Third African Buffet

Fava Bean Salad

Carrot and Black Currant Salad

Bed of Rice

This is the last African buffet; again it was a large region so we required three days to cover it's cuisine. This also concludes our International Buffets - we went from Eastern Europe, to Western Europe, to the Middle East, to Latin America and the Caribbean, to South Asia, North Asia, and Africa. We also made some comfort food dishes and had two open days at the end, where we could make dishes from absolutely anywhere in the world - either to practice skills, try something we didn't get the chance to, perfect something, make a favorite again, or experiment. Those two days will be featured up next, then I will get away from posting buffet menus and into more recipes!

Whole Baked Fish stuffed with green marinade

Vegetable Stew

Also pictured here is a tajine, lamb skewers, soups, meat and cheese bake

Second African Buffet

Butter Chicken on rice 

Lentils with macaroni, rice, and caramelized onions

Spicy sauces

Lamb skewers with apricots marinated in tamarind

Peanut soup with greens

Black bean fritters

Mash with potatoes, peas, carrots, and spinach

Chicken tajine with olives

Banana Fritters

Eggplant Curry

Eggplant Curry
2 large eggplant, large dice
salt
1/4 cup peanut oil
1 large onion, diced
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 minced green chile pepper
2 large ripe tomatoes, diced
salt and cayenne pepper, to taste

Place the eggplant in a large colander and sprinkle liberally with salt Let stand fr at least an hour to allow the water to drain out.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, and sauté until softened. Add the spices and sauté until aromatic. Add in the eggplant, then the tomato and simmer until eggplant is softened. 

African Buffet

The flavors of Africa, our last region, seemed to really echo the flavors of the Middle East region and the Latin and Caribbean region in combination. There were tropical fruits such as plantain, sweet potato, dates, and pineapple. Peanuts and coconut are popular. The dishes were very much one pot stews, soups, and casseroles, and the cuisine is built on a foundation of starches. It is a little more rustic style. Today's buffet featured a whole baked fish, date bars, bean dip, couscous, quinoa, porridge, curry, chicken, fish cakes, fried fish, and soups. 

Fourth Leftover Day

Naan pizza breads

Spiced hummus

Soy-sauced snow peas

Chicken and rice

Carrot and daikon salad

Deep-fried wontons

Breaded fried mussels on a bed of pasta

Korean-style kimchi

Pasta with fresh mussels

Jellyfish and cucumber salad

Wontons

Steamed buns

Mushroom stirfry 

Snow pea stirfry

Chinese Moon Cakes

They aren't too many Chinese desserts and they tend to be either quite simple, or quite tricky. I opted to attempt a tricky one, and I was very pleased with the results. I made my own sweet bean paste for the filling, and because salted, preserved duck eggs were not available, I did a quicker version of a preserved chicken egg. I didn't have a moon cake press, so I just formed the cakes, so they don't look as pretty as the traditional ones, but they are incredibly tasty and a not too sweet dessert. 

Chinese Moon Cakes
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups granulated (white) sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cool
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
3/4 cup coconut milk powder
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
sweet red bean paste
salted duck egg yolks
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs until light. Beat in the sugar for a few minutes until very light and fluffy. Beat in the butter and vanilla.
Sift together the flour, milk powder, baking powder, and salt together. Stir into the egg mixture. Knead dough lightly until it comes together into a smooth ball. Wrap and chill for at least an hour. 
Divide dough into 24 pieces. Roll each into a three inch circle, making the edges slightly thinner than the center. 
Spread some of the bean filling on each piece of dough, place an egg yolk in the center and cover with more bean paste, completely enclosing the yolk. Enclose the dough around this and roll into a ball. 
At this point, a moon cake press should be used, but I didn't have one. So I simply used a cookie cutter to make a little pattern on top. 
Place on the baking sheet, spaced slightly apart. Beat together the egg and water and use to brush each moon cake. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until golden and crisp. 

Note: I made a successful gluten-free version by simply substituting a gluten-free flour blend for the flour. Baking time will be slightly left as they crisp up more quickly, and they may be a little less tender, but still quite tasty. 

Third North Asian Buffet

Chinese Moon Cakes with salted egg and sweet bean paste filling - quite tricky to make

Korean Bibimbap - very colorful and aesthetically pleasing

The entire buffet spread

Steamed Dumpling

Sushi

Sticky Rice with shrimp and spicy potatoes and peppers - delicious

Kung Pao Chicken - very spicy

Sweet and Sour Ribs

Buddha's Delight

Buddha's Delight is a yummy vegetarian stir-fry dish that is quick and easy to prepare. Serve over noodles or rice. 

Buddha's Delight
peanut oil
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced into matchsticks
1 red bell pepper, large dice
1/2 cup snow peas
8 large shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 can bamboo shoots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup water chestnuts, thinly sliced
1 cup nappa cabbage, shredded
1 package firm tofu, cubed
SAUCE
minced ginger
minced ginger
tamarind soy sauce
tahini paste
water
salt
pepper

cornstarch, if needed
cold water, if needed
sesame seeds, black and/or white, optional

Heat the oil in a large wok until it is very hot (a drop of water should splatter). Add all the vegetables and tofu and sauté until softened, stirring or tossing often. 
For the sauce, whisk all ingredients together well and stir into the wok to heat through. If you find the sauce too thin, whisk some cornstarch and cold water together and stir it into the wok, heat until thickened. 
Sprinkle with sesame seeds (toasted or not) if desired. 

The cooking time for this recipe varies greatly. I like to cook the vegetables very briefly, just a few quick tosses, so the vegetables retain their fresh color, crunch, and nutrients. If you prefer softer vegetables, you can either stir-fry them longer or blanch them first so they retain their color. 

I don't have amounts listed for the sauce because it can be varied - if you prefer a thicker sauce, add more tahini. Maybe you really like garlic, but not ginger. Vegetables also vary in size and flavor, so it depends how much and what types you used - they can of course be varied. 

Second North Asian Buffet

The second North Asia buffet was filled with more yummy flavors. Pictures here are soft pork dumplings, monkfish on rice, a bamboo shoot stir fry with mushrooms and broccoli, two whole fish with leeks, a savory chicken rice and egg pudding, spicy noodles with sesame balls, a vegetable tofu stir-fry, chicken balls with sweet and sour sauce, and steamed buns. It's quite a mix of flavors - vegetables, seafood, and starches.