Jan 27

Cookbook 63: the round-the-world cookbook

I bought this cookbook second hand, from my favourite second hand bookshop in Australia, the Daylesford Book Barn (best place to be on a cold winter’s day). The round-the-world cookbook by Myra Waldo was written in conjunction with Pam American World Airlines (when they were a going concern), and published in the 1950/60s.  My copy is apparently an abridged version, which I can’t find on the internet.  The full version, The Complete Round-The-World Cookbook, is available online for very little, and I’m guessing it’s going to be as good as the one I currently own (which has almost been loved to death).

I initially bought this book for a school assignment, I wanted a book that described elements of a particular nation’s cuisine, and I was struggling (these were the pre-internet days), so I was happy when I found one book that talked about the elements of Portuguese cuisine.  I’ve cooked a few recipes from this book, and whoever owned it before me cooked some and wrote notes through the book (which are appreciated).  The instructions in the book are good, though it’s unsurprisingly in imperial measurements.  I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for it’s depth (so many countries are covered), good instructions, and tasty food.

Spicy Baked Chicken (Murgh-I-Musallam)

Ingredients:

  • 2 x 3 1/2 pound chickens
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried ground chilli peppers
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground loves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cardamom seeds, ground
  • 1/4 inch piece fresh or dried ginger, crushed fine, or 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
  • 1/2 cup ground blanched almonds
  • 4 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2 tablespoons water

Method:

  1. Carefully remove all of the skin from the whole chickens.
  2. Prick the chickens all over with a fork.
  3. Mix the garlic, onions, chili peppers, cloves, salt, pepper, cardamom seeds, ginger, almonds, butter, and water into a paste.  Spread over the chickens and rube a little on the inside. Be sure to cover the chickens thoroughly with the mixture.
  4. Place in a buttered baking dish or a roasting pan. Roast in a 350F (180C) oven for about 1 1/2 hours, or until tender.  Add a little water if necessary to prevent the chickens from burning.  Carve the chickens and serve hot.

Notes on this recipe:

  • It’s going to be easier to make a paste for this dish if you have a big mortar and pestle, or if you have a food processor with a smaller bowl attachments.  We ground the spices and onion together, before emptying that mixture (we did it in 2 – 3 batches) into a bowl and stirring in the almond meal, butter and water.
  • We also used one chicken of about 1.9kgs, as it was easier to find than two smaller chickens.
  • Skinning chickens is fiddly, but not impossible.  Just remember to leave the wings unskinned (that’s way too fiddly), and you’ll be right.
  • We added about 1/4 of a cup of water after every 30 minutes to ensure that the chicken was tender and that the paste did not dry out too much.  It turned out very nicely.

Potatoes and Rice, Pakistani Style (Alu-Ki-Tari)

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of rice
  • 1/4 pound butter
  • 2 onions, sliced thin
  • 4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped or 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
  • Dash of cayenne pepper
  • 4 cups boiling water

Method:

  1. Wash the rice thoroughly in several changes of water (or you know, running water).  Soak in cold water for 30 minutes.  Drain well.
  2. Melt the butter in a saucepan.  Add the onions and saute for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the rice, potatoes, salt, turmeric, coriander, garlic, ginger, cayenne, and boiling water and stir.
  3. Bring to a boil.  Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Notes on this recipe:

  • This dish ends up being a buttery rice and potato dish, with a small hint of spice, and a great yellow colour from the turmeric.
  • It’s very straightforward to make, and if you have WAY too much like we did, is great reheated the next day and served with a tomato and eggplant curry.