First food in Thailand!

Looking out the entryway of our hostel

Our first meals in Thailand were fantastically delicious - and so cheap! A dish generally costs between $1-2. We had a great breakfast at our hotel, in a very nice setting - they have plants growing everywhere.

A ferociously spicy but tasty dish

Mushrooms and garlic... delicious and not as spicy

Peanuts and glass noodles

Black Olives with Dressing Recipe

According to our Turkish host, there is a best way to prepare black olives. You don't eat them straight, they must have this dressing mixed with them to become truly delicious. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients: olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, oregano, black olives (kalamata or something similar would be best, not regular black olives)

Instructions:

1. Squeeze the juice of one lemon in a bowl, add a healthy dose of red pepper flakes and oregano. 
2. Add olives, pour olive oil on top, and stir to combine.
3. Optional: add a little cayenne to the mix for some added heat

Another fantastic home-cooked meal in Turkey! Chicken, potato & onion salad with a ketchup sauce, salad, bread, and sweet green peppers (bottom right). 

The chicken is marinated in olive oil, oregano, chili flakes, lemon, and garlic before being slow-cooked in a pan for half an hour. It's important to use the thigh meat, and to have the outer skin, which protects the inner meat from burning. The chicken isn't flipped, so it develops a lovely crunchy bottom.

We loved the potato and onion salad! Mix ketchup, tomato paste, and a little oil, and stir with cooked sweet potatoes (yukon would be good) and sliced onion. 

The picture to the right was our breakfast the next day. A layer of dough, similar to phyllo, was placed in an oiled pan, ready to go in the oven. Grated carrot and chopped pepper were sprinkled liberally on top. Then, a mixture of egg, milk, and soft cheese was poured in, and finally another layer of dough made the top. Brush with an egg glaze and bake at roughly 325 (lower heat) for an hour-ish. 

Yum!

Corn pancakes with cheese

This was our fabulous breakfast for two mornings, cooked by our very great host and chef, Yigit. They are pancakes made from a mixture of milk, a soft mild Turkish cheese, and corn meal.

We ate a local string cheese alongside, with oregano and red pepper flakes on top. They are also great when spread with more of the soft mild cheese on top.

And, no meal is complete in Turkey without the salad and olives!

To the right, the pancakes with soft cheese on top, and black olives. Yum!!

Bechamel Sauce for Lasagna

In Italy, ricotta is not used in lasagna. Whenever we mention that we use ricotta in lasagna in the US, all the Italians regard us with frank amazement. Lasagna in Italy is any baked pasta dish, with tomato sauce and bechamel sauce. You can also use any shape of pasta (large round noodles, bigger than penne, are wonderful) not just the flat thick stuff we use.

Bechamel is a creamy white sauce made from butter, flour, and milk. It gives the pasta dish a wonderfully creamy texture.

Lasgana in Catania, made by our wonderful host, Paola!

Bechamel Sauce Recipe:

• Butter, 1.8 ounce (50 grams)
• Flour, 1.8 ounce (50 grams)
• Milk: 2 cups (1/2 liter)
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Put the butter in a saucepan over moderate heat and when it is melted add the flour and cook for a few minutes. Heat the milk in a separate pan, until hot but not boiling.
2. Remove from heat and add the hot milk while stirring.
3. Put the saucepan on a weak fire and stir until the sauce begins to boil. Add the nutmeg and salt, cover with a lid and let the sauce thicken for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Another lasagna made by Paola - this time with
a flat noodle, similar to what we typically
 use in the US, but much thinner

True Italian lasagna rough recipe:

• Pasta: use large sized tube pasta, or other large pasta, or regular US sheet pasta
• Mix cooked ground beef into a tomato sauce
• Bechamel sauce
• Grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Mix cooked pasta and tomato sauce/beef mixture together. Pour into greased pan.
2. Pour bechamel sauce over the top. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
3. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and warm. Serve and enjoy!

The second type of lasagna, with a much thinner pasta - super tasty,
and the taste of the sauces is wonderful!

Tisana della Buona Digestione - Good Digestion Tea

This lovely tea blend was created by the friend of a couchsurfer in Catania, Sicily. It is called "Tisana della Buona Digestione," which literally translates to "Tea of the Good Digestion." It's a mild herbal tea, and here are the ingredients, in equal proportions (I think):

Italian/English recipe:

• Rosmarino / Rosemary
• Calendula / Marigold
• Polegio / Mint
• Origano / Oregano
• Salvia / Sage
• Semi di Finocchi / Fennel seeds
• Iperico / St. John's Wort

Creamy Pasta with Salmon

For Christmas dinner, our lovely Catania host-mother, Paola, made this fantastically scrumptious pasta dish. It's pretty simple - just a cream base (panna), with added salmon (canned, I think) mixed in. There's probably garlic and olive oil involved too. The result is super creamy, and the salmon adds a nice flavor, but not overly fishy. Buonissimo! (super tasty!)

Eggplant in Oil

We have found this delectable treat a couple of times in Italy - eggplants in oil (melanzane sott'olio). I found this recipe with quick search online, and it looks quite close to what we've tried. What is eggplants in oil? A lightly acidic, flavorful eggplant, preserved in oil - no canning necessary. You can also preserve sundried tomatoes, and a mushroom blend, in this method.

To make it, the eggplant is first salted to pull out excess water, then lightly cooked in vinegar. After drying the eggplant, it's placed with some garlic pieces and chili pieces (if desired) in a jar. Then olive oil is poured over to cover. The result is incredibly tasty, and great as an appetizer or light snack with toasted bread. We intend to make a ton of this when we get back to our garden!

For the recipe, go here, and use Google Translate to put the recipe in English>

Fishy Food

While we stayed with our lovely host family in Catania, we tried a number of fish-related dishes. We aren't used to eating much from the sea, but everything we had was great (even if some of the dishes took a bit of getting used to - see the cuttlefish ink dish below!)

Breaded swordfish

Dessert salad: orange pieces, fresh ricotta (a drier type), raisins, black olives, a little bit of anchovies,
and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Quite an unusual combination!

Pasta with cuttlefish ink: the ink actually has very little flavor, it's mostly the color

Sicilian Sweets & Snacks

During our stay on the east coast of Sicily, we sampled some fabulous snacks and sweets!

Eating cannoli with friends: a cannolo is a fried tube of pastry. When you order, they fill it with a sweet ricotta and add a sprinkle of powdered sugar. It is quite difficult to eat these neatly! Powdered sugar flies everywhere... but it's so good! :)

A hot dog, with fries, in a roll of bread - there was even ketchup inside! Pretty tasty too.

Sicily is famous for its marzipan... we haven't tried these yet, but don't they look delicious?