Around the World in Foodventures (Angola: MUAMBA DE GALINHA and FUNGE)

I felt strongly before I even started cooking this dish, just by reading ingredient lists and looking at finished product photos, that it was going to be delicious.   And I was right.  On top of that, I got to use a new-to-me ingredient.  And it was strange.  Details below this juicy photo....

So....first of all, one of the ingredients that the recipe (https://www.africanbites.com/muamba-chickenmuamba-de-galinha/) I worked from called for was Palm Oil -- and I simply wasn't going to use that given the controversy around it.  Instead, I put Ghee in its place.  I also used Sweet Potato instead of Butternut Squash, as the recipe suggested for an option.  (I do have Butternut Squash on hand, but it's already cut into small cubes and frozen and I didn't want to have the effect on texture that those factors would cause -- so I went with my fresh Sweet Potato.)  Finally, I will say that this recipe I was following was a bit wonky in terms of not being completely clear regarding amounts and at which points to add some of the ingredients -- so I simply went with my instincts and experience to do what I thought was most correct.  All of this worked out just fine, because in the end we had an excellent dinner.

As for the strange part....that's the side dish: Funge (http://viaja-en-mi-cocina-english.blogspot.com/2017/04/funge.html).  While very simple to make (if not a bit tiring for my arm muscles 😉), I didn't expect the incredibly sticky, stretchy, putty-like texture that cooked Cassava Flour results in (like, you can literally twirl this porridge around a fork!).  But it is what it is, serves its purpose as a meal base or filler quite well, and now I have the rest of the unused Cassava Flour to find other ways to use and experiment with -- which, isn't that what this whole journey is all about?

This post is part of my project: "Around the World in Foodventures" (I decided I want to expand my culinary horizons even further by making the national dish or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal from every country in the world. Maybe it'll happen alphabetically, or by region, in random order, or something else. I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it. It’ll be fun and interesting, but obviously, will take a long time to get through -- as I'll only be doing it once a week or so at most. I am chronicling the journey here.)

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain

Around the World in Foodventures (Andorra: ESCUDELLA I CARN D'OLLA)

"Escudella i Carn D'olla" translates to "Soup and stewed meat" -- and that's exactly what this bowl deliciously contains. It also all comes together quickly enough that you can make it on a weeknight. I started after 5:00 PM and we were eating by 7:15.

Because this is clearly one of those dishes that every household has their own version of, and/or uses varying ingredients depending on what they have available that day, I followed the general gist of this recipe: https://www.notesfromamessykitchen.com/recipe/andorra-escudella/ -- but changed the timing of some parts because I didn't want my beans or potatoes to get too mushy; and because I read in some other posts that thick-cut ham is sometimes included, I added that to my pot as well.

I suspected that the homemade broth specifically would remind me of holiday family soups from my childhood.  And I was happily correct.  On top of that -- this meal is hearty, rich and fatty but not too much so, just salty enough, and the pork meatballs offer a little pop of surprising flavor due to their inclusion of nutmeg and cumin.  So good and delightfully balanced, all around.

This post is part of my project: "Around the World in Foodventures" (I decided I want to expand my culinary horizons even further by making the national dish or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal from every country in the world. Maybe it'll happen alphabetically, or by region, in random order, or something else. I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it. It’ll be fun and interesting, but obviously, will take a long time to get through -- as I'll only be doing it once a week or so at most. I am chronicling the journey here.)

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain

Around the World in Foodventures (France: CROISSANTS)

Most of the traditional/national dishes from France are stews that are pretty similar to things I've already made or had -- and despite eating probably hundreds of them throughout my life and always wanting to make them, I had never attempted croissants.  Internal debate over; easy decision. 😁

The recipe to follow?  Julia Child's, of course. 💕

(https://www.wgbh.org/food/dining-in/2020/11/10/julia-childs-croissant-recipe)

I went with three varieties: plain, chocolate chip, and pistachio.  And while I didn't succeed in getting these 100% perfect (likely let the butter get too warm and/or rolled the dough out too roughly - i.e. it delaminated thus not creating a perfect interior lattice upon baking), they for sure were flaky and tasted great.  I'll make them again sometime, but for this series, it's one and done per country, so on to Andorra we go....

This post is part of my project: "Around the World in Foodventures" (I decided I want to expand my culinary horizons even further by making the national dish or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal from every country in the world. Maybe it'll happen alphabetically, or by region, in random order, or something else. I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it. It’ll be fun and interesting, but obviously, will take a long time to get through -- as I'll only be doing it once a week or so at most. I am chronicling the journey here.)

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain