[tschmidlin]

But Planet Barbeque looks like it takes up where BBQ Bible left off, lots of very varied world cuisines represented.  The guy has a pretty sweet gig, travelling the world and sampling the best of the world's grillmasters produce.

I have BBQ Bible, and would love to know if people think it is worth it to get Planet BBQ as well.  Is it different enough?

[capozzoli]

Cameroonian.
 



Top is a chicken stew made with coconut milk, herbs spices, pumpkin and mushrooms.

Fried bananas

..and more of that fermented cornmeal mush. Damn if I can remember what that is called. Sour but goes really well with the coconut sauce.

I like the African food, it is exotic but also very simple salt of the earth type food.

[nicneufeld]

But Planet Barbeque looks like it takes up where BBQ Bible left off, lots of very varied world cuisines represented.  The guy has a pretty sweet gig, travelling the world and sampling the best of the world's grillmasters produce.

I have BBQ Bible, and would love to know if people think it is worth it to get Planet BBQ as well.  Is it different enough?

Haven't read it all yet but it does appear to be quite distinct.  I don't know if I'll buy it (I've got a library checkout) but I would consider it worth it, for me, if I wanted to add to the cuisine related library.

[bluesman]

Cap...this looks and sounds appetizing. How did it taste?  I really like fried plantains or bananas. I used to get them at this great Cuban restaurant in Miami with roasted glazed pork and black beans with rice.  Cuban food is fantastic...very filling too. You need a hand truck to get your boby out of the restaurant after eating. 

[capozzoli]

The coconut chicken is awesome. It is kinda like the Thai coconut sauce that is popular. It has black cumin in it it,lots of onions and garlic. Pumpkin and mushrooms too.  Very agreeable and easy going for the uninitiated.

The fried bananas I really like but they are really sweet, maybe to sweet for me on the table with the savory food.

The mash of fermented cornmeal is indescribable. Its fermented so it is very sour with a kinda "beer" flavor.

What gets me is that this food is meant to be eaten by hand. im pretty good at that, i eat Ethiopian with my fingers, I eat Indian with my fingers. I can do it very neatly cause these dishes are designed to be eaten by hand. The bread and size of pieces make it pretty easy. But this west African fufu type dishes. Impossible to do it with your hands and turn into a complete mess. They serve these dishes with a large bowl of water for washing the fingers.

I understand the concept of touching your food, because it is precious. But with these dishes I just dont get it.

[nicneufeld]

When you say black cumin...forgive me for asking this again...but what are you referring to?  Sometimes people refer to kalonji, or nigella sativa seeds, as black cumin (I gather erroneously...they are also called black onion seeds).  The Indian black cumin is something different (kala jeera)...its not nearly as distinct or potent, in my view, as nigella/kalonji.  It also is more of a long, thin, dark gray seed, whereas kalonji are more square or roundish, and very black.  Not that kala jeera isn't great, I just find it more subtle.

Kalonji is one of those spices that I am a bit amazed hasn't really made inroads into other world cuisines...it is so distinct, not in a bad, asafetida way, but in a wow, that's tasty and savory sort of way.  I used it in a spice rub on some cured, smoked canadian bacon a while back and everytime I hit a bit of kalonji seed I really appreciated the little bit of zippy flavor.

[beerocd]

When you say black cumin...forgive me for asking this again...but what are you referring to?  Sometimes people refer to kalonji, or nigella sativa seeds, as black cumin (I gather erroneously...they are also called black onion seeds).  The Indian black cumin is something different (kala jeera)...its not nearly as distinct or potent, in my view, as nigella/kalonji.  It also is more of a long, thin, dark gray seed, whereas kalonji are more square or roundish, and very black.  Not that kala jeera isn't great, I just find it more subtle.

Kalonji is one of those spices that I am a bit amazed hasn't really made inroads into other world cuisines...it is so distinct, not in a bad, asafetida way, but in a wow, that's tasty and savory sort of way.  I used it in a spice rub on some cured, smoked canadian bacon a while back and everytime I hit a bit of kalonji seed I really appreciated the little bit of zippy flavor.

Whoa! This is probably like you guys standing around listening to computer geeks. I got no Idea WTF you're talking about. Actually my eyes glazed - I can't even read the whole post it's so food geeky.

[capozzoli]

Kalonji.

Ill post some food geeky close up spice shots when I get home.

[bluesman]

Whoa! This is probably like you guys standing around listening to computer geeks. I got no Idea WTF you're talking about. Actually my eyes glazed - I can't even read the whole post it's so food geeky.

Wake up food geeks and smell the Kalonji !!!   

[tschmidlin]

Kalonji.

Ill post some food geeky close up spice shots when I get home.

Glad nic asked.  I had assumed you used kala jeera.

[capozzoli]

There are several varieties of cumin seeds. Some may not really be cumin though. Here are a few.

Food geeks rejoice.



Kalonji / sometimes called black cumin. this goes in a lot of Indian Pakistan and African dishes.Not sure if it is related to cumin at all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigella_sativa



They mess us up by shipping this stuff over with all different names in English.




Pakistani cumin / also sometimes called black cumin.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumin

Common cumin seeds, what most of us are familiar with.

[beerocd]

I've got all that stuff available to me. Plenty of ethnic stores all over the place - just no clue what to do with it. 

[capozzoli]

I love Ethnic grocery stores. Lots of different ones around here too. I just cant drive by one with out going in.

Indian grocery stores are great for spices. They usually have a large variety and at a fraction of the cost at a grocery store.

Much better quality also. 

[beerocd]

I love Ethnic grocery stores. Lots of different ones around here too. I just cant drive by one with out going in.

Indian grocery stores are great for spices. They usually have a large variety and at a fraction of the cost at a grocery store.

Much better quality also. 

You gotta talk to the ethnic people to figure out which stores are actually good. As an example - I had a Pakistani dude working for me; and he has to eat zabiha meat. Some stores will take regular meat and mark it up like halal prices, it takes a while and the owner makes awesome profit - but it's eventually figured out and word spreads.

[bluesman]

There are several varieties of cumin seeds. Some may not really be cumin though. Here are a few.

Food geeks rejoice.

Cap..maybe for the sake of ethnic nutrition. 
Guide us through an Indian spiced 101 dish, or for lack of a better word... recipe.
Possibly using some of the aforementioned spices and cooking techniques...

Thanks.