Favourite Foreign Food?

Do you eat a lot of foreign food?

  • Yes

    Votes: 5 100.0%

  • No

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    5
A symptom of modern day need for instant gratification, we all (I include myself here) seem to drawn towards heat and spice. I think there is also a lifestyle element involved. Spicy oriental food is usually associated with "fast" or "street food", which fits into most peoples modern lifestyles far better than the more laid back, indulgent, take your time and savour the experience aspect of the Gallic countries. Love oriental food as I do, I struggle to think of a dish that doesn't have a superior Gallic alternative.
 
epicuric said:
A symptom of modern day need for instant gratification, we all (I include myself here) seem to drawn towards heat and spice. I think there is also a lifestyle element involved. Spicy oriental food is usually associated with "fast" or "street food", which fits into most peoples modern lifestyles far better than the more laid back, indulgent, take your time and savour the experience aspect of the Gallic countries. Love oriental food as I do, I struggle to think of a dish that doesn't have a superior Gallic alternative.
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Why would heat and spice be equated with instant gratification? Some of the oldest cuisines with slow cooked food are full of wonderful spices and some are hot. Unlike the UK, Gallic food is very conservative in terms of keeping within its traditional boundaries. That may be all well and good but I think it has tended to make French cooking rather unadventurous. Italy is somewhat similar. The great chefs in Europe who are pushing boundaries are coming from Spain and the UK...

For me, spices are not anything to do with instant gratification. A good curry is a slow-cooked delight as is a good tagine.
 
@morning glory I cannot disagree with anything you have said. "Oldest Cuisines" vs. "rather unadventurous" is not an argument I would like to get involved with, sitting here struggling with my pain rustique, beurre d'isigny, brie be meaux and almost empty glass of claret.:)
 
epicuric said:
A symptom of modern day need for instant gratification, we all (I include myself here) seem to drawn towards heat and spice. I think there is also a lifestyle element involved. Spicy oriental food is usually associated with "fast" or "street food", which fits into most peoples modern lifestyles far better than the more laid back, indulgent, take your time and savour the experience aspect of the Gallic countries. Love oriental food as I do, I struggle to think of a dish that doesn't have a superior Gallic alternative.
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There's nothing fast about the dishes I usually make. Often taking 2-3 hrs. Currently there are some spicy tofu sausages being made. Took 2 hrs to prepare, need a minimum of 24hrs in the fridge before assembly, 30 mins to steam, cool and then cook a second time. Bread is on the go. Sourdough 2 days and then I have some cashew nut cheese going. 12 hrs soaking the nuts, 3-21 days letting it mature. Spices will get added after it had matured.
 
Back in the 90s when I lived and worked in Malaysia, my favourite restaurant for lunch was an "open air" Indian restaurant not far from the office where the food was served on banana leaf (with no utensils). I have tried to emulate that since but it will never taste as good.

banana leaf curry.jpg

Aromatic rice, hot chicken curry, long bean bhaji, Bombay potatoes and paratha.
 
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Yorky said:
Back in the 90s when I lived and worked in Malaysia, my favourite restaurant for lunch was an "open air" Indian restaurant not far from the office where the food was served on banana leaf (with no utensils). I have tried to emulate that since but it will never taste as good.


Aromatic rice, hot chicken curry, long bean bhaji, Bombay potatoes and paratha.
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Quite heavy on the carbs that one. We were in Malaysia earlier this year and although the food was excellent and we enjoyed every meal they seemed to lack the lightness and refinement of Thai food. Salads were virtually non existant and the currys were heavy.
 
I normally concentrated upon the Indian and Chinese food (whether it be restaurant or food court). A lot of Malay food outlets cook in palm oil which I found overpowering. I've never purposefully avoided carbohydrates.
 
We eat a lot of Asian and Mexican foods. Although I am not sure Mexican could be considered a foreign food here, due to the fact that there are more Mexican restaurants than any other type here.
I am in West Texas.
I tend to cook Italian once in a while and if I am feeling really ambitious German food.
 
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