YumSugar

Kick Off Moroccan Cuisine with Spiced Meatballs

YumSugar — Thu, 31 May 2007 03:40:18 -0700

My friend Kari is an excellent cook. On several occasions she would invite everyone over and have a huge Moroccan feast waiting for us. One of my favorite dishes was called Kefta, or spiced meatballs. The last time I visited I rudely demanded the recipe and thankfully she obliged. It's a delicious, simple dish to make, so grab a heavy pot and transport yourself to the Moroccan seaside. To get the recipe, read more

Kefta (Spiced Meatballs) with Egg
From YumSugar's Pal Kari

For Kefta:
1 lb ground beef or lamb
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
6 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 onion, peeled and grated
sea salt

For Sauce:
1 grated Onion
1 large can of diced tomatoes (or grated fresh tomatoes)
1 tbsp olive oil
garlic

4 eggs

Mix the ground beef, spices, herbs, onion and plenty of salt into a smooth paste.
Wet hands and mold into small balls about the size of bouncy ball or ping pong ball.
In a large heavy pot, tagine or dutch oven, heat olive oil. When oil is shimmering saute onions & garlic. Then add tomatoes. Heat until simmering.
Add kefta balls and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Open can of peas and strain off excess liquid. Add peas (some liquid is okay) to mixture.
When you are ready to eat, break the eggs into mixture and sprinkle with cayenne pepper. Continue to cook over a gentle heat until the whites have set (about 10 minutes).
Serve very hot.

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Revisiting Travel Week

partysugar — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 10:50:18 -0800

This Summer YumSugar and I went on a trip around the world, and we invited you along for the ride! We devoted entire days to discussing the delicious cuisines from 10 different countries around the globe. I've looked back at all of our coverage and picked out my favorite memories from our culinary journeys. Here they are for you to revisit! Starting in top left corner and moving clockwise:

Yum celebrated all things Brazilian by making Pão de Queijo, a Brazilian cheese bread.
I planned a travel party.
In Morocco, we chowed down on kefta - spiced meatballs - with eggs.
We learned how to say cheers in 12 different languages.
When we went to Japan, we channeled our inner sushi chef by rolling sushi.

How about you? Where did you enjoy traveling to this year?

Refreshing Cucumber Salad in Minutes

YumSugar — Thu, 31 May 2007 15:04:23 -0700

When my friend Kari last prepared her amazing kefta with egg, she paired it with this light and simple cucumber salad. The cool crispness of the salad complemented the earthy spice of the meatballs and I found myself reaching for seconds and thirds. This dish is great as a side, but during the summer I tend to crave easy, fresh dishes, so I think I'll enjoy it on its own. To see just how simple it is, check out the recipe - just read more

Cucumber salad
Adapted From Tastes of North Africa by Sarah Woodward

2 cucumbers
sea salt
juice of 1 orange
juice of 1/2 lemon
4 tsp orange flower water
4 tsp super fine sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Peel cucumbers and grated (if you're feeling lazy, go ahead and just finely chop them).
Place in a colander, sprinkle generously with salt and leave to drain for 10 minutes.
Squeeze dry with your hands - Omit this step if you chopped instead of shredded.
Whisk together the orange and lemon juices, the orange flower water and sugar.
Pour sugar mixture over the grated cucumber.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and chill very thoroughly before serving.

Note: Orange flower water can be difficult to come by, look for it in the "ethnic" aisle of the grocery store, or at specialty stores. If you can't find it, substitute with 2 tsp orange extract or 3 tsp orange zest.

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