Ema Datchi : Bhutan's National Dish

One of my favorite things about my two trips to Bhutan was the abundance of Ema Datchi, or chilies in cheese, the creamy, spicy national dish of the country. It varied from region to region in spiciness and some having added tomatoes or extra garlic. Several local cooks told me the method for making the dish but finding the proper cheese in Hawaii was a challenge. A mild farmer’s cheese, sometimes yak, sometimes cow, is what they told me but none of the cheeses I tried at home worked. On line searches showed recipes with Danish feta but it did not melt to the desired creaminess nor did it taste quite right. But finally I found the answer. Laughing Cow. After reading the label I realized that the ingredients are not as bad as one might suppose for a processed cheese. The great thing about it is that it melts beautifully and the final product tastes just like Bhutanese Ema Datchi. Served over Bhutanese red rice it is just the thing to bring me back to the tiny Himalayan country that I love.

Ingredients:

½ lb. jalapeno chilies, sliced lengthwise into strips and seeded (I use a variety of chilies in order to vary the heat. Poblano, Anaheim, Serrano, etc.)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 ¾ cups water
2 tbsp. oil
3-5 cloves garlic chopped
1 tomato, diced
6 wedges Laughing Cow original cheese (there are 8 in a package)

Instructions:

Combine chilies, onion and water in pot and add oil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until chilies are getting tender. Add tomatoes and garlic and simmer another 10 minutes. Add cheese to mixture stirring until smooth, simmering for another 3 minutes. I kind of mash the cheese with a fork to break it up. Serve over Lotus Foods Bhutanese red rice.

Article and photo by Marie DeJournette

Roasted Garlic Recipe

Roasted Garlic
4 heads of garlic
3 Tbs Olive Oil
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Peel away to outer papery skin, to reveal the inner cloves.
With a very sharp knife, cut off the stem and 1/4 inch of the cloves, exposing the individual cloves.
Drizzle each head of garlic with 2 tsp of olive oil.
Place onto a roasting pan or Pyrex baking dish and cover with foil or baking dish cover.
Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed.
When cool enough to touch, use a knife or fingers to remove to soft cloves.
I like to eat roasted garlic on quality bread or crackers.
You can also use in recipes, like Roasted Garlic Dressing or Sour Cream Dip

Summer Fruit!

Summer abundance of stone fruits are here! Cherries: Rainier and Coral champagne; Peaches: White, Yellow and Donuts; Apricots, Nectarines: Yellow & White; and Pluots. Ask for a sample from our friendly produce staff.

Fresh & Organic: New Garlic Crop

This year's new garlic crop is here. Stop by to get the freshest, juicy garlic bulbs. So suculant, you might want to store in the refridgerator after cracking the papery peel.

Think Local: Anthony's Coffee Co

Locally roasted coffee beans from Anthony's Coffee Co are available at Mana Foods. Some varieties include Kona Blend, Organic Peruvian, Organic Sumatra and Organic French Roast.

Founded in 1995, Anthony's Coffee Company is a specialty coffee house dealing only with top quality Arabica beans from around the world. All of Anthony's coffees are roasted on Maui location, guaranteeing exceptional quality, consistency and freshness. At Anthony's, they put the sheen on every bean!

Eco Packaging for Liquid Laundry

Using, 66% less plastic than the typical 100 oz bottle, Seventh Generation is using a paper shell for its newest 4x concentrate liquid laundry detergent. It is made from recycled paper (70% cardboard and 30% newspaper). The bottle can be recycled or composted and comes with complete instructions on how to break it down for recycling.

Creative Cooking

"Some people like to paint pictures, or do gardening, or build a boat in the basement. Other people get a tremendous pleasure out of the kitchen, because cooking is just as creative and imaginative an activity as drawing, or wood carving, or music."
Julia Child

Vog & Cane Burning Homeopathic Remedies

Vog or cane burning getting you down? There are now Hawaii specific homeopatic remedies available in our vitamin room. For a limited time, when you buy a VOG relief remedy, you will get a Ko Ahi (cane burning) remedy for free. While supplies last.

Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners treat patients using highly diluted preparations that are believed to cause healthy people to exhibit symptoms that are similar to those exhibited by the patient. The basic principle of homeopathy, known as the "law of similars", is "let like be cured by like." It was first stated by German physician Samuel Hahnemann in 1796.