Recipe ideas for someone new to the US?
I have a new friend who moved to the Midwest from Ecuador who is also living on her own for the first time. She's very interested in the US and wants to learn more about the melting pot that is American cuisine.
Have you had similar experiences introducing someone to American cuisine? Or are you living in a foreign country and immersing yourself in their foods?
What are some simple recipes and ideas I could give her? Maybe recipes for two that are easy and budget friendly?
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14 Comments:
If you have a favourite traditional recipe of your own, that might really be a good place to start. Whenever I go to a new country I track down traditional comfort foods, since they tell a good deal about the culture.
It might also be nice to show her the extent to which South American produce (including the potato, cacao) has penetrated US food culture, and overlaps that of North America (tomatoes, maize, peanuts); this would give both a sense of the familiar and the new.
Does she already have a fair amount of experience with cooking? Perhaps you could cook a few meals together?
mongoose at 10:27AM on 02/18/08
Ecuador is a smaller country, and with such countries I think their cuisine is still robust, energetic and self-promoted. So how to deal with that mindset (assuming I've got the right idea)?
Regional cuisine. Where does she live? Ah, the Midwest. Uh-oh. Perhaps BBQ, perhaps pan-USA stapes like potatoes, greens and American cuts of beef. Certainly shellfish.
Later, an introduction to overseas influences that have long informed American cuisine: Asian (marvelous variety), northern and southern European, heck, even Mongolian and other exotic cuisines.
Everyone likes to disown America for its Applebees and Red Lobsters (and the odious Outback), but a bit of digging (in any American city these days), and you quickly find out how it's possible that Americans speak nearly 200 languages and there's a long-standing (and burgeoning) culinary tradition that is available almost anywhere.
Go out and eat!
TikiPundit at 10:54AM on 02/18/08
I suggest getting plenty of cookbooks from the library and hanging out in the kitchen! If she's a true cooking beginner (not just US foods) I'd suggest America's Test Kitchen cookbooks, Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, and I believe it's Betty Crocker who has cookbooks for two.
My parents had several foreign exchange students when I was younger, my mom made sure to teach some of our family heirloom recipes, and if they wanted, was always glad to have them share in shopping to learn about our produce, etc., making dinner, and letting them cook for us so they could share their favorite meals as well.
bobcatsteph3 at 11:46AM on 02/18/08
Meatloaf, Mac & Cheese, Apple Pie
srhcb at 5:50PM on 02/18/08
share with her YOUR personal favorites... even if they sound weird, she might learn to like them.
When I first moved to the US, I introduced my Pennsylvania -raised roomate the culinary delicacies of Puerto Rico - yellow rice with vienna sausages (arroz con salchichas), fried sweet plantains (platanos maduros), yautia, yuca, etc.
She introduced me to cinnamon buns, peeps, a crock pot, sasparilla, funnel cake, pretzels eaten with mustard and philly cheesesteaks (back when I used to eat meat)...
Show your friend what you like best about American cuisine and for her to show you her Ecuadorian faves you'll both have broaden your culinary and gastronomical horizons.
MadelynRodriguez at 5:57PM on 02/18/08
I have a bunch of recipes that might help bridge the gap between Latin American Cooking and American favorites...
Check it out... KarmaFree Cooking - granted, I am a vegetarian now, but the Latin and American flavors are all there.
MadelynRodriguez at 6:00PM on 02/18/08
fried chicken, meatloaf, mashed potatoes
beth1 at 7:36PM on 02/18/08
The Midwest? Introduce her to American casseroles (or the aptly named hot dish). Something with cream of mushroom soup and some Minnesota wild rice. The casseroles I ate tons of in my grad schools days in Minneapolis were usually simple to make and build off of, on top of being served at every community gathering across the Midwest. It would be easy for her to add more familiar ingredients and create something Midwest-caudorean.
xaire at 10:06PM on 02/18/08
i fell in love with mac & cheese, the moment i got off the plane.
almondjoy at 10:43PM on 02/18/08
So did I, almondjoy:-)
brooke29 at 11:01PM on 02/18/08
Another ringing endorsement for mac and cheese! My husband would also argue that you need to eat a classic Chicago-style Italian beef, which he misses dearly now that he lives in Southern California.
I also like Chow's take on tuna noodle casserole. Also, one of Chow's top stories is on DIY TV dinners, which may give you some ideas on what to share with your friend.
As another commenter said previously, I'd most likely hit up the local library and scour the shelves for American cookbooks like Better Homes and Gardens classic red-and-white checkered cookbook, or for regional cooking resources, especially for Southern food or Southwestern dishes.
Best of luck in introducing your friend to our country's culinary classics!
Lorena at 6:38PM on 02/20/08
Pick up a good basic cookbook - I, too, would recommend Bittman, as he has great descriptions of ingredients and how they're cooked. The book also has American standards as well as more interesting fare. All-American food would include casseroles, apple pie, a grilled burger, chocolate chip cookies.........
dettling05 at 8:25PM on 02/20/08
Burritos. Personally I don't think anything could be more American than burritos.
seadkdc at 4:13PM on 02/22/08
It's not only the food but how the food fits into the eating environment- hot dogs at a baseball game,Lobster in New England, Special family dishes-you get the idea. To introduce a dish to a foreign person is to give them a part of your culture and show them pride in the dish
artoeat at 1:07PM on 02/23/08