Do you need some tips to have your friends over and surprise them?

Are your in-laws visiting you for some days and you have no idea what to cook?

 

Join us in this gastronomic get-together where the smells and tastes mix with our chit chat about typical dishes in different countries and good food!It will certainly activate your senses and spice up your life a bit!

 

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 Dennis Oliver's FoodBridges:

 

 

 9-23-07

 

During the FoodBridges show on 9-21-07, I first mentioned Russian/Ukrainian cabbage rolls.

Here are three recipes:

 

Cabbage Rolls #1

Cabbage Rolls #2

Cabbage Rolls #3

 

Note: Cabbage Rolls have many names in Central/Eastern Europe. See Cabbage Rolls: Wikipedia.

 

I make my cabbage rolls (in the U.S., they're also called stuffed cabbage and pigs in a blanket) similarly, but I don't use bacon,

I usually add minced green pepper to the meat mixture, I use tomato sauce (with added garlic, pepper, and onion) instead of

tomato soup or juice, and I never use toothpicks or string to hold them together. I also put sauerkraut (undrained), onions, and

seasoned tomato sauce over each layer of cabbage rolls, and I add about half a pot of water before I start cooking (sometimes

on top of the stove, sometimes in the oven). I cook the cabbage rolls two to three hours, or until the meat and rice are both

completely cooked.

 

I also mentioned Ukrainian/Carpatho-Rusyn nut rolls. Here's a recipe:

 

Ukrainian/Carpatho-Rusyn Nut Rolls

 

This is pretty similar to the way I make nut rolls, but I sometimes add sour cream to the dough. I normally use English walnuts

for the nuts, and I sometimes combine them with almond paste.

 

Later, I mentioned southern-style green beans—a dish I often had as a child. Green beans made this way are characterized by being

cooked for a long time. See the following:

 

Green Beans Southern Style

 

Another food I remember from my childhood is my mother's super-good cinnamon rolls. The link below is to a recipe that's

similar to what I remember (and also make). I never use nuts or raisins, though.

 

Southern-Style Cinnamon Rolls

 

Quesadillas

 

When we talked about quick-but-tasty dishes, I mentioned quesadillas. There are lots of ways to make quesadillas, but I make them

by using large, plate-sized tortillas (and usually use the whole wheat variety, but sometimes use the "white" flour or masa varieties).

To make them, I lightly oil a large skillet or griddle, turn the heat on medium, then put down one tortilla and sprinkle it generously

with shredded cheese (sometimes Monterey jack, sometimes Mexican queso fresco, queso asadero, or queso menonita). On top of

the cheese, I add chopped onion, garlic powder, pepper, and whatever else is handy—for example, chives, chopped green pepper,

strips of cooked chicken or beef or turkey. I then turn the tortilla and continue cooking until the cheese begins to melt. When it's

ready to eat, I cut it into two to four wedges and serve it—either as is or with salsa and maybe guacamole. Plan on one quesadilla

per adult for lunch. Yummy!

 

See  this link (Wikipedia).

 

Ensalada de Nopalitos (Prickly Pear Salad)

 

 At some point, I also mentioned making a salad that contained the pads (leaves) of the nopal (prickly pear cactus).

 

You can see a picture of ensalada de nopalitos and also a recipe (in Spanish) for making it by clicking HERE.

 

I make it a little differently than what's described in the recipe linked above. I first chop the leaves from about three large bunches

of parsley and one large bunch of cilantro, and then add a medium diced onion, three or four scallions (green onions), four to six

diced jalapeño peppers, a generous handful of shredded cheese (I prefer Greek feta, but I sometimes use queso fresco or queso

menonita), garlic powder and black pepper to taste, and steamed, diced nopalitos—four to six fresh ones or a whole jar (drained)

of canned ones. I then add a simple vinaigrette made of olive oil and fresh lemon juice, toss the salad until everything is well

combined, and chill it. Occasionally, I add a large can of drained garbanzo beans (ceci beans).

 

You can see lots of photos and graphics of nopales (showing both the pads and the fruit) by clicking HERE. You can also read

a very interesting online article about using the pads and fruit of the nopal as food by clicking HERE.

 

 

 Illya's FoodBridges:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love Asian food, especially spicy Thai curry

my mother's pies

pizza and pasta

a well-made sandwich

 

 

 

 

 

 

TITUS' special mah mee in flat wok pan.

 

 

Cut up a variety of vegetables into thin sticks. The more colorful, the better!

Prepare noodles - flat egg noodles are best

Scramble eggs, adding pressed garlic when almost finished

Cook meat (can be a variety mixed together) spiced with soya sauce in a bit of hot oil

Remove meat and clean pan quickly with paper towel

Add more oil and heat.

Add vegetables and cook. When they are almost done, add meat and spice with soya sauce and ginger.

Add noodles and mix well.

 

Serve on plate, sprinkling scrambled egg on top.

 

Variations- lots of garlic, any Asien-type spices, any kind of noodle left in the cupboard!

 

 

My children's favorite fast lunch- BLTs

 

toast 2 pieces of bread

Cook bacon until crunchy

Slice tomatoes and wash lettuce leaves.

 

Spread mayonaise on the toasted bread, add bacon, tomato slices and a leaf of lettuce.

Cover with the other slice of bread.

Now what could BLT mean???

 

Polenta Pizza - simple to make and yummy!

 

 

Stir up some course polenta (corn meal) and then pour it into a pizza or pie tin (make sure it is greased or lined with baking paper)

Let it sit and harden

Then add a tomato sauce, veggies and top it with cheese.

Put it in the medium hot stove for about 15 minutes.

 

 

 

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Erika's FoodBridges:

 

 

 

 

When I joined the show, I metioned a delicious brazilian dish called "Pamonha". It is a paste made from corn and milk, boiled wrapped in corn husk. It can be sweet or savoury - with pieces of cheese in it. Families in Brazil, mostly from the farm, normally get together to make it.  We eat pamonha right after is cooked, when is fresh and still hot.