This recipe and others can be found in the book excerpt

by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach 

Ingredients

Berbere Paste:

• 3 teaspoons ground cayenne chile

• 2 tablespoons onion powder

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon ground cardamon

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon fenugreek

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seed

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon each nutmeg, allspice, turmeric, and cloves

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 2 tablespoons chopped purple onion

• 2 tablespoons dry red wine

• 3 or more tablespoons vegetable oil, peanut preferred

The Kifto

• 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef

• 1 recipe berbere paste, above

• 3 tablespoons minced purple onion

• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1 egg, beaten

Instructions

To make the paste, combine all the ingredients, except the oil, in a blender or food processor and with the motor running, slowly add just enough of the oil to form a paste.

Combine all the ingredients for the kifto in a bowl and mix well. Form into small balls, slightly elongated, and place on skewers.

Grill over a medium hot fire for about 8 minutes until cooked through. Cut open a sample to check for doneness.

This unusual appetizer is one of Jacob’s favorites from De Tropen.

Ingredients

• 1 small fresh octopus, cleaned and cut into small pieces

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon grated ginger

• 2 tablespoons minced scallions

• 1 tablespoon minced rawit Indonesian chiles, or substitute jalapeños

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• A few drops of sesame oil

• 1 cup soy sauce

• 2 cups vegetable oil

For the garnish: Minced cilantro, chopped European cucumber, sliced djersek poeroet (Indonesian lime)

Instructions

Divide the octopus into four servings and place on plates.

In a bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, scallions, chiles, salt, sesame oil and soy sauce.

Place the vegetable oil in a saucepan and heat it until smoking. Pour the hot oil over the mixture in the bowl and immediately pour this over the octopus plates.

Garnish with the cilantro, cucumber, and lime.

These fried, puffed-up tortillas are common throughout the Yucatan peninsula. Although usually served as an appetizer, we enjoyed ours as a lunch entree sprinkled with liberal doses of habanero hot sauce.

Ingredients

For the Salbutes:

• 2 cups masa harina

• 2 tablespoons flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 3/4 cup water, or more if necessary

• Oil for frying

For the Garnish:

• 2 chicken breasts, poached, skin removed, shredded

• 1 small onion, chopped fine

• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Instructions

Combine the masa, flour, baking powder and salt. Add enough water to make a soft dough. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

Pinch off small amounts of the dough and roll into balls. With a rolling pin, roll the balls into small tortillas about 3 inches in diameter. Fry the tortillas on a hot griddle on both sides until the dough is dry but not brown.

Then fry the tortillas in hot oil for a minute or until both sides are brown and crisp. The tortillas should immediately puff-up in the oil. Carefully remove and drain. Top with garnish.