Local Flavor
tastes from around the world
One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must all regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.
Contents Italian
Caprese Salad
Tricolored Tortellini & Garlic Mushroom Sauce
Chocolate Chip Cannoli
American
Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup
Sirloin Steak & Baked Potato
Fudge Brownie a la mode
Japanese
Miso Soup & Shrimp Tempura
Braised Mackerel & Onion Salad
Azuki Soup & Mochi
Italian Italy, the country with a hundred cities and thousands of bell towers, is also the country with a hundred cuisines and thousands of recipes. Mirroring a history marked by provincial loyalties and political division, a huge variety of gastronomic traditions makes Italy’s culinary heritage unimaginably rich and more appealing today than the cuisine of any other country, now that the demand for diversity and for distinctive, provincial flavors has become especially keen. Indeed, international Italian cuisine often has specific, easily identifiable, common characteristics that can be traced to specific regions or that resemble customs in general usage throughout the country. Variety is also the element that immediately strikes the visitor’s eye and palate. This variety is also due to the fact that Italian food is closely linked to the seasons. Good, fresh ingredients are cooked simply so that their flavours are enhanced. Italian cuisine is imitated all over the world. To a certain extent, there is really no such thing as Italian cuisine in the way that one usually understands national cuisines. Each area has its own proud specialties, primarily at regional level, but also at provincial level. The high priority placed on the use of fresh, seasonal produce distinguishes the cuisine of Italy from the imitations available in most other countries.
Caprese Salad INGREDIENTS: serves 4– 6
DIRECTIONS
3 vine-ripe tomatoes, ¼ inch slices
Wash all ingredients. Boil balsamic vinaigrette. Lower the heat and let it simmer
1 lb fresh mozzarella, ¼ inch slices
for 30–40 minutes until reduced to a syrup-like consistency, slightly thinner than
5-7 basil leaves
desired. Cool for 3 minutes (heat to reuse). Layer mozzarella over tomato slice, top
virgin olive oil
with basil leaf and drizzled oil and balsamic reduction. Optional salt and pepper to
1 bottle of balsamic vinaigrette
taste.
Tricolored Tortellini & Garlic Mushroom Sauce INGREDIENTS: serves 4
DIRECTIONS
1 lb of fresh tricolored cheese tortellini
Bring 4-5 quarts of water to boil. Cook tortellini according to instructions,
1 lb of crimini mushrooms, sliced
until floating. Sauté shallots with butter and oil, allowing them to sweat before
2 shallots, chopped
adding garlic (sprouts removed), mushrooms, and prosciutto. In another pan, heat
4 garlic cloves, minced
heavy cream up to a high temperature. Slowly combine cream and mushrooms
6 slices of prosciutto, coarsely chopped
to keep the temperature consistent. Mix and reduce a bit. Add parmesean. Toss
2
⁄3 cup of heavy cream
2
⁄3 cup of parmesean cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped
with tortellini prior to serving. Garnish with more parmesean cheese and parsley.
Chocolate Chip Cannoli INGREDIENTS: serves 8
DIRECTIONS
2 cups flour
Combine the dry ingredients and mix in the butter and Marsala until you get a stiff,
½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
smooth dough. Form the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
for 2 to 3 hours. Mix filling ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate until ready
2 tablespoons butter, melted
to use (at least 2 hours). Heat oil to exactly 350°F. Remove dough from refrigerator
¾ cup sweet Marsala
and roll it through several times until it is smooth and thin. Cut out 4-inch circles.
1 large egg white
Wrap cut cannoli dough around metal form & brush edges with egg white to seal.
pinch of salt
Use tongs to set cannolis in the heated oil. Let it fizzle for about 2 minutes, watching that it isn’t getting too dark. Remove with tongs and set on rack to drain. Let cool
¾ cup ricotta cheese, drained/dried
a bit and then carefully slip shell off the mold. 2 hours prior to serving, fill cannolis
¾ cup mascarpone cheese
using pastry bag, dip each end in chocolate chips or shavings. Sprinkle powdered
¼ cup powdered sugar
sugar on top.
½ teaspoon Grand Marnier ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon pinch of salt
American American cuisine is extremely diverse because the United States has long attracted immigrants from a wide variety of nations and cultures. One important characteristic of American cooking is the fusion of multiple ethnic or regional approaches into completely new cooking styles. Similarly, while some dishes considered typically American may have their origins in other countries, American cooks and chefs have substantially altered them over the years, to the degree that the dish as now enjoyed the world over may even be considered archetypically American. American cuisine in a perpetual state of flux and fusion, marked by a collaborative spirit that’s been around for centuries. The singular characteristic of good American food is simplicity and efficiency. American cuisine is bountiful and unafraid of limitations, daring to push the culinary boundaries without pretension. Most American cuisine developed as home cooking rather than haute cuisine. Even with the cornucopia of new ingredients, the best cooks incorporate them into their cuisine without great pretense or fuss.
Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese INGREDIENTS: serves 4
DIRECTIONS
6 vine-ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat tomatoes and garlic cloves with olive oil and salt.
1 cup of chicken stock
Roast for 30 minutes, until brown. Cook onion in a stock pot with butter. Add
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
chicken stock, most of the heavy cream, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce
½ cup heavy cream
the heat to a simmer. Add garlic and roasted tomatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes.
½ cup of cheddar cheese, shaved
Remove from heat and blend mixture. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste.
2 tablespoons of butter
Garnish a little heavy cream and basil.
1 onion, diced 2 cloves of garlic, minced
Melt a small amount of butter in a heated pan. Butter one side of the bread,
1 sprig of basil
spread Dijon mustard on the other. Place slice in the pan butter side down.
1 bay leaf
Place cheese and bacon on the slice, top with another buttered bread slice. Cook and flip until bread is caramelized.
8 slices of bread, sliced ½-inch thick 12 ounces of cheddar cheese, sliced 12 slices bacon, cooked 2 tablespoons of garlic butter Dijon mustard
Sirloin Steak & Baked Potato INGREDIENTS: serves 4
DIRECTIONS
1 ½ pounds sirloin steak, 1 inch thick
Remove from packaging, and dry with paper towel at a cooled temperature for
2 teaspoons olive oil
at least 24 hours. Remove steak from fridge to warm prior to cooking. Salt and dry
Salt and ground black pepper
steak 10 minutes before cooking. Heat oil in a medium pan until oil is near smoke point. Place steak in pan and let it sit for 1 minute. Flip. Alternate cookingsides
4 large russet potatoes
for 10 minutes. Remove steak and place on a wire rack and make a tent with tinfoil.
1 cup of cheddar cheese, grated
Cover, and poke a hole at the top to let steam escape. Rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
8 slices of bacon, crumbled
To test doneness, insert a thermometer into the side of steak.
1 shallot, chopped 2 scallions, chopped
Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash and scrub the outside of potatoes, then poke holes
½ cup of sour cream
in the skins with fork to ventilate. Rub with olive oil. Bake in oven for 1 hour then
2 tablespoons of butter
remove. Cut into potatoes at an angle and scoop out the insides. Mix insides with butter, add them back to the potato skins. Add cheese, cook and melt. Add sour cream, bacon, and scallions.
Fudge Brownie à la mode INGREDIENTS: serves 8
DIRECTIONS
1 cup white sugar
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan. Combine butter,
2 eggs
sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt,
½ cup butter, melted
and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Let cool for 2 minutes. Frost brownies while they are still warm. Serve with vanilla
⁄3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1
½ cup all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon baking powder
ice cream.
Japanese When describing Japanese cuisine, “nature” and “harmony” are the most appropriate words. The ingredients must be in harmony to make the dish; and the dish in harmony with other dishes to make the meal. The meal itself must be in harmony with nature and the surroundings, including the person who is dining. The heart of Japanese cooking is simple. Dishes that are made with the best and freshest ingredients, always adhering to shun: the essence of the seasons. By using seasonal ingredients, Japanese cuisine retains the purity of their natural flavors. Seasonality is also emphasized by presenting these foods to reflect the time of the year. Most of the dishes are simple but painstakingly prepared, elevating the food to art. This is because Japanese cuisine is about eating with the five senses, giving presentation special attention. In Japanese cuisine, a sense of season, a feeling for nature, and an eye for color that is skillfully incorporated, are all blended together masterfully.
Miso Soup & Shrimp Tempura INGREDIENTS: serves 2
DIRECTIONS
4 manila clams
In a bowl combine clams, cold water, and salt. Clams will open and spit out salt.
1 cup of salt
Clean and remove beards. Rinse. Heat up a pot, and put clams till it comes to a boil.
1 ½ tablespoon awasemiso paste
When the clams open, they are ready and take them out. In a medium saucepan
2 cups water
over medium-high heat, combine hondashi and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat
½ block of semi-firm tofu, cubed
to medium, and whisk in the miso paste. Stir in tofu. Add scallion. Simmer gently
1 scallion chopped diagonally
for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.
1 dash of hondashi stock Peel and devein shrimp. Remove from shell and clean, make a few slices along ½ lb of fresh shrimp
the underside. Whisk one egg into one cup of ice cold water. Add flour in until con-
2 tablespoons of flour
sistency is thick. Lightly salt the shrimp. In a pot, heat oil to 350°F. Dip the shrimp
½ cup panko bread crumbs
into the batter, then press and coat in panko. Shake off excess flakes.
1 egg, beaten
Dip shrimp in oil, holding for 10 seconds before releasing into pot. Cook in the oil for a few minutes and let rest on a wire rack. Serve with tempura sauce.
Braised Mackerel & Onion Salad INGREDIENTS: serves 3
DIRECTIONS
1 fresh large mackerel, cleaned and gutted
Wash rice thoroughly, until the water is clear, place in rice cooker. Wash and dry
2 cups of shortgrain rice
the mackerel. Cut crosswise into 3 to 4 steaks. Heat a pan with oil at a high
1 medium white radish
temperature. Skin side down first. In another pan, bring sake, mirin, garlic, and gin-
1 tablespoon of mirin
ger to a boil. Cook for a few minutes to burn off the alcohol. Add a generous por-
1 tablespoon of sake
tion of miso and a little soy sauce. Flip mackerel and cook for a few minutes. Place
1 ½ tablespoon of sugar
within the reduced miso sauce pan to let it braise for a minute. Remove and serve.
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
Garnish with scallions. Serve with rice and pickled cucumbers.
2 tablespoons of awasemiso 1 piece of ginger, 1-inch long, julienned
Slice onions and shallots thinly with a mandolin and place into ice water.
1 clove of garlic, smashed
Change the water every 10 minutes for an hour. Cook the onions or shallots with the
2 scallions
miso sauce.
1 cucumber, sliced and pickled 2 medium white onions 1 shallot
Azuki Soup & Mochi INGREDIENTS: serves 3
DIRECTIONS
3 cups of water
Rinse beans then add to pot with water. Bring water to boil. After boiling, simmer
1/2 cup of azuki beans
for 50 minutes. Add sugar and mochi, simmer for 5 minutes. Can be served hot or
1/2 cup of cane sugar
cold. To serve cold, refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve with green tea.
9 pieces of mochi
Good food, good eating, is all about risk. Food is always an adventure and the first taste is with your eyes.
Local Flavor is a collaborative effort by Hannah Lee and Junting Vuong, with guidance from Allyx Capek, Carey Spies and Tony Walsh.