Versatile Roti

 Roti is the type of flatbread that can be used in traditional and non traditional dishes. It cna be sweet or savory, served with lamb or jaggery sugar. The one thing it is is tasty and can be made in any home chef's kitchen.

Regular contributor and cookbook author Priya Krishna wrote about this basic yet versatile bread in today New York Times Wednesday Food section. Roti is a staple at many Indian restaurants but thnaks to both forced and voluntary migrations is alsoa staple in such diverse cuisines as Caribbean, Malaysian and Guyanese. The name itse;f derives from Northern Indian according to Professor Krish Ray who teaches food stiduies at NYU. However the basic recipe was common. Early people made rounds of unleavend bread cooked over open fires and either eaten plain or with somekind of meat and /or veggies. You can make it at home or even buy it at any grovery store. Caribbean chef Peter Prime gets the rounds at his local Caribbean mart in Mary;and. He does create his own too  - theTrinidadian buss up shut which has butter giving the bread a smoother texture. Keep in mind that it can also be made much easier wirh the help of the Rotimatic which sells for $1299 .

However Ms Krishna also includes a recipe for it. it calls for ghee, the clarified melted butter but you can use melted unslated butter too. There is flour, usually refined white will do along with baking powder for rise. A tablespoon of light brown sugar imparts a sweet taste making it perfect for dessert recipes too.The ingredients are added to the flour and baking powder by the well method. The dough at first will be shaggy looking but as tablespoons of water are added , it should evolve into a smooth ball. when this happens cover it with either plastic wrap or a kitchen towel  and let it rest  for anywhere between one to four hours. In the meantime combine the ghee or melted butter with coconut oil. When the dough has rested them roll it out on a floured surface. Formronds, and cut a slit in the middle Add the butter coconut oil mixture, then roll the dough onto itself, It should form cone. Sealt the ends , return to a buttered pan and allow it to rest for thirty more minutes. The dough is cooked in al large skillet with the butter mix to fry it. Keep brushing it with butter and shredding it with two spatulas. Repeat until allk the pieces are cooked . Serve with curry or a sweet filling.

Roti is a delcious bread that can be served with a variety of fillings. Have it sweet or savory.It''s a delicious treat either way.

Home Cooking From Afghanistan

 Afghanistan has had an interesting history and cuisine. Is' Silk Road influences are still tasted today in most Asian dishes. Yet its' their own recipes and restaurants that provide comfort to displaced Afghanis looking for a remnant of home in the US.

Regular contributor Brett Anderson wrote about this and the wealth of Afghani restaurants in the DC area in yesterday's New York Times Food section. There has always been struggles in this crux of the Silk Road from Alexander The Great's reign over it to the recent Taliban takeover. That means diasporas. Many have relocated to Maryland, Washington DC and Virginia in modern times. The region is home to one of the largest populations of resettled Afghanis in the US. Many turned to cooking to survive and created thriving businesses for themselves and their children. They are now taking care of the new wave of fellow countrymen who left the country after the Taliban's August takeover. One by one the restaurants took it upon themselves to feed them along with raising money and finding jobs for them. Chef and restauranteur Hamidullah Noori drew strength from these actions. These people have overcome their fears and left one of the worst regimes in recent history.

Afghanistan was on the Silk Road route and traders bought its' variety of spices. Its abundance was in the warm spices of cumin, cardamon, cinnamon and turmeric as recorded in the great cookbook Parwana. It was written by Durkhanai Ayubi  whose family runs a restaurant in Adelaide Australia where they relocated in the late eighties. Cooking was a way for her mother, Farida to stay connected to her heritage. The one s in the DC area feel the same way. They offer such dishes as sabzi, a spinach and dill stew that also has onions and garlic in it and aushak - dumplings redolent with leeks and scallions. There is also Kabuli pulaw a spiced lamb pilaf made with basmati rice and such Silk Road spices as saffron, cumin , cardamon and turmeric. Other restaurants like The Hellmand in Baltimore, one of the older afrghani eateries serves diners dopiazza - a lamb curry The owner, Qayum Karzi is brother of the former president Hamid Karrzi, he started off as a waiter in the 1970's and took it one step further by opening up a place with his American wife Pam.

Afghani food is a way of giving comfort and showing hope to recently arrived refugees. It gives them promise that they too can create a life in America while keeping their heritage. The ancient recipes connect them.

Maryland's Specialty stuffed Ham

Mention dishes associated with Maryland and anything with crab will come to mind.However there's one county, surprisingly a peninsula, that has a delicious specialty - stuffed ham. This dish is a big holiday one, popular for the upcoming Easter one.

Kim Severson wrote about this traditional dish of St Mary's County in today's New York Times Food section. It's one of America's most regional recipes, right up there with Jersey rippers (deep fried hot dogs) Cincinnati chili  and Robeson county collard greens. Every family in the county made stuffed ham. whether for Christmas, Easter and even Thanksgiving.Unfortunately it's disappearing thanks to a younger generation either moving away or having smaller families. People turned to family owned stores like the famed Dent's . It takes stamina and skill to boil about twenty pounds of cabbage and the Dents had this for two generations.The owner, who sadly died in his sleep not long ago, put the stuffed ham in egg rolls and on top of  pizzas .His cordon bleu chicken, traditionally stuffed with ham was filled with the St. Mary's County kind.  Another small store Murphy's Town and Country also makes the famed dish , around four hundred a year. Most go to church dinners but many still grace a large family's table. . The recipe could be a cousin of an old Lincolnshire dish chine in which a brined shoulder of pork is slashed and stuffed with herbs. It was boiled in a muslin case. It's more likely  to be derived from an Afro- Carib dish though, according to Joyce White, a Maryland food historian.Enslaved West Africans would season greens with onions and red pepper and stuff them into jowls or whatever piece of pork they had.

What makes this ham so special?It is the stuffing It is a combination of curly kale mixed with collard greens and watercress.. Yellow onions and scallions are also added along with black pepper , cayenne,and red pepper flakes for kick. Mustard and celery seeds are tossed in as well.It is not for the faint of heart novice chef. It does take more than a few hands. The original recipe, first published in 1834, called for smoked ham. This one requires the meat to be corned or having kosher salt rubbed on the surface, Place the ham in an unreactive  pan after salting or corning.. A glass one which won't react with the salt so stay away from aluminum or copper pans..cover it tightly with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for a few days. The day before it get's stuffed, rinse off the salt and soak the ham  in cold water over night in the fridge.The stuffing is chopped cabbage along with the onions and kale.. The ham should be boneless when stuffed. Think butterflied with the meat being splayed on the sides.The ham should also be slit to hold the stuffing. It will be packed in the greens as it's placed into a cheesecloth  "sack". Themmeat is cooked ,fifteen minutes per pound. A small ham could take about an hour and a half , a larger one could take three to four hours. after cooking, It's then drained in colander and chilled in the fridge for six hours before serving. It' s usually served on soft potato rolls ro slices of white bread.

Stuffed ham may be a Saint Mary's county specialty but any body from any other part of the country can also make t. It's a delicious blend of ham and greens, spiked with peppers. Try this traditiona dish and see what generations have raved about for decades.

Getting Crabby

Even though summer is officially over there;s no reason not to go for something as summery as crab. You can still catch it in some areas and most fish stores still carry it. It's a versatile meat that can go well in salads and grilled. It;s also good with a variety of sauces but stands up by itself with just some melted butter or hot sauce.

Crabs are hard shell crustaceans belonging to the decapod or ten footed family. They have a hard exo skeleton and soft tender meat underneath that. They're very low in calories about 130 altogether for an entire crab steamed which makes them perfect for diets. Eating crabs meat has been around since ancient times. It was the early Britons that impressed the Romans with their catches. Crab was very popular during Britain's medieval period and then Renaissance where they were served boiled, cold and dipped in vinegar. The English love of them came to the New World where it's still seen today in Maryland. The state is known for its' blue crabs and of course there is the very popular Maryland crab cake.

How should you serve crab meat? I just prefer the simplest , boiled and shelled with drawn or melted butter on the side. You can also season crab with the famed Old Bay Seasoning , a fiery blend of spices. The meat is also good in a simple salad with just a vinaigrette dressing and maybe a few grape tomatoes added in. If you want something heartier then try crabcakes. This is mor e involved, kind of like making hamburgers from scratch. Still the result is a tasty treat, good on its own or served with on a soft bun.

Crab meat is a summery treat that you can enjoy all year round. You don't have to be at a resort to indulge in crab cakes or crab salad. You can make it for yourself and your family at home any time of the year.