BASQUE- Dinner is Ready- I wish you could smell the aroma coming out of this kitchen! Plus 5 Fun Facts!

 
 

 

Our time in Basque country has come to an end! I must say this was my favorite meal so far. It was raining outside today and that made for a perfect time to cook up these rustic savory Basque classics! The seafood stew was so tasty! The shellfish were so delicate and sweet. The paprika and chicken stock were savory and delightful.

 

Our Chicken Chorizo with Sherry Wine and Red Peppers was spicy, savory, and hearty. The Red Peppers gave it a bright and fresh taste. We loved breaking apart our bread and soaking up  the delicious sauce!We loved our time in Basque Country, we hope you did as well!!!

5 Fun Facts about the Basques

1. Euskaldunak is a term used to describe all true Basque people
2. Euskara, the Basque language, is an isolated language, unlike any other in existence. There are countless theories on how this is possible but no one knows for sure. 
3. The capital of Basque country is Vitoria
4. If you hear a Basque man say, ""Maite zaitut," it means "I love you."
5. A person who is born in Basque country is automatically considered a Basque. Anyone not born, is not considered a true Basque. It is possible for a Japanese person to be considered Basque if they speak the language.

BASQUE- Menu is Set!- Paella Basque Style with Shrimp, Clams, Mussels, and Rice and Rustic Chicken Chorizo with Sherry Wine and Red Peppers

Are you ready for a wonderful Seafood Dish that is out of this world and only takes about 35 minutes?!  This week we are cooking a Basque Seafood dish that is quite simple yet delicious. It is a Shellfish and Rice dish that has a lot of inspiration from traditional Spanish paella, but not as fancy, more rustic. There is nothing I enjoy more on a cold rainy day than a hot bowl of fish stew! It is pure comfort food at its finest!

 Ingredients we will need for our Shellfish and Rice:

2 lbs mixed clams and mussels(shell on)
1/2 lb(25-30 size) shrimp, shells removed
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup rice
2 cups chicken stock
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:

Heat a deep stove-top covered casserole and add the oil, garlic, and onion. Sauté over medium heat for a few minutes and add the parsley, basil, and paprika. Sauté for five minutes and add rice. Stir and cook for a moment. Add Chicken Stock, bring to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer. Add the salt and pepper, cover the casserole, and cook for 20 minutes on low heat.
Stir in shellfish, cover, and cook 5 minutes more or until clams and mussels open. Enjoy!!

Recipe Courtesy of Jeff Smith. The Frugal Gourmet On our Immigrant Ancestors-Recipes you should have gotten from your grandmother.

We are also going to cook a Rustic Chicken Chorizo Sautee Dish with Sherry Wine and Red Peppers. This dish sounds too delicious to resist!

1. 4 ounces dry chorizo, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3. 6 whole chicken legs, split (3 1/2 pounds)
4. Salt and freshly ground pepper
5. 2 medium red bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
6. 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
7. 6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
8. 2 large thyme sprigs
9. 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or 1/4 cup of tomato sauce
10. 3/4 cup dry sherry
11. 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
12. 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
13. 2 tablespoons shredded basil
14. Crusty French bread, for serving

1. Heat a very large, deep skillet. Add the chorizo and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until lightly browned and some of the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a large plate.
2. Heat the olive oil in the skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until well browned, 15 minutes. Add the chicken to the chorizo.
3. Add the bell peppers, red onions, garlic and thyme to the skillet and cook over moderate heat until barely softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sherry, paprika and crushed red pepper and cook for 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits from the pan.
4. Return the chicken and chorizo to the skillet. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat, turning occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Raise the heat to moderate and cook uncovered until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a deep platter. Stir the basil into the sauce and spoon over the chicken. Serve with crusty bread.

BASQUE-Santa Águeda - A Traditional Basque Folk Song

BASQUE Culture

 

 The background and origins of the Basque people are hidden in history, so it is very hard to describe them. They come from the beautiful Pyrenees Mountains of southwestern France and Northern Spain. The border between Spain and France runs right through the center of the Basque region, so while all Basques identify primarily with their unique culture, some are French and some are Spanish. The Basques are a very old culture, thought to be one of the original European cultures. While they were a nation at one time, they are a nation no more. They do not even have a homeland of their own. Their land is very hilly which has allowed them to be very isolated from the rest of Europe.  The people are unique in that they have lived in this region since about 200 B.C. They speak a language completely unique to themselves called Euskara. Euskara has no relationship whatsoever to any language on the European continent.

The Basque people have a very interesting story of their origin. They claim that a grandson of Noah, Tubal, came to Europe before the tower of Babel was built. He brought with them the original language spoken by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The Basques still speak it to this day. Basques have a fierce Ethnic pride and are known to be ferocious in battle. Legend has it that when Napoleon’s soldiers invaded Spain in the early 1800’s they shuttered when they heard the battle cry of the Basques, “Irrinzi!” and would cower and run.

The first Basque Immigrants to American came in the 1400’s as sailors. The largest ethnic contingent of sailors on Columbus’ ship is thought to be Basque.  Basques settled in cattle raising areas in Idaho and Nevada. Most Basque meals are served family style and most meals consisted of many courses of soup, rice, beans, cod, and innards. Some famous Bascos you might know of are St. Ignatius of Loyola (Saint and founder of the Jesuit Order), Leopold Eyharts (astronaut), and Xabi Alonso (soccer player).

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/55335/Basque

Sources: http://geography.about.com/od/spainmaps/a/Basque-Country.htm,

ARMENIA-Dinner is Ready! Plus 5 Fun Facts

The girls and I loved our Armenian Dinner! The Manti Dumpling Soup was wonderful! The chicken and tomato broth was hearty yet light, and the manti(Lamb Dumplings) were crispy on their own and soft and delicious when added to the soup. We ate ours traditionally with a dollop of Greek Yogurt on top. So good! It reminded me of my Sicilian Grandma Dina's Meatball Soup. So nourishing to the soul. Our Lamb stew was tangy and rich. It went very well with the Knot Rolls. We had so much fun  rolling out the dough and twisting them into knots. Surprisingly they liked the sesame seeds and orange flavor in the rolls as well. We hope you enjoyed your time in Armenia, we certainly did!

 

 

We have had a lot of fun learning about the rich history of Armenia. Here are some of our favorite facts:

1.  Armenia is home to the world's oldest National Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, which was established in 301 AD.

2. Armenia's literacy rate of 100% was reported as early as 1960.

3. Armenians have their own unique alphabet invented by Mesrop Mashtots in 405 AD.

4. Armenia is often referred to as an open air museum. Tourists find over 4,000 historical monuments throughout Armenia, covering various periods of the country's history from prehistoric to Hellenistic times, and from the early to medieval Christian era.

5. A wide array of sports are played in Armenia, the most popular among them being wrestling, weightlifting, judo, association football, chess, and boxing

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenia, http://www.armeniainfo.am/about/?section=culture

ARMENIA- Menu is set! Armenian Lamb Dumpling Soup(Manti), Lamb Stew(Tass Kebab) and Aremian Knot Rolls(Choereg)

I cannot wait to try this delicious recipe! I found this while reading Jeff Smith's wonderful Cookbook, The Frugal Gourmet On our Immigrant Ancestors. I love this book because it is a compilation of authentic recipes brought to America from immigrants from over 35 countries. The menu for this week is Armenian Lamb Stew accompanied by Authentic Armenian Knot Rolls. Recipes given by The Keogian Family and the Ampangoomian Family.

Armenian Lamb Dumpling Soup(Manti Soup)

1/2 lb Ground lamb
32 oz Chicken Broth
1 package of Wonton Wrappers(16)
4 oz Greek Yogurt
1 cup Tomato Sauce
1/2 Cup Fresh Parsley
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix Lamb with parsley, salt, and pepper.

Spread out some waxed paper on a counter or table to protect the surface. Keep the wonton wraps under a damp towel to prevent them from drying out.

 

Dip your fingers in the bowl of water, wet the outer edge of each square of dough and bring up the sides, pinch together while pushing down toward the table to create  little boats. Place each manti onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Continue until you’ve used all of the meat mixture.

Bake the manti on the center rack in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until crispy, golden and crunchy.

While the manti are baking, bring the chicken stock to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Add 3 T. tomato sauce and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and a bit of pepper if needed.

Once the manti have baked, you can immediately throw them in to the pot of broth.

Serve in bowls topped off with a healthy dollop of the yogurt. 

Armenian Lamb Stew(Tass Kebab)

2 lbs. boneless lean leg of lamb, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 cup tomato paste diluted with 1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons dry white wine

Heat a Large frying pan and add the lamb and butter. Brown the meat and place it in a 6-Quart stove-top casserole, leaving the fat in the pan. Sauté the onions in the fat and add to the pot, along with the remaining ingredients except the wine. Cover and simmer 45 minutes or until all is tender. Add the wine, cover, and simmer 15 minutes more. Serve over rice.

Armenian Knot Rolls(Choereg)

1 cup Milk
1/2 pound butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground mahleb(fennel seed as substitute)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup orange juice
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup warm water
1 package quick rising yeast
4 cups all purpose flower
Place warm water in the bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer. Add the yeast. Stir to dissolve.
In a small saucepan, combine the milk, butter, sugar, mahleb, salt, baking powder, and orange juice. Heat and stir to melt the butter and dissolve the sugar and salt. Cool to tepid, barely warm. Stir in beaten eggs, add to mixture.
Add 2 cups flower to the yeast mixture. Beat 5-10 minutes or until a soft sponge is formed and the dough begins to pull away from sides of bowl. This can be done by hand with a wooden spoon.
Using the dough hook on electric machine or by hand add the remaining 2 cups of flower and knead to make a smooth dough. Knead for about 10 minutes with mixer or 20 minutes by hand.
Place on the counter under a large stainless steel bowl. Allow to double in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down and form rolls.
Pinch off a piece of dough the size of a golf ball. Roll into a snake 11 inches long. Tie a know and then bring up the ends through the center of the knot. Continue with the rest of the dough until you have 24 knots. Place the knots 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Allow to double(about 1 hour). Brush with the egg wash. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

ARMENIA- Wedding Customs and Cultural Traditions

It is customary that every single female present at an Armenian wedding arrive at the bride's parents  home during the dressing process and write their name on the bottom of the bride's shoe for good luck. As each female gets married, the bride crosses off the girl's name from her shoes.

Armenians are also very superstitious when it comes to the "evil eye". They wear a charm called a Atchka Ooloonk . Armenian brides wear this blue charm on their special day as their something blue.
The groom, his family members and guests all gather at the groom's parents house on the day of the wedding. A Sazander, which is a traditional Armenian band is present at the groom's house. The Sazander band begins to play once the best man arrives at the groom's house. The groom's family leaves the house and heads to the bride's parent's house.

 For Armenians the pomegranate is one of the most recognizable symbols of the country.  In Armenian mythology it symbolizes fertility and good fortune. It was a guardian against the evil eye. At weddings in Western Armenia, a bride would throw a pomegranate and break it into pieces. Its scattered seeds ensured that the bride would bear children. In Van, Armenian women who wanted to have a son would eat bread made from dough mixed with pomegranate seeds.

Sources: http://peopleofar.wordpress.com/welcome-to-people-of-ar/, http://www.harsanik.com/articles/tips-%26-guides/armenian-wedding-traditions-%11-intro/.