SidBan Recipe

The Gatsby  A Cape Town favorite, Gatsbys are mostly found at halal stands or food outlets. It’s a simple sandwich of a baguette filled with hot fries (called “chips” in South Africa), curried meat, hot sauce, pickles or just about any sandwich filling you like. The Boerie Roll  South Africa’s version of a bratwurst, this hearty treat is sold at kiosks and grills on carts in just about any busy urban area where shoppers will be hungry from walking. This is a spicy sausage on a bread roll with tomato and onion mix, ketchup and mustard. The sausage is ground up with nutmeg, coriander, cloves and other spices that create a delicious aroma coming from the braai. The sausage is often served with corn pap (similar to porridge) and a tomato sauce.

  Xiaolongbao – Shanghai, China A staple of China’s dim sum tradition is the steamed bun, an innocuous little ball of dough that contains a burst of flavourful filling. Shanghai’s xiaolongbao, which translates roughly as “little buns in a steaming basket”, are probably the pinnacle of this snack.  Traditionally , they are filled with pork and aspic, which is a meat stock gel that melts into broth when heated. As a result, the tiny buns pack a tasty, salty punch. They are found throughout the city, enjoyed standing up at street stalls and restaurant-fronts by Shanghai’s business set and the city’s working class in equal measure.   Pho – Hanoi, Vietnam Pho is now a famous  Vietnamese  export around the world so one might expect this noodle soup  has a long and strong tradition in its country of origin. In fact it only came to prominence in Vietnam about a century ago. Ingredients in the soup are simple: noodles, meat (chicken or beef), and garnishe...

Fish 'n' chips by the beach Australia has some of the best seafood in the world and that means you’re almost guaranteed fresh fish, served with salt and lemon, wrapped in yesterday’s newspaper or white wrapping.  Barbecued snags Nothing is more Australian than getting friends or family together for a barbecue. And at the heart of any good barbie is a selection of good Australian snags -- from the traditional pork or beef, to those flavored with herbs and spices from around the world. There’s something homey about a snag in a roll or a slice of bread covered in your favorite sauce, perhaps with some fried onion on top and some spuds on the side. A sausage sizzle put on outside the local hardware store on Sundays makes a bit of DIY that much more appealing.

BURRITO FANATICS If you love your meat wrapped in carbs, you'll love  Döner Kebab.  Originally a Turkish dish made of meat cooked on a vertical spit—traditionally lamb, but it can have beef or chicken, too—Döner kebabs are on the menu all around Europe and vary somewhat from country to country. Typically it’s sliced meat served on flat bread or as a sandwich with vegetables, salad, and sauces. Travelers going through burrito withdrawal should order up a their kebab burrito style in a Durum flatbread with everything on it. HOT-POCKET FIENDS You’ll never settle for those frozen microwaved turnovers again after you try  Panzerotti . These half-moon shaped Italian empanadas are sort of like calzone. Originally hailing from the southern  region of Puglia , you can find them in most big  Italian  cities. Fried until the dough is crisp, they’re typically filled with tomato and cheesy goodness that will taste like salvation itself after a long...

Despite the popular phrase “easy as apple pie,” homemade pie can be quite an undertaking. And unless you’re serving a crowd, you’ll have a lot of leftovers—and isn’t apple pie best when served fresh? Enter this adorable dessert, which offers all the flavors and aroma of a warm apple pie, pre-portioned into single-serve treats. Each apple is filled with homemade pie filling and topped with a swirl of pecan-oat crumble. The combination is so good it will have you licking the spoon. Though other varieties work in a pinch, Honeycrisp apples work best because they hold their shape when baked. As far as the crust goes, we love a traditional lattice, but feel free to get creative with all sorts of designs. We recommend serving the whole thing a la mode. INGREDIENTS 1   Grannysmith apple 6   Honeycrisp apples 1   tablespoon granulated sugar 5   tablespoons brown sugar, divided 3   tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided ½   teaspoon ground c...

Soaking time:  4 hours   Preparation Time:  5 mins    Fermenting Time:  12 hours   Cooking Time:  40 mins    Total Time:  16 hours 45 minutes      Makes 50 idlis   Ingredients 1/2 cup urad dal (split black lentils) 1 tbsp fenugreek (methi) seeds 2 cups par-boiled rice (ukda chawal) 3 tbsp thick rice flakes (jada poha) salt to taste For Serving sambhar coconut chutney malgapodi