French Cuisine Influenced By Egypt - They Sure Knew To Cook!

June 23rd, 2009
Abhishek Agarwal asked:


People who taste the various recipes of French cuisine are sure to fall in love with French food and most people who love French food are quite surprised when they hear that French cooking is greatly influenced by Egyptian cooking. This is because French cooking has been influenced by Egyptian cooking to a great extent because of the trade that took place between the two nation’s centuries ago. This can also be seen in Italian cooking where you will find plenty of orient influence in many of their recipes.

Napoleon Bonaparte who ruled France is a prominent figure who played an important role when it comes to introducing Egyptian influence in French cooking. It was he who encouraged this to a great extent. Napoleon Bonaparte tried to conquer Egypt as early as 1798 and it was this historical adventure that brought about the introduction of various Egyptian recipes in French cooking. There were 400 ships carrying nearly 34000 soldiers who were pressed into service to conquer the Port of Alexandria and other places in Egypt. But the whole operation proved to be a disaster but it ended up with many soldiers developing a taste for Egyptian food and bringing back recipes with them when they returned home.

An important influence of Egyptian cooking is the use of wine to soften meats and also to change the feel of vegetables. Many people think that it is part of French cuisine but actually wine has been in use by Egyptian and Mediterranean people in their cooking for many centuries. Bamya is a dish which consists of okra and meat made into stew. Though this is unique to the Egyptians it can also be found in French cuisine. Here is this recipe the okra’s slimy texture needs to be removed and to do this the okra gets trimmed at its head which is conical in shape and the vegetable pieces are soaked in a mixture of vinegar and red wine for half an hour.

Fish is actually a major staple diet in Egypt and it is also found to a large extent in French cuisine. Most French cuisines contain at least a single dish made of fish. The Mediterranean Baked Fish is originally an Egyptian dish and it is quite a great favorite in France and is often referred to as “Poisson ‘a la grecque ” but the credit goes to the Greeks as having come up with this unique recipe than the Egyptians. But it has been clearly established that the original recipe comes from the kitchens of Egypt.

The various spices and cooking methods which are used for French cooking are mainly due to the Egyptian influence. France has many great recipes which are truly unique to its own culture but it can also be said that many of the famous French recipes have Egyptian influence.



The Marvels Of Mediterranean Seasoning And Cuisine

June 20th, 2009
Ferdinand Dominic asked:


As in any type of cooking in Mediterranean cuisine people use seasoning, Mediterranean seasoning in reality. Evidently, the repast of the areas surrounding the Meditarrean sea is the Mediterranean cuisine. The truth is that the Mediterranean cuisine comprises foods from different cultures. These nation-states have influenced each other in time and the process of cooking developed into sharing common principles. Flexibility and a broad range of ingredients and many regional varitions characterized the Mediterranean cuisine. The area inclined to favor goats and sheep rearing.

Although currently much of the fish is shipped from the outside since the fisheries of the Mediterranean sea are no longer what they used to be, fish dishes are still very common. Seafood is still prominent in many of the standard Mediterranean dish recipes. It is quite clear that certain sorts of fruits and meats or vegetables, which is the case in Mediterranean cuisine, ask for specific and typical seasoning, and in this case mediterranean seasoning. Pita bread, barbecue or grilled meats, falafel and hummus are among the mediterranean foods which commonly demand a special seasonings which are found in the area around mediterranean seasoning apparently.

Talking of mediterannean seasoning you must know that olive oil, though not necessarily a condiment, is produced in the Mediterranean countries – Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Italy and Spain, as well as others. Garlic is a representation of a vital ingredient in the mediterranean seasoning, which is utilized a lot throughout in the Mediterranean cuisine. Adding to the distinctive taste of food are garlic and olive oil which are utilized in the Mediterranean seasoning and cuisine in general. Besides, it is unanimously believed that the ingredients in this kind of cooking and in Mediterannean seasoning, and we have in mind particularly the olive oil, are a major contributor to the longevity and good health state of the Mediterranean people.

In case you are interested in making Mediterranean dishes you will surely need Mediteranean seasoning for them, or you will not get true mediterranean food. You can simply purchase different products which are labeled Mediterannean seasoning, from the stores across the country. However, my suggestion is for you to try to make your own Mediterannean seasoning as it is not difficult at all. To receive a good Mediterannean seasoning you only require the right ingredients and a true Mediterranean seasoning recipe, like the one below. I call this combo Mediterranean seasoning. It doesn’t matter how much you use — just mix the ingredients in the following proportions in a bowl, whisk, and pour into a shaker. Place it in a container and then put in the refrigerator, there it is when you require to utilize it for a cursory dusting on a grilled meat, or for a marinade:one part cinammon, one part coriander, one part cumin, 1 part dried mint, and then one part Italian seasoning or oregano; Besides, put one part onion powder and one part garlic powder.



India Cuisine

June 12th, 2009
Manjari Singh asked:


Mention the word Punjabi cuisine and the first thing that comes to the mind is the are the lush green fields of wheat, corn, millet and rice which usually makes our meals. Punjabi’s are robust people and so is their food -Eclectic in style and taste. The state has assimilated major aspects of its cuisine from historical external influences. Punjabi dishes such as the butter chicken, sag paneer, chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, keema, navrattan korma, dal and tandoori chicken are not only relished in India, but have made their way throughout the world.

Punjabi food is mainly characterized by the liberal use of milk and milk products like paneer (cottage cheese), butter and desi home made ghee. Some of the Punjabi gravies like the dal makhni and other slow cooking dals reflect Mughal flavors. A rich colection of slow simmered lentil preparations have evolved including Mah Di Dal (black gram dal), Rajma (red kidneybean), Lobiya (black eyed bean), Punjabi Pind Choley (Bengal Gram and chibpeas), Punj Ratani dal (mixture of five lentils). All these dals are soaked in water a day before and than they are simmered on the embers of a tandoor along with spices like chilly, onion, ginger, cardamom, cinnamom, mace and bay leaf. Now this may surprise you a bit, do you know that these dals are cooked for 24 hours, 365 days of the year in the dhabas and hotels.Tall glasses of lassi, famous drink of Punjabi origin or butter milk (chaas) forms the major part of their everyday diet.

Punjabi’s have their own style of cooking food. They usually cook in tandoor, a vertical clay oven half buried in the ground, with the use of hot coals. Marinated meats and fish from tandoor, imparting flavor of clay is simply delicious. The liberal use of spices like corinder, cardamom, clove, cumin, black pepper, turmeric, mustard and red chilli are the hallmark of their cuisine. Sarson ka Saag, another specialty made from mustard leaves and makke ki roti made of coarsely ground flour are among the most favored dish meals in Punjab. Punjabi’s are mainly dependent on wheat, rice is eaten only on special occasions only. A popular sweet dish made of rice, cooked in sugarcane juice is Rao Ki Kheer, but when cooked with jaggery it is known as gurwala chawal.Another popular dish in Phirni that is made of milk, rice and sugar, lightly falvoured with cardamom, garnished with flaked nuts and served chilled in earthware dishes. Dhabas on the Punjab highway are the best places to sample all these specialties of Punjab.

Try out the other famous dishes of India from - http://www.cultural-heritage-india.com/arts_and_culture/cuisine.html



Egyptian Influenced French Cuisine - Great Blend Of Cultures

May 4th, 2009
Abhishek Agarwal asked:


Many people are crazy about French food. One taste of the stuff is sure to begin a long lasting love affair with the land —- and cook if she or he is good looking! People who are hooked to French food are taken aback when they learn that what they are eating has its’ origins somewhere in the land of the pyramids. However, this is no joke, if one goes down the lanes and by lanes of history they will discover a lot of similarities in the way the French food (or some of it) is cooked as well as the similarities in the ingredients used to prepare it.

Napoleon Bonaparte is credited with bringing a lot of change to the French food culture through his invasions and captives that he brought back to France. Napoleons tirades on Egypt trying to capture the land on many occasions and has gone down in history and this is not only recorded in history. His attempt to conquer Egypt in 1798 was not only written in history but also on the many fashionable plates that are used to serve Egyptian cuisine in the restaurants on France. Napoleon took with him over 34,000 soldiers and 400 ships and this campaign against Alexandria and Egypt was a disaster for the Dictator it turns out that the soldiers developed a lasting taste for the cuisine served in the land they were meant to conquer. The taste was so captivating that many soldiers bartered ingredients and recipes for favors and perhaps even prisoners.

The technique of softening meat with the use of wine is a definite example of Egyptian influence on French cuisine. Wine is used to change the texture of the meat and soften it a great deal. It also changes the taste for the better. Mediterranean and Egyptian cultures have used this technique to soften meat for centuries.

The other definite pointer towards Egyptian influence on French cooking is seen in the French peoples love for fish. Fish forms a huge part of the French staple diet. This was unknown before the Egyptians started trading with France. Baked fish is a dish that is known to have originated in Egypt and is not vastly eaten in France. The French however, credit the Greeks with introducing the dish to France.

When it comes to the use of spices and the techniques of cooking in France on wonders if the French actually ever had a style of their own, most Frenchmen will disagree and vehemently too. The ingredients and spices especially speak of a great Egyptian culture on the French style of cooking. Though France has some of its own cooking styles and recipes an abundance of their cuisine has its origins in Egypt.



Treat yourself and Have a Taste of Your Favorite Luscious Malaysian and Asian Cuisine

May 2nd, 2009
Andrew Beene asked:


“Satay, Lontong, Kuay Teow, Keropok Lekor, Ikan Bakar, Nasi Dagang – these are only some of Malaysia’s finest cuisines and delicious delights. However, there’s a problem. You’re living around New Jersey! Well, if that’s the case, you do not have to worry no more. Even though you are so far from the beautiful and interesting country of Malaysia, mouth-watering Malaysian foods are still within your reach through Malaysian restaurants located in New Jersey.

Yes, it’s true and you are not dreaming. Your location is no longer a hindrance when craving for those tasty and appetizing Malaysian cuisine in NJ. You can actually have a taste of those enticing cuisines anytime you want. Definitely, New Jersey is a very huge place but remember there are still restaurants within this country that serve Malaysian and authentic Asian cuisines to give satisfaction to those avid fans of Asian food.

If you consider yourself fond of eating Malaysian food, your really have a very adventurous tongue. Remember, Asian cuisine in New Jersey are cooked and prepared in different ways and certainly they have a special distinctive taste making them very unique and exotic compared to the usual food and cookery you are eating. What makes Malaysian and Asian cuisines extraordinary, exceptional and one-of-a-kind, is because of the various ingredients used in cooking these cuisines. Asia is very well known because of its rich sweet and spices that actually make every cuisine and cookery interesting and very tasty. In reality, many go and want to have a taste of these kind of food just to experience the distinctness of the food which makes them want and crave more and never stop.

To be able to give Asian cuisine enthusiast the satisfaction they need, most Malaysian restaurant in NJ prepare various kinds of Malaysian and Asian cuisines. Actually, Asian cuisines also vary in types and most of them come in combinations like Malaysian-Indian, Malaysian-Chinese, Malaysian-Thai, and others due to the reason of cross-cultural influences of the countries located in Asia. This characteristic of Asian foods makes these cuisines more remarkable and appealing to eat.

Malaysia, being a multicultural country same as the other counties in Asia, have actually adapted its neighboring countries’ dishes to suit the taste buds of their own culture. As proof to this fact are the various Malaysian-Indian, Malaysian-Chinese, Malaysian-Thai and other types of cuisines that have mushroomed and developed as time goes by. Examples of Malaysian-Indian food are Thosai, Idli, Putu Mayam, and Chapati. Some Malaysian-Chinese food are Bak Chang, Pao, Kway Chap, and Chee Cheong Fun. While some examples of Malaysian-Thai food are Rendang, Cendol, and Tom Yam. These are only some of the dishes that Malaysia has adapted as their own and numerous admirers of these kind of cuisine somehow prove that cookeries such as these are truly tasty and luscious to eat.

These cuisines listed above are only some of the huge variety of both Malaysian and Asian cuisines that you can actually see at your favorite Malaysian restaurant located around you. Why not have a splash and take another bite of your most wanted dish and treat yourself a hot Malaysian soup until you can’t stop. “