Around the world in 80 minutes

Growing up, I read about Phileas Fogg’s journey around the world with Passepartout. This made me want to ride a bus, a train, a jet or a submarine and go to top of mountains and to the bottom of the ocean, visit barren landscapes and urban jungles, burgeoning cities with art and history giving them  a rich patina and communist-kitsch cities that look like a plastic boxes stacked up by a child. I am glad to say that except for being held hostage in the jungle (like Phileas Fogg), I’ve had quite a few travels filled with fun, frolic, feasts and fatigue.
So, for Mr. Sweet Potato’s birthday,  I wanted a food journey that tied the continents together. We started in the far-east with crisp Korean pancakes made of green beans and asparagus, then to the Middle-East, with Israeli couscous with caramelized onions and fennel. Bubbles stimulate the appetite with some Prosecco as we head to Europe, then we cross the Atlantic and end in the New World with Peruvian causa.

Korean Pancakes

These crispy delights (NY Times original recipe) can be made rather healthy with finely sliced green beans and asparagus and sautéed and barely cooked with soy sauce, Sriracha sauce, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar. Finely chopped seitan (wheat gluten protein)  is also cooked in a similar fashion. The cooked medley is added to eggs and flour. This batter is spread in a circle (like a pancake) on to a hot pan coated with sesame oil. The pancake is cooked long on low heat to make them extra-crispy. They are served with a dipping sauce made of sesame oil  (or pumpkin oil is really good too) with soy sauce. Crisp and crunchy and yet meaty and moist inside.

Israeli couscous

These are larger and more juicy than regular couscous. The fennel and onion combination makes it slightly sweet – this always works with couscous. The onion and fennel are cooked with water and then cooked further and caramelized with olive oil. Garlic, parsley and lemon juice are added along with the caramelized vegetables to the cooked couscous, and the end result is tangy and sweet with the richness of the flavor from the fennel that soak into the couscous.

The Bubbles

Prosecco, the Italian sparkling wine, is always cool and consistent, and an indulgent night with Prosecco never gives you regrets the next morning.

Peruvian Causa

What’s not to love about mashed potatoes and smoked fish baked like a muffin? The causa is a favorite dish in Peru. This recipe by Mark Bittman, whose long-running food column, the Minimalist, in the New York Times food section, ended recently. I gave a whoop of joy when Ms. Summer Salad presented me Bittman’s book for my birthday. I made the mashed potato with some paprika, black pepper, salt and milk. I sandwiched smoked salmon mixed with fresh dill and chives between layers of mashed potato and baked it in muffin cups at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. The causa tasted smoky and salty and was ideal comfort food.