Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FYI - Corned beef is not an Irish recipe! - it's an Irish-American tradition.

OP here - yeah - I know I got the tip for the cold water from my very Irish grandmother ( born in Ireland), who swore it was "a grand family secret". It's still far more Irish than most people I know cook.

Thanks for all the other recipes... please keep them coming.

OP again - I forgot to mention that my Gran was a big fan of "upping the Irish" She'd have claimed the cows that create the corned beef all originated from Ireland if we'd let her

Anonymous wrote:FYI - Corned beef is not an Irish recipe! - it's an Irish-American tradition.

OP here - yeah - I know I got the tip for the cold water from my very Irish grandmother ( born in Ireland), who swore it was "a grand family secret". It's still far more Irish than most people I know cook.

Thanks for all the other recipes... [lease keep them coming.

How about Beef Bourgignon for France?

Anonymous wrote:My German grandma always cooked spaetzle and it's the only German dish my dad replicates well

That's funny. It's the only dish that gets my German FIL off his ass and cooking. And he does a great job! Can't eat the stuff sold in the store.

FYI - Corned beef is not an Irish recipe! - it's an Irish-American tradition.

Apparently you can buy poutine at trader joe's. Can't forget our neighbors to the north. Kids love fondue too.

My German grandma always cooked spaetzle and it's the only German dish my dad replicates well

Hungarian goulash

German- Rouladen and spaetzle. Lecker! Beef and starch. The basics.

Nigeria - Jollof Rice

Greek--Pastitsio I like this recipe http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/pastitsio-recipe.html
But would insist on Kasseri cheese, not parmesan

Don't forget p e r o g i e s (sorry, the darn website keeps correcting my typing to read "pedigrees" LOL)

You can buy them frozen at Whole Foods…potato and cheese, or, hmm, spacing out on the other ones (oops my grandma is rolling in her grave)

Then buy the Polish Sausage (kielbasa) while you are at it, and some sauerkraut. I love the Goulden's Spicy Mustard on my kielbasa.

You could also do borscht --very Russian (and Polish). There's hot and cold versions--I don't know where to begin on this. I do think some grocery stores sell borscht in a jar…you warm it up and add a dollop of sour cream, as I remember...

Rømmegrot for the Norwegians! Bland, buttery, and sweet. Abhorrent to most modern taste buds, but god I love it.

Cuban... Ropa Vieja

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cuban-ropa-vieja/

In the interest of the Olympics starting, I thought I'd try to introduce the kids to a wider variety of foods. We do the basics... Italian/Mexican/Irish/German/Chinese (e.g., lasagna, tacos, corned beef, sausage and sauerkraut, pork fried rice), but I'm hoping to branch out to new and unusual.

Tomorrow night will be beef stroganoff (Russian) in honor of the opening ceremonies. I've also found some (what look to be) yummy Peruvian recipes.

I started poking around the internet and found a ton of possibilities, but I have no idea where to start. So I thought I would poll the trusty DCUM site... Any favorite recipes? Or names foods in general (even if you have no idea how to make it, I can google!)? How about tips to make a "better" common recipe?

I'm a pretty good chef (not ready for Top Chef or anything, but I can handle almost any technique in the kitchen), so no hold barred - whatcha got?


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I'll start:

St. Patty's day is coming up, so here's an IRISH Recipe:

Corned beef

Store bought corned beef with the seasoning packet is the way to go - it's a PITA to make your own seasoning, and I've never noticed a real difference. The trick to an awesome meal is to put the meat in cold water to start out with. Most recipes say put the meat in boiling water. That's a serious Don't!!! . Starting the meat in boiling water seals the meat and won't let the flavor in as well. Starting with cold water adds about an hour and change to the cooking time, but it makes a HUGE difference in flavor. Trust me - totally worth the additional time!