Forging Ethnic Food – The first in a series of culinary fakeries
(Oct. 18, 2007) I’m obsessive about culinary authenticity. Even in daily meals at home, I confess to being distressed if smothered pork chops and guacamole share the same table. Or pasta primavera and bratwurst, ouch! The discontinuity is almost painful. My mate indulges this nerdy compulsion. We tend to have ethnic continuity — Spanish, Jewish, Southern American, Italian, French, Mexican, New York Deli, Caribbean, German — usually depending on what’s available, or on special.
If we defrost a pint of Texas chili, we need cornbread, pasta, rice or some other “authentic” form of carbo. If it’s Chile Verde, we go for frijoles de olla and fresh tortillas from our local Mexican restaurant. Fresh ground lamb patties we blacken and have with garlicky hummus and warm pita, maybe a tabouli salad.
I am a slave to ethnic consistency.
But I also love impertinence. And inventive mischief. My idea of a fine culinary prank is to make up imaginary dishes that aren’t — but might be — genuine ethnic cuisine. Today’s column re-imagines the idea of an exotic Asian meal (each dish serves 4).
1. Chengdu barbecue — pork (or chicken) lettuce wraps with Mongolian bacon.
For this, I prefer Wild Oaks Grill smoked pork loin, which I request rare. Yeah, public-relations-wise, rare pork is absolutely taboo. In actual fact, however, trichinosis is non-existent in today’s hygienic commercial farms. As far back as 1986, according to the federal Center for Disease Control, commercial pork products were implicated in only three isolated cases of trichinosis. Today, virtually the only source of the Trichinella spiralis parasite is wild boar meat. Or bear. (So if you are offered bear carpaccio or wild boar sashimi, pass. Otherwise, don’t worry about it.) However, the dish can also be made with chicken from Porter Street or Wildberries.
→ post a comment
Recent table talk
Jan. 26
Parsnips in Winter
The other root vegetable
Dec. 22, 2011
The Cheese Stands Alone
Nov. 24, 2011
Miso: Japanese Comfort Food
Today
Humboldt Educare Valentine's Spaghetti Dinner and Auction
food, for kids / 3-6 p.m. Portuguese Hall, 1185 11th St., Arcata. Help benefit Humboldt Educare preschool with dinner (vegetarian and meat options), a bake sale, silent auction, and cash-only wine bar. Arts, crafts and games available for children. Bringing own dishes suggested in effort to reduce waste. $10/$5 Children. E-mail alg2@humboldt.edu. 822-6447.
Mad River Grange Breakfast
food / 8-11 a.m. Mad River Grange, 110 Hatchery Road, Blue Lake. Pancake breakfast. Proceeds benefit local nonprofits. $4. 668-1906.
Open Celtic Music Session
music / 3 p.m. Cafe Veritas/Mosgo's, 180 Westwood Center, Arcata. Informal monthly gathering of musicians playing Irish and other Celtic music. Hosted by Seabury Gould. seaburygould.com. 845-8167.
Nonviolence Action Camp
etc. / 10 a.m. Chinmaya Mission near Piercy. Weekend-long direct action orientation features workshops, role playing, seminars, ceremonies and field trips. Bring food, bedding, warm clothes, signs, banners, bikes, drums, acoustic instruments. Pre-register. saverichardsongrove.org. 932-5898.
More →
0 Comments