What’s a good Asian dish to cook for a very white bread Midwestern family?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you should go over the top and cook them something VERY authentic from your home country with spices and vegetables that you know they'll never touch. They'll have a bit of cultural exposure, and you will never be asked to cook for them again. Win win. Just make sure DH has the nearest pizza place on speed dial.

Or she could just behave like a normal person and try to cook a dish her in-laws might enjoy, in their home where they are hosting her.

I’m also Asian and family visits, like what OP describes, are very hard for me too. I don’t think OP would as willing to cook if she was in SF or NYC, but in less diverse areas with only chain restaurants and fast food joints, it’s tough to tolerate being surrounded by processed foods day in, day out, and everything offered is beige. Maybe she enjoys cooking at home and her husband sees this as a compromise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you should go over the top and cook them something VERY authentic from your home country with spices and vegetables that you know they'll never touch. They'll have a bit of cultural exposure, and you will never be asked to cook for them again. Win win. Just make sure DH has the nearest pizza place on speed dial.

Or she could just behave like a normal person and try to cook a dish her in-laws might enjoy, in their home where they are hosting her.

I’m also Asian and family visits, like what OP describes, are very hard for me too. I don’t think OP would as willing to cook if she was in SF or NYC, but in less diverse areas with only chain restaurants and fast food joints, it’s tough to tolerate being surrounded by processed foods day in, day out, and everything offered is beige. Maybe she enjoys cooking at home and her husband sees this as a compromise.

Oh, put a sock in it with your lazy, tired stereotypes about Midwestern food. The Midwest is a large, diverse place with a variety of food offerings. Maybe if you used your damn brain and got out of your NOVA bubble every now and then you would realize that. BTW, I lived in Arlington for 10 years and your description of Midwestern food sounds more like tge food in NOVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did not read it all, but OP, your original post was so odd. Your DH said you would cook "something Asian" and you say "I am Asian."

It would have made sense if DH/you had said Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Kazakh, or Uzbek, or so on. Folks are offering up dishes from all over Asia, which may not be your culture. Why would you be so deliberately vague? Why not identify the heritage? If you won't, then think about what your mom or grandma made, cut down on spices if need be.

It seems bizarre if, say, your heritage is Indian and you offer up a Chinese (Americanized, no less) or Japanese dish. What would be the point?

I think OP kept it vague to avoid being identified just in case. But to your point, why can’t an Indian person cook a Japanese dish? Your premise is ridiculous and smacks of culinary gatekeeping.

No, PP is right. If you have to crowd source a recipe because your husband assigned you a cooking assignment you’re not familiar with, and nobody specifically requested, it’s weird. Why not Russian, Peruvian, or French? What difference does it make if it’s new to OP and she doesn’t have a go to recipe? Just make food that people like and keep it simple. Maybe bbq since crosses so many cultures and doesn’t belong to any one in particular.

I’ll bite. I have to say that if you’re Asian and not from the Baby Boomer generation, you’re going to be quite open to different Asian cuisines so it doesn’t matter what Asian you are. I’m not saying that you will know how to cook every Asian cuisine, but Vietnamese fish sauce isn’t going to shock someone from Malaysia, for example.

But OP apparently doesn't know many recipes suggesting her repertoire isn't that deep. Why does she have to ask? She could have suggested a few things she's good at and likes to cook that are usually well received. Instead we get the vague "Asian" while she trashes her in laws preferences. And if she's such a good cook, she should be able to whip up a recipe from any culture. Why Asian?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did not read it all, but OP, your original post was so odd. Your DH said you would cook "something Asian" and you say "I am Asian."

It would have made sense if DH/you had said Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Kazakh, or Uzbek, or so on. Folks are offering up dishes from all over Asia, which may not be your culture. Why would you be so deliberately vague? Why not identify the heritage? If you won't, then think about what your mom or grandma made, cut down on spices if need be.

It seems bizarre if, say, your heritage is Indian and you offer up a Chinese (Americanized, no less) or Japanese dish. What would be the point?

I think OP kept it vague to avoid being identified just in case. But to your point, why can’t an Indian person cook a Japanese dish? Your premise is ridiculous and smacks of culinary gatekeeping.

No, PP is right. If you have to crowd source a recipe because your husband assigned you a cooking assignment you’re not familiar with, and nobody specifically requested, it’s weird. Why not Russian, Peruvian, or French? What difference does it make if it’s new to OP and she doesn’t have a go to recipe? Just make food that people like and keep it simple. Maybe bbq since crosses so many cultures and doesn’t belong to any one in particular.

I’ll bite. I have to say that if you’re Asian and not from the Baby Boomer generation, you’re going to be quite open to different Asian cuisines so it doesn’t matter what Asian you are. I’m not saying that you will know how to cook every Asian cuisine, but Vietnamese fish sauce isn’t going to shock someone from Malaysia, for example.

But OP apparently doesn't know many recipes suggesting her repertoire isn't that deep. Why does she have to ask? She could have suggested a few things she's good at and likes to cook that are usually well received. Instead we get the vague "Asian" while she trashes her in laws preferences. And if she's such a good cook, she should be able to whip up a recipe from any culture. Why Asian?

Cultural exposure for the family. Duh. If she was just as white as they are, she wouldn’t be doing this!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you should go over the top and cook them something VERY authentic from your home country with spices and vegetables that you know they'll never touch. They'll have a bit of cultural exposure, and you will never be asked to cook for them again. Win win. Just make sure DH has the nearest pizza place on speed dial.

Or she could just behave like a normal person and try to cook a dish her in-laws might enjoy, in their home where they are hosting her.

I’m also Asian and family visits, like what OP describes, are very hard for me too. I don’t think OP would as willing to cook if she was in SF or NYC, but in less diverse areas with only chain restaurants and fast food joints, it’s tough to tolerate being surrounded by processed foods day in, day out, and everything offered is beige. Maybe she enjoys cooking at home and her husband sees this as a compromise.

Oh, put a sock in it with your lazy, tired stereotypes about Midwestern food. The Midwest is a large, diverse place with a variety of food offerings. Maybe if you used your damn brain and got out of your NOVA bubble every now and then you would realize that. BTW, I lived in Arlington for 10 years and your description of Midwestern food sounds more like tge food in NOVA.

Lol, are you a Midwestern palate denier?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did not read it all, but OP, your original post was so odd. Your DH said you would cook "something Asian" and you say "I am Asian."

It would have made sense if DH/you had said Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Filipino, Pakistani, Kazakh, or Uzbek, or so on. Folks are offering up dishes from all over Asia, which may not be your culture. Why would you be so deliberately vague? Why not identify the heritage? If you won't, then think about what your mom or grandma made, cut down on spices if need be.

It seems bizarre if, say, your heritage is Indian and you offer up a Chinese (Americanized, no less) or Japanese dish. What would be the point?

I think OP kept it vague to avoid being identified just in case. But to your point, why can’t an Indian person cook a Japanese dish? Your premise is ridiculous and smacks of culinary gatekeeping.

No, PP is right. If you have to crowd source a recipe because your husband assigned you a cooking assignment you’re not familiar with, and nobody specifically requested, it’s weird. Why not Russian, Peruvian, or French? What difference does it make if it’s new to OP and she doesn’t have a go to recipe? Just make food that people like and keep it simple. Maybe bbq since crosses so many cultures and doesn’t belong to any one in particular.

I’ll bite. I have to say that if you’re Asian and not from the Baby Boomer generation, you’re going to be quite open to different Asian cuisines so it doesn’t matter what Asian you are. I’m not saying that you will know how to cook every Asian cuisine, but Vietnamese fish sauce isn’t going to shock someone from Malaysia, for example.

But OP apparently doesn't know many recipes suggesting her repertoire isn't that deep. Why does she have to ask? She could have suggested a few things she's good at and likes to cook that are usually well received. Instead we get the vague "Asian" while she trashes her in laws preferences. And if she's such a good cook, she should be able to whip up a recipe from any culture. Why Asian?

Cultural exposure for the family. Duh. If she was just as white as they are, she wouldn’t be doing this!

Then OP makes her food that she's familiar with. Duh. How would we know what recipes she does best from her specific Asian culture? And really, why is it her job to expose the family to a different culture? Who asked for it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you should go over the top and cook them something VERY authentic from your home country with spices and vegetables that you know they'll never touch. They'll have a bit of cultural exposure, and you will never be asked to cook for them again. Win win. Just make sure DH has the nearest pizza place on speed dial.

Or she could just behave like a normal person and try to cook a dish her in-laws might enjoy, in their home where they are hosting her.

I’m also Asian and family visits, like what OP describes, are very hard for me too. I don’t think OP would as willing to cook if she was in SF or NYC, but in less diverse areas with only chain restaurants and fast food joints, it’s tough to tolerate being surrounded by processed foods day in, day out, and everything offered is beige. Maybe she enjoys cooking at home and her husband sees this as a compromise.

PP here. Okay. But the suggestion to essentially punish their hosts for being white Midwesterners is childish and stupid. What grown woman thinks it’s really clever to serve her *hosts* something she knows they will hate? OP never mentioned them being bad people, they just like bland food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you should go over the top and cook them something VERY authentic from your home country with spices and vegetables that you know they'll never touch. They'll have a bit of cultural exposure, and you will never be asked to cook for them again. Win win. Just make sure DH has the nearest pizza place on speed dial.

Or she could just behave like a normal person and try to cook a dish her in-laws might enjoy, in their home where they are hosting her.

I’m also Asian and family visits, like what OP describes, are very hard for me too. I don’t think OP would as willing to cook if she was in SF or NYC, but in less diverse areas with only chain restaurants and fast food joints, it’s tough to tolerate being surrounded by processed foods day in, day out, and everything offered is beige. Maybe she enjoys cooking at home and her husband sees this as a compromise.

PP here. Okay. But the suggestion to essentially punish their hosts for being white Midwesterners is childish and stupid. What grown woman thinks it’s really clever to serve her *hosts* something she knows they will hate? OP never mentioned them being bad people, they just like bland food.

Will they hate it or is it simply lack of exposure? Maybe except for the soda drinker, the rest of the family may just like it. It’s also not good hosting to only have processed foods and snacks for guests to eat. So I don’t blame OP or her husband for cooking something fresh and healthier than what they can offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you should go over the top and cook them something VERY authentic from your home country with spices and vegetables that you know they'll never touch. They'll have a bit of cultural exposure, and you will never be asked to cook for them again. Win win. Just make sure DH has the nearest pizza place on speed dial.

Or she could just behave like a normal person and try to cook a dish her in-laws might enjoy, in their home where they are hosting her.

I’m also Asian and family visits, like what OP describes, are very hard for me too. I don’t think OP would as willing to cook if she was in SF or NYC, but in less diverse areas with only chain restaurants and fast food joints, it’s tough to tolerate being surrounded by processed foods day in, day out, and everything offered is beige. Maybe she enjoys cooking at home and her husband sees this as a compromise.

Oh, put a sock in it with your lazy, tired stereotypes about Midwestern food. The Midwest is a large, diverse place with a variety of food offerings. Maybe if you used your damn brain and got out of your NOVA bubble every now and then you would realize that. BTW, I lived in Arlington for 10 years and your description of Midwestern food sounds more like tge food in NOVA.

Lol, are you a Midwestern palate denier?

Lol, are you a clueless DMV Stockholm Syndrome victim who actually think that the food there is good or special?!

[Anonymous]

Chicken fried rice with soy sauce
Beef with Broccoli
Chicken Teriyaki

No spice added.

She’ll probably love any of these.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sweet and sour chicken with rice. Omit the chilies. Done and done. If she doesn’t like it she can just eat the rice.

Egg rolls for side.

This is what I would cook. Or something like Cashew Chicken. Really tone down the spices. Make lots of sauce for the rice. Definitely the Egg Rolls because they will be new and different, so therefore exciting! And they are generally not spicy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you should go over the top and cook them something VERY authentic from your home country with spices and vegetables that you know they'll never touch. They'll have a bit of cultural exposure, and you will never be asked to cook for them again. Win win. Just make sure DH has the nearest pizza place on speed dial.

Or she could just behave like a normal person and try to cook a dish her in-laws might enjoy, in their home where they are hosting her.

I’m also Asian and family visits, like what OP describes, are very hard for me too. I don’t think OP would as willing to cook if she was in SF or NYC, but in less diverse areas with only chain restaurants and fast food joints, it’s tough to tolerate being surrounded by processed foods day in, day out, and everything offered is beige. Maybe she enjoys cooking at home and her husband sees this as a compromise.

Oh, put a sock in it with your lazy, tired stereotypes about Midwestern food. The Midwest is a large, diverse place with a variety of food offerings. Maybe if you used your damn brain and got out of your NOVA bubble every now and then you would realize that. BTW, I lived in Arlington for 10 years and your description of Midwestern food sounds more like tge food in NOVA.

Lol, are you a Midwestern palate denier?

DP. No, like the person you're responding to, I am not a Midwestern palate denier, either. You, in fact, sound like a fool making highly erroneous assumptions about places you have never visited. Get out a Michelin Guide, in fact, and look up Chicago, which has 22 starred restaurants? Are you saying that those restaurants earned stars by serving sub-par food? Really???

[Anonymous]

Where is the OP??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you should go over the top and cook them something VERY authentic from your home country with spices and vegetables that you know they'll never touch. They'll have a bit of cultural exposure, and you will never be asked to cook for them again. Win win. Just make sure DH has the nearest pizza place on speed dial.

Or she could just behave like a normal person and try to cook a dish her in-laws might enjoy, in their home where they are hosting her.

I’m also Asian and family visits, like what OP describes, are very hard for me too. I don’t think OP would as willing to cook if she was in SF or NYC, but in less diverse areas with only chain restaurants and fast food joints, it’s tough to tolerate being surrounded by processed foods day in, day out, and everything offered is beige. Maybe she enjoys cooking at home and her husband sees this as a compromise.

Oh, put a sock in it with your lazy, tired stereotypes about Midwestern food. The Midwest is a large, diverse place with a variety of food offerings. Maybe if you used your damn brain and got out of your NOVA bubble every now and then you would realize that. BTW, I lived in Arlington for 10 years and your description of Midwestern food sounds more like tge food in NOVA.

Lol, are you a Midwestern palate denier?

DP. No, like the person you're responding to, I am not a Midwestern palate denier, either. You, in fact, sound like a fool making highly erroneous assumptions about places you have never visited. Get out a Michelin Guide, in fact, and look up Chicago, which has 22 starred restaurants? Are you saying that those restaurants earned stars by serving sub-par food? Really???

Hello, Chicago is way different from a podunk town of 1000 people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you should go over the top and cook them something VERY authentic from your home country with spices and vegetables that you know they'll never touch. They'll have a bit of cultural exposure, and you will never be asked to cook for them again. Win win. Just make sure DH has the nearest pizza place on speed dial.

Or she could just behave like a normal person and try to cook a dish her in-laws might enjoy, in their home where they are hosting her.

I’m also Asian and family visits, like what OP describes, are very hard for me too. I don’t think OP would as willing to cook if she was in SF or NYC, but in less diverse areas with only chain restaurants and fast food joints, it’s tough to tolerate being surrounded by processed foods day in, day out, and everything offered is beige. Maybe she enjoys cooking at home and her husband sees this as a compromise.

Oh, put a sock in it with your lazy, tired stereotypes about Midwestern food. The Midwest is a large, diverse place with a variety of food offerings. Maybe if you used your damn brain and got out of your NOVA bubble every now and then you would realize that. BTW, I lived in Arlington for 10 years and your description of Midwestern food sounds more like tge food in NOVA.

Lol, are you a Midwestern palate denier?

DP. No, like the person you're responding to, I am not a Midwestern palate denier, either. You, in fact, sound like a fool making highly erroneous assumptions about places you have never visited. Get out a Michelin Guide, in fact, and look up Chicago, which has 22 starred restaurants? Are you saying that those restaurants earned stars by serving sub-par food? Really???

Hello, Chicago is way different from a podunk town of 1000 people.

Where did OP say she is in a town of 1000 people?