Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/08/2019 (2565 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Folklorama is now midway through its first week, and food plays a large part in what many of this year’s 45 pavilions have to offer.

One of the best ways to learn about a new country is to dig into some of its famed local fare; rich and cheesy perogies from Ukraine; spiced, meaty haggis from Scotland; crisp and crunchy lumpia from the Phillipines; soft, warm bannock from the First Nations community.

All of the flavours and textures in each dish tell the stories of the people and places that created them.

It’s with that idea in mind that we asked a handful of pavilions to share some of their favourite traditional dishes; below are six recipes submitted by Week 1 pavilions, and tune in next Wednesday for another set of recipes from Week 2 pavilions.

Argentinian Locro

From the Argentina “Tango” Pavilion
Time: 3-4 hours

Ingredients
9 cups of butternut squash, cooked and puréed
11 cups of leeks, washed, sliced and boiled
7 cups of pork, chopped into bite-size pieces
4 cups of chorizo colorado (half-spicy, half-sweet), cut in half lengthwise and sliced
10 cups beef, chopped into bite-size pieces
10 cups white cracked corn, soaked overnight
2 cups of bacon, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup of paprika
1 tbsp. of cumin
1 cup of salt
Pepper to taste

Note: thaw out the ingredients before adding

Cut up the pork and beef into small bite-size pieces, boil in water until cooked through and soft. Peel and cut butternut squash, then boil until soft and purée-like. Wash and slice leeks, boil until soft. Cut chorizo — do not cook. Cut bacon — do not cook. Boil water in a big pot (1/3 full) with one cup of salt. When boiling, add the corn that was softening in water since night before. Bring back to boil for 15 minutes. Add the bacon, chorizo and leeks, and then wait 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, add the pork and beef and then let boil for 30 minutes. After the 30-minute boil, add butternut squash and stir often because it will stick and burn easily; add boiling water if necessary. Once it’s back to boiling and has thickened some, add one cup of paprika and one tablespoon of cumin. Add salt and sugar to taste, and if desired, pepper with crushed chilis.

 

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Wolfhound

From the Celtic Ireland Pavilion

Ingredients

Half a Harp beer
1 oz. Irish Whiskey (Jameson)
Top with lemonade and ice

Pour all ingredients into in a cup and serve.

 

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El Salvadorian Pupusas

From the El Salvador Pavilion

DOUGH
4 cups corn flour
1 cup water
Salt
For each cup of corn flour, slowly add water and knead for three minutes or until dough is smooth with no lumps. Let dough rest for 30 minutes.

REFRIED BEANS
1 cup uncooked beans (small red or black), cleaned and soaked in water overnight
1 onion, quartered
2 stems cilantro
1/2 green pepper, seeded
3 clove garlic
3 cup water
1/2 cup lard
1/2 cup onion, diced

Add all ingredients (except lard and onion) to large pot on the stove. Boil mixture for approximately one hour or until the beans are cooked through and water is absorbed. Empty the mixture into a food processor or mash by hand. Place a skillet over medium heat and add lard. When melted, add onion and cook until caramelized. Add the puréed bean mixture and stir frequently until the lard has been fully absorbed.

GROUND PORK MIXTURE
11/2 cup pork shoulder and pork belly
2 onions
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup water
2 tomatoes
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
Salt

Bake the pork with garlic, water and onion sliced in quarters in a 325 F oven for approximately two hours or until cooked through. Once cooked, grind pork with two tomatoes, green pepper, red pepper, onion and salt to taste.

CHEESE AND LOROCO FILLING
3 cup mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup chopped loroco
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
Salt

 Finely shred cheese; wash loroco well and blanch with hot water. Drain water from loroco; add cheese and onion and mix well.

SALVADORIAN COLESLAW
1 shredded cabbage
1 grated carrot
1/2 cup cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
Oregano
Jalapeno chili pepper

Place the cabbage and carrots in a container and blanch with boiling water. Let stand for 15 minutes. Drain off half of the water and stir in vinegar; add salt, pepper, oregano and jalapeno chili pepper to taste. Leave it to sit overnight. Note: Coleslaw to be served on top of or with the pupusa.

SALSA
2 pounds tomatoes
1 green pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 onion
1 tsp. oregano
Cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
sugar (optional, add if the tomato sauce is acidic)

Add all ingredients (except salt, pepper, and sugar) into a blender and purée. Place mixture in a pot and boil for approximately a half-hour or until the tomatoes are cooked. Season with salt and pepper, and add sugar if needed.

PUPUSA
1 tbsp. oil
Dough (see recipe)
1 cup refried beans (see recipe)
1 cup ground pork mixture (see recipe)
1 cup cheese and loroco filling (see recipe)
1 cup Salvadorian coleslaw (see recipe)
1 cup salsa (see recipe)

Coat hands with oil and knead dough until is it manageable and will not stick to your hands. Take a portion of the dough and roll into a ball, pat between your hands and make a pancake shape. In the centre of the dough disc, place one tablespoon of each filling (refried beans, ground pork and cheese). Bring the sides of the dough together, once again forming a ball. Pat the ball shape between your hand forming a pancake shape. Place on a hot plate or non-stick pan and cook on both sides. When the centre begins to inflate and is a golden colour, the pupusa is ready (approximately six to nine minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the pupusa).

 

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Kourabiedes

From the Greek Pavilion

Ingredients
1 pound unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 cup icing sugar
4 large egg yolks
1 ounce ouzo or cognac
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup almonds toasted and then ground (optional)
4 to 5 cups flour
Icing sugar for dusting

Preheat convection oven to 350 F and conventional oven to 325 F. Beat unsalted butter on high setting of mixer until creamed (white and fluffy), five to 10 minutes. Add egg yolks one at a time until incorporated into mix. Add one cup of icing sugar and mix for another 10 minutes. Add vanilla, ouzo and almonds on medium speed until mixed. On low speed of mixer, slowly add flour, one cup at a time, until it forms a soft cookie dough. Form dough into one-inch balls and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool cookies on cooling racks and finish by tossing carefully in icing sugar. Note: You might not need all five cups of flour, check dough at four cups to see if more is needed.

 

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Pimms Cup

From the United Kingdom Pavilion

Ingredients
2 ounces Pimms
3 ounces 7-Up or ginger ale
Sliced strawberry, orange, cucumber and mint

Add all to ice in a cup and serve.

 

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Jollof Rice

From the Africa Pavilion

Ingredients
5 cups long-grain rice
1 medium tomato
12 ounces crushed tomatoes
4 ounces tomato paste
1 onion, chopped or blended
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cube chicken boullion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. hot pepper (scotch bonnet or powder)
1/2 tsp. thyme or curry powder
6-8 cups water

In a heavy large pot, brown chopped onions in vegetable oil. Add pepper and blended tomatoes. Cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently. Add crushed tomatoes and paste. Stir frequently until it looks concentrated. Add chicken bouillon, half of the salt and the thyme or curry powder. Stir and cook for a few more minutes. Add water and additional salt to taste. Meanwhile, in a separate large saucepan, wash and drain rice. Scoop and set aside about 1/4 of the cooked tomato-sauce mixture. Pour the rice into the cooked tomato sauce mixture. Stir and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes. Add the tomato sauce that was set aside to the rice being cooked from time to time as needed if rice looks dry. Stir rice gently to allow the sauce to flow to the bottom of pan and to prevent rice from sticking to the pan. To prevent rice from burning or sticking too much in the pan, transfer rice from stove into the oven (300 F) to complete cooking (about 30 minutes). Rice should be tinted orange and ready when tender.