Monday Morsel: Voltaire

Ice cream is exquisite.  What a pity it isn't illegal.  ~Voltaire

6th Stop: Antigua & Barbuda

The baked treat above (photo courtesy of a mini-Bakery Traveler) is called Papaya Pie and is from Antigua and Barbuda. I found it to be easy (I love easy recipes best of all) and refreshing. Any treat that is refreshing is especially important right now in this wild west. It's September and temps are not going below 100 degrees - not during the day, when I'm awake.

 

Wild West:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Antigua and Barbuda:

 

 

 

 

 

 

First off, you get to mash some ripe papaya, mix it with a tiny little bit of flour as well as a little sugar, cinnamon, lime juice, and lime zest. The recipe calls for a dab of orange extract, too. But I didn't have any and I don't think it mattered.To this papaya mash-up you add stiffened egg whites. This photo below is the egg whites in their early stage before becoming properly peaked to fold into the papaya mixture.

This photo below is of the mashed papaya mixture after the egg whites were folded in. So light!

Then, you pour the mixture into a medium (pre-made/bought) pie shell. I used this kind:

The recipe I followed (link is below) called for about 45 minutes of baking time. But my version (and probably my oven) required more time to get a little golden on top. It took me about 60 minutes.

I discovered this delightful recipe from http://www.food.com/recipe/papaya-pie-antigua-and-barbuda-468338.  In addition, this recipe is found at a kindred-spirit blog called Travel by Stove and (same author from the food.com site) is found here: http://travelbystove.blogspot.com/search/?q=papaya&x=13&y=11.  Thank you Travel by Stove!

Bruiser Approved Book for Lil' Bakers

How to Make an Apple Pie and see the world by Marjorie Priceman almost sounds like it has a secret in the title, doesn't it? And it does! See,it is easy to make an apple pie, unless the market is closed. In which case, pack up your bags, kiddo, because it's time to travel the world (like go to Italy for the grains to make the dough, and then France to get the eggs from what must only be superior chicken in France). This is a fun book! I am totally biased because it involves travel and baking. I mean, hello! The illustrations are whimsical, and there is an apple pie recipe on the last page.

Totally Bruiser Approved.

5th Stop: Angola

 

Angola is a beautiful country in Africa, recovering from a 40-year civil war. Its primary language is Portuguese, and its most famous dessert is a custard treat called Cocada Amarela. This is considered a "western style dessert." It has been very challenging finding non-western desserts from Angola.  The best recipe I found for this custard calls for six egg yolks. I have four eggs total at the moment. The recipe also calls for grated coconut, which I do not have, either.  Normally, I would go to the store and get the ingredients - eggs, coconut....

But seeing the four eggs got me thinking...I'd like to try a non-western Angolan dessert more. And also - as trite as it may sound - the Arizona heat has got the best of me right now.

 

I urge you to go beyond this recipe (as I have on my own) and simply get to know this country a little bit more. There are countless people working toward a better Angola.

 

In fact, my research has been humbling. My lack of eggs - simply an embarrassment. (My laziness to drive in this heat to get the ingredients is - sigh- simply total laziness.)  Endless heat does that to you: makes you lazy!  If you, sweet readers, happen to know of a non-western Angolan dessert recipe, please share. I actually may come back to this western-style recipe at some point, mostly because I am still curious about it and my Bakery Traveler Hubby sure likes the sound of a coconut custard. In the meantime, I give you this recipe for Cocada Amarlea from a website after my own food traveling heart.

 

http://www.whats4eats.com/desserts/cocada-amarela-recipe 

 

My next stop is Antigua and Barbuda. I vow not to let the heat influence my baking curiosities again.

Monday Morsel: Mark Twain

Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.
~ Mark Twain

4th Stop: Andorra

First off, it's still hot in the southwest. As one of my favorite local columnists, Karina Bland, wrote for the Arizona Republic newspaper today:

"This year, it hit 100 degrees for the first time on April 21 in Phoenix, a week and a half earlier than normal. Now it is September, and it feels as if I've been hot forever. Last month we were breaking records not only for our high temperatures each day but -- and this is how we know we're really in trouble -- for our highest lows."

 

In other words - it is too hot to deep-fry anything right now.  Still, this is my favorite Andorran dessert recipe I have found, because, frankly, deep-fried anything pretty much trumps all other options. (Andorra is a small country between France and Spain.) So this fourth stop for the Bakery Traveler World Tour is full-on armchair travel. It's too hot to bake, deep-fry, even go outside to pick-up the mail. 

 

To get back on track, this recipe below, for Party Crispies, further validates my theory that deep-fried dough goodness is recognized around the world. I believe every country loves itself some deep-fried dough sprinkled with cinnamon or sugar, or a cinnamon-sugar combo, and Andorra is no exception. 

 

http://www.alleasyworld.com/andorran-dessert.html

 

Express Train: September Sweets

I’m doing the research and finding the best international desserts and baked goods recipes from around the world for you as we step into September. I’m visiting some wonderful travel-the-world-via-food blogs, web sites, and old-school cook books. I cannot wait to share them with you! Are you ready for September? Is your passport still intact? We’re taking the express train this month. Pack lightly. Who needs the extra baggage? I've got my light shawl packed (see photo above). Its Greek key design reminds me of train wheels, so I couldn't resist snapping a photo of it for this entry.