Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Our  Cooking Around the World Adventure  has brought us to Nepal. Dylan and I - a couple of years back - went to a Nepalese restaurant when we took Pia there during her Eat-Your-Way-Around-Berkeley Birthday weekend. The food was delicious. Country: Nepal Fun Facts : Nepal’s local name for Mt. Everest is Sagarmatha , or “goddess of the sky.” The flag of Nepal is the only national flag that is not quadrilateral in shape. [See right.] Eight of the world’s highest peaks can be found in Nepal. Touching anything with your feet is considered offensive in Nepal. The abominable snowman, also known as the yeti, is a legendary apelike creature that is believed to frequent the high valleys of Nepal. Greetings in Nepal are similar to the greetings in India– people put their palms together and then bow their forehead, saying “ Namaste ,” which directly translates to “I salute the God in you.” Here's what we made... Momo Click for the o...

Another of the Nepalese dishes we tried at the Taste of the Himalayas was a must: dal bhat , Nepalese lentil curry. Yum! 1-1/2 C red lentils, washed and drained 3 C organic chicken stock, or water 1/2 t turmeric dash of ground coriander dash of ground cumin dash of ground cloves dash of ground cinnamon dash of ground cardamom freshly ground pepper freshly ground salt 1 T mustard 1/2 onion, diced rice to serve In a large souppot, cook the onions in a splash of oil until they are softened and translucent. Add the lentils and stir in the spices, except the salt and pepper. Add the mustard and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the lentils are soft and beginning to fall apart - approximately 30 minutes. Season to taste and serve with cooked rice.

These [right] were the momo that Dylan, Pia, and I had in Berkeley a few years back. They were delicious and I knew that when we reached Nepal in our tabletop travels we were going to (attempt to) make them. Here we go! I put both kitchen elves to work tonight... Dough 2-1/2 C all-purpose white whole wheat flour (I think next time, I'll go with all-purpose flour, but white whole wheat was all I had tonight) 2 T oil water, as needed (I think I ended up using about 1 C) freshly ground sea salt In a large bowl combine flour, oil, salt and water. Mix well until the dough comes together. Knead until the dough is elastic. If too dry, add more water. If too wet, add more flour. Cover and let for 30 minutes. In the meantime, make the filling... Filling 1 lb ground turkey (from what I read, they make this out of yak, traditionally. I had turkey in the fridge) 1/2 C minced onion 2 T crushed garlic 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped 1 tablespoon fres...