[bluesman]

Frog Legs are a delicacy down here in Slower Delaware as is Snapper soup and Muskrat. I think they were originally a French delicacy. Frog likes taste very similiar to chicken wings. They say they are great on the grill although I haven't tried them that way yet.

[euge]

I've always preferred the smaller froglegs since the larger ones can be tough and full of tendons. But, frog tastes very similar to chicken. Better than chicken IMO...

[capozzoli]

A little Slovakian tonight.

Segaden Gulash with CZ dumplings.



Accompanied beautifully by thirstymonk's Rauch bier and Maibock.



Afterward we retired to the family room for some circa 1957 Slovakian cartoons.

[nicneufeld]

Accompanied beautifully by thirstymonks's Rauch bier and Maibock.

So the Maibock is in the sippycup then, right?

[capozzoli]

Yep, and thats just what I need after a few of his maibocks. I have to borrow it from the kid. Otherwise it spills all out and runs down my shirt and all, Awful waste,

[nicneufeld]

Hehe, yes those new sippy cups are ingenious, nothing like we had when we were kids.

In all seriousness I would love to get into Eastern European food, but usually when I start up a new ethnic cuisine I go to one of their restaurants first and expeience it first...in Kansas City, I don't think there are any eastern european restaurants, which is silly, because we have a pretty wide variety in general, for a midwest town.  We do have some of the best povitica, due to a pocket of Croatian/Slovenian immigrants, but I think you'd probably have to get invited to their home to enjoy the savory cooking, since they only commercially sell the povitica bread.  Which is good stuff, for the record!   Funny, when I google povitica it brings up KC companies in several of the first links...maybe a semi-local thing?

[capozzoli]

Eastern European food is easy, Well, I should say central European is easy, some Russian dishes get pretty involved.

But Polish, CZ, Slovakian, Hungarian. Very simple "less is more" type cooking. Lots of hearty stews. Lots of onions, smoked meats and sausages, sauerkraut and rendered pork fat, marjoram,caraway seeds and paprika.

There is a CZ dish that is one of my favorites.Its called svickova (svitch co va). Ill have to make that one soon.

[beerocd]

Funny, when I google povitica it brings up KC companies in several of the first links...maybe a semi-local thing?

I think it's the terminology that has you coming up short on searches. I looked on the wiki, "my people" call the potica - strudla, and what is commonly referred to as strudle is called "pita". There's no right or wrong, it's just maybe you can find it by calling it something else.

[nicneufeld]

Seems there are so numerous languages/cultures from eastern Europe, with so many shared dishes, that you can find a half dozen at least spellings for each dish, potica/povitica, for one.

[chumley]

Last night I made chana dal! It was dee-licious!

Here is the recipe I used (courtesy of aleman, with a tweak or two):

1 cup of dried chana dal beans (I got mine here: http://www.purcellmountainfarms.com/Chana%20Dal%20Beans.htm
1 can of Italian style tomatoes (basil and oregano flavored)
1 large yellow onion chopped
1 cup plain greek yogurt
6 cloves chopped garlic
3 TBS finely grated fresh ginger
2 diced serranos, seeded
1 tsp tumeric
¼ tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1 tsp of salt
¼ cup of olive oil

For the masala

1 tsp of whole pepper corns
1 bay leaf
1 TBS of whole coriander
3  whole cloves
½ tsp whole fenugreek
1.5 TBS of whole cumin
1/3 teaspoon of whole fennel seed

Soak the chana dal bean over night.
Pressure cook the soaked beans with the salt for 7 minutes, then mash them up any way you can, Immersion blender, tater masher, big spoon, etc.
Blend in the yogurt
Add the tomatoes
Add tumeric and nutmeg.
Fry the onions until brown reduce heat and stir in serranos, garlic and ginger until soft.
Add onions, serranos, garlic, and ginger to daal.

Put the masala ingredients into an iron skillet.  Toast over medium heat, stirring things around with the bay leaf. When you see whips of smoke coming up remove the masala from the heat. Place the masala in a coffee grinder, grind and add this to the daal.

Garnish with chopped cilantro, cashews, and a squirt of lime juice.

I served mine with naan and a cucumber-feta salad.

[capozzoli]

Chumley,

sounds like you were pretty close to Doubles there. Ever have Doubles?

[nicneufeld]

Looks like some serious turmeric in that naan!

Does it give a good flavor?  Most of my indian breads, leavened or not, are unseasoned unless stuffed paratha, but that looks kinda tasty...

[capozzoli]

The bread is actually called Barra. It is very similar to naan, kind of a mix between naan and pori.

It is spiced with turmeric, cumin, and kolongi. or whatever those black cumin seeds are called.

They are fried in about a half inch of oil. They are awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OV0-Lvr9zw

[nicneufeld]

So is it leavened like naan?  Most of the recipes in my books are unleavened...paratha, chapati, roti, puri, etc.  And I did misspeak, I do season all breads heavily with kalonji ("black onion seeds", nigella).  Those little seeds give a really great flavor, along with a brushing of ghee...

[euge]

That looks fantastic!

Found some interesting Indian dishes at world Market for $3.99 last week. Influenced by this thread I bought some for random quick meals. Far cheaper than what I spend at the cafeteria for lunch most days. Healthier I imagine. Vegan dishes by a brand called "Tasty Bite" and imported from India.

Had the Aloo Palak at work on Saturday. Tried to give me indigestion but a Rolaid fixed that. There's a spice element that I can only describe as faintly bitter. Not bad... Good on rice.




However, tonight I found these pouches at the local HEB for only $0.98!!!


I'm gonna have to start working on the bread now as well as making this stuff from scratch. Any good recipes for the bread?