My mother’s side is from the South, so there are certain regional staples that we cling to (shout out to the “meat and three” and fried fish sandwiches!), just as there are dishes we like that seem to be more mainstream American. But we also never shied away from trying different cuisines that popped up in our neighborhood, on TV, etc., and then trying to make those same dishes at home. I remember watching a Jamaican stew with dumplings being made on the Cooking Channel with my grandmother sometime in the early 2000s. Within a few days, she had procured the ingredients and whipped herself up a mean stew that I think could rival anyone’s in the Caribbean.
I’ve carried this love of trying new-to-me food with me well into adulthood. That’s why I was excited to write a list of suggestions for the Read Harder Challenge Task #12: Read/try a recipe from a cookbook about a culture whose food you’ve never eaten. There were a few things I had to consider, though. For one, not everyone makes it a point to try new cuisines like I do (which is kind of the reason the task exists, but I digress), or lives in a diverse area where a multitude of cuisines are available. This just me...
English (US)