Romania: Salam de Biscuiti

Romanian cuisine is diverse, blending the dishes of the several traditions which it has come into contact with, as well as maintaining its own character. It has been greatly influenced by Balkan cuisine but also includes influences from the cuisines of other neighbours, such as Germans, Italians, and Hungarians.

The truth is, that Romanians like to eat. And they eat a lot and well. I think man can evaluate the richness of a foreign culture by appreciating the richness of its cuisine. The multitude of combinations, the richness of the tastes, the variety of first courses, second courses and deserts, the constant "must do's" and the doors open to imagination and invention are speaking for themselves. I can assure you, the Romanian cuisine is one of the tastiest and most appetizing.

Sweet salamy it' s an old recipe, my mother used to make it often. I said make, because no cooking is involving. It's an easy recipe because it can be done with more, or less ingredients or even put anything else you like into it, just be creative. This is how I use to do it and I can assure you that is very tasty.

Pofta buna! Bon appetit!

Gina Enescu, Guest Contributor

http://www.ginuca27.blogspot.com/

Salam di Biscuiti (Sweet Salamy)

1-3/4 cups (400 gr) biscuits or vanilla wafers (coarsely crushed)

1 cup + 2 tbs (250 gr) milk

3 tbs cocoa

1/2 lb (200 gr) Turkish delight

2 fiole rum essence/extract/flavoring

1-1/3 cup (300 gr) walnuts, chopped

2/3 cup (150 gr) butter

6 tbs powdered sugar

2 eggs

1 cup (200 gr) sour cherry (from cherry liqueur)

1 grated coconut

For a richer flavor, toast walnuts in the oven for a short time or saute in some melted butter. Set aside to cool.

Boil milk with small pieces of Turkish Delight until the candy starts to melt and reduces in size. Remove from heat.

Add 1/2 of the cocoa, 1/2 of the biscuits/vanilla wafers and 1/2 of the walnuts plus 1/2 of the rum essence/extract/flavoring. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the butter with 5 tbs powdered sugar and 2 egg yolks. Combine with the first mixture.

Add in the rest of the rum essence, cocoa and biscuits/vanilla wafers. Add in the rest of the walnuts and sour cherry. Whip egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Blend into the mixture.

Sprinkle some powdered sugar and shredded coconut ona large piece of plastic wrap. Put the dough in the middle and roll it up in the plastic wrap, forming it so it looks like a salami. Refrigerate in the plastic wrap for 6 to 7 hours.

Remove plastic wrap and cut into 1/2" slices.

Notes:

• To see the original recipe in Romanian, please visit Gina's blog page: http://ginuca27.blogspot.com/2007/09/salam-de-biscuii-ingrediente-400-gr.html


• To purchase Turkish Delight online, visit: http://www.turkishfoodstore.com/category.cfm?cat=3&subcat=304&sort=1

China: Hang Geen Beng

Very few cattle are raised in China, so dairy products such as milk, cheese and butter are hard to come by and rarely used in traditional Chinese dishes. They do raise pigs and so they generally will use the pork fat or lard as a substitute for the butter. As a matter of fact, pork is so prevalent in the Chinese cuisine that it is commonly referred to as simply "meat".

Hang Geen Beng (hahng geen bee-EHNG), traditional Chinese Almond Cookies, are a traditional treat found in bakeries across China as well as Chinese restaurants around the globe. Like many Chinese dishes, these crisp, tasty treats do use lard. You can substitute vegetable shortening, but the the taste won't be nearly the same. Many people also use butter in this recipe. Cookies made with butter tend to not be as crisp as those made with lard or shortening, and the crispness of these cookies is what makes them so good. (I've also seen these called Hang Yen Bang. Beats me who's right!)


Hang Geen Beng (Chinese Almond Cookies)


2-1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 cup lard (or vegetable shortening)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp almond extract
1 tbs cold water
4 dozen whole, blanched almonds

1 egg yolk
1 tbs water

Sift the first four ingredients together into a large bowl. Cut the lard (or vegetable shortening) in with a pastry blender, or rub it between your fingers until the mix is very crumbly.

In a small bowl, combine the beaten egg with the almond extract. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and combine. Add in the tablespoon of cold water and use your hands to quickly form a firm ball of dough. Cover in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets.

Remove dough from refrigerator and form into 1-1/2 inch balls. Place the dough balls on baking sheets and flatten gently with the bottom of a glass. Press one whole almond into the center of each cookie.

For the glaze, mix one egg yolk with one tablespoon of water. Using a pastry brush, brush some of the glaze over each cookie.

Bake approximately 12 minutes or until the cookies are very lightly browned. Remove from oven and baking sheets and cool in wire racks.

Yield: 4 dozen

Nicaragua: Rosquillas

The Cuisine of Nicaragua is as diverse as its inhabitants. It is a mixture of criollo style food and pre-Columbian dishes. When the Spaniards first arrived in Nicaragua, they found that the Creole people present had incorporated foods available in the area into their cuisine.

Despite the blending and incorporation of pre-Colombian and Spanish influenced cuisine, traditional cuisine changes from the Pacific to the Caribbean coast. While the Pacific coast's main staple revolves around local fruits and corn, the Caribbean coast's cuisine makes use of seafood and the coconut.

A favored treat in Nicaragua is the Rosquilla. Similar to an Italian biscotti, the Nicaraguan rosquilla is designed to be accompanied by a hot cup of coffee. Its plump shape facilitates an easy drop, and a well-made rosquilla is best eaten after floating in your coffee for 30 seconds or so.

Approximately half a ton of rosquillas from Jinotega travel to ExpoNica in Miami each year, from the Rosquillera Pampa. Probably three times that amount travel to the States and Europe via Nicaraguan travelers, stuffed in two- and three-pound bags, and stashed in luggage for distribution to expat family members.


Rosquillas


3 lbs. queso seco or Mexican Cotija cheese
3 lbs. masa
4 Tbs. butter
4 Tbs. lard from beef
2 Tbs. lard from pork
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grate the cheese finely. Mix it with the masa. Add the rest of the ingredients, mixing until combined.

Shape into small donut shapes, about 1 to 1-1/4 inch in diameter. Place on cookie sheets.

Bake until they get a little color. Take them out of the oven and cool.

Heat oven to 200 degrees F. Return cookies to the oven and bake until they are crispy. (Can dust with confectioners sugar if desired.)

Yield: 100 rosquillas

Note: The masa should be the one used to make tortillas, not tamales. If you can only get masa harina, then prepare the masa harina as if you were making tortillas and then weigh it to get to 3 pounds.

Special thanks to Ligia for submitting this recipe. Recipe from 50 Años en la Cocina authored by Angelica de Vivas.

Peru: Alfajores de Manjar Blanco

There is no doubt that Alfajores are native to South America, and each country has their little spin on this delectable delight. In Argentina, they use Dulce de Leche as the filling for these cookie sandwiches. Dulce de Leche is a caramel made from reducing sweetened condensed milk.

In Peru you will find both Dulce de Leche and Manjar Blanco being used in the creation of this cookie. Manjar Blanco (loosely translates to "white food") is an incredible cross between a caramel and a pudding and can be considered the paler cousin of Dulce De Leche. The main difference in the two is that Manjar Blanco is made from whole milk rather than condensed milk.

In Bolivia, Manjar Blanco is the traditional filling for the Alfajores. However, they prepare their Manjar Blanco just a bit differently. The Bolivian style Manjar Blanco is thickened further with rice flour and occasionally you will find other flavorings in it such as vanilla, cinnamon and/or rum.

Alfajores

Cookies:
1-1/2 cups unsalted butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup ground almonds
3 cups flour

Manjar Blanco Filling:
5 cups whole milk
1-1/8 cups sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Prepare the Manjar Blanco filling. Put the milk, sugar and vanilla in a medium saucepan and let it come to a boil. Continue to boil the mixture, stirring occasionally, until thickened, approximately 45 minutes. The Manjar is ready if you put a bit on a plate and it does not run.

2. Cream butter with confectioners' sugar until fluffy.

3. Stir in remaining ingredients.

4. Wrap and chill 30 minutes (if you leave it longer, just let it warm up to the point of being able to be rolled out).

5. Roll dough out to 1/4" thickness. Cut in 2 1/2" circles and place on parchment lined cookie sheet. They won’t expand much, so you can place them pretty close together.

6. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes.

7. Cool cookie sheets between batches and cool cookies on wire rack.

8. When cookies have completely cooled, carefully spread some manjar blanco on one cookie and top with another cookie.

9. Dust tops with confectioners' sugar and enjoy immediately.


TIP: Best enjoyed if served immediately. Traditional alfajores are crispy, and these (although they will still taste delicious) will soften as they set.

Yield: 4-5 dozen cookies

Recipe and photo submitted by guest contributor, Adrienne , with special thanks to a friend of a friend of hers who is native to Peru.

Russia: Pryanik

Russian honeybread has been made since the 9^th century, at which time they were made with rye-flour, honey and berry-juice. Over time, some other natural indigenous ingredients like local roots were added to flavor these cookies. When trade first began with the Middle East and India (12^th-13^th centuries) these sweet recipes were kicked up with a variety of spices – popularly with cloves, ginger, citrus fruits, pepper, nutmeg, badian, mint, anise, ginger and many others and hence these cookies were referred to as “pryanosti” meaning they were well-spiced.

Today pryanik are available in many flavors, shapes and styles. They are commonly seen as pressed cookies or painted cookies – the latter of which are painted with white, rose or chocolate icing or are decorated with berries, nuts or candied citrus peel. They can also be filled with jam, sandwich-style.

The myriad styles of pryanik are generally always served with tea and coffee, and they have that wonderful spiciness of a gingerbread cookie, perfect for when the weather is getting colder (I guess since I live in New Orleans, our coldest weather probably never approaches that of Moscow in the summer, but I still enjoy cold-weather treats!)

Pryanik

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup honey
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

1. Sift the flour, baking soda and spices into a medium bowl.

2. Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and thick.

3. Heat the honey in a small saucepan over low heat until it liquifies. Stir the honey and vanilla into the beaten egg mixture.

4. Mix in the dry ingredients to form a stiff dough.

5. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

6. Butter two cookie sheets. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Use your favorite cookie cutter to make cookies, and whatever size your cookies are, use that as a guide for how far apart to place them, expecting them to double in size.

7. With a pastry brush, give the cookies just a little honey on top.

8. Bake for 10-20 minutes, or until just golden, rotating the sheets halfway through for even baking.

9. Cool on the sheets until the cookies firm slightly. Transfer to racks to finish cooling.

10. In a bowl, add 1-2 tbs water to the confectioners’ sugar and whisk together to form a paste. Decorate your cookies when they’ve cooled and enjoy.

TIPS: These cookies are great with different spices, and I even have tried adding cayenne, so feel free to be creative. Toppings also vary throughout Russia so try adding your favorite nuts or berries if you are so inclined. I also *highly* recommend taking out about 2-3 cookies when they’re only halfway baked, putting them in a bowl with apricot jam and cool whip, and not telling anyone else about it – it was heaven.

Recipe, photos and post courtesy of our guest contributor, Adrienne, with special thanks to her Russian friend, Constantin.

Italy: Biscotti con Pignoli

Although many people think of biscotti only as the double baked, hardened treats that we dip in our coffee or tea, biscotti is actually a generic Italian term for "cookie".

Roman pastry shops abound with pastries, cakes, cookies, and confections made with almonds. Some of the world's best almonds come from nearby Sicily and they are widely used throughout Italy. It is no wonder then that Biscotti con Pignoli (pignoli cookies made with almond paste), originated in Sicily. The sweetness in these cookies is very subtle, and the chewiness of the cookie works well with the crunchiness of the pignoli.

I have been making these cookies for over 40 years, and I still can't get enough of them. I always keep a bag of pignoli in my freezer just in case I get a craving!

Biscotti con Pignoli

3 cups almond paste (not marzipan), coarsely crumbled
1-1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup pine nuts

Pulse almond paste in a food processor until broken up into small bits, then add confectioners sugar and salt and continue to pulse until finely ground, about 1 minute.

Beat together almond mixture, egg whites, and honey in electric mixer at medium to high speed until smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place pine nuts on shallow plate. With lightly floured hands roll dough into 1 inch balls. Coat balls in egg whites, shaking off excess, then roll in pine nuts, pressing lightly to stick. Arrange balls on cookie sheets, and flatten slightly to form a 1-1/2 inch round.

Bake cookies until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven, place on parchment paper and set aside to cool.

TIP: If you like a the cookies a bit sweeter, you can dust them with confectioner's sugar when they come out of the oven.

Iran: Nan-e Nokhodchi

The number seven has been sacred in Iran for thousands of years as it is said to represent the "Seven Eternal Laws" which embodied the teachings of Zarathushtra. Iranians prepare a table or sofreh on a rug with a variety of foods. Traditionally, these seven symbolic items are displayed on the ceremonial table set for the Persian New Year, each representing one of the seven angelic heralds of life: rebirth, health, happiness, prosperity, joy, patience, and beauty.

On the same table many people place seven special sweets because, according to a three-thousand-year-old legend, King Jamshid discovered sugar on Nowruz (the word candy comes from the Persian word for sugar, qand).

These seven sweets are noghls (sugar-coated almonds); Persian baklava, a sweet, flaky pastry filled with chopped almonds and pistachios soaked in honey-flavored rose water; nan-e berenji (rice cookies) made of rice flour flavored with cardamom and garnished with poppy seeds; nan-e badami (almond cookies), made of almond flour flavored with cardamom and rose water; nan-e nokhodchi (chick-pea cookies), made of chick-pea flour flavored with cardamom and garnished with pistachios; sohan asali (honey almonds), cooked with honey and saffron and garnished with pistachios; and nan-e gerdui (walnut cookies), made of walnut flour flavored with cardamom and garnished with pistachio slivers.

Nan-e Nokhodchi

1 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 tsp. finely ground cardamom
1 tbs. rose water
4 1/2 cups fine, roasted chickpea flour, sifted 3 times
4 tbs. unsalted, slivered pistachios for garnish

Combine oil, sugar, cardamom and rose water in bowl, and mix for 2 minutes until white and creamy. Add chickpea flour all at once, and mix for 1 minute until dough is no longer sticky. Dust work surface with chickpea flour, knead dough 2 minutes by hand and flatten dough on surface until 6 inches square and 3/4-inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap, place on plate and let rest for 1 hour in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Unwrap dough. Use cloverleaf cookie cutter, and cut out dough. Place cookies on baking sheet lined with parchment, leaving 1 inch between pieces to allow for spreading. Decorate each with a slivered pistachio. Place sheet on rack in center of oven.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cookie bottoms are light golden. Remove cookies from oven, and allow to cool.

Recipe courtesy of the Vegetarian Times.

Hungary: Kifli

When foreigners think of Hungarian cuisine, goulash and chicken paprika naturally spring to mind. However, traditional Hungarian food doesn't stop at these two tasty dishes. The food of Hungary has a long history with many influences - including those from neighboring Slavic countries, Germany, Austria, and France. Paprika, Hungarians' favorite seasoning, is used generously, though mild paprika is more commonly used than is spicy paprika.

Hungarians have inherited dessert recipes and other sweet concoctions from all over Europe. Somloi galuska is a decadent sponge cake containg rum sauce, vanilla cream, and chocolate syrup. Dobos torta is another unbelievably rich sponge cake topped with caramel. Those with sweet tooths will also enjoy doughnuts, strudel, and other sweet pastries and cakes that have become integral to Hungarian dessert cuisine. A favorite is Kifli which means 'crescent moon' Hungarian, a fitting name for these crescent shaped sweets.

Kifli

Step One: Mix together 1/4 cup milk (warmed to 110 degrees), 1 tbs yeast, 1 tsp sugar and set aside. Ensure it does not clump.

Step Two: Using a pastry knife, mix together 3 cups flour, 1 cup butter (cold) and a pinch of salt. Add 3-1/2 tbs sugar and 1/2 tsp baking powder.

Step Three: In a separate bowl, beat 3 egg yolks. If the yeast mixture from Step One has begun to froth, add to the egg yolks. Mix in 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.

Step Four: Mix the wet ingredients together with the dry ingredients. The dough should have the consistency of peanut butter cookie dough. Add flour if sticky. Knead well and let stand 2 hours in a warm place.

Step Five: Divide the dough into 5 equal sized balls. Sprinkle sugar on a board, put a dough ball on the board, and roll out into a circle about 12 inches across. Flip the dough over and put more sugar on the board. Cut like a pizza into wedges about 1-1/2 inches at widest. Put Lekvar plum jam on each wedge and roll into into a cylinder from wide edge to point. Roll in sugar. Bake on a cookie sheet at 325 F for 15 min until golden brown.

Tip: If you do not want to or cannot order Lekvar jam, you can use apricot or other jam or a combination of ground walnuts, milk and sugar.

Recipe courtesy of Professor Mark Csele's Baba!

Nigeria: Shuku-Shuku

Nigeria has such a variety of people and cultures that it is difficult to pick one national dish. Each area has its own regional favorite that depends on customs, tradition, and religion. The different foods available also depend on the season. The "hungry season" is before the rains arrive in March, and the "season of surplus" follows the harvest in October and November.

Fruits, however, are enjoyed year-round. A large part of Nigeria lies in the tropics, where many fruits are available. Some of the popular fruits are oranges, melons, grapefruits, limes, mangoes, bananas, and pineapples.

Nigerians enjoy many different snacks that are eaten throughout the day. Some examples are fried yam chips, boiled groundnuts, and meat pastries. Akara, which is a puffy, deep-fried cake made with black-eyes peas, is sometimes eaten with chili dip. Other snacks are kulikuli (small deep-fried balls of peanut paste), suya, a hot and spicy kebab, and a few sweets like chinchin (fried pastries in strips) and shuku-shuku.

Snack foods are an important part of a child's diet. Fresh fruits (mangoes are a favorite to many), fried bean cakes, cookies, or candy are commonly sold by street vendors. Snacks provide an opportunity for children to eat on their own, without having to share with siblings.


Shuku-shuku (Coconut Cookies)

1 medium coconut (grated & squeezed) (or 1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut)
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup caster sugar (or superfine sugar)
1/2 cup self-rising flour

Preheat oven to 350 degree.

In a large bowl, mix together the coconut, egg yolks and sugar. Form into small balls of about 1 inch in diameter.

Roll each ball in flour and place on an oiled baking sheet. Bake approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and store in an air tight tins .


Recipe courtesy of OnlineNigeria.com.

Syria: Barazeh

What Syrian food lacks in variety, it makes up for in delicious, fresh flavours and savoury spices. Damascenes are tremendously proud of their local food and are not big consumers of the food of other cultures - Chinese or Mexican, for example. There are a few ethnic restaurants in the large hotels, but most of the restaurant you'll see in Damascus serve Syrian food.

Damascus has an amazing array of sweet shops, and many of them stay open quite late to offer goodies to the "after dinner" crowd. You'll see a lot of slices of quite elaborate cake - gateaux - and small round balls that look like shiny doughnuts. These are baklawa which taste like doughnut balls soaked in honey. Another dessert which is more likely to be served at home, for a special occasion is RuzHalib - a rice pudding served in an enormous pan, which everyone attacks with spoons! Yallah! Bring your toothbrush to Damascus, the sweets will make your teeth ache!

Barazeh

1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. water
2-1/2 cups flour, sifted
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup water
2 tbsp. coarsely chopped pistachios (optional)

Scatter the sesame seeds on a baking sheet and toast in a 350-degree oven until a light golden brown. Combine the honey with the (1 tbsp.) water and use to moisten the sesame seeds. Spread in a saucer.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, and sugar. Cut in the butter, as if you were making pie crust dough. Gradually add the (2/3 cup) water until the dough is smooth.

Form balls of dough the size of walnuts and dip one side of each ball into the sesame seed mixture to coat. The bottom side may be very lightly touched to the pistachios. Place on greased baking sheets, sesame side up.

Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.


Recipe from "The Arabian Delights Cookbook" by Anne Marie Weiss-Armush