Until I researched Brazil for you, my dear readers, it was never a country I wanted to visit in the slightest, simply because I was so terrified of looking like an ugly duck amongst what I hear are the most beautiful women in the world (I'm looking at you, Gisele).

So pretty I can't even dislike her.

That may still very well be true, but in researching the country I quickly came to realize that it has much more to offer than bikinis and beaches (although I'm sure they don't hurt the Brazilian tourism business!).

Put simply, Brazil is cool. Well, actually, it's probably pretty hot and moist, since much of it is covered in rainforest, but you get my point.

Take, for example, this tidbit of knowledge: Brazil is the fifth largest country both in size and population (thanks, Wikipedia!), and it is the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas.

Ah, I can see you are not easily impressed.

How about this: Brazil's colonial name under the Portuguese was "Land of the Holy Cross." Yeah, didn't ring to me, either. European sailors and merchants who traveled there came to call it "Land of Brazil," thanks to the braziltrees that grew along the coast. The genius that is Wikipedia also reports that sailors often referred to it as "Land of the Parrots." Now that's a name I could work with.

Not doing it for you?

This one surprised me: Brazil has the largest Roman Catholic following in the world; more than 70% of the population profess the Catholic faith. 

It's amazing to think that Brazil was colonized in 1500 and only gained its independence in 1822. It's easy to forget sometimes, when you're used to the American history timeline, how old these places really are. Imagine this: the first Jamestown settlers didn't set food onto North American soil until more than 100 years after the Portuguese colonized the vast country of Brazil.

Brazil isn't solely a copy of Portuguese culture, however; their traditions are influenced by other European cultures, indigenous peoples' traditions, and even African customs (a fact that recalls Brazil's past of using African slaves to harvest sugar).

Brazilian cuisine is very unique, too. This week, I'm going to try Pao de Queijo, a Brazilian cheesy bread that they apparently enjoy for breakfast or snacks.

Wish me luck! Results of this adventure are coming soon.

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Pardon me, but how do you say "I'm lost" in your country?

Well, folks, it looks like I've steered us off course.

According to my handy travel itinerary I posted a few weeks ago, we're supposed to be celebrating the flavors of Mexico this week! And I've got us in Cuba and Brazil.

I guess that's why it's always good to do a trial run before actually venturing out to actually visit these places!

So please, excuse the whoops and we'll plan on heading to Mexico next week. It's going to be fun; I went there with family over Christmas and--well, I'd better save the stories until next week.

Until then, we're off to Brazil!

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An Evening in Havana

Our travels this week have taken us to Cuba, and this was a big challenge for Matt and me. After a great deal of recipe searching, we finally settled on the Cuban sandwich.

Matt's a picky eater, and I found that even the Cuban sandwich was a stretch for him. The arguable ingredient? Pickles. I mean, who doesn't like pickles?!

This guy >>

(Don't mind the unkempt, sweaty me next it him...I'd just finished a 10k race and he made me take a picture.)

Pickles aside, he was a trooper, and we went ahead with the Cuban sandwich plan.

The Cuban sandwich, or cubano, is a favorite in Cuba and south Florida alike. The Cuban uses Cuban bread, which is a mythical sweet bread that exists only where the temperature dips no lower than 70 degrees, palm trees wave in the tropical breeze, and bikinis are not only an acceptable type of clothing, but a lifestyle.

In other words, I couldn't find it anywhere in Lincoln, Nebraska, so I ended up using a good old French boule slices. So sue me.

The Cubano
Cuban bread (or French or Italian bread)
Swiss cheese
Ham
Roasted pork
Pickles (I used dill slices)
Mustard or mayonnaise

1. Ingredients, ASSEMBLE!!!
 

The key, though, to a really tasty Cuban sandwich is the press. After they've assembled their sandwiches, Cubans love the good old "smash and eat" technique. Sort of like a panini, but Havana-fied.

This is where I panicked. I don't have a panini press. I don't even have a brick to wrap in foil and place on top the sandwich in a pan. I seriously thought about it.

But then, the clouds parted, the angels sang, and Matt pulled out our George Foreman grill, the "Lean Mean Grilling Machine," which he ironically uses to grill processed mystery meat hot dogs.

It was grilled deliciousness for the Cuban sammy. So, once you've got your sandwich assembled, throw it on your Foreman grill and smash 'er down until you hear the bread and ham crisping up and crackling, or as I like to call it, heaven's music.

When your sandwich is all golden brown, crispy, and sufficiently squished, cut it in half and behold the Cuban perfection.

Three words: OM. NOM. NOM.

To add to the experience, we made daquiris and Matt pulled out some cigars from when we got married. We didn't smoke them, and I don't even think they're Cubans, but it sure was fun to kick up our feet and pretend we were enjoying the sunset at some Cuban restaurant.

Perhaps sometime in the future we'll get to try that, but for now it's Foreman grill-smashed Cubans with French boule from Betsey's kitchen.

Ah. Otra vez.

¡Hasta luego!

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The Grad Student's Vacation: Making Caribbean Food at Home

For those of you who haven't been watching the news or weather lately, we Midwesterners have been dealing with a little storm the media has called "Q." I still don't really know why, so if you can enlighten me, please comment.

So, because Matt and I are not fond of being holed up inside while the snow comes down around us, we decided to take a vacation.

Yes, a vacation.

But don't get too excited. We're students, so we had to get a bit creative. Instead of packing our bags, slathering sunscreen on our noses and heading out for a Jamaican cruise, Matt and I headed for the store and picked up some ingredients for Caribbean chicken. We grabbed a Red Stripe for good measure.

Oh, you were expecting an actual vacation? You didn't know we're poor?

But as I always say, "Just because you're poor doesn't mean you can't live richly."

So we did.

I got so excited about cooking my own freestyle Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Mango Lime Rice that I forgot to take a picture of my ingredients. Whoops. But let me make a go at remembering them...


Betsey's Jamaican Jerk Chicken
As many boneless, skinless chicken breasts as you feel like eating
1 c. Jamaican jerk marinade, plus extra for basting (I used Lawry's)

1. Marinate your chicken breasts for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
2. Set your oven to broil, and place your marinated chicken breasts on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Broil chicken on each side for about 7 minutes, or until cooked through. While it's broiling, you can continue to baste the chicken with more marinade, if that's your style. You go ahead and baste. I won't judge you.

Yes, those are carrot spears on top. I got fancy.

Mango Lime Rice
Instant brown or white rice
Chicken broth or water
1 T. canola oil
1 mango, peeled and diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
Juice of 1 lime 
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Make your rice according to package directions, using either chicken broth or water.
2. Heat canola oil over medium heat and add mango, onion, and green pepper and sauté for about 2 minutes.
3. Throw your lime juice and cooked rice into the mix and heat everything through. Season to taste.



Pour yourself a Caribbean cocktail or a cold glass of Red Stripe, close your eyes, and image you're on a white sand beach somewhere in the Caribbean, soaking up the sun and not in this:

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Cajun Cookin': Jambalaya and Beignets (well, sort of)

I have something to confess. I lied to you all, and I'm sorry.

I promised you etouffee...and I made jambalaya instead. My bad. I hope you'll forgive me.

And I guess you should also know something else about me: I don't do recipes. I'm kind of a free style chef. Sometimes I'll see a dish that I like at a restaurant or on TV and try to recreate it, sans recipe. Other times, I'll just go to my pantry and create something from what I have. And when you're cooking on a grad student's budget, sometimes you have to be a bit creative.

Ingredients for my jambalaya, sans the container of Cajun seasoning.

So tonight, I decided to make jambalaya. It's one of those recipes that I turn to often because if you just want a good old hearty, inexpensive dish, it's perfect. Plus, it's Cajun.

As is typical of me, I never use a recipe. I just go with the flow. C'est la vie.

I used a sweet potato, onion, and green pepper as my veggies. I know, I know, you're probably thinking putting sweet potato in jambalaya is weird, but it's one of the few veggies Matt will eat, so I put it in everything.

Here's the sort-of recipe for my jambalaya:



Pseudo-Cajun Jambalaya
1 green pepper, diced
1 sweet potato (mine was a biggun', so I just used half)
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 can petite diced tomatoes
1/4 c. chicken or beef broth
2 c. instant brown rice (I prepared mine in a microwave rice cooker)
1 chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 links chicken sausage, chopped into bite-sized pieces (I had sweet apple chicken sausage on hand, so that's what I used)
Olive oil
Cajun spices or seasoning

1. In a large pan or Dutch oven, heat about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and throw in your chicken and sausage. Season with whatever spices tickle your fancy.

2. Once the meat is cooked through, throw in your veggies and cook until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender (I undercooked mine just a tidge, since I like just a little bit of crunch to it).

3. Throw in your rice and your chicken or beef broth and let all the flavors hang out together for about 10 minutes. Then enjoy! Make sure to make enough for leftovers; this is one of those dishes that tastes better the next day, after the flavors have had some time to hang out and get to know each other a little better.


What you end up with is a big, hearty, delicious pile of pseudo-Cajun goodness.

And because no true Southern meal is complete without something fried, I finished off the meal with French Quarter Beignets. I took a recipe from the Food Network's Semi-Homemade domestic goddess herself, Sandra Lee, and modified it a bit. For any true Cajuns reading this, I hope you understand my ineptness about frying foods and forgive my shortcut of using canned dough.

You see, I hate frying things. Loathe it, in fact. It's not that I hate fried foods, really, but I just don't particularly like the greasy, sort-of-stinky, hot, dangerous mess that is frying foods in a pan. But for you, dear readers, I did it anyway.

French Quarter Beignets (a la Nebraska) 
1 container buttermilk biscuits
Vegetable oil
Nutella or other hazelnut and chocolate spread
Powdered sugar
Paper towels...lots and lots of paper towels

1. Open the container of biscuits and separate  into individual biscuits.
2. Flatten each biscuit into a disc about four inches in diamater.
3. Drop a dollop of Nutella into the center of each biscuit.
4. Bring the edges of each biscuit together and roll into a ball in your hands, making sure there are no open edges.
5. Put about 3/4 in. vegetable oil into a medium fry pan and bring to medium/medium high heat (about 375 degrees Farenheit).
6. Drop your biscuits into the hot oil, making sure not to crowd them.
7. Cook biscuits (beignets) about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until nice and golden brown.
8. Take out the beignets and place them on a paper towel-lined cookie sheet to help soak up some oil. Take some time to reflect on how many miles it will take to burn off this fried deliciousness.
9. When the beignets are no longer oily, dust them with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
10. Go into a sugar coma.

I've already eaten three beignets. I should be ashamed, but I'm too happy from this fried Heaven to feel the shame now.

Until next time!

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A Primer on Cajun History and the Story of Evangeline

Bienvenue à la Nouvelle Orléans!

As a primer for our adventure into Cajun/Creole cuisine, I wanted to give you all a tiny bit of background on the history and rich culture of the area.

As an undergrad, a large part of my studies were in the French department (I wish I could have stayed longer!), and a significant portion of that was spent studying North American francophone culture and history. Fun, huh?

I loved learning about the history of French speakers in North America, and especially those we call “Cajuns” or “Creoles.” And there’s a difference.

But for now, let’s focus on the culture, history, and enduring spirit of the Cajun people.

The Cajun Flag

“Cajun” is actually an English language interpretation of the word “Cadien,” which is short for “Acadien,” meaning someone from Acadie. Acadie (English: Acadia) was a French settlement in Canada (around New Brunswick and Quebec). The thriving French colony’s prosperity was cut short when the English arrived in the early 1700s. “The Great Expulsion” of the Acadiens by the English was nothing short of horrifying: families split apart and sent away from their home into an unsure New World.

Les Acadiens settled in what is now Louisiana, and developed their own unique culture, music (Zydeco), cuisine, and dialect (Cajun French). Click the video below to check out some toe-tappin' Zydeco music.

One of my very favorite pieces from my courses on North American francophones was the story of Evangéline, the Acadian girl who was preparing for her wedding to Gabriel when the English split the lovers apart, sending Gabriel away on a ship.

The folk story, made a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, has since become ingrained in Cajun/Acadien culture.

It’s a beautiful story; Evangéline searches her entire life for Gabriel, traveling “toute l’Amerique” (all over America) to find him. She becomes a nun who tends to the old and feeble, and as an elderly woman comes to the care of a failing old man. As he dies, she learns that she had finally found her Gabriel, who dies in her arms.

Kleenex, please.

Perhaps my very favorite rendition of the story comes from a song by French-Canadian singer Marie-Jo Thério. It gets me every time.

Are you bawling yet?

No worries; this weekend, we're making étouffée and beignets (French donuts). And in my opinion, there's nothing better than a good ol' deep fried donut to drown your sorrows.

Until then, laissez les bons temps rouler!

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Our Travel Itinerary

 

Me and my husband, Matt

Okay, so you’re probably wondering where we’re going to be going on this culinary adventure. In preparing for this blog, I consulted my husband, Matt, who will be my right-hand man on this project (what I mean by that is the poor guy has to eat the food I’m going to be making). He’s also a history buff, and his studies are focused on China, so he’ll be a huge help when we get there.

But pack your bags! We’re going to be traveling a lot in this eleven-week travel itinerary I’ve put together:

Week 1 (Feb. 15-Feb. 23):                 Cajun Cuisine and the Caribbean

Week 2 (Feb. 24-March 2):               Mexico!

Week 3 (March 3-March 9):             Cuba and Brazil

Week 4 (March 10-March 16):         Spain

Week 5 (March 17-March 23):         France

Week 6 (March 24-March 30):         Italy

Week 7 (March 31-April 6):             Germany and the Czech Republic

Week 8 (April 7-April 13):                Russia

Week 9 (April 14-April 20):              Korea

Week 10 (April 21-April 27):            China

Week 11 (April 28-May 4):                Thailand

My incredibly impressive world map of our eleven weeks of travel.

Phew! I figure that, after eleven weeks, we’ll probably all be ready for a big, greasy burger and some fries. But for now, prepare yourselves for a worldwide adventure, plate by plate.

Throughout our journey, I’ll be posting about each country’s cuisine, with bits of culture, history, music, and language sprinkled in. I hope you’ll all chime in if you find something interesting or have some of your own travel experiences to share.

The good news is, for the first few days, you won’t need to pack your bags and sunscreen quite yet, because in honor of Mardi Gras, we’re heading down to New Orleans.

...On second thought, you’d better pack some Purell.

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Welcome aboard a food, travel, and culture blogging adventure!

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I’m glad you’re here! I’m Betsey, and I’ll be your tour guide on this weekly journey of food, travel, and culture. Each week, we’ll journey to a different country and explore its rich culture by digging into its best dishes.

But first, let me introduce myself.

Hello, my name is Betsey, and I am a foodie. Not the snobbish, uppity, I-only-eat-in-three-star-or-above-Michelin-rated-restaurants type, but more of the I-love-to-stuff-my-face-with-good-food-because-it-makes-me-feel-like-a-real-American type. I grew up with a Czech Grandma who cooked armies of kolaches and dumplings, and since I was in diapers I watched my super mom of a mother bustle around the kitchen. She was no Iron Chef, but she always had a curiosity about cuisine that has stayed with me ever since I left for college six years ago. Mom was always trying a new technique she’d learned in some exotic cookbook, and when my brother and sister and I weren’t wrinkling our noses at whatever new concoction Mom had cooked up, we had to admit that we loved her sense of adventure.

My mom and I at undergrad commencement in May 2011.

That’s where the travel part comes into play.

My Mom and Dad love to travel. Every year, and sometimes twice a year, they’ll go wherever the wind takes them. As they age, I find wind patterns tend to blow toward cruise ships. But when I was younger, Mom and Dad would take us on world tours. The summer before my senior year in high school, they took me on a trip to the Baltic states: Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Russia, Estonia, Poland, and Germany. It was love at first passport stamp.

But I’ve been lucky enough to travel quite a bit before then; a year before the Baltic trip, I’d ventured to Italy and Spain. And the summer after my freshman year of college I studied photography in Provence, France (more on that later).

The point is, through my travels, I have learned a few very important lessons.

First, food is the great unifier. Everyone loves to eat, and there’s something so intimate, so special, about sharing a meal with someone that you just can’t help but think that if the world spent a little more time cooking and eating together, we’d find we’re not all that different after all. Plus we’d probably all be so stuffed we’d be too sleepy to fight, anyway.

Second, you can learn so much about the world and where you come from by learning about others: their history, their culture, their homes.

Third, you can learn so much about yourself by experiencing other cultures. Travel exposes us all to frustration, fatigue, homesickness, and sometimes even real sickness (I mean, haven’t we all had a bad experience after eating at that kind-of-shady-by-really-cheap Chinese restaurant down the street?).

As I see it, what they say is true:

“Travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer.”

…but buying food is totally worth it.

Let’s dig in!

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