Around the World in 80 Minutes (or less)
Below you'll find a sampling of Cafe Drake's favorite international recipes unrivaled in ease of preparation. Perfect for the armchair culinary traveler or the jet set gourmet, these dishes will require less time in the kitchen and allow more for bag packing, even if your valises are only imaginary.
TRINIDADIAN DUMPLINGS (FooFoo)
To be served with a wide variety of soups and stews. Be creative with the flavoring and choose spices complimentary to your main dish, i.e. nutmeg dumplings with cream-based soups or green herbs for fish stews.
In a bowl mix: 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup cornmeal, some salt and 2 t. baking powder with herbs or spices of choice. Use about 1 t. of seasoning. Now thoroughly rub into flour mixture 1 T. of softened butter. Gradually add small amounts of water until you have a soft dough. Break off small pieces of dough and drop into the soup or stew to cook till desired doneness.
SWEET POTATO CAKE
From Cuba comes a rare dessert posting on Cafe Drake. This one is so basic (but delicious) even we can't screw it up. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or a side of homemade pudding such as vanilla or butterscotch.
1/4 cup rum mixed with 1/2 cup water / 1/2 t. pure vanilla extract / 1 1/4 cups sugar / 1 pound of sweet potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed / 1/2 cup butter, melted / 3 eggs / 1/2 cup flour / 2 t. baking powder / 1 t. salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl mix together the rum/water mixture, vanilla and sugar. Now add the sweet potatoes and butter. Separate the egg whites from yellow and add the yolks (well beaten) to the sweet potatoes. Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold into the sweet potato mixture.
Beat the egg whites till they form stiff peaks and fold into sweet potatoes as well. Lightly grease a 10-inch cake pan and our the mixture into it. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, testing for doneness with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is ready.
Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and eat warm or cold.
TAGINE OF CHICKEN AND PRUNES
Probably the most basic and barest-bones Moroccan dish we know, this stew cries out for improvisation. Best of course with couscous and if you have one, by all means prepare in a ceramic tagine in a 350 degree oven. Works with any cut or type of chicken but do adjust cooking times accordingly for larger pieces or bone-in poultry.
6 large chicken pieces / 2 large onions, chopped / 1 t. saffron threads / 1 1/2 t. or so chopped ginger / salt / 1 cup small pitted prunes / about 4 cups of water
- Combine everything (reserve 1/2 of the onions and 1/2 of the prunes) in a pot and simmer gently, covered, for 1 hour. Stir from time to time.
- Now add the remaining onions and prunes and cook uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Add water as needed but not too much; the sauce should be thick when the tagine is served.
- When the prunes are soft, the chicken is cooked and you have a lovely thick sauce, the dish is ready to eat.
PLANTAIN BREAD
Integral to Ivory Coast cuisine, plantain bread makes a most unusual starch substitute when weary of potatoes and rice. We've done our best to re-create a menu item popping up all over Brooklyn's nascent African restaurant scene.
A word about ingredients: Plantains when very ripe will be yellow in color; if only green ones are available let them ripen a few days on your countertop. Sambal is a chile paste available at all Asian and African food markets and some gourmet food stores. Rice flour is a must here.
3 large and very ripe plantains / 2 t. chile sambal / 1 cup rice flour / salt / 1/4 cup plain vegetable oil / 2 t. turmeric Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Peel plantains and mash them well in a large bowl. Add sambal, rice flour and salt and mix well. In a small skillet gently heat the oil. Add turmeric, remove from heat and mix into the plantain mixture. The "dough" should be thick yet still sort of pourable. If it is too soft or runny add a bit more rice flour. if too stiff, add small bits of water, one at a time. Grease a loaf pan and pour in plantain mixture.
Bake for 1 hour or until cooked and firm to the touch. remove from oven and let stand about 15 minutes before turning onto a wire rack.
Slice and serve.
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