Fusion Cooking at its Best - Lets have fun! Please share your ideas

Hello Friends

i am trying to find topics that we didn't have so far and i think this one could be new...

We can have lots of fun with new ideas, stories, recipes and our usual chat!

I am sure we all have mixed different cuisines or typical ingredients and created something delicous new  - especially in usa and canada where so many cultures mix, people have to substitute "the old country" ingredients  with somethign similar - we find fusion cooking at its best ....

Please feel free to post and join our conversation - we are happy to meet new people!

 Twinkle

Fusion Cooking

Fusion cooking is a relatively new description of a method of cooking that
has been around for thousands of years. You can see Fusion cooking in action on
the "Iron Chef" TV show,  where chefs compete with each other using a secret
ingredient and come up with many ethnic variations of  the same ingredient.  As
people leave their cultural homeland and venture to live in a different land or
cultural environment,  they long for the food from their native land.  More often than
not,  the ingredients,  spices and cooking methods are not always available.

Fusion cooking is using the old familiar recipes and changing the spices,  even
main ingredients and cooking methods to come up with a very similar dish which
may taste similar or look similar to the original ethic dish.

 will give an example of what I mean.  In Louisiana,  a favorite dish is Gumbo.  It is
basically a roux with the trinity (green bell pepper,  celery, & onions) some
Andouille Sausage,  with shrimp,  chicken or crab and okra file powder is sprinkled
on as a condiment and thickening vehicle.

This dish is equally delicious with a roux,  the trinity,  sauerkraut, diced potatoes,
linquica,  clams,  or calamari rings.  The file powder can be used in the same way
it is used in the Louisiana gumbo.  The dish tastes similar but has a completely
different signature.

Another example would be Shish Kebab in the Middle Eastern Countries.  The dish
is cubed lamb with peppers and onions on a skewer cooked over and open fire.
Here in the U.S.A.  shish kebabs have for many years utilized chicken,  beef,
mushrooms,  tomatoes,  fish, and pork.  Usually cooked on the Barbecue or under
the broiler.  It is rare to see pork on any menu in the Middle East.  Middle
Easterners use cumin and garlic and mint to season,  whereas it might be hickory
barbecue sauce in the U.S.A.

The Nori roll of Japanese sushi fame in the U.S.A. is filled with avocado and shrimp
and is called a California roll.  Amazingly you can get this dish in Tokyo,  and they
import the avocados from the United States.

Another example of the long history of Fusion Cooking is the meat pie.  Every
country in the World has a meat pie,  and it is noticeably different from one country
to the next.  Be it the type of meat or vegetable ingredients,  or the spices.  every
country's meat pie has unique texture and flavor.

Fusion cooking is nothing special and I recommend it to all home cooks.  The
secret to good cooking is to use the freshest ingredients available and ingredients
that are at their peak of maturity and taste.  Use other spices than usually called for
if need be,  but go with a light hand until it tastes right to you.  No two cooks using
the same recipe will ever come up with the same taste.  I was told at a young age,
that the major flavor of a dish comes from the cooks hands.  That is of course
unless you get your food from a fast food joint where the cooks hands are wrapped
in clear plastic gloves.  There it seems,  everything tastes the same.

Source: The gutsy gourmet

Good morning to all of you.

Twinkle, thank you for starting a new thread. It will be vry interesting what recipes we will find.

It is 3:00 am here and I just can't sleep. I guess I went to bed with the thought of getting up that early to see Federer and Venus Williams playing in the Australia open. Federer is beating the sh.... out of Hartfield. Venus will be on later.  I will be so tired this afternoon that I probably need a nap.

Wishing everyone a nice day

Bis spaeter

Erna

Fusion Wrap Recipe:

3 sliced, cooked chicken breasts
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese (room temp).
2 Tablespoons Ranch dressing
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 12-inch tortillas, pitas, naan or other flatbread
4 cups Romaine and Chinese lettuce(or Bok Choy)
3 sliced plum tomatoes
1 cup sliced Shitake mushrooms

Mix mustard, dressing and cream cheese. Spread flavored cream cheese mixture over flatbread . Spread the lettuce over the cheese layer.

Place sliced tomatoes, chicken and mushrooms across one end and roll it up like sushi. Wrap the wrap tightly in waxed paper, folding over the ends, then cut in half.

This makes 8 half sandwiches, enough to for an entire family on the run. Just make sure everyone has a half sandwich in each hand as they race for the door. ;)

Salmon with Garlic Sauce - A recipe from "Talesai", West Hollywood

In this elegant but simple dish, chef-restaurateur Prakas Yenbamroong has intelligently combined the soy sauce of his native Far East, the use of garlic traditional to the Mediterranean and the much beloved Pacific coast grilled salmon fillets.

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
1 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 kilo fresh asparagus, trimmed so that they are about 12 cm long
1/4 kilo broccoli, cut into flowerettes
two fresh salmon fillets, each about 1/4 kilo, skinned

In a small skillet heat 1 1/2 tsp. of the oil over a moderate heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until light brown (about 2 minutes). Reduce the heat to low and add the white peper, sugar and soy sauce; cook the mixture, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a steamer over boiling water steam the asparagus and broccoli until bright green and tender (about 2 minutes). Drain and cover to keep warm.

Preheat the grill. Place the salmon on a broiler pan and brush with the remaining 11/2 Tbsp. of oil. Grill the salmon on one side only until brown and crusty on the outside and slightly translucent in the center (4 - 5 minutes). Place the grilled salmon on preheated dinner plates and top with the garlic sauce. Serve with the warm asparagus and broccoli. (Serves 2).

Hi Twinkle - great new topic.  Got a laugh at the author "Gutsy," Hmmm, methinks we're all trying to work off a little of our "guts," the ones around the waistline in my case, lol.

Erna, those recipes sound so good - I love wrap sandwiches especially.  Hope you'll get to see your tennis games and maybe get a nap.  Tennis, a great sport - I used to play, but never had a partner.  So I'd go to the courts and find a "practice wall" where you could bat the ball by yourself.  Jimminy, I got asked to join alot of other single players, and it didn't hurt alot of them were cute guys!

My "secret" ingredient is using prepared Horseradish in any meatloaf I make.  About 1/2 tsp. per pound of meat.  If my guys knew it was in there, they probably wouldn't eat it.  You can't taste it per se, but it gives an excellent zip. 

I also make mashed potatoes with one sweet potato included.  Much more tasty and really pretty.  This was DH's invention; he's probably the best fusion cook.  Whatever's around, he can make something tasty, never uses a recipe, though he loves cooking magazines.  I'm a boring recipe cook, lol.  lydia

Lydia - I love the idea of adding prepared horseradish.  I can imagine that adding a lot to many things.  I also like the idea of a sweet potato in the mashed white.  Sounds like it would add a nice unexpected flavor.

Erna - thanks for the recipes, those wraps do sound yummy.

Twinkle - thanks for the new topic.  I have never heard the phrase "fusion cooking" before, so I was happy to see you included an explanation.

Maybe it is just me, but doesn't it seem like men are more experimental cooks than many women?  Do you suppose that is because men cook for fun and women cook to feed their families?

I personally am not very experimental.  When I try something new, I follow the recipe verbatim - almost.  Almost any main dish I add garlic to because I love garlic, and I find many recipes to be quite bland.  Once I have tried them, then I start making changes to them to suit my own and my DH's taste.

One ingredient I add to many dishes is V-8 juice.  Pretty much anything I make with a tomato based sauce is going to have some V-8 added.  I can't stand the stuff to drink, but I find it adds a little something to sauces.

Another surprise ingredient is Catalina Salad Dressing - that goes in things like baked beans and BBQ sauce.

OT - please will you send your prayers for my dfil who was admitted to the hospital Sunday night with tachycardia.  He is doing much better, but is still in the hospital for tests to find the cause.

hello ladies

erna thanks so much for the recipes!!

I used to enjoy tennis a lot when i was a teenager and i played myself. Lydia my first date was supposed to be after a tennis match in the club house - but my stupid sister had to blab to my dad and he picked me up before i had a chance to even tell that boy i had to go -lol

picasso you are absolutly right about men and cooking - but also a tight budget or being in a different country can make you pretty creative -lol

I often mix asian influences into dishes or give german food an italian influence.... i have recently also joined a very popular german recipe board and i see a huge change in cooking with all the influences from all around the worl  - we have a very interstng kitchen nowadays and i am open for changes. My german grandpa had big problems accepting other then german food my grandma was complety different she was curious and tried everything new.. But i have to agree when i watch tv chefs i can see the male ones are very creative and have fantastic ideas - the women are very good too but not as imaginative as men - go figure - if you talk to men and try to discuss things you think they have no imagination at all -lol

i will look for some recipe -twinkle

Green Tea Custard

While custard itself is a “guilty pleasure,” made with egg yolks, cream and sugar, here’s a Japanese-Western fusion recipe that ameliorates the situation a bit with a healthy dose of antioxidants. Green tea is infused and mixed into the custard base, along with antioxidant-heavy blueberries (or other fruit, as desired).  You can purchase dried blueberries from Stoneridge Orchards.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons whole leaf green tea

• 8 egg yolks

• 1 pint light cream

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped

• 1/2 cup dried blueberries or cranberries, finely chopped

• Fresh blueberries in season, raspberries or other garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Steep tea in 2 tablespoons of 170°F water for 3 minutes (boil water and let cool; measure temperature with a candy thermometer).

2. In a large, heatproof bowl, beat the sugar and egg yolks until the mixture is pale yellow in color and all of the sugar has dissolved; then add the tea.

3. Heat the cream with the vanilla bean in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Then add about a 1/2 cup of the cream mixture into the egg mixture to temper, and whisk vigorously to incorporate well. Add the remainder of the cream mixture to the bowl and whisk vigorously to incorporate.

4. Strain the mixture through a mesh sieve to remove the vanilla bean, stir in chopped fruit and pour into 4 custard cups, ramekins or other ovenproof dishes.

5. Bake in a bain-marie* in the middle rack of the oven for 25 minutes. Remove the cups and let cool, then chill for 2 hours or longer.
6. Garnish with fresh fruit.

Bavarian Wild Berry Cosmopolitan

Ingredients

• 1 cup boiling water
  
• 3 Lipton Pyramid Bavarian Wild Berry tea bags
  
• 2 tablespoons sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice
  
• 2 tablespoons vodka
  
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
  
• 1 tablespoon orange liqueur

Preparation
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Chill Time: 1 hour

Pour boiling water over pyramid tea bags, cover and brew 5 minutes. Remove pyramid tea bags, then stir in sugar; chill.

In shaker filled with ice, combine tea with remaining ingredients. Shake well, then strain into chilled martini glasses. Garnish, if desired, with a lime curl and blackberries.

Banana Hazelnut Empanadas

Description
A recipe for Banana Hazelnut Empanadas

Ingredients

• 1 large, ripe banana, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
  
• 1 cup Nutella hazelnut spread
  
• 2 refrigerated 9-inch pie crusts or favorite from-scratch pie dough (enough for 2 pie crusts, 9-inches each)
  
• 2 tablespoons water (for brushing)
  
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  
• Cinnamon ice cream or whipped cream, for serving, optional

Preparation
In small bowl, mix banana and hazelnut spread until combined. (It will thicken and become stiff.) Set aside.

Divide dough in half. Roll out each half to a 14-by- 8-inch rectangle, 1/4-inch thick. Using square or round 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out 8 pieces per half. Place 1 heaping teaspoon Nutella-banana mixture on each dough cutout. Brush outer perimeter with water and fold dough to make a closed pocket. Pinch edges together with fork. Brush with water and sprinkle with sugar. Freeze on parchment paper or foil-lined baking sheets for at least 15 minutes. (The empanadas can be made up to this point and frozen for 3 months.) Bake empanadas until golden, about 20 minutes. Serve warm with cinnamon ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Caribbean Taco Salad

Description
A recipe for Caribbean Taco Salad

Ingredients

• Shells:
  
• 4 10-inch whole wheat flour tortillas
  
• Olive oil cooking spray
  
• Salad:
  
• 1 20-ounce package Lean Ground Turkey
  
• 1 1.25-ounce package reduced-sodium taco seasoning mix
  
• 2 tablespoons water
  
• 1 mango, peeled, pitted and chopped (about 1 cup)
  
• 3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
  
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
  
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
  
• 1 teaspoon grated lime peel
  
• 2 cups firmly packed spinach leaves

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°F. Invert four, 10-ounce custard cups onto 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan. Spray outside of cups and one side of each tortilla with cooking spray. Place tortillas, oiled side up, over cups. Bake 4 to 6 minutes or until lightly browned. In medium skillet, brown turkey until no longer pink and cooked through. Add taco seasoning mix and water. Cook over low heat 3 to 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir together the mango, bell pepper, green onion, cilantro and lime peel to make salsa. Place taco shells on serving plates. Divide spinach leaves evenly into shells. Top with cooked turkey and salsa.

Nutrition
Nutrients per serving: 300 calories, 25 calories from fat, 2.5g total fat, 1g saturated fat; 55 mg cholesterol; 740mg sodium, 35g total carbohydrate; 3g dietary fiber, 6g sugars, 37g protein.

Serves
Serves: 4

Hello everyone!

Twinkle- good topic! I'll have to sit down and think about what I might fix that is fusion cooking!

Picasso-hope your dfil is doing better!

Waving to everyone else! Dh is wanting on the computer so have to go!

Later Jet 

Twinkle,thanks for starting a new thread. I heard the word Fusion cooking,but I never paid any attention to it.

Erna,my DD lives across the Yale U. sportsfield. Every year they are having some nationel or international cup.Since people are parking in front of their house,they always get free tickets to the games. The players you mentioned were in the game. 

Lydia, I add horseradish to many meat dishes and the red beet salad needs it. The mashed fushion potatoes sound good. But I have to think about the Crispy Duck. I have to get some soon,since you mentioned it.I am dreaming about it.

Jet, we have wonderful sunshine,but it is cold outside! I don't know when,but we will get snow.Many times it goes north-east and just misses us. 

Renate 

 Picasso,thanks for your advice.  Sometimes I use California dressind on my rice or noodles,when I don't have a sauce. I am the same, I hardly change a recipe and I don't invent I knew one. Once in a while,when I don't have and ingredient at home,I substitute.

Renate 

Hi Renate! Its cold and sunny here too.....what little snow we had all melted, but there is still puddles of ice....I think we might get some snow Thursday, and again sometime next week....

I like to stay in with a good book and hot tea on days like this!

Stay warm! Jet