March 2023 - Page 28 of 29 - Food And Recipe

March 2, 2023

3 must-try dessert recipes to treat yourself this Women’s Day – News

Celebrate YOU!

By Upasana Beg

Published: Thu 2 Mar 2023, 7:38 PM

With Women’s Day around the corner, indulge your sweet tooth and treat yourself to your favourite dessert

Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 150 gm unsalted butter

• 150 gm light brown sugar

• 3 medium eggs

• 125 gm self-raising flour

• 25 gm cocoa powder

• 12 Ferrero Rocher

Nutella Buttercream

• 150 gm unsalted butter (at room temp.)

• 300 gm icing sugar

• 150 gm Nutella

Decoration

• 12 Ferrero Rocher

Steps

Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan, and prep your cupcake cases.

Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, and then add in the flour, cocoa powder, and eggs.

Beat again until smooth, then split evenly between the cases.

Pop a Ferrero Rocher on top of each cupcake, and push it in ever so slightly.

Bake in the oven for 17-20 minutes, or until baked. Cool completely.

Buttercream

Beat the unsalted butter (best at room temperature), for a couple of minutes until smooth.

Add in the Nutella and beat again briefly.

Add in half of the icing sugar and beat it, and then the other half and beat it.

If its too thick, add in 1tbsp of boiling water at a time till it becomes pipeable.

Fill your icing bag with an open flower tip (or any tip that you have available) and pipe the Nutella Buttercream on, then sprinkled on some hazelnuts, and add another Ferrero Rocher on top!

Vanilla Cakepops

Ingredients

• One box of Vanilla cake mix or your favourite home-made vanilla cake.

• Other ingredients called for on the box including water/oil/eggs

• Make the cake following the instructions on the box

• Cakepop sticks or straws

For frosting

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature

• 1 ¾ cup icing sugar

• 2-3 teaspoons heavy cream or milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coating

• 2 cups of white candy melts or white chocolate (make sure to use the best quality)

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

White sprinkles

• Yellow food colour — optional (add to melted chocolate and drizzle over the cakepops)

Steps

Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a cake pan or baking dish.

Prepare the cake batter according to the instructions on the package.

Bake according to the instructions (30-35 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Let the cake cool to room temperature on a wire rack.

Keep a flat baking tray (you can use a plate too) lined with baking paper / parchment paper

Frosting

Add softened butter into a large bowl, and beat the butter with a handheld mixer on medium speed until creamy

While the mixer is running, add 1/2 cup of confectioner’s sugar. Mix until combined. Add heavy cream, vanilla, candy the rest of confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time.

Increase the speed to high and beat for 3 more minutes.

Make the frosting by beating the unsalted butter in a stand mixer or use a handmixer. Beat the butter till its pale yellow in colour and then gradually add the icing sugar. If the icing is too thick, add a 2 – 3 tsp of milk or heavy cream.

Once the cake has cooled down, put in a large bowl. Use your hands to crumble the cake and then add the frosting (little at a time as you may not need all of it. Mix well till you get a dough like consistency ( it takes 2-3 mins)

Make small balls out of the cake mix. Place them on the lined baking tray. Place them in the fridge to cool down for 20 mins

Meanwhile melt 2 tbsp of the candy melts / chocolate (50 gm) in the microwave at 30 second intervals and stirring in-between (be careful as it can burn easily).

Dip the tip of the cakepop sticks into the melted candy melts/chocolate. Then insert each stick into a call ball about half-way.

Freeze for about 30 minutes.

Cake Balls

Right before they are ready to be taken out of the freezer, melt the rest of the candy melts / chocolate. Add the oil and mix well. Pour the mix in a tall glass.

Dip the cake ball into the coating until it’s completely covered. Gently tap the stick against the edge of the glass to allow excess coating to drop off.

Decorate the top of the ball with white sprinkles and place upright into a box. Repeat with the remaining cake balls.

Rasmalai Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS

For the crust/base :

• Digestive biscuits (crushed) 2 1/2 cups

• Unsalted butter (melted) 150 gm

For the batter :

• Philadelphia cream cheese (room temperature) 500 gm

• 1 tin (370 gm) sweetened condensed milk

• 1 cup (220 ml) whipping cream (cold)

• 10-12 pieces/500 gm rasmalai

• 1 cup rasmalai liquid (the same syrup in which you get the rasmalai)

• 20 gm gelatin

• 1/4 cup water (to bloom gelatin)

• Saffron (few strands)

• Pistachio sliced for garnish

• Rose petals for garnish (optional)

METHOD

Brush a 10 inch springform baking pan with butter and keep aside.

Mix the crushed biscuits and butter, transfer the mix to your greased baking pan. Press the mix down with the back of a spoon and level it. (I like to push the spread up onto the sides of the pan). Chill for 30 minutes.

In a stand mixer or a hand mixer, add the cream cheese and mix for a minute. Now add the condensed milk and mix well. (scrape the bottom of your bowl if using a stand mixer)

Add the whipping cream, rasmalai water and saffron strands.

Bloom gelatin by adding 1/4 cup water, mix well and keep aside for 5 minutes.

Then microwave for 30 seconds.

Add the gelatin to the cheesecake batter.

By now the biscuit base will be firm and chilled.

Take the rasmalai pieces, squeeze a little and add on top of the biscuit base.

Gently pour the cheesecake batter over the rasmalai pieces and refrigerate for 6-8 hours or preferably overnight.

Garnish with rose petals and pistachios.

To remove the cheesecake from the pan, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes and gently open the springform pan.

March 2, 2023

The 35 BEST Middle Eastern Recipes

Middle Eastern food is amazing in its variety of flavors and cooking techniques. And it’s one of the most delicious cuisines in the world.

That’s why we’ve compiled this list of Middle Eastern Recipes for you to cook in your own home!

Here you’ll find everything from hearty aromatic stews to impressive rice dishes, delicious dips to fun kebabs, and so much more.

Cook your way through all of these amazing Middle Eastern recipes, you’ll be glad you did!

This easy Chicken Shawarma brings the flavors, big time! Marinated with vibrant and aromatic spices, it can be your easy weeknight dinner, or a big crowd pleaser for company nights.

You can grill it, cook it in a skillet, or bake it. Whichever way you choose, you’re in for one delicious dinner.

Get the Recipe

Lebanese Hashweh rice is a hearty one pot meal where rice is cooked with ground meat and plenty of warm Middle Eastern spices.

Top it up with fresh parsley and a variety of nuts, and you have a totally company worthy dish that can serve as an entrée or a side.

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Make our Homemade Hummus at home, and you will completely ditch the store-bought stuff for sure. This creamy, rich, and luscious dip is a perfection of delicious ingredients and flavors.

Serve this hummus at your get-togethers with some pita bread or other munchies, and see everyone’s happy faces.

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Our colorful and vibrant Middle Eastern Balela Salad is brimming with delicious flavors.

This effortless recipe is all about the perfect combination of ingredients. Wow, your loved ones by serving this tasty and satisfying salad, and get ready for compliments.

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These scrumptious Kofta Kebabs are one of our favorite Middle Eastern recipes. They are super easy to make, and are packed with super delicious flavors.

You can enjoy them as is with some salad, or along with any of your favorite Middle Eastern meals.

Get the Recipe

Start your day with some Middle Eastern flavors with our best Shakshuka recipe!

You will love this gorgeous dish, which is a tasty, spicy, tangy, and savory sauce with perfectly poached eggs. It’s a great weekend morning dish for you to try.

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This Israeli Couscous Salad is going to be your new favorite salad recipe, as it’s loaded with all fresh, vibrant flavors and superb textures.

It’s an ideal and hearty salad to serve for your coming summer cookouts or potlucks. Simply enjoy.

Get the Recipe

Searching for simple and delicious side dish recipes? Then search no more, as this Saffron Rice is as easy as they get.

This easy rice takes hardly any time to make, and is filled with amazing flavor and fragrance. It makes a great side dish to any of your favorite mains.

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If you like dips, then you are in a serious treat with our ultimate Moutabal recipe! This smoky, creamy, nutty, zingy dip will completely get you hooked to it with its incredible flavors.

It’s an amazing and delicious dip for when you crave some classic Middle Eastern flavors.

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Jazz up your potatoes with an exotic Middle Eastern twist by making our Lebanese Batata Harra recipe!

A mix of special spices and fresh herbs coat the roasted or fried potatoes. It’s a wonderful side dish.

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Give your beloved hummus a fancy makeover with this outstanding Loaded Layered Hummus Dip recipe!

It makes a fantastic party appetizer that is loaded with delicious ground beef, colorful fixings, and toasted pine nuts. We bet it will be a super hit dish on any of your special occasions.

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Fesenjan is an exotic Persian dish made with duck or chicken, and it will be a super hit dish at any of your special events.

The main two ingredients to make this dish excellent are walnuts and pomegranate molasses. It’s a must-try recipe for those who love interesting and new foods.

Get the Recipe @ honest-food

Now, this Falafel is all vegetarian’s dream come true, as these chickpeas balls are just divine!

The recipe shows how to make the ultimate Middle Eastern Falafel, which is best eaten in a pita, wrap, or sandwich, and has deep-fry or baked options.

So just relish these amazing and flavorful balls, and see them becomes everyone’s favorite in no time.

Get the Recipe @ downshiftology

This Shish Tawook is a Lebanese-style grilled chicken that melts in your mouth deliciously.

The yogurt, lemon, and garlic marinade make the chicken super luscious and tasty. It’s one of our go-to Middle Eastern Recipes.

Get the Recipe @ littlesunnykitchen

Tired of your regular rice? Try this Persian-style Tahdig, which is an amazing crispy rice that we just love.

The golden crust with awesome flavors and fragrance makes this rice special. Just follow some tips and tricks to make it perfect every time.

Get the Recipe @ themediterraneandish

Try this traditional Persian Lamb Shank dish, and feed some serious flavors to your family.

The melt-in-your-mouth juicy meat is braised in a perfectly seasoned broth that tastes just out of this world delicious. Serve with tasty saffron rice and salad, and enjoy an amazing feast.

It may become one of your top Middle Eastern recipes!

Get the Recipe @ recipetineats

Give this classic Persian Saffron Chicken a sure try at your next get-together, and get ready for rave reviews!

This authentic recipe is made with chicken simmered in a delicious red sauce made with superb spices and flavors, and then served over a pile high of tasty saffron rice.

Get the Recipe @ yammiesnoshery

Kickstart your day with some Turkish delicacy that is super tasty and satisfying and keeps you full for a long time, is famously known as Turkish Menemen!

This Middle Eastern scrambled egg recipe is incredibly easy to make with some basic ingredients. Serve with some crusty bread and enjoy a hearty Turkish breakfast.

Get the Recipe @ gimmesomeoven

Stuffed Grape Leaves, popularly known as Dolmas, are a great Middle Eastern appetizer or side dish.

The leaves are stuffed with an irresistible mixture of rice and meat with a lot of spices and herbs. Just follow the recipe to make these rolls perfect every time.

Get the Recipe @ themediterraneandish

Try this Muhammara, a boldly flavored Syrian dip that we know you gonna love it!

This recipe introduced you to the best red pepper dip, which is full of spicy, nutty, zingy, and sweet flavors, and is best served with fresh pita or crunchy veggies. It’s so good!

Get the Recipe @ loveandlemons

This Persian Herb Frittata, known as Kuku Sabzi, is going to be your top breakfast.

It’s made with fresh cilantro, parsley, chives, and dill, and you can add any of your favorite leafy veggies and make the most delicious frittata.

Get the Recipe @ thekitchn

You will simply love this classic Tabbouleh salad, which is a bowl full of fresh and green ingredients.

It’s a tasty Middle Eastern salad that is an amazing side dish for your favorite main, or you can enjoy it on its own.

Get the Recipe @ gimmesomeoven

Try this Musakhan, a Palestinian national dish, and wow everyone with the delicious flavors.

It’s a flatbread with juicy chicken, onions, sumac, pine nuts, and olive oil. Just follow this easy recipe and make the best Middle Eastern dish for your family.

Get the Recipe @ cheftariq

Give this Grilled Zaatar Chicken a definite try, and sees it become your family’s number one chicken appetizer.

The juicy and tasty chicken’s secret is in its magical marinade, which is made with zaatar and citrus. Sure shot a super hit dish for your summer grilling events.

Get the Recipe @ unicornsinthekitchen

Chicken Mandi is a very famous Yemeni Chicken and Rice dish, which is full of delicious unique flavors!

It’s made with Chicken marinated in Yemeni mixed spices called Hawaij, which make it really special. Serve it along with yellow rice and garnish with fried onions, almonds, and raisins. It’s too good!

Get the Recipe @ hungrypaprikas

Tired of the same old kebabs? Then, we got you the best Doner Kebabs to try, they will definitely make a permanent entry on your favorites list.

This Turkish kebab is full of exotic flavors and it is super easy to make. You will love this dish, as it’s perfect for meal prep and is super versatile.

Get the Recipe @ carlsbadcravings

Are you planning to throw a Middle Eastern themed party at home? Then, this Mezze Platter is a must to include on your menu.

This flavorful platter is made of assorted dips and spreads, fresh veggies, pita bread, salad, and other goodies. It will be the super hit dish of the night, and a crowd favorite too.

Get the Recipe @ loveandlemons

Imam Bayildi, a famous Turkish stuffed eggplant, is really something to try.

You will enjoy cooking this eggplant with an onion tomato sauce stuffing. Try it to believe it!

Get the Recipe @ vidarbergum

Are you a fan of flatbreads? Then you must try this Turkish version, and get completely obsessed with it!

This splendid recipe is made totally from scratch. The fluffy flatbread is filled with flavorful and perfectly spiced ground meat, spinach, herbs, and feta cheese.

It tastes just out of this world delicious.

Get the Recipe @ jocooks

Middle Eastern Chicken Kabobs which are simply to die for. This easy recipe is yogurt-marinated chicken cooked on a skewer to juicy perfection, and then served with some saffron rice.

It’s one of our favorite Middle Eastern recipes.

Get the Recipe @ amiraspantry

Baklava is a beloved Middle Eastern dessert, and is very popular worldwide! This gorgeous recipe shows how to make the most delicious perfect baklava right in your home.

The crispy, tender, and flaky goodness will be a showstopper dessert to any of your special dinner nights.

Get the Recipe @ natashaskitchen

Try Quzi, an authentic Iraqi Lamb over Rice that is sure to be a star attraction to your next get-together.

This traditional recipe is jam-packed with delicious flavors, and it’s super easy to make it too. Impress your family with this grand Middle Eastern dish.

Get the Recipe @ hungrypaprikas

Yet another specialty of Middle Eastern cuisine is this Chicken Kabsa!

This Saudi Arabian dish is made with rice that is cooked in a delicious chicken gravy, and then topped with baked chicken, roasted almonds, and raisins for extra flavor and crunch. YUM!

Get the Recipe @ hinzcooking

Give your comfort food a Middle Eastern twist by making this Dawood Basha recipe!

This Lebanese-style meatball dish that is full of awesome flavors. You will definitely devour this easy and satisfying Dawood Basha.

Get the Recipe @ everylittlecrumb

We are ending this exotic list of Middle Eastern Recipes with the ultimate Maqluba with Lamb recipe. It’s an Arabic rice dish that will be a total crowd pleaser!

The unique way of layering the rice, veggie, and meat makes it super special, but don’t worry it’s super easy to make!

Get the Recipe @ hungrypaprikas

So many amazing Middle Eastern recipes to cook. Where to start?

Check out these other great recipe collections!
Indian Recipes
British Recipes
African Recipes
French Recipes
Japanese Recipes
Caribbean Recipes
Puerto Rican Recipes
Jamaican Recipes
American Recipes

Ingredients

1 can (15 oz) chickpeas or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas
1/3 cup tahini
1 .5 to 2 lemons, juiced
2 medium cloves garlic
½ tsp sea salt
3-4 Tbsp cold water
½ tsp cumin
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp toasted pine nuts – divided
Pinch of paprika

Instructions

Soak and cook chickpeas according to package directions, if using dried. If using canned, boil for additional 20 minutes to soften. Remove skins.
Mix tahini, cold water, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, half of pine nuts, cumin and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
Add chickpeas and puree for 3-4 minutes, stopping a few times to scrape the hummus down off the sides of the blender. Blend until ultrasmooth. If needed, add additional cold water to get that creamy smoothhummus.
Taste and adjust the lemon juice, cumin and salt according to your taste.
Scoop the hummus into a bowl. Make a well, or some design into the hummus with a spoon. Drizzle in additional olive oil. Garnish with paprika and remaining pine nuts.

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March 2, 2023

Fruity Pebbles and Lucky Charms Threaten to Block “Healthy” Food Labeling Guidelines in Court

The makers of Fruity Pebbles, Froot Loops, Fortunate Charms, and other common cereal makes are bitterly lobbying versus a new Meals and Drug Administration proposal that would reduce them from labeling their solutions as “healthy.”

The proposed Food and drug administration rule mandates that meals labeled as nutritious ought to have a main food items team — this sort of as dairy, fruits, or full grains — and must in shape specific restrictions on saturated extra fat, sodium, and added sugars.

The rule boundaries cereals, for illustration, to no far more than 2.5 grams of sugar per serving in order to be labeled as balanced — a restriction food companies assert would exclude above 95 per cent of ready-to-try to eat cereals on the market place.

In response, processed foods companies that produce a range of treats, baked merchandise, pastas, and frozen pizzas are demanding the principles just before they are finalized by the agency. Between the most vocal food companies are producers of large-sugar cereals, which are mostly promoted to little ones and have been criticized as a driver of the weight problems epidemic in The usa.

In a joint filing made last month, the premier cereal producers in the country — Basic Mills, Kellogg’s, and Article Client Brands — decried the proposed dietary standards and threatened to file a lawsuit, hard the recommendations as a violation of company no cost speech rights.

The rule, “if finalized in its existing sort,” the firms wrote, “would be open to authorized challenge in that it violates the Initial Modification by prohibiting truthful, non-deceptive promises in an unjustified manner and also exceeds FDA’s statutory authority in numerous ways.”

The idea of a authorized obstacle might not be an idle threat.

The public remark docket incorporates a submitting from the Washington Legal Foundation, a shadowy nonprofit that litigates esoteric and often controversial organization interests. The group submitted a letter in opposition in the variety of a legal quick, laying out a wide case for a foreseeable future court obstacle from the Food and drug administration suggestions.

The organization contended that the wholesome labeling requirements are an unconstitutional overreach of authorities power. Meals corporations, the Washington Authorized Foundation argued, have “constitutionally guarded professional speech” rights covering their skill to use the time period “healthy” to explain their additional sugar solutions.

The Food and drug administration, the Washington Legal Foundation wrote in its quick, “cannot clarify why buyers are not able to make their very own wholesome selections primarily based on [nutrition labeling] info. Alternatively, it seeks to limit the foods companies’ speech.”

The group does not disclose its donors and did not answer to a request for remark. In previous a long time, the Corn Refiners Affiliation, a lobby group that signifies the large fructose corn syrup industry, has disclosed financial ties to the Washington Authorized Basis.

Drug businesses, which includes Purdue Pharma, the makers of OxyContin, have also utilised the Washington Lawful Foundation to challenge federal government procedures and set up lawful precedent to reduce the means for prosecutors to look for prison charges for drug business executives.

Conagra, Ocean Spray, the American Frozen Food items Institute, and the American Bakers Affiliation in the same way hinted at a authorized threat to the Fda healthier foodstuff labeling rule. All four companies cited constitutional issues with the proposed labeling requirements in letters to the company.

The joint filing from cereal companies not only scorns the labeling procedures, but also argues that sugary cereals pose no wellbeing hazards and are, in fact, advantageous to culture and childhood health and fitness.

The firms stated that they look at the “extremely strict” suggestions as “alarming” mainly because “cereal is one particular of the most very affordable, nutrient dense breakfast decisions a person — grownup or boy or girl — can make … with a large selection of solutions to fit unique cultures, preferences, and flavor.” Cereals, the companies claimed, are now regarded for “nutritional added benefits,” offered their inclusion in a assortment of federal courses that “serve the nation’s vulnerable populations,” this sort of as the Special Supplemental Diet Program for Girls, Infants, and Children and the Nationwide Faculty Lunch System.

The providers charged that cereal “delivers on nourishment when eaten by itself, but when eaten as aspect of breakfast, it elevates the nourishment further more,” with cereal eaters exhibiting an “overall higher diet plan high quality.” As evidence, the filing cites a 2019 analyze done by in-residence scientists used by General Mills, the maker of Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Trix, among other models.

Lucky Charms and Trix contain around 12 grams of sugar for every serving, virtually 5 periods the limit proposed by the FDA’s nutritious labeling suggestions. What’s additional, researchers have found that small children ordinarily consume much more than twice the encouraged serving measurement of cereal for breakfast, which means that a normal sugary breakfast cereal part is made up of 24 grams of sugar, shut to the sugar information of a Snickers chocolate bar.

The meals producers also pressured that the Food and drug administration ought to contemplate that cereals characterize an affordable and accessible solution for “families who are encountering meals insecurity.” As evidence, the companies reference yet another Standard Mills-funded analyze to demonstrate that minimal-money cereal individuals had higher day-to-day calcium intake and throughout all money concentrations, cereal eaters ended up associated with much better diet regime high quality.

The agency, they wrote, really should figure out the valuable job of sugar. “Sugar performs a role in foodstuff over and above palatability it controls water action, generates texture, adds bulk, and also contributes to taste complexity,” the filing states.

General Mills, Kellogg’s, and the Shopper Brands Association, a trade team for cereal makers, in the same way filed a protest against the Fda proposal, citing its impact on sugary cereal models. Cereal makers made 50 {d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} a dozen separate filings, counting several trade teams and individual protest letters from companies.

Unbiased scientists, on the other hand, have discovered that diet programs substantial in processed food items and sugar are linked to being overweight, diabetes, substantial pitfalls of stroke, obesity-related cancers, hypertension, and dental diseases.

Children’s eating routines of significant-sugar cereals and treats, multiple scientific tests have proven, are the driving issue for superior concentrations of childhood being overweight. Little ones are also bombarded with promoting for ultrasweet cereals, a dynamic that has been discovered to enhance the subsequent consumption of advertised cereals.

The FDA’s transfer to discourage sugary diet plans to youngsters and curtail advertising of this sort of foods to kids echoes the Obama administration, when a variety of voluntary pointers were being proposed in 2011.

At the time, lobbyists for the food stuff sector mobilized a wide counterassault in Congress, with allied lawmakers inserting provisions into the authorizing laws to hold off the voluntary recommendations. During this struggle, the food stuff industries hired SKDK, a consulting agency co-established by Anita Dunn, who went on to enable take care of President Joe Biden’s recent marketing campaign and at present serves as his close adviser in the White Household.

The new proposed guidelines also grow the groups of food items that might be labeled as healthier, such as nuts, higher-unwanted fat fish this sort of as salmon, avocados, and drinking water.

The open comment interval for the Fda guidelines closed on February 16. The agency, which has offered corporations a few many years to comply with the rule as soon as it is finalized, is nevertheless examining the responses.

March 2, 2023

Borsch without a ‘t’: Kyiv chef uses food to reclaim culture

KYIV, Ukraine — Don’t tell Ievgen Klopotenko that borsch is just food. For him, that bowl of beet-and-meat soup is the embodiment of everything Ukraine is fighting for.

“Food is a powerful social instrument by which you can unite or divide a nation,” said Klopotenko, Ukraine’s most recognizable celebrity chef and the man who in the midst of a bloody war spearheaded what would become an unlikely cultural victory over Russia.

“It’s our symbol,” Klopotenko said. “Borsch is our leader.”

If that seems hyperbolic, you underestimate how intrinsic borsch (the preferred Ukrainian spelling) is to this country’s soul. More than a meal, it represents history, family and centuries of tradition. It is eaten always and everywhere, and its preparation is described almost reverentially.

And now, at the one-year mark of the war with Russia, Klopotenko uses the dish as a rallying call for preserving Ukrainian identity. It’s an act of culinary defiance against one of Moscow’s widely discredited justifications of the war — that Ukraine is culturally indistinct from Russia.

Thanks to a lobbying effort that Klopotenko helped lead, UNESCO issued a fast-track decision last July declaring Ukrainian borsch an asset of “intangible cultural heritage” in need of preservation. Although the declaration noted borsch is consumed elsewhere in the region, and that no exclusivity was implied, the move infuriated Russia.

A Russian foreign ministry spokesperson accused Ukraine of appropriating the dish and called the move an act of xenophobia and Nazism.

But in Ukraine, where until a year ago Russian was as widely spoken as Ukrainian, the declaration legitimized a notion that many had struggled to express.

“People started to understand that they are Ukrainians,” Klopotenko said recently while preparing borsch at his Kyiv apartment. From his living room window, the husk of a high-rise gutted by Russian missiles dominated the view.

“A lot of people started to eat Ukrainian food. A lot of people began to discover Ukrainian traditions,” he said.

Klopotenko, 36, is an unlikely figure to grab headlines during a war that has left hundreds of thousands from all sides dead or wounded. But the television chef and restaurateur — recognizable by an unruly head of curls, rapid-fire dialogue and lively fashion sense — began his mission to elevate Ukrainian food years before Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

Though born in Kyiv, Klopotenko had by age 5 spent months at a time living with his grandmother, who had moved just outside Manchester, England. He’d been raised on bland Soviet-era cuisine, and this was a culinary awakening. He encountered waves of new flavors and ingredients, experiences that set him on a path to restaurant work.

His break came in 2015 when he won the television competition “MasterChef Ukraine.” He parlayed that into study at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and later a successful campaign to overhaul the Soviet-influenced cafeteria menus in Ukrainian schools.

Always in the background was his sense that Ukrainian food — ditto the country’s culture writ large — wasn’t being true to itself. Much of Ukraine’s identity, he felt, from language and food to fashion and architecture, had been subjugated to Russian influences. Before the start of Soviet rule in 1917, Ukrainian cuisine was more diverse and robustly seasoned. That was quashed in favor of a more uniform palate with socialist sensibilities.

Even after the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, Ukraine’s cuisine didn’t quite bounce back. But Russia’s invasion and annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 was a trigger. Trying to identify and hold onto Ukrainian heritage, Klopotenko and others began researching pre-Soviet Ukrainian cooking, hoping to return it to the mainstream and give people another toehold for reclaiming their culture.

In 2019, he opened his Kyiv restaurant, 100 Rokiv Tomu Vpered (100 Years Ago Ahead), a reference to what Ukrainian cuisine was before Soviet rule, and what it could be again. The menu draws heavily on flavors and ingredients many have forgotten.

Roasted parsnips with smoked sour cream. Buckwheat bread flavored with chamomile. Banosh, a sort of corn porridge topped with cottage cheese, mushrooms and apples.

And, of course, borsch seasoned with the traditional smoked pears. Written records tie the recipe to Ukraine over many centuries. The effort to have it declared a cultural asset began in 2018, when Klopotenko enlisted the help of Maryna Sobotiuk, an adviser to the Ukrainian Ministry of Information Policy and co-founder of the Institute of Culture of Ukraine.

They assembled a dossier that would become the country’s application to UNESCO. Their work took on greater urgency after Russia’s invasion a year ago and received the blessing of Ukraine’s government.

Like Klopotenko, Sobotiuk said it’s a cause much deeper than dinner.

“Our neighbors want to not just take our territory, but also our culture and our history,” she said, calling culinary heritage a soft power with tremendous potential to motivate and inspire. “It is important to give people something they can align with Ukraine except war.”

Darra Goldstein, a food historian and expert in Eastern European cuisines, agreed, noting that the difficulty of delineating culinary boundaries doesn’t diminish the cultural import of the dishes.

“It’s not simply a matter of claiming ownership of a dish, since the precise origins of any given dish are often difficult to trace. Instead, food goes to the heart of national belonging, how people define who they are,” she said.

Borsch, of course, was just the start for Klopotenko. As more Ukrainians have rejected Russian culture since the war began, and consumption of traditional Ukrainian foods has spiked, he and others see an opening for codifying and celebrating more of their own.

Though UNESCO is unlikely to grant similar status to other Ukrainian dishes — chicken Kyiv, garlicky pampushky bread and latke-like deruny enjoy similar popularity — Klopotenko said the next step is to raise the profile of the country’s cuisine as a whole, at home and abroad.

To that end, his cookbook, “The Authentic Ukrainian Kitchen,” which offers modern takes on traditional Ukrainian cooking, will be released this fall in the U.S.

“The war accelerated the growth of Ukrainian culture,” he said. “Russia wanted to kill the culture with the huge invasion, but it’s worked the other way.”

It’s a sentiment shared widely on the streets of the nation’s capital, where restaurants have revamped menus to replace Russian dishes with Ukrainian ones. They’ve been rewarded with packed dining rooms despite rolling blackouts and frequent air-raid warnings.

At Kyiv’s bustling Volodymirsky market — a warren of stalls offering beets, smoked seafood, caviar and mounds of the local, crumbly cottage cheese — Tetyana Motorna has sold pickled fruit and vegetables for decades. She held back tears as she discussed the war and why Klopotenko’s work to secure borsch as a national treasure for her country matters.

“Borsch is everything for Ukrainians,” she said. “The war has made borsch even more important. … With borsch, we prove that we are a separate nation. It confirms us as a nation.”

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J.M. Hirsch is the editorial director of Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street and the former food editor of The Associated Press. This reporting was a collaborative effort between AP and Milk Street. Hirsch can be followed @jm_hirsch.

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For more AP stories about Ukraine, go to https://apnews.com/hub/ukraine.

March 2, 2023

Authentic Mexican Pozole Rojo Recipe (Pork Stew): Comfort Food From Mexico | Mexican Recipes

Sometimes we just crave comfort food. Maybe it’s more like a need than a craving. The Today Show recently released 72 best comfort food recipes to nourish your soul. They had me at their headline! These comfort food recipes are “sure to soothe your soul and warm you from the inside out.” Sounds good to me! Their list is long and varied, and I had trouble deciding where to start.

I love learning about international recipes and have a soft spot for the recipes of Spanish-speaking countries because I studied Spanish for many years. Hence, Mexico’s pozole rojo caught my eye (though I should note that while 90 percent of Mexico’s residents speak Spanish, about 10 percent speak one of Mexico’s native languages).

Pozole is one of Mexico’s most iconic dishes, a stew made with pork (or chicken or seafood today). It was first prepared by the Aztecs hundreds of years ago. The word pozole means “foam” (pozolli in Nahuatl, the Aztecs’ language). The type of kernel used was white (cacahuazintle) and, once cooked, resembled a beautiful white foam.

According to Marcela Valladolid, whose recipe is featured in the Today Show article, the most challenging part of this authentic Mexican recipe (her family’s recipe!) is “cleaning the maiz of its small caps at the base.” This process takes about one hour. According to Valladolid, “you can skip the whole process of cooking it by simply purchasing canned hominy and adding it at the end.” As someone who doesn’t like to spend more time in the kitchen than necessary, I appreciate the time saver myself.

If you’d like to make (and eat) a traditional, comforting Mexican dish, this pork pozole recipe is a winner!

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 30 minutes to 1 hour

Cook Time: 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours to 3 1/2 hours

Servings: 6

Ingredients

4 cups, maiz pozolero tip caps removed from kernels (this can take up to an hour) or 4 cups canned, drained hominy

1/2 medium white onion

1 head garlic, halved on “the equator”

2 bay leaves

4 pounds pork butt, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/2 cup cooking liquid (water, stock or wine)

10 guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed, torn into pieces

For Serving

shredded cabbage (seasoned with red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper)

sliced radishes

minced white onion

crumbled Mexican oregano

hot sauce (or salsa macha)

lime wedges

Here’s how to make it:

If you are cleaning the hominy, add it to a very large pot along with enough water to cover by 4 inches (about 26 cups of water). Add the halved onion and both garlic halves to water and cover. Bring to a boil over high heat (it takes about 30 minutes to bring to a boil). Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. If you have canned hominy to add at the end, begin by adding onion and garlic to the pot of water.

Remove onion and garlic and discard. Add bay leaves and pork butt pieces, then stir in salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for another 1 hour.

While the pork simmers, make the chile puree. Place chile pieces and 2 cups of water in a small pot and boil for 5 minutes. Transfer chiles to a blender with 1/2 cup cooking liquid (water or stock or wine) and blend on high until smooth. Strain the blended chiles into the pozole pot and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes longer.

To serve, scoop some broth, pozole and pork pieces into a bowl. Top with cabbage, radishes, white onion, oregano and hot sauce, if desired. Squeeze lime wedges over the top.

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Posted on March 1, 2023
How an entrepreneur, who didn’t know how to cook, started a recipe company

Unless you are an avid food prepper, “what’s for dinner” is probably the phrase uttered everyday in most households.

Ten years ago, SideChef founder and CEO Kevin Yu set out to make it easier to answer that question by creating an all-in-one cooking, shopping and meal planning app. He later brought on Cadence Hardenbergh as co-founder and COO.

Recipe management itself not a new concept, and SideChef is among a group of startups bringing technology to a sector where handwritten recipes kept in a folder or Rolodex is the norm. We’ve seen companies like Galley Solutions and meez do it for restaurants, while Pestle, Whisk, Foody and even Instacart are creating apps for consumers.

However, SideChef’s “secret sauce,” if you will, is its more than 12,000 shoppable recipes that can be added to your cart and all of the ingredients needed to make that recipe are delivered or made available for in-store pickup from Walmart. There is also a “create your own” feature so that account holders can upload their own recipes and even share them publicly.

SideChef co-founders Cadence Hardenbergh and Kevin Yu. Image Credits: SideChef

The app is free to download and now has over 20,000 “smart recipes” that users can filter by dietary preferences, ingredients you already have in your kitchen, cuisine or cook time. There is a monthly subscription of $4.99 that comes with a premium version providing recipes from SideChef culinary experts.

Prior to starting the company, Yu was a video game developer for eight years, working with Warcraft and Blizzard. He admits that he didn’t know how to cook at the time, but was curious if there was a step-by-step guide via an app that helped people cook. When SideChef launched in 2014, it was named “Best App of the Year for Google Play.”

“That was really big validation for us,” Yu told TechCrunch.

Following that, the company got its first seed round and built up its platform so that tablets, iPhone, Android and even smart home hubs can read off the step-by-step cooking instructions. Yu described it as “the start of the journey in which our mission is to allow anyone to be able to cook.”

However, there was a point where he realized that monetizing recipe users was not the same as video game users: chiefly that people are not going to go into the app and spend a bunch of money buying recipes. So, he went out looking for business models and saw how online grocery, though still low penetration, was becoming a trend.

“Our idea was to take the structured data we had, map out all the ingredients and send lasagna to you in a single click,” Yu added. “We know everything that they need, and the serving size, so we can match some of the grocery database to be able to send the right amount of pasta sauce or pasta.”

SideChef linked up with Instacart around 2016 for the grocery delivery and also went on to work with kitchen appliance makers like Sharp, GE and LG Electronics.

Those new business models have paid off: The company doubled its revenue growth three years in a row, boosted in part by the global pandemic, when Yu said more people started cooking at home.

At the same time, the smart kitchen side led the company to its previously unannounced Series A with LG and now another $6 million in Series B funding. The seed, Series A and Series B give SideChef a total of more than $16 million from institutional investors, including Ideate Ventures, AB Electrolux, Peacock Capital Group, V-ZUG AG, Ilion Capital, Empower Investment, Innolead Investment, LG Technology Ventures and KZone LLC.

The new funding enables SideChef to move into its next phase of growth that includes an end-to-end cooking platform supported by smart kitchen technologies like image recognition devices to allow automated cooking and further monetization of the platform, including online grocery purchasing, contextual marketing and data insights.

“I believe we have the most structured data format of a recipe in the world,” Yu said. “What started as teaching myself how to cook became kind of a ‘Rosetta Stone’ to connect the entire industry.”

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