Salmorejo is a dish from the south of Spain. From the simplest of ingredients comes a delicious soup that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Using Spanish ingredients (such as sherry vinegar, Iberian ham (similar to Italian prosciutto) and Spanish olive oil) brings out the very best in this delightful Andalusian repast.

Spain, together with Portugal, forms the Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, which is separated from the rest of Europe by the Pyrenees Mountains. As a gateway between Europe and Africa, as well as the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, Spain has been much fought over throughout history. Various groups such as the Greeks, Celts, Romans and the Moors (Muslims from North Africa) have all occupied Spain. This long history of invasion is still evident in Spanish cuisine.

Due to this rich and varied history, food has become an integral part of Spanish culture, with each of Spain's regions home to a range of distinctive cuisines and flavors. Spain's culinary traditions rely on an abundance of locally grown vegetables and fruits, spices, nuts, as well as meats, poultry and fresh seafood.

In 2013, my junior year of college, I studied abroad with the CIEE Liberal Arts Program for a semester in the beautiful city of Seville, Spain in the Southern Andalucía region. In one of my classes, which focused on local culture, we were given an assignment to have our homestay families teach us about one of their favorite traditional Spanish recipes. Together, my host-mother and I went to the closest market to gather ingredients to make salmorejo.

Salmorejo is a cold tomato based soup, much like gazpacho, but with a richer, creamier texture. Originally from Cordoba, salmorejo is a typical Southern Spanish dish, and can be found in any home, restaurant or tapas bar in the region of Andalucía. The dish is typically served as a starter or first meal, and can be eaten simply as a soup, or mopped up with bread, or even spread onto a sandwich (bocadillo).

Recipes for salmorejo vary slightly depending on preference, but all contain the basic ingredients of tomatoes, bread, garlic, olive oil and vinegar. The dish is typically garnished with chopped hard-boiled egg and jamón Ibérico, a cured Spanish ham made from black Iberian pigs. It is worth noting that Spanish olive oil (aceite de oliva), as well as traditional Sherry vinegar (vinagre de Jerez) are incredibly delicious, and the dish will truly stand out if made with these traditional ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds or about 6-8 ripe tomatoes
• 1 clove of garlic
• ½ cup olive oil (Spanish is best!)
• 2 tsp. sherry vinegar
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 Small Baguette (slightly stale is best)

Garnishes (Guarniciones):

• Chopped hard-boiled egg
• Jamón Ibérico (Iberian Ham)
• Chopped onion
• Drizzle of olive oil

* Authentic Spanish ingredients can be purchased at the Patra Negra Market on Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach. Tell them we sent you!

Preparation:

1. Chop tomatoes and garlic coarsely.
2. Break bread into small pieces and soak in water.
3. Squeeze excess water from the soaked bread.
4. Blend tomatoes, garlic and bread in a blender (adding the bread piece by piece).
5. Blend until smooth (3 minutes or so).
6. Add in the olive oil and vinegar slowly and continue blending until the entire mixture reaches a smooth, creamy texture.
7. Chill the Salmorejo, then garnish before serving.

¡Buen Provecho!

Recipe and photo by Olivia Jelenik

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Haw Mok Pla comes from the central plains of Thailand. This dish has a unique taste because it is cooked in banana leaves. Haw Mok Pla is cooked in a steamer or it can be baked in an oven.

Thai cooking has changed quite a bit over the centuries and dishes vary from place to place but certain ingredients are employed widely and are considered essential. Fish sauce is used for saltiness. Palm sugar is used as a sweetener. Tamarind or lime is used to add sourness. It is highly desirable to use these ingredients rather than using salt, sugar or vinegar. Many Thai dishes use a variety of curry pastes (green, red, yellow, sour, Panang). These pastes can be made at home but some of the commercial versions are quite tasty. Similar dishes can be found in Cambodia and Laos. Some recipes call for the fish to be pureed with all the other ingredients, other recipes use small chunks for added texture. A very wide variety of fish can be used, this recipe uses Red Snapper fillets. Haw Mok can be eaten as an appetizer, as a meal (with rice) or at a food stall in Bangkok. In northern Thailand, the mouse is wrapped in the banana leaves like an eggroll and then grilled. Haw Mok Pla (ห่อหมก) is traditionally made in banana leaf cups that are held together by tooth-pick sized pieces or wood or bamboo; however, it is much easier (particularly with previously frozen leaves that are rather more brittle than fresh ones) and less messy to line a ramekin with the banana leaf. Ingredients that you might not find in a regular grocery store (like the fish sauce, red curry paste, banana leaves, palm sugar and Kaffir lime leaves) can be purchased at an Asian supermarket like 99 Ranch Market. If they don't have the Kaffir lime leaves, these can be obtained at Specialty Produce.

Haw Mok Pla is a layered dish. In cups made from banana leaves, herbs (or Napa cabbage) are placed at the bottom, the mousse mixture is spooned onto the herbs and then garnished with a bit more coconut cream, thinly sliced Thai chilies and very thinly sliced (chiffronaded) Kaffir lime leaves.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds of snapper fillet, diced
• 2 cups of coconut cream
• 3 tablespoons of Thai red curry paste
• 1 tablespoon Nam Pla fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons of powdered palm sugar (dark brown sugar may be substituted)
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
• 8 large Thai basil leaves
• several Thai chilies sliced lengthwise very thinly (see photo)
• several Kaffir lime leaves sliced very thinly

For Salad:

• 1 large cucumber
• 2 shallots
• 1 dozen cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons of lime juice
• 1 tablespoon of Nam Pla fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon of sugar

Preparation:

1. Cut four 8" rounds from a banana leaf and rinse them in tap water.
2. Line the interior of the 4 ramekins with the banana leaf rounds, pleating the edges.
3. Reserve a quarter cup of the coconut cream in a small bowl.
4. Add the remainder of the two cups of coconut cream to a mixing bowl.
5. Add the curry paste, fish sauce, palm sugar, 2 eggs (without their shells!) and cornstarch to the coconut cream and mix until all of the curry paste is completely dissolved.
6. Add the fish to the bowl and mix gently.
7. Place 2 Thai basil leaves into the banana leaf lined ramekins.
8. With a slotted spoon, add the fish, in equal amounts, to the four ramekins.
9. Fill the ramekins with the remaining liquid from the mixing bowl.
10. Place a dollop of coconut cream on top of the filled ramekins.
11. Artistically arrange the chiffronded lime leaves and chilies on top.
12. Fill a large pot (large enough to fit the 4 ramekin) 1 1/2" deep with water.
13. Place the pot on the stove and arrange the ramekins in the pot.
14. Bring the water to a boil, cover the pot and reduce the heat.
15. Steam the Haw Mok Pla for 20 minutes
16. Remove the ramekins from the pot with tongs, dry the outside of the ramekins with a towel and serve with Jasmine rice.

Thai Salad:
Slice a cucumber lengthwise in quarters. Cut out the seed-filled center and then slice the remaining cucumber thinly. Slice the shallots thinly. Slice a dozen cherry tomatoes in half. Place all ingredients in a serving bowl. Make a dressing with fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Pour dressing over salad and toss.

Recipe and photo by: T. Johnston-O'Neill

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Yayla Çorbası is a savory yogurt and rice soup that is eaten throughout Turkey. It is very easy to prepare and the dried mint imparts a unique taste.

Soups are very popular in Turkey and come in many different varieties. This yogurt based soup, Yayla Çorbasi, which translates as "Meadow Soup", has its origins in the mountains in Turkey. It was mainly "drunk" (as you would say in Turkish) by the shepherds and their families. It is now regularly enjoyed throughout Turkey, both in small villages and large cities and is consumed for breakfast or as a complete meal. Although it is a winter favorite, it is offered throughout the year in homes and restaurants and is also a very popular street food. Like chicken soup in other cultures, Turkish folk beliefs contend that it has curative powers. Although it is often referred to as a soup because of the rice, it is more akin to a porridge.

The type of rice used in Yayla Çorbasi varies from recipe to recipe, with some calling for long-grain Basmati rice and others suggesting shorter grain rice. Whole grain rice will impart a slight nutty taste to the soup. Most recipes use rice, but barley, chickpeas or bulgur can also be used. When boiled, yogurt will separate and curdle and the soup will become thin. Therefore, you should add the yoghurt at the very end, heating it, but not to the point of a boil. The recipe below uses flour and egg which prevent the yogurt from curdling. Some versions use paprika while others use chili flakes for an extra kick. Turkish yogurt and dried mint can be purchased at the Balboa International Market.

Ingredients:

• 5 cups water, or vegetable or chicken/beef stock
• 1 cup rice
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup dried mint
• 2 teaspoons of paprika
• 1/3 teaspoon chili flakes

Preparation:

1. Bring the water or stock to boil in saucepan.
2. Add rice, turn down to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
3. Combine the yogurt, flour, egg yolk in a bowl and beat until smooth (the flour and egg yolks stabilize the yogurt and keep it from curdling).
4. In a separate pan, saute the dried mint and paprika in the olive oil.
5. Gently sauté the dried mint and paprika for a minute or so, but don't let the butter burn!
6. Adding a quarter of a cup at a time, mix the remaining hot stock to the yoghurt.
7. Mix the mixture into the rice and heat for another 5 minutes (avoid boiling!).
8. Serve in bowls. Sprinkle top with chili flakes

Afiyet olsun!

Photo and recipe by T. Johnston-0'Neill
Recipe suggested by Henriette Ruhrmann

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Bacalhau Que Nunca Chega is a cod, potato, and egg dish originates in Portugal but is very popular in Brazil as well. The literal English translation of this dish's name is, "Never enough cod". Popular in Brazil, the dish is of Portuguese origin. Legend has it that Portuguese King Carlos I unexpectedly returned from a battle and demanded to be fed. Surprised by the arrival of the king, the royal chef had scarce provisions in the castle. He did, however, have some salted cod (cod preserved in salt), some ham, a few onions and some potatoes. The King and the Royal Court were so impressed with the dish that, much to the chagrin of the cook, they demanded it again and again. Exasperated, the cook cried, "There is never enough cod!".

Cod dishes like Bacalhau Que Nunca Chega are particularly popular during Good Friday and Easter celebrations when eating fish is a religious tradition amongst Catholics. It is also a common dish in many of the more upscale restaurants in São Paulo.

For centuries cod and other fish have been preserved in salt, as this was the only way for it to survive the long boat journey back to shore. With modern refrigeration and quicker modes of transportation, this is no longer necessary. However, in Portugal and Brazil, salted cod is still the norm. In both countries, shredded cod comes in packs that don't need refrigeration or can be bought in large strips from supermarkets and delis. To make it palatable, salted cod needs to be soaked in several changes of water for one or two days. However, due to the unavailability of salt cod here in the US, this recipe uses fresh or thawed cod available everywhere.

The recipe also calls for deep fried shoestring potatoes. You can either cut the potatoes with a knife, use a mandolin grater with a julienne feature or shred the potato. As the photo shows, the potatoes are cut rather thinly. They resemble riced potatoes, but they are cut raw and then fried before being added to the dish.

Ingredients:

1. Wash and peel the potatoes.
2. Cut the potato using a method of your choice.
3. Deep fat fry the potatoes until lightly brown and crispy.
4. Drain the potatoes on a paper towel.
5. Boil the cod for five minutes and then remove the cod and set it aside to cool.
6. Shred the cod with your fingers or a fork.
7. Heat the olive oil in a saute or frying pan.
8. Brown the onions and 4 cloves of garlic.
9. Nix in the cod an paprika to pan.
10. Cover the pan and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
11. In another frying pan, fry the prosciutto in a little oil until crisp.
12. Add the remaining 2 garlic cloves and cook until brown.
13. Slightly beat the eggs.
14. In the pan with the cod, mix all the ingredients (except the parsley) and cook until the eggs are lightly cooked. Do not overcook; you want the potato sticks to remain crisp.
15. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with chopped parsley and serve

Recipe and photo by Flavia Ferraretto
Her blog (in Portuguese) can be found here: www.eventos-inventos.blogspot.com

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