Global Kitchen Challenge Week 1

This is the first official week of my global kitchen challenge. It was hard to choose my starting countries, but even harder to choose the recipes to cook from them. (And of course I had to go to the library and get a Brazilian Music CD to sway with while I challenged my culinary skills.


The Countries/Recipes chosen for my Global Kitchen Challenge

Brazil-Pao de Queijo (Cheese Bread made with Tapioca Flour)
Cuba-Grilled Pork with Mojo Sauce
Panama- Platanos en Tentacion (Candied Plantain Temptation)


I was inspired to make this Pao de Queijo when I had a flashback to January 2007 when my woodwind quintet visited Brazil. This was the first Brazilian food I tried in the airport coffee shop of Sao Paulo. Simply put, amazing!

My Brazilian experiment did not turn out so well. The are nice to look at and easy to make, but I could not get the insides to come out at all fluffy. Pao de Queijo is supposed to be on the chewy side, but this was like a handful of home made play dough and oil mixed with a likeness of fat. Yuck! I was so disappointed that I decided to make another batch with a different recipe and in a different style.

First Attempt-Made in small muffin tins this batch is similar what popovers are like-poofy and hollow inside.



Second Attempt- Different recipe that required the balls of dough to be rolled out. Unfortunately this batch also did not work out well. They look nice, but I am convinced a swamp thing lives within. Some day I will perfect this recipe and share it with all of you so that you may all experience the bites of heaven that I remember from Brazil.



Cuban Grilled Pork with Mojo Sauce

2 pounds pork loin roast
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup lemonade
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons garlic, minced

Mix all ingredients and marinate pork for 24 hours in refrigerator.Remove roast from refrigerator and preheat grill. Season with salt and pepper and place roast on hot grill over direct medium heat. Grill on all sides until you get a good sear.. Move to indirect grilling and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F. Let roast cool before slicing.

Mojo Sauce

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic, finely minced-you could also use a garlic press (I love mine!)
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil and add garlic. Cook until garlic becomes fragrant. Add rest of ingredients and bring to a rolling boil.

*I used the pork to make sandwiches. I toasted some buns in the oven and topped with pork, tomatoes, onion, Swiss cheese, put the sandwiches open face back in the oven and spooned the excess Mojo sauce over the pork and baked until cheese was melted.

Platanos en Tentacion (Candied Plantain "Temptation")

• 3 large plantains
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 1/2 Cup Water
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 3 Tablespoons Vanilla

Hit the plantains on all sides with a wooden spoon to soften. Peel and cut into 5 pieces each. In a large skillet, melt butter and oil on high heat; add plantains. Fry until brown.Be patient and allow Plantains to brown on all sides. Combine sugar, vanilla, and water. Reduce heat to low and pour liquid over plantains. Continue cooking until the liquid thickens.

*I think this recipe would be really yummy served with Vanilla Ice Cream.