The things we don't eat...

Mmm. Bugs. :)


As a culture, Americans have relatively unvaried diets compared to many other countries. Sure, there's something wonderful about a medium rare burger, with a side of fries and a ice cold coke, but we're missing out on so much variety!

Here are some of the more interesting dishes from around the world- look what you're missing out on!

Calamares En Su Tinta- Squid or octopus stewed in its own ink. A famous mediterranian dish.

Cuy Chactado- A classic Peruvian dish made from fried guinea pig. It's also popular in Ecuador.

Iguana Guisado- A stew of sauteed iguana meat and vegetables in a hearty broth.

Ant Tacos- exactly what they sound like. Tacos. Made from ants.

Century Eggs- Eggs left in a mix of lime, clay, rice and other preservatives for several weeks, then consumed. Extremely popular in China.

I'll admit that some of these dishes sound funky. But I'll also admit that I've eaten some "funky" foods, and found them to be delectable. Perhaps the only reason these dishes sound odd to us is because we've never been exposed to them. We must open our minds, and our mouths, to all kinds of new ideas and flavors. :) That's what being a foodie is all about!

Keep it simple!

Meals don't have to be huge productions that take hours to prepare. Some of the best meals require very little prep work! Many countries, specifically those in europe, don't have "meals" in the sense that there is a main dish. Rather, they have many different small meals throughout the day, sort of like snacking, with one main meal at night. While I was in France, my meals throughout the day were usually light, simple, and rarely involved cooking. One of my most enjoyable meals was simply a thin, fresh baguette and a small wheel of camembert cheese, and a deliciously tart green apple. The simplicity of it allowed for the full appreciation of the natural flavors of the food.

Here are some ideas for some simple, delicious meals that are filling, and easy to travel/entertain with.

• roasted red pepper hummus


• slices of rye bread


• red grapes
  


• sliced pear


• candied walnuts


• raisins


• honey
  
  


• sliced pepperoni


• wheat thins


• vermont cheddar cheese


• Salsa


• Pickled sweet jalapenos


• sour cream


• nacho chips

• sliced romaine


• pickled 3 bean salad


• flaked tuna


• balsamic vinegarette

Any and all of these pairings can be combined into a platter of delectable delights!

Indian Cuisine

I've spent the last few months studying Indian literature and attending the honors colloquiums on Indian culture, and it has put me in the mood for some indian cuisine.

There's a new Indian restaurant in the emporium called Varanasi. I visited for the first time last week, and was pleasantly surprised by the high quality food and service. If you love spicy, flavorful food, you'll love Varanasi.

I ordered a lamb vindaloo, with a side of naan, and a Mango Lassi. Vindaloo is a traditional type of curry, surved with spinach and potatoe. It's spicy, with a heat level of 6/10. The heat level is enough to burn, but not enough to leave the flavor of the food unappreciable. It's salty and savory, a perfect dish for a cold evening. The vindaloo is served with basmati rice, and a cool cucumber sauce, which cuts the heat of the curry.

The naan is a flatbread, soft and chewy, great for dipping into the vindaloo. I'd highly recommend getting a side of naan to round out the meal. And don't miss a mango lassi to drink! This concoction of mango, yogurt, and rosewater is sweet, tangy, and super delicious~!

For those unfamiliar with curry-

Curry can be a whole bunch of different things. Curry powder is a blend of many different spices, including but not limited to, cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, fenugreek, mustard seed, chillies, clove, cinnamon, and turmeric, which gives it its distinctive yellow color. It is used to flavor soups, sauces, marinades, and much more. It pairs well with almost any type of meat or vegetable.

Interested in trying a dish with curry? This is one of my favorites, it's super easy, and dorm-friendly (I make it all the time)!

Basmati Rice with Curry

2 cups basmati rice
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 kilbasa
3 tsp McCormick Curry Powder
grated parmesan cheese

Follow the instructions for preparing the rice as directed by the package, but substitute the water for the chicken stock. Cook the rice until tender.

Slice the kilbasa and saute in a pan until slightly golden brown.

Add the peas, curry and kilbasa to the hot rice and mix together. Serve hot, sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

Basic Sushi Etiquette

It has become quite popular to visit sushi bars for evenings out on the town. However, many people don't realize just how many rules there are to eating sushi, and how easy it is to offend someone. Here is some basic info for visiting your local sushi bar:

What is Sushi?

Sushi is NOT raw fish! The word "sushi" すし is a compound word, made up of the Japanese words "Su" す and "Shi"　し.　"su" means vinegar, and "shi" means rice. So if it contains vinegared rice, it is sushi.

What you may get at a sushi bar:

Sushi rolls:

rolls typically consist of rice, and some sort of filling (be it raw fish, egg, imitation crab, vegetables, or a mix), rolled in or around a piece of nori paper (dried pressed seaweed). When one thinks "sushi" this is generally what comes to mind.

Nigiri sushi (my personal favorite!):

Nigiri is the "open faced sandwich" of sushi. These are individual rice balls topped with generous slices of raw fish, egg, shrimp, etc. There is usually wasabi between the rice and the fish.

Sashimi:

Sashimi is simply high quality pieces of raw fish.

Hand Rolls:

Hand rolls are similar to regular rolls, only they are less structured, and aren't sliced into bite-sized pieces. Nori sheets are rolled into a cone which is filled with rice and other ingredients.


Etiquette:

1. Use your hands.

Contrary to popular belief, not all sushi is eaten with chopsticks. Nigiri pieces are finger foods, designed to be eaten with the hands. If you are eating sashimi, however, you should use your chopsticks.

2. One bite!

Sushi is meant to be consumed in one bite. It should not be cut.

3. Wasabi

Don't mix your wasabi into the dish of soy-sauce. Nigiri sushi is prepared with wasabi already, in the amount the chef feels is proper. If you like extra wasabi, ask the sushi chef to add some more while he is preparing your roll.

4. Don't pass with chopsticks

Don't pass food from chopstick to chopstick, as this is similar to a ritual that takes place at a japanese funeral, and can be seen as disrespectful.

5. Clean your plate.

It is considered impolite to leave food on your plate, so keep in mind what you do and don't like when you are ordering.

Keep these things in mind and you're sure to have a very pleasant dining experience. ^_^

And now for something completely different!

I'd like to introduce you to a delightful culinary tradition from Japan, known as Bento (AKA the coolest boxed lunches you've ever seen in your life). Seriously, these meals will make your brown-bag lunches from grade school want to go weep in a corner. They are amazingly awesome, profoundly unique examples of how the Japanese successfully intigrate art and life on a daily basis.


THIS is an example of a bento box:



Yes, it's all edible. Yes, it's adorable. Yes, that's a rice ball shaped like a penguin.


Bento can be traced back to the 5th century in Japan, where farmers and field workers would take boxed lunches to work with them. It has transformed over the years into a competative art form. Many Japanese women begin their mornings by creating bento boxes for their spouses and children.




Bento boxes are compartmentalized boxes which are used to hold single portions of different foods. Usually the boxes consist of large portions of noodles or rice, a protein, and vegetables. They are common with school children, and surprisingly, with adults at work.


You can order your own bento boxes online, off of e-bay, or from specialty shops that sell Japanese goods.

To get a better idea of what bento boxes can be like, here is a mini gallery:

Now don't you feel cheated after all those years of oreos and ham sandwiches in brown paper bags? I sure do.

Two new foods, found locally~!

While examining the seasonal foods widget, I encountered two products available in late november in RI that I'd never heard of. These being the "Quince" and the "Tat Soi". I decided to do a bit of research on these two, and to offer recipes for them both.

Quince (pronounced Kwins), is a fruit native to Southwest Asia. They are related to pears and apples, and are bright yellow when ripe. Quince are full of vitamin C, and originally "marmalade" refered only to jams made of quice. They are best used for baking, stewing, jamming, or jarring.

Recipe:

Quince Jam

6 cups packed Quince, rinsed and grated
4 1/4 cups water
4 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon juice

Bring the water to a boil, and add the quince, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the sugar, and bring up to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved, then reduce heat to a simmer. Allow to simmer until the temperature reads 104-105 degrees celsius on a candy thermometer. (I'm not kidding, you have to use a candy thermometer here. Don't try and fudge this one. I have had jams turn to candy in pots, and it is a very unpleasant experience trying to scrape solidified fruit candy out of your best crockery.)

Pour the jam into steralized jars and seal tightly. Allow to cool, and store in a dry, dark place.

Serve on toast, bagels, or with corn muffins. :)

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Tat Soi turned out to be a leaf green, related to one of my favorite vegetables, Bok Choy. The plant hails from Asia, but has become quite popular in North America. It is a very hearty vegetable, and can be harvested in the snow. The greens are spoon shaped, and bright green in color.

Recipe:

Simple Steamed Tat Soi

I find that with veggies like this, the simpler, the better. You don't want the integrity of the veggie to be lost!

Ingredients:

1 bunch Tat Soi, washed and chopped
1 bottle Newman's Own Sesame Ginger Dressing
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup cashews

Using a vegetable steamer, flash steam the Tat Soi until the leaves are bright green and slightly (SLIGHTLY!) wilted. This will happen very quickly, keep an eye on them. (you could also chop up half an onion and sautee it, then mix in the pieces for added flavor).

Combine the bottle of Newman's dressing with the orange juice, honey, salt and pepper.

Drizzle the sauce over the leaves, enough to coat them. Save the left over sauce for future salads. It's great on plain old iceberg lettuce.

Scatter the raisins and cashews over the top, and you're ready to eat! ^_^

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Never be afraid to use ingredients you've never worked with before. Some of them you may not like, but you may discover your new favorite food, just by experimenting! Try and get something new each time you visit the market. This will keep your recipes current and stimulate your creativity!

This one is for you, Lane.

I've recently become good friends with a girl named Lane, who is a vegetarian. Her parents follow the Hindu faith, and as such, she was raised to not eat meat. After 18 years without meat, if she eats it, she feels ill. I'd like to devote this entry to her, and I'd also like to offer a vegetarian recipe for everyone to try- Five Bean Salad. It's easy, simple, and one of my favorites to entertain with~!

Vegetarianism is common throughout the world. It is the act of not consuming animal flesh, for religious, moral or personal reasons. A common belief is that vegetarians do not get enough protein or amino acids, but this is not the case. It's quite easy to live life as a vegetarian, and many claim that it is ultimately a healthier lifestyle choice. Vegetarianism is not a new idea- Plato, Plutarch, Voltaire, Alexander Pope, and Socrates were all vegetarians.

Some reasons for becoming a vegetarian include animal rights, religious restrictions, and eco-friendly living. People who are passionate about animal rights often become vegetarians, because they don't want to promote a lifestyle that harms animals. There are also many religions that promote vegetarianism, including Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and some forms of the Roman Catholic faith. Another thing to consider is the impact that growing animals to the size where they'd be consumable has on the environment.

Ultimately, vegetarianism is a lifestyle choice which each individual must make for themselves. Many people prefer this lifestyle, while others are adiment that they need their meat! I'd say meet in the middle- cut back on large portions of meat (do you really need that 24 oz steak?), and try to eat more chicken and fish (it takes less energy to grow these guys to adulthood, plus they're better for you!).

For those interested in trying a delicious, nutritious, EASY vegetarian recipe, look no further!

Five Bean Salad

Ingredients:

1 can light kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can cannelini beans
1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas)
2 cups green beans (FRESH)
1/2 white onion
1 orange pepper
1/4 cup black olives
1 cup grape tomatoes
Balsamic Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Feta Cheese

There are a lot of ingredients, but this takes very little effort. Combine the five different beans in a large bowl. Be sure to use fresh green beans, you don't want those slimy canned ones in your salad! Chop the onion and pepper (you could also use a yellow or red pepper, I just prefer the flavor of the orange. I feel as though it's sweeter and a better fit for the salad.), and add it to the bean mix. Halve the olives and the grape tomatoes, and mix them in. Drizzle with the olive oil and vinegar (3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar), and add salt and pepper to taste. Top with crumbled feta and you're ready to eat!

This can be a very flexible recipe. You can add pretty much anything and it will taste delicious- other favorite ingredients include chunks of marinated mozzarella cheese, marinated mushrooms, and roasted red peppers (you could even add flaked tuna, but that defeats the point of this vegetarian entry!). Just be creative. :)

Five bean salad can be served as a side dish, but it is hearty enough to be served on its own. It would be lovely paired with some cornbread and a glass of fresh lemonade!

Failed Recipe. :(

I just attempted to make my own hummus. Unfortunately, it was a complete and utter disaster(I did manage to throw together some delicious falafel though!). One of the perels of living in an apartment on a college campus is that your pantry is often lacking vital ingredients. Today, I found myself lacking lemon juice, tahini (a paste made from sesame seeds), and a food processor. I figured I could substitue orange juice for the lemon, as it was the acid the recipe needed, not the lemon flavor. I decided to omit the tahini, which was my first mistake. You really can't have hummus without tahini. The lack of a food processor also made things tough. My hummus turned out chunky, bland, and ultimately inedible, since I fiddled with it for an excessive amount of time instead of just giving up.

In the end, I served my falafel with sour cream and a drizzle of honey, which was fabulous. Potatoe Latkes, a traditional Jewish dish, are similar to falafel and are often served with sour cream. This was my insperation for the dip. I drizzled it with honey because I felt it would pair nicely with the spicy cumin in the falafel. I couldn't have asked for a better combination- the tang from the sour cream paired beautifully with the sharp sweetness of the clover honey, and together they made a sublime dip for the falafel cakes. It just goes to show you how important it is to be creative in the kitchen, and to not get discouraged by failed attempts!

Recipe time~!

As the summer draws to an end, try to make use of your local farmstands and farmer's markets. Think globally, act locally! These people are part of your culture, and your support benifits everyone.

It may be getting a bit late in the season, but if you can get your hands on some basil, this is a fantastic recipe for pesto. I designed it this summer when I was in desperate need of a pot-luck dish with relatively few ingredients on hand.

Pesto is an italian sauce traditionally made with basil, olive oil, parmesan cheese, garlic and pine nuts/walnuts. As I didn't have any pine/walnuts on hand, I decided to use pecans. The oily nut gave the pesto a silky texture, and I honestly prefer it to the traditional recipe!

In a blender combine:

3 cups basil leaves (FRESH, FRESH, FRESH!)
1 cup pecans
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon garlic
Salt/Pepper to taste (Basil can be peppery, so try the pesto first!)

Pulse the ingredients while drizzling in olive oil until the mixture becomes sauce-like.

Serve over pene pasta, or as a dip for crackers (I like it on wheat-thins!).

GO GREEK!

I LOVE GREEK FOOD.

Love it. Hands down, it’s one of my favorite cuisines. I’ve always enjoyed foods that pair extreme temperature differences, and Greek food tends to do that quite a bit. I’ll admit, some things are a bit funky (I have a hard time with Feta Cheese Pie myself), and for the unaccustomed, greek food can be a bit intimidating. But I assure you, the Greek’s emphasis on flavor and fresh ingredients makes their dishes downright delectable.

One of my favorite dishes are Gyros (pronounced YEE-ROH, not GY-ROH. Although, say it that way stateside and you’ll get lots of funny looks.). These are fairly common in the United States, and the majority of people are familiar with them. If you are not, Gyros are a pockets stuffed with shaved meat (traditionally lamb or pork, although chicken and beef Gyros are not unheard of!) and any number of additional ingredients. Usually the pockets are filled with some combination of fresh tomato, white onion, and a creamy cool yogurt-cucumber sauce known as Tzaziki (♥). Lettuce is sometimes added as filler, and I’ve even seen Gyros in France which were stuffed with french-fries! They are a hot, greasy, fresh, impossibly good meal, and if you’ve never tried one, I suggest you add it to your “to eat” list immediately.

If you ever find your way to Greece, there is a tiny shop in the heart of Athens called Ebbas which serves the greatest Gyros I’ve ever tasted (and I’ve had quite a few!). The shop probably wouldn’t pass a health inspection test, but don’t let the interior get to you- this is as good as it gets! The flies in the Tzaziki bowls are just part of the experience. Best part? It’s SUPER CHEAP. I was able to buy a lamb gyro, bottle of coke, and 1 liter water bottle for 2.50 Euro. That’s more than I would spend on a single bottle of water in certain European countries (here’s looking at you, France!).

For those who would prefer a more close-to-home Greek experience, there is a shop that serves Gyros in the Kingston Emporium. International Pockets is my favorite restaurant in the area! Their food is fresh, delicious, and well priced. Not to mention they give you free baklavah (Honey-Nut Pastry)! Although, I have to be honest with you. I never order their gyros anymore. Once I tried their Falafel wrap, I was hooked! But no matter what you order, it’s certainly worth a visit.

I’m sort of regretting writing this entry, I really want greek food now.

Bizarre Foods

I get sort of frustrated when I watch television programs lately that feature “ethnic cuisine”. I feel like so often the shows are geared towards shocking people, rather than towards introducing them to unique aspects of foreign culture.

Take for instance, “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern”. This program, a major hit on the Travel Channel, features Zimmern partaking in “odd” foods from the different locations he visits each week. Wandering the markets and poking his head into shops, he selects foods that to the majority of the westernized world would seem gross and unappetizing, and then consumes them for our enjoyment. While he is (usually) respectful of the people he dines and interacts with, I can’t help feeling like he’s exploiting them. For the people featured on the show, these foods are not bizarre. Is it really fair to make a profit by turning these people’s culture into a circus act?

Introductions

I've always been fascinated with ethnic culture. There's something profoundly beautiful about the traditions and customs of a society- they are the heart and soul of generations of individuals. One of the easiest ways to explore a culture is to look at their food. After all, food is a basic necessity for all individuals. Without food, a society could not thrive.

The aim of this blog is to explore ethnic culinary traditions. I will be breaking down different dishes, giving their history, and the traditions they're associated with. I will also be sharing my favorite recipes, and experiences I've had involving ethnic cuisine.