Food For The Gods- Erzulie Freda

Haiti is a country with many voodoo practitioners. Erzulie Freda is the loa (spirit) of love, beauty, jewellery, dancing, luxury and flowers. She is often portrayed as coquettish, soft spoken and non-violent. Unlike her sister Erzulie Danto. Erzulie Freda is said to be feminine and compassionate but also by some to be spoilt, jealous, lazy and flirtatious. One major difference between Erzulie Freda and Erzulie Danto are their skin colours. Erzulie Danto is considered dark-skinned while Erzulie Freda is known for her fairness. She is often identified with Our Lady Of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa) and Our Lady Of Lourdes. The colours of Erzulie Freda are pink, blue, white and gold. The day that represents her is Thursday.

Food (and foodstuff) offered to Erzulie Freda often includes the following:

• Fish
• Chicken
• White Pigeon
• Sweet Plantains
• Pineapple
• Almond Syrup
• Amaretto
• Anisette
• Sweet Cakes

Due to the fact that she represents luxury and feminity. Common offerings to Erzulie Freda also include jewellery and perfume.

Food For The Gods- Erzulie Danto

Haiti is a country with many voodoo practitioners. There are many different loas (spirits) in Voodoo that represent different aspects of life (and death). Erzulie Danto represents motherhood and particularly, single motherhood. She is considered to be extremely powerful, passionate, violent and complex. She is well known for the strength unlike her sister Erzulie Freda (who is known for softness and gentleness). The differences between them can be seen in their response to the harshness of reality in folklore. Erzulie Freda usually breaks down in tears. Erzulie Danto responds in shuddering tantrum. The colours that represent Erzulie Danto are blue, gold and sometimes red. The days that best represent her are Tuesdays and Saturdays. Erzulie Danto is most commonly represented by the image of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa.

Food (and foodstuff) offered to Erzulie Danto often includes the following:

• Sticky Rice With Black Peas
• Bananas
• Griot (a fried pork dish)
• Sweet Black Coffee
• Red Grapes
• Oranges
• Tangerines
• Cinzano
• Tia Maria
• Grand Marnier
• Sweet Red Wine
• Red Grenadine
• Creme de Cacao
• Rum

Besides the mentioned food and drinks. Many also include cigarettes as an offering. It is said that the ideal type of cigarettes to offer to Erzulie Danto are strong, unfiltered ones.

The Sancocho Series: Sancocho de Pescado (Colombia)

One of us has an aunt who only eats fish as her choice of meat. As you can imagine, it can be somewhat irksome sometimes when preparing a meal with her around. But nevertheless she is a nice person, and we invited her over for dinner one night. As usual, we were feeling somewhat lazy and wanted a simple one-dish meal that could be served alongside rice. Cooking rice is always easy in asia. You just need to dump everything into a rice cooker. No stirring. No mess. No pain.

After some thought, we decided to settle on a fish Sancocho. We have eaten Sancocho before (a colombian-american friend cooked it for us), and love how it complements so well with rice. Fish Sancocho can be found in quite a few countries. Some examples are Colombia, Venezuela and the Canary Islands of Spain. As we are most familiar with the colombian version of Sancocho, we decided on settling with a simplified colombian recipe. Where almost all ingredients can be easily bought at any decent supermarket in Singapore.

Sancocho de Pescado

Ingredients:
-1 tablespoon vegetable oil
-1 large onion, finely chopped
-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
-1 kg frozen (or fresh) white-fleshed fish fillets (such as red snapper, halibut or cod), thawed and cut into large chunks
-10 fish or ikan bilis stock cubes (Knorr is the preferred brand), dissolved in 10 cups of hot water
-1 kg potatoes, deskinned and cut into quarters
-1 teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon cumin powder, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
-1/2 cup coriander, finely chopped
-2 cans canned corn, drained
-4 limes, cut into quarters
-3 to 4 ripe avocados (optional but highly recommended), diced

In a large pot, fry the onion and garlic with the vegetable oil over medium to low heat until onions soften and garlic turns brown. Add in the fish stock and turmeric-cumin paste. Clamp a lid onto the pot and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Make sure you give the liquid a good stir. Add the fish fillets into the pot and bring to a boil again. Clamp back the lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow the mixture to simmer for 20 minutes. Add the potatoes and bring to the boil again. Simmer again for another 30 minutes. This time with the lid off. Turn off the heat and give the mixture a taste. It should be salty enough so we do not recommend any additional salt. Stir in the corn and coriander and allow mixture to sit (rest) for about 2 to 3 hours (make sure the lid is off). Just before dinnertime, reheat the mixture and serve with rice, lime and avocado.

Food For The Gods- Baron Samedi

Haiti is a country with many voodoo practitioners. Voodoo like any other religion, deals with life and death. Baron Samedi is one of the loas (spirits) of the dead and is associated with ancestor worship, death and magic. He is usually depicted with a top hat, black tuxedo, dark glasses, and cotton plugs in the nostrils. He has a white, frequently skull-like face (or actually a skull for a face) and speaks in a nasal voice. He is a sexual spirit and has a particular fondness for tobacco and rum. As well as being master of the dead, he is also a 'giver' of life. It is said that he can cure mortals of any disease or wounds, especially when it is inflicted by voodoo curses and black magic. The colours that represent him are black and purple. As with his name, Saturday is the day that best represents him (Samedi means Saturday in French).

Food (and foodstuff) offered to Baron Samedi often includes the following:

• Salted Herring
• Fresh Herring
• White Skinned Sweet Potatoes
• Purple Skinned Sweet Potatoes
• Corn-On-The-Cob
• Ground Corn
• Lamb or Goat
• Tasso (a kind of cured pork)
• Smoked Plantains
• Yam
• Dumplings
• Pumpkin Soup
• Meat & Root Vegetable Stew
• Black Coffee
• White Rum
• White Rum With Hot Peppers
• Tequila

Due to his fondness for tobacco, smoking pipes filled with tobacco and cigars are usually offered too.

Food For The Gods- Damballah

Haiti is a country with many voodoo practitioners. One of the most important loa (spirits) in voodoo, is Damballah. Damballah is the sky god and considered the earliest creator of life. Damballah rules the mind, intellect, and cosmic equilibrium. He is the considered the patron protector of the handicapped, deformed, crippled, albinos, and young children. When he presents himself in possession, he does not talk, but makes hissing and whistling noises. Damballah is often combined with catholic figures like St Patrick and Moses. The colour that represents Damballah is white. Which is partly why most food offered to him, are more or less white in colour. The day that represents Damballah is Thursday.

Food (and foodstuff) offered to Damballah often includes the following:

• White Rice
• Milk
• White Pigeon
• Flour
• Eggs
• Honey
• Cakes
• Sugar-Based Candy
• Cream-Based Candy
• Spiced Codfish (with rice & beans)
• Cold Water
• Coconut
• Coconut Milk
• Bread
• Cookies
• Anisette
• Corn Syrup
• Shea Butter
• Kola Nuts
• Vodka
• Scotch Whisky
• Baileys
• Almond Syrup

One interesting fact is that Damballah is often represented by serpents. His veve (symbol) includes 2 serpents. And he is also associated with St Patrick (the saint who is said to have driven snakes out of Ireland) and Moses (who managed to turn his staff into a serpent when confronting the Pharaoh of Egypt)

Sancocho, A Fond Memory

Sancocho is a meat and root vegetable stew that is found throughout latin america. Every latin american country has a different way of flavouring and preparing it. Latin american Sancocho evolved from a few different types of Spanish stews that was introduced during the Spanish conquest. Namely Cocido, Puchero Canario and the original Sancocho of the Canary Islands. Which is usually prepared with fish.

Our first exposure to Sancocho was when a colombian-american friend cooked it for us 2 years ago. We took pictures of the ingredients that he bought and documented parts of the cooking process. But after 3 hours of watching him cook, we became a little listless and in the process, somehow misplaced the notes. We regretted it after that though, because the stew tasted so good. It was nothing like we have tasted before. In order to replicate it, we had to backtrack using the photos that we took and by remembering the quantities of what went in (he was not very particular about that, making it a little more complicated for us). After some heavy thinking, we have re-created the recipe in a simpler, smaller and cheaper form (his version took 4 hours in total to prepare and cook, which was enough to feed 20 people, and his ingredients billed up to a whooping $300). There are many different types of meat that can be used for Sancocho. The one that we first tasted was made with beef. However, we decided on a chicken one this time as we had some Hindu friends coming over for dinner that night.

Simple Sancocho De Gallina

Ingredients:
-1 red bell pepper (capsicum), roughly chopped
-1 onion, roughly chopped
-4 sprigs spring onions, sliced
-2 teaspoons cumin powder & 1 teaspoon turmeric powder mixed with 3 tablespoons water
-5 cloves garlic, crushed
-2 cans corn kernels, drained
-1kg potatoes, deskinned and cut into quarters
-12 cups water
-5 tablespoons chicken stock powder (Knorr is the preferred brand)
-2kg frozen chicken thighs, deskinned and joints separated
-1/2 cup chopped coriander (cilantro)
-salt and black pepper to taste
-3 to 4 ripe avocados (optional but highly recommended), diced

In a blender or food processor, pulse the bell pepper, onion and spring onions with 1 cup of water. In a large pot, bring the blended ingredients, spice paste (cumin & turmeric), remaining water and chicken stock powder to the boil (do so with the lid on). Add in the chicken and bring to the boil again with the lid on. Simmer for 20 minutes and add in the potatoes. Bring to the boil and simmer again for another 30 minutes. This time with the lid off. Turn off the heat and season with salt and black pepper. Stir in the coriander and corn. Allow the Sancocho to sit (rest) with the lid off for about 2 to 3 hours. This helps its flavour to 'develop' further. Reheat and serve with white rice and avocado.

Fiambre, A General Insight

Fiambre is a special salad that originates in Guatemala. Like many other latin american countries, Guatemala has a Roman Catholic majority. Therefore, holidays like the Day Of The Dead are observed there. Fiambre originally started out as a wide range of dishes, brought to the graves of deceased family members during the Day Of The Dead. It was usually the favourite dishes enjoyed by loved ones before they passed on. And so it went on, many families bringing different dishes for their loved ones until the dishes started mixing (probably due to space constraints, a grave is not exactly big). From this constant mixing of dishes (sounds horrible), a salad was slowly created to encompass a range of food that family members liked to eat before they passed on.

Before the Day Of The Dead (1st November), most families in Guatemala will gather to prepare this dish. Each member usually helps to cook or chop different ingredients as it will be almost impossible for one person to prepare the entire dish alone. Fiambre is then consumed for the next two days (All Saints Day comes after the Day Of The Dead) In many cases, it is shared with family and friends celebrating in the same area.

Since this meal is consumed for a period of two days, it is very difficult to serve it hot. Fiambre is almost always served cold. While the ingredients can vary from family to family, it usually includes numerous sausages and cold cuts, cured meats, pickled baby-corn and onions, beets, pacaya flower, assorted cheeses, olives, chicken, and prawns.

Pickled vegetables, such as baby corn, olives, and cucumbers, are a common addition to the salad. Almost any vegetable can be included, and all of the ingredients are usually chopped into bite-sized pieces. Fiambre may be dressed as a whole, usually with different spices or a dressing made from vinegar and mustard. Each ingredient may also be dressed separately, thereby providing more depth to the dish.

Because it is a very personal thing, the ingredients for each Fiambre vary greatly from family to family, with each family traditinally passing its own recipe to the younger generation. There are many different types of Fiambre but they have been sub divided into a few categories. They are:

• Fiambre Rojo (literally meaning red Fiambre, it is given this name as it is prepared with beets as an ingredient)
• Fiambre Blanco (literally meaning white Fiambre, as no beets are used)
• Fiambre Desarmado (deconstructed Fiambre, which originates in Jalapa. A region in south-east Guatemala)
• Fiambre Verde (Green Fiambre. Solely vegetarian and usually comprises of fruits, vegetables, lentils and beans)

Region Focus: Veracruz

Country: Mexico

Brief Overview:
Verazruz is a region in Eastern Mexico. It was this region that the Spaniards first arrived before their Mexican conquest around 500 years ago. What makes this region unique, is the fact that it was a crossroad for many different cultures that are not the most common in the rest of Mexico (or at least most of it). Most of us will imagine the standard Mexican culture as a blend of Spanish and Native Indian (Maya, Aztec, Toltec or Olmec) culture. However in Veracruz, besides the usual Spanish and Native Indian culture, there is also a strong African and Afro-Caribbean presence. Partly because Veracruz was an entry port for slaves entering from Africa and the Afro-Caribbean. There has also been a huge amount of European migration into Veracruz since colonial times. Up till now, Veracruz still has pockets of immigrant communities from Spain, Italy and even Lebanon. This can be seen not just in the food of Veracruz but the religion too. As with the rest of Mexico, Veracruz has a Roman Catholic majority. However, there are also a significant amount of Protestants and Jews.

Cuisine:
Before the Spanish conquest of Mexico, the typical Veracruz diet will consist of the of corn, beans and squash. The cuisine was also rich in a variety of tropical fruits, vanilla beans and a herb called hoja santa/mexican pepperleaf (piper auritum) which is rich in safrole (think of root beer or sarsi in terms of taste). Due to the fact that it is next to the coast, there was also an abundant amount of seafood consumed. In addition, chilis, tomatoes, avocados, papaya, mamey and zapote were cultivated.

During the colonial era in Veracruz, many old world (mostly European and sometimes Asian or African) ingredients and spices were introduced. Mexico was somewhat influenced by the old world. But the influence was more prominent in Veracruz and many herbs, spices and ingredients in its cuisine today are almost absent in 'standard' Mexican cooking. Here are some examples of what was introduced to Veracruz during the colonial period.

European Influences:

• Parsley
• Saffron
• Thyme
• Marjoram
• Bay Leaves
• Coriander
• Wheat
• Rice
• Almonds
• Olives
• Olive Oil
• Garlic
• Capers

Asian Influences (via Spain):

• Cloves
• Black Pepper
• Cinnamon

African and Afro-Caribbean Influences (via Portugal & Brazil):

• Plantains
• Yucca
• Sweet potatoes
• Sugar cane
• Pineapple
• Peanuts

Notable And Common Dishes In Veracruz:

• Caldo de Mariscos (seafood soup)
• Arroz a la Tumbada (rice cooked with seafood and/or sometimes meat)
• Huachinango a la Veracruzana (red snapper served in a spicy tomato salsa)
• Frijoles en Achuchutl (black beans with pork rind, chayotes, squash seeds and jalapeños)
• Bocoles (a kind of tortilla made with corn dough. It is stuffed with black beans, chorizo, eggs or seafood and fried in lard)
• Tamales in Banana Leaf
• Anise Bread Rolls
• Camarones a La Diabla (prawns in spicy sauce)
• Chilpachole de Jaiba (spicy crab soup/thin stew)
• Huevos Tirados (fried eggs cooked with beans and served with cheese, totopos, tortillas, fried plantain, and arroz a la tumbada)
• Adobo Huasteco (pork in spicy sauce)
• Picadas (thick tortilla with assorted toppings)
• Carne de Chango (popularly called monkey meat. It is actually pork)

Ceviche: Mexico vs Peru

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Ceviche is a latin american dish that consists of chopped vegetables and cubes of raw seafood (mostly fish) that has been marinated and 'cooked' for a few hours in the acids of citrus juice. The origin of this dish is disputed but most believe that it originated in Peru during the Spanish colonial period. Lima, the present day capital of Peru was the capital of a region called the Viceroyalty Of Peru. Which consists of most of the present day countries in South America. Which is why Ceviche was introduced to many other latin american countries. All which added their own regional touch to this dish. Ceviche's fame and popularity was so great that it eventually made its way to the Caribbean and Mexico (which were not part of the Viceroyalty).

If we ever find Ceviche in Singapore, it is usually the Mexican version. The typical Ceviche found here are those usually served in small bowls or cocktail cups and eaten with doritos or tostitos. And the ingredients are all too familiar. Cubes of raw fish mixed with diced avocado, tomatoes, coriander, onions, salt and chili marinated in a base of lime or lemon juice and oil. Mexican Ceviche also uses raw prawns, octopus or squid to replace the fish or as an extra addition sometimes. Although this version is not very common (if availabe at all) in Singapore. Mexican Ceviche is seen as one with lots of character and one that uses more readily available items such as tuna and mackerel.

Peruvian Ceviche on the other hard, is viewed by many as being very distinct. It has many regional variations. But the standard form consists of chunks of raw fish 'cooked' in the juice of either lime or bitter orange and mixed with onions, chilis, salt and pepper. What makes Peruvian Ceviche different from the usual Mexican version is the way that it is served. It is not eaten with tostadas as most people are used to. Instead, the mixture is served with cooked corn-on-the-cob and sweet potatoes. In certain regions of Peru, people also eat Ceviche with toasted corn and even seaweed. The standard traditional fish for Peruvian Ceviche is sea bass. In some areas, shark and sole are also commonly used. Due to a large influx of Japanese immigrants in Peru during the 19th century, Peru also has Ceviches which are made in a more 'sashimi' way. Which means marinating the fish in the citric acid of choice only for a short period of time. And then serving it promptly so that it is 'cooked' on the outside but still raw inside (think of it as tataki cubes).

We recommend using sashimi-grade fish for Ceviche as it is ultimately still a raw dish. Sashimi-grade fish is expensive in Singapore. But Fassler's Gourmet at Woodlands sells excellent vaccum packed sashimi-grade fish that can be stored in the freezer for long periods of time. After a quick thaw, it can be used to whip up a delicious Ceviche anytime. Do check out http://www.fassler.sg/ . We were absolutely floored when we made a little trip to Fassler's a few months ago.

Food Focus: Colombian Shredded Beef (Carne Desmechada)

Country Of Origin: The name says it....Colombia

It is unfortunate that we do not have any well-known colombian restaurants in Singapore. Our interest and exposure to colombian food started when a colombian-american friend cooked dinner for us a few years ago. He cooked a stew called Sancocho and served it with rice, chopped parsley and diced avocado. It blew our minds and unfortunately his wallet too. Due to the fact that the bought everything from Cold Storage....the cost of the ingredients came up to a whooping $300.

And so it grew, our interest (or at least for some of us) in colombian food. We were cooking for some friends one night and thought of having a little something with white rice. That was when we decided to have a few simple colombian dishes that will serve well with it. And among these dishes, Carne Desmechada was one of them.

Carne Desmechada

Ingredients:
-1kg frozen beef stew cubes, thawed
-2 red peppers (capsicums), roughly chopped
-around 10 sprigs of spring onions, roughly sliced
-5 cloves garlic
-1 teaspoon cumin
-5 tablespoons vegetable oil
-3 beef stock cubes dissolved in 1 cup hot water (Knorr is the preferred brand)
-2 teaspoons black pepper
-extra salt (if needed) to taste

Place the beef cubes in a large pot and pour enough boiling water to cover. Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Or until beef cubes can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove from heat and drain. Shred the beef with 2 forks and set aside. In a deep-dished non stick pan, fry the red peppers, spring onions and garlic with the vegetable oil on medium to low heat until the mixture turns soft and garlic turns golden. Take care not to burn the garlic. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and stir in the cumin and black pepper. Give the pan a good wipe. Allow the mixture to cool before pulsing or blending it in a food processor or blender. Remember to keep blending until the mixture becomes a smooth paste. Transfer the spice paste, shredded beef and hot beef stock back into the pan and fry over high heat for about 5 to 7 minutes until the mixture has dried up a little. But not too dry as the beef should look like it has been mixed with a bit of gravy. Remove from heat and serve.