Bringing the Flavors of the World to your Table

Words by: Mary Davis

Asking a college student about their most frequently used recipes would likely bring an answer featuring Ramen, frozen chicken or a form of eggs. Tightly limited time and resources often leave students in a “food rut” for weeks or months at a time. The mere suggestion of “worldly cuisine” sounds expensive and time-consuming. However, we’d like to show you that doesn’t have to hold true. Below are three simple recipes from three different cuisines that can bring new flavors and methods to your kitchen without added expenses or time demands. Each feature can be added to multiple dishes or varied to fit what you have in your fridge and on your table.

Our first stop is the rues de Paris (streets of Paris), courtesy of a recipe from Julia Child in her book “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” (Cite). The second chapter of Child’s book begins, “Sauces are the splendor and glory of French cooking” (pg. 54). Let’s bring some of that splendor and glory home, shall we? In French cooking, a simple white sauce is a foundational tool that can be paired with chicken, fish, eggs or vegetables. White sauces are made by heating and whisking together butter and flour with milk and white stock, forming a mixture called a roux. The two main types of white sauce are Sauce Bechamel, a milk-based foundation with butter, cream, and herbs, and Sauce Velouté, where the roux is moistened with chicken or fish stock and wine. The recipe below takes roughly five minutes and makes about two cups of sauce. Other flavors or features (i.e. cheese, cream, onions, spices, etc.) can be added as desired. (Taken from Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”)

Sauce Veloute

2 Tbsp butter 3 Tbsp flour 2 c milk and ¼ tsp salt (brought to a boil) OR 2 c boiling white stock Salt and white pepper (black works as well, you’ll just be able to see it in the sauce) In a 6-cup saucepan…

Melt the butter over low heat and slowly blend in the flour, stirring for about two minutes until they froth together. This is a roux.

Take the roux off the heat and add the boiling milk or white stock. Stir vigorously with a wire whip until everything is thoroughly combined. Then place the saucepan back on moderate-high heat and bring the sauce to a boil, stirring for a minute while boiling. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Other seasonings can now be added if desired. Voila!

Now we’ll venture from the sidewalk cafes of Paris to a busy desert trade route winding through the heart of Persia. Iranian, or Persian, cuisine is typically less well-known in American kitchens, but features a multitude of colors and spices. This includes fresh limes, pears, pomegranates, stewed lamb, chicken, rice platters and dishes featuring spices like saffron and turmeric. Another well-loved spice in Persian cooking is cardamom. Often used similarly to cinnamon, cardamom has a sweet and warm, spicy flavor tucked away in its tiny black seeds. While frequently used in desserts, cardamom is also part of a Persian spice mix known as “advieh.” Variations of this spice mix can be used to flavor different dishes like soups, or as a seasoning for meats. Below are three different “adviehs” that can be mixed up using spices at home to add a middle eastern flare to rice, soups or stews (Info from The New Persian Kitchen cookbook).

Advieh Polow/ Advieh Berenj (Rice/Pilaf spice mix)

4 Tbsp dried rose petals 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon 2 Tbsp ground cumin 1 Tbsp green cardamom 1 tsp cloves (or nutmeg)

Advieh Ash (Soup Spice Mix)

2 Tbsp ground coriander 2 Tbsp ground cumin 1 Tbsp garlic powder ½ Tbsp turmeric ½ Tbsp ground black pepper ½ Tbsp red pepper flakes 2 tsp salt 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves

Advieh Khoresh (Stew Spice Mix)

4 Tbsp ground coriander 2 Tbsp dried rose petals 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon 1 Tbsp dried limes (seeds removed) 4 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp green cardamom 2 tsp ground black pepper ½ Tbsp cloves 1/8 tsp nutmeg Grind ingredients as needed, mix, store in labeled spice jars.

Grind ingredients as needed, mix, store in labeled spice jars.

Grind ingredients as needed, mix, store in labeled spice jars.

Finally, we’ll end along the shores of the Mediterranean and Black Seas in Turkey. A staple in Turkish cooking, “pilaf,” is a rice dish made by soaking the rice in salted water, and then rinsing it thoroughly to rid it of the starch. Pilaf can then be cooked in several ways, with two of the most common methods being roasting and absorption. To roast the pilaf, simply heat olive oil or butter in a pan until it sizzles, add the rinsed rice and cook on low for 10 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Meat or meat stock can be added, and bring the mixture to a boil. Allow it to simmer until the rice absorbs all the juices.

The absorption method adds the washed rice to water or stock and simmers the mixture until the rice absorbs the juices. Remove the pan from the heat, gently stir in some heated butter, then let the pilaf rest for about 15 minutes before serving. Pilaf can be served with vegetables, beans or chicken.

(All info from “The Turkish Cookbook”) A new spice, technique or sauce can add a flair of creativity to weeknight dinner at home, and every cuisine brings its own flavor. Despite often feeling pressed for time or short on cash, even college students can explore the world by simply bringing it into the kitchen.