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Mex-Indian kitchen adventures

May 11, 2011 By Jillian

You’ve probably noticed that we love global cuisine. Sure, we were a bit adventurous in Oaxaca, Mexico with the grasshoppers and that home cookin’ in Laos, but otherwise I’m rarely disappointed when it comes to global cuisine. It’s easy to pick up delicious street food on the road, but now that we’re home I’m determined to make it at home. I’ll admit I’m baffled by the food labeling here in the U.S., my method is to buy things that have ingredients I can pronounce. Even if it’s in a different language.

But then there I was in an Indian Grocery Store staring at packages labeled all sort of things. I’ll be honest we didn’t know what we were eating most of the time in India. Our strategy was just to order the thali platter. Every time we did we literally licked the platter clean. Not so difficult now is it?

So there I stood in the Indian grocery store. My plan was to buy the spice packets, try the dishes out and then buy the appropriate spices to make my own mixes for the dishes we liked. The only thing was I was baffled by the vocabulary on the packets. Sure I knew common ingredients like daal, paneer and aloo, but beyond that I was clueless. Standing looking utterly clueless, I decide to wait for someone to walk up. A fool proof strategy for sure as a woman took pity on me and pointed out her favorites and things she thought I would like. With my basket full of various spice mixes and the biggest bag of dried chickpeas I had ever seen (2lbs, almost 1kg!) I checked out and headed home.

Honestly it took me a few days to work up the courage to tackle Indian food, despite the fact that I had “easy” spicy packets. It’s intimidating and oh, did I forget to mention that the Indian grocer was out of paneer and had suggested I buy “grilling cheese” from my local grocery store.

Yup, grilling cheese.

Sometimes you just have to go for it, so I went to my local supermarket and asked for “grilling cheese.”

They knew exactly what I wanted. Thank god because I didn’t.

I’ve never even heard of grilling cheese…in English. In Spanish it’s called queso blanco (white cheese) and it’s a perfect substitute for paneer because it becomes soft and creamy, but doesn’t completely melt. So hurray for the melting pot that is South Florida, where Mexican cheese can substitute for paneer. (This is apparently widely known, if you check out the wikipedia page for paneer it’s listed there as a substitute).

So my Mexi-Indian adventures in the kitchen began. And you know what? It was good. Like really, really good. Like finger licking nothing in the bowl left good. Well nothing left on the plate. As is typical, the recipes made enough for a family of five, and there being only two of us we had some yummy leftovers the next morning. The leftover matter paneer didn’t last until dinner the next day though. That darn food mouse…

Want to know more about the food we ate traveling around the world? Check out the archives of our Foodie Friday feature!

Photo: Paella de Mariscos

May 2, 2011 By Jillian

Walking down the streets of Pamplona during the San Fermin Festival, we were accosted by the incredible delicacies of street vendors. From this rather enormous paella to fried potatoes, chocolate dipped fruits and ice creams, it felt like walking through Willy Wonka’s factory- you never knew what you’d see next. I had never seen a paella like this, it had so many different seafood ingredients I stopped trying to identify things.

Paella is a rice based dish typically from the Valencia region of Spain. Consisting of rice, veggies and often seafood or chorizo, the ingredients are cooked in a wide shallow two handled pot. The best paella is cooked over open flame producing a layer of toasted rice on the bottom of the pan. It’s incredibly fragrant and popularly it’s shared amongst a large group.

Fortunately it wasn’t all food on the streets of Pamplona and the food stalls quickly faded into a larger market of clothes, souvenirs and imported goods.

I love imagery of this poor crab atop the seafood paella, sort of like a King of the Dead.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

There’s tons of great food and things to see in Spain. We attended the San Fermin Festival, commonly called the running of the bulls. It’s in July, the swing of festival season across Europe.

The Best Restaurants in Oman

April 20, 2011 By Guest Blogger

If you’re visiting Oman, you’ll have the chance to try a few unusual cuisines. While typical fare is undefined here, the food is influenced by Turkish, Lebanese, Arabic, and Indian styles. Omani’s tend to eat a lot of traditional seafood dishes, as well as curries, Khubz (Omani bread), Porotta and many homemade sweets.

The best restaurants in Oman are in the capital of Muscat. For a great taste of The Middle East, stop in at Al Tanoor, which is located in the elegant Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa. The restaurant offers “characteristic cuisines of the Arabian Gulf region”, which are served up in a fun and traditional Omani atmosphere. Main dishes include Iranian Maahi (fish) Kebab, and a Lebanese Dijaj Mashwi (spicy barbecued chicken) garnished with a garlicky Harra Sauce.

For Indian influence, Mumtaz Mahalhas excellent specialties. Not only that, but it sits upon a hilltop in lovely Qurum Park, with views out over the sea. This restaurant hasa Northern Indian, or Moghul style of cooking, which definitely sets it apart from the other Indian digs in town. There is a good selection of spicy and delicious chicken dishes, such as Murg Angaarey (spicy chicken cuts cooked in garlic) and Chennai Murg Masala (dry chicken spiced with coconut, curry leaves, and pepper). For dessert they serve homemade ice cream, and a variety of Indian sweets.

Next to Albahja Mall, Turkish Palace serves Muscat’s best authentic Turkish cuisine. While the setting isn’t meant for ambiance, the food here certainly compensates for the unimpressive décor. Start your meal with the Greek Salad, which is loaded with feta cheese, and then proceed to one of the more substantial main courses. The Turkish family who owns the places makes a variety of mouth-watering Shawrma, as well as seafood, kebabs, Tikka, hummus and fresh Baba Ghanouj.

Perhaps Oman’s most popular spot is the renowned Al Marjan, which more than once has won the award for Best Restaurant in Muscat. This famous place is located within the Al Bustan Palace Intercontinental Hotel. With its ambiance and sweeping views of the beautiful Al Bustan Bay, this place will have you in its grasp the moment you step through the door. The menu, however, is what keeps people coming back for more. Branding itself as a restaurant of modern European cuisine, Al Marjan offers a selection of Western delicacies. Recommended is the Pan Seared Beef Tenderloin with Foie Gras, Carrot and Celeriac Puree, and for dessert a slice of the delightful Chocolate and Raspberry Truffle Cake.

[Editors Note: These all sound delicious! I can imagine the amazing Foodie Friday’s that would come from a visit to Oman!]

Author: Bradley Fink is a UK based travel writer.

Thanks to Bradley for today’s guest post. If you’re interested in guest posting with IShouldLogOff, email us at info [at] ishouldlogoff.com. Thanks!

Photo of the Day: Steamed Buns

April 19, 2011 By Jillian

You know of our obsession with the world’s street food. These steamed buns were at a busy street stall in Chengdu, China along with steamed crabs, meat on a stick and a whole lot of sweets. Unfortunately we had just eaten at a very interesting vegetarian restaurant on the inside of a Buddhist Temple, but I couldn’t help but stop and take a picture of the steamed deliciousness!

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel PHOTO page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in this column!

Traveler’s Guide to Food & Nutrition

April 1, 2011 By Jillian

As the saying goes, health is wealth and without it life can be pretty rough. As you can imagine, traveling around the world presented some significant obstacles to staying healthy and eating a balanced diet. Besides exposure to disease and limited medical resources, we also had to take into account the availability of fruits and vegetables. In some countries eating a variety of foods was easy, but in others we had difficulty finding anything remotely colorful or nutritious. The key was getting back to the basics.

Be Conscious of What You Eat. Your body will generally tell you through cravings what it is missing, but be aware of the fuel you’re giving it. Although fresh juices sound nice, they’re often heavily loaded with sugar. Make sure to eat protein, in many cultures the local cuisine is very heavy with starches and grains. Think of the food pyramid at meal times. Soups are a safe and easy way to get vitamins and minerals. On the other hand, don’t eat something spicy or potentially suspicious before you get on a long bus ride.

Eat Local. Your best bet to avoid a stomach bug and stay healthy is to eat the local cuisine. If you don’t see the animal/vegetable/fruit in the market, the locals don’t eat it and probably don’t know how to prepare it. Often local cuisine is more balanced than the “western” food you’ll find at a tourist hotel and in my opinion it’s usually safer. Choose a restaurant or food stall that is busy and where you can see the preparation. We ate street food in 50 countries and never suffered illness from a food stall. We did get sick from a tourist restaurant in Ethiopia. Go figure.

Try a Variety. Try new fruits and vegetables as much as possible. Remember that color is your body’s friend. Get a little out of your comfort zone and try the most colorful fruit in the market, or ask for a sample. Explore the market and see what is on offer. If you have a food allergy or special diet, the market is a great place to get ideas about what is available to eat. Ask someone to write down the names of grains, vegetables and fruits that you can eat. In rural Africa we had a problem finding a variety of fruits and vegetables and ended up taking a weekly multivitamin.

Brush Your Teeth. Ok, so this isn’t food or nutrition, but it is an important factor to keeping you happy and healthy. Trust me, the first time you meet a person missing 90% of their teeth you’ll never forget to brush and floss again. In all seriousness, oral health is really important and a toothache can ruin your trip just as fast as a broken leg. We were able to find international brands of toothpaste everywhere, although we were warned by many other travelers about buying counterfeits. With their misspelled labels and strange packaging, these were easy to spot.

Mex-Indian kitchen adventures

Photo: Paella de Mariscos

The Best Restaurants in Oman

Photo of the Day: Steamed Buns

Traveler’s Guide to Food & Nutrition

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