# What are your Favorite Ethnic Foods



## shilohautumn (Oct 24, 2006)

What are your favorite ethnic-type foods that you that you keep going back to and make again and again? 

For me, it's Aloo Sholay (or Alu Chholey): potatoes and chickpeas cooked in turka, or curry sauce (onions, tomato, and spices: garam masala, turmeric and chili powder) accompanied with fresh roti (chappati), and kuthha (raita) - a sour cream and buttermilk sauce. Yum!!


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## pdswife (Oct 24, 2006)

I love Greek food!


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## Robo410 (Oct 24, 2006)

middle eastern/Arabic
Latin American/Mexican
Chinese Asian
soul food/African


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## Constance (Oct 24, 2006)

I love just about anything Italian or Eastern European, probably because there are so many people of those ethnicities who came here to work in the coal mines here. 
Mary's ravioli and Mrs. Sevenski's cabbage rolls are two of the best things I've ever eaten. I can come very close to Mrs. Sevenski's cabbage rolls, but I'll never be able to duplicate Mary's ravioli. 

Mary had her tiny restaurant in an old railroad dining car, which was attached to a local tavern in a small mining town. You had to enter the restaurant through the tavern. Her dinner menu was simple...spaghetti or ravioli, bread, and slaw or lettuce salad. She took orders in the dining car, then served the meal in the tavern. 
The tavern was picturesque, full of old Italian men and their families. Children were welcome. They served ice cold Stag beer on draft, and when you were there, it tasted great. It was all part of the ambiance. 
Mary was no sweet little old lady. She was a foul-tempered woman who slammed your plate on the table and never smiled. Without words, she let you know you were durned lucky to get what you got. 
But, oh, what you got! 
Her sauce was truly amazing, obviously cooked slowly for a long time, but it was only a condiment to her pasta. To serve, the pasta was dipped onto a plate with a little of the cooking liquid (I think she cooked it in chicken broth), with a moderate amount of the sauce spooned over the top, and over that, freshly grated parmesan. I have no idea what was in the ravioli filling, except that it did contain meat. 

Mary passed away some time ago. She kept her recipe to herself, never even sharing it with her daughter. When she went, her ravioli went with her. What a shame.


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## Robo410 (Oct 24, 2006)

Thank you for sharing Mary with us.  I knew a Miss Dot, a grand Cajun cook, and a fine friend of the family who let us help her make fish gumbo and dirty rice.  I can recreate it because I got to make them with her once or twice.  I was lucky.  Today I was allowed to make pasties with a lady from the UP.  This simple but delicious meat turnover is a staple of Upper Michigan and parts of Wisc and Minn too.  But the secret is shown and felt not written down.  Here on the eatern shore of Delmarva, we have slippery dumplings...served with chicken in a thick broth/gravy.  Another regional "mystery",  simple and delicious.


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## TATTRAT (Oct 24, 2006)

Indian, turkish, south american, dutch, south western, ethiopian, and SOUL FOOD! I love me some soul food!


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## Reanie525i (Oct 24, 2006)

I will always have a passion for Costa Rican food....Ceviche, arroz con pollo...mondongo...and of course my fav which is chicheronnes?? not sure of the spelling but it tastes great!!!


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## boufa06 (Oct 25, 2006)

Mine is Peranakan.  Can anybody hazard a guess as to what it is?


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## Michael in FtW (Oct 25, 2006)

Greek, Middle Eastern, Italian, Eastern European, Irish, American, Tex-Mex, Chinese ... in that order ... but not limited to those and the order is subject to change from time to time.

boufa06 - is this close?


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## Ishbel (Oct 25, 2006)

In order of preference

French
Italian
Greek
Middle Eastern (Lebanon, Egypt etc)
Indian
Chinese

Oh, and not forgetting my own ethnic cuisine


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## Michael in FtW (Oct 25, 2006)

LOL - you left off Haggis Ishbel - and I left off French 

I like French food - but prefer the peasant food - not so much the fancy restaurant fare.


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## XeniA (Oct 25, 2006)

Lebanese without a doubt, Chinese coming in shortly thereafter.


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## boufa06 (Oct 25, 2006)

Close enough Michael.  It is basically an amalgamation of Chinese and Malay cuisine.  The dishes have a rich, spicy and robust taste.  Coconut milk and spices are present in most of them.  Of course for a healthier diet, you can always replace coconut milk with milk or yoghurt. The desserts are really yummy but very laborious to do.  In a way, the cuisine is quite similar to Greek, not necessarily in taste but style of cooking.

I will post some recipes later when I find the time to put them together.


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## Mel! (Oct 25, 2006)

Humus
Indian Korma
Thai coconut curry. 

Mel


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## karadekoolaid (Oct 25, 2006)

I am passionate about Indian food. Chenna Dal cooked in a spicy tomato sauce; Shrimp in coconut sauce with Curry leaves; buttery, flaky parathas; Aviyal....

Stop! Stop! I'm getting hungry!


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## Ishbel (Oct 25, 2006)

Michael in FtW said:
			
		

> LOL - you left off Haggis Ishbel - and I left off French
> 
> I like French food - but prefer the peasant food - not so much the fancy restaurant fare.


 
I didn't mention it by name, but I did say my own ethnic cuisine!!!


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## GB (Oct 25, 2006)

I just love food in general. There is not a cuisine that I have tried that I have not absolutely loved. Indian took me the longest to warm up to, but now it is at the top of my list.


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## lulu (Oct 25, 2006)

Wow, almost un-answerable!  British (I am lumoing them together, but I should sat English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh) I consider my starting base of ethnicity, so I guess I love that food!, then Carribean, French, Italian, Indian, Chinese, Greek, American, Morrocan.  I want to say Jewish, but don't want to offend anyone who would break it down futher, eg sephardic.  I just cook very general Jewish food as taugh to me by my husband's aunt and a load of Jewish cookery books.  And American!


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## Chopstix (Oct 25, 2006)

boufa06 said:
			
		

> Mine is Peranakan. Can anybody hazard a guess as to what it is?


 
I was in Singapore for a week-long conference years ago.  There I met a colleague from Hongkong who asked me out. He took me to the charming Peranakan Place on Orchard Road in Singapore.  (It's still there today.) I remember being told that Peranakan is of Malay origin that has evolved through various cultural influences.  I can't remember if I liked the food though.  That was waaaaay before I became a foodie.  Actually, I think I was too goo-goo eyed with my hot date to even remember tasting the food. 

I have a trip to Singapore coming up.  Maybe I'll try Peranakan again.


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## ehlcee (Oct 25, 2006)

I grew up on filipino food.  I love lumpia, pancit, siopao, adobo chicken.  Of course it's always better when my mom makes it than when i make it.  But I also love pizza, and curried foods.

my favourite comfort food which I can't have anymore because of diabetes is my dad's potato with egg.  I think it's filipino or spanish omelet.

slice up a bunch of potatoes like french fries.  fry in med-low heat until just tender.  not mushy or golden brown.  if they stick together, that's good.  Beat up a couple eggs with pinch of salt.  pour over the potatoes.  flip.  serve hot.  it should be more potatoey than eggy.  yummm...


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## ChefJune (Oct 25, 2006)

"Ethnic" Cuisine means different things to different people.

Based upon what I'm reading from your list, absolutely EVERYthing we eat in the USA is "Ethnic Cuisine."

What is it you are considering "Ethnic Cuisine?"  

For instance, I don't consider Soul Food in that category.  It's plain old American food.  But if you're not Black or from the South, I guess you might think it's "Ethnic."  I sure don't think of French cooking as "Ethnic!"  nor Italian, which I grew up eating!  so please clarify what you mean by "Ethnic" cooking


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## Chopstix (Oct 25, 2006)

ehlcee said:
			
		

> my favourite comfort food which I can't have anymore because of diabetes is my dad's potato with egg. I think it's filipino or spanish omelet.
> 
> slice up a bunch of potatoes like french fries. fry in med-low heat until just tender. not mushy or golden brown. if they stick together, that's good. Beat up a couple eggs with pinch of salt. pour over the potatoes. flip. serve hot. it should be more potatoey than eggy. yummm...


 
Hi Ehlcee, that's Spanish omelette if you're interested to know.   I grew up in the Philippines and I tasted this for the first and only time at a Spanish restaurant in Manila.  A Spanish friend took us there and did all the ordering. This friend was craving for this potato omelette dish.  He was so happy eating it I guess it was also comfort food for him.  I have a recipe for this dish in my Spanish Tapas cookbook...


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## Chopstix (Oct 25, 2006)

ChefJune said:
			
		

> "Ethnic" Cuisine means different things to different people.
> 
> Based upon what I'm reading from your list, absolutely EVERYthing we eat in the USA is "Ethnic Cuisine."
> 
> ...


 
It wasn't too clear to me too that's why I didn't answer the question posted... 'Ethnic' is a relative term, with connotations of being strange and exotic.  Chinese and Filipino are considered in the West as ethnic but I grew up on both so they're not exotic to me.  It's possible that I'll consider them under 'favorite food', but somehow I'd be unwilling to place them under 'favorite ethnic food'.


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## lulu (Oct 25, 2006)

Everything IS ethnic food!  In that it has a different ethnicity, and DC is international.  

That's why I included by "home cuisine" on my list.  On an international site we are all "foreign" and the food has different ethnicities.  American food is as "ethnic" to me as, say Spanish food.  American counts as ethnic!


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## Chopstix (Oct 25, 2006)

Lest we forget, this thread is under the Ethnic Foods forum.  DC is  international but it is also U.S.-centric to an extent.  This is just an observation, not a criticism.


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## AnnieKyung (Oct 25, 2006)

My favourite ethnic food is vietnamese food. All dishes from this country have this tangy, exotic flavour, that makes the first bite often a bit weird. The aftertaste however make you want to have more. And the memory of each meal stays for years.
Favourite vietnamese dish is banh bao (steamed bun), sweet and fluffy on the outside, and meaty on the inside. Another favourite is springrolls. Both  differ from simular dishes in asia, in the way meat in used raw, not pre-cooked, directly in the dough/wrapping (or at least thats the way I have learned to make them from vietnames people).


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## Katie H (Oct 25, 2006)

Omigosh!  How does it go?  So much food, so little time.  I like so many different types of cuisine, but I think Italian would top my list.  There's something so seductive about all the wonderful sauces and flavors of Italy.  Each region is a treasure chest.

My Uncle Bill's mother, Grandma Grillo, came from Sicily.  She had 13 children and could cook the doors off any stove.  I didn't care for spaghetti and meatballs until I had hers.  After the first taste, I wanted to crawl into the pot.  I don't know what she did to the meatballs but they were tender and delicately flavored.  They were the size of tennis balls and were so good no one ever stopped at eating just one.  I can still see the tray at the side of her stove piled high with them as she cooked them.

Her lasagna recipe has been passed down to other generations.  Unfortunately, her meatballs and spaghetti recipe went with her to the Pearly Gates.  St. Peter is dining well.


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## boufa06 (Oct 25, 2006)

Katie E said:
			
		

> Omigosh!  How does it go?  So much food, so little time.  I like so many different types of cuisine, but I think Italian would top my list.  There's something so seductive about all the wonderful sauces and flavors of Italy.  Each region is a treasure chest.
> 
> My Uncle Bill's mother, Grandma Grillo, came from Sicily.  She had 13 children and could cook the doors off any stove.  I didn't care for spaghetti and meatballs until I had hers.  After the first taste, I wanted to crawl into the pot.  I don't know what she did to the meatballs but they were tender and delicately flavored.  They were the size of tennis balls and were so good no one ever stopped at eating just one.  I can still see the tray at the side of her stove piled high with them as she cooked them.
> 
> Her lasagna recipe has been passed down to other generations.  Unfortunately, her meatballs and spaghetti recipe went with her to the Pearly Gates.  St. Peter is dining well.



How about sharing Grandma Grillo's lasagne recipe with us?


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## Katie H (Oct 25, 2006)

I'll do that this coming weekend.  I'll have to type it into a Word document from the handwritten notes I have then I'll post it.  It's yummy.


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## Nicholas Mosher (Oct 25, 2006)

French Bistro Grub
Traditional Sichuan
Japanese
Ethiopian

I love the purity of flavor in French Bistro Grub and Japanese foods.  I love the techniques of the French, Japanese, and Sichuan cuisines.  The spice mixtures of Sichuan and Ethiopian foods are incredible.  I personally like the simplest preparations from these cuisines.  The one-dish/pot/wok wonders.


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## Ishbel (Oct 25, 2006)

I still find it odd to think that I have to post Scots recipes as 'ethnic'....   It's my local cuisine, mixed with tastes from all over the UK..  but to foreigners, I know that would be unusual food.  Mind you, many, many British dishes (like German and Italian and Irish and... (add your ethnic grouping in here!) have been subsumed into Australian, New Zealand, South African and even US cuisine.

As Lulu said.  We are ALL ethnic peoples on here....


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## shpj4 (Oct 25, 2006)

Ishbel - I love my friends from Israel because they make all their favorite dishes and I really enjoy them.

I have a neighbor from Russia who is always cooking something for me.  I am not exactly sure of the ingredients but Vera says that they are dishes that she learned to cook in Russia.


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## T-roy (Oct 25, 2006)

Sushi / Japanese and lately Ahi Poke which is Hawaiian / Japanese.
Local favorites would be Thai & Vietnamese.


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## TATTRAT (Oct 26, 2006)

forgot to mention Miss Sylvia's Fried chicken and waffle. it is like heaven on a plate. savory "Belgium" waffle, a pile of greens, and a mound of fried buttermilk chicken...add a glass of iced tea, I am in P-I-G- Heaven!


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## Gossie (Oct 26, 2006)

GREEK:  Spanokopita
CHINESE: MeiFun, Steamed Dumplings, ok, just about anything Chinese 
FILIPINO: Chicken Adobo, Pancit Canton, Tosino, Paksiw na Pata
MEXICAN: Empanadas
AMERICAN: STEAK!
ITALIAN: Just about anything

I've probably forgotten something, but what the heck, I like food, so it's hard to list. LOL


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## college_cook (Oct 26, 2006)

I have a hard time thinking of certain foods as ethnic as well.  For example, when someone mentions French food I don't think of that as ethnic, but I think of lots of butter and cream, really rich food, prepared with some intricate techniques.  When someone mentions Italian food I think about pasta.  I suppose its because certain ethnic foods have become so ingrained into American food culture that it doesn't really seem so much ethnic as it does "normal".

As for the ethnic foods I do enjoy,  I would have to say that Mexican and Asian top my list, in that order.  I really love the strong flavors that you can encounter in Mexican cuisine, whether it be through fresh fruits and vegetables or the robustness of spices.  And there's just something heavenly about biting into some expertly prepared quesadillea or fajitas, carnitas, the list goes on!


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## Katie H (Oct 26, 2006)

*Grandma Grillo's Baked Lasagna*

I plowed through my lasagna notes sooner than I'd anticipated.  It's a good thing I finally have this clearly written.  My children will appreciate it.  Especially my sons.  They love this lasagna.

So here it is, boufa06.

*GRANDMA GRILLO'S BAKED LASAGNA*​ (Serves 12)​ ​    1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
  1 clove garlic, minced
      3 Tbsp. parsley flakes, divided, or appropriate amount of fresh parsley
    1 Tbsp. dried basil or appropriate amount of fresh basil
  3½ tsp. salt, divided
  1 (28-oz.) can plum tomatoes
  2 (6-oz.) cans tomato paste
  10 oz. lasagna noodles
  3 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
  2 eggs, beaten
  ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  1 lb. mozzarella cheese slices


  Open tomatoes and pour, with juice, into a large bowl and mash with a potato masher until the tomatoes are uniformly chunky.

  In a large skillet or sauté pan, cook sausage until browned and crumbly.  Drain all fat.  (At this point I put the sausage into the food processor fitted with the metal blade and chop it evenly.)  Return the sausage to the pan.  Add garlic, 1 tablespoon parsley flakes, basil, 1½ teaspoons salt, tomatoes and juice, and tomato paste.  Stir to combine.

  Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

  While sauce is simmering, prepare lasagna noodles according to package directions.  Rinse with cold water and place noodles on a clean dishtowel and pat dry.  Cover with a towel until ready to use.

  In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, eggs, 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons parsley flakes, and Parmesan cheese.  Mix to blend all completely.

  To assemble lasagna, lightly grease or spray lightly with vegetable spray a deep 9- x 13-inch baking dish or lasagna pan.  Place a layer of noodles on the bottom of pan.  Spread ½ of the ricotta cheese mixture over noodles, next cover with mozzarella cheese slices, followed by half the tomato sauce mixture.

  Repeat layers.  Cover tightly with foil and bake in preheated 375º oven for 30 to 40 minutes.  Remove from oven and arrange triangles of mozzarella cheese on top.  Recover with foil and let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving.  The standing time allows the lasagna to set up slightly, which will make it easy to cut into squares.

Enjoy!


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## ChefJune (Oct 26, 2006)

yum! Thanks, Katie!!!! 


> French food I don't think of that as ethnic, but I think of lots of butter and cream, really rich food, prepared with some intricate techniques.


Interestingly, that is only food from a very small region of France -- Normandy -- OR really bad, touristy food!  French food is not really about "intricate" techniques, but very specific ones, which translates to the casual American style as "intricate."  Good French food is almost as simple as good Italian food.... and it is also about fresh, local ingredients.  

We've learned a lot about regional Italian food over the past 10 or so years, but for some reason, Americans aren't really interested in the regional food of France, until about 10 years ago when Provence became "hot."   Go firgure!


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## lulu (Oct 26, 2006)

When I think of the food of the region in the south of france that was our summer home for many years I think of simply beautiful meals.  Simple being the operative word.  My mother and my sister and her kids left for there today, and on sunday they will go to my favourite restaurant where I know what they will eat, its a no choice menu that changes seasonally but the same things are served this autumn as were searved ten years ago.  Among the seven courses of simply prepared food will be a mushroom tart, a crisp green salad, and perfectly roasted duck.  Not fancy or intricate but perfection!  

I think that patisserie and restaurans in Paris are fussier, just as are many in London, Milan and many major cities where good food vies with fashion to retain custom.  

Butter, cream, and rich food have their place, but I am grateful for that!


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## Ishbel (Oct 26, 2006)

And some of the local cuisine of various areas of France is amazing.... not just the provencal stuff...  what about Languedoc or Alsace (bit heavy for my tastes!) or.......   the choices are endless!


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## boufa06 (Oct 26, 2006)

Katie,

Thanks a lot for taking the trouble to dig out this family recipe.  It is exactly how I expect traditional home-style recipes to be.  Lasagne in a way is quite similar in preparation to Greek Mousakas. I will definitely try this when time permits.


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## urmaniac13 (Oct 27, 2006)

If I were to pick one favourite, it would be clearly Italian, but living in the heart of Rome, "Italian cuisine" is considered just normal food, not at all "ethnic"!!  Also it is really a broad description to just say Italian food, as they can differ from being "Alpine" in the north to "Semi tropic" in the south, and everything else in between.  But I like them all!!  (well, as long as it doesn't get too carnivorous...)

Other cuisines I am particularly fond of are

-Indian
-Middle Eastern-Mediterranean (things like Lebanese, Turkish, Moroccan etc... they seem to have strong connections due to the logistic/climatic factor and their culinary borders are sort of blurred...)
-Mexican
-Greek


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## YT2095 (Oct 27, 2006)

I have so many that I adore it`s impossible to deliver a concise answer, but as a short list (in no particular order) it would have to be:

Thai
BBQ (it`s still semi-foreign in the UK)
Mexican
Japanese

and any of the above with a Beer


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## buckytom (Oct 27, 2006)

you name the ethnicity, and i'll bet i can name a dish that i've had that would be my fave.


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## karadekoolaid (Oct 27, 2006)

buckytom said:
			
		

> you name the ethnicity, and i'll bet i can name a dish that i've had that would be my fave.


 
How about Burkina Faso?  

( You _knew_ someone would come up with a silly question, didn't you??)


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## YT2095 (Oct 28, 2006)

cliveb said:
			
		

> How about Burkina Faso?
> 
> ( You _knew_ someone would come up with a silly question, didn't you??)



Based on the premis there`s a MacDonalds almost Everywhere you go, then it simply has to be a BigMac

(you just Knew someone would come up an equaly Silly answer )


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## buckytom (Oct 28, 2006)

yt, oofda! i haven't had mickey d's in years. about the only fast food i'll eat is wendy's. 
i even risked and caught montezuma's revenge, after a hurricane in mexico, because i refused to eat mcdonald's. everyone else i travelled with ate mcdonald's for a week, nothing else, and were fine. i would have rather been sacrificed at chichen itza than eat those dried up hockey pucks for so long.


hah! clive, i do have a favourite food from burkina faso. 
they have a special dish, created in 1952 by a family of great chefs known the schwedees.
it is essentially a combination of secret ingredients, found only in burkina faso, and somewhat resembles a cross between a truffle and a meatball.
recently, the word has gotten out about them, and people from everywhere are travelling to burkina faso to get them.

if you are adventurous enough, you should be able to find lots of sites on the internet that have pictures of, and maybe even sells schwedee balls.


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## Katie H (Oct 28, 2006)

buckytom said:
			
		

> pictures of, and maybe even sells schwedee balls.



Oh, bucky.....would those be THE _Mr._ schewedee balls?

Yup, Buck and I have heard of them.


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## Buck (Oct 28, 2006)

Bucky, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the correct spelling "Schweddy?"
As in Pete Schweddy?


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## buckytom (Oct 28, 2006)

lol, umm, maybe that's the american spelling. it's spelled a little differently in burkina faso.


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## licia (Oct 28, 2006)

My sister used to make a souvlakia(sp) with pork cubes that was so good. I made it a few times, but lost the recipe. That was one of my favorite foods.


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## lyndalou (Oct 28, 2006)

Middle Eastern (Lebanese, esp)
Greek
Italian


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## marmar (Oct 28, 2006)

Persian.
Though that's not ethnic to me. Just good food I get when my grandparents cook. Kuku, tachin, and khoroshts. I've tried learning and making it, but somehow it doesn't taste as good when I try.


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## shilohautumn (Oct 28, 2006)

Wow!  It's interesting to see so many different types of foods.  ...though I think I might have to look some of them up!   

By the way, what are kuku, tachin and khoroshts?


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## Flourgirl (Oct 30, 2006)

There's no way I could narrow my favorites down to just one... or ten for that matter. 

However, I just started experimenting with Indian cuisine and am really enjoying the flavors and trying out different curries. I also went through a Thai period, a Spanish, an Eastern European, and a Southern (US), phase. And of course, my DH's family is Italian and owns an Italian restaurant, so I have to include Southern Italian also. Love 'em all!


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## Jikoni (Nov 1, 2006)

Japanese sushi and shashimi
Ethiopian Enjera with doro wot
Various Indian dishes
Thai cuisine
Korean japche
and many many more.


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## PytnPlace (Nov 6, 2006)

For me . . . It's probably Mexican - I make a couple Mexi/TexMex meals a week.  But I also love Cajun, Comfort food, Italian, Indian, & Asian to name a few.


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## egeefay (Nov 7, 2006)

Thai food.  I love the wounderful mixtures of spicy, sweet, sour, tart...all in the same dish.


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## SierraCook (Nov 7, 2006)

Mexican - chile rellenos, tacos, handmade tortillas, chile verde
Asian - egg drop soup, hot and sour soup, kung pao chicken, general Tso's chicken, 
Korean - bulgogi, pickled bean sprouts, kimchee,
Vietnamese - pho,
Filipino - pancit
Cajun - jambalaya, gumbo
Thai - beef jantaboon


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## ChefJune (Nov 7, 2006)

Filipino
Thai
Vietnamese
Goanese


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## bandonjan (Nov 10, 2006)

Italian - risotto, fresh sauces
Chinese - chow mein, general tso's chicken, egg rolls
Mexican - pork burrito with green sauce
Phillipino - lumpia, pansit
ethiopia - most of it
East India - most of it
Vietnamese - very fresh vegetables


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## Harborwitch (Nov 10, 2006)

Absolute favorite - Mexican & anything South American
Next up:  Italian & Thai (okay anything Asian).  

How on earth can you pick one?????


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