FEATURED CULTURES
APRIL 2014
DUTCH ITALIAN
CHINESE
MEXICAN AMERICAN
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BLEND Every cook has the ability to make delicious recipes that they love from around the world. Because food is that one special thing that unites us all.
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CONTENTS
8 AMERICAN
DUTCH
C U LT U R E S
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14
CONTENTS C U LT U R E S
CHINESE
32
ITALIAN
28
MEXICAN
20
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CONTENTS RECIPES
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BANKET
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15
DEVILED EGGS
CONTENTS RECIPES
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MEXICAN FLAN
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CHICKEN PARMESAN
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SHRIMP STIR FRY
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DUTCH
Cuisine and Culinary Customs Most Dutch eat three meals a day. Dinner is eaten at around six o’clock in the evening and usually consists of the traditional meat, potato, and vegetable meal. But the Netherlands is also home to other cultures and external influences can be found in the kitchen of the average Dutch household. When eating out in the Netherlands, the selection of restaurants and cafés to choose from ranges from Indonesian, Chinese, and Surinamese to Turkish, Italian, Mediterranean, and more. The Dutch still have a uniquely Dutch cuisine and traditional culinary customs.
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The average Dutchman eats three meals a day. More time is usually spent on dinner (usually a hot meal) than breakfast or lunch. Lunch often consists of bread and various cold toppings and lasts an average of 30 minutes. Most Dutch eat lunch between noon and one in the afternoon. Compared to Southern Europeans, the Dutch eat dinner relatively early, usually around six or seven in the evening. It is becoming more popular to eat out for lunch, although the dinner trend is now shifting back to a home-cooked meal, often enjoyed in the company of friends.
BANKET INGREDIENT LIST
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO
BANKET
Original recipe makes 4 strips
o 2 cups
all-purpose flour
INGREDIENTS NEEDED All-purpose flour, butter, water, almond paste, eggs, white sugar, almond extract, salt, an egg white
o 1 cup butter or margarine o ½ cup cold water o 1 ½ cups
almond paste
o 2 eggs o ¾ cup white sugar (extra for topping)
o ¼ teaspoon
almond extract
STEP 1 In a large bowl, cut cold butter or margarine into flour until the mixture has a crumb-like texture. Make a well in the center, add cold water.
o 1 pinch of salt o 1 egg white, beaten
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STEP 2 Mix together until the mixture forms a ball. Do not over-mix. Chill dough in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.
STEP 3 In a medium bowl, blend together almond paste, eggs, ž cup sugar, almond extract, and salt.
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STEP 4 Divide dough in four parts, and roll into 15-inch strips. Place filling along the center of each long strip of dough.
STEP 5 Roll up, and pinch the ends to seal. Place strips two inches apart on cookie sheets.
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STEP 6 Brush with egg white across the top and sprinkle with sugar.
STEP 7 Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool. Cut into pieces to serve.
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Finished recipe of Banket
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AMERICAN
Cuisine and Culinary Customs Some dishes that are typically considered American have their original in other countries. American cooks and chefs have substantially altered these dishes over the years, to the degree that the dishes now enjoyed around the world are considered to be American. Hot dogs and hamburgers are both based on traditional German dishes, but in their modern popular form they can be reasonably considered American dishes. Pizza is based on the traditional Italian dish, brought by Italian immigrants to the United States, but varies highly in style based on the region of
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development since its arrival, from Chicago style deep dish to New York’s thinner-crust pizza. Many companies in the American food industry develop new products requiring minimal preparation, such as frozen entrées. Many of these recipes have become very popular. For example, the General Mills Betty Crocker’s Cookbook, first published in 1950 and currently in its 10th edition, is commonly found in American homes. A wave of celebrity chefs began with Julia Child and Graham Kerr in the 1970s, with many more following after the rise of cable channels like the Food Network.
DEVILED EGGS INGREDIENT LIST
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO
DEVILED EGGS
Original recipe makes 12 eggs
o 6 eggs o ¼ cup mayonnaise INGREDIENTS NEEDED
o 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, salt, sugar, black pepper, paprika
o ¼ teaspoon salt o Freshly ground black pepper
o 1 pinch sugar o Paprika, for garnish
STEP 1 Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with enough room-temp water to cover the eggs.
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STEP 2 Heat on high until water begins to boil, then remove from heat, and cover for 10 minutes.
STEP 3 Place eggs into an ice bath. Crack egg shells and carefully peel. Dry with paper towels.
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STEP 4 Slice the eggs in half the long way, remove yolks to a medium bowl, and set the whites aside.
STEP 5 Add the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper and sugar to the egg yolks and, using a fork, stir thoroughly to combine.
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STEP 6 Place the mixture into a zip-top plastic bag and cut a small hole at one of the corners. Pipe the mixture into each of the white egg halves.
STEP 7 Chill eggs for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. Garnish with paprika or black pepper before serving eggs.
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Finished recipe of Deviled Eggs
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MEXICAN
Cuisine and Culinary Customs Each year the health food market in Mexico makes over $500 Million. The consumers make up five percent of Mexico’s population. Their age range is from 20 to 50 years old. They usually live in metropolitan areas and can afford to buy these types of healthier foods. Authentic Mexican foods still carry many vegetables and ingredients that are good for your body, and also the way the food is cooked is healthier. There are many fruits that are native to Mexico. Papaya is one of them. It is believed to have originated there. It can grow as large as 12 feet in height. A ripened papaya will taste very sweet and juicy. It contains vitamins and fiber and is good for the digestive
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system. Papaya is also considered when dealing with herbal medicine. It claims to help with the properties of: laxative, hypertensive, antibacterial, and more. Avocados are also native to Mexico. Although they are in many dishes with vegetables, they are indeed a fruit. They grow on trees in tropical climates. Avocados are extremely good for your health because they are packed with many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It is a must-have fruit for people of all ages. There are also many different Mexican soups to discover. Some are sweet, while others are hot and spicy. Some are for dinner, while others are deserts. There is a soup that will please anyone!
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO
MEXICAN FLAN
MEXICAN FLAN INGREDIENT LIST Original recipe serves 8 people
o 1 cup white sugar o 1 cup whole milk INGREDIENTS NEEDED
o ½ cup water
White sugar, whole milk, water, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, egg yolks, orange juice, orange peel, vanilla extract, cornstarch, heavy cream
o 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
o 3 eggs o 3 egg yolks o ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
o 1 tablespoon grated STEP 1 Place sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar melts and turns a golden amber color, about 10 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure the syrup doesn't burn.
orange peel
o 1 tablespoon
vanilla extract
o 1 tablespoon cornstarch o 1 cup heavy cream
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STEP 2 Carefully pour the melted sugar syrup into a flan mold or muffin tin. Let cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
STEP 3 Pour whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, egg yolks, orange juice, orange peel, vanilla extract, and cornstarch into a blender, and blend for a minute or so, until the mixture is smooth. Pour in the cream, and pulse several times.
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STEP 4 Pour the mixture over the cooled caramel syrup in the molds. Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel.
STEP 5 Place the flan mold or muffin tin inside the roasting pan, and place pan on oven rack. Fill the pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish.
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STEP 6 Bake in the preheated oven until the center of the flan is set but still slightly jiggly when moved, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let the flan cool, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
STEP 7 To serve, run a sharp paring knife around the inside of the mold to release the flan. Invert a plate on the mold, flip the mold over, and gently remove the mold to reveal the flan with caramel topping.
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Finished recipe of Mexican Flan
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ITALIAN
Cuisine and Culinary Customs Italy is made up of twenty regions with distinct characteristics. Every town, every village, makes the same dish in vastly different ways, and every town and village has its proudest specialty. These cooking traditions define people’s identities just as much as their dialects and their traditional costumes do. The local cooking preferences and customs are shaped by geographic, historical, and climactic differences. Some regions are landlocked and mountainous, others hug the sea and are hilly; some regions have absorbed Arab or Greek influences, others have been marked by the French or Austrians; some regions live under the dazzling Mediterranean sun most of the year,
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others have cold winters, snow, fog, and harsh winds. The richness of Italian cuisine lies in its diversity. From delicate tortelli filled with squash in Lombardy to spaghetti tossed with salted gray mullet roe in Sardinia, regional food preferences and cooking styles vary widely across Italy. Some recipes are thousands of years old and have changed very little over the course of time; others were born in the Renaissance or after the discovery of the New World, when a wealth of new foodstuffs like tomatoes, beans, peppers, zucchini, corn, and cocoa reached European shores; still others appeared in the last decade or so, novel elaborations on ancient themes.
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO
CHICKEN PARMESAN
CHICKEN PARMESAN INGREDIENT LIST Original recipe serves 4 people
o 4 pieces boneless skinless breasts (about 1 lb. each)
INGREDIENTS NEEDED Chicken breasts, Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, an egg, olive oil, spaghetti sauce, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese
o ¾ cup dry Italian
seasoned breadcrumbs
o ¼ teaspoon salt o ¼ teaspoon pepper o 1 egg, lightly beaten o 3 tablespoons olive oil o 1 1/3 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
STEP 1 Spread a chicken cutlet out flat between two pieces of wax paper. Using a mallet or rolling pin, pound the cutlet until it is ½ inch thick. Do the same with the remaining cutlets.
o 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
o 3 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese
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STEP 2 In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Place beaten egg in another shallow bowl.
STEP 3 Dip each cutlet in egg, coating lightly, then in the bread crumb mixture, coating lightly, and set aside on a plate.
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STEP 4 In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add cutlets and cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden.
STEP 5 Add more oil one tablespoon at a time if needed. Remove from skillet and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour one cup spaghetti sauce into the bottom of a baking dish.
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STEP 6 Arrange cutlets in dish one layer deep. Pour the remaining sauce over the chicken. Top the chicken with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
STEP 7 Bake for 20 minutes. Can be served on its own or on a bed of pasta if desired.
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Finished recipe of Chicken Parmesan
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CHINESE
Cuisine and Culinary Customs Nowadays, Chinese food is enjoying a very high reputation in the world due to its delicious taste and charming appearance. China is famous for its claim as home to the most popular cuisine in the world. All Chinese dishes have built up a wide range of unique local and specialized dishes and local flavor refreshments to endless charm with different produce, climate, regions, historical conditions and food and drink customs as well. In this China country, food and its preparation has been developed so highly that it has reached the status of an art form. All people in China think that delicious and nutritious food is a basic necessity of life. Food in Chinese country is typically seen
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as consisting of two or more general components: a carbohydrate source or starch accompanying dishes of vegetables, meat, fish, or other items. Chinese people use in cooking meats, poultry, fish and vegetables known to the Western palate but also include some exotic ingredients. Because of different weather conditions, environment, tastes and products, there are about 57 regional styles of food in China. There are also numerous methods of cooking such as baking, boiling, braising, deep frying, poaching, sautĂŠing, scalding, double boiling, simmering, smoking, steaming, stir frying, barbecuing and blanching that produce many varieties of mouth watering dishes.
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO
SHRIMP STIR FRY
SHRIMP STIR FRY INGREDIENT LIST Original recipe serves 3 to 4 people
o o
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
o
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
o
3 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic (or to taste)
o
2 teaspoons dried chili pepper flakes (optional)
o
¼ cup water
o
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
o o
¼ cup low sodium chicken broth
o
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
STEP 1
o
In a large wok or skillet, heat oil over medium to high heat.
1 ½ lbs. large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
o
2 cups broccoli florets
o
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
o
1 tablespoon cold water
o
Sesame seeds
INGREDIENTS NEEDED Large raw shrimp, vegetable oil, carrots, pepper, fresh garlic, water, soy sauce, chicken broth, cider vinegar, broccoli florets, cornstarch, sesame seeds
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into matchstick pieces
3 tablespoons brown sugar
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STEP 2 Add in the sliced carrots, red bell pepper, garlic, and dried chili flakes; stir-fry for about 3 to 4 minutes.
STEP 3 In a small bowl whisk together, water, broth, soy sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar; add to the skillet and bring to a boil.
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STEP 4 Add in uncooked shrimp and broccoli florets, cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink in color and the broccoli is just crisp-tender.
STEP 5 In a small cup, whisk together cornstarch and water, then add to the simmering sauce.
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STEP 6 Cook until thickened (about 30 seconds to 1 minute).
STEP 7 Serve the stir fry with sesame seeds on top and serve over cooked rice.
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Finished recipe of Shrimp Stir Fry
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