World Cuisine: Indian Food - Myth or Fact

Do you like Indian food? I do! Although must admit, had to acquire a taste for it. My first time trying a so-called authentic Indian dish was at one of those American mall-type food courts, where there are all kinds of restaurants for you to choose from. That probably wasn't the best place for me to get my first taste. Was taken aback by some sort of flavor or spice that my palette was clearly not expecting. It threw me off!

Later on, when cooking channels became so popular on television, started learning how to prepare Indian dishes. There was the one lady who referred to herself as a “spice goddess”.  Because really it comes to cooking, Indians do know their spices.  No argument.  Her recipes always seemed so simple, easy to prepare, and she explained the herbs and spices she used for flavoring and showed you how to incorporate them into the recipes.  Crush these seeds.  Warm this spice in the pan.  Sprinkle these herbs.  Decided to try Indian food again and was very pleased with the tasting tests.

Below is a link to a blog post that eliminates common myths about Indian food. Didn't know there were myths but good to know they can be ignored. What were some of the myths?

• All Indian food is spicy.
• All Indian food is vegetarian.
• All Indian food is overloaded with curry.

Discover the Truth behind the Indian Food Myths

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Content first published Mar 21, 2015 via Persona Paper

5 Things You Thought You Knew about Indian Food

5 Things You Thought You Knew about Indian Food

By Petrina Verma Sarkar Come on, be honest. What are the first things that come to your mind when you think of Indian food? Hot, spicy, oily, rich, fatty, bad for you, difficult and time-consuming to cook, curry powder....

15 Interesting Facts Related To Indian Food You Should Know

15 Interesting Facts Related To Indian Food You Should Know

Facts that will blow your taste buds

20 unbelievable facts about Indian food

20 unbelievable facts about Indian food

Before it turned into an art that involved culinary expertise, food in India was about rasas and doshas. Taste or rasa in Sanskrit guides the tongue and it is a balance or misbalance of these rasas that cause or correct the doashas in body.

Known and unknown facts about Indian cooking

Known and unknown facts about Indian cooking

It is about experimenting with different spices and ingredients and to come up with your own secret recipes. Then just go for it, Visit Masala Fry! Enjoy!

Indian ladies: glitter-graphics.com

Humorous Food Quotes

Sharing a full ladle of laughter with a "hint of profound truth".  Enjoy! 

– Sucre Spice All Things Nice

“Preserve and treat food as you would your body, remembering that in time food will be your body.” — B.W. Richardson

 

Especially if dessert is cheesecake! :)

 Shari's Berries - Dipped Cheesecake Trio

 

“People who love to eat are always the best people.” — Julia Child

“The two biggest sellers in bookstores are the cookbooks and the diet books. The cookbooks tell you how to prepare the food and the diet books tell you how not to eat any of it.” — Andy Rooney

 

“Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti.” — Sophia Loren

 

• NOTE: This grouping of Humorous Food Quotes (Full ladle of laughter with a hint of “profound truth”.) was first shared on my Wizzley page: Better Homes and Gardens Entertaining With Ease

Cool Foodies and Food Lovers Celebrating Their “Firsts” on Twitter

Happy Friday! (It's FoodieFriday!)  Always searching for like-minded food lovers and found people celebrating their “firsts”. First food blog post. The first food article was accepted at a major site. Etc. Here are their tweets. Interesting variation. French food; Health / Energy Food tips; Asian food; Vegan recipes; and Food Photography. 

(NOTE:  Shared posts were dated 2016. UPDATED LINKS 2024.)

Wish them continued success!

My first post was published on The Huffington Post :)
— Karen Wojciechowski (@RealEnergyFood)

if y'all like asian food then you should go check out my blog! my first post is up ayyyy
— varanica (@vkhy) October 7, 2016

Started a new blog on a whim about food, obviously. Checkout my first post on how to make #vegan #glutenfree cookies https://t.co/jfb7KefyHN

— Delia (@delialoveless) September 15, 2016

First Food Experiences : My Sadya Meal (Travels in India)

My first post on #Experiences, celebrating #Onam Sadya today..#Travel #Food #India https://t.co/Ebfps0jSZv pic.twitter.com/REkYKI3Fbd

— Nisha (@finenish) September 14, 2016

5 Tips For Capturing Dark And Moody Food Photography

I quietly started providing food photography tips. First attempt to help people learn through food... first post! https://t.co/B2TQW7cUrp

— rouk (@beyondtheeats) September 14, 2016

Related articles:

• What the World's Healthiest Diets Have in Common(huffingtonpost.com)
• What to Cook: Dessert for Dinner and Other Recipes(nytimes.com)

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Food Blog Spotlight : A Fall Neapolitan Style Dinner | jovinacooksitalian (Reblog)

Have you ever found a food blogger or food blog that is undeniably magnificent? Several years back I came across this woman's blog and am so happy to find that it is still being published. Her posts not only have great recipes but great food history too!


This one that is being shared as a reblog is perfect because it's for the fall season and it's about Italy, one of those places on my bucket list of "Places to Visit".  Will likely never realize that dream but dreaming about it is a wonderful thing.

Dream Italian?  Think Italian.  Be Italian!

The post begins by giving the reader a quick history of Neopolitan cuisine.  Neopolitan is a cuisine?  Only ever knew it to be a flavor for ice-cream!  In 3 short paragraphs, she took me from ancient Greece and Rome to modern-day Italy and the United States.  Then she set forth an entire Neopolitan dinner, recipes and all, from the first course to the dessert.  Of course, I skipped the courses and went straight to the dessert.  But that's just me!  :)


This blog post is dated 2013.  Liked it then.  Like it now!  The image from her post is an Italian Apple cake.  Isn't it gorgeous?!!

 

A Fall Neapolitan Style Dinner | jovinacooksitalian

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Celebrate National Apple Month in October  (or any month! 🍏)

October is National Pizza Month ~ Let's Celebrate!

October is National Pizza Month. Let's start the celebration with these fun pizza facts.

- - "The longest pizza delivery was from Cape Town, South Africa to Sydney, Australia."

- - "Scientists report that eating pizza once a week can reduce the risk of esophageal cancer. It's the tomatoes and olive oil in the pizza."

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Foodie Friday : Pesto Around the World

Going to take aim at pesto for my foodie Friday topic.  Another wonderful delight for enlivening salads, adorning sandwiches, dressing pasta … you name it! Always sing the praises of salsa. This time, doing a song and dance routine for pesto.

Hear the word pesto and one usually always thinks Italian. Right? But different cultures have their own version of pesto. Africa. Mexico. Australia. This link is an awesome foodie find! Not only does it tell you the main ingredients in everybody's version but it introduced me to a new word. “Permaculture”.

Preserving With Pesto – It’s Not Rocket Science

Preserving With Pesto - It's Not Rocket Science

Wheatgrass Pesto Recipe | inSpiral

Wheatgrass Pesto Recipe | inSpiral

Here is a quick recipe for Raw Wheatgrass Pesto, using our premium, organic, raw super food powder. This will m ake your taste buds go wild! Adds a good dose of vitality to any diet. Made in a blender there is virtually any preparation to do! Just the way we like it!

Mexican Pesto Recipe by emilie_ 1 - Key Ingredient

Thai Basil Pesto

Thai Basil Pesto

This one's for my Thai lovers. But before I even start talking Thai basil pesto, I feel moved to have a little rant about how much I love Thai food. It's like an instant exotic vacation right in my kitchen.

Raw Macadamia Pesto | Vegan Semi-Dried Tomato Pesto | The Blender Girl

Raw Macadamia Pesto | Vegan Semi-Dried Tomato Pesto | The Blender Girl

This raw vegan semi-dried tomato and macadamia pesto is super easy and seriously delicious. Just throw everything into your food processor.

African Blue Basil and Lavender Pesto

African Blue Basil and Lavender Pesto

Combine all ingredients, except cheese, in bowl of food processor. Process, adding additional oil or water, until desired consistency is reached. Stir in cheese. Use immediately or store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. (Tip: pesto can also be frozen in ice cube trays.)

Chimichurri Pesto Sauce - Culinary Envy

Chimichurri Pesto Sauce - Culinary Envy

Chimichurri Pesto Sauce combines Italian parsley, cilantro and basil with jalapeño and parmesan cheese. It is vibrant, nutty and tangy. Perfect for pasta. I will never forget the first time I tried Chimichurri Sauce. It was at my incredibly talented friend Bibi's home. She had me over for dinner and prepared the most mouth-watering steak.

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Content first appeared at Persona Paper on July 27, 2015.


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To Beet or Not to Beet? is No Longer the Question

So here's my sad childhood story. Beets! Growing up, in my house the only person that ever ate beets was my late mother. The thing is … she didn't even try to encourage me or tempt me to taste them. No! SHE JUST ATE THEM ALL! As a kid, there was nothing appealing or appetizing about them. So … like broccoli and figs and other wonderful foods that looked questionable through a child's eyes … I just didn't eat them! Wasn't even curious.

In my adult years, forty-plus years ago, I met my husband. Would you believe it? He tells me a similar childhood story, except that both his mom and his dad ate beets. Beets and beets and beets. They just couldn't get enough of em!

Come to find out … beets are good for you! WHAT???!!

Why would our parents keep that a secret? We don't know! So they could have more for themselves?? Seems the only logical explanation!

Nevertheless, we love our parents and thank them for all of the other meaningful secrets of life that they did reveal to us. We'll overlook the best-kept beet secret.  :)

Anyway! …. Now that we've learned “the rest of the story”, the question of “To beet or not to beet?” has been answered. We just need to figure out a way to incorporate this awesomely nutritious superfood into our diet.

Found a treasure trove of beet recipes at Flipboard, a site where I am experimenting with publishing my own food magazine. (The magazine is called MyI Like Eating Channel.)

Sharing a few recipes from the Flipboard collection that look like they might be very tasty. However, the first share below was actually found elsewhere on the web. It's about beet juice. Did you know that it's drink of champions? Well it is!

As a parent myself, I know that no matter how good veggies may be, it's sometimes hard to get your kids (or yourself) to eat them! Thank the Lord for juice and juicers! Sometimes folks who won't EAT their veggies, don't have too much of a problem with DRINKING their veggies. 

• Beetroot Juice: The Drink Of Champions 
• Golden Beet and Pomegranate Salad Recipe
• Smoky Beet Hummus
• Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Beets and Siracha Dressing
• 38 Beet Recipes for Roasting, Frying and More Recipe

Beet Orange Salad with Honey Vinaigrette

Where to find more Beets on Flipboard

Oven-Baked Summer Squash Fries (Should Be in Your Winter Recipes)

Summer squash has a strong resemblance, in flavor and texture, to a zucchini. You can, in fact, substitute zucchini in this recipe, but it will probably bake a bit more quickly.

Not sure what the weather is like where you are.  In my city (Austin, TX USA), it's confusingly balmy and breezy, occasionally rainy, comfortably warm with no need for a sweater, and sometimes chilly.  It's climatically perfect! ☺ 

My friends elsewhere around the USA and the world are still complaining that Old Man Winter has overstayed his welcome and refuses to leave!  This recipe is fabulous no matter what the season of the year is or what kind of weather you're experiencing.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:


1 medium summer squash
2 eggs
1 ½ cups breadcrumbs (try panko breadcrumbs for a crunchier texture)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon mustard powder
Salt and pepper
Olive oil


How to Make It:


Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease a large baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.


Cut your summer squash into wedges. Remove the seeds if they are quite large and set wedges aside.


Whisk the eggs in a dish and set aside.


In another dish, combine the breadcrumbs, paprika, mustard powder and salt and pepper.


Start by dipping the wedges, one by one, into the egg mixture and then the breadcrumb mixture. Place each wedge on the greased baking sheet. Continue until all the wedges are done.


You can bake the wedges as is for about 30-40 (until soft inside and golden brown on the outside) as is, but if you want a more golden texture, drizzle or spray some olive oil on top of the wedges. Flip halfway through baking.


Serve with ranch or another favorite dip.

There are many versions of oven-fried squash recipes?  Find more.

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This post was highlighted at the My Foodie Luv newsletter.

World Cuisine : The India-Africa Cooking Connection

For me, a hearty stew has always been the ultimate family-style comfort food. Prepare a big pot, fill the bowls for family, friends, and honored guests, break bread, and chow down!! (Keep reading and you'll get the "bread" and "chow" references.)  Such a meal can unite family and friends, make strangers feel welcome, and dare I say ... connect countries?  Hey!  Nothing wrong with wishful thinking and dreams of world peace.

Indians love curry; in fact that's where it originated. Africans like peanuts; it was a food used to feed the slaves because it was an excellent source of protein. These tidbits of info gleaned from researching world cuisine, global flavors, and food history.  When the Indians and the Africans combined their food loves ... the "mix" was WOW!  Let the links shared below explain the impact.  They lead to recipes that introduce your palette to the blending of the cultures of  India and Africa in every delicious mouthful.  Not just dishes that use curry and peanuts but meals with other flavorful cultural ingredients.  It's family food, it's comfort food, it's "all kinds of deliciousness" food!! ☺

Let's Go to South Africa for Some Indian Food

Experience the flavors of Indian food in South Africa.

Indian cuisine South Africa style blends Indian and African foods

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African cuisine reflects the amalgamation of hundreds of different cultures and groups that inhabit the continent. The local culinary traditions are a fusion and it can be seen in the choice of ingredients, method of preparation and cooking techniques.

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Foodie Friday : Improve Boxed Mac-n-Cheese. Is that possible?

Anybody who loves their macaroni and cheese would rather be thrown into a cage with starving lions than eat that boxed mac-n-cheese!! UUUGGG!!! YUK!!!

OK. Being tossed into a cage with starving lions is a bit of an exaggeration. But how many of you have ever had a choice between making your own macaroni and cheese or using the mac-n-cheese in a box and said: “Oh yes! Gimme that box stuff! I love it!”

Saw a headline (below) about “hacking your mac”.

• Hack your mac: 13 simple ways to make boxed mac and cheese even better

Well since it was in the food section, figured it wasn't about a Mac computer, so it had to be about macaroni!  13 ways to make boxed macaroni and cheese taste even better? Well!  Everybody has their own tastes, don't they?  In my humble opinion, speaking as a non-chef or non-official food person in any way, a newbie learning to cook might want to test these ways using the box.  If the end results pass muster, they can adapt some of these ideas and add a twist to a real tried and true homemade recipe.

My tried and true homemade recipe?

Prepare 1 lb of elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions

Pour drained macaroni into a casserole dish. While the pasta is still hot, mix in the following ingredients in this order.

• 1 lb of shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 stick of butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can of evaporated milk

Once all ingredients are thoroughly combined, sprinkle more shredded cheddar cheese on top. (As much as you want.)

Bake in a preheated oven to 350 degrees F., for about 30 minutes.

This is how my late mother taught me and was really surprised when watching TV chef Paula Deen's cooking show one day and noticed that she prepared hers the same way. (I varied my mom's recipe a little by adding in chopped onions and bell peppers.)

Other Mac-n-Cheese Variations

Foodie Friday : Experience the Joy of Salsa

This week's Foodie Friday focus is on salsa!

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La Salsa Speciale del Chef ~ https://bit.ly/3VCmXtO

There was once a time when the recipe for fresh salsa was simply diced tomatoes, onions, green bell peppers, lime juice, red pepper or a jalapeno pepper, salt to taste; cilantro, optional. I love salsa!  It's a great way to eat your veggies.  Several years back, I moved into a new neighborhood and was at the local grocery store. Walked down an aisle and on the shelves were bottles of every kind of salsa imaginable.

Some of them were made with sweet fruits like mangoes and peaches! Oh the wonder of it all! Had no idea salsa came in that many flavors. Gave me all kinds of foodie ideas. Sharing some recipes.. 

Why keep all these delicious delights to myself?

• 7 Delicious Salsa Recipes
• Black-Eyed Pea Salsa Recipe: How to Make It
• Cilantro Lime Grille Chicken with Strawberry Salsa (pic below)

Originally published at Persona Paper on Jul 3, 2015.

Sharing a bit of salsa heaven!  

Recipes found around the web.

Wild Beet Salad Company makes Wild Beet Salsa

Recipe: Roasted Pineapple Salsa (thekitchn .com)

#Recipe: Roasted Pineapple Salsa — Recipes from #TheKitchn https://t.co/uIFEtndKUY pic.twitter.com/0bJCHDwhDv

— Zesty Recipes (@zesty_recipes) May 2, 2016

Blackened Tomatillo Poblano Salsa With Habanero

#Cooking #Friends #recipes https://t.co/IsPd2kqIt7 Blackened Tomatillo Poblano #Salsa With Habanero pic.twitter.com/UKOT7zDxdy

— Recipes Prep (@recipesprep) November 30, 2016

17 Savory Salsa Recipes

Mango Pomegranate & Tender Coconut Salsa

Apple Salsa – Spicy, Fresh, Perfect for Fall

World Cuisine: Great Recipes from Around the World (and Texas)

In addition to this foodie blog, I have an affiliate marketing grocery and gourmet website specializes in herb and spices.  Though I am a contributor, my articles for HUBPages.com are not food-related but the Food and Cooking section of this website is loaded!!  So I shared some links here too.  Enjoy!

• List of Filipino Dishes

A handy reference list. Descriptive list of the different and popular dishes from the Philippines that every Filipino family has enjoyed cooking and serving on their dinner table.

• Best Jamaican Patties Recipe

A Taste of the Caribbean: Make Jamaican Patties for Supper!  This is a great recipe for authentic tasting Jamaican Patties; delicious golden pastry filled with curried beef and spices.

• Pacific Island Recipes – French Polynesia

Recipes from the indigenous peoples of French Polynesia and their Marquesas Islands.

• Top 10 Dishes in Australia

Brawn Loaf, Christmas Cake, Wattelseed Pavlova …

• Making Biltong – Make biltong the South African way

Biltong – A cured meat that originated from South Africa and often compared to the American jerky.

• Spice mixtures in East African Cuisine

East African cuisine is the food of countries such as Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda.

• Easy homemade tzatziki. A delicious yoghurt based dip

Greek Tzatziki is a great way to use cucumbers!

• Easy Korean Recipes

People often mix up oriental cuisines – they mix up Korean food with Chinese and Japanese. In reality, even though the Korean cuisine is partly influenced by Chinese and Japanese cooking, Korean food also has its very own unique taste and cooking techniques.

Quick and Easy Beef Kimbap Recipe

Quick and Easy Beef Kimbap Recipe

In my hub titled 5 Asian Dishes You Can Make at Home (link below), I mentioned my love for the beef kimbap (sometimes also called kimbob). A kimbap is basically the Korean version of the Sushi. It is a rice roll with some fillings wrapped in nori or dried seaweed wrap.

• Top Ten Best Texas Food Recipes and How to Cook Like a Texan

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Top Ten Best Texas Food Recipes and How to Cook Like a Texan

Top Ten Best Texas Food Recipes and How to Cook Like a Texan

Cooking like a Texas? This means you must at least know how to cook barbecue brisket and big bowls of thick, hot, hearty steamy chili con carne!

Related articles

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Taste of the Islands - TV Cooking Show on PBS

Finally! Singing the Hallelujah chorus. AGAIN!

This time all the rejoicing is because of a food TV show.

We relocated to Austin, Texas in 1998 and my mate's first observation about living in this land-locked part of the state was that the city was missing a good Bahamian restaurant or at least someplace that serves dishes that look like island food!

Once we got cable TV hooked up and got settled in, his next complaint was that the #food channels didn't have a good cooking show to teach people how to prepare common island meals.

In 2015, his prayer was finally answered.  Although the series did not last for very long.  But it was fun while it lasted!

Our public television station (PBS) airs a show called “Taste the Islands”. Chef Irie (real name Hugh Sinclair) lives in South Florida but is from Jamaica.

My mate is from The Bahamas.

Close enough!





 
We're both very happy.
For now.  :)

* * * * * * PBS – Celebrating Food & Cooking

Similar posts:

• Experiencing the Joy of Salsa
• Love Me Some Nachos!
• Indian Food – Myth or Fact

Taste of the Islands first published at Persona Paper, Jul 20, 2015.