Jay D's Bites: Spicy & Sweet Boiled Peanuts

Boiled peanuts are the perfect salty snack for your upcoming Super Bowl party and crawfish boils. In this addictive southern staple we used locally grown peanuts and featured Jay D’s Spicy and Sweet Rub that will leave you lickin’ your fingers. Enjoy them hot or cold!

Spicy & Sweet Boiled Peanuts

Serves 8-10

Photo: Jordan Hefler Photography

1½ cups salt, more to taste

2 lbs raw or green peanuts, in shell
5 oz Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet Rub

If using raw peanuts, allow to soak overnight. If using green peanuts, soaking overnight is not necessary. In a small pot pour enough water over peanuts so that they are covered. Bring to boil, then add salt and rub. Reduce to simmer and cover for 6 hours or until very soft. Reserve a small amount of cooking liquid to store with peanuts. Store in airtight container and refrigerate.

Nigeria - The 2010 FIFA World Cup Bites and Boozes

Nigeria

Nigeria goes into its final group stage match with a mathematical chance of advancing in the World Cup despite having 0 points.  If Argentina defeats Greece and Nigeria can pull out a decent win against South Korea, the Super Eagles could be moving on to the round of 16.  Yes, it is a tall task and they do have to score some goals to win the tiebreaker, but they could possibly do it.  In celebration of their attempt, we will now take a look at the bites and boozes of Nigeria!

Suya  is meat kabob that is coated in ground peanuts and other delicious seasonings and local spices.  The meat on a stick, which we can always use more of, is usually cooked on a grill or pit like in American barbeque or over open flames on their skewers.  Suya can be found all over Nigeria in restaurants, homes, and from street vendors.  Most suya is made from beef, though occasionally chicken or veal is used.  This may actually be something that I try to make for myself, so let me know if you want to enjoy some Nigerian cooking one day!

Ogogoro, also known as emu and several other names, is the Nigerian version of palm wine that is very popular in Western Africa.  Ogogoro is typically brewed locally when in Nigeria it is known as the country's home brew.  The beverage is brewed from the sap and juices of the Raffia palm tree.  Incisions are made in the trunk of the tree and a day or two later the sap is collected.  The sap is the boiled with the steam being collected, then the steam is allowed to condense and be used for fermentation.  The process produces high levels of ethanol which certainly works at getting the locals drunk... sometimes too drunk.  How can I say too drunk?  Well, with an alcohol content ranging from 30-60%, depending on the home brew, it is said that hundred die every year from alcohol poisoning and over-consumption of amateur-brewed ogogoro.  Oops!

For more on Nigerian beer, visit the BR Beer Scene!

Thanks and Credits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_cuisine
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Suya-Spice
http://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-372190.256.html

Cameroon - The 2010 FIFA World Cup Bites and Boozes

Cameroon

Bite and Booze returns to the host continent of the 2010 FIFA World Cup for a look at the eats and drinks of Cameroon.  This country is sometimes referred to as "Africa in miniature" for its geological and cultural diversity.  The relatively small nation sits on the western edge of central Africa and includes beaches, deserts, mountains, rain forests, and savannas.  Cameroon is also home to over 200 different ethnic and linguistic groups, making it difficult to nail down their most cultural bites and boozes.  Still, as they play their second match of the World Cup today against Denmark, we'll see what they have to offer.

Ndole is generally considered the national dish of Cameroon.  The meal most closely resembles a stew containing nuts and bitter leaves that are native to western Africa.  Some refer to it as a bitterleaf soup.  The leaves are similar to spinach but more acidic, creating a more bitter taste when cooked than spinach.  Peanuts are usually used as well as onions and garlic.  Ndole is typically served with fried plantains, steamed banana leaves, or rice.  The meat of choice is usually a combination of shrimp and smoked fish, though ground beef is sometime used in ndole as well.

Beer is by far the most popular alcoholic beverage in Cameroon, with many people making their own brews from millet or maize.  Many publications are concerned that Cameroonians are now drinking too much alcohol, but I don't buy it.  How can you have too much of a good thing like beer?  However, Susan Diduk points out in her article titled European Alcohol, History, and the State in Cameroon, "Today it is impossible to overlook the significance of bottled alcohol production and consumption in the Republic of Cameroon.  Bars selling bottled beers mark rural commercial centers and proliferate on city streets.  They are so pervasive that it is difficult to imagine city, town, or village without them..."  Unfortunately, most of this bottled beer is imported from Europe and not a product of Cameroon.  The millet and maize beers are produced locally though, as is another popular beverage: palm wine.  Palm wine is made from the fermentation of sap from the palm tree.

For more on beer in Cameroon, check out Eric's post on the BR Beer Scene!

Thanks and Credits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameroon
http://www.africapresse.com/recettes/le-ndole/09/04/2010/
http://www.jstor.org/pss/525506

Thai Kitchen with Megan

Thai Kitchen stands tall on the list of Baton Rouge Thai restaurants, though there are several other places that I like equally well for different reasons.  Thai Kitchen is the larger, more corporate feeling Thai location that always has a crowd and serves what I thought was consistently good food.  They are not a hole-in-the-wall like Rama and they do not offer a buffet like Thai Pepper.  Instead, Thai Kitchen serves their sushi bar and Thai cuisine in the well-known Southdowns Shopping Center, right next to Spectrum Fitness and around the corner from a popular watering hole, The Bulldog.  The tables at Thai Kitchen are made from carved wood with an Asian flair that matches the rest of the decor, and they also feature karaoke bar which is prominately advertised around the building.  Megan accompanied me on a recent trip to Thai Kitchen to see what we could find to satisfy our appetite. 

Neau Nam Tok

For an appetizer, our knowledgable server recommended the Neau Nam Tok.  This marinated and charbroiled beef came out sliced thin and seasoned with Thai herbs, hot pepper, and fresh lime juice.  The beef and herbs were served with crispy cabbage to make "cabbage wraps" out of the dish.  I have to say that this was my favorite part of the dinner (It was almost better than the company, but not quite!).  Not to say that everything else tasted bad, but rather, this appetizer is one that I can see myself getting over and over again.  The tender slices of tasty beef oozed with juices that brilliantly blended hot, sweet, and sour all together into one outstanding bit.  The hint of lime, the spice of pepper, and the tang of the herbs mixed in a symphony of flavors that orchestrated my taste buds.  Yeah, I'm getting that again!

Singha, Thai Lager Beer

Naturally when I eat at a Thai restaurant, I like to get a Thai beer.  For the selection available around here, it doesn't get much better than Singha.  Singha is a light lager beer with a sweet, distinguishably Oriental taste that is common in many East Asian beers.  The head quickly disappears from the glass and it can easily be mistaken for cheap American swill with many of the same tendencies.  All in all, the beer is good, but I don't really drink it except for when I'm eating Thai food.

Panang Curry

One traditional dish in Thai cuisine is curry.  Megan and I shared the panang curry with shrimp.  The dish featured a panang curry paste with coconut milk, green beans, and Kaffir lime leaves served with steamed white rice.  The panang curry is rather mild and the coconut milk and lime flavors stood out and very much complemented the shrimp.  I thought it was pretty good and would certainly recommend it or eat it again.

Pad Thai

The other quintessential Thai dish that you find in America is Pad Thai.  The popular dish at Thai Kitchen has stir fried rice noodles with shrimp, bean sprouts, scallions, tofu, ground peanuts, and eggs.  This particular Pad Thai did not impress Megan and I much at all.  I like Pad Thai a lot, but the taste of Thai Kitchen's dish on this night seemed a little off.  It remained edible, but not the special, delightful dish that it usually is.  Oh well, I guess you can't win them all.  I'm sure that I'll still go back and when I do, you can bet that I'll order the Neau Nam Tok.