World Peas

Elliot and I both enjoy cooking. We have our old, trusty stand-by recipes, of course. But we try to cook lots of different types of recipes, inspired by different cultures and representative of many different regions of the world.

It was only a matter of time.

That's right. We have decided to cook (at least) one recipe from each country in the world!!!

Wikipedia currently recognizes 245 "political entities" and so that's what we've decided to use as our list of countries. It will take us years. But we will do it!!! I'm determined. (At least for now.) It might be hard to find native recipes for some of the countries, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Here are the rules: 1) the recipes must be vegetarian (of course); 2) we will strive to cook main dishes; 3) if we cant find vegetarian main dishes we will look for side dishes but desserts will be a last resort; 4) we will try to make the recipes as authentically as possible, so no meat substitutes (like fake chicken) unless it is otherwise hopeless without the switcheroo.

I will publish the recipes on my recipe blog, and give you hyperlinks to the recipes. This post will become "THE MASTER LIST OF RECIPES" and I'll make a link on the right-hand side of the blog so that you can always click to this post.

So far we've made recipes from 19 out of 245 countries.

Here is the country list, with links to the recipes we've made beneath the country:

A

• Abkhazia
  
• Afghanistan
  
• Akrotiri and Dhekelia
• Åland
• Aland Pancake
  
• Albania
  
• Algeria
• American Samoa
• Andorra
  
• Angola
  
• Anguilla
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina
• Armenia
  
• Ailazan (vegetable stew)
  
• Aruba
• Ascension Island
• Australia
  
• Austria
  
• Azerbaijan

B

• The Bahamas
  
• Bahrain
  
• Bangladesh
  
• Barbados
• Okra Creole
• Banana Bread
  
• Belarus
  
• Belgium
  
• Belize
• Benin
• Complete Jollof Rice
  
• Bermuda
• Bhutan
  
• Bolivia
  
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Botswana
  
• Brazil
  
• Brunei
  
• Bulgaria
  
• Burkina Faso
• Burma
  
• Burundi
  

C

• Cambodia
  
• Cameroon
  
• Canada
• Cape Verde
  
• Cayman Islands
• Central African Republic
• Chad
  
• Chile
  
• China
• Christmas Island
• Cocos (Keeling) Islands
• Colombia
  
• Comoros
  
• Congo (Zaire)
• Congo
• Cook Islands
• Costa Rica
• Heart of Palm Salad
• Gallo Pinto
  
• Côte d'Ivoire
  
• Croatia
  
• Cuba
  
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic

D

• Denmark
  
• Djibouti
  
• Dominica
  
• Dominican Republic
• Fried Plantains
  
• Arroz con Maiz (Rice with Corn)
  

E

• East Timor
  
• Ecuador
  
• Egypt
  
• El Salvador
  
• Equatorial Guinea
  
• Eritrea
  • Tum'tumo (Lentils in a Savory Sauce)
    
• Estonia
  
• Ethiopia
  

F

• Falkland Islands
  
• Falkland Island Warmer
  
• Faroe Islands
• Fiji
  
• Finland
  
• France
  
• French Polynesia

G

• Gabon
  
• The Gambia
• Georgia
• Germany
  
• Ghana
  
• Gibraltar
• Greece
  
• Greenland
  • Apple Berry Crisp
    
• Grenada
• Guam
• Guatemala
  
• Guernsey
• Guinea
  
• Guinea-Bissau
  
• Guyana
  

H

• Haiti
  
• Honduras
  
• Hong Kong
• Hungary
  • Vegetarian Hungarian Goulash
    
  
  

I

• Iceland
  
• India
  
• Indonesia
• Bakwan Tahu (tofu and beansprout fritters)
  
• Iran
  
• Iraq
  
• Ireland
• Isle of Man
• Israel
  
• Italy
  

J

• Jamaica
• Japan
• Jersey
• Jordan

K

• Kazakhstan
  
• Kenya
  
• Kiribati
  
• Korea, North
• Kimchi
• Korea, South
• Vegetarian Dumplings
  
• Kosovo
• Kuwait
  
• Kyrgyzstan

L

• Laos
  
• Latvia
  
• Lebanon
• Adas be Sabanekh
  


• Lesotho
  
• Liberia
  
• Libya
  
• Liechtenstein
  
• Lithuania
  
• Luxembourg
  

M

• Macao
• Macedonia
• Madagascar
  
• Malawi
  
• Malaysia
• Sweet and Sour Eggs
  
• Maldives
  
• Mali
  
• Malta
  
• Marshall Islands
  
• Mauritania
  
• Mauritius
  
• Mayotte
• Mexico
  
• Micronesia
  
• Moldova
• Monaco
  
• Mongolia
  
• Montenegro
  
• Montserrat
• Morocco
• Mozambique
  

N

• Nagorno-Karabakh
• Namibia
  
• Nauru
  
• Nepal
  
• Netherlands
• Netherlands Antilles
• New Caledonia
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
  
• Niger
  
• Nigeria
  
• Waina
  
• Niue
• Norfolk Island
• Northern Cyprus
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Norway
  

O

• Oman

P

• Pakistan
• Palau
  
• Palestine
• Panama
  
• Papua New Guinea
  
• Paraguay
  
• Peru
• Pumpkin Stew with Chilies and Cheese
  
• Philippines
  
• Pitcairn Islands
• Poland
  
• Portugal
• Puerto Rico

Q

• Qatar
  

R

• Romania
• Russia
  
• Rwanda
  

S

• Saint Barthélemy
• Saint Helena
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
  
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Martin
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Samoa
  
• San Marino
• São Tomé and Príncipe
  
• Saudi Arabia
• Senegal
  • Senegalese Stew with Millet
    
• Serbia
• Seychelles
• Sierra Leone
  
• Singapore
  
• Slovakia
  
• Slovenia
  
• Solomon Islands
• Somalia
• Somaliland
• South Africa
  
• South Ossetia
• Spain
  
• Sri Lanka
  
• Sudan
  
• Suriname
  
• Svalbard
• Swaziland
• Sweden
  
• Switzerland
  
• Syria
  

T

• Taiwan
• Tajikistan
  
• Tanzania
  
• Thailand
• Togo
  
• Tokelau
• Tonga
  
• Transnistria
• Trinidad and Tobago
  
• Tristan da Cunha
• Tunisia
• Eggah
  
• Turkey
  
• Turkmenistan
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• Tuvalu

U

• Uganda
  
• Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
  
• United States
  
• Uruguay
  
• Uzbekistan
  

V

• Vanuatu
  
• Vatican City
• Venezuela
  
• Vietnam
  
• Virgin Islands, British
• Virgin Islands, United States

W

• Wallis and Futuna
• Western Sahara

Y

• Yemen
  

Z

• Zambia
  
• Zimbabwe
  

Friday Night Dinner

This past Friday night Elliot and I went to a farewell dinner for my boss, who is leaving to go back to Norfolk, VA. It was at a Japanese restaurant that we'd never been to before and the food was very good. It was a nice celebration and we had a lot of fun talking with our co-workers.

Here are two pictures of us from the restaurant:

Working Together

Elliot and I are currently working for the same company, although we work in different departments and different buildings. We've been working at the same place since January, but I was only working part-time until recently.

The situation is very convenient-- we ride to work together in the morning, take our breaks and lunch together, then go to the gym together after work. Considering the current price of gasoline, it's nice to be able to carpool.

Zydeco Music

Elliot and I try to go to the public library every weekend. We usually check out some movies, a few books, and we'll randomly pick one music c.d. to try out. To be honest, a lot of times the c.d. turns out to be something that we don't like. It's a gamble. But since it's free to borrow from the library, we figure there's no harm in trying something new.

Yesterday we checked out a c.d. of zydeco music, not knowing anything about what it is or what it might sound like. It was such happy music! Zydeco is American folk music originating from the Creole population of southern Lousisiana. The main instruments used in zydeco are accordions and "rub-boards," and the singing is often in French Creole. You can read more about zydeco here.

Here is a great video I found on youtube.com of some zydeco music:

Mary Had a Little Sister, Little Sister, Little Sister

Mary and Sara, circa 1981

So, on to weaving.

First it was knots, then crocheting, then sewing, then knitting, now weaving. I realize now that I am interested in the manufacturing of textiles or at least certain aspects of their manufacture and now that I have been knitting for a little while, I realize that I have become interested in weaving. I view looms as one of the first applications of mechanical technology that humans ever made and I find them incredibly interesting. I like the problem they solve and I find it interesting how each loom I have seen solves it. I have just received Craft Magazine issue 8 which explains how looms work and even has a cut out for a pocket cardboard loom. I will probably use this or a different small loom of my own design to experimentally weave a little bit at least. In a few days I will probably tire of it for some time and pick it back up again months or years later, but the point is that for me there appears to be no limit to the joy that can be derived from creating things, especially things that have to do with string and knots. In some ways I am preparing for near worst case, post peak oil sort of situation. The only part of the process left to explore is the creation of thread and rope which I believe can be done by spinning. Then I will probably make tools to help me spin and spin some of my own threads, just to see that I could do it. At that point I will possess both the knowledge and the tools to make a cloth item from raw, naturally occuring materials. How wild would that be? Even if it is only a hankie or something.

We have a lot of bug friends.

This little guy came in with the onion.
















Needless to say, we didn't have what I was going to cook that night.

The wee caterpillar was sort of cute though so I went to the back yard and half buried the onion in dirt.

Good luck little dude!

I hope you are not an invasive species!

Graduation Pic from Laura

Here's a nice picture that Laura took right after my graduation:


(l-r: Elliot's mom, his Aunt Martha, his Mema, me, Katie)

See my nice flowers from the mommies?

Thanks for the picture, Laura!

Did I Mention How Wonderful The Food Was???

I stole these pictures, which were taken at Bouchon Bistro in Las Vegas, from Sheila's blog. I just want you all to see how good the food looked.

Here is my $14 endive salad:


My gnocchi:


Elliot's mussels in sauce and a serving of some of the most delicious french fries in the world:


Sheila's and Ben's food looked expertly prepared, too. I didn't post the pictures because... well... the sight of half a lobster and steak tartare are less than appetizing to me. I would never, never limit my dinner companions' food choices because of my own vegetarian life-style choice, BUT I also still can't help but find sawed-in-half sea life and raw meat icky. So, sorry if you wanted to see the pictures. Just take my word for it that the food presentation was well thought out.

Other highlights to eating at Bouchon Bistro: a really wonderful drink menu and pistachios as a lagniappe before the food is served. Ben was recommended and really enjoyed a brand of whiskey that he'd never tried before, and that was an added bonus to our delicious dinner.