Chow Down in Burque Town

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Comment by John V on June 9, 2009 at 3:21pm

Commenting on Phil's post of Feb 19, and to Noel.

All cuisines are a result of people moving into an area and making use of the flora and fauna that are available locally. New Mexican food is a combination of Spanish and Native American styles that made use of ingredients available in New Mexico. That's what makes it different from Tex-Mex or Cal-Mex.

Cajun/Creole food came from displaced Frech settlers who got kicked out of Canada and found their way to southern Louisanna and made use of the local flavors. Thai food combines other Asian cooking styles with local Thai ingredients. etc., etc., etc...

"Authentic Italian food" would need to be prepared without tomatoes, since those didn't exist in Italy until explorers brought them back from the New World. Same with potatoes in Ireland. And nobody had pasta until people started to trade with China.

Today, we call it fusion. Combining different styles and ingredients. Back then, it was just survival. Same result, however. Take the old, add something new, and come up with an entirely new and fantastic presentation.

When I found out that a lot of people in Thailand get their protein from grubs that live in bamboo, or giant water bugs.. well... I don't want to get TOO authentic.

Comment by Noel on May 25, 2009 at 10:51am

Is Leon's a restaurant?

Comment by Joey on May 24, 2009 at 9:09pm

I just found this recipe, Another Baked Falafel

Baked Sweet Potato Falafel

These falafel are Leon's most popular veggie dish to date. They knew they wanted falafel on the menu, but chose not to have deep fryers. After some experimenting, this sweet potato and chickpea flour version was developed.

2 medium sweet potatoes (orange inside), around 700g or 1 1/2 pounds in total
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 small cloves of garlic, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 big handfuls of fresh cilantro/coriander, chopped
Juice of half a lemon
a scant cup (120g) gram /chickpea flour
a splash of olive oil
a sprinkling of sesame seeds
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425F degrees (220C) and roast the sweet potatoes whole until just tender - 45 minutes to 1 hour. Turn off the oven, leave the potatoes to cool, then peel.

Put the sweet potatoes, cumin, garlic, ground and fresh coriander, lemon juice and gram/chickpea flour into a large bowl. Season well, and mash until smooth with no large chunks. Stick in the fridge to firm up for an hour, or the freezer for 20-30 minutes. When you take it out, your mix should be sticky rather than really wet. You can add a tablespoon or so more of chickpea flour if necessary (the water content of sweet potatoes varies enormously).

Reheat the oven to 400F/200C. Using a couple of soup spoons (put a well-heaped spoonful of mix in one spoon and use the concave side of the other to shape the sides) or a falafel scoop if you have one, make the mixture into falafelly looking things and put them on an oiled tray. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and bake in the oven for around 15 minutes, until the bases are golden brown.

Makes about 18 falafel, enough for 4 - 6.

Comment by Richard Levy on April 19, 2009 at 10:29pm

I've got a lunch tomorrow with someone who works uptown. What is the most interesting good food within a couple of miles ?? any great ideas ??
thanks!

Comment by Jesstagirl on March 9, 2009 at 10:29am

Albuquerque The Magazine is looking for locals to let us peer inside their refrigerator for an upcoming article.

Do you have an old retro-looking fridge? Or maybe you're sporting a new stainless steal version in your kitchen. Whatever type it is, we want to see it!

If you're up for a opening your refrigerator an letting the readers of ATM take a look inside, send an email to jessica@abqthemag.com, lexi@abqthemag.com, or just comment back here.

Thanks
-ATM

Comment by Phil_0 on February 13, 2009 at 5:01pm

Hmm...invoking Subway is definitely taking it to extremes. I guess we just fundamentally disagree. What constitutes "authentic," anyway? Who gets to decide? Is MSG-laden Chinese fast food made by "real" Chinese people "more authentic" than meticulously-prepared dishes created by a non-Chinese chef who's studied at the feet of some of Taiwan's best? It certainly isn't tastier...

Personally, I find the mix-and-match appropriation and borrowing of cuisines and foodways to be one of the greatest side effects of the melting pot society we live in. It's also the mechanism through which cuisines change and evolve.

Comment by Noel on February 13, 2009 at 2:17pm

I understand your p.o.v., Phil, but I have a highly mixed ethnic background and I can tell you from experience that it takes growing up with stuff to know the difference. Even English food... ever have Marmite? It's an acquired taste. Or "fried bread?" It's downright awful, unless you're English.

Isn't part of the reason we enjoy ethnic foods to get an authentic taste of someplace else? I'd much rather have Indians cooking my curry than a Brazilian (which I happen to be), and I'd much rather have authentic Brazilian food prepared by an authentic Brazilian vs. an approximation.

You can take this to extremes, of course, but a Subway sub bears no relationship to what you'd get in New Jersey.

Seriously.

Comment by Phil_0 on February 13, 2009 at 10:15am

I'm not suggesting anything about the ethnic groups you like or don't like. I'm just saying that people are perfectly capable of making delicious, authentic ethnic food even if they're not members of the ethnicity in question...it's not like the ability to cook a particular cuisine is a genetic trait. To suggest otherwise is kind of silly, if you ask me.

Comment by Noel on February 12, 2009 at 10:37am

Hey Phil,

This has nothing to do with liking or not liking an ethnic or cultural group. It has to do with the authenticity of the food. It's just not the same.

Comment by Phil_0 on February 12, 2009 at 10:27am

Hey Noel - Sushi's extremely popular in South Korea, but maybe you knew that already? I think the attitude that an ethnic restaurant can only be good if it's operated by a member of the same ethnicity is pretty short-sighted...hell, the folks who run Sadie's are Lebanese, and most of the Thai places in town are run by Laotians.

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