#worldtable

[chezsheakzs]

Colombia — January 14, 2018

Hola! Chez Shea’s World Table happily returned this weekend after many months of inactivity. Brrrr.... it’s been really cold around here... how’s about we discover a warmer climate? Let’s try Colombia!

The menu:

Chorizo y Tajadas de Plátano

Sudado de Pollo

Arepas

Aji y Hogao

Barras de Limón

For starters, it was a no brainer to serve Chorizo along with Tajadas de Plátano (aka fried plantains). Both of these delectable items have been part of many previous Chez Shea South American meals, and they are both always consumed in minutes. Colombia was no exception!

On such a cold winter’s day, Sudado de Pollo was the perfect meal to warm us up. Comprised of chicken, potatoes, peppers, onions, tomatoes and various seasonings and served with rice, avocado and a squeeze of lime, this traditional Colombian stew was comforting and delicious.

Arepas are fried or baked corn pancakes, made either plain or with a filling. Most Colombians eat them as part of their daily diet in place of bread. As an accompaniment to the stew, I attempted making homemade arepas with queso blanco and cotija cheeses. The process was tedious and long, with many steps and timeouts for the dough to rest, but I was determined to make these myself. Though when it came time to flatten the dough balls and place in the oven to cook, the dough quickly came apart in my hands. I panicked and asked my husband to go into town and pick some up from a local eatery, just in case these were an epic fail. While he was out, I cooked mine anyway in the hopes that they’d turn out okay. Surprisingly, the homemade arepas (pictured on the left) ended up tasting much better than the takeout (on the right). Go me!

Two condiments were prepared for use with the arepas: Aji, made of mostly jalapeno peppers and served cold, and Hogao, a warm creole sauce comprised of tomatoes, scallions and garlic.

A dessert of Barras de Limón was the finale to our Colombian feast. These lemon-lime bars had a graham cracker crust and were a favorite with the kids (as usual).

Thanks for visiting Chez Shea’s World Table! We’re hoping to visit more countries this year, so stay tuned!

[steve-mcelroy]

For all you politicians being paid to sit at the world table with our future in your hands....we’re watching you. . #politics #government #worldtable #art #wethepeople

[starak1]

Καλημέρα! #goodmorning #exoticfruits #dragonfruit #fruits #mango #mandarin #waterapple #mangosteen #rambutan #longan #reflection #reflection_shotz #worldtable #worldwide #newexperience #experiences #colourful #colorsplash #amateurphotography

[nayeligleza]

El chocolate siempre deja huella #footprint #chocolate #iLoveChocolate #brown #WorldTable

[thyarqade]

Como no fue el maestro! Probemos este nuevo cafe! #WorldTable #Cafe

[kenmccown]

#unlvddc #worldtable (at UNLV Downtown Design Center)

[creativesoul]

#Snacking on some #WorldTable #Cajun #spiced #pistachios #cashew #nuts & looking for a good #movie to watch tonight. #dayinthelife #iphone #saturday #food health #photo #pic #vlog

[creamywhitemayo-blog]

Its like waffle cones in cookie form, with caramel!! Soooo gooooood!!! #wafflecookies #yummy #worldtable #goodjobholland

[chezsheakzs]

Chez Shea returns this weekend!

Stay tuned:  http://www.chezsheakzs.tumblr.com

[marandary-blog-blog]

Cant. Stop. Eating. These. #delicious #food #nomnom #worldtable #crackers #snack (Taken with Instagram)

[nayeligleza]

Chocolate con maizena de vainilla #maizana #vainilla #vanilla #WorldTable #chocolate #iLoveChocolate

[chezsheakzs]

Pakistan — January 14, 2017

Happy New Year! Our first 2017 visit to the World Table brought us to Pakistan. We were thrilled to share the evening with friends, and we were also more than happy to put them to work when it came to cooking our Pakistani meal.

The menu:

Pakistani Potato Samosas

Karahi Kheema

Aloo Palak

Kulfi

There’s nothing better than inviting people to dinner and having them offer to make something. I knew my friend was an expert in Indian/Pakistani cuisine and that he often attempts recipes from the New York Times, so when he offered to make an appetizer, I suggested these Pakistani Potato Samosas. I am so glad that I took him up on his offer, because these were so good, and I doubt I would have been as successful making them. My son ate five! Many, many thumbs up.

Karahi Kheema is a ground meat dish, sort of like a chili, and can be prepared using lamb, chicken, goat, beef, etc. Traditionally, lamb is used, but we opted for beef. I also cut back on the heat a little so that the kids would be more apt to try it but made sure to provide some cayenne pepper for the table in case anyone wanted to spice it up a bit more. I had also bought chili peppers to chop and add for garnish and spice, but I forgot to use them. This tasted really good with naan (store bought... sorry, not sorry), as well as our side dish of Aloo Palak, which consisted of mainly spinach and potatoes and spices. This side dish got cold quickly -- best to keep it piping hot before plating.

You can’t go wrong with ice cream. Way back when we visited India, I used this recipe for Kulfi and it was a big hit. Since kulfi is also a traditional Pakistani dessert, why not bring it back for a repeat performance at Chez Shea? This recipe is so simple and tastes so good -- you don’t even need an ice cream machine to make it. My twist is to add cinnamon as well as cardamom. Yum.

Dinner music:

During dinner, we enjoyed the Internet radio station FM 100 Karachi Pakistan steaming live from Karachi, Pakistan. The mix of traditional and pop music really added to the enjoyment of our meal.

After-dinner movie:

We didn’t have time to watch our chosen movie, but we’re hoping to view “He Named Me Malala” within the coming weeks. As a young Pakistani teenager, Malala Yousafzai was nearly killed by the Taliban after speaking her mind about the importance of educating young girls. She is the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize

Thanks again for stopping by Chez Shea’s World Table!  Please follow our adventures our tumblr and feel free to share, like and comment on Facebook and all social media!

[chezsheakzs]

Guess what? After an extended absence, Chez Shea will be returning to the World Table this weekend to enjoy recipes from and facts about our next featured country!

Stay tuned:  http://www.chezsheakzs.tumblr.com

[chezsheakzs]

What country awaits Chez Shea’s World Table this weekend?

Follow http://chezsheakzs.tumblr.com to find out!

[chezsheakzs]

SURPRISE!  Chez Shea’s World Table returns this weekend with a new food destination. Yay!

Follow http://www.chezsheakzs.tumblr.com for updates!

[chezsheakzs]

Chez Shea’s World Table returns with a special mid-week edition. Stay tuned to find out where!

http://www.chezsheakzs.tumblr.com