Cooking from Scratch and Other Such Advice

A few weeks ago I felt like making an enchilada casserole. In America, this had always been an easy, yet satisfying meal. In Mongolia, it’s a three or four hour process. Recipes online contain a helpful list of ingredients like “a package of corn tortillas, a can of enchilada sauce, a block of cheese product” etc. A week or so later I decided I wanted to make a cheesy broccoli chicken and rice casserole and was once again confronted with “a can of” this time cream of chicken. A common issue with many recipes is that they are not designed for cooking from scratch. It is assumed that the American reading the recipe on Allrecipes.com will go to Walmart and purchase the bulk/processed foods. My time in Mongolia has led to a discovery of the joys of cooking from scratch, which has its challenges, but Peace Corps service is nothing if not challenging, and PCVs are nothing if not resourceful, so as my second year of service winds down, I’ve realized that I’ve picked up a lot of great experience on cooking from scratch. This list is a short compilation of advice and shortcuts that I’ve picked up on the way.

• Almost always use more garlic—People who write recipes with only one or two cloves of garlic don’t know what garlic taste like. If I want garlic to be a flavor in a dish, then I use about a half a bunch or 6-7 cloves per dish, or about a clove a serving.

 

• Crushed Peppercorn is underrated—I’ve taken to crushing the kernels between the flat of a knife and a cutting board. This leads to a fresh flavor every time that is a great addition of pepper in any dish. Pepper grinders are nice, but the kernels can get stale.

• Dried Parsley is underrated—Seriously, I never used this herb in America, but it is a great addition to almost any dish. It can provide a nice color and a subtle flavor that is almost never overpowering.

• Parsley and Oregano are forgiving herbs—It is pretty hard to put too much parsley or oregano in a dish. The enormous amount of dried herb required to make a dish overpowered with either of these is easy to avoid.  On the opposite side of the scale, basil, thyme, and dill are not forgiving herbs. Use as needed.

• Semolina flour is a good substitute for corn starch—I’ve used this as a corn starch substitute for pies, soups, tortillas, etc., and have not been disappointed. The course middling from which the flour is derived gives it a grainy texture similar to corn starch. In Mongolia, this is sold in purple bags of the generic brand that you find everywhere.

• Pungent meat? Remove the fat—Mongolians use a lot of fat in their cooking. The fat from sheep and goats is quite pungent. I tend to cut away most of the fat on red meat. It’s not that nutritious, and the meat tastes better without. An additional plus is a snack for one of our stray furry friends.

• Iron Horsemeat? Kosher it—Horse meat can sometimes have high amounts of blood in the tissue. By removing the blood, you can reduce that iron flavor that can be overwhelming. Jewish practices of Kosher for meat can be done easily in Mongolia and remove blood. Here’s a link to 4 different methods to remove blood from meat.  http://www.wikihow.com/Kosher-Meat  The best horse I’ve had in Mongolia is meat that a Kazak family had hung, salted, smoked, and then slow cooked. It was divine.

• Martha Stewart knows how to boil eggs—I started using this method in America; it is great for making boiled eggs that peal easy.  First, put the eggs in a pot with water and a lid. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Remove the pot from heat and allow the eggs to sit, covered in the hot water for 10-13 minutes. Then dump the hot water and chill the eggs quickly with cold water. The residual heat method cooks the eggs all the way through, and the immediate cold causes the membranes to avoid sticking to the egg leading to an easy peel.

• Two ways to thicken creamy soups without flour clumps—The first method, learned from my father, must be done at the beginning using a French roux. The roux is a combination of butter and flour, sometimes milk or sautéed onions that is cooked until it reaches a darker color, at which point the fluids of the soup can be added. Rouxs are great for sauces and thick soups, especially Cajun cuisine, but can also be pretty easy to mess up by overcooking or undercooking.  A second method is to cook the soup base first, then when you want to thicken your creamy soup, combine melted butter and flour until you have thick pasty mixture. Then add this to the soup. The butter combined with the flour prevents it from clumping and allows the flour to thicken the soup consistently. When using this method, you can also mix in a lot of seasonings that you want to add to the hot soup keeping your pepper from clumping too!

• Curry dishes use a lot of curry—The trick to a good dish with curry is to use a lot of it. This can seem weird especially since curry is often sold in small containers, but good curry rice sometimes needs more than two tablespoons of curry to create that nice Indian color and flavor.

• Marinades (an easy path to flavor)—Marinades are a great way to bring flavor to dishes that are baked, stir-fried, or grilled.  I usually make my own marinades that are little different depending on the dish. A basic marinade may contain two parts olive oil, one part water, ½ to one part light vinegar (I love using the Korean apple vinegar), some salt, and seasonings galore. Seriously, don’t be afraid to try new things with seasonings. I’ve done marinades with twists toward Indian, Italian, and spicy Mexican cuisines. The trick to a good marinade is to allow the meat or tofu to sit in it for at least an hour at room temperature. Refrigerate if you intend marinating overnight.  A lot of recipes would have you remove the meat from the marinade, but I’ve enjoyed dumping everything into a skillet or baking pan with veggies for flavor infused dishes that are served great with a side of rice or potatoes.

• Bread crumbs are better than flour for fried cheese sticks and baked chicken—Flour battered chicken sometimes doesn’t achieve the ideal texture when baked. Bread crumbs, instead of flour, work better for stuffed chicken breast. Cheese sticks are great, but it can be hard to get a good coating using only flour and egg.

• Cream cheese is good for baking—This is hard to do in Mongolia, but it is sometimes possible to find cream cheese in aimag centers. Cream cheese holds its shape in dishes, like stuffed chicken breast, better than regular cheese which can melt and spread all over the place.

• Woops the salt exploded—We’ve all been there. It is a hard place to recover from, but if a dish is too salty it is possible to use light vinegar (not the concentrated crap) and lemon juice to remove the flavor and bring the dish back to edible.

• Secret to rising dough—If you are using a dough that has yeast, then the secret to success is creating a warm humid environment for the yeast to live for thousands of generations before you obliterate their world in your oven. My favorite method, also learned from my father, is to place a half full mug of water in the microwave and let it cook for 7 or 8 minutes until the inside of the microwave is steamy. Then place your dough inside this environment in a container with plenty of room for growth. Usually most doughs only need about 30 minutes to rise successfully in this environment. This can be a lot trickier without a microwave, but it is possible to create a warm humid environment by placing your hot water under a larger container with the dough preferably near the ger stove.

• You can’t walk away from good cooking—American recipes are so often centered around “Just 30 min of prep time!” When you are cooking from scratch it really becomes a process that can take hours. For the enchilada casserole I made, it was necessary to first prepare the enchilada sauce. I then needed to make tortillas and pan fry them. After this I sautéed meat and veggies, adding taco seasoning to flavor the dish. Then I had to grate the cheese. This was followed by assembling the casserole. It was only when the casserole was in the oven that I could walk away and do something else. Walking away becomes especially impossible when cooking on a hot plate or stove top. It is really easy to burn things if they are not stirred regularly. If you are creating a dessert on a stove top, like a pie filling, forget about doing anything else. The sugar in these recipes makes them ridiculously easy to burn.

• Taste often—Adding the finishing touches to flavoring a dish is not always something that can be taught. It is more of a skill acquired from lots of practice, successes, and fails.  Until you have firm understanding of how certain herbs and spices flavor a dish, it is best to take things slowly tasting often to determine what needs to be added. It is always easier to add to a dish then to recover from too much of anything.

• Finally, don’t accept limitations—One of the biggest successes in cooking from scratch in Mongolia is to let the sky be your limit. Many of the best meals I’ve made are things that seemed impossible, but when broken into smaller pieces yielded great results. Even with a limited selection of products at stores, it is still possible to find new and exciting ways to create the dishes you want to eat.

~Caleb 

Tofu Curry Stir-fry

            In a desire to add variety to our diet, Sally and I have discovered the wonderful possibilities that are available with tofu (дупу). This recipe is easy to make and can be made with chicken if preferred.

Marinade Ingredients:	Rice ingredients:	Other ingredients:
¾ cup of olive oil ½ cup of water 2 tbsp. of cider vinegar 1 jar of red curry paste 4oz Parsley Ginger powder 4 cloves of garlic 10-20 black pepper kernels Curry powder One pound of tofu or chicken breast	2 cups of rice 4 cups of water Parsley Universal seasoning	2 carrots 2-3 bell peppers 2 onions

1. Marinade the Tofu:

            Combine ¾ cup of olive oil, ½ cup of water, 2 tbsp. of cider vinegar, one 4 ounce jar of Classic Thai red curry paste, dried or fresh parsley, ginger powder, 4 chopped cloves of garlic, 10-20 kernels of crushed black pepper, curry powder. (Add other pepper powders or hot red pepper paste for extra heat. This mixture can be changed to personal taste. Don’t be afraid to experiment, since curry is usually pretty forgiving.)

            Add cubed tofu or raw boneless chicken breast, and let marinade for 30 minutes to 3 hours.  

2. Cook seasoned rice:

            Combine two cups of rice, 4 cups of water, a splash of oil, about a tablespoon of dried parsley flakes, and a tablespoon of Vigora universal seasoning salt.

            Cook in a pot on a stove or rice cooker until finished. Stir frequently.

3. Sautee Vegetables:

            Combine a dash of oil, onion, carrot, bell pepper, and any other veggies you desire in a frying pan. Sautee veggies until tender.

4. Add the marinade and tofu mix to the veggies and cook in the skillet until everything is boiling nicely. If you have excess liquid you can simmer for an additional 30-45 minutes without overcooking the meat/meat substitute. The end result is a nice oily curry that goes great on the seasoned rice!! Any curry paste can be used for this dish as long as it is mixed well with the marinade. If you don’t have curry paste, it is also possible to use curry powder, but the end result is not as thick.

~Caleb   

Wonderful Taco Bowl!!

In Mongolia, one often has a driving desire for foods that are not easily attained.  My personal most craved food is Mexican. I often fantasize about the possibility of a Taco Bell opening in our small town.  With the exception of one Mexican restaurant in UB and the occasional quesadilla appetizer (also in UB), Mexican food is not to be found in this country. However, never fear PCVs, because sometimes in the darkness, light still perseveres, and in this Mexican void there is still taco seasoning (sold at Goodprice and Mercury Market…also only in UB), and where there is taco seasoning there is hope!!!

Sally and I love having taco bowls. I prefer this to tortillas because while flour tortillas are easy to make, they can still require a lot of time and work to produce. Our taco bowls currently involve five layers, Spanish rice, taco meat, salsa, cheese, and sour cream, but the beauty of a taco bowl lies in very easy alteration to personal taste, so yours could always include other layers!  

1.       Spanish Rice—Combine a can of tomato paste, a whole onion (chopped), two cups of rice, 4 cups of water, a splash of oil, dried parsley, chopped cilantro if possible, crushed black pepper, a rinsed can of corn if desired, salt to taste, and any other pepper seasonings you desire.

a.       Cook in a rice cooker or on a stove top until rice is cooked. The tomato paste in rice changes the consistency and slows cooking in a rice cooker, be sure to stir often to avoid burning on the bottom.

b.      All of the above ingredients can be found in most provincial centers in Mongolia. Cilantro is tricky, but it shows up in places too.

c.       Beans and bell peppers can also be added to this dish, but we usually don’t.

2.       Taco meat—Combine a kilo of either raw chopped chicken or beef (it is also possible to have the beef ground in most meat markets), 1-2 chopped onions, 2 chopped bell peppers, and a splash of oil.

a.       Sautee over a stove top in a frying pan. When meat is cooked, drain juices. Then add taco seasoning, cilantro if possible, and some water to cook the seasoning into the meat.

b.      Add more taco seasoning as needed.

c.       All of the above can be found in most provincial centers with the exception of taco seasoning.

3.       Salsa—Combine an appropriate amount of chopped tomatoes, yet another chopped onion, a few diced garlic cloves , chopped cilantro, a splash of low grade vinegar (Beware the power  of super concentrated Mongolian white vinegar. I usually use apple cider vinegar.), an appropriate amount of lime or lemon juice depending on what you have.

a.       Salsa is forgiving, and everyone likes it to their own taste and consistency. Add beans and corn if you want.  Use common sense regarding stronger ingredients like vinegar and lemon juice; you can always add more if needed.  

b.      I also recommend flavoring with red pepper or chopped hot peppers if you have them.

c.       Once the mixture is at the right consistency and taste for you, refrigerate for a few hours to blend the flavors. It gets better with age.

d.      All of the above can be found in most provincial centers.

4.       Cheese—shred whatever you can get your hands on. Our aimag center regularly has a variety of white cheese including Edam, Gouda, unknown Russian wheel, etc. All of the imported cheeses are expensive ranging from 17,000-22,000₮ a kilo, but it is totally worth it. If you don’t have cheese in your town or provincial center try, making friends with a store owner and then arranging with them to ship cheese from UB that you will buy.

5.       Sour Cream—The elusive ingredient. Any westerner living in Mongolia quickly learns to avoid trying unusual creamy dairy products, but sour cream is still a possibility. We do not always have sour cream in our provincial center, but when we do it is with the brand Сайхан. This brand offers a variety of flavored yogurt in kilo size packets. The sour cream flavor is blue with no extra ingredients in the picture labeled Зөөхий. Many stores that sell Mongolian dairy products also sell Mongolian sour cream by the kilo. I have always stuck with the сайхан brand because it tastes like American sour cream.  I haven’t had the Mongolian version which is called цөцгий.  

Combine all of these items in a large bowl and treat yourself!

Cooking disclaimer: I do not usually worry about specific amounts of individual ingredients when I cook, thus the lack of specific measurements. This works well if you are comfortable in your ability to use good cooking senses of smell and taste to reach the appropriate flavor. The exception to this is rice. The ratio of water to rice must be two to one.  In any event, taco bowls are a forgiving and delicious dish to have.

~Caleb 

Монголд Мах (Meat in Mongolia)

            Meat is a big deal in Mongolia. Most Mongolians consume a lot of meat and vegetarianism is almost unheard of. Traditional Mongolian cuisine that has been described in earlier posts revolves around meat, and even нөгөөний хуурга (vegetable stir-fry) always comes with a health portion of meat. One Mongolian phrase captures the public opinion of meat, “Махгүй хоол хоол биш ээ!” (A meal without meat is not a meal.)

            In this post, I will detail the types of meat commonly consumed in Mongolia, taste, texture, cuts, and ways to prepare for a more flavorful western cuisine. The purpose is slanted a little toward PCVs or future PCVs in Mongolia. That being said, it may also be interesting information for folks back home. Usually I don’t photograph raw meat, so instead the pictures in this post shall be the cutest version of these animals I can find for my own humor.

Тахианы мах (Chicken meat)

A lot of the chicken in Mongolia is imported, but there are still some chicken farms on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar. Chicken remains Mongolia’s most expensive meat outside of imported canned delicacies. The price range falls between 6-8,000₮ a kilo. (3 to 4 dollars a kilo).

Үхрийн мах (Cow meat)

Beef is domestically raised in Mongolia. It is not uncommon for wealthier families to buy a cow in autumn for the purpose of butchering for winter. The price of beef is usually a little less than chicken. Buying beef in stores can be problematic, because Mongolian butchers don’t always pay attention to cuts of meat, and the standard practice is to tightly wrap the meat in plastic before freezing it. One could buy a cut that looks good in cellophane only to find that it has fascia or organs of the abdominal cavity still attached, which can significantly alter the taste of the meat. When it comes to cows, Mongolians tend to let the animals lead a life into maturity if not old age before butchering. This also changes the texture of the meat. An old cow just doesn’t always taste the same as the younger beef found in America. However, as you are chewing through grizzly cuts of meat you can rejoice that your dinner led a long and peaceful life.

Most provincial capitals (aimag centers) have open air markets where freshly slaughtered meat can be bought by the kilo. This tends to be the better place to buy red meats, because it is easier to avoid the “surprise” of a frozen package. However, the open air markets can be unsanitary during the warmer months of the years. This is not due to changes in sanitary practices in the winter, rather it is easier to avoid spoiled meat when the entire country is a refrigerator or freezer. Open air markets also usually have meat grinders where, for a small fee, a cut of beef can become loosely ground beef.

When preparing Mongolian beef, I do many of the same things that I would do in America as far as seasoning goes. While the texture can be tougher, the taste is not much different. Since the meat is butchered in such a different way, a lot of my pre-meal preparation is spent cutting away excess fat and connective tissue that surrounds the tastier muscle. This preparation can take a lot of time, because even the smallest piece of connective tissue in a stir-fry can lead to an un-chewable piece of grizzle. Butchers in American spend a lot more time preparing cuts of meat and separating muscle for the consumer.

Адууны мах (Horse meat—адуу being male horse, but used for food and as a mass noun, where as 

мөрь often refers to a single horse)

I recently bought a half kilo of horse at the open market. The price for kilo runs at about 6,500₮ for kilo, so a little less than three dollars. When I was preparing this meat, one of the first things I realized is that it is bloodier than beef. This blood seems to be embedded in the muscle which is stringier with larger fibers than beef. The blood leads to a distinct taste that is more iron tasting than beef, and while you can cover the taste with a lot of marinade and seasoning, it is still obvious that the meat is not beef.  Horse contains all the risk that beef or any other red meat in Mongolia has in that you must carefully select your cut.

While I am glad for the opportunity to eat horse (something that is illegal in much of America) I can see why we don’t. There are many Mongolians who don’t like horse, so as a meat its flavor is an acquired taste.

Хонины мах (Sheep meat)

Mutton is a favorite among Mongolians. Perhaps the main reason why Sally and I don’t buy it much is because we have been saturated from getting it in so much Mongolian cuisine. It is cheaper by far than horse at about 4,500-5,500₮ per kilo. Mutton has a very pungent meat with a distinct flavor, but a lot of this flavor comes from fat and oily glands located around the fat tissue. Removing the fat prior to cooking and seasoning the meat copiously can reduce a lot of the unwanted flavor of the meat. This is almost never done in Mongolian cuisine since the fat is perceived to be essential for body heat in the winter, and many Mongolians enjoy the taste of the fat. Nonetheless, I have had a number of absolutely amazing experiences with mutton here in Mongolia. Experience has taught me that anytime Mongolians are doing a traditional barbeque (khorkhog) the outcome is always great. I also had the equivalent of a mutton T-bone steak that was boiled to perfection. 

Ямааны мах (Goat meat)

This is often the cheapest of the red meats in Mongolia. Goat has a gamier flavor than mutton, but also lacks some of the pungent flavor of mutton. Goat also doesn’t have as much meat as mutton does. In the market, goat can be easily identified because of the skin which is often left on the meat after being blow torched.  With lower muscle content, goat is sometimes difficult to work with and is usually left out of most Mongolian traditional foods; however like the sheep, goats are often used for khorkhogs. I am not a huge fan of the flavor of goat meat unless it has been seasoned appropriately.

Тэмээний мах (Camel meat)

Camel is not something that is eaten often in Khentii. We are not close to the Gobi, so there are fewer camels which are more often used for cashmere. I have only had camel once; it is by far the worst tasting of the meats I have had in Mongolia.  It is stringy, chewy, pungent, and gamy all in one. I am not sure how much camel cost, because we do not often have it, but I would expect it to be in the same range as horse.

Гахайны мах (Pig meat)

There are pigs in Mongolia, and sometimes Mongolian pork is sold in grocery stores. It is also possible to find imported pork in the form of bacon or sausages in many provincial centers. Imported pork is naturally quite expensive (11,000₮/ $5 per kilo). Imported bacon can be extremely salty. I usually cook it in dishes where it is boiled or baked, because pan frying seems to make it even saltier. Domestic pork is usually around the price of beef. Pork that is slaughtered in Mongolia is usually in the form of cuts with a lot of fat on them. Sometimes the skin is left on the cut as well. Korean food is quite popular in Mongolian, so many cuts of meat are in the style of Korean pork. This is a marbled slab similar to bacon, but thicker with more fat.

Тарваганы мах  (Marmot meat)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II-pierY8Hs

Marmot in Mongolia is a large ground rodent similar to a groundhog. Mongolians consider marmot to be a delicacy and deeply enjoy doing a marmot khorkhog called Боодог. Most khorkhogs involve pressure cooking meat with hot stones. This particular style involves gutting the animal through the neck and then cooking it from within by placing hot stones, spices, and water inside the skin. The whole rodent is then placed on a table and slit open to be devoured by an excited group of Mongolians. The meat is light and rather savory, somewhere between a cow and a chicken in flavor. I found the little humorous and scapula to be quite “cute” for lack of a better word. 

It is vital that marmot is cooked completely (something that is not usually a problem in Mongolia), because the rodents have been known to carry the bubonic plague. It is also illegal to hunt marmot in Mongolia, because it has become an endangered species, but this does not stop it from being consumed. I would recommend that PCVs are not involved in the cooking of this particular animal and only eat it in blissful ignorance when everyone else is too.

             This sums up most of the meats consumed in Mongolia from a western perspective. I should mention that most Mongolians consume almost the entire animal that is slaughtered, so it is not uncommon to eat tongue, testicles, innards, or the delicacy of sheep head. To say that this is an acquired taste does not accurately capture the sensation of biting into boiled intestine with boiled intestinal juices.  I have adopted a policy of being open to trying anything once; still it is possible to avoid many of these dishes as they are usually only served in a home setting.   

~Caleb 

Chinggis Town’s Best Breakfast Sandwich

Early in our service, Sally and I started eating this breakfast sandwich every morning. For 7 months we have had it almost every morning with a few regretted deviations. Why do we like it so much? Perhaps, it feels like a little bit like home and lacks Mongolian flavors.

Ingredients:

·        Bread

·        Mayo—I use the UB brand in small jar

·        Mustard—Usually try to use the German brand

·        Sausage—Венкая is a great brand of хиам that lacks some of the taste of traditional Монгол хиам. This is also the one taste that would be difficult to create in the states.

·        Egg

·        Slice of cheese—Happy cow brand is good

·        Onion, pickles (German brand is good), cucumber if desired

How to make:

1.      Warm up a little oil in a frying pan.

2.      Slice the bread. Coat bread evenly: one slice with mayonnaise, the other with mustard.

3.      Fry the sausage. Once fried, place on the mustard side of the bread and cover with the slice of cheese. (Sally likes onions on her cheese).

4.      Fry the egg to desired style with salt and pepper to taste.

5.      Place egg on top of the cheese. Cut the sandwich in half for better taste.

6.      Eat while warm! Or save half for later!

For a more summer/spring taste, I slice cucumber and pickle and layer on the sandwich in this order: mustard, cucumber, sausage, cheese, egg, pickle, mayonnaise. 

Sally and I have fed a number of PCVs with this deliciously filling sandwich. The consensus is unanimously in favor as best breakfast in Chinggis. The sandwich is quite filling so it allows one to get through the morning without being hungry.  

No Bake Peanut Butter Pie

I try to find recipes to use to make amazing desserts in Mongolia. It can be difficult, but sometimes something turns out great.

                                          

This is a great pie to make here, because you don’t need to bake it, and there are only a couple of ingredients that are hard to find in Mongolia: peanut butter and powdered sugar. Both of these were sent in care packages. I know you can buy peanut butter in UB. Also, my sitemates just discovered that you can buy powdered sugar in our aimag center.  I’ll include a picture here:

Powdered sugar

                                                      

Without any further ado, here’s the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

What it calls for

1 package whole Oreos (about 36 Oreos)

1 cup butter, divided in half

1½ cups + 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, divided

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup chocolate chips

½ cup heavy whipping cream

What I actually used

36 Off-brand chocolate cookies

1 cup butter, divided in half

1 ½ cups + 2 TBS crunchy peanut butter, divided

1 cup powdered sugar

1 chocolate bar, broken into small pieces

½ cup milk, beaten profusely

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Crush the cookies in a Ziploc bag (or even easier, in its original packaging before opening), using a rolling pin. Stir crumbs together with 8 tablespoons melted butter until well combined. Press into the bottom and sides of a pie pan. Freeze crust for 10 minutes until set.

2. Add the remaining 8 tablespoons of softened butter, 1½ cups peanut butter, and 1 cup powdered sugar to a large mixing bowl. Stir vigorously until smooth-ish. Spoon the peanut butter mixture over the crust into a smooth layer. Place back in freezer.

3.  Place chocolate chips/bar and remaining 2 tablespoons of peanut butter in a large glass or heat-proof bowl. In a saucepan, bring heavy whipping cream (milk) to a rolling simmer over medium-high heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips/bar and peanut butter and let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk (fork) until completely smooth. Pour the chocolate layer over the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour until ready to serve.

And if anyone is interested, here's the link to the original recipe.

Pizza

            Sally and I have had a lot of success making pizza in Mongolia. It is always satisfying to dine on something that taste like home, and all the ingredients can be bought in most aimag centers in Mongolia. My only warning to PCVs is that I use a small oven, which I know not everyone has, but it is possible to create a baking apparatus using a ger stove. I don’t know how, but other PCVs have done this with success.

The Dough (makes two 8 by 12 pizzas or one large calzone/Stromboli)

A dab of sugar

4 cups of flour

7 grams of instant yeast (Half of a small Mongolian bought packet. Packet is white and has Instant Yeast in English)

1 tsp of salt and desired seasoning

1 ½ cup of water (You can always add more later if need be)

¼ cup of oil, plus 1/8 cup of oil

1.      Warm up the water to slightly hotter than lukewarm. Add the yeast and sugar, and let sit for five minutes or until the yeast looks bubbly. While the yeast is sitting, mix the flour with salt and seasoning in large bowl. (I have taken to seasoning my dough with Cajun season from the US or locally bought oregano. I usually add seasoning until the flour takes on the desired smell; just be careful not to over salt anything.) You should also prepare another bowl with about 1/8 cup of oil on the bottom to place dough in to rise.

2.      Mix the water/yeast and ¼ cup of oil with the flour and salt. Stir until it is mixed somewhat, then dump the whole mixture on a smooth surface and knead for 10 minutes. When it is one solid cohesive mixture, I will throw it in the air to mix more air into the dough. (if you know Italian songs, now’s the time to sing them.)

3.      Place the kneaded dough in the oiled bowl and roll it around until it is covered in oil. Place it in a warm, moist environment for 30 minutes. If you have a microwave, heat a mug half full of water for 5 minutes while you are kneading the dough. Leave the mug in the microwave and put the bowl of dough in front of it. Shut the door, and let sit for 30 minutes. (Don’t microwave the dough)

If you do not have this luxury, it is a little harder to create this environment. Use a water boiler to boil some water while kneading the dough. Pour some water into a cup of bowl and place bowl of dough next to it. Then try placing tupin over both. If you are in a ger in the winter perhaps place everything at a warm distance from the stove.

Sauce and Toppings

1 can of tomato paste

Salt, pepper, sugar, hopefully oregano

Garlic Chopped

Onion Chopped

Cheese, ideally grated, but chopped is fine too

Whatever else you want to put on top of your Pizza

While the dough rising, prepare everything else. 

For the sauce, open the paste and pour into a small bowl. Season with sugar, salt, pepper, and oregano until it reaches desired taste. Beware of over salting! But if you do, you can recover to an extent with sugar. (Some people add garlic and onion to the sauce. I prefer to sprinkle raw chopped garlic and onion on top of the sauce after it is spread on the dough.)

Prepare the rest of the toppings on a plate for easy reach when creating the pizza. Finally, oil a baking pan to place the dough in. If you do not have a baking pan create one with aluminum foil. This is usually done by taking a sheet of foil and folding the edges in until desired size is created.

Create the Pizza!

The dough should now be about twice its original size. Half it and spread it out on the oiled pan. Add sauce followed by garlic, onion, cheese, and other desired toppings. Place in oven and bake for appropriate amount of time. Our oven in Mongolia does not really adjust temperature, so I usually put it to its highest setting and leave the pizza for about 20-30 minutes. The cheese should appear melted, not burnt. The dough should appear cooked and a knife should be able to easily slide into it without sticking. Remove from oven, let sit a few minutes and enjoy!

The dough is the hardest part to making a pizza, once you have mastered this feel free to experiment and do whatever you desire. I have made calzones, strombolis, broccoli cheese stuffed rolls etc…

~Caleb