azerbaijan is difficult to pun, so instead let’s just make yogurt soup? i guess?

My brain may not have a lot going for it at the moment, but I assure you Azerbaijan actually has a lot going for it food-wise. Also folk-dancing wise, which I find fascinating. The traditional stuff is amazing, complete with outstanding costumes and mustaches!! But even plain-clothed folks get into it. Because I’m easily distracted, check out how Azerbaijani get down:

thanks, natgeo.com!

Fun Fact: I posted this picture on Social Media™ because I enjoyed it so much when we were actually making this dish and I was finding out neat stuff about Azerbaijan, and my Good Friend was all like, “nbd but I have stood in that exact spot before because I’m truly the coolest and hang out in eastern Europe all the time, and also you miss me because I’m a loser (not at all) who lives in DC instead of near you,” and sent me photographic evidence:

thanks, WBS!

Jerk. (Not at all.)

But seriously: Azerbaijan is unique in that it has just about everything food wise, because this ONE country contains 9 out of 11 climate zones. IMAGINE THE PRODUCE. (Imagine it!)  So to honor that, we decided to make dovga, which is a yogurt soup (new territory for my cooking, yay!) freaking jam-packed with herbs and greens. I mean, you don’t HAVE to be crazy-go-nuts and use every herb ever, but… why wouldn’t you?!? Granted, the labor in preparing all the herbs is a little obnoxo, but if you throw on some tunes, make really bad puns (“I dill believe we’ll finish soon! HYUK!”), maybe dance a little… it’ll be done in no time. But you can whittle down the list and still have a yummy soup.

This can easily kick it as a veg dish suitable for your strange friends that don’t eat meat, but naturally it just didn’t feel quite right ‘til we threw some balls of meat in. The choice, of course, is up to you (GO WITH THE BALLS OF MEAT).

the stuff

le soup
1 qt (32 oz!) plain yogurt
1 qt (32 oz!) water
½ cup short grain rice
1 egg, beaten [insert poor joke about being mean to the egg here]
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 bunch dill, chopped
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 bunch arugula, roughly chopped
1 bunch spinach, roughly chopped
½ bunch mint, chopped
pepper
salt

le balls of meat
½ lb ground lamb
1 onion, chopped pretty finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
pepper
salt
smidge-o-oil

the moves

le soup

1. Put the yogurt in a large pot. Add beaten egg and water and mix well.
2. Add rice.
3. Over med-high heat, bring it all to a boil. Here’s the thing with this part: you simply have to stand over it, stirring, basically the entire time you’re waiting for it to boil. You don’t want it to get a separated and blobby and gross.
4. As soon as a coupla bubbles fight their way to the surface, throw in ALL the herby deliciousness, and pepper to taste.
5. Simmer for about 15 minutes, uncovered, stirring super super frequently. Seriously, just give in and camp out next to the stove. Maybe get some tunes going, do a little dancing… that’s what I did.
6. When the rice is done cooking, SO ARE YOU. Throw in a little salt, to taste, and DONEZO. (Unless you want to add meatballs, in which case look right below for some magic!)

Two quick things:
Thing 1 – This can be served warm OR cold. So get crazy & do what feels good.
Thing 2 – Don’t salt during the cooking process as it can make the yogurt funky (aka curdle) and that’s no fun for anyone.

le balls of meat

1. In a bowl, combine the lamb with onion, garlic, salt & pepper and mix well. Just get in there with your hands, savory meat between fingers… YUM, right?!?
2. Form small balls—I recommend the small size so each easily fits on a spoon with some soup. Thinkin’ ahead.
3. In a pan, heat up a smidge-o-oil med-high and quickly sear your little balls (teehee)—this worked better for me in terms of keeping them formed.
4. Finish cooking your little balls (teehee) by adding some water or broth, ‘til just cooked through.
5. Throw ‘em in your dovga and SHOVE IT ALL IN YOUR FACE.

thanks, caspianttc.com!

argentina: herby deliciousness edition

Back to Argentina: land of waterfalls and rainbows and BEEF! 2 out of 3 of these things can be found in this stunning picture from Iguazu National Park in Argentina:

thanks, fuzzywaffle.com!

You guys. It’s time for chimichurri!! This stuff is magical. It smells like heaven and tastes even better. Chimichurri isn’t difficult, but it is soooooo good, and fresh, and makes me want to spoon it onto everything, ever. Chimichurri with eggs? Don’t mind if I do! Chimichurri on ice cream? I wouldn’t rule it out (because yes, I’m sick).

But what we really did (that I’m willing to document, anyway), is serve this lovesauce over matambre, which we discussed at length in argentina part 1.

You can put it on whatever you want; I won’t judge.

the stuff

1 bunch flat leaf parsley (the WHOLE bunch—I know, picking leaves off ain’t the funnest, but it’s worth it)
8 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
lemon juice – thorough squeeze of a wedge should do
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 tsp dried oregano (optional)
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

the moves

this is the best part:

1. Throw parsley into your food processor or blender and chop.
2. Throw everything else in, take a moment to appreciate the awesome you’ve assembled, and blend.
3. When fully blended, inhale the amazing, fresh aroma as deeply as possible, and pour over everything, ever.

Like we did over our matambre, poorly photographed here:

what my food photography skills lack is made up for in taste, guys!

Oh man. I mean. That’s all I can really say. Thank you so very much, Argentina.

thanks, nationalgeographic.com!

albanian party food, part 2

I sure hope you are excited about part 2 of our culinary visit to Albania. Do you like lamb? Do you like meatballs? Do you see where I am going with this? (Besides… to Albania.)

Thanks, wikimedia!

Fun fact: according to wikipedia (linked above), Albania was designated as the #1 destination in Lonely Planet’s list of top 10 places to travel in 2011. Who knew?!? Now that I know Albania is so delicious, however, I can better understand. To illustrate this point, today we will demonstrate yum in the form of lamb meatballs!

In part 1, we made tirana furghes with peppers. Since we made these two dishes at the same time, I’ll admit we smeared the delicious feta concoction on the meatballs. NO REGRETS. We also roasted another couple of peppers and some onions until they blackened some in the oven, which turned out to be an excellent compliment to both dishes.

the stuff

¼ cup rice
1 lb grams ground lamb
Several handfuls chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp salt , divided
1 large onion, chopped
dried parsley (to roll meatballs in)
1 tbsp butter (or oil)
1-2 cups of water

the moves

Meatballs are a classic, as ubiquitous as dumplings and so basic in their premise, yet so delicious and potentially complex in flavor. The lamb makes for a particularly meaty tasting ball [teehee].

1. Cook rice according to the instructions particular to your kind of rice, ensuring that it is al dente! Don’t overcook!! Please please please!

2. Add onion, rice, black pepper, fresh parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt to the ground meat and knead until well mixed.

3.  Pour the dried parsley in a bowl

4. Moisten hands and form small balls (1-2”) of the meat, then roll them in the dried parsley.

5.  Heat the butter or oil in a large pan, sprinkle in remaining salt, add meatballs.

6. Once the meatballs have sealed in their delicious flavor, add a little water, cover, and let cook for 20-30 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through. Gently turn them over part way through cooking, and if the water evaporates too much go ahead and add a bit more.

Thanks, wikipedia!