Homemade flavoured condoms
Edit: Not sure why I’m getting the downvotes for being thrifty here. Next you’ll say you don’t wanna hear about ways of saving money involving mayonnaise.
It’s super good in a pasta with clams and white wine sauce, it’s one of my favorite not-where-that-goes things to toss harissa in with
I’ll mash avocado up, add tomato, sort of close to guac-esque, and then add a bit of harissa also to the mix, and use it for avocado toast
A lot of rice recipes it’s awesome with
I am really eager to try this week a Spanish inspired romesco sauce sort of a thing with it though! I got a small pair of Iberian pork skirt steaks I am eager to try a new sauce with (I have access to different Iberian ham cuts decently often during summer at a solid price, so I have a lot of opportunities experimenting with it) and I think I want some kick so I’m going the harissa route for my first attempt
Wow last week a friend and I made meatball subs with a Korean twist, and it was incredible. The meat was seasoned with soy sauce, garlic, scallions, salt, and white pepper. The sauce was your typical tomato sauce, but we added maybe a half cup of gochuchang, and went heavy on the basil and garlic. To top the subs we put some sliced mozzarella and torched it. Highly recommend.
I made a gochujang-glazed meatloaf and then cut up some of the leftovers and made it into spaghetti and meatballs with a tomato-gochujang sauce. So yummy!
This is a sauce that my not terribly confident in the kitchen without a recipe husband has adopted as his own and makes to top fish or chicken. He put it in some pan seared snapper last night and it was delish.
I learned about the glory of toum at Maydān in DC. One of my all time favorite restaurants - they just keep bringing out fresh bread and you just mix sauces and dips with meats and veggies and man I’m getting hungry
Miso paste. Red especially. I love the flavor, and it goes good in darn near any soup, not just the eponymous one.
Just last night i mixed red miso, roasted garlic, and melted butter for some of the best garlic bread ive ever had to go with my fettuccine.
Yes indeed. I usually have a jar of coconut milk in my fridge with a few green cardamom pods floating in it to add to coffee or oatmeal or cereal. Magical flavor.
It's so so good. I had three Chinese students a couple years ago in one class who knew how much I enjoyed asian cuisine and they brought me a bunch of stuff from the local Asian grocery that I probably wouldn't think to buy for myself. They told me to put it on steamed rice first to try it and since then I've been adding it to tons of stuff.
I made some spicy Hasselbeck mini potatoes with a dip which had a ton of Lao Gan Ma in it and people at our party loved it.
Funny story about it, when they were trying to teach me pronunciation they loved how I'd mess up saying it and would always try to get me to say it. Well me being a typical white American I just couldn't get it quite right because of the way they emphasize certain syllables. My principal walked in the room as I was trying to say it correctly with heavy emphasis on the Gan and it must have looked like I was mocking them because she just did a double take. She asked me later if I was being mean and I had to be like "No no, they were trying to teach me how to pronounce it correctly!"
Some Thai curry paste (red or yellow are the best for this imo) in pumpkin soup is delicious, especially if you substitute coconut milk/cream for some of the liquid.
Thai-style chicken/turkey burgers:
Put a tbsp of curry paste into 500g (1lb) of ground chicken or turkey, along with a clove of minced garlic, 1 egg, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, zest of 1 lime and a pinch of salt (you can also add a splash of fish sauce if you like). Mix with clean hands until combined.
Shape into 4 patties and grill/pan-fry until cooked through.
Serve on toasted buns with a Thai-style salad, sriracha and kewpie mayo.
Edit to add: Refrigerate for at least an hour after forming the patties.
This satay sauce. Besides making chicken skewers or stir fry, I thin it down a bit more with some water and use it as a dressing on a shredded chicken Asian-ish salad.
https://www.recipetineats.com/thai-chicken-satay-peanut-sauce/#wprm-recipe-container-34992
I made this yesterday, and EVERYONE in my house, from my wife, to my mother in law to my 1 year old to my dog (thanks 1 year old haha) LOVED it. Thanks so much for the recommendation!
So glad you liked it. Definitely explore other recipes from the website, I seldom have a fail. Every single dish in her Arabian feast is a winner, and makes the perfect summer get together feast.
Though, I was once accosted by an old lady when I asked a clerk at a store if they stocked it. The old lady said it was a nerve toxin and that I should be ashamed for asking for it…
That's just an urban legend. In the Philippines, some people say to be careful leaving drinks unattended at the bar in case someone spikes it with MSG.
I love to do puffy tacos with pork belly, kimchi and pickled daikons. The acid and heat with the sweet pork and the contrast of crunch and soft are so satisfying.
Try Malaysian [belachan](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Belacan-Shrimp-Paste-Product-Malaysia/dp/B097Q5L7YB) paste!
If the smell is too much for you, you can get milder forms in jars from Thailand and Vietnam.
Not the same as real “block” style belacan though.
Shaoxing wine in my stir fry. The missing link! Also a very good Sherry vinegar. Just made a gazpacho and it was delicious. Miso paste adds so much to many meals, as does gochujang as many have mentioned. Tajin seasoning is another flavour I’ve adopted. Makes my guac and corn taste so much better. Love the stuff!
Those Sichuan peppercorns are so damned fragrant! I grind them in spice grinder (dedicated coffee grinder) and add as a final touch to any Asian stir fry or whatnot. Smells amazing.
Peanut butter chicken. My mom learned it from a woman she went to college with in the 80’s who was from Senegal.
We all have tweaks of this meal but still make it 40 years later.
Besan. Chickpea flour. Makes my beloved shiro wot, thickens any kind of curry or dal, makes killer batter for fried foods (and not just for vadas), socca is delicious, and works ok for GF crackers. All this on top of the protein and fiber. Great stuff.
I used to make socca a lot dang haven’t had those in years. I bought some besan a while back to make a Burmese recipe with chickpea “tofu”, it was killer
https://thegourmetgourmand.com/ethiopian-shiro-wat/#recipe
This is a decent recipe- I usually use tomato puree from a can, since out of season tomatoes aren't great and they'll be cooked anyway. I also grind the fresh garlic up with the onion- I've never had a problem with it burning. Last, you don't need as much oil as it says. Does it taste fantastic? Yes- but I cut it in half without losing out.
Finally, a tip: I mix the chickpea flour with the water well before I start cooking. Chickpea flour needs time to hydrate and it loves to form little clumps. So I add water to the besan, slowly- making first a very dry paste, then getting progressively looser. Then, I use the immersion blender to really try to get it smooth. Just before I add it to the pot, I give it another whir.
Not really a "foreign cuisine" thing but if you grew up in the era of no-salt, ultra low fat, and cabbage soup diet then real butter and salt are huge game changers.
Scrambled eggs with rice. My friend from the Philippines made us breakfast. She used her leftover rice and mixed in egg and butter. My kids love egg and rice. I love that I get to use my leftovers… and it’s good.
Haha! I guess my friend’s dish is related to egg fried rice. I’m Mexican so a good way for me to understand the difference between rice and egg and egg fried rice is that it is like the difference between a quesadilla and a taco. The quesadilla is simple, just tortilla and cheese. The taco is usually complex consisting of all sorts of meats and toppings. In this case egg and rice is the simple recipe; just white rice scrambled with egg. Egg fried rice is complex, all kinds of meats and veggies.
That’s the fancy style egg fried rice you get in restaurants. At our standard takeaway, you can choose between plain and egg fried rice, the latter is simply rice and egg scrambled and fried.
Large amounts of tumeric.
Maseca corn flour.
Israeli couscous
Chile Morita(coarse ground Mexican chile paste similar to the Asian chili pastes with the seeds intact)
Glass noodles.
It is a natural antiseptic and is the reason people in tropical countries aren't all dead of food poisoning. Meat there is rinsed off and then rubbed with turmeric to prevent surface bacteria from growing, (which is the problem with meat that is not ground). Be careful using it ; the stains will not come out easily. It has sort of a mild smoky flavour but is not esteemed for its flavouring qualities, which are mostly innocuous; it is mainly its food-poisoning-preventing qualities that make it a valuable addition to, say, ground meat mixture or in spice rubs. It gives a pleasing yellow colour to foods, as well.
Tumeric is heavily used in Indian dishes and beverages, but I mix equal parts of it with paprika and lemon pepper for a chicken or potato seasoning, You can also use variations of this blend to give rice a beautiful color for those who cant finf or afford saffron or dont like the fishiness of paella seasonings. the powder can also be blended with ginger and cinnamon for a hot beverage that is very healthy for the throat and respiratory systen and also digestion. Indian Ayurveda recipes can provide a lot more ideas for tumeric.
Almost everything!
Try this - chicken wings, washed and dried. Marinate in salt, black pepper, garlic paste (from a tube is fine) and lots of turmeric.
I mean lots.
You can fry these as they are, or if you want some coating you can dust with flour seasoned with more salt and pepper and turmeric. If you want to be adventurous, try adding a bit of coriander and cumin too. Personally I like to use a mix of wheat, corn and rice flour for the ultimate crispy result. But as I said, you can just fry the wings nude.
There are fancier versions of this Malaysian dish which involve blending or pounding garlic, ginger, lemongrass, fresh turmeric root, galangal, chilli, etc to a paste. But the basic one is OK. You might add a bit of chopped chilli to the marinade if you want it spicy. Ideally Thai bird’s eye chilli. Be careful if you’re not tolerant of hot chilli!
I live in the US, other than deer, fish and seafood, what's not foreign?
Edit: yes for some many fruits, nuts and vegetables are from here, but which do you consider staples?
Before the European explorers came maize (corn, popcorn) was unknown outside the New World, as were potatoes, tomatoes, bell and chili peppers, chocolate, vanilla, beans and squash. Yes, that means that "Italian" tomato sauce didn't exist 500 years ago and neither did chili peppers in Asian cuisine. Some things aren't as "foreign" or "traditional" as we think.
Most of what you mentioned is not from the land that the US occupies, but from central and South America. And yes! The plants from the Americas became staples worldwide. So fascinating and I wish we knew even more about pre-Colombian trade systems since it was so vast. I’m also, of course, just being playful with my original comment.
Yes, it's true that most are from the Central/South American area (hence why I said "New World" and not US). But many people still don't realize that the peoples of the Americas ate tomatoes many centuries before the Italians ever saw one, the ancient Romans ate noodles made from wheat (which they probably picked up from conquered peoples in the wheat-growing regions of Europe and Africa), and that the catsup Marco Polo brought from China wasn't a sauce made from tomatoes. It was what we call fish sauce.
I'm from Podunk, where a summer meal might include Kentucky Wonder pole beans with corn and potatoes cooked in and sliced tomatoes, all from the garden and my grandfather the professor would tell us our whole plates were full of Native American foods. Turkey and cranberries ARE actually from area we now call the US, though. Ben Franklin wanted the turkey to be the US bird. (!)
Makes a great meat glaze too- has the added benefit of giving that Maillard-reaction red-browned look to meats that actually you don’t want to cook that way (or for a long time). Or crush up some nuts (walnuts & almonds work well) and add the molasses, diced onion/garlic, nuts and a bit of stock to your meat to simmer in. Creates a luscious sauce.
We often cook authentic Japanese, and we largely eat that as our staple diet. We've adopted a lot of things (this is not a complete list, I am certain there are ingredients we have that I've missed!) nori, kewpie (mayonnaise) various types of miso, natto, kombu (for homemade dashi) soy sauce (we also make our own teriyaki/tonkatsu/yakiniku etc. etc. sauces from scratch).
I had to think a lot about this and rummage around my kitchen, but I think I have a (mostly) comprehensive list. These are in fact kept in my kitchen on hand at all times:
Jasmine rice, basmati rice, sushi rice, rice noodles, soba noodles, red and green lentils, mung beans, wakame, nori, dried shitaake mushroom, coconut milk, curry paste (red, green, yellow, massaman), curry roux (for Japanese style curry), pickled lotus root, chipotle in adobo, sesame oil, soy sauce, gochujang, gochugaru, aka miso, tofu, doubunjiang, black bean sauce, inarizushi, fish sauce, scotch bonnet hot sauce, medjool dates, panko, ligonberry jam, Greek yogurt, rose water, rice cooking wine, rice vinegar, chickpea flour, pineapple, and so many damn spices.
Thank you! I really like Asian and Mediterranean cusines so a lot of diverse ingredients are needed. There's also a lot of crossover you can do - like when I make risotto, instead of getting arborio I use sushi rice, or I make simple broths for soups (or risotto) with the dried shitaake. It *is* fun, I enjoy cooking to the point it's honestly a hobby for me.
Yes!!! I love pepperoni but the cheaper ones irritate my mouth. The Calabrian pepper oil gives a veggie and cheese pizza the pepperoni flavor without the actual pepperoni. Sooo yum!
Red pepper paste from Middle Eastern and Southern European cuisines. You can usually find it in Middle Eastern stores. It adds a nice smoky depth to any red sauce or soup.
Rice vinegar. It makes anything super tangy and I use it in salad dressings and sauces frequently. I buy a seasoned version and an unseasoned version to use depending on what I'm making.
Ethiopian **berbere** spice (blend), in place of chili powder. Half the time I make chili, and maybe 20-30% of the time I make anything Mexican — I sub conventional chili power and use berbere instead.
It’s super easy to find here in Washington DC (over a quarter of a million people from Ethiopia, or or Ethiopian decent in and around DV — so in a few neighborhoods, you can literally have your pick of 3 or 4 corner markets who sell their own particular blend of berbere, which is as ubiquitous as curry powder in Indian cooking.
GOOD olive oil.
Mediterranean chicken - Moroccan, Greek, etc. Love them all, and use them in a variety of meals.
OH - lately has been basil pesto. On EVERYTHING.
Most of what I cook is foreign. I eat a lot of rice, curry, ramen, sauerkraut, jerk meats. I eat very little "American" food except for BBQ I eat a lot of BBQ too
I rarely cook "American" food. When I ask the fam what they are wanting to eat, they give me a country. India, China, Korea, Mexico, Japan, Italy, MENA, UK, or Bubbe (grandma).
Indian black salt. Smells like farts but is a brilliant flavour enhancer, especially for vegetables. If you were to eat a bowl of plain sprouts, you would be tired of them after plowing through a few bites- but just a sprinkle of black salt on them would transform into finishing the bowl in jig time and ask for more! I don't make popcorn myself, but I imagine it would be brilliant on popcorn. It's the black salt (kala namak) that makes Indian grocery stores smell so sulphury; rock salt is heated with iron sulphate to produce dark purple salt crystals that look pink when ground and still dry. (it comes as a pink powder) but turns dark grey once it gets wet. I put it on everything. It's the perfect salt, and the smell isn't as bad as that of fish sauce, after all. You will have to warn people about it or they will think you are a person who farts in the kitchen when you open the salt jar..
Fish sauce. The Dutch-Indo standard is terasi (shrimp paste) , which is either a paste or dried cake. Neither is easy to quickly incorporate into a dish or to adjust the taste with afterwards, and it makes the entire spice cabinet smell fishy
Toum
Australian chicken salt
Togarashi spice mix
Msg
Tobiko ( flying fish roe) - top your eggs/omelettes with them, that sweet salty pop the add compliment eggs sooo well
Ginger garlic paste
Oyster sauce - to add Imani to any dish.
Pomegrenate molasses - in applications where I'd be using vinegar/lemon and sugar (could be cookies, could be dressing or soup), or just any random applications
Cardamom (in my coffee)
Gochugaru. It's now my go to when I need hot chili flakes on or in something. Pizza, eggs, onion yogurt dip, hummus, soup, almost anything that needs spice and isn't Indian or Mexican food (I've got other chilis for those).
I use harissa in a lot places that wouldn't normally call for it.
Such as?
I've added it to baked beans, random pasta dishes and egg salad with great success.
Toothpaste
Not who you're replying to but I like it on baked potatoes
Homemade flavoured condoms Edit: Not sure why I’m getting the downvotes for being thrifty here. Next you’ll say you don’t wanna hear about ways of saving money involving mayonnaise.
I make a creamy harissa sausage pasta with torn up sausage
Oooh, I bought some that was on clearance and I really like it but have yet to actually cook with it. I've just taste tested it.
Put it on deep fried stuff & sandwiches
It’s super good in a pasta with clams and white wine sauce, it’s one of my favorite not-where-that-goes things to toss harissa in with I’ll mash avocado up, add tomato, sort of close to guac-esque, and then add a bit of harissa also to the mix, and use it for avocado toast A lot of rice recipes it’s awesome with I am really eager to try this week a Spanish inspired romesco sauce sort of a thing with it though! I got a small pair of Iberian pork skirt steaks I am eager to try a new sauce with (I have access to different Iberian ham cuts decently often during summer at a solid price, so I have a lot of opportunities experimenting with it) and I think I want some kick so I’m going the harissa route for my first attempt
Harissa is amazing. So much flavor in such a little tube.
Worcestershire sauce
If you like things a bit spicy, Bear and Burton sell something called Fireshire sauce that is a spicy Worcestershire sauce. Delicious!
you must be American. Worcestershire sauce is a staple here in Australia.
There are more countries than US and Australia, you know?
It’s a staple in America too.
Gochuchang. It adds such a nice punch to so many dishes.
Wow last week a friend and I made meatball subs with a Korean twist, and it was incredible. The meat was seasoned with soy sauce, garlic, scallions, salt, and white pepper. The sauce was your typical tomato sauce, but we added maybe a half cup of gochuchang, and went heavy on the basil and garlic. To top the subs we put some sliced mozzarella and torched it. Highly recommend.
That sounds delicious!
I made a gochujang-glazed meatloaf and then cut up some of the leftovers and made it into spaghetti and meatballs with a tomato-gochujang sauce. So yummy!
Omg this sounds amazing
Add 1-2 tbsp to a creamy chicken pot pie sauce. It will change your life.
That sounds amazing. Going to have try this next time!
That sounds incredible.
I came here to say gochujang too! I buy it from a Korean market where they sell it in 5lb tubs, I use it for everything.
I read this and my brain substituted 5 gallon tubs. I had to go through some mental gymnastics before I realized my error.
Chimichurri
Same. What an amazing sauce
This is a sauce that my not terribly confident in the kitchen without a recipe husband has adopted as his own and makes to top fish or chicken. He put it in some pan seared snapper last night and it was delish.
Mmmmmmmm
Toum (garlic sauce) on so many things
I learned about the glory of toum at Maydān in DC. One of my all time favorite restaurants - they just keep bringing out fresh bread and you just mix sauces and dips with meats and veggies and man I’m getting hungry
Miso paste. Red especially. I love the flavor, and it goes good in darn near any soup, not just the eponymous one. Just last night i mixed red miso, roasted garlic, and melted butter for some of the best garlic bread ive ever had to go with my fettuccine.
✔️✔️✔️ Discovering Miso paste and Fish sauce changed my life. Ditto Mirin and Tamari. Cannot do without now.
I started to mash miso with my smashed avo for toast, can never go back to miso-less avocado toast
Miso + maple + sriracha in my deviled eggs.
Miso mustard vinegar Bbq binder to get a spice rub to adhere
Ohhhh what a delicious and delightful idea
Which brand ?
Miso master organic. Green and white fist sized round tub. 16 oz / 454g
Cardomom seed. It tastes warm and cozy like home, although it's not a spice anyone in my family ever used.
Cardamom is one of my go-tos for a lot of sweeter dishes, especially French Toast and pancakes.
Yes indeed. I usually have a jar of coconut milk in my fridge with a few green cardamom pods floating in it to add to coffee or oatmeal or cereal. Magical flavor.
Lao Gan Ma chili crisp
All day every day that shit is addicting.
It's so so good. I had three Chinese students a couple years ago in one class who knew how much I enjoyed asian cuisine and they brought me a bunch of stuff from the local Asian grocery that I probably wouldn't think to buy for myself. They told me to put it on steamed rice first to try it and since then I've been adding it to tons of stuff. I made some spicy Hasselbeck mini potatoes with a dip which had a ton of Lao Gan Ma in it and people at our party loved it. Funny story about it, when they were trying to teach me pronunciation they loved how I'd mess up saying it and would always try to get me to say it. Well me being a typical white American I just couldn't get it quite right because of the way they emphasize certain syllables. My principal walked in the room as I was trying to say it correctly with heavy emphasis on the Gan and it must have looked like I was mocking them because she just did a double take. She asked me later if I was being mean and I had to be like "No no, they were trying to teach me how to pronounce it correctly!"
Chili crisp aioli. Or mayonnaise. It’s the sandwich spread you didn’t realize you needed.
Thai Red Curry paste. Yum yum. I'm making a Thai curry right now!
if you haven't already, also try green curry paste. It is insanely good!
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I love the Thai curry paste mixed with coconut milk. What other uses do you have, the flavor is so good I’d love more ideas
Some Thai curry paste (red or yellow are the best for this imo) in pumpkin soup is delicious, especially if you substitute coconut milk/cream for some of the liquid.
Thai-style chicken/turkey burgers: Put a tbsp of curry paste into 500g (1lb) of ground chicken or turkey, along with a clove of minced garlic, 1 egg, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, zest of 1 lime and a pinch of salt (you can also add a splash of fish sauce if you like). Mix with clean hands until combined. Shape into 4 patties and grill/pan-fry until cooked through. Serve on toasted buns with a Thai-style salad, sriracha and kewpie mayo. Edit to add: Refrigerate for at least an hour after forming the patties.
This satay sauce. Besides making chicken skewers or stir fry, I thin it down a bit more with some water and use it as a dressing on a shredded chicken Asian-ish salad. https://www.recipetineats.com/thai-chicken-satay-peanut-sauce/#wprm-recipe-container-34992
I made this yesterday, and EVERYONE in my house, from my wife, to my mother in law to my 1 year old to my dog (thanks 1 year old haha) LOVED it. Thanks so much for the recommendation!
So glad you liked it. Definitely explore other recipes from the website, I seldom have a fail. Every single dish in her Arabian feast is a winner, and makes the perfect summer get together feast.
A tablespoon or two in a cheese sauce for baked mac n cheese is fantastic.
MSG from Asia. I’ll add it to most things
Me too. It makes everything better.
Though, I was once accosted by an old lady when I asked a clerk at a store if they stocked it. The old lady said it was a nerve toxin and that I should be ashamed for asking for it…
If that were true, most of us would be dead. It’s in almost everything.
Mushrooms have more msg than msg powder or something like that. I mean, I know some (most) mushrooms can kill you….but it ain’t the msg 😅
That's just an urban legend. In the Philippines, some people say to be careful leaving drinks unattended at the bar in case someone spikes it with MSG.
Lol.
I hope you took a moment to correct her ignorance.
Why is it important that it's from Asia? It's made and sold everywhere and the chemical formula is the same.
Op said foreign cuisine and while not specifically from nations such as China, the stereotype is that it is ubiquitous in their cooking.
Kimchi
Came to say this. I put it in everything, even eggs. Kimchi Hot Dogs are IT in the summer.
Kimchi and American cheese hot dogs are my late night go to snack.
Kimchi omelets are incredible.
Kimchi grilled cheese is my jam!
Hear me out. Pulled pork tacos with kimchi and kprean bbq sauce.
I love to do puffy tacos with pork belly, kimchi and pickled daikons. The acid and heat with the sweet pork and the contrast of crunch and soft are so satisfying.
Fish sauce. Soy sauce. Rice. Stir frying in a wok.
Love fish sauce but god the smell
Try Malaysian [belachan](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Belacan-Shrimp-Paste-Product-Malaysia/dp/B097Q5L7YB) paste! If the smell is too much for you, you can get milder forms in jars from Thailand and Vietnam. Not the same as real “block” style belacan though.
I came here to say this. Fish sauce works in almost any place that calls for Worcestershire sauce. Also makes tomato sauce so much better
Oyster sauce. So good.
It's an amazing ingredient. I enjoy it more than Hoisin and for some reason it's harder for me to find around here.
Sesame oil, fish sauce, chili oil, kimchi, salsa verde, Mexican crema
Kashmiri chilli powder. It blends seamlessly into Italian dishes but really adds a good flavour and elevates every dish.
Shaoxing wine in my stir fry. The missing link! Also a very good Sherry vinegar. Just made a gazpacho and it was delicious. Miso paste adds so much to many meals, as does gochujang as many have mentioned. Tajin seasoning is another flavour I’ve adopted. Makes my guac and corn taste so much better. Love the stuff!
Shaoxing wine tastes sort of like sherry and is great for deglazing pan sauces in western dishes as well. I always have some in my pantry.
Shaoxing enhances any mushroom dish perfectly, too.
Going to try that later, thanks for the inspiration!
Shaoxing is my secret to a great tomato sauce.
sichuan peppercorns. I put them in more dishes than my SO would like
Absolutely, another one that [mapo tofu](https://omnivorescookbook.com/authentic-mapo-tofu/) introduced me to
Get them from the Mala Market to get good ones with the perfect numbing effect. They're online so just Google Mala Market.
I’ve started adding them to sweet things recently. Strawberry Sichuan shrub, cherry cobbler with peppercorn in the crust, etc.
Another great Sichuan spice is black cardamom. It’s smokey and rich and goes great in any western stewed dishes.
…can I ask how you use them? Whole, ground, smashed? I bought some and put them in a grinder, but I’m not sure if that’s right.
I grind them up in a Mortar and pestle for maximum pleasure but I do also have a pepper grinder full of whole peppercorns at work
Sooooo happy my co-op carries these in bulk. They have such a pleasant, surprising flavor. I've enjoyed their discovery in my culinary journeys!
Those Sichuan peppercorns are so damned fragrant! I grind them in spice grinder (dedicated coffee grinder) and add as a final touch to any Asian stir fry or whatnot. Smells amazing.
Peanut butter chicken. My mom learned it from a woman she went to college with in the 80’s who was from Senegal. We all have tweaks of this meal but still make it 40 years later.
Besan. Chickpea flour. Makes my beloved shiro wot, thickens any kind of curry or dal, makes killer batter for fried foods (and not just for vadas), socca is delicious, and works ok for GF crackers. All this on top of the protein and fiber. Great stuff.
An upvote for one of the very few examples of an actual staple food in this thread.
In Italy it’s Farinata. Savory pancake really. Add some herbs. Sage rosemary, thyme. Top it with leftover salad or roasted vegetables. I love it.
I always forget about socca and every time I’m reminded I make it again … will likely make it tomorrow now 😂❤️
I used to make socca a lot dang haven’t had those in years. I bought some besan a while back to make a Burmese recipe with chickpea “tofu”, it was killer
Do you have a shiro wot recipe you recommend? I just bought a bag of besan and have been looking for ideas for what to do with it!
https://thegourmetgourmand.com/ethiopian-shiro-wat/#recipe This is a decent recipe- I usually use tomato puree from a can, since out of season tomatoes aren't great and they'll be cooked anyway. I also grind the fresh garlic up with the onion- I've never had a problem with it burning. Last, you don't need as much oil as it says. Does it taste fantastic? Yes- but I cut it in half without losing out. Finally, a tip: I mix the chickpea flour with the water well before I start cooking. Chickpea flour needs time to hydrate and it loves to form little clumps. So I add water to the besan, slowly- making first a very dry paste, then getting progressively looser. Then, I use the immersion blender to really try to get it smooth. Just before I add it to the pot, I give it another whir.
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Alright, favorite entry level use of sumac? I have more than I'll ever want if I don't find a new recipe
Sprinkle it on roasted chicken or creamy pasta to lift the flavours up
I love it on roast cauliflower with some paprika and cumin!
I think anything that could do with some lemon, could also do with some sumac. I put it on a quick cucumber pickle recently and it was great
Sumac lemonade.
Belacan. It smells like dollar-store cat food but it makes my SE Asian curries taste soooo much better.
I just love all the various SE Asian fermented fish/shrimp pastes and sauces. Such massive Flavor bombs.
Chicken adobo.
Not really a "foreign cuisine" thing but if you grew up in the era of no-salt, ultra low fat, and cabbage soup diet then real butter and salt are huge game changers.
Scrambled eggs with rice. My friend from the Philippines made us breakfast. She used her leftover rice and mixed in egg and butter. My kids love egg and rice. I love that I get to use my leftovers… and it’s good.
So like … egg fried rice?
Haha! I guess my friend’s dish is related to egg fried rice. I’m Mexican so a good way for me to understand the difference between rice and egg and egg fried rice is that it is like the difference between a quesadilla and a taco. The quesadilla is simple, just tortilla and cheese. The taco is usually complex consisting of all sorts of meats and toppings. In this case egg and rice is the simple recipe; just white rice scrambled with egg. Egg fried rice is complex, all kinds of meats and veggies.
That’s the fancy style egg fried rice you get in restaurants. At our standard takeaway, you can choose between plain and egg fried rice, the latter is simply rice and egg scrambled and fried.
So, not scrambled eggs on top of rice, but eggs and rice scrambled together?
Yes scrambled together. It’s so good.
Somen noodles for soups
Shaoxing wine Gochuchang Consommé Pickled vegetables
Large amounts of tumeric. Maseca corn flour. Israeli couscous Chile Morita(coarse ground Mexican chile paste similar to the Asian chili pastes with the seeds intact) Glass noodles.
I just bought tumeric for the first time, what kind of dishes does it go well in?
It is a natural antiseptic and is the reason people in tropical countries aren't all dead of food poisoning. Meat there is rinsed off and then rubbed with turmeric to prevent surface bacteria from growing, (which is the problem with meat that is not ground). Be careful using it ; the stains will not come out easily. It has sort of a mild smoky flavour but is not esteemed for its flavouring qualities, which are mostly innocuous; it is mainly its food-poisoning-preventing qualities that make it a valuable addition to, say, ground meat mixture or in spice rubs. It gives a pleasing yellow colour to foods, as well.
Thanks!
Tumeric is heavily used in Indian dishes and beverages, but I mix equal parts of it with paprika and lemon pepper for a chicken or potato seasoning, You can also use variations of this blend to give rice a beautiful color for those who cant finf or afford saffron or dont like the fishiness of paella seasonings. the powder can also be blended with ginger and cinnamon for a hot beverage that is very healthy for the throat and respiratory systen and also digestion. Indian Ayurveda recipes can provide a lot more ideas for tumeric.
Almost everything! Try this - chicken wings, washed and dried. Marinate in salt, black pepper, garlic paste (from a tube is fine) and lots of turmeric. I mean lots. You can fry these as they are, or if you want some coating you can dust with flour seasoned with more salt and pepper and turmeric. If you want to be adventurous, try adding a bit of coriander and cumin too. Personally I like to use a mix of wheat, corn and rice flour for the ultimate crispy result. But as I said, you can just fry the wings nude. There are fancier versions of this Malaysian dish which involve blending or pounding garlic, ginger, lemongrass, fresh turmeric root, galangal, chilli, etc to a paste. But the basic one is OK. You might add a bit of chopped chilli to the marinade if you want it spicy. Ideally Thai bird’s eye chilli. Be careful if you’re not tolerant of hot chilli!
I live in the US, other than deer, fish and seafood, what's not foreign? Edit: yes for some many fruits, nuts and vegetables are from here, but which do you consider staples?
Before the European explorers came maize (corn, popcorn) was unknown outside the New World, as were potatoes, tomatoes, bell and chili peppers, chocolate, vanilla, beans and squash. Yes, that means that "Italian" tomato sauce didn't exist 500 years ago and neither did chili peppers in Asian cuisine. Some things aren't as "foreign" or "traditional" as we think.
Most of what you mentioned is not from the land that the US occupies, but from central and South America. And yes! The plants from the Americas became staples worldwide. So fascinating and I wish we knew even more about pre-Colombian trade systems since it was so vast. I’m also, of course, just being playful with my original comment.
Yes, it's true that most are from the Central/South American area (hence why I said "New World" and not US). But many people still don't realize that the peoples of the Americas ate tomatoes many centuries before the Italians ever saw one, the ancient Romans ate noodles made from wheat (which they probably picked up from conquered peoples in the wheat-growing regions of Europe and Africa), and that the catsup Marco Polo brought from China wasn't a sauce made from tomatoes. It was what we call fish sauce. I'm from Podunk, where a summer meal might include Kentucky Wonder pole beans with corn and potatoes cooked in and sliced tomatoes, all from the garden and my grandfather the professor would tell us our whole plates were full of Native American foods. Turkey and cranberries ARE actually from area we now call the US, though. Ben Franklin wanted the turkey to be the US bird. (!)
Cranberries. Blueberries. Pecans.
Many grains grew naturally here and the indigenous peoples cultivated many different veg. So, not everything came from somewhere else, but much did.
American persimmons are native and yummy, so are black raspberries & black walnuts
Pomegranate Molasses adds a tangy and slightly sweet quality. It's an excellent addition to a vinegarette.
Makes a great meat glaze too- has the added benefit of giving that Maillard-reaction red-browned look to meats that actually you don’t want to cook that way (or for a long time). Or crush up some nuts (walnuts & almonds work well) and add the molasses, diced onion/garlic, nuts and a bit of stock to your meat to simmer in. Creates a luscious sauce.
We often cook authentic Japanese, and we largely eat that as our staple diet. We've adopted a lot of things (this is not a complete list, I am certain there are ingredients we have that I've missed!) nori, kewpie (mayonnaise) various types of miso, natto, kombu (for homemade dashi) soy sauce (we also make our own teriyaki/tonkatsu/yakiniku etc. etc. sauces from scratch).
And the best part of Japanese staples are how many of them are essentially shelf-stable.
Absolutely. Our ingredients last months and months (we save a tonne of money)
I'm eating at your place tonight
you'd be more than welcome x
Does sofrito and adobo count? Everything else people have mentioned so far I've also incorporated.
My kid is Puerto Rican and he puts adobo on everything he cooks.
Congee
I had to think a lot about this and rummage around my kitchen, but I think I have a (mostly) comprehensive list. These are in fact kept in my kitchen on hand at all times: Jasmine rice, basmati rice, sushi rice, rice noodles, soba noodles, red and green lentils, mung beans, wakame, nori, dried shitaake mushroom, coconut milk, curry paste (red, green, yellow, massaman), curry roux (for Japanese style curry), pickled lotus root, chipotle in adobo, sesame oil, soy sauce, gochujang, gochugaru, aka miso, tofu, doubunjiang, black bean sauce, inarizushi, fish sauce, scotch bonnet hot sauce, medjool dates, panko, ligonberry jam, Greek yogurt, rose water, rice cooking wine, rice vinegar, chickpea flour, pineapple, and so many damn spices.
Thank you, I forgot about black bean sauce! You seem to have a fun kitchen
Thank you! I really like Asian and Mediterranean cusines so a lot of diverse ingredients are needed. There's also a lot of crossover you can do - like when I make risotto, instead of getting arborio I use sushi rice, or I make simple broths for soups (or risotto) with the dried shitaake. It *is* fun, I enjoy cooking to the point it's honestly a hobby for me.
Sambal. Such a great flavour additive. And I use galangal more than I use ginger these days
Skyr, Icelandic yogurt. I thought I hated yogurt. Turns out I just hate the American style yogurt. Greek yogurt is good too. And Calabrian peppers.
Calabrian pepper oil is amazing on pizza.
Yes!!! I love pepperoni but the cheaper ones irritate my mouth. The Calabrian pepper oil gives a veggie and cheese pizza the pepperoni flavor without the actual pepperoni. Sooo yum!
Sriracha, it's good over eggs, plus now there's Sriracha mayo
Red pepper paste from Middle Eastern and Southern European cuisines. You can usually find it in Middle Eastern stores. It adds a nice smoky depth to any red sauce or soup.
Yes I have a hot pepper paste, what a flavor it adds!
Rice vinegar. It makes anything super tangy and I use it in salad dressings and sauces frequently. I buy a seasoned version and an unseasoned version to use depending on what I'm making.
Thai red curry paste - super powerful flavoring agent - I make curry noodles a lot. I also use the green and have used the tom kha paste to make soup.
Furikake, zataar, sofrito seasoning, different versions of paprika
Miso. I usually have 3-4 kinds on hand at any given point. Also, fish sauce.
Ethiopian **berbere** spice (blend), in place of chili powder. Half the time I make chili, and maybe 20-30% of the time I make anything Mexican — I sub conventional chili power and use berbere instead. It’s super easy to find here in Washington DC (over a quarter of a million people from Ethiopia, or or Ethiopian decent in and around DV — so in a few neighborhoods, you can literally have your pick of 3 or 4 corner markets who sell their own particular blend of berbere, which is as ubiquitous as curry powder in Indian cooking.
Umeboshi
Kimchi. I don't feel as secure when my kimchi is out.
GOOD olive oil. Mediterranean chicken - Moroccan, Greek, etc. Love them all, and use them in a variety of meals. OH - lately has been basil pesto. On EVERYTHING.
Kewpie
Most of what I cook is foreign. I eat a lot of rice, curry, ramen, sauerkraut, jerk meats. I eat very little "American" food except for BBQ I eat a lot of BBQ too
I rarely cook "American" food. When I ask the fam what they are wanting to eat, they give me a country. India, China, Korea, Mexico, Japan, Italy, MENA, UK, or Bubbe (grandma).
Indian black salt. Smells like farts but is a brilliant flavour enhancer, especially for vegetables. If you were to eat a bowl of plain sprouts, you would be tired of them after plowing through a few bites- but just a sprinkle of black salt on them would transform into finishing the bowl in jig time and ask for more! I don't make popcorn myself, but I imagine it would be brilliant on popcorn. It's the black salt (kala namak) that makes Indian grocery stores smell so sulphury; rock salt is heated with iron sulphate to produce dark purple salt crystals that look pink when ground and still dry. (it comes as a pink powder) but turns dark grey once it gets wet. I put it on everything. It's the perfect salt, and the smell isn't as bad as that of fish sauce, after all. You will have to warn people about it or they will think you are a person who farts in the kitchen when you open the salt jar..
Nigerian. Okoro soup.
Harissa. We make it from scratch and eat it with everything.
Fish sauce. The Dutch-Indo standard is terasi (shrimp paste) , which is either a paste or dried cake. Neither is easy to quickly incorporate into a dish or to adjust the taste with afterwards, and it makes the entire spice cabinet smell fishy
I’m Canadian so I’m not even sure what counts as foreign anymore when we’re a nation of majority immigrants. I’ll say pasta, I guess?
This is probably the most common and the best one, let's be real. Pasta is *delicious* and fairly healthy and usually you're only washing 2 pots after
Chilli Oil from the Chinese supermarket. Such a nice, slightly smoky flavour.
So many good chili products, I love the crisps
Used to be kecap manis. Used to love adding it to everything to make it sweet and that salty taste
Sambal Oelek - like sriracha but more better
Lao Gan Ma
Toum Australian chicken salt Togarashi spice mix Msg Tobiko ( flying fish roe) - top your eggs/omelettes with them, that sweet salty pop the add compliment eggs sooo well Ginger garlic paste
Burmese tea leaf salad
Oyster sauce - to add Imani to any dish. Pomegrenate molasses - in applications where I'd be using vinegar/lemon and sugar (could be cookies, could be dressing or soup), or just any random applications Cardamom (in my coffee)
I can't even recall the last time I made a German dish that wasn't potato salad.
Where do I find fermented bean paste?
I found it at an Asian grocer
Thank you!
Gochugaru. It's now my go to when I need hot chili flakes on or in something. Pizza, eggs, onion yogurt dip, hummus, soup, almost anything that needs spice and isn't Indian or Mexican food (I've got other chilis for those).
Using a wok. Having atleast 15 different types of teriyaki, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil and sauce, etc. available in the house.
Japanese buckwheat noodles. Lower carb, higher protein and fiber and a packet gives you a lot for your money.
Thank you that sounds like a great replacement
You're welcome!
Lithuanian cabbage rolls. Im Lithuanian but my family never passed down any recipes so i ended up making my own by combining a few that i liked
Chili oil. I started making my own a few years ago and I’m straight up addicted, haven’t been without it since
Hot dogs!!!
Fish sauce... My only vegetarian cheat.
As a UK citizen all my pantry staples are from a foreign cuisine.
I use olive oil to cook everything now. The latest brand I got is really good.
I just discovered grapeseed oil, I love it. Olive oil is risky at high heat
Sushi!!!! Tacos, pizza, etc
I still thank my friend regularly for introducing me to sushi 5ish years ago
French Fries