Now, the bread recipe I chose was anise bread, something I’ve
been waiting for for almost two weeks. Anise tastes/smells a little like
licorice and is the flavoring in some kinds of root beer, as well as one of my
husband’s favorites: Jägermeister. It’s also found in absinthe as well as other
alcoholic drinks. Anise has some other health benefits as well, such as helping
with menstrual cramps and combatting flatulence. The essential oil has been
used as an insecticide against head-lice and mites (which I may try to come up
with some kind of concoction out of utter desperation.) And I just really had
to laugh at the Latin scientific name of anise: pimpinella anisum (ok, I’ll
stop acting like I’m 16.) The anise
bread starts out with a sponge: a mix of yeast, sugar, and water, and a cup of
flour, then let it rest to rise. You add this to the dough and then let it rest
some more. After dividing it into six pieces, it’s brushed with an egg yolk and
rests a little more before baking it in the oven. When it came out, it was so
delicious, with only a hint of anise taste. Definitely pairs well with a meal.
 |
| I know what my breakfast is tomorrow. |
The main dish I chose was called “Grilled Tuna with Herbed
Aioli” which I neither used tuna, nor did I grill it. I chose salmon steaks,
and I baked them. But I did make the herbed aioli, which is a mix of mayonnaise
(I always choose Miracle Whip – real mayonnaise is disgusting, a debate my
sister and I have had since we were in high school) and red wine vinegar (which
I used white wine vinegar), fresh basil, fresh thyme, dried tarragon (a first
for me!), olive oil, and minced garlic. All of the ingredients sans the mayo are
drizzled on it prior to baking/grilling, and the aioli tops the fish before
serving.
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| Not the most attractive picture, but my stomach had a different opinion. This is minus the aioli. |
To go with it, I made ibiharage. It’s a rather simple side
dish full of flavor. I started with sautéing minced garlic and onions and then adding
a can of navy beans. I seasoned it with a little bit of salt, pepper, and some
chili powder. And just to add a little bit of heat, I threw in a small bit of
Jamaican jerk spice. It was so good; if my mom had made this when I was a kid,
perhaps I would’ve liked navy beans more.
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| Navy beans. Maybe I can give this recipe to my mom. |
The meal was really good, in my opinion. The herbed aioli
was something of a bother to my 4-year old son. I think the point is to
introduce new flavors and flavor combinations to them. You never know what
might become your next favorite. (I know the anise bread is mine.) And, with
this, I’ve finally come to the last of the B countries. A little bittersweet –
there were a lot of good meals from countries that start with B, and a lot of
new favorite meals, and some I just archived. And you know what? I bet there’s a sequel for
the countries that start with C.
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| The final product. It didn't make my allergy to whatever-it-is go away, but at least I'm full. |
Up next: Cambodia
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