New Style Fusion - How Have You Changed Your Cooking?

[milee]

Remember years ago when one of the hot food trends was "fusion" cooking? It was huge news when someone would open a restaurant serving foods that combined cuisines such as classic French and Asian. Over time, though, IMHO the fusion phrase became out of date because everybody started realizing that it was OK to bring favorite flavors in from all origins and it's no biggie to "cross the streams."

Today one of my projects is making appetizers for an upcoming party and was thinking about how many traditional recipes I've changed by substituting nontraditional ingredients.  Sometimes it's a substitution for something I like more and sometimes it's an addition of a favorite flavor I want to add. 

What are some of your favorite recipes where there are nontraditional ingredients that all play well together?  Please share recipes - I like to try new ones.  Or do you not do that and think this is crazy? 

[milee]

I'll start with one of the recipes I was making today. It started years ago as a very traditional southern Pimento Cheese recipe and my very proper southern friend that shared her family recipe upon which it is based would shriek and clutch her pearls if she knew how I changed it.   But people really love my new version and I get requests for it all the time.  It's always one of the first things eaten at parties, so I think they're not just being polite when they say they like it.  Anyway, here it is:

Not Southern But Totally Awesome Pimento Cheese

4 oz jar pimento, drained and chopped

1 tbl Chipotle Tabasco Sauce

3/4 c. Hellman's mayo

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 - 3 Tbl Tarragon

2 - 3 Tbl Grand Marnier

1 - 2 tsp Korean Red Pepper Paste (optional)

1 lb finely grated sharp cheddar cheese

Mix everything except the cheese.  Stir in cheese until everything is completely combined.  Chill for at least one hour, but will taste better if you let the flavors blend overnight.

[chiver78]

first, let me start by saying I Korean red pepper paste.

second, I've been making pulled pork burritos that aren't BBQ.

I cook the meat in a crockpot with cola and shred it like you would for BBQ pulled pork, but I leave it w/o sauce after draining. while that's cooking, I assemble an Asian-dressed coleslaw and let it marinate awhile. I use bagged coleslaw mix, shred in an additional carrot and thin slice sugar snap peas into the veggies. the dressing is sesame oil, tamari soy, a little honey, and something else that's escaping me at the moment (sorry! )

for the burritos, I'll dry-grill (if I'm home) or nuke (if I'm at work) the meat to give it a little crust. pour that onto the wrap, add baby spinach, some of that coleslaw, and a healthy dousing of sriracha. roll it up and go.

[NancysSummerSip]

I don't think it's crazy at all. The mixing and combining of flavors and foods is how we get new cuisines. It's a reflection of who we are as a country at any given time.

In Los Angeles, the big thing is KoreaMex, a fusion of Korean and Mexican food. Think Korean BBQ with kimchi in tacos.

[milee]

Mar 11, 2015 12:37:50 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

In Los Angeles, the big thing is KoreaMex, a fusion of Korean and Mexican food. Think Korean BBQ with kimchi in tacos.

I would love this!!! I'm the only one in my house that will eat straight kimchi, though. Sometimes I'll sneak it into thinks as an ingredient and they'll tolerate it, though.

This is one of my favorite recipes with kimchi that my family will eat:

www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/steak-and-eggs-korean-style-239793

[Tiny]

My new 'thing' is  pikliz -  my neice makes it with scotch bonnet peppers versus habenaros.   I haven't made any myself yet (my neice keeps supplying me with a jar every now and then) but I plan to start to. 

I've been saying it "cures what ails you" and low and behold when searching for something to post here I found this:

www.tropicalfoodies.com/2013/03/04/pikliz-a-spicy-haitian-slaw-that-will-make-everything-clearer/

It's close to her recipe - it appears that everyone makes it differently (or by family?)

All I can say is everything is better with some Pikliz.  

[myrrh]

Tiny, I read the recipe and it looks good, except I think they forgot to proofread. Cloves (of garlic?) and carrots are in the ingredients but not the recipe. And I think they meant adobo seasoning, not adobe - unless they are planning to make some yummy bricks. Maybe Carl can clear this up?