World Cuisines: Waffles (USA)

American waffles, perfect for a New Year's breakfast.

Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder

- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 3/4 - 2 cups of slightly warm milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tbsps sunflower oil

- 1/2 - 3/4 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:
- Sift flour through a sifter into a large mixing bowl

- Add baking powder, sugar, and salt

- Whisk in eggs, milk, and oil gradually until the mixture is not lumpy

- Add blueberries and gently mix them in

- Preheat the waffle maker

- Pour 1 cup of batter on the center of the grid

- Close top and flip the waffle maker (I use Presto 03510 Ceramic FlipSide Belgian Waffle Maker)

- Bake around 2 1/2 minutes or until golden brown

Makes 4 waffles

Serve with maple syrup

Happy New Year 2022 and Bon appetit!

World Cuisines: Baba ganoush (Lebanon)

Baba ganoush is associated with the national cuisines of the greater Levant, an area including small areas of Europe (Armenia and European Turkey) through the Middle East to Egypt in North Africa. However, it has its origins more specifically in Lebanon. We really got to know the dish well through our Lebanese friend in England, and the specific recipe we present here derives from one from two vegan friends, one from Germany and the other from Belgium. We eat baba ganoush with a range of other foods: with pitas as a spread, with vegetables as a dip, or even as a side dish as part of a meal.

بالهنا والشفا (Bon appetit!)

Ingredients:
- 2 large eggplants
- 3 Tbsp tahini
- 1-2 garlic cloves pressed
- the juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, half to grease the pan, the other half as garnish
- fresh chopped parsley as garnish (optional)

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 °F.
- Pierce whole eggplants with a fork here and there (this will prevent the eggplant from exploding).

- Grease the pan with the olive oil and place the eggplant on it.
- Bake for 45 minutes turning gently the eggplants periodically (approximately every 10 minutes) 1/4 rotation each time so they are evenly baked on all sides.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes, then slit open lengthwise. 
- Scrape out the flesh and put into a food processor. Add remaining ingredients (except those for garnish) and blend by pulsing a few times. The delicate flesh should not need more than this. 
- Transfer into a serving dish. Chill in the fridge at least 1 hour. When serving add olive oil and optional parsley as garnish.

World Cuisines: Madeleines (France)

For this recipe, you will need a madeleine mold. I did my research, and I decided to purchase a heavy USA Pan Bakeware mold. The baked madeleines popped out with no problem! It's good to invest in a good pan.

Ingredients:
- 1 stick (4 oz) butter, plus 2 Tbsp for greasing madeleine mold
- zest from 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus a bit more, approx. 1 Tbsp, for dusting
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large, room-temperature eggs
- 2 Tbsp confectioner's sugar

Directions:
- Melt the stick of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, reduce heat and brown butter, stirring often, until it is a dark gold color, approximately 10–12 minutes. Make sure you do not burn it (it should not bubble). Remove from heat and pour into a ceramic bowl to cool. Then stir in vanilla extract and the zest.
- In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
- Using a mixer, beat eggs for 5 minutes on medium speed. Once complete, with mixer still on, add sugar slowly. Do not add all at once or it will not be light and fluffy. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat for a further 7 minutes.
- Turn off mixer and gradually fold in flour mixture with a spatula until combined. Make sure you do this gently, and do not overstir.
- Fold in the browned butter mixture.
- Refrigerate batter for 3–5 hours.- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375°F.
- Using a silicone brush, grease the mold with butter (melted or room temperature) and dust with the extra flour as in the picture below.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, spoon one scoop of batter into each spot on the greased and dusted mold. Do not put too much batter. They need quite a bit of room to expand.
- Bake for 11 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove mold from oven and after a few minutes for cooling, remove each madeleine by gently lifting it from the mold. I use a wooden skewer, but anything that will not damage the mold (or the madeleines!) will work.
- Dust madeleines with confectioner's sugar as desired

Makes approx. 25 madeleines

They are great right away, but they're my favorite the next day. I'm not sure if they get even better after that, because they do no last in my kitchen very long!

Bon appetit!

World Cuisines: Cornbread (USA)

There are many kinds of cornbread. I like mine slightly sweet with whole kernels of corn inside. In the mornings I smear it with butter and have it with my coffee. In the evenings I enjoy it with bacon and eggs as a dinner option. But every family makes it their own way. There are also many different options for additional ingredients. I wasn't brave enough to make mine with jalapeños.

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp baking powder 
- 1/3 cup sugar (or less)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 Tbsp salted butter
- 1 egg
- 2 cups buttermilk (the fattier the better)
- 1/2 cup of whole kernel corn

Directions:
- Combine the cornmeal, sugar and salt with buttermilk a few hours before you start making the cornbread. This will make the cornmeal less gritty. 
- When you are ready to bake, place a 10 inch cast iron skillet in the oven and set the oven to 425°F
- Sift the flour and baking powder into a big bowl. 
- Start adding the cornmeal mixture you made beforehand into the flour gradually and stir to combine everything evenly.
- Add the egg, salt, and 3 Tbsp of melted butter and stir.
- Stir in the corn. 
- Carefully take the HOT skillet out of the oven. Wait a minute and add the remaining 3 Tbsp of butter into to the skillet, spreading evenly. 
- Pour the batter into the skillet and place it in the oven. Remember the skillet is HOT.
- Bake 23 - 25 minutes.

After the cornbread cools down for 10-15 minutes, remove it from the skillet so it doesn't dry out. Once it is cool wrapped leftovers in foil to keep for later. 

Enjoy!

World Cuisines: Cream Puffs (USA)

These are super easy to make. The puffs remind me of Polish karpatka cake. You can make any filling you wish and desire. Today I had some whipping cream left over so I used it. I have never made them outside of the US so can't say how, for example, Polish flour works for these but would love to find out. Experiment and explore!

Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup water
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs

Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Pour the water into a medium size pot and place over a burner with medium heat.
- Add butter, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil. Stir until butter melts.
- Add all flour at once and briskly stir until dough becomes one clump for about 1-2 minutes. 
- Place in a bowl. 
- Add the first egg and blend it using mixer. Do the same with the second and third. The dough will become very stuck together, sticky and glossy. 
- Place parchment paper over a cookie sheet (or aluminum foil with a bit of canola oil spread with hand over it).
- Using a tablespoon, form 1 scoop of dough into a round ball. To get it onto the cookie sheet, use a regular teaspoon dipped in water to scrape it out of the tablespoon. It will help you to push it out  from the measuring spoon since it is very sticky. Repeat for all of the dough. Make sure the dough balls are about 2 inches apart on the sheet. 
- Bake for 37 minutes until golden brown.
- Set aside to cool down.
- It makes about 14 puffs.

Filling:
- 8 oz whipping cream
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 1/2 tsp bourbon
- 1 tsp vanilla 

- Pour the cream into a large bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients and whip. 
- Cut the puffs horizontally in half. 
- Add a generous tablespoon of filling onto one half and close the puff with the other half.

Optional:
You can make some liquid chocolate and decorate the puffs. It also tastes great!

Liquid chocolate:
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp real cocoa powder
- 2 Tbsp milk

- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
- Add sugar and cocoa powder. Keep stirring constantly until smooth about 1 minute.
- Take off from the burner and add milk whisking briskly until velvety. If too thick add a bit of milk and whisk in. 
- Pour over puffs.

Enjoy!