Week 2: Latvia

Hmmm. Latvia. What is there to know about Latvia? Well, Latvians originated from the Latgalians, an eastern Baltic tribe. The country borders the Baltic Sea. It is slightly larger than West Virginia and has a population of 2,231,503. Latvia's government system is a parliamentary democracy. It's a pretty cool place.




















I'll be honest, the first thought that came to my head when I thought "Latvia" was "Russia." But Latvia is not Russia! Yes, they were once part of the Soviet Union, but not really by choice. Latvia was invaded by the Nazi's in 1935. They didn't get their independance back until 1991. That's a long time of oppression. Even before the Soviet Union, Latvia only experienced Independance for a short time. It was conquered multiple times by neighboring countries. Because of this, most Latvians were serfs or peasants. The food that they ate was cheap and long lasting. They ate a lot of leftovers. In fact, there is a Latvian crepe dish called Komm Morgan Wieder which translates to "Come Back Tomorrow." I won't be making this dish, but I thought it was pretty interesting. Their food also contained little or no spices because they were expensive to import. The food of Latvia has a lot of fat in it so that the peasants would have enough energy to make it through the day. This way of preparing food on the cheap created many traditional Latvian recipes.


I already have an idea of what I am going to prepare on Sunday. I'm actually quite grateful that the super fattening Latvian food will be what I am preparing this week. The first week of school really took it out of me. Maybe the fat will give me energy to make it through the second. . .

Week 1: Done!

K, so I made this meal last Wednesday and it is now Sunday evening and I am only now writing because this week was "Elsa is lazy and doesn't want to write anything because she is about to start school and will have to write a million things then," week.

Anyway, the meal was FANTASTIC! I adore Indonesia! So super tasty! And I am not the only one that thought so; my taste testers Justin, Spencer, Cody, Lucy, and Britney all agreed!

For the main course, I made Ajam Djahe Mannga, which is basically spicy ginger mango chicken, with sticky rice. It was served with a chile, tomato, ginger sauce that was like a volcano in your mouth, but a good volcano. Yum yum.

For dessert, I made Kue Kering. I know that sounds wildly exotic and awesome, but it was really just a nutmeg butter cookie. If you read my last post, you know that Indonesia was colonized by the Dutch and is the home of nutmeg. Hence, the tasty butter cookies. They crumble in your mouth "like chalk. . . in a good way," to quote Justin.

My first week was a delicious adventure! I would suggest that every one tries these recipes! I'm off to another country next week; can't wait!

http://www.indochef.com/indo_17.shtml

http://www.recipezaar.com/Nutmeg-Tea-Cookies-Kue-Kering-291322

Week 1: Indonesia

YAY! Happy New Year! And happy new resolution! I am writing a food blog, and as boring as that sounds, I PROMISE it will be beyond exciting! Welcome to the Exotic Food Experiment. I LOVE cooking. Love it! And, I love trying new things. So this experiment is the fusion of those two loves. I am way so super excited!

Ok, down to business. This week, the country I am visiting is. . . INDONESIA! A little background info on this beautiful country:

Indonesia is a country in Southeastern Asia. It comprises of 17,508 small islands! Only 6,000 are inhabited, but still! Indonesia was colonized by the Dutch in the 17th Century, and declared its Independence on August 14, 1945. It is the worlds 4th most populous country, the 3rd largest democracy, and has the world's largest population of Muslims. And, most importantly, it is beautiful!

Indonesia is known as "The Spice Island" in the culinary world. The spices nutmeg and clove are native to the island! Popular spice combinations are cinnamon, coriander,star anise, cumin, cardamom, and chili. Rice is a meal staple. In Indonesia, the food is a fusion of Chinese, European, Middle Eastern, and Indian tastes. How awesome is that!

I can't wait to cook my Indonesian meal! Whoot!