Thai Chicken Soup with Coconut Milk (Tom Kha Gai)

I am sorry for not posting in awhile. I’ve been a bit under the weather, which in Chicago means back to winter mode.

There is truly nothing better than a proverbial chicken soup when you don’t feel too well. However, after a few too many days of chicken soup you need something different and I craved Thai chicken soup with coconut milk.

Brazilian Shredded Chicken Croquettes (Coxinhas) and Padarias (Bakeries)

As I've mentioned before, Brazilians are very fond of snacking. Perhaps because dinner is traditionally eaten late, people always grab a bite in the afternoon. You can always find a bakery that sells not only breads, pastries and sweets, but which also includes a café selection of sandwiches, snack and good drinks. These are also popular places for breakfast on the go.

These bakeries/cafes also serve traditional savory snacks called “salgadinhos," which are very popular among Brazilians and include pão de queijo (bite-size cheese puffs made with tapioca starch), rissoles, empadinhas (bite-size pies made of buttery crust) and even snacks of Lebanese origin that have become very traditional in Brazilian cuisine, quibes and esfihas (kibbeh abd sfiha).

But the queen of salgadinhos, very popular among Brazilians of all ages is coxinha, shredded chicken enclosed in dough shaped to resemble a chicken drumstick (coxa, and from there coxinhas or small coxa) and deep fried.

Brazilian Chicken Soup (Canja de Galinha)

The Thais have Tom Kha Gai, the Malays Sup Ayam, the Serbians Kokosja Supa and my little, half-Brazilian kiddos often savor one of my homeland specialties, “Cangela”.

My mom has been making Brazilian chicken soup for my kids since they started eating solids and they love it! In Brazil, chicken soup is called Canja but in my kids "Portu-English" it became “Cangela”. But don’t be fooled, the Brazilian chicken soup served in my house is the real thing despite my kids cute nickname for it.

Curried Turkey

This second recipe is part of our series on celebrating the wonderfully diverse American Muslim community. Eid-al-Adha falls quite close to Thanksgiving this year so I'm sure turkey is on the mind. This appetizing dish combines a variety of ingredients commonly used in most American kitchens with South Asian curry in an attempt to boost the flavor of an all-American dinner staple.                                                                          

Spring Rolls with Sweet and Sour Sauce

I really like Chinese food, but not your average American version of this wonderful cuisine. I love the Chinese food I used to eat in Brazil which I'm sure was adapted to appeal to the local palette. I've tried some Chinese places here in Chicago and suburbs but these days I prefer to avoid the restaurants as three of my kids have food allergies and of course there's always the halal factor to consider.

Chicken, Olive and Preserved Lemon Tagine

This is one of my favorite Moroccan dishes. Here, in Morocco, finding exact recipes is close to impossible so I will relate my estimation of the ingredients based on keen observation of my in-laws cooking, but adjust as needed to taste. Moroccan preserved lemons are wonderful and very easy to make at home; David Lebovitz has a good recipe only I don't add any other spices than salt.

Tostadas de Tinga de Pollo

Tinga is a really simple and delicious Mexican dish that makes a wonderful appetizer or light meal. I first sampled this amazing treat at playgroup. The spices and smokiness of the chipotle combined with the tomato and chicken sauce served on top of a crisp tostada completely snared my palette. I was so taken that I raved about it to my friend Cecilia who is from Chihuahua, Mexico. So, you can imagine how thrilled I was when she showed up in my kitchen today with a can of Chipotle sauce, a bag of tostadas and the recipe for Tinga. Next time I make Tingas, I might try playing around and adding a bit of garlic, a bit of cumin, and perhaps garnish with cilantro and avocado. But today I exerted much self-control and followed Cecilia’s recipe exactly. It turned out really good, just as I remember my friend Alma’s Tinga from playgroup. So, I share with you today this recipe.

Chicken Tagine with Fennel

I’ve always known that I liked eating but it wasn’t until about three years ago that I discovered my passion for cooking as well. My husband, whom I’ve known for 13 years, always jokes that my newfound passion makes him wonder if we aren't actually trying to relive our newlywed years when young married couples typically begin to explore the kitchen together, overindulging in delightful dishes and, of course, gain a new waistline to prove it.