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January 24th was National Peanut Butter Day. Peanuts have received bad press in recent times, partly because of the saturated fat content but mostly for their notorious allergen. However peanuts are one of the few ingredients featured in cuisines around the world and in that sense one might call the peanut a culinary superstar. But what gives rise to such acclaim? The answer lies in much more than flavor alone…
The new meal on Flavorly’s menu this week is Pistachio Roasted Rack of Lamb and I for one couldn’t be happier. For some reason lamb seems harder to find in grocery stores than other meat and is infrequently on the restaurant menu – at least where I live here in Texas. I miss it. Sundays roasts were always something I would look forward to growing up; a kind of a British institution. I have often wondered why lamb is so elusive in the US and have read numerous theories. But it’s time to set the record straight. I can think of at least five reasons why we should be eating more lamb and here they are.
What better way to celebrate the holidays than to take a look at some festive culinary experiences from around the world. Let’s look at some Christmas food traditions from countries where Flavorly has introduced a new meal: Mexico, Italy, Greece and Korea.
One of the things I miss most about British eating habits is the Sunday roast. In some ways it looks like one of the easiest meals to prepare – no complicated sauces, no special seasonings to worry about. On the other hand, it is one of the most difficult because it requires careful timing of the main event (the roast meat) while several side dishes cook to perfection so they are ready to serve simultaneously. In addition, it is annoyingly easy to overcook the green vegetables, create soggy roast potatoes and bake Yorkshire puddings that fail to rise. Why on earth would anyone want to go to such trouble? The answer is because practice makes perfect and the end result is spectacular!
Pad Thai is one of the most simple and delicious street food dishes around. Rice noodles stir-fried with eggs and some tofu, shrimp or meat are the basis for the dish. It is typically flavored with some tamarind pulp, fish sauce, garlic, chili and sugar. Final touches include a garnish of lime wedge and chopped, toasted peanuts. It is probably the most famous Thai noodle dish, checking all the boxes for deliciousness – but why? What is the science behind its remarkable flavor?
The first in this series of Global Recipe Cards is South African Bobotie. For anyone who loves to cook with ground beef or hamburger, this is a recipe to add to your repertoire.
Category: Entree, Comfort Food
Global Flavor: South African
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Yield: 8-10
Method: Oven
Researching material for a blog about a global flavor or national cuisine is always enlightening. For example, initially I assumed General Tso Chicken was named after a 19th Hunanese general because he had a penchant for spicy chicken. Wrong.
Then, I read about Chef Peng Chang-kuei, who made the dish famous in Taiwan in the 1950s. So, the dish must be authentically Taiwanese, right? Wrong again. So, what in the world is General Tso chicken if the general didn’t eat it and neither do the Taiwanese?
I could literally be doing this tonight. That is to say eating chowder – for dinner in the sitting room – here in my Airbnb in Boston. I can even fake a New England accent reasonably well. It’s not that hard, to be honest, if you’re British. I love an opportunity to write about regional cuisine while actually physically there in person. There’s nothing quite like experiencing it first-hand to make me want to put pen to paper (okay, fingers to laptop). And what better excuse does anyone need to justify sampling New England cuisine? None whatsoever or “No Suh!” as the locals might say.
Needless to say, clam chowder, lobster roll, cannoli and Boston cream pie have been at the top of my do-to list this weekend. Maybe it is destiny that the address where I am staying is located on the same street as America’s very first restaurant…a snippet of local culinary history right here on my door step.
My least favorite color in the entire world is orange. To begin with, it screams headaches, 1970’s décor and spray cheese. It means fake suntans, unbrushed Cheeto teeth and Hobby Lobby for three dismal months of the year. It’s Easy Jet when you wanted United Airlines. It’s Fanta when you need a Coke. It’s Mastercard when they only take Visa. I know no one and nothing that looks good in man-made orange. But I do like sunsets and vegetables. Orange vegetables get a carte blanch in my house. A Get Out of Jail Free Card. A Pass Go and Collect $200 status. In truth, orange vegetables are the bomb. Quite honestly, I can’t get enough of them and the best part is, they’re incredibly good for you.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and has become increasingly so the older I get. Not only is it the start of the festive holiday season but it’s an opportunity to take a breath and consciously sit and think about all I am grateful for. That sounds trite but making memories and revisiting traditions helps to cement this gratitude. Usually we begin the day with a very early start involving the local YMCA Turkey Dash. Next we head home and watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade on the TV with a glass of champagne in hand. Then, as the National Dog Show is starting, the Thanksgiving turkey is shoved in the oven and we sit down for a game of Christmas-opoly, charades and other silly games.
The practice of roasting a turkey is not much of a big deal to a Brit, because we grew up enjoying ‘Sunday roasts’ most weekends. So when Thanksgiving comes around I try to think of different ways to prepare the turkey, just for the thrill. Here are a five ideas I have tried out with reasonable success. And a sixth for good measure.
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