Archive for July, 2009
By Matthew Goudge
If you have once tried a poach tofu, a Bombay seasoned king prawn or a crab cake, Atlantic salmon and NZ oyster, then you have tried fusion food. Basically, fusion cooking combines traditional cuisines with other regional cuisines in order to create interesting dishes. Usually, you will see restaurants offering mixed cuisine dishes in urban or metropolitan areas. This style of cooking has become famous in many countries, but it is notably popular in the United States. This is not actually surprising considering how culturally diverse people are in the United States.
Different Types of Fusion Food
Fusion cooking can never be boring. There will always be something interesting that will come out of mixing ingredients together. A typical fusion food is usually a combination of European and Asian dishes. This is basically referred to as Eurasian cuisine. Both regions have unique cultures. Some would say that it is impossible to combine the culinary cultures of these regions. Curiously, however, Eurasian foods seem to work well despite cultural diversity. In fact, amazingly delicious dishes have been created from combining dishes and ingredients from European and Asian cuisines.
There are many chefs who experiment largely with dishes from Asian regions. This is probably because it is easier to combine Pacific Asian recipes since their ingredients tend to merge well together.
Mixed cuisine cooking is so common that many people will not even bat an eyelash when served with a strange fusion food. Most of the time, these foods are mere experiments. Chefs can be successful at times, but they can also fail miserably in their attempts to create something different but good.
Fusion Food and Confused Food
Fusion cuisine basically combines various ingredients using different cooking techniques from several cultures in order to create delicious new dishes. Many people seriously doubt the wisdom of this cooking technique. They say that this only creates a seriously confused cuisine. Confusion can really happen though. After all, fusion cuisine is experimental. You need to be familiar with the ingredients to have an idea how a particular fusion food will come out. Otherwise, the ingredients will clash and you end up with a disastrous meal.
Therefore, it is very important that if you are going to try out this cooking technique, you should carefully research your ingredients first. You should know their tastes and textures. You need to practice restraint. You cannot just throw in various ingredients together without thinking of the possible outcome.
Creating Fusion Food
Many chefs have started to try out fusion cooking. This method is particularly popular among chefs who are looking for a way to make their mark in the culinary world. Classic dishes are over and done with. As a result, many culinary professionals have turned to fusion cuisines. Unfortunately, countless people have failed in their attempts as well. What they didn’t expect is that fusion cooking can be challenging. In fact, it is difficult. Knowing what ingredients go well with other ingredients can be tricky. You need to have a basic understanding of the effects of a particular ingredient to your dish. You also need to take into consideration your customers’ preferences. This can be difficult because food preferences vary. You may have to trust your gut on this one.
The Modern Fusion Food
Nowadays, fusion food is receiving more attention. People’s tastes are changing. They want to have a taste of the global cuisine, so they are more acceptable of exotic dishes. Of course, there are still people who criticize fusion cuisine. There are still some who cling to their prejudices against culinary innovation.
It cannot be denied that traditional and classic dishes are fully deserving of the applause. Still, there should always be allowances for innovations and culinary changes. Chefs should never allow themselves to get stuck in a rut cooking the same things for the rest of their professional lives.
Cooking is an art and it is something to be enjoyed. As artists, chefs need to constantly evolve. Those who understand this are experimenting with fusion cuisine. This is why it is fairly common to find fashion food recipes online. Many chefs who have great recipes are those who have firmly established an evaluation system. You need to create your own system, so that you will be able to generally gauge whether or not particular recipes will combine well.
You are meant to evolve in your profession. You need to constantly create new dishes for people’s discriminatory palates. A good way to do this is to embrace fusion food cooking. If you are lucky, you might discover the elusive ingredient and hit culinary jackpot.
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Pro Chef 360 - Created and maintained by the culinary minded Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Goudge |
By Subha Shankar
Food is an important part of daily life for Chinese people. Chinese not only enjoy eating but believe eating good food can bring harmony and closeness to the family and relationships.
Shopping daily for fresh food is essential for all Chinese cooking. Unlike the fast food society of the U.S., the Chinese select live seafood, fresh meats and seasonal fruits and vegetables from the local market to ensure freshness. This means swimming fish, snappy crabs, and squawking chickens. Even prepared foods such as dim sum or BBQ duck for to go orders must gleam, glisten, and steam as if just taken out of the oven.
Chinese people in general are not as concerned about nutrition as Western culture. They are more concerned with the food’s texture, flavor, color, and aroma. These are the crucial points for good Chinese cooking. Chinese daily meals consist of four food groups: grains, vegetables, fruit, and meat. Because of lactose intolerance, Chinese do not consume large amounts of dairy products. Instead, Chinese substitute these with soymilk and tofu, which also contain large amounts of protein and calcium. Vegetables, fruits, and meats are usually fresh. Some exceptions include preserved vegetables such as snow cabbage or mustard greens, preserved eggs, aka “thousand year old eggs” or salted and dried fish. Other exceptions include snack items such as beef jerky, cuttlefish jerky, sweet and sour preserved plums, or dehydrated mango slices.
Canned or frozen foods are seldom eaten. Western desserts such as cookies, cakes, pies, and ice cream are eaten only on special occasions such as birthdays and weddings. After dinner, families usually eat seasonal fruit as dessert. Chinese desserts such as red bean soup, sweet white lotus’s seed soup, or steam papaya soup are served every so often as a special treat on a hot summer’s night.
Ethnic Chinese cooking does not involve a lot of deep fried cooking. The reason most of the Chinese restaurants in America have deep-fried dishes such as sweet and sour pork, almond fried Chicken, and deep-fried shrimp is to promote business and to please western tastes. This clearly reflects why there are more overweight and high blood pressure concerns in Western culture than there are in Chinese culture.
Such an ethnic Chinese food mingled with Traditional Indian food can be enjoyed in Indo Munch Restaurant which is and Indian Chinese Fusion Cuisine.
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Representing http://www.indomunch.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Subha_Shankar |
Do you love to occasionally go out to experience fine dining? Do you love to throw dinner parties for your friends and loved ones? Do you find yourself serving and eating the same boring starters like prosciutto, finger sandwiches and canapes? Are you tired of eating conventional appetizers such as soups, vegetable salads and bread? Do you want to have new and delightful dishes that tantalize your taste buds as well as your eyes?
Today, more and more contemporary restaurants are offering fusion cuisine, a combination of two or more culinary traditions that bring out new and interesting dishes that is sure to whet your adventurous palate. And one of the fusion cuisine that is becoming popular is the Chitalian culinary art style that is a mixture of Chinese and Italian ingredients and cooking techniques.
One of the Chitalian dishes that is a must-try is the Wonton Ravioli, which provides a new twist in starters, as it brings about new dimension in flavors. At the same time, it is low-cal that is sure to capture the hearts of those who are calorie-conscious. It is very easy to prepare and the ingredients can easily be bought from any supermarket or grocery store.
Here is a recipe of the Wonton Ravioli that you can surely try at home.
Ingredients
For the ravioli:
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans
1 egg
3 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 teaspoons Italian seasoning (recommended: McCormick)
24 wonton wrappers (recommended: Dynasty)
For the sauce:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
2 tablespoons capers
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (recommended: McCormick)
1 tablespoon freshly minced parsley leaves
Salt
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Directions
For the Ravioli:
In a blender, puree together the beans, egg, vinaigrette, cheese, and Italian seasoning; set aside.
Working in batches, so the wrappers don’t dry out, lay out 6 to 8 wonton wrappers. Place 1/2 tablespoon of bean mixture in the center of each. Moisten 2 connecting edges of the wonton wrapper with your finger dipped in water.
Fold wrapper in half to form a triangle. Press edges together to seal. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers and filling.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a low boil.
For the sauce:
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until it begins to brown and have a nutty aroma. Turn off heat and stir in capers and Italian seasoning.
Working in batches, cook ravioli in boiling salted water until just tender, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer ravioli to hot butter sauce. Add parsley to pan. Use a spoon to coat ravioli with sauce. Transfer to plates and add salt.
Serve immediately garnished with grated Parmesan.
Now that you know how to prepare Wonton Ravioli, why not serve it on your next dinner party? Your guests are sure to love it as it brings about a new level of dining experience as well as their overall enjoyment of your party.
For many years, fast food chains have made burgers, fries and shakes as menu staples of these establishments everywhere in the world and people across regions have learned to like these types of food however different they may be to their native dishes. But now, gone were the days where restaurants just stick to what they usually serve as more and more people are looking for variety as well as that new yet familiar taste that they have grown accustomed to with their local food.
So, in the Asian region, alone, restaurants like Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), which originally serves American cuisine, have revamped its menu by introducing new dishes that would hopefully capture the target local customers. KFC decided to expand its menu that combined Western Cuisine with Eastern influences in order to not just provide more food choices but also adapt to the local palate. Thus, this quirky and innovative restaurant has strengthened the establishment of a new trend in fusion cuisine, which is called Chitalian culinary art style. This new kind of fusion cuisine combines Chinese and Italian ingredients as well as cooking preparation techniques to come up with new, healthy and sumptuous dishes.
Now, one of the dishes this famous fast food chain has introduced recently to the Asian market is the Kung Pao Chicken Pasta, a blend of sweet and spicy chicken strips heaped over the oh-so traditional spaghetti noodles. And ever since its inclusion in the menu offering, it has received mixed reviews from customers. After tasting this new dish, some customers said that the Kung Pao Chicken Pasta is a terrific blend of sweetness and spiciness in the chicken. Meanwhile, other consumers said that it does not provide value-for-money quality that they are looking for as the serving was too small for them. In addition, there was even one customer who said that he preferred the peanuts on the dish to be crushed and not whole.
If you find yourself stuck home alone and you don’t have enough cash to buy KFC Kung Pao Chicken Pasta, you can surely try this easy recipe on your own.
Kung Pao Chicken Pasta
*Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
2 Chicken breasts, de-boned and cut into strips
400 Grams (14 oz) spaghetti noodles
2 Tbsp white wine
2 Tbsp Soy sauce
2 Tbsp olive or palm oil
2 Tbsp cornstarch or flour, dissolved in 2 tbsp water
2 Tbsp chili paste
1 Tsp vinegar
2 Tbsp refined sugar
4 Onion shoots, chopped
1 Tbsp garlic, chopped
½ Cup peanuts, chopped
Directions
Boil water with salt in a pot. Put spaghetti noodles in the pot and cook until the noodles are firm but not hard. Drain the water and set the noodles aside to cool off.
For the marinade, mix together the white wine, soy sauce, olive or palm oil and the cornstarch or flour mixture in a bowl. Then, put the chicken on the bowl and mix well. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for one hour for the chicken to absorb the marinade completely.
For the sauce, mix together the rest of the white wine, soy sauce, olive or palm oil, cornstarch or flour mixture, chili paste, vinegar and refined sugar in a bowl. Then, put the chopped onion shoots, chopped garlic and peanuts on the bowl and mix well. Put the mixture on a sauce pan and heat it up until fragrant.
While the sauce is simmering, get the chicken off the marinade and saute it in a pan until the meat turns white. Then, combine the sauce with the chicken and simmer until the sauce is thick enough.
Place the chicken with the sauce on the pasta. Toss and mix well.
Regardless of the differing views that the local market has regarding KFC Kung Pao Chicken Pasta, this restaurant would still continue to introduce new and innovative dishes for many years to come.
Shanghai Cuisine is popularly known for marinading chicken and fish, for instance, with wine or spirits and then, the meat is thoroughly cooked or it is eaten raw. In addition, salted meats and preserved vegetables are often utilized as additional ingredients in order to render spiciness to the dish.
Moreover, sugar is commonly used in Shanghainese cooking and often, soy sauce is used along with sugar in order to infuse and emphasize the sweetness to the dish.
And then, incorporating the spiciness, sweetness and alcohol infusion that the Shanghainese cuisine is known for and mixing it up with Italian ingredients such as pasta as well as with the Italian cooking techniques, this brings in new flavors and sensations that contribute to the popularity of Chitalian cuisine.
In different countries around the world, people differentiate themselves in many aspects such as culture or way of life and even in the ingredients as well as the way they cook food is influenced by the regions where they live in. And because of the varying preferences that people have in various locations, restaurants, for instance, see to it that the food in their menu adapt to how people in that particular area like their food. For example, the American fastfood chain Kentucky Fried Chicken has introduced Kung Pao Chicken Pasta in Asian countries, which is a fusion between the Italian spaghetti and the Chinese-originated spicy and sweet Chicken with nuts. Another example is MacDonald’s that offers spicy chicken burgers as well as burger steak meals as part of its menu lineup, which are not offered in Western countries.
Because of the difference that food is served in a way that would suit the taste and preferences of different people in different regions, a new, way of cooking food has been introduced and this is what is called fusion cuisine, which has originated in Europe and has been around since the 1970’s, particularly in France. Usually, the two cuisines that are most often mixed together to form unique dishes are Asian and European where they combine European ingredients with Asian style of cooking. And due to the popularity of fusion cuisine, it has spread in other countries such as the United States.
For instance, two of the most popular cuisines that have been mixed together to form unusual yet tasty dishes are Chinese and Italian. And due to this union of two excellent cuisines, a new word has been coined to describe this unique way of cooking and this is what is called Chitalian cuisine.
Basically, in Chitalian cuisine, it mixes Asian-inspired ingredients with Italian pasta to introduce new noodle dishes. Here is an example of a Chitalian pasta recipe, which is the Schezuan spicy spaghetti that definitely gives a fresh, new twist to serving pasta.
Schezuan Spicy Spaghetti
*Makes four servings
Ingredients
2 Chicken breasts, poached, de-boned and cut into thin strips
400 Grams spaghetti noodles
2 Cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 Onion, peeled and chopped
2 Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
¼ Pound coriander leaves, chopped
2 Tsp chili paste
4 Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
1 Tsp salt
Directions
1. Boil water with salt in a pot. Put spaghetti noodles in the pot and cook until the noodles are firm but not hard. Drain the water and set the noodles aside to cool off.
2. Heat olive or vegetable oil in a pan. And then, add garlic and onion and saute until the onion is clear.
3. Add chicken, tomato, coriander and chili paste into the pan and stir once in a while. Cook for 10 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and put the contents on top of the noodles. Toss and mix the noodles with the mixture.
Now that you know that Chitalian cuisine offers a unique blend of ingredients and cooking methods that has resulted in new, sumptuous dishes, why don’t you try it and find out?
