Ethnic recipies.

[markw]

An offshoot od GM's wife gaining her American citizenship.

somewhere in that thread "lumpias" (sp) were mentioned, If these were what she made for us when the lovely Mrs W and I visited them, I must agree that they are indeed "little bits of heaven, and I'm glad I know what to look for when I go out..

Of course, with all modesty, they were just called egg rolls, but they were the best fargin' egg rolls I've ever had. So, now I know what they were called.

This opens up the topic of what ethnic goodies our wives or friends have added to our diets.

My wife, who is Brasilian makes "bolinhos" (bo-leen-yas) which are essentially cod-fish balls (no, I don't know what they do with the rest of the fish) which are made from (basically) reconstituted dried salt cod and mashed potatoes and fried.

They sound simple but when properly made, are simply wunnerful.

Incidentally, the women got along famously. They walked around a ginormous flea market while Mike and I tried to keep busy. That was great. My Brasilian wife teaching Mike's Filipino wife how to shop, although I think she taught my wife a few things, too. How much more American does it get?

So, what other ethnic goodies do we have out hiding out there?

[Luvin Da Blues]

Well speakin' of ethnic foods. My step father is Japanese so I grew up eating real homemade Japanese food. I know a few dishes but wish now that I would have paid more attention in the kitchen while it was being prepared.


I love my curry in all it's forms, does that count?

[ForeverAutumn]

I grew up with lots of traditional jewish foods. Potato latkes and Matzo balls remain holiday favourites of mine. Gefilte fish was also often on the menu. Disgusting stuff. It's like the fish version of hotdogs, all lips and tails. Ewww.

[markw]

I love curry, partiicularly the west indian variety. I didn't know it was Japanese as well.
Wifey doesn't, but hey, she's almost perfect in every other way.

As for Jewish food, out here you can't avoid it. We just came back our favorite place to get matzoh ball soup locally. I pretty much grew up on lox, cream cheese and bagles and good (not just any) pastrami is a rare treat. When we're itching for really, really good pastrami we hitch it over to the Carnegie Deli in NYC. It's expensive but one sammich is enough for both of us and we still have enough for two more sammiches. ...and they throw rye bread into the doggie bag.

Now I'm gettin horny for a pastrami sammich...

[Luvin Da Blues]

I love curry, partiicularly the west indian variety. I didn't know it was Japanese as well.

I don't think the Japanese have a curry but I could be wrong. I was speaking of any curry from anywhere...the hotter the better. Thinkin' I'll have me some curry butter chicken tonight.....yummmmm.

[ForeverAutumn]

As for Jewish food, out here you can't avoid it. We just came back our favorite place to get matzoh ball soup locally. I pretty much grew up on lox, cream cheese and bagles and good (not just any) pastrami is a rare treat. When we're itching for really, really good pastrami we hitch it over to the Carnegie Deli in NYC. It's expensive but one sammich is enough for both of us and we still have enough for two more sammiches. ...and they throw rye bread into the doggie bag.

Now I'm gettin horny for a pastrami sammich...

I don't eat red meat or any meat where I can't identify the source, so pastrami is out for me. But I love me some good lox. Mmmmmmm. And cheese blintzes. My mom used to make the best cheese blintzes, but I can't remember the last time she made them. It's a lot of work.

[Auricauricle]

Some of the most delicious food I have ever eaten comes from the Middle East. A Lebanese girl-friend of mine's mother (who was from Syria) used to make a mean batch: Tabouleh; Kibbe; Labne; Garlic Chicken; Stuffed Grape Leaves; M'Judra; etc., etc....Topped it all off with some strong Turkish Coffee and a game of backgammon or engaging talking about politics. Oooh, yeah!

[3LB]

I love trying new foods, but my bestest ventures were in Mexico. I loves me some Mexican food, even if the kinds I get in the US are quite Americanized. But while in Mecxico I did sample some actual Mexican cuisine, and I loved it. I'd eat Mexican at least once or twice a week if I could.

Whilst in Brazil, I did sample some foods, but since it was a drunken sailor binge, I can't really critique it. BTW MarkW, is your wife Brasilian by way of Portugal, or native Brasilian? I've only been to Rio, and was there for two or three blurry days, so I didn't get to experience all there is - I went to the Hippie Fair, which featured a lot of bbq styled meat on a stick, if I remember right.

As for Jewish food, I do enjoy matzo ball soup, but I haven't ventured much into that area.

I like sampling Mediteranian food, though I'm not thoroughly a fan of it.

I also like Chinese food, but admittedly, I've not experienced it outside the US.

The one thing I've noticed visiting other cultures and watching food show (yes, I guess I'm a 'foodie') is that most all cultures (excepting the US) are great at utilizing the whole of their resources and making alternate dishes from leftovers while here in the US, we waste a lot of food.

[markw]

My wife was the first one of her family born in this country. Her mom was seven months pregnant when she came here. I do believe they have some distant ancestors from Portugal, since most Brasilians have ancestors from somewhere else, but they consider themselves purely Brasilian.

They are from Belem, in Para, right on the equator. The fruits that grow there are amazing and as of late it's been generating some interest because of the Acai berry.

[GMichael]

An offshoot od GM's wife gaining her American citizenship.

somewhere in that thread "lumpias" (sp) were mentioned, If these were what she made for us when the lovely Mrs W and I visited them, I must agree that they are indeed "little bits of heaven, and I'm glad I know what to look for when I go out..

Of course, with all modesty, they were just called egg rolls, but they were the best fargin' egg rolls I've ever had. So, now I know what they were called.

This opens up the topic of what ethnic goodies our wives or friends have added to our diets.

My wife, who is Brasilian makes "bolinhos" (bo-leen-yas) which are essentially cod-fish balls (no, I don't know what they do with the rest of the fish) which are made from (basically) reconstituted dried salt cod and mashed potatoes and fried.

They sound simple but when properly made, are simply wunnerful.

Incidentally, the women got along famously. They walked around a ginormous flea market while Mike and I tried to keep busy. That was great. My Brasilian wife teaching Mike's Filipino wife how to shop, although I think she taught my wife a few things, too. How much more American does it get?

So, what other ethnic goodies do we have out hiding out there?

Yeah. Those egg rolls were lumpias. Good huh? She used to make them for every party. She was thrilled to see how much everyone loved them. But after a while, it just became too much work. Now she only makes them on very special occasions (or for my grandma).

[markw]

Yeah. Those egg rolls were lumpias. Good huh? She used to make them for every party. She was thrilled to see how much everyone loved them. But after a while, it just became too much work. Now she only makes them on very special occasions (or for my grandma).

Do visits from yer audiobuddies qualify as a special occasion? Only kidding, for now. Methinks she's gonna have her hand sfull for a while.

[Mr Peabody]

Any one down with some biscuits and gravy? Goes good for breakfast with sausage in it or a nice side dish with fried chicken, squirrel, rabbit, deer etc.

Auric, Backgammon is my game as well. Years ago, way back in the early 80's I picked up a Radio Shack game console second hand which included Backgammon, once I found that, it was the only game I needed. I spent many of nights with beverage in the frig, the system on and just playing that computer Backgammon.

I don't see how any one can say Americans waste food when there is somebody, not me, but people, willing to eat every single inch of a pig including it's insides At some point in time there had to be some desperate souls willing to tread that ground.

I personally have yet to eat anything Italian I didn't absolutely love. I like Mexican food but my constitution isn't made for it. I can see salsa and break a sweat. I can do spicey but not spicey hot. I like what little Greek food I've eaten. I love fruit of all kinds.

[GMichael]

Do visits from yer audiobuddies qualify as a special occasion? Only kidding, for now. Methinks she's gonna have her hand sfull for a while.

I think she owes me after last night.

[ForeverAutumn]

I think she owes me after last night.

Unless you're talking about dress shopping, I don't want to hear about it.

[markw]

I think she owes me after last night.

I'd say so.

Sounds like a couple of "Seinfeld" episodes.

At least you didn't lose the car in the parking lot or hit someone in a wheelchair...

[markw]

I don't see how any one can say Americans waste food when there is somebody, not me, but people, willing to eat every single inch of a pig including it's insides At some point in time there had to be some desperate souls willing to tread that ground.

I take it you're not a fan of scrapple: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrapple

[GMichael]

Unless you're talking about dress shopping, I don't want to hear about it.

Oh my! I think that someone has a very dirty mind.

[Mr Peabody]

I take it you're not a fan of scrapple: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrapple

Yeah.... I would pass. If I was starving though I think I'd try that before chittlings.

[Auricauricle]

Don't forget your amazingly, edible jellyfish tentacles!

I seem to remember the Japanese love 'em!

[atomicAdam]

Well I'll jump in on this one.

My wifie is from Kaohsiung, Taiwan and makes some amazing food. The first time around. Second time.....it is hit or miss. Funny, inside family joke at this point.

Anyways, the food she cooks. I mean, I cook too, country side French and Italian food. I bake bread every Sunday....well, you see, we like food. Simple, strong flavored food.

So far my wife though has turned out to be a fantastic cook, though in her family she is the weakest of them, so she says. I'm not sure.

This week she got a hair to try to make Kimchi. Diagon kimchi and cabage and SPICE! turned out awesome. She is a wonderful soup maker as well. What she can do with a simple tofu, fish cake ball, some green stuff and white pepper is amazing.

And I can't even start to try to copy her. We make ginger tea. Pretty simple, shave cut root and boil. But whenever I try to make it, it just isn't as good!

She started making for a when friends some over our home made tiger chicken. A whole chicken stuffed with a brown and white rice, chopped up mushrooms, spice, and bake the chicken with this sweet and spicy Thai sauce that turns orange/red and black burns down the chicken in the shape of tiger stripes. IE 'tiger chicken'.

Oh, and her chicken feet! OMG they are the best. I know, gross, chicken feet, you eat chicken feet!? Yes, stick'em in your mouth, chew and suck off the skin and crunchy parts and spit out the small bones. But her chicken feet are so good. Lots of aniseed, boiled down soy sauce, chilis with green onion and served warm. In China town the chicken feet are served cold and chewy....yuk gross!

Anyways, I could go on and on, but it is bed time, and now I am hungry! Dammit!

[Mr Peabody]

Atom, I think you topped the pig thing. I'm not even a wings person so the feet.......

Can we move back to egg rolls

[atomicAdam]

Atom, I think you topped the pig thing. I'm not even a wings person so the feet.......

Can we move back to egg rolls

That is funny, cause I purposely left out some of the amazing food we've had in Taiwan.

[markw]

Don't forget your amazingly, edible jellyfish tentacles!

I seem to remember the Japanese love 'em!

I was going blind looking for two round things!

Somehow, prarie oysters came to mind. And, no, I've never had ;em.

[Auricauricle]

Um-hmmmmmmmm....Okay. Whatever ya say, sport. Sure. Yeah. Gotcha. Um-hmmmm...Oh, yeah...