Last Night's Zigni

For dinner last night, Jason cooked up a meal we had in last spring's "Pancake Week". There was zigni (beef stew), injera (the pancake bread) and atakilt wat (the cabbage). While I enjoy the combination of the three, the spices of the zigni send me into an almost euphoric state. It was wide eyed happiness with my stomach cheering on my mouth. Once I came down from my high and eyeing other people's plates, I really wanted a nap.

Pancake Week: Day 8

The eighth and final day of pancake week - Banh Xeo (Vietnamese crepes). These crepes were filled with bean sprouts and tofu. Pieces of the crepe and filling could then be wrapped in lettuce and dipped in a sauce made largely of lime and soy sauce. The dipping sauce was so intensely flavored that it really

 brought the rest of the ingredients together as a unit. Overall, pancake week really inspired us to try cooking meals a little more out of the ordinary and I enjoyed the challenge.

Pancake Week: Day 7

I absolutely loved this meal Jason prepared. We had Injera (Ethiopian pancake) with zigni (beef stew) and sauteed cabbage. Something about the spices in the zigni was just incredible - a blend of flavors I couldn't quite figure out. It balanced perfectly with the cabbage and injera so that each bite tasted like a new experience. I could eat this on a regular basis. 

Pancake Week: Day 6

I had two issues with this German apple pancake. First, I think I had a few too many apples which prevented the batter from properly distributing. Secondly, I was supposed to use a non-stick skillet. I wasn't 100% sure my skillet was oven approved so I used cast iron instead. This caused a slight sticking situation. Even with those two issues, I was very please with the taste which was similar to an apple pie.

Pancake Week: Day 5

Tonight, Jason prepares a Georgian cheese pancake, salad topped with kalamata olives and eggplant walnut dip. The pancake was composed of feta and fresh mozzarella cheese with eggs and a little flour and then fried. I liked to eat mine by spreading a little of the dip on the pancake and topping it with some salad.

Pancake Week: Day 4

Heading down to Mexico for day 4 brings us to sopes! First topped with ground beef, green onions, lettuce, tomato, cilantro and crema Mexicana (table cream). We also discovered they're quite tasty with a layer of jam as recommended by Jason. He's the international man and has lived in Mexico as well.

Pancake Week: Day 3

Changing countries yet again, we arrive at Russian pancakes (blinis) with sour cream, apple slices, green onion and dill. I also tried a more dessert version based on Jason's recommendation and added a hint of orange marmalade. Jason enjoyed eating these when he was in Russia and wanted to share the experience.

I got a little too excited and started eating before I photographed it.

Pancake Week: Day 2

We can't have pancake week without what is the traditional American view of the pancake. Behold! Buttermilk pancakes with homemade blueberry sauce dusted with powdered sugar.

Pancake Week: 7 Days + 1

I know that technically there are only seven days in a week, but we had too many pancake ideas and found all the ingredients we needed. So, this week will officially have eight days in it.

Jason starts us off with a Japanese pancake called okonomiyaki. A friend of his took him out to try this several years ago when Jason was in Japan. He was curious to see if he could duplicate it. I've never had anything that tasted similar to these before and thought it was wonderful. It's a blend of flavors that just dance in your mouth. The pancake is basically fried cabbage topped with mayo, bacon, red onion and a few shots of Worcestershire sauce.