It’s believed by many that the world’s first recipes date back to the time of the Pharoahs. In ancient Egypt the staple diet included bread, honey, peas, beans and tasty vegetables such as garlic and onions, with meat only consumed on special occasions.
Today many delicious vegetarian dishes can still be enjoyed in Egypt and here are two recipes that have definitely stood the test of time…
In the markets of Vietnam you will see mounds of fresh and delicious tofu – so many different kinds cooked in every way possible.
Here are a few recipes for you to enjoy at home, to keep your wonderful memories of Indochina on the tip of your tongue…
Tofu Soup (Canh Dau Hu)
3 large dried shiitake mushrooms
6 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
20 rau ram leaves, plus extra for garnish, or 10 sprigs cilantro, plus extra leaves for garnish
6 ounces baby bok choy, root ends trimmed, and leaves separated, or spinach
10 ounces medium-firm tofu, rinsed, drained, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
coarse sea salt
freshly ground white pepper
1 scallion, trimmed and thinly sliced diagonally
It was confectioner Haci Bekir who first perfected sade lokum, known to the world as Turkish Delight.
In fact, his family still runs the store that he first opened in 1777, but if you can’t make it to Istanbul or want to re-live your Turkey travel memories at home, here’s a delicious recipe to try…
Ask Intrepid traveller Susan Everton what were her Vietnam highlights and she’ll tell you she loved cruising Halong Bay, exploring the Old Quarter of Hanoi and overnighting at a Mekong Delta homestay – but her special stand-out event was the Hoi An cooking school…
“If you’re travelling with Intrepid make sure you join in the cooking class in Hoi An. It was fantastic – our teacher had a great sense of humour and we all had so much fun learning to cook Sweet & Sour Chicken Soup, Aubergine Claypot, Fish in Banana Leaf, Spring Rolls and Green Papaya Salad. The best thing is now I get to make these dishes at home and the food reminds me of my special Vietnam moments. Here’s my spring roll recipe that’s a favourite with all my friends.”
Morocco is a mouthwatering destination where the flavours of Europe and the Arab world combine. Here distinctive dishes celebrate cultural traditions and as Howard Jack discovered, even a medieval method of cooking is still on most Moroccan menus…
“We had just spent 15 days on Intrepid’s Colours of Morocco trip, thoroughly enjoying the sights, the people and the food. Nearly every evening meal included a choice of various tajines – beef, lamb or fish. After two weeks you could say we were tajined out.
Italians are passionate about their food – and with good reason! Every region gives you a special taste of Italy, and the Cinque Terre in the provence of La Specia is no exception…
“I was on an Intrepid trip in May [2008]. When we were in Levanto, Italy, our wonderful leader Kriztina arranged a pesto cooking class for us. Six of us attended – it was amazing – we spoke no Italian, our teacher didn’t speak English, but with a bottle of wine and cheese and biscuits to help, she managed to teach all of us (with a lot of laughs and hand gestures) to make the most fabulous pesto. It was a great way to end our first afternoon on the Cinque Terre.” Gerry Martin
So if you want to try this delicious sauce at home, here’s the secret ingredients…
Elisse Jo Goldstein’s most memorable food experience (and recipe) is from Vietnam…
“My husband and I recently took excellent cooking classes at both the Vietnam Cooking School in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and at the Red Bridge Cooking School in Hoi An. We shopped at the local markets and farms, and then learned how to make a number of dishes, including tiny and delicate Vietnamese spring rolls, steamed rice-flour crepes and clay pot fish… but I also asked our chef-instructor in Hoi An for the recipe for the amazing “chili salt” served to us at the Dakbla restaurant in Kon Tum that I’d fallen in LOVE with – and he gave it to us! This condiment makes Anything wonderful!
Intrepid’s Chotie Moloney was staying with friends on the Coral Coast in Fiji when she first tasted Banana Cassava Cake and simply had to have the recipe…
“Their housekeeper was a marvelous cook, and the daughter of a chief, so you entered the kitchen at your own peril! This cake is so moist – you will love it.”
South Americans are not all poncho wearing pan pipers or crazed futbol fans, there is also a serious majority of the population who love their seafood. In fact, for centuries there has been a friendly rivalry to produce the tastiest ceviche and now this gastronomic battle is being contested between the majority of Latin American countries!
Peru and Ecuador both claim ceviche as their own, as both countries have an impressive variety of fish and shellfish, but historians are leaning in favour of Peru. Every Latin American country gives this seafood salad recipe its own individual flavour, particularly with the garnishes they choose. In Peru, ceviche is served with slices of cold sweet potatoes or corn-on-the-cob, while in Ecuador it is accompanied by popcorn, potato chips, or corn nuts. In Mexico ceviche is even served as a taco filling.
