yellow onion – Page 5 – Notes From a Messy Kitchen

Mexico: Pozole

Cooking Time: 75 minutes

Mexico

Pozole means “hominy,” which is the dried corn kernels that make up the backbone of this soup. Hominy is corn that has undergone the alkali process, known as nixtamalization, loosening the hulls from the kernels and softening the kernels themselves, resulting in giant kernels with a slightly chewier texture. You’ve probably had hominy...

Johanna

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Trinidad & Tobago: Callaloo Soup

Cooking Time: 45

World Cuisines

Callaloo is a spinach-like leafy green common in the Caribbean. You can find it canned in some specialty stores, or on Amazon. You don’t even need a salad with this soup because the whole salad is in the soup: callaloo, celery, okra, bell pepper, spinach. Seriously, talk about getting your veggies (and your fruits...

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Tunisia: Shakshuka

Cooking Time: 30

Tunisian

Shakshuka is a popular breakfast food in Israel. It’s often thought of as a Middle Eastern dish, but it actually originates in the North African country of Tunisia. It’s common that the influences of other countries are adopted and you forget where they came from to begin with, only remembering how much you...

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Turkey: Grape Leaves Stuffed with Rice, Currants & Pine Nuts

Cooking Time: 1 hr 45 minutes

Asia
Europe

Turkish

Grape leaves are ubiquitous on mezze platters across the Middle East, and there origin is widely debated. In Turkey, they’re called dolmas, which simply means “stuffed.” These ones are filled with rice, pine nuts and currants, which is fairly standard. They’re seasoned with fresh mint and dill, and simmered in a mixture...

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Myanmar: Mohinga

Cooking Time: 45

Myanmar (Burma)

Mohinga is the national dish of Myanmar (formerly Burma), and apparently was traditionally most commonly eaten as a breakfast food. Burmese cuisine is not as well known as that of some of it’s neighbors, thanks to the military junta that has kept the country on lockdown since 1962. According to an...

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Armenia: Kyufta Soup

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Asia

Armenia

Kyufta refers to the meatballs, not the soup. Known also as kofta, kibbeh or kololak – depending on the origin – these meatballs typically are mixed with rice or another grain, filled, and rolled into a cigar shape. This was the first dish since launching this challenge that I had...

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Paraguay: Sopa Paraguaya

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Paraguayan

Despite the name, this recipe is not a soup but rather a cornbread. It’s flavored with onions and two types of cheese. The whipped egg whites give it an airy consistency that reminds me of the cheddar bacon spoon bread I’ve taken to making for Thanksgiving. In Paraguay it’s traditionally served as...

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Colombia: Ajiaco

Cooking Time: 1 hour

South America

Colombian

Even though our Colombia trip was in the “foodie era”, I don’t have really vivid memories of what we ate. I remember some of the best meals being those that Blanca prepared during our trek through the jungle, but I’m sure my hunger from a long day of hiking had...

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Sierra Leone & Kenya: Groundnut Stew with Ugali

Cooking Time: 1 hr 15 minutes

Africa

‘ Today I’m bringing you two recipes for the price of one! They go so well together I couldn’t bear to separate them. Both come from a beautiful cookbook written by three chefs who launched The Groundnut supper club in London to showcase the African foods of their childhoods and...

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Ecuador: Majado de Verde

Cooking Time: 45

Ecuadorian

My life can be divided into to two eras: the foodie days and the pre-foodie days. My trip to Ecuador was in the pre-foodie days. While I have wonderful memories of both Quito and our time in the Amazon, I remember very little about what we ate. Sounds like a great...

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Ingredient: yellow onion