What cultural foods do you make?

[Queenie60]

Hi: Spending my weekend cooking for my husband. I'm making his favorite Armenian food, it's called Kufta. Quite time consuming but delicious. Let me tell you ladies, doing this certainly helps my bling budget!!!

Here's a photo of what the look like prior to cooking. Inside is a stewed meatball that took 7 hours of time yesterday, today I'm preparing the outer shell (which you can see here) that the meatball goes inside of. The shell is made up of lamb with fine wheat bulgur.

Share your cultural food. I would love to see and learn.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

This looks delicious, please share your recipe!

I cook a lot and everything from scratch.
I guess our traditional goose for Christmas would qualify as cultural food. And different kinds of french seafood.
The rest is pretty international I think...

 

[stracci2000]

MMMM! I love kufta, kofta, kefta, many different spellings all around the Middle East.
They look delicious! What are your side dishes to go with this?
There is a similar Syrian dish called kibbee, that I make sometimes,too.

I like to make Syrian style stuffed grape leaves. Filled with ground beef or lamb, and rice.
Served with my home made hummus, and a wheat and lentil pilaf. Yogurt and pita on the side.

Swiching gears to Italian, I also make home made raviolis with my fancy-schmancy pasta mill!

 

[Queenie60]

MMMM! I love kufta, kofta, kefta, many different spellings all around the Middle East.
They look delicious! What are your side dishes to go with this?
There is a similar Syrian dish called kibbee, that I make sometimes,too.

I like to make Syrian style stuffed grape leaves. Filled with ground beef or lamb, and rice.
Served with my home made hummus, and a wheat and lentil pilaf. Yogurt and pita on the side.

Swiching gears to Italian, I also make home made raviolis with my fancy-schmancy pasta mill!

I serve rice pilaf and salad with a few vegetables. Sounds as though we eat similar foods!!!

 

[kenny]

Los Angeles California is such a melting pot of restaurants and food markets from around the world I hardly think of any foods as "cultural" any more.
But I know what you mean.

I'm constantly making Tabouleh.
I started out trying many recipes, but over the decades they've morphed into this below - which I've posted before.
I've stopped tweaking it since IMO it's now just right.

Kenny’s Cranberry Tabouleh

In a strainer, rinse and drain 1 c Bulgar Wheat (not cracked wheat, which is uncooked)
In very large glass bowl combine:
Bulgar wheat
1 ½ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch Cayenne Pepper

Peel and finely chop 1 entire bulb of garlic, or use 2 Tbsp pre-minced garlic
Into a heavy skillet on low heat pour 3+ Tbs olive oil
Add garlic, simmer, stirring often till lightly brown
Stir in 1 c room-temp water and 1\2 c dried cranberries
Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer 5 minutes
Add to the bulgar wheat mixture
Stir well, let cool uncovered 30 minutes at room temp, stirring a couple times

Add:
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c olive oil
Stir, cover with plastic wrap, chill in fridge 1 hour

Chop:
1 bunch parsley, regular or Italian
1 bunch green onions, both green and white parts
3 or 4 whole (not peeled) Persian cucumbers (preferred) or …
1 large regular cucumber with seeds and skin removed
Tomatoes – 4 large, 6 medium, or 8 small

Add chopped veggies to wheat mixture, stir well
Season to taste with additional salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice or olive oil
Cover tightly with plastic wrap
Refrigerating overnight improves texture and flavor

Optional: Before serving sprinkle with chopped toasted or caramelized walnuts, or pine nuts

 

[stracci2000]

Los Angeles California is such a melting pot of restaurants and food markets from around the world I hardly think of any foods as "cultural" any more.
But I know what you mean.

I'm constantly making Tabouleh.
I started out trying many recipes, but over the decades they've morphed into this below - which I've posted before.
I've stopped tweaking it since IMO it's now just right.

Kenny’s Cranberry Tabouleh

In a strainer, rinse and drain 1 c Bulgar Wheat (not cracked wheat, which is uncooked)
In very large glass bowl combine:
Bulgar wheat
1 ½ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch Cayenne Pepper

Peel and finely chop 1 entire bulb of garlic, or use 2 Tbsp pre-minced garlic
Into a heavy skillet on low heat pour 3+ Tbs olive oil
Add garlic, simmer, stirring often till lightly brown
Stir in 1 c room-temp water and 1\2 c dried cranberries
Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer 5 minutes
Add to the bulgar wheat mixture
Stir well, let cool uncovered 30 minutes at room temp, stirring a couple times

Add:
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c olive oil
Stir, cover with plastic wrap, chill in fridge 1 hour

Chop:
1 bunch parsley, regular or Italian
1 bunch green onions, both green and white parts
3 or 4 whole (not peeled) Persian cucumbers (preferred) or …
1 large regular cucumber with seeds and skin removed
Tomatoes – 4 large, 6 medium, or 8 small

Add chopped veggies to wheat mixture, stir well
Season to taste with additional salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice or olive oil
Cover tightly with plastic wrap
Refrigerating overnight improves texture and flavor

Optional: Before serving sprinkle with chopped toasted or caramelized walnuts, or pine nuts

Sounds good, Kenny! The cranberries are unusual, but I love cranberries, so I'd love this!

 

[kenny]

Sounds good, Kenny! The cranberries are unusual, but I love cranberries, so I'd love this!

If you make it please let me know any changes that come to mind.

 

[ksinger]

I make some Persian food. A college friend was from Iran, so I got to eat quite a bit, although I only learned how to make a few dishes rather late.

I make gormeh sabzi - lots of chopped fenugreek (which I can now find chopped and in the FROZWN case at the Indian market here!), parsley, and onion, cooked very long with stew beef, kidney beans, and flavored with turmeric and dried Persian lime, served over rice, preferably smoked basmati. I love that stuff. I also make a pretty passable tahdig - basmati with a crunchy crust.

 

[sarahb]

Los Angeles California is such a melting pot of restaurants and food markets from around the world I hardly think of any foods as "cultural" any more.
But I know what you mean.

I'm constantly making Tabouleh.
I started out trying many recipes, but over the decades they've morphed into this below - which I've posted before.
I've stopped tweaking it since IMO it's now just right.

Kenny’s Cranberry Tabouleh

In a strainer, rinse and drain 1 c Bulgar Wheat (not cracked wheat, which is uncooked)
In very large glass bowl combine:
Bulgar wheat
1 ½ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch Cayenne Pepper

Peel and finely chop 1 entire bulb of garlic, or use 2 Tbsp pre-minced garlic
Into a heavy skillet on low heat pour 3+ Tbs olive oil
Add garlic, simmer, stirring often till lightly brown
Stir in 1 c room-temp water and 1\2 c dried cranberries
Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer 5 minutes
Add to the bulgar wheat mixture
Stir well, let cool uncovered 30 minutes at room temp, stirring a couple times

Add:
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c olive oil
Stir, cover with plastic wrap, chill in fridge 1 hour

Chop:
1 bunch parsley, regular or Italian
1 bunch green onions, both green and white parts
3 or 4 whole (not peeled) Persian cucumbers (preferred) or …
1 large regular cucumber with seeds and skin removed
Tomatoes – 4 large, 6 medium, or 8 small

Add chopped veggies to wheat mixture, stir well
Season to taste with additional salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice or olive oil
Cover tightly with plastic wrap
Refrigerating overnight improves texture and flavor

Optional: Before serving sprinkle with chopped toasted or caramelized walnuts, or pine nuts

Saved. Kenny this one looks delish, thank you for sharing your recipe!

 

[Queenie60]

Los Angeles California is such a melting pot of restaurants and food markets from around the world I hardly think of any foods as "cultural" any more.
But I know what you mean.

I'm constantly making Tabouleh.
I started out trying many recipes, but over the decades they've morphed into this below - which I've posted before.
I've stopped tweaking it since IMO it's now just right.

Kenny’s Cranberry Tabouleh

In a strainer, rinse and drain 1 c Bulgar Wheat (not cracked wheat, which is uncooked)
In very large glass bowl combine:
Bulgar wheat
1 ½ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch Cayenne Pepper

Peel and finely chop 1 entire bulb of garlic, or use 2 Tbsp pre-minced garlic
Into a heavy skillet on low heat pour 3+ Tbs olive oil
Add garlic, simmer, stirring often till lightly brown
Stir in 1 c room-temp water and 1\2 c dried cranberries
Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer 5 minutes
Add to the bulgar wheat mixture
Stir well, let cool uncovered 30 minutes at room temp, stirring a couple times
Thank you Kenny - I'm going to try this! Will let you know how it is.
Add:
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c olive oil
Stir, cover with plastic wrap, chill in fridge 1 hour

Chop:
1 bunch parsley, regular or Italian
1 bunch green onions, both green and white parts
3 or 4 whole (not peeled) Persian cucumbers (preferred) or …
1 large regular cucumber with seeds and skin removed
Tomatoes – 4 large, 6 medium, or 8 small

Add chopped veggies to wheat mixture, stir well
Season to taste with additional salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice or olive oil
Cover tightly with plastic wrap
Refrigerating overnight improves texture and flavor

Optional: Before serving sprinkle with chopped toasted or caramelized walnuts, or pine nuts

 

[sarahb]

While its not ethnic to me, I lived for 17 years in NM, & developed quite a taste for chile. So I have it shipped here to MI so I can make all my fav New Mexican food. I use it in my cooking all the time, red or green chile is great with nearly everything.

 

[kenny]

What does "ethnic" even mean? ... not your country or culture? ... if so how many generations does that go back?
America is a melting pot of relatively-recent imports.
Even the 'native' Americans emigrated (via the Bering Strait) from what today is Russia.

Actually haven't they proven via DNA that we ALL originated in Africa?

So much for the concept of ethnic and seeing others as 'Others' with a capital O.

 

[jordyonbass]

Souvlaki is the only greek food I make. But I more assemble it; I get my mother to marinade the meat and make the tzatziki for it

Cook the meat (lamb or chicken, or both) in a pan with some olive oil, then once the meat is done you take it off and then fry the pita breads in the same pan. About 30 seconds each side. Smear a layer of tzatziki, lettuce, tomato, onion, the meat, some oregano. Roll it up and wrap with sone baking paper to keep it all wrapped up and clean(ish).

If I eat 2 of these I wake up in the middle of the night after a food coma with no idea what is going on

 

[stracci2000]

While its not ethnic to me, I lived for 17 years in NM, & developed quite a taste for chile. So I have it shipped here to MI so I can make all my fav New Mexican food. I use it in my cooking all the time, red or green chile is great with nearly everything.

Well, I live in Abq., and it certainly is in everything! My DH loves red chile cashew brittle!

 

[the_mother_thing]

I don’t make it, but I would LOVE a good recipe for Oozie if anyone has one. It’s a Lebanese or Jordanian dish I used to get 20 years ago when I lived in Tucson at a local middle eastern restaurant. It has (IIRC) beef, rice, onions, and pine nuts, and was amazingly seasoned. I found some general recipes online, but not with specific measurements for ingredients.

I love trying my hand at making different cultural foods, but with a family of mega-picky eaters, I don’t get to do it as much these days. I’ve made my own Souvlaki a few times as well and love it.

 

[Queenie60]

I don’t make it, but I would LOVE a good recipe for Oozie if anyone has one. It’s a Lebanese or Jordanian dish I used to get 20 years ago when I lived in Tucson at a local middle eastern restaurant. It has (IIRC) beef, rice, onions, and pine nuts, and was amazingly seasoned. I found some general recipes online, but not with specific measurements for ingredients.

I love trying my hand at making different cultural foods, but with a family of mega-picky eaters, I don’t get to do it as much these days. I’ve made my own Souvlaki a few times as well and love it.

When I get some time , I'll look through my Armenian cook books to see if I can find a similar recipe. Some of the Middle Eastern recipes don't have specific measurements. I'm sure that each region will have a version of this recipe. Will let you know if I find something.

 

[PintoBean]

MMMM! I love kufta, kofta, kefta, many different spellings all around the Middle East.
They look delicious! What are your side dishes to go with this?
There is a similar Syrian dish called kibbee, that I make sometimes,too.

I like to make Syrian style stuffed grape leaves. Filled with ground beef or lamb, and rice.
Served with my home made hummus, and a wheat and lentil pilaf. Yogurt and pita on the side.

Swiching gears to Italian, I also make home made raviolis with my fancy-schmancy pasta mill!

Ermagherd I want to eat your grape leaves!!!!!

 

[AGBF]

Pesto Vantaggio
​

I have no idea how to spell this. My husband told me the name of the dish was in the Genoese dialect, not Italian, and that it meant pesto "with the advantage". It looks as if it may be Italian, however. Or maybe it was incorporated into Italian. Pesto is, originally, Genoese, but in the working class neighborhoods of Genoa it is served with boiled potatoes and green beans. I sometimes make it like that, although I never cooked the potatoes and beans with the pasta the way the chef in the video in the first link does! It looks easy to do this way!

Pesto with pasta plus potatoes and green beans:

https://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/trenette-pesto-potato-and-green-beans

http://lacucinapiccolina.blogspot.com/2017/09/le-trenette-avvantaggiate-al-pesto-per.html

AGBF

 

[Austina]

I regularly cook Indian food, curries, Bombay potato, onion bhajis ans samosas.

 

[the_mother_thing]

When I get some time , I'll look through my Armenian cook books to see if I can find a similar recipe. Some of the Middle Eastern recipes don't have specific measurements. I'm sure that each region will have a version of this recipe. Will let you know if I find something.

Thank you; I would be most appreciative!

ETA: I just confirmed that the owner was from Jordan, so I’m not sure if that helps to narrow down perhaps how the dish might have been made in terms of whether or not certain ingredients were more commonly used from one region to another, if that makes sense. Also, I believe their menu offered it with chicken, beef, or lamb.

 

[the_mother_thing]

@Queenie60 OMG, I think I actually just found it!

This was the restaurant we used to eat at often when we lived in Tucson; I couldn’t remember the name of the restaurant, but I remembered THIS dish. The local newspaper apparently did a write-up about the co-owner & wife of the gentleman from Jordan (my ex-h knew him, which was how we came to eat at the place regularly). Ironically, along the left side of the page is THE RECIPE; I guess they shared it as a feature dish.

I may have to give this a whirl before I pack up my kitchen next week for our move. Otherwise, it’ll be one of the first things I make once we get settled in our new house. It looks pretty easy, and was so flavorful that I can recall the aroma and taste from 20 years ago.

Link to article: http://tucson.com/lifestyles/food-a...cle_85d0f351-3696-542c-9595-5b77eef1a32f.html

Screenshots of recipe:

 

[Austina]

10 garlic cloves- you won’t have to worry about vampires after eating that

 

[the_mother_thing]

10 garlic cloves- you won’t have to worry about vampires after eating that

Probably not a good dinner idea if there is any ‘adult’ time planned in the next 24 hours.

We DO love garlic though, so it’s so right up our alley!

 

[stracci2000]

@Queenie60 OMG, I think I actually just found it!

This was the restaurant we used to eat at often when we lived in Tucson; I couldn’t remember the name of the restaurant, but I remembered THIS dish. The local newspaper apparently did a write-up about the co-owner & wife of the gentleman from Jordan (my ex-h knew him, which was how we came to eat at the place regularly). Ironically, along the left side of the page is THE RECIPE; I guess they shared it as a feature dish.

I may have to give this a whirl before I pack up my kitchen next week for our move. Otherwise, it’ll be one of the first things I make once we get settled in our new house. It looks pretty easy, and was so flavorful that I can recall the aroma and taste from 20 years ago.

Link to article: http://tucson.com/lifestyles/food-a...cle_85d0f351-3696-542c-9595-5b77eef1a32f.html

Screenshots of recipe:

@Queenie60 OMG, I think I actually just found it!

This was the restaurant we used to eat at often when we lived in Tucson; I couldn’t remember the name of the restaurant, but I remembered THIS dish. The local newspaper apparently did a write-up about the co-owner & wife of the gentleman from Jordan (my ex-h knew him, which was how we came to eat at the place regularly). Ironically, along the left side of the page is THE RECIPE; I guess they shared it as a feature dish.

I may have to give this a whirl before I pack up my kitchen next week for our move. Otherwise, it’ll be one of the first things I make once we get settled in our new house. It looks pretty easy, and was so flavorful that I can recall the aroma and taste from 20 years ago.

Link to article: http://tucson.com/lifestyles/food-a...cle_85d0f351-3696-542c-9595-5b77eef1a32f.html

Screenshots of recipe:

Hey, I have Arabic Seven Spices......it's good in any meat dish

 

[the_mother_thing]

@stracci2000 I actually found some in my spice cabinet from when I was cleaning it out the other day. All I need really is the chicken, basmati & pine nuts (which will probably be the most expensive thing in this dish! It's crazy how expensive they are, but yummy & worth it!).

 

[stracci2000]

@stracci2000 I actually found some in my spice cabinet from when I was cleaning it out the other day. All I need really is the chicken, basmati & pine nuts (which will probably be the most expensive thing in this dish! It's crazy how expensive they are, but yummy & worth it!).

This recipe sounds wonderful. There are so many great Middle Eastern dishes.
Here in New Mexico they are called "pinon". In the fall, people go "Pinon Picking". They spread old sheets under Pinon trees and shake the branches to collect the pine nuts. They roast and salt them. To eat, you have to crack the hard shell off the nut with your teeth, kinda like eating sunflower seeds. They are sold on the roadsides. And they are still expensive!
When I first moved here, and I saw people eating them as snacks, I was shocked, cause growing up, we put them in our recipes.
My grandma used to saute the pine nuts in butter, and then add them to rice, for a side dish.
OMG so good.

 

[AGBF]

This seemed like a good place to mention Spices, Inc., a site where I get most of my spices. It has many spices not imported willy nilly from China. (All spices and seasonings are hand blended on their premises). I do buy mills of garlic and black peppercorns imported from Italy in Shoprite and Stop and Shop, but I have been put off from buying spices just hauled in from China after reading what may be in the bottles. These spices are rich and powerful, fresh and flavorful. Everyone loves the chili I make with the various chili powders I buy from them. They have a fabulous cinnamon, too.

Spices, Inc...https://www.spicesinc.com/t-seasonings-rubs-blends.aspx

 

[stracci2000]

Speaking of spices, I really like Penzy"s. They are online, (www.penzeys.com) but there is a shop in my town.
So much fun to browse around there. All high quality spices, and they run great specials, too!

 

[Queenie60]

@Queenie60 OMG, I think I actually just found it!

This was the restaurant we used to eat at often when we lived in Tucson; I couldn’t remember the name of the restaurant, but I remembered THIS dish. The local newspaper apparently did a write-up about the co-owner & wife of the gentleman from Jordan (my ex-h knew him, which was how we came to eat at the place regularly). Ironically, along the left side of the page is THE RECIPE; I guess they shared it as a feature dish.

I may have to give this a whirl before I pack up my kitchen next week for our move. Otherwise, it’ll be one of the first things I make once we get settled in our new house. It looks pretty easy, and was so flavorful that I can recall the aroma and taste from 20 years ago.

Link to article: http://tucson.com/lifestyles/food-a...cle_85d0f351-3696-542c-9595-5b77eef1a32f.html

Screenshots of recipe:

Thank you! I'm going to make this very soon. I appreciate the recipe!

 

[Queenie60]

This is so much fun - I enjoy learning a few new cooking tips!