Haitian Cooking in the Desert
Bulgarian masks, a cookbook for simple eating, foods from Mauritius, and a slightly sexist almond cookie recipe
From Haiti’s Hills to Utah’s Mountains
I’m not sure what I was expecting on my last trip to Utah, but Haitian home cooking was not really on my radar. That is until the Synal family welcomed me into their home to show off their favorite Haitian and American menus. Their gorgeous kitchen was a busy factory whipping up delicious herb chicken, brown mushroom rice, fried plantains, pikliz, and fresh fruit tarts. Mom McKenzie had contacted me on Instagram saying that her blended family loves the dishes of her husband Francois’ homeland, Haiti. During their session, Francois educated me about the various dishes he was making, saying that the special brown mushrooms in his rice dish can only be found in Haiti, and he has to go to Florida to get them from his family. Four of their five kids joined in the fun and we feasted well that evening.
It is very obvious how much Francois loves to cook for his family, and that love is being passed on to his kids. But the Synals aren’t making a final cookbook with me, they just wanted a photo session, and it occurred to me that maybe not many people know that I’m happy to just come to your house and snap some photos without the hubbub of making an entire book. These sessions are a really fun way to shake up the family photo routine and have a lot of fun together in the kitchen.
View the rest of the Synal’s family photo session on the blog!
The Ancient Masks of Western Bulgaria
This week’s recipe features the Surova Folk Feast, a new year’s celebration in western Bulgaria that takes place every January 13th and 14th, following the Julian calendar. The recipe is delicious and simple canteen chicken & rice, which I found from Bulgarian chef Aleksandar Taralezhkov and you can grab it on his Instagram page.
The Surova festivities revolve around groups wearing intricate handmade masks that are prepared specially for this celebration. Mask making is an ancient tradition in Bulgaria, and many craftspeople prepare all year long for Surova. Originally this feast was an initiation for young men, so only men could participate before the 20th century, but nowadays anyone can join in the fun. The masked groups gather on the night of Jan. 13 for bonfires, dancing, and general merrymaking, and early on the 14th parade through their villages, stopping by every home. The groups have special characters arranged in them like a bride & groom, a priest, a bear, and a bear keeper, among others. At each home, the priest “marries” the bride & groom and the bear “mauls” each host, which is supposed to bring them good health. The rest of the group make noise and play around in the background, but considering each group is roughly 50-100 people, it’s no small party. In return, the hosts give the groups food, money, and traditional gifts.
Surova is also a time to support the village community. After the food is gathered and eaten, there are meetings to decide how to spend the money that’s been collected. It’s put toward a community effort or to help alleviate a problem in the village.
The short version of the video is going up on reels on Friday, and the longer version on TikTok is already up!
Next week I’m diving into Thaipusam, a Tamil Hindu festival celebrated when the star Pusam (a star in the Cancer constellation for you Roman astrologers out there) is at its highest point. It’s observed in many regions but I’m going to focus on the island nation Mauritius, which has a large Tamil population. It celebrates Muruga, the Hindu god of war, who tested a reformed bandit who was trying to prove he had changed his ways. The ex-bandit was tasked with carrying the summits of two mountains on his back. Muruga transformed into a boy and met the bandit on his journey, sitting on top of the mountains to make his load even heavier. However, the bandit did not waver and Muruga was impressed that he finished his journey. Muruga blessed him and ever since, devotees carry large structures called cavadees that are ornately decorated to the nearest temple.
This pilgrimage of sorts represents the path to forgiveness and redemption, and those participating also undergo ritual fasting before the celebration day. The walk under carrying their burden with bare feet in the hot sun, and some even pierce their cheeks.
The food of Mauritius is interesting because it was uninhabited before the Portuguese came across it in the 1500s. Since then it’s been occupied by the Dutch, the French (who brought kidnapped workers from China), and the British, who brought enslaved people from Africa and indentured workers from India. So the cuisine has a multitude of influences that makes it unique. Since sweets are commonly offered at the temple and consumed after the rituals of Thaipusam are completed, I’ll be making poudine vermicelle from Mauritian cook Shellina Permaloo.
Honestly, though, Shelina’s site looks so good that I’ve bookmarked some additional recipes to try later, like her mutton curry, banana lattice, and mango-rum syllabub.
Cookbook of the Month
Two’s Company: The best of cooking for couples, friends, and roommates
Whether you are on the yearly trend of losing weight after the holidays or not, it’s probably true that everyone’s system needs a break from all the heavy eating. One thing we struggle with in my house: portion control. I’m often dealing with recipes that make 4 or more servings, or especially with older grandma recipes that were meant to feed 20 for some reason. This book is a nice change of pace and I’ve been cooking quite a bit from it lately. Since it’s just me and my husband, having recipes that are proportional to our household is pretty nice. The range of recipes is extensive, too. Some are complex with lesser-known ingredients and longer prep times, and some are meant to be thrown together when you’re too tired for anything else. The three-mushroom goulash was a hit for us, and so was the lemon & coconut soup. I’ll probably head on to the cauliflower, cheese & mustard soup, and the chicken with 20 cloves of garlic is calling my name.
Some Light Dessert: Amandines
Speaking of giving our systems a break, I’m a dessert freak. I love cakes and pastries and cookies and sweet breads and baking is something I genuinely enjoy. But sugar has its drawbacks and in an effort to wean off the white stuff, I’m laying off heavy desserts in favor of something lighter. These amandines, or little almond cookies, are a slightly sweet French cookie that’s perfect with a cup of tea after dinner.
This recipe comes from the 1967 edition of Louis Diat’s French Cooking for Americans. The original recipes are from 1946, but this edition has an intro that gloriously ages terribly: “But what of the American housewife who does not like to cook? Well, perhaps she likes to read, and if she does, this book will make her life a little brighter, not to mention the lives of her husband and children. It will not make her a very good cook, for nothing will, but she can’t possibly go on making the same mistakes.”
On that note, I leave you with the recipe.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups flour
2/3 cup butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Vanilla extract or grated orange rind
Blanched almonds, finely chopped
Beaten egg
DIRECTIONS
Cream butter and sugar together. Mix in flour and baking powder and then add eggs. Mix all together well and add flavoring. Form into a ball and let stand in a cold place about 1 hour.
Roll out about 1/4 inch thick, cut into strips 1 1/2 inches wide and place on a greased baking sheet. Brush tops with beaten egg and sprinkle sugar and finely chopped almonds, pressing them into the surface with a spatula. Score the strips every inch.
Bake in a moderate oven of 375 degrees, 15-20 minutes. When cold, break apart where they are scored, making little oblong cookies.