Chili For A Chilly Day

Ready to eat

The seasons are changing here in Albania with our hot summer days turning into damp and rainy early winter ones.  This weather makes me want to hunker down and cook so during our most recent rainy weekend I cooked up a batch of chili.  This recipe is more of a method as I add ingredients as I have them on hand and omit those I don't readily have access to (a necessary flexibility here in Albania where ethnic ingredients are hard to come by).  Traditionalists would eschew my chili--light on the meats and heavy on vegetables it is neither a carnivore or vegetarian delight.  Preferring strong flavors, I am heavy handed on the spices but as with everything else in this recipe, they can be adjusted based on personal preferences.  Remember, you can always add more spice as you go along but it is impossible to remove it once it has been added to the pot!

EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK CHILI

Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium carrot thinly sliced
4-5 fresh peppers- I used a mix of red and green
4 small jalapenos- again I used both red and green that had been given to me by a co-worker; adjust
                  quantity based on personal preferences
1 lb ground beef (can substitute ground pork, veal, lamb or a combination of meats)
1/2 lb veal cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can corn kernels (fresh corn is preferred if available)
2 cans beans- this time I used kidney beans
3 cans whole Roma tomatoes- roughly chopped
2-3 dashes Tabasco sauce- adjust based on preferences
3-4 Tbsp chili powder- I like Penzeys Spice Medium Hot Chili Powder- but adjust based on personal
          preferences

Raw ingredients

1)  Pour 2 tbsp olive oil into a Dutch oven or other heavy duty pot and place over medium high heat.

2)  Add the onions, garlic, peppers, carrot, and jalapenos to the pot.  Season with the salt and pepper to
      taste and stirring frequently, cook for 8-10 minutes until soft.

Vegetables cooking

3)  Add the meats and cook until well browned being sure to break up any larger pieces as you go.

Meat has been added

4)  Add the can of drained corn, the drained and rinsed beans and tomatoes with their juice and mix to
      combine.

5)  Add the Tabasco sauce and the chili powder.  Stir, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low.
     Continue to cook over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Taste and adjust the seasoning
     to meet your personal tastes.

Flavors melding

I let the chili cook on low all afternoon and it tastes even better when reheated the next day.  The longer the chili cooks the more the flavors will develop.  Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and sliced avocado if desired.
   

Moroccan Carrot Salad

Fresh carrots ready for cooking

An invitation to a friend's "Falafal-fest" made me think about what dish I could add- falafal, hummus, stuffed grape leaves, and the like and needing something both easy and that I could find the ingredients to actually make, I settled on a carrot salad.   Fresh carrots are bountiful this time of year.  Besides, Sidney loves all things carrots and bringing a carrot dish would guarantee that there would be at least one dish that my sporadically finicky toddler would eat.

I couldn't find a recipe that actually excited me after perusing a variety of options I set about creating my own dish based on what looked and tasted right.  The verdict?  From Sidney, who ate two servings before it even left the house, "So good.  More carrots in a bowl please."  (For some reason carrots on a plate a simply not acceptable to him).  I think my mostly empty bowl I brought home indicates that this dish was a success.

MOROCCAN CARROT SALAD

1 1/2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into uniformly sized thin sticks

3-4 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 generous tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp coriander

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly ground sea salt

Fresh chopped parsley

1 lemon

1)   Place the carrots in a large skillet, add just enough water to cover, and steam on high heat for 5-7  

      minutes (or more if you like your veggies softer).  Drain and set aside.

2)  Return the skillet to high heat, add the olive oil, garlic, and spices and saute for 30 seconds.  Add the 

      carrots and toss to coat.

3)   Remove carrots from heat and place in a serving bowl.  Squeeze the lemon juice over the top, add 

       the parsley and mix to combine.  Adjust the seasonings to taste.  I prefer stronger flavors and added

       a bit more cumin powder.  The salad is best served at room temperature.

Easy-peasey and tasty to boot!

Ready to eat

Mmmmmmmmmmm.................Cellos



Lemon, orange, or grapefruit-
What's your pleasure?

I first discovered lemoncello several years ago during a trip to Italy with my mom.  In little Italian restaurants throughout Tuscany long lazy dinners were topped off with a small glass of the bright yellow beverage.  We never ordered it; rather it showed up like clockwork at the close of every meal.  I'm not a fan of hard alcohol- give me a good glass of red wine any day- but the biting sharpness of lemoncello was the perfect way to end an already satisfying meal. Thinking I could easily buy it back in the States, I eschewed the boot-shaped bottles of lemoncellos sold in the duty-free shops of the airports we passed through on our way back home.  Sadly the only lemoncello I could find in Norfolk was so sweet and thick that it reminded me of cough syrup.  In restaurants, requests for lemoncello were met with blank stares from bartenders.  For a brief time I was able to order a glass at Norfolk's now defunct Amalfi's Restaurant but with the closure of their doors I was out of luck. Until I found a way to make my own.

Making this liquor is actually quite simple.  Initially I started with a base of vodka but found it lacked the bite I expected from a true lemoncello.  A friend recommended I try grain alcohol as a base and sure enough it worked.  Ironically, it is not possible to buy grain alcohol in the Commonwealth of Virginia run liquor stores- the only place one can buy hard alcohol in Virginia- but I discovered that the Class Six liquor stores on military bases always carried a ready supply of the potent liquid.   Eureka!  Homemade lemoncello quickly become a favorite drink to serve to guests at the closure of our dinners.

Not knowing whether or not we would be able to find grain alcohol in Albania (we discovered it is sold here under the name "Alkoohool") we included a case of the fiery liquid in our consumables shipment. The abundance of fresh citrus fruit has inspired me to branch out to also make orange-cello and grapefruit-cello.  I think both are even better than the lemon version.  Last fall the fruit filled pomegranate tree growing in our garden gave me the idea of trying a pomegranate version.  Neither Glenn nor I were impressed with the ensuing results which we actually dumped down the drain.  Since I do love the taste of pomegranate I'm not giving up though and will be trying it again this fall.

LEMON (ORANGE, GRAPEFRUIT) CELLO

1 liter grain alcohol

8-10 firm thick skinned citrus fruit

1 1/2 cups sugar

1)  Carefully remove the peel of the fruit making sure to only remove the colored part and none of the

      white pith  (the pith will impart a bitter taste into your cello).

2)   Place the fruit skins in a non-reactive ceramic or glass bowl and cover with the grain alcohol.

3)   Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place a shelf or out of the way counter for two weeks.

4)   When ready to proceed, make a simple syrup by placing the sugar in a saucepan with 3 cups of

       water.  Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let cool 

       completely.

5)   Remove the fruit peels from the alcohol mixture and drain into a non-reactive bowl. 

6)   Add the cooled sugar syrup and stir to combine.

7)   Transfer the cello into glass bottles and store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to drink.  

       I always keep mine in the freezer since we like to drink the cellos when they are extra cold.

This is so easy; the hardest part is waiting for the batch to be ready to drink.

Apple Cinnamon Scones

This one can be added to the nothing is easy in Albania files...........I woke up the other day craving scones.   After digging through my recipes I came across a recipe for Fresh Apple Cinnamon Scones from King Arthur Flour.  These would be the perfect goodie to fulfill my breakfast treat craving while getting in a dose of fruits (the apples of course).  Plus the recipe called for the inclusion of cinnamon chips and surprisingly enough, I had two whole bagfuls in the pantry.  So what was the problem?  The recipe also called for apple sauce.

Apple sauce is one of those surprising foods you just can't buy here in Albania.  Yes it is simple enough to make your own but not having any on hand and not being able to run out to the grocery store to pick some up, suddenly turned my simple morning treat plans into something that wasn't so simple any more.  I wouldn't be deterred though and with the scones still on my mind, I set about making a small batch of apple sauce.

Start with some apples

Ready to be pureed

As a baby Sidney was a huge fan of applesauce so for a period of time it felt as though I was making batches on a weekly basis.  I don't follow a formal recipe for applesauce; rather I use what is on hand.  For this batch I peeled, cored, and chopped up five medium sized red apples, added them to a pan with about a half cup of water and threw in a cinnamon stick. I let the mixture simmer over low heat for about twenty minutes.  What resulted was a slightly tart and cinnamon infused puree.  I could have eaten it as it was but that would have defeated the whole purpose for making the sauce.  At last I could finally move on to my primary cooking project.

KING ARTHUR FLOUR'S APPLE CINNAMON SCONES

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tsp apple pie spice or ground cinnamon (I used ground cinnamon)

1/2 cup cold butter

3/4 c chopped fresh apple, cut in 1/2 " pieces (peeled mine but you can also leave the skin on)

3/4 cup cinnamon chips

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract (I make my own)

TOPPING

3 tbsp coarse white sparkling sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1)  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and spice.

2)  Work in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it is ok for some larger chunks of

     butter to remain unincorporated.

Flour and butter

3)  Stir in the chopped apple and cinnamon chips.

4)  In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and applesauce.

5)  Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together.

6)  Line a baking sheet with parchment; if you don't have parchment, just use it without greasing it.

     Sprinkle a bit of flour atop the parchment.

7)  Scrape the dough onto the floured parchment paper or pan, and divide it in half.  Gently pat and

      round each half into a 5" to 5 1/2" circle about 3/4" thick.

8)  To make the topping:  stir together the course sugar and cinnamon.  Brush each circle with milk, and

     sprinkle with the topping.

9)  Using a kitchen knife that you've run under cold water, slice each circle into 6 wedges.

10)  Carefully pull the wedges away from the center to separate them just a bit; there should be about

       1/2" of space between them, at their outer edges.

Ready for the oven

11)   For the best texture and highest rise, place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes,

        uncovered.  While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. (Do not skip the

        freezer step).

12)  Bake the scones for 18 to 22 minutes, or until they're golden brown.

13)  Remove the scones from the oven, and cool briefly in the pan.  Serve warm.

Yield:  12 scones

Ready to eat

A Birthday Party for the U.S. Navy

After sixteen plus months of regularly hosting receptions for 30 to 40 people in my home, I think I've gotten my routine down pact.  I started out gung-ho believing that every bite sized morsel had to be home made (by me!), each item had to be garnished to a standard that Martha Stewart would approve of, and all of the food and decor had be themed to whatever the occasion may be.  Add in the difficulties of trying to use my American recipes to create food with ingredients that are either non-existant or extremely difficult to find in Albania and my stress level leading up to these events was out of control.  After one particularly stressful dinner that ended with my laying prone on the kitchen floor muttering the words "never again, never again", we started getting our events catered.  Fortunately for us, catering is a relatively inexpensive proposition in Albania.  Unfortunately for us, you get what you pay for and even after numerous go arounds with restaurants about what I wanted and didn't want to see on the table, I found the food seriously lacking in both quality and variety.  Besides, it is impossible to serve "representational American food" when everything resembles a byrek, qofta (Albanian sausage), or twice killed meat kabob.  So it was back to my cooking for each event.

Fast forward a year and I have a new strategy that works with my 30 hour plus work week, spending quality time with Sidney, remaining sane, and yes, having some elusive time to myself.  Earlier this week we hosted a reception in honor of the 237th birthday of the U.S. Navy.  The guest list included Albanian Naval Officers and active duty and retired U.S. Navy and Marine personnel who are currently serving in some capacity in Albania.  This was going to be an all male event (that is a conversation for another blog entry) where big thirsts and even bigger appetites ruled.

So what was on the  menu?  The food played homage to both the United States, Albania, and the Albanian officers who have spent time in America.

HINT ONE:  Tasty, easy, and feeds a lot of people.  I dug into my deep freeze and pulled out a spiral cut ham imported from Virginia to Albania via Naples, Italy.  Not only is ham always a hit, a spiral cut ham is a novelty in Albania.  Plus a single ham is easy to prepare (just pop it in the oven for a few hours), it feeds a lot of people, and being pre-sliced, it essentially serves itself.  What could be better?

Deviled Eggs

HINT TWO:  Not everything needs to be hot.  I used to think that every dish needed to be served piping hot out of the oven.  Unless you have a professional kitchen and an endless supply of help, when you are trying to serve forty people a variety of dishes this is an impossible task.  I used to drive myself nuts trying to time numerous dishes being cooked at differing temperatures in my one European sized oven. Not any more.  I've now come to terms the fact that not only are cold and room temperature dishes acceptable, they just make sense.  Regardless of our guest list, deviled eggs are a hit.  They are the perfect two-bite appetizers that can also be made in mass quantities ahead of time.  They are now a standing item on my menu so if you are like my egg despising husband, that is one dish you will have to avoid at our receptions.

Salad on a stick

HINT THREE:  Skewers are your friend.  You never think about how handy skewers are until you try to manage the logistics of cocktail plates, forks, and serving utensils for a crowd.  For some reason, bamboo skewers of all sizes are readily available in Albania.  (Of course, this is the same culture that considers the presence of toothpicks-and using them- proper etiquette at every dining table).  I've become a huge fan of using skewers to not only assemble but to serve food since it does away with the need to use forks.  We are fortunate to be able to find an endless supply of fresh mozzarella and tomatoes at ridiculously inexpensive prices in the local markets. (These are usually the only items I can be guaranteed to find).  Add in the fresh basil from my garden and Caprese salad skewers are another reception table favorite.  They taste good, are so easy to make, and can be assembled ahead of time.

Moroccan veal kabobs
with Kos

HINT FOUR:  Provide the unexpected.  I tend to find Albanian cuisine to lack a depth of flavor.  Albanians tend to say that something is spicy but to me it usually tastes one dimensional and salty.  I love robust flavors and try to subtly introduce them to my buffet tables.  For this reception I took a usual standby- grilled veal skewers (not over cooked) and kicked them up a notch with a Moroccan marinade. The combination of garlic, olive oil, lemon and a healthy dose of cumin smelled heavenly.  I was sure the Albanians in the crowd would shy away from such bold flavors leaving me with plenty of leftovers.  Alas, every single kabob was eaten with gusto and I never got to try one. Perhaps they were so popular because I paired them with the Albanian standby of my own version of kos (think a combination of Greek yogurt and sour cream) that was doctored with some additional spices.  The same goes for the sauteed mushrooms I served.  Albanians love their mushrooms but I sauteed mine in white wine and garlic, added some lemon juice and thyme and the bowl was empty in a matter of minutes.

HINT FIVE:  It is o.k. to buy things pre-made.  Just because I love to cook doesn't mean I have to make everything.  Ala the Food Network's Sandra Lee, I've started to take a store bought basic and doctor it up a bit to make it my own.  (I used to despise this her show when we were back in the States but I've since come to see the wisdom of some of her ways).  For this reception I took the afore mentioned store bought kos, added some freshly ground pepper and sea salt, a dash of Tabasco sauce, some fresh minced garlic and thinly sliced cucumbers, drizzled on a bit of local olive oil, and I had an accompaniment for my veal skewers that even Grandma would have been proud of.  After my pan of brownies turned into a crumbly mess (I have no idea why since this is my go-to recipe) and my motivation to make homemade biscotti faded, I bought a variety of cookies from the local French bakery.  They looked perfect, tasted good, and all I had to do was plate them.  A year ago I would have shuddered at the mere suggestion of such a dessert but now it just made sense.

HINT SIX:  Lots of drinks.  This goes without saying.  Fill a room with sailors and Marines and the drinks will flow.  Surprisingly, however; we tend to serve more fruit juice and water than we do beer and wine.  And once the drinks stop flowing, the guests leave.  Its the perfect subliminal message that the party is over and most people get it.

All in all I think this birthday party was a success on many fronts.  Judging by the empty platters the food was a hit.  I didn't experience the usual amount of stress I have leading up to an event.  When my dessert flopped I just shrugged it off and moved onto "Plan B"without giving it a second thought.  A year ago I would have panicked when the table emptied of food; now I took it as a sign that the guests were well fed and enjoyed what they ate.  Now I just have to remember this formula for the next time we host a reception.

Smashing Pumpkins

Autumn is my favorite season and pumpkins are my favorite part of fall.  I blame it on my New England roots but there is something about the weather changing from warm and humid to cool and crisp that excites me. Add in colorful foliage, the necessity to put on an extra layer when you venture outside, and the feeling of starting afresh and it is no wonder I look forward to this time of year.  I know fall has really arrived when Starbucks rolls out their pumpkin spice latte, my perennial favorite drink which, being overseas, I had forgotten about, until I was reminded of their reintroduction by a stateside friend.  (We do not have Starbucks or anything remotely resembling it here).  The cooler fall weather also means I can comfortably crank up the oven to bake goodies filled with the best apples, pumpkins and spices of the season.  Well, that was until we arrived in Albania.

The first issue with pumpkins in Albania is the actual word.  Kungull is Albanian for pumpkin. And squash as in winter squash.  And squash as in zucchini.  And any other gourd like vegetable.  Talk about the confusion this raises when ordering what you think is a pumpkin, squash, or zucchini item from a restaurant menu. After anticipating risottos with sugar pumpkin or squash soups only to have them arrive at the table filled with zucchini I've learned to ask for clarification prior to placing my order.  When the response is green kungull I know that the vegetable in question is actually zucchini and will adjust my order accordingly (not that I have anything against zucchini; rather it is just not the same thing as pumpkin or winter squash).

As far as I can tell, sugar pumpkins, my staple for everything from jack-o-lanterns to pies, breads, and donuts, are non-existent in Albania. Or, at least, I have been unable to readily locate them in any market, grocery store, or farmer's roadside stand.  When asked, people have directed me to squashes of various shapes, sizes, and colors --American kids use the white squashes as "ghost" pumpkins at Halloween-- but none even come close to a good old American pumpkin.  (I do have a lead on the possibility of some pumpkins being grown in the Northern Albania town of Kukes by the cousin of one of the nannies for a fellow American family here in Tirana.  Yes, I'm pursuing this but I'm trying not to get my hopes up).  I am fortunate, however, to have a small- and ever dwindling- stash of canned pumpkin imported from the United States via a military cargo plane, but I will be lucky if this supply carries me over through Thanksgiving.

Last week I found two orange looking squashes that had more of a resemblance to pumpkins than anything I had previously found here.  I took them home but lesson learned- just because it looks like a pumpkin does not mean it tastes like a pumpkin!  I've tried substituting these counterfeit pumpkins for the real thing with mixed results. Sometimes it works out and other times even the most tried and true recipe results in a culinary disaster.  As with everything else in this country, even creating pumpkin out of a squash is an ordeal that isn't for the faint of heart.

First one must go to the market and find an actual squash-pumpkin. Just because they sold them yesterday doesn't mean they are in stock today. Nor does it mean they will be restocked this year. If you are fortunate enough to find one, there isn't any guarantee that it will even remotely resemble or taste like the one you saw yesterday or bought on your previous visit.  All of the squashes I've found here have been large; so large that their hefty weight is intimidating.  Once I get the monster home, and I had better not be walking on that day- the real fun begins.

We received a cleaving knife as a gift when we got married but I had never used it and only reluctantly brought it overseas with us.  Now I'm so glad I did. There isn't any simple opening of a can of Libby's in the Brown's Albanian kitchen.  After washing the the squash I have to stand on a stool (in order to get enough height) and whack the squash until it splits in two.  Then I do it again and again, repeating the process until I have manageable pieces.  If I am going to roast the squash to try to bring out any of its sweetness, I will place the pieces on a cookie sheet and bake them in the oven. If I'm going to boil them, I proceed to peel the tough skin off of each piece  A vegetable peeler isn't quite sharp enough for this task yet a knife is a bit unwieldy.  (I will only attempt to break down a squash when Glenn is home since I am sure that it is only a matter of time before an emergency room visit becomes necessary).  Whatever the cooking method, once it is cooled it is time for the vegetable to be pureed.  Thanks to my trusty stick blender, this is by far the easiest step in this entire process.

After an hour or two of work, the squash is ready to be pumpkinized with whatever spices, seasonings, or sweetener will bring it closer to its much sought after cousin.  This is always a process of trial and error.  Sometimes I get it right and sometimes I don't.  Usually by the time I reach this point in the preparation process I am ready to call it quits for the day. When that happens I bag up my puree and stash it in the freezer until the next craving for pumpkin arises.  Then I only have to defrost my stash and being cooking. If I close my eyes and pretend really hard, I can imagine that it is just like opening a can of pumpkin puree.  Or not......................

Apple Skillet Cake

Fall is apple season and during a recent trip to the market I scored several varieties of red, yellow, and green apples.  I'm not sure what types they were- the green ones looked similar to Granny Smiths, the red ones Macintoshes, and the yellow ones Golden Delicious.  All of the apples were grown in the Korce  region of southeastern Albania.  Korce is also home to an annual apple festival held each October and if you ask most Albanians, they will tell you that Korce apple are the best.  At least this is what my nanny and the woman and the local market assure me.

Spiced apples ready to go

With an abundance of fresh apples in hand, I set out to bake a sweet that featured this fall fruit.  Opting for easy, I selected King Arthur Flour's Apple Skillet Cake.  This being Albania, however, I had to make substitutions with the ingredients I had on hand.  The first was with the flour.  I'm a huge fan of King Arthur Flour--it is the only brand I buy in the States-- but after receiving several powdery filled shipments in the mail, I'm resorted to buying flour locally.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing but I find that I have to read the labels -whether they are in Albanian, Italian, or Greek- carefully since many flours have baking powder mixed in.  The recipe called for green apples but since I had a variety of types on hand, I went for a mixture.  I do this when I make  apple pies as well and personally prefer the different tastes and textures.  I compensated for the sweetness of the apples by reducing the amount of brown sugar slightly.  

Apples and batter ready to bake

While the types of apple juice available in the stores is numerous, I have been unable to find anything that even closely resembles the apple cider called for in the recipe.  Thanks to Sidney's love of all things juice, I had a carton of green apple juice on hand. I doubled the 3 tablespoons the recipe called for and boiled it down into a reduction.  The resulting syrup lacked the depth of flavor found in cider but I think it did the trick of adding moisture to the apples nicely.  To compensate for the lack of spices in the juice, I also increased the amount of apple pie spice the recipe called for.  I don't usually use pre-made spice mixtures and think my own combination of cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg and a dash of ginger is far superior to any store bought mix.  As part of my last spice shipment from Penzeys Spices, however, I had received a complimentary sample of apple pie spice so I decided to thrown this into the mixture. 

I love any recipe that calls for using my big heavy cast iron skillet so was especially excited when I saw that the recipe suggested using one for baking.  Fortunately, my finicky, European sized oven is just large enough to hold the skillet.  On this day the oven decided to run hot so I knocked 15 minutes off of the baking time and the cake emerged sweet, moist and golden brown with that crust you can only get from cooking with cast iron.  After allowing the cake to cool slightly I had a slice with a cup of tea. The verdict:  easy and good and the perfect treat for a cool autumn afternoon.

Of course, a slice eaten with coffee for breakfast the next morning was also good.

With a bit of whipped cream, ready to eat!

To Market We Go

Carrots

Some of the best fruits and vegetables I have ever eaten have been here in Albania.  Everything is seasonal so don't look for strawberries in the fall or squash in the spring.  Cabbage, potatoes, and other root vegetables are the winter staples with the summer months filled with figs, berries, and cherries.  Throw in a few fruits whose names don't translate into English and I don't recognize, and shopping and eating produce is an adventure.  Local fruit and vegetable markets are the life blood of Albania's agricultural economy.  Whether it be large centralized markets in the villages, towns, and cities, neighborhood groceries with bins overflowing with produce picked on farms that morning, or young boys and old women hawking their produce along the side of the road, it is virtually impossible to not find fresh fruits and vegetables whenever I go out to shop.  (Ironically, the only places you aren't guaranteed to find locally grown produce are in the large chain grocery stores.  Our big three chains, Conad, Euromax, and Carrfour all important the majority of their produce from other parts of Europe).  

Produce for sale

In Tirana, my favorite market is the Central Market.  While it is open every day, weekend days find this market buzzing with vendors selling everything from olives and walnuts to potatoes, seasonal fruits and tobacco and everything in between.  (For some reason there is also a large selection of remote controls being sold on one corner and cages filled with parakeets on another).  Produce is sold under tents or out of store fronts with more permanent stores selling fresh fish, meats, cheeses, and byrek.  The area is not blocked off from vehicular traffic (and even if it was that wouldn't stop Albanian drivers) so it is a chaotic scene.  I've found that most vendors are honest and will take the time to write out the cost of my purchases on a piece of paper.  (I understand Albanian but numbers, especially those spoken quickly with a heavy accent continue to elude me).  Not all do this however, and even more insist on charging items in "old Leke" a form of currency that hasn't been used in Albania in decades.  A 100 new Leke item (roughly $1 USD) would cost ten times as much when quoted in old Leke.  Add to this the weights and measures scale system used by the real old timers and shopping at the market is sure to be an adventure.  And that is why I love it.

Cabbages, olives, and melons

Because parking is such a nightmare in the area (and no, we don't drive our car into the actual market area), we usually avoid shopping there on Saturdays.  This past weekend we braved the crowds and I am so glad we did.  Early October seems to be peak harvest season and the market was overflowing with fresh produce.  Last winter I had a conversation with an Albanian about curing my own olives. He assured me it was easy so when I spotted buckets of the fresh green fruit, I quickly bought more than enough for me to start my latest culinary experiment.  Intrigued by an article on I read recently about persimmons, I also bought a bagful of them.  Spotting two squashes that looked suspiciously like the elusive pumpkins I have yet to find in Albania, I bought them as well.  (Time will tell what vegetable they actually are).  And of course I bought the old standbys of apples, grapes, and lemons.

"Picking" apples

All of this fruit made for a long afternoon of preparations at home (as a precautionary measure, I soak all fruits and vegetables in a diluted bleach and water solution).  Combined with the salmon steaks and fresh calamari I purchased from a fish monger, we certainly ate well this weekend.

Welcome

Welcome to my food blog!

For the past year and a half I've been blogging about my adventures of living, traveling, and eating in Albania and the surrounding European countries.  I'm going to continue sharing these experiences through Albania or Bust, but I'm now branching out into a second blog that focuses on my true passion--all things food.

I've already posted a lot about food.  All About Bacon paid homage to this sinfully delicious pork product while  Culinary Satisfaction showcased the simple, yet delicious foods I've been able to find here in Albania. I've shared some of my own culinary feats, like the sit down Thanksgiving dinner for 25 that I served last year.  In Slow Food Albania, I talked about my first experience eating at  Mrizi i Zanave, the only Slow Food restaurant in Albania.  I've returned there since that visit and true to form, the next meal was just as memorable.  Peppery Paprika and Other Hungarian Delights focused on my my culinary experiences during a week in Budapest.  

In future posts I'll talk about my experiences in shopping, cooking, and eating food in this tiny Balkan country.  In the past I've shied away from discussing my cooking disasters--the cake that wouldn't bake, the tart that singed to a crisp within minutes of being in the oven--- but since these are all a part of the overall experience I'll be talking about that too.

I hope you will enjoy what you read and as always, I welcome your comments.