pork balls, chinese rice noodles, boiled chickpeas. The choice is yours.

New Year & Food- Meat with Spinash

The night of 31st December 2007 was covered with dense fog, so thick that the hands could not see the mouth (not because they don't have no eyes) and driving the car was very dangerous as the visibility was reduced to a few meters. Both in Germany and Holland many motorways were closed because of accidents and many people were saying that they don't remember seeing such dense fog before. How they could see the fog in zero visibility, beats me.

However, today the morning was decked out with a brilliant sunshine, the frozen fields and trees looked almost shiny with frost covering them and birds were out in abundance, looking for chow. Outside our balcony are two tall fir trees, one on the right hand side was almost shaking with the chirpping of birds. My wife who sits and smokes on the balcony, said that she saw many tiny blue feathered birds yesterday (I reckon they were celebrating the New Year). We have pigeans in these trees throughout the year and hear their cooing and gurgling all the time. If I were a meteologist, I would always forcast sunny weather, the temperature this morning is -3c. OOh!

So naturally the thoughts turn to food, if you have your family around you or some friends will drop in later, it is nice to have some food prepared. Everybody sitting in cozy comfort, watching the tele or listening to Mozart or Verdi and sipping winter wine is perfect. Just writing about it makes me mellow.

In winter you tend to prepare more meat or chicken dishes as fresh vegetables may not be available. So I will, for the few coming days, write about preparing dishes with vegetables or veges as side dishes. Today I will write about preparing either lamb, beef or pork or chicken with spinash. This is my all time favourite and my family and even my in-laws like it. It is easy to make and tastes super. What is more, you do not have to stand long cooking it and don't have to prepare a side dish either. More time with the family.

half a kilo of lamb or meat (cleaned of fat and cubed)

two large onions, peeled and chopped

ginger (peeled and chopped)

garlic (peeled and chopped)

two bay leaves

one large fresh tomatoe (chopped)

two tea spoons full of grinded corriandar and cumin seeds, cardamans, cloves and cinaman and one tea spoonful of turmeric powder.

One cup red or white wine

300gs spinash, washed, rinsed and chopped

two meat cubes

olive oil or sunflower oil for cooking

green chilies, black pepper or red chillies to taste

Have a sip of the wine, heat oil in a medium size pot and fry onions and meat for two minutes and pour in all remaining ingrediants to the pot and cook for thirty minutes on low fire (electric gas mark 3). Afterwards, with a laddle, mix the contents very well and you will have the meat and spinash in a thick aromatic gravy. You can add potatoes to the pot if you like.

You can have plain boiled rice or pitta bread or nan with this dish. Red, Rose or white wine go well with this food, so does a chilled bottle of beer. Enjoy your food.

I took up painting in year 2006 and the picture on top left is one of the first ones I painted. It reminds me of Spanish south coast, places from Malaga to Cadiz provinces.

Festive Season and Food-Roasted Pork

The weather during the past ten days has been biting cold , it snowed for two days (thank Heavens) and then stopped, although the snow stayed atop trees and the fields were covered with a white blanket, since the temperature remained below -04C. My wife and me came back from Malaysia and Thailand after a three week holiday in November and the cold just does not agree with our old bones. We yearn for the 40C heat and the blue skies, the brilliant light and shimmering seas. And the food! What delicious food. But C'est la Vie.


As a rule we do not eat sumptous food during Christmas and the New Year. This year our younger son went on a four month backpacking tour of India, Malaysia, Indonsia and singapore and lost twenty kilos weight. During his four month trip, from ninety kilos he came down to seventy kilos and has stopped eating meat and fatty foods.


However, on the 24th December, we oven grilled a loin of pork meat (which is called roti in Germany) stuffed with coliflower, onions, ginger and mushrooms. This was accompanied by cooked red cabbage, boiled black potatoes and mojo picon. This is made by shredded green herbs submerged in extra virgin olive oil, wine vinegar, lot of very finely chopped fresh garlic, salt and hot chilli powder. Mojo Picon is ideal for grilled and boiled potatoes, fish and pork chops etc. For dessert we had Vanilla pudding with fresh cream. We opened a bottle of red wine from Valencia (Spain) and a bottle of Lambrusco white wine from Italy. My wife and son do not drink alcohol, so they had a few sips and I finished the white wine in two days and then had red wine too.


This morning for bidding farewell to the year 2007 we are fixing honey pork spare ribs with baked potatoes and garlic bread. Very simple.



To prepare honeyed Pork SpareRibs I use a seasoning of cumin and corriendar powder, tandoori masala, mixture of grinded cardamans, cloves and canella and marinate the ribs for two hours and then grill in the oven at gas mark 200 for foty minutes or until the meat it tender. When the meat is nearly done, spray the ribs with a mixture of honey and little vinegar with a bristle baking brush and leave it (the ribs and not the brush) in the oven for further ten minutes. With this delicious food, I will open a bottle French red wine wine from Bordeaux, a Medac 2006 from Chateau Pessange.




The photo at the top left is of the market a few hundred metres from China Town in Kuala Lumpur. We had delicious coffee there. The market is full of shops and stalls selling clothes, antiques, perfume, hand carvings and much more. Worth a visit when in KL


Wishing you all a Very Happy New Year, Peace & Harmony and Lots of Travel & Adventure.

Human Rights. Does anybody care?

Australia's new government will issue a formal apology to Aborigines for the abuses they suffered in the past, prime minister-elect Kevin Rudd has promised.
Mr Rudd, whose Labor Party swept to power in an election on Saturday, said the apology would come early in his first parliamentary term (BBC News).
Mr. John Howard, the defeated PM refused to offer a full apology to the Aborigines, saying the current generation should not feel guilty about mistakes from the past. What arrogance and hypocracy.
The Indigenous Australians have been the victims of the white population for nearly a hundred years. Will the mutilation of their culture, uprooting of their children and handing over to white families under the Australian government’s so called “assimilation” policies for nearly sixty years, can be remedied by an apology from the current PM?
The US government has never apologized to the Pueblo Indians for taking away their lands, destroying their heritage and their culture, denying them the right to own their own lands.
Without looking much back,the present US government has not apologized to Iraqis for invading their country and killing over a million Iraqis. The British government has also refused to apologise to Iraqis.British govt has not apologised to the inhabitants of Chagos Islands who were duped, deceived and uprooted from their motherland and dumped on Mauritius Islands. Chago islands and Diego Garcia were under british yoke and were secretly handed over to US government with a promise to get rid of its inhabitants.
No past or present British government has ever apologised or expressed regret or remorse over its role in African slave trade .
No French governments ever apolgised for slavery by their country men on their plantations in the Carribean and south pacific islands. No Belgian governments ever apolgised for their atrocities and human rights abuses in Congo.

The Spanish conquistadores destroyed ancient civilizations in South America, plundered and annihilated, debaced and destroyed entire populations. The european nations wiped out entire populations in the South Seas islands. By introducing alcohol, guns, christian religian, diseases, they wiped out generations of islanders. The list is interminable.
What is in an apology from an incumbent politician of a country? If I were to step on the toe of a person, drop hot coffee on his jacket, then I would apologise. But countries and their respective governments who systematically plundered, destroyed, annihilated other countries and their populations, should be held responsible. They should be forced, through international courts of justice, to pay csompensation to the descendants of all those people whose ancesters were made salves, their civilizations destroyed, killed outright and whose human rights were ystematically abused.