The following recipes were published in Urban Mozaik Magazine's Premiere Issue in 1997.
Here are some Urban Mozaik recipes to add to your repertoire:
Food For Thought: How Well Do You Know Your Ethnic Food?
by Pat Beaven-Browne
Dining out today, especially in the larger metropolitan areas, is a truly international adventure! We're able to travel the globe - gastronomically - without the hassle and expense of packing and overseas flights. We've become fairly sophisticated about ordering and eating food from a variety of countries and cultures. Test your ehtnic eating etiquette by answering the following statements true or false.
The Origin of the Barbeque
Tainos, we owe you! The custom of basting fish and large chunks of meat with a special sauce and cooking them outdoors over a fire was adapted from the Taino natives of Hispaniola. The word barbecue entered the English language via the Spanish word barbacoa.
Different regions of the United States adapted barbecuing and different styles and sauces evolved. North Carolina had vinegar and pepper. South Carolina adopted mustard and molasses. Tomato sauces laced with peppers have become the national favorite.
From Seven Directions - The Newsletter of the Cherokee Language and Cultural Circle.
Greek Spanakoepitas
(Spinach Pies)
2 packages fresh or frozen leaf spinach (coarsely chopped)
(for diropitas substitute the spinach with a little more cheese)
1 medium onion chopped
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
olive oil
1/2 c. melted butter
a little dried mint
salt to taste
1 lb of frozen fillo pastry
• In a med saucepan sauté onion in a little olive oil over med heat until golden
• Add spinach and a pinch of dried mint and cook until fully wilted
• Add the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses, mix gently and set aside
• Add salt to taste
• Brush one whole sheet of fillo with melted butter
• Place second sheet over first and cut into rectangles about 2 1/2” x 12”
• Place a heaping table spoon of filling on one corner of the rectangle
• Fold corner over itself and over and over to make a triangle packet
• Bake spanakopitas at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown
1. Caesar salad, popular in Italian restaurants,
was named after the emperor Julius Caesar, for
whom it was created.
truefalse
2. The spongey wheat pancake the size of a
platter on which Ethiopian food is served is
called an injera.
truefalse
3. When you dine Thai-style, the fork is used
only to push food onto the large spoon, which
then transports it to your mouth.
truefalse
4. The classic Irish dish Colcannon is made
with mashed potatoes and cabbage.
truefalse
5. Naan, poori, and chapati are all types of
East Indian rice dishes.
truefalse
6. Japanese sushi can be a finger food,
but sashimi must be eaten with chopsticks.
truefalse
7. The famous Vietnamese soup of broth,
noodles, meat or chicken, and herbs is called dien.
truefalse
8. Couscous is also known as Moroccan pasta.
truefalse
9. Paella is the name of the Spanish casserole
made with rice, saffron, fresh tomatoes, and
chicken or seafood.
truefalse
10. Order Szechuan items on a Chinese menu
if you are looking for foods with milder flavor.
truefalse
11. If you go out for mezze, maza, or tapas,
you'll be dining on a selection of small, tasty
appetizer-like dishes.
truefalse
12. Dining Japanese? If you put your chopsticks
down between bites, etiquette says you place
them on the left edge of your plate.
truefalse
The answers:
1. False. Actually, the salad takes its name from Caesar Cardini, the Mexican restaurateur who invented it in 1924.
2. True. And as Ethiopian meals are a very social time, everyone serves themselves from this common serving platter.
3. True. Be sure to hold the large spoon in your right hand, and the fork in your left.
4. True. Without the cabbage, it would just be called "champs"!
5. False. They're all types of...bread.
6. True. So keep practicing!
7. False. It's called Pho: pronounce it FUR or FOR, with or without the "r".
8. True. Although, not actually a pasta, it's a grain made out of semolina wheat. Moroccans eat it with spicy sauces and chicken or meat.
9. True. Paella is cooked and served in a large shallow pan - that's where it gets its name - from "patella", Latin for "pan".
10. False. Szechuan cuisine is characterized by its dependence on strong flavorings and hot spices such as red chilis, peppercorns and garlic.
11. True. And you'd be sampling Greek, Arabic and Spanish treats.
12. False. Always place them in front of you, parallel to the edge of the table or counter.
How did you do?
9 or more correct answers? You're a world-class diner! You revel in the cultural diversity available. Your city's ethnic eating areas are your playground!
5 to 8 correct answers? You have a little more adventuring to do in the international nosheries. And when you do go, don't be afraid to ask questions and try new things...you'll soon be confident in any dining-out situation!
4 or less? It's time to take advantage of all that the city has to offer...life is more than those hot-dog pushcarts and McDonald's! (You'll feel so worldly the first time you say "Wanna go for Tibetan food tonight?" - and you'll actually know what you're talking about!).
Pat Beaven is an actor, educator, and freelance journalist who revels in the spirit of cultural diversity where she makes her home in Toronto, Canada. Her work has appeared in newspapers and magazines across North America; she has a special interest in culture-specific movement disciplines, and is a staff writer for several dance publications.
IndianMoori Masala (Spiced Puffed Rice Snack)
1 bag of puffed rice
(or substitute 1 bag of gourmet potato chips for an extra
decadent treat)
1 c. chopped fresh coriander
1 c. chopped cucumber
1/2 c. minced sweet onion
1 (or more) hot chili peppers, chopped extra finely
1 lime
• Mix together all ingredients except for rice and lime
• Put rice (or chips) into a very large bowl and add mixture
• Squeeze lime over the whole thing
• And then eat quickly with the hands (before the lime makes everything too soggy)
NativeIndian Cookies
3/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter or margarine
3 to 4 c flour
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Cream together the butter and sugars
• Add the baking powder and baking soda and 3 cups of the flour
• Mix and knead the mixture adding flour as needed until dough just holds together
• Roll out dough to 1/4” thick
• With a knife, cut the dough into
disks about 3 inches in diameter
• Bake at 350 for 10-15 mins
(or until golden brown)
Vietnamese Spring Rolls
1/2 lb uncooked shrimp chopped (fresh or frozen)
1/2 c. carrots finely shredded
1 sm Vietnamese potato or 1 lg regular potato shredded
2 scrambled eggs finely chopped
1 c. mushrooms finely chopped
1/4 c. tree ears soaked for 20 min and chopped finely (optional)
1 package rice vermicelli or bean thread noodles
15 large spring roll wrappers
oil for deep frying
• Soak vermicelli in hot water until soft
• In a large bowl mix shrimp, carrots, potato, eggs, mushrooms, tree ears and half of the vermicelli
• Roll about 3 tbsp. of filling in each wrapper making sure to make the packet airtight so that the oil does not seep into the inside of the roll
• Fry in 1/2” of oil until crispy and golden turning them as necessary
• Serve with remaining vermicelli as a garnish
• Wrap roll in a lettuce leaf before dipping into the sauce and eating
• For a more traditional and healthier non-fried roll you can use rice paper wrappers which must be soaked in water until soft before using. Follow the same directions, but do not fry.
Vietnamese Dipping Sauce
Fish sauce, water, sugar, hot peppers (wet kind),
shredded carrots, vinegar
• Mix all ingredients together ,to taste, and serve as a dipping sauce
Food photography for International Flavors of the World by Tony Fong - Toronto.
Tony Fong is a first-generation Chinese Canadian whose parents emigrated from Hong Kong. Born and raised in Toronto, Tony has lived in Miami and Montreal, but now splits his time between New York and Toronto. Tony’s mission is to “eat, drink, and be merry!”, and especially likes to “encounter new people, and their cultures and to eat their food!” He loves to travel and will go anywhere for work.
