6/23: USA v Algeria, Slovenia v England, Australia v Serbia, Ghana v Germany

While Algeria is unlikely to make it to the next round, their cuisine is here to stay in my kitchen. Even though France has the nasty habit of poaching off Algeria’s best football players (Zinedine Zidane, need I say more?), Algeria is playing much better than the country they gained independence from a few decades ago. In retaliation, Algerian cuisine tends to borrow as heavily from French cooking as France does from Algeria’s football talent. A fascinating blend of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, Algerian foods create dishes similar to my Spanish favorites but with intricate layers of spices more suited to my chile-loving New Mexican palate. Today we prepare a traditional North African Tagine with Merguez, Algeria's well-renowned lamb sausage. Typically served with khabz, an Arabic flatbread, we chose the Serbian version, Lepinja, as we move into the Round of Leftovers.
An Australian Chardonnay, such as the Grosset Piccadilly with its generously buttery notes of melon and peach, enhances the complex flavors of the Tagine while taking the edge off the spice.
Algerian Merguez Tagine 
If you cannot find Berbere spice blend, you can make your own by grinding equal parts chile, ginger, cloves, coriander, allspice and cardamom. It is a wonderful spice blend to have in the pantry for use in everything from marinades to popcorn.
1 lb Merguez, thickly sliced
3 cloves garlic
1 large onions cut into chunks
2 tsp Berbere spice blend
1/2 tsp Turmeric
Pinch of saffron threads
2 Yukon potatoes cut into chunks
2 carrots cut into chunks
1 C vegetable stock
1/2 C white wine
1 cinnamon stick
1 can cooked chickpeas
1/4 C dried apricots
1/4 C dried dates
Oven: 400F. 
Sauté the Merguez in oil to brown, then add the onions and cook until golden. Add the spices and simmer until fragrant, ~3 min. Add the vegetables and sauté a few minutes. Add the stock, wine, chickpeas and fruit. Cook 1 hr, adding liquid, water or stock, if necessary.
For Lepinja, see Sunday 6/13 for Serbia v Ghana.


Germany v Ghana
When someone suggested I make a German Chocolate Cake for today's game, I giggled and explained that it would be more representative of Team USA than Team Germany as the recipe originated in 1950's Texas and was named after a certain Englishman of the surname German who happened to create the ever popular supermarket baking chocolate. Though derived from German's Baker's Chocolate Cake, the 's was dropped and many a potluck was graced with its presence. The Black Forest Cake, on the other hand, or Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, is purely German, originating in the Black Forest region of Germany known for its sour cherries and the cherry liqueur known as Kirschwasser. I've never prepared a Black Forest Cake as I'm not a fan of the cherry topping, but when the idea of mixing this classic German pastry with a traditional Ghanian dessert came to be, I figured I'd give it a go.
Schwarzwälder Ghanatorte

Prepare the cake:
4 eggs, separated
1/4 tsp salt
1 C sugar, sifted
1 C plain flour
1 T cocoa powder
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp baking soda
Oven: 350F
Grease a 9 in round springform pan. Sift flour, cocoa, cream of tartar and soda. Beat whites and salt until foamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff peaks. Beat in yolks one at a time. Fold in dry ingredients gently in batches. Bake for ~35-40 min.      Photo: Photobucket Lotsacravings
Bananas Ghana
8 bananas, sliced
1/4 C brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 C orange juice
3 T Apricot Brandy
Blend the sugar and cinnamon. Dip the bananas in the cinnamon sugar until well coated. Place in a casserole and cover with orange juice and brandy. Bake at 350F for 20 min. Top with shredded coconut and sour cream sweetened with brown sugar.
Ganache:
1/2 C dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 C cream
Warm the cream in a saucepan over very low heat then add and melt the chocolate until smooth. Let cool to room temperature. Beat until soft and pale.
Crème Chantilly:
2 C cream
3 T sugar
1 1/2 T Apricot Brandy
Beat cream, sugar and kirsch until stiff.
Assembly:
Cut the cake into three layers. Brush each layer with brandy. Then layer alternate rings of ganache and Bananas Ghana. Repeat with the next layer. Place the final cake layer on top and coat the top with ganache. Frost the sides of the cake with Crème Chantilly and pipe rosettes along the rim of the top. Decorate with bananas and chocolate curls.

HEY! We've seen that cuisine before! 

Cook the foods of today's competing countries using other recipes: try A Serbian-Slovenian take on German Käsespätzle, an Algerian twist on the English Ploughman's or Bacon brownie cupcakes from the USA or indulge in a Texas Peach Pie al English mode. Experience an exotic Algerian Tagine served with Serbian flatbreads and satisfy your sweettooth with our unusual Ghanian spin on Germany's Black Forest Cake or Enjoy the ultimate Australian feast by grilling Kangaroo. We topped off Serbian cevap on a bed of Ghanian Jollof rice with our pairing of Slovenian potica with Algerian mint tea and put a taste of Germany in an old English classic with Gurkensalat Tea Sandwiches. As we get deeper into the tournament, it's time to bring out the leftovers, mix & match, and let the fusion menus run wild like a frenzied North Korean defense.

Prefer to eat out instead? Our Dining Guide tells you where and why.

6/18: Germany v Serbia, Slovenia v USA, England v Algeria

Only one week into the World Cup Food Challenge and the kitchens are filled to the brim! After today, each team in the tournament will have played at least once and we can officially begin to use leftovers. Today's menu uses leftover ćevapčići from the weekend's Serbia v Ghana game, incorporating the Balkan meatballs into a traditional Käsespätzle, the German take on mac 'n cheese. To accompany our Serbian/Slovenian German Mac 'n Cheese, we felt it'd be best to stick with something a bit light. Trying to find light and flavorful British fare, however, proved to be one of the toughest tasks of our endeavor; blending that British dish with Algerian flavor, even more so. We settled on an unlikely dish: An Algerian Ploughman's. Our take on the classic English Ploughman's spices up the working man's lunch box considerably.

To make life easier on us since it is Friday and all, ćevapčići also happen to be one of the national dishes of Slovenia.

Serbian-Slovenian Käsespätzle

2 C AP Flour
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1/2 C milk
4 T Butter
2 C shredded Emmantaler
1 onion
Leftover Serbian ćevapčići

Prepare the Spaetzle: Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together eggs and milk. Pour the milk into the dry ingredients and knead until smooth. Preheat oven to 350 F. Boil a large pot of salted water. Next you will have to cut pieces of the dough into the water - either using a spaetzle press, potato masher or even a cheese grater with large wholes. The dough is quite sticky though, so make sure to flour your chosen tool. Once the dough floats to the top, it is done.
Assemble the dish: Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a casserole dish. Toss with butter, cheese, and cevapici. Bake 15 min. or until cheese is melted. While baking, fry the onions until dark gold. Top Spaetzle with onions to serve.

Algeria vs. England

The Ploughman's is a cold meal composed of a slab of cheese, a pickle (actually what Americans would call relish or chutney), crusty bread, a salad and a beer. Algerians, particularly fond of salads and possessing a passionate affinity for fennel, provided an easy recipe to add a burst of bright, crisp flavors to our Ploughman's. I got lost exploring Algerian cuisine through the site of Chef Zadi, a French born Algerian who is literally writing the book on Algerian cuisine, lending French technique to the cause. A complex interplay of European and Arab influences with unusually French styles, Algerian cooking is fascinating and we'll be sure to visit it again next week.
Harissa is a hot chili paste that is commonly found in North African cooking but can also be purchased in Middle Eastern stores. Typically made from piri piri and Tunisian hot red peppers, the flavors are not unlike those of New Mexican and Guajillo peppers that may be easier to find state-side, depending on your access to a Middle Eastern grocer. Houstonians can find a variety of harissas at Phoenicia.

For the salad:

1 fennel, the bulb sliced and remainder shredded

1 onion, sliced thinly

1 blood orange

Olive oil, preferably Algerian

Cut the orange in half and squeeze out the juice from one end. Whisk the juice with a splash of oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss the fennel and endive with the orange dressing and let sit in the fridge for at least one hour. The juices will start to cook the onion. To serve, cut the remaining half of the orange into wedges and arrange atop the salad.

The "Pickle" (relish or chutney): Harissa 

10-12 dried red chili peppers (add a red bell pepper for less spice)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Soak the dried chilies in hot water for 30 minutes, drain and remove stems and seeds (keep a bit of seed if you like things really spicy). Combine in a food processor with remaining spices. Add olive oil until the sauce is a nice, smooth consistency and salt and pepper to taste. It will keep for at least a month in the refrigerator.

The Crusty Bread: Algerian Bouzgene Berber bread
1 lb semolina

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups water

2 tbsp. olive oil

olive oil for frying

Coarsely mix the semolina, salt and 2 T oil, then gradually add water - kneading until the dough is no longer sticky. Shape the dough into four balls and roll each ball into a flat round ~1/4 in. thick. Fry each round until dark spots appear, then flip and repeat. You can also bake the pita at 375F until it stops puffing.

The Beer: Never one to recommend an English beer, my plan is to honor Germany here with a rich, malty Dunkel like the Flensburger.

USA vs. Slovenia

Slovenia addressed earlier in the menu, we could have left out the USA on this one but were inspired by this trio of three beloved American dishes - bacon, brownies and cupcakes. Crossing over two quintessential American desserts, we bake our brownie dough in cupcake pans. This allows us to make a spectacularly fudge-like dough but still achieve the crisp of a more cake-like brownie.

Bacon Brownie Cupcakes
4 oz unsweetened chocolate

1 oz sweetened chocolate

8 T butter

1/2 C sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 C AP Flour

2 T cocoa (not Dutch-processed)

4 strips bacon

Oven: 350F. 
Grease a standard muffin pan (we like jumbo but not mini, they'll get to crispy).

Fry the bacon, remove and pat dry. The bacon should be crispy but without char- any chunks of fat that are still white should be discarded. Melt the unsweetened chocolate and butter in a double broiler. Cool slightly, then whisk in the sugar and salt. Add the eggs, one at a time. Sift the flour and cocoa together, then combine with the chocolate. Stir in the pieces of bacon and chocolate. Bake ~30 min., making sure to allow brownie cupcakes to cool before removing.
Note: I use El Rey chocolate whenever possible.Whatever you use, remember that the end result will greatly reflect the quality of the chocolate. The same applies to the bacon. Artisan dry-cured bacon takes these brownies to new levels. Houstonians can purchase Grateful Bread bacon at local farmer's markets. 

Prefer to eat out instead? Our Houston Dining Guide tells you where and why.

6/13: Serbia v Ghana, Slovenia v Algeria

The Cevap is the official snack of Serbia, typically served on lepinja flatbreads, a recipe we've included below. They are bit like meatballs, a bit like gyro meat, but have a distinct Balkan flavor that comes from the lamb and paprika. Today we serve them on a bed of traditional Ghanian rice.
Potica is a traditional Slovenian holiday dish served as a meal or a snack. These thin filled rolls of dough can be served with everything from bacon and eggs to ice cream and cheese, warm or cold. Prefer to order yours online? The Prebonich Family of the Italian Bakery in Virginia, Minnesota will ship Potica to anywhere in the world. Order at potica.com. Travel to the Middle East or Northern Africa and you will be offered ample tea. It's scandalous not to offer tea or coffee to guests! Mint tea is particularly popular in Northern Africa where it is sweetened with honey and often taken with goat's milk.

ćevapčići 
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 lb ground lamb
1 lb ground beef
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 T sweet Hungarian paprika
Sauté the onion and garlic in oil until soft. Meanwhile, mix lamb, beef, egg and spices in a bowl. When ready, add the onion and mix well. Shape into small cylinders and refrigerate for at least 1 hr before grilling.

Lepinja (Serbian Flat Bread)
2 1/4 C Bread flour
4 tsp active dry yeast
1 T sugar
1/2 T salt
4 T warm water
2 T warm milk
Let yeast stand in warm water with sugar and salt until dissolved and foamy. Once nice and frothy, add the warm milk and knead until no longer sticky. Cover and proof until it about doubles in size. Divide dough into 8 balls, shape into disks and bake on a baking stone (or cookie sheet if you don't have one) at 400F for ~30 min until golden brown.

Jollof rice
2 T coconut/vegetable oil/butter (scoop the top solids from a can of coconut milk)
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tomatoes
~½ of fresh chili (yellow peppers such as the adjuma are commonly used in Africa, but an habanero will do)
1 T tomato paste
2 T curry powder
2 teaspoons dried thyme
3 C long grain rice or basmati rice
~2 C stock (vegetable, chicken or meat)
Sauté the chopped onion in oil/butter until soft, then add the garlic, tomatoes and chili. Simmer the tomatoes, breaking down into a sauce, until most liquid is gone. Pour in the rice and brown. Add paste and seasonings. Slowly add the stock as needed, simmering, until the rice is fluffy and has absorbed all the liquid ~15 min.

Slovenian potica with Algerian Etzai (honeyed mint tea)

Potica

Dough:
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 C milk, lukewarm
4T + 1 tsp sugar
5C + 3 T AP flour
1 C butter
6 egg yolks
1 1/3 C milk
Filling:
1 cup butter, melted
12 ounces honey
2 cups raisins
1 1/2 pounds chopped walnuts
1 pinch ground cinnamon
Oven: 350F
Lightly grease one large baking sheet. Dissolve yeast in 4 T warm milk and stir in 1 tsp sugar and 3 T flour. Cream 1 C butter with 4 T sugar, add yolks and then yeast. Add 5 C sifted flour, 1 1/3 cup milk and a pinch of salt. Beat dough for 10 minutes or until bubbles form. Cover with flour and let rise 2 hours.
Cut dough in half and roll out each half as thin as possible on floured surface. Spread with melted butter, honey, raisins, walnuts and cinnamon. Roll up like jelly roll, place on baking sheet, allow to rise and then bake for one hour.        Photo: GuidetoSlovenia.com

Etzai (Mint Tea)

1 1/1 T green tea

Handful of fresh mint leaves

You can use a tea pot, tea spoon or french press to steep the mint and tea. Sweeten to taste with honey.

Prefer to eat out instead? Our Houston Dining Guide tells you where and why.