Since I am a somewhat adventurous eater and will try almost anything once, I was fascinated by the foods that were available, both in fine restaurants and not so fine restaurants. I ate in restaurants that served multi-course meals, in food courts in large shopping centers (but without burgers, tacos, and pizza) where the dishes were served buffet style and I didn’t know what many of the dishes contained. I ate in little open air buffets, Dim Sum restaurants, and bought food from street vendors. I found almost all of it delicious and very interesting.

I found it at least as interesting to shop in the street markets of the city. Within a very short walk from my hotel were several street markets. They were composed of small stalls similar to what you might find at a farmer’s market in any city in the U.S. The difference was in the variety of the items for sale and the exotic nature of those items. In some cases the foods were displayed in ways the Western traveler might find disturbing. For example meats and fish of various kinds were displayed in the open air (the weather was very hot and humid) with little fans blowing to discourage insects from landing on the meat.

The most fascinating stalls to me were the ones selling fresh fruits and vegetables. Many of the fruits and vegetables were totally unfamiliar to me. I tried as many as I could whenever I found any of them in a restaurant or offered by a street vendor. I still don’t know what they are but I liked most of them. There were gorgeous pineapples, mangoes and papayas. There was a vendor who sold fresh pineapple from a large cart which he parked near the entrance of my hotel each evening. He would peel and section the pineapple with a large knife and hand it to you in a plastic bag all in about 45 seconds. Another cart vendor sold sweet potatoes baked in a ceramic oven on his cart. Yet another cart sold steamed dumplings of various kinds. I found the richness and variety of the foods available charming and delightful. If you get the chance to go to Taipei try everything. You’ll be glad you did.

I was using chipotle chillis in adobo sauce as an ingredient in a Mexican stew and decided I wanted the chillis in smaller pieces than I had ended up with before. I really liked the depth of flavor the peppers contributed to the dish but I didn’t like the surprise you got when you found a couple of pieces of the pepper in a single bite.

I solved the problem and in the process created what has become one of my favorite additions to many of the recipes I like to make. I put the contents of a can of Chipotle Chillis in Adobo Sauce in a food processor and pressed the button. What I ended up with was a puree with a deep redish brown color. Much to my delight it keeps for several weeks in the refrigerator if you store it in a non-staining tightly sealed container.

I use a small amount of this puree in stir fries, cooked cabbage, greens such as collards, mustard and kale as well as Mexican dishes. I also add it to any recipe I want to spice up a little such as bean soup and BBQ sauce. It is a very versatile and fun ingredient. Try it. I think you’ll like it.

Here are two recipes I like to use it in. If you try this please come back and leave a comment (even if you don’t like it).

Kicked up Kale

1 bunch of Kale
6 oz of vegetable or chicken stock
2 slices of smoked bacon. diced
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped fine or pressed
1/2 -1 tsp (or to taste) puree of chipotle chillis in adobo sauce

Wash, stem and rough chop the kale. In a heavy sauce pan, fry the bacon until crisp. Pour off the fat leaving about 1 Tbs. Add the garlic and chilli puree. Stir quickly to avoid burning the garlic and to evenly distribute the puree. Add the kale (about 1/3 at a time depending on the size of your pan) and stir fry briefly to wilt. Add the stock, cover and simmer for about 15-20 min until the kale is done but not mushy. Check occasionally and add additional stock or water if needed. Serving suggestion: Sprinkle a little cider vinegar on the greens. Serve with pork chops or roast pork and baked sweet potato. This same recipe works well for other greens. Try it with collards, mustard, etc.

Surprising Cabbage

1 head white cabbage
1 apple cored and cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch dice (I use Gala but whatever kind of apple you like to cook with will be fine.)
About 1 1/2 C vegetable or chicken stock
1 tsp puree of chipotle chillis in adobo sauce (or to taste)
1 Tbs olive oil

Core and rough chop the cabbage. In a heavy skillet or sauce pan heat the oil. Add the puree and stir quickly to evenly distribute it. Add a little of the stock. Add the cabbage in handfulls stiring to wilt. If it starts to dry out add a little more stock. When all cabbage is in the pot add all of the stock. Add the apples. Cover and simmer over med-low heat until tender but not mushy, 15 – 20 min. The sweetness of the apples combined with the smokey heat of the chilli puree gives this dish a delightfully suprising taste.

This would make a great St. Patricks Day alternative.

One can of whole kernel corn, drained
1 can cream style corn
8 oz sour cream
1 cup oil
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 box Jiffy corn meal muffin mix
Mix all ingredients. Pour into casserole and bake 45-50 min @ 350 degrees or until a stick inserted in the center comes out clean.

We decided to cut the fillets into finger style portions and fry them.  This would make the most portions and since there were 19 people who wanted a taste.  This is a fairly common treatment for grouper but we thought we would change it up a little.

I remembered seeing an episode on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on which the chef used crushed potato chips as a breading alternative.  We agreed to try that with the grouper.  It was a huge success.  Here’s what we did.

2 lbs fresh grouper fillets, cut into fingers

3/4 cup flour seasoned lightly with salt (the chips have a good bit of salt) and pepper

2 eggs beaten with 4 Tbs water for an egg wash

1-2 cups finely crushed potato chips

Heat 1Tbs butter and 1Tbs olive oil in a non stick skillet over medium heat.  Dredge the grouper fingers in the seasoned flour, dip them in the egg wash and roll in the crushed chips to coat.  Shake off any excess chips and fry until the fish is golden (turning once) and flakes with a fork, about 3 min per side depending on the thickness of the fillets (do not overcook).  Add additional butter/oil as needed.

This creates a wonderful textural contrase between the  firm, moist fish and the crunchy saltyness of the chips.  Try this with grouper or any other firm fish of your choice such as stripped bass.  If the fillets are not thick enough to cut into fingers you can certainly use this technique with other styles of portions, adjusting cooking time as needed.  Serve as is or with your favorite condiments for fish, ketchup/vinegar/tartar sauce, etc.  Serves 6-8 people.

If you are in the coastal areas along the North Sea or the Baltic Sea you will find thick fish chowders, smoked salmon and many other seafood choices.  In the southern areas near the Black Forest you will often find game such as venison, boar and quail on the menu.  For a limited time in the spring the white asparagus or “spargel” will be available in the areas where it is grown.  Don’t miss this wonderful dining experience. For beef lovers there is always rolladen, sauerbraten and goulaschsuppe.

Another of the foods popular in Germany in the meat catagory is Schnitzel (cutlet).  Most often made with veal, it may also be found made from pork.  It is usually breaded and fried.  It will have as many names on the menu as there are ways to serve it.  Jager Schnitzel has a brown gravy or sauce with mushrooms.  Zigeuner Schnitzel (my personal favorite) has a spicy sauce with peppers.  Vienerschnitzel is usually served without a sauce although many times sliced lemon will accompany it.

The potato is one of the most popular German foods.  Potatoes are served in a variety of ways from french fries to potato pancakes.  They appear in soups and stews as well and will often be served simply sliced and fried as a side dish.  And don’t forget German potato salad.

German cuisine includes a wide variety of delicious salads: from grated radish salad to delicate lettuce with oil and seasoned vinegar to green beans with onions, bacon and vinegar.  Carrots also feature in this category.  Be sure to sample them for a wonderful and healthful taste treat.

One of the traditional German foods that is especially liked by my family is spaetzle.  This small German dumpling is served in many different ways.  It often accompanies pork or game meats and may be served with gravy or fried onions.  My personal favorite is with cheese melted on it and topped with onions fried very brown.

There are always good things to drink in Germany.  The German white wines are among the finest in the world.  Try the local wines wherever you go.  Whether they come from the area around the Rhine or Mosel the wines are tasty and refreshing. And don’t forget the beer.  It comes in a wide variety of styles from the very light wheat beers to the heavier dark beers made especially for Oktoberfest and the holidays.

No discussion of foods popular in Germany would be complete without talking about cheese.  The Germans make a variety of very tasty cheeses.  You will often find them paired with the many fine wines in the areas where they are produced.

There are many traditional German foods from the bakery.  From the ubiquitous Brotchen to Pumpernikel to desserts such as apple strudel, Black Forest cake and Bavarian creme pie.  Christmas stollen and a wide variety of spiced gingerbread cookies (lebkuchen) are also popular during the holdays.  While this is by no means exhaustive it will give the reader a taste of the many and varied foods popular in Germany.

Being an agent of United First Financial affords me the freedom to travel and enjoy foods from around the world.

T

I first had this punch in 1974. We had just moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming and Ruth was a neighbor. She invited us to her annual Christmas party. This punch became an immediate favorite.

1 Cup orange juice

1 Cup lemon juice

1 Cup unsweetened pineapple juice

2 pkgs strawberries or raspberries

2 oranges, cut in thin slices

11/2 Cups grenadine

2 5ths claret

2 5ths Champagne

1qt soda

I remember this BBQ sauce from my earliest childhood. It was used for chicken and sometimes other meats like pork or beef but the thing I remember the most is barbecued mullet. Yes, that is a fish and they are indigenous to the warm waters around the Gulf of Mexico. I can remember my grandfather digging a hole out under a big grapefruit tree in his back yard, lighting a fire in it and when the coals were ready putting a grill over the coals and placing the mullet on to cook and painting them with this wonderful BBQ sauce. I would squat by the fire and breathe in the wonderful smell of those fish cooking with this special sauce on them. Here’s how to prepare this very old time Florida dish.

Fish

Select fresh silver mullet (not the red European variety) about 1-11/2 pounds each. Allow one fish for every two people unless the fish are small. Then allow one per person. Leave the scales on the fish. Remove the heads, fins (leave the tail on) and innards. Then cut along the backbone to butterfly the mullet so you can lay it open and it is still joined along the front of the top side. The fish should lay flat when opened. Place the fish, scales down on a medium hot grill. Cook until the fish is done, painting now and then with the sauce to keep it moist. When the fish is almost done turn it over carefully to put a little char on the sauce covered flesh. Don’t leave it on too long or it will dry out too much. Remove fish to individual plates (paper is ok). Serve with remaining sauce. If you get the side with the backbone just peel it off and pull the meat off with your teeth (just like corn on the cob). Peel the flesh out of the skin and scales and enjoy. The flesh peels out with a fork very easily. Serve with your favorite sides. I like Cole Slaw and hush puppies.

Sauce

2T oil or butter

1 bottle of Catsup

Minced onion (11/2 tsp dried) plus about ¾ of a fresh onion. Also just slice 1/4 into the pot. This provides a variety of textures.

Juice of 1 lemon. Slice a little in the pot.

2T French’s mustard

½ to ¾ Cup brown sugar

Mix all ingredients and simmer until desired taste and consistency. Add water if needed.

Apples are rich in potassium, vitamin C, fiber and polyphenols.  Pears are also a good choice.  An apple a day…

Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, fiber, magnesium, folate, vitamin E, carotenoids, glutathioine, beta-sitosterol, chlorophyll, polyphenols and lutein.  Asparagus, artichokes and extra virgin olive oil are more good selections.  Eat some 2-3 times a week.

Beans provide low-fat protein, fiber, B vitamins, iron, folate, potassium, magnesium and phytonutrients.  There are many to choose from including pinto, great northern, lima, garbanzo (chickpeas), lentils, green beans, sugar snap peas and green peas.  Enjoy 4 servings a week.

Blueberries, purple grapes, cranberries, boysenberries, raspberries, strawberries, currents, blackberries, cherries, etc. contain multiple nutrients such as:  polyphenols, salicylic acid, carotenoids, fiber, folate, vitamins C&E, potassium, manganese, magnesium, iron, riboflavin, niacin and phytoestrogens.  Eat some everyday.

Broccoli contains sulforaphane, indoles, folate, fiber, calcium, vitamin C, beta carotene, lutein/zeaxanthin.  Other good choices include Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, turnips, cauliflower, collards, bok choy, mustard greens and Swiss chard.  Eat some most days.

Cilantro contains lots of vitamins C & K, bunches of phytonutrients including dodecenal, a natural antibiotic.  Add fresh, chopped cilantro to salsa, salads, soups and stews, omelets, etc.

Cinnamon enhances the metabolism of glucose and cholesterol.  Add it to lots of foods such as oatmeal, cereal, yogurt, coffee and tea, fruit dishes (apple, pumpkin, etc), savory dishes like beans and rice.  Give your dishes an Indian touch.  Other great spices include sage, oregano, thyme, fennel, caraway, anise, coriander and cumin.  Incorporate several of these in your cooking daily.

Dark chocolate contains polyphenols.  And it tastes yummy.  Eat in moderation.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a good source of monounsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E, carotenoids, polyphenols and phytosterols.  Eat a tablespoon a day.

Garlic contains over 70 organosulfer compounds, saponins, polyphenols, selenium, arginine, vitamin C and potassium.  Scallions, shallots, leeks and onions are also good choices.  Eat several times a week.

Ginger is an anti-inflammatory which suppresses cytokines and chemokines.  It has been used for centuries to help suppress nausea such as morning sickness, etc.  Ginger also boosts the immune system.  Use fresh or dried in in sauces and dressings, add it to salads, poultry, seafood, stews and spiced roasts.  Enjoy frequently.

Honey contains over 180 substances including polyphenols, salicylates and oligosaccharides.  Have some several times a week.

Kiwi contains vitamin C & E, folate, potassium, fiber, carotenoids, polyphenols, chlorophyll, glutathione and pectin.  Pineapple and guavas are also good choices.  Eat some a few times a week.

Oats contain fiber, beta glucan, protein, magnesium, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium and thiamin.  Other grains products that are good for you:  Wheat germ, whole wheat, buckwheat, bulgar wheat and couscous, ground flaxseed, brown rice, wild rice, rye, millet, amaranth, quinoa, kamut, yellow corn, and  spelt .  Try to get at least 10 grams of fiber from whole grains most days.

Onions are a good source of selenium, fructans (including inulin), vitamins C & E, potassium, daillyl sulfide, saponins, fiber and polyphenols.  See garlic above.

Oranges contain fiber, folate, limonene, potassium, pectin and polyphenols in addition to vitamin C.  Other citrus fruits include lemons grapefruit, tangerines, limes, kumquats, calamondin, etc.  Try to have a serving everyday.

Parsley Great source of Vitamin K as will as vitamin A, luteine, and zeaxanthin ( which promotes eye health) and is the most concentrated source of flavonoids you can get.  May be useful for fighting cancer, allergies and heart disease.  Add to salads, soups and stews, rice dishes, pasta and as an edible garnish to cleanse your breath after eating.  Eat some most days.

Pomegranates contain Vitamins B6 & C, polyphenols and potassium.  Plums are another good choice.  Several servings of juice or seeds a week.

Pumpkin contains both alpha and beta-carotene, fiber, vitamins C & E, magnesium, pantothenic acid and potassium.  Other good choices are butternut squash, carrots, orange bell peppers and sweet potatoes.

Rosemary contains phytochemicals that can reduce the formation of cancer-causing compounds known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs). It may also enhance insulin sensitivity, a very positive factor aiding in a healthy metabolism and slowing the aging process.  Add to ground beef before grilling.  It is also good with lamb, potato dishes, soups and stews.  Eat some several times a week.

Spinach is just full of nutrients:  lutein/zeaxanthin, beta-carotene, omega-3 fatty acids, glutathione, alpha-lipoic acid, vitamins C, E, B6, folate riboflavin, thiamin, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc, polyphenols and coQ10.  Other green leafy vegetables include:  kale collards, Swiss chard, arugula, mustard greens, turnip greens, bok choy and romaine lettuce.  Seaweed and orange bell peppers are also good.  Eat some most days.

Tea contains flavonoids.  Drink 1 -4 cups daily.

Tomatoes are a good source of B vitamins, vitamin C, lycopene, chromium, alpha and beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, lutein, phytuene, phytofluene, potassium, biotin and fiber.  Also chose other fruits with red flesh such as papaya, strawberry, guava, grapefruit and watermelon.  Eat processed tomato products daily along with several servings of fresh tomatoes weekly.

Turmeric contains curcumin which is a very powerful anti-inflammatory agent.  It is one of the best spices for disease protection and anti-aging.  Studies have on mice demonstrated turmeric’s ability to reduce plaque buildup in the brain that is associated with Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline.  Turmeric also has anticancer properties.  Add to bean dishes, egg dishes, poultry, seafood, tofu, rice dishes, soups and stews, as well as many Indian dishes.  Try to eat some several times a week.

Turkey is a source of low-fat protein, vitamins B6 & B12, iron, selenium, zinc, riboflavin and niacin.  Skinless chicken breast is also a good choice.  Eat 3-4 servings a week.

Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B6 & E, magnesium, polyphenols, protein, fiber, potassium, plant sterols, arginine, resveratrol and melatonin.  Other good choices include:  almonds, cashews, hazelnuts macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, pumpkin and sunflower seeds and sesame seeds.  Eat an ounce 5 times a week.

Wild Salmon is a major source of omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, selenium, vitamin d potassium, protein and carotenoids.  Halibut, canned albacore tuna, sardines, herring, trout, sea bass, oysters and clams are other good choices.  Eat 3-4 ounces 2 to 4 times a week.

I spent the next 2 1/2 years looking at Thai cookbooks trying to find one that I would be comfortable with.  It had to have a wide variety of dishes and clear instructions.  I finally found one in a little Asian market in Omaha, Nebraska.  I have given copies of this cookbook to friends and family members on many occasions.

The title of the book is Thai Cooking Made Easy by Sukhum Kittivech.  the ISBN is 0-941676-28-5.  If you like Thai food this will be a fun and delicious addition to your cookbook collection.