Five Interesting Foods

I found the following article on one of my newspaper web-sites and thought it would be worth sharing. I looked the name of the book up on Amazon and see that it is available in three different forms. When I glanced through the preview it looks like it has a few recipes but mostly “talks” about the different foods. Even without the recipes I think it would be a very interesting book to add to anyone’s collection.
Next week I plan on going back to using recipes from cookbooks published by clubs/organization, etc.

Five Interesting Foods that Should Be on Everyone’s Bucket List

Whether you live for culinary adventure or unfamiliar items on your plate make you nervous, trying new foods is a worthwhile endeavor. But even avid foodies don’t have the time to try everything.
So how can you prioritize your food bucket list?
Enter, “1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die,” a new book that presents the globe’s must-have foods into one master list of the best dishes, ingredients, restaurants, markets, books and movies, that everyone should experience.
To whet your appetite, author Mimi Sheraton, former New York Times restaurant critic and award-winning cookbook author, shares five food must-haves originating from five regions of the world: :

White Asparagus -- Europe:

Milder in flavor than the green variety, white asparagus is highly prized in Europe, while in the U.S. it has only recently come into favor. A harbinger of spring, asparagus is celebrated in Belgium, Holland, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, where special asparagus menus are featured in restaurants.
For an Italian approach, serve cold with lemon juice and olive oil. If you prefer elaborate flavors, serve with a Hollandaise sauce of egg yolks, lemon juice, butter and nutmeg.

Egg Cream -- United States:

A New York original, egg creams contain neither eggs nor cream. A once ubiquitous street treat, this beverage is a lot harder to come by now.
Make your own at home with a squirt of chocolate syrup, followed by a shot of seltzer and a quick stir, then add a trickle of whole milk and stir vigorously while blasting in vibrant shots of soda to create a frothy, creamy concoction.

Tagine -- North African:

Like the pans Americans call “casseroles,” a tagine is both a cooking vessel and the stew cooked within. A tagine is a deep, wide terra-cotta bowl, with a high-peaked conical cover that directs and concentrates heat. Meats, poultry or fish are slow cooked with various vegetables over direct fire or charcoal, absorbing aromatic spices such as saffron, cinnamon and ginger.
To serve, tangines are fitted into colorfully woven baskets and passed around to guests, along with rice, couscous or fresh, hot bread.

Congee -- Asia:

Like Westerners, the Chinese believe in starting the day with a hearty meal. Congee, a creamy rice porridge, is a favorite. Variations found throughout Asia are sold everywhere, from street stands to dim sum palaces. To prepare, cook short grain white rice until it approaches mush, then serve with a variety of toppings, such as spicy, pickled vegetables, dried fish, preserved eggs and tofu.

Vegemite -- Australia:

Australian children cry for this caramelized spread made of brewer’s yeast and vegetables, as American tots do for peanut butter and jelly. Spread on buttered toast or bread as a snack or a sandwich, or on biscuits as a special treat at teatime, Vegemite may not be pretty, but it is one of the world’s most iconic foods and definitely worth a try.
More information about the book can be found at www.1000Foods.com.
By being a little more adventurous with what goes on your dinner plate, you can expand your horizons and explore the whole world. (StatePoint)

Chinese Chicken Congee

Source: Emeril Lagasse

Yield: 6 servings
1 frying chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 pound chicken necks or wings, excess fat removed
2-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
3 scallions, root end trimmed, crushed with the heel of your knife
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 cup long-grain white rice
Peanut oil, for frying
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
1/4 cup thinly sliced garlic
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for serving
Sliced scallions, for serving
Fish sauce, for serving
Soy sauce, for serving
Sesame oil, for serving
Lime wedges
In a large soup or stockpot combine the chicken pieces, chicken necks, ginger, crushed scallions, smashed garlic and 4 quarts of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the chicken is fall-from-the-bone-tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and set the chicken pieces aside to cool. Skim and discard any foam or fat that has accumulated on the top of the broth and add water, if needed, to bring the volume back up to 4 quarts. Discard the chicken necks and other solids. Return the chicken broth to the soup pot and add the rice. Return the pot to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is completely broken down and the liquid has thickened to a porridge-like consistency, about 2 1/2 hours. (Note: take care during the last half hour of cooking that the soup does not scorch on the bottom. Reduce the heat if necessary and stir often.) The soup should be porridge-like consistency - but if it becomes too thick, add a bit of water as necessary.
While the soup is cooking, remove the chicken meat from the bones once it has cooled and shred the meat into bite size pieces. Reserve. Discard skin and bones.
Heat 2 inches of oil in a medium saucepan and, when hot, fry the shallots until crispy, about 2 minutes. Remove from the oil and transfer to paper-lined plate to drain. Repeat the same process with the sliced garlic - it should cook in about 1 minute -- and set aside.
When the soup is ready, serve in shallow bowls, with small bowls of each garnish available so that guests can garnish their soup as desired -- with the crispy shallots, crispy garlic, chopped cilantro, sliced scallions, fish sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil each added to individual taste. Garnish each bowl with a lime wedge. Serve immediately. Print this post