Monday, May 11, 2009

What the World Eats

I want this book!

Check out the pics here.

Don't you? At the very least you can get some perspective on food costs. And, of course, some incredible ingredients that are very inspiring! But some families have sadly fallen for the quick-fix-tummy-filling-bad-for-you-pseudo-food that's become so popular in the past few decades.

What's the deal?

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Mexican Lunch in Sweden

Take a look at this menu:

Michoacán style salad and guacamole stew pots (Cazuelitas de salpicón y guacamole)
Mexican style fish soup (Sopa amarilla)
Chicken breasts in poblano chili sauce (Pechuga en sala de chile poblano)
'Tiramisu pirata'

Sounds good? Well, that's what I had for lunch yesterday at the residence of the Mexican Ambassador in Sweden. I meet some interesting people, all of whom have some connection or other with Mexico; for example, one has written a dissertation on the symbolism of the jaguar in ancient Maya religion, another is working on environmental issues in Veracruz. It was great to spend a few hours in the company of Mexico-fans!

But the best part was the Ambassadors explanation of why the dessert is named 'Tiramisu pirata'. Since it is a copy of the original Italian, some ingredients are substituted or added, and no one wants to be accused of piracy, specially not in relation to recipes and food, it was decided to add the term 'pirate' to the name. So, everyone knew that is was a 'pirate copy' from the start!

Mexico is celebrating several big events in 2010: the 200th anniversary of the country's Independence from Spanish rule and the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution. Those of us who had lunch with the Ambassador will be contributing as much as possible to the celebrations here in Sweden. And I will be working on the Mexican Food theme! Life is good!

Friday, April 10, 2009

A Fun Quiz...

How worldly are your tastes?

Created by Recipe Star

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Street Markets

This is nice! Take a look at OpenAir Market Network, created to promote street markets all over the world.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

The Green Guide

I recently discovered National Geographic's Green Guide and absolutely love the Food section. I actually spent some time reading the article on Plastic Containers and really liked the section about the Environmental Impact plastics have. As a consumer, I want to make the right choices for my family and my hard-earned cash. One of those choices is to reduce my own personal environmental footprint! It isn't very difficult if you take some time to become an aware consumer. So, this week I will check out the best plastic container options for my household and make a list on what products are the best choices for us. Later on, when we need to get some new containers, we won't spend hours looking at products and wondering which ones are the best choice: we will just take our list and stick to it!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Navajo Food and Old Seeds

Blue corn is a common Native American (by American i do not mean from the USA but refer to the American Continent as a whole) food. In Central Mexico, it is eaten steamed with just some lime and salt or made into dough with which blue tortillas, and other wonderful delicacies, are made.

Recently, Education Curator Char Kruger showed how to make Navajo blue corn mush at the
Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock, Arizona (read more here). It reminds me very much of traditional corn dishes made in Mexico. So, I went searching for more traditional Native American recipes and found a nice site. Check it out here.

With so many foods being replaced by industrial products it is good to know that some people out there still are interested in traditional cooking and unadulterated ingredients. I have just read an interesting article in Swedish Svenska Dagbladet on the increasing popularity of 'old' vegetable seeds. It seems that many Foodies are trying their green thumbs out and are planting their very own organic greens and maintaining biodiversity as well. For more info (in Swedish) visit this website. Or go to the Bioheritage information page in English.

I have spent the last two seasons learning how to grow food. This year we succeeded with broccoli, spinach, zucchini, lots of different herbs (mint, lemon balm, cilantro), and actually were able to pick a few raspberries. I will return to the topic as soon as I decide what to plant this year.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Tex-Mex is not Mexican!

One of the most influential food websites in Sweden is Tasteline, with close to 200,000 unique visitors per week. These numbers are, of course, great for advertisers; however, influencing hundreds of thousands readers and foodies is an enormous responsibility.

This week, Tasteline has chosen Tex-Mex as special theme. Most foodies I know love Tex-Mex! The combination of flavors and textures is incredible! And Tex-Mex gastronomy is a wonderful subject that can inspire lots of foodies out there.

But, as so often happens, Tex-Mex becomes synonymous with Mexican. And the wonderful complex seasonings are reduced to "taco seasoning" mixes. On the front page of the Tex-Mex theme recipes, some recipes stand out as being completely out of place, such as the Mojito recipe. Most everyone knows that Mojitos are Cuban! And delicious! And absolutely not Tex-Mex!

At the top of the page, there is a link to "More Tex-Mex. Taco School, Sauces, Garnishes, and Drinks" (my translation). Since I am curious and I really love to be inspired by new culinary creations, I clicked on the link. And, to my horror was informed that Mexican (not Tex-Mex as I was led to believe) Food is good for parties, even though the title still mentioned Tex-Mex.

A website like Tasteline has a lot of resources and a very competent staff. Why then can't they spend a little bit of time researching the background and history of, for example, Tex-Mex recipes? It is so easy to find good reliable information on Wikipedia, and it takes just a few seconds!

It is sad that Tasteline contributes to the misinformation of foodies and the continuing erroneous idea that Tex-Mex and Mexican food are the same. Tex-Mex has its own history and is a part of the cuisines of the United States, not of Mexico. So, if you want real Tex-Mex inspiration search the web! Or visit the Food TimeLine here.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Top Ten Food Trends of 2008, according to Time

Welcome to a new happy Foodie year!

Time Magazine has selected the Top Ten Food Trends of 2008. A few, such Recession dining, may be considered a result of the current financial crisis. However, things are not as dark as they seem. For those who wish to eat tasty nutritious gourmet food, Time has consulted 6 chefs who all contribute a low-cost recipe in order for us to still eat well during this culinary difficult time; check out the Recession Gourmet Recipes and be inspired!