A Kaleidoscope is a tube consisting of loosely assembled
mirrors and pieces of coloured glass or paper, whose reflections produce
changing patterns. It’s a visual
festival for the eye when one peers through the small opening at one end of the
tube.
And have you been to
Houston Texas lately? There, you will
discover a mosaic hub of cultures and peoples coming together in the workplace,
schools, sporting events, and social gatherings, as friends, in marriage, and
in family. Learning, growing and expanding,
as a community. Houston is officially
known as the most diverse city in the U.S., more so than New York, Los Angeles
or Sacramento.
What do Houston and Kaleidoscopes have to do with one
another? I see them as parallels to the mixture of
colours, patterns, and cultures to the culinary term, “fusion.” Fusion, in the world of food, is when a chef
combines different cuisines into a single eating experience. This integration of culinary traditions embraced
by chefs began receiving recognition in the ‘70’s. Those fortunate souls residing in Houston, a
true melting-pot, can be viewed as a collective expression of Fusion, in the
way they live and most importantly, to me and this Blog, the way they eat.
Many of you, either deliberately or inadvertently, have
experienced dishes that fall into the category of Fusion Cuisine. One such restaurant is SushiSamba, in Las
Vegas. One of the few restaurants I’ll
trek to the Strip for. Here the blending
of Brazilian, Peruvian and Japanese cuisines impart unto my taste buds vibrant
and never-before, tasty pleasures. The
Signature cocktails don’t hurt either. Consider
California Cuisine, inspired by the foods and dishes of Italy, Mexico and
France. Taking a traditional dish from
Italy, such as gnocchi, prepared with non-traditional ingredients from
Mexico. Think a spicy, Southwest sauce
serving as a bed for those soft, pillows of pasta to bask in. Tex-Mex and Pacific Rim are both quite
common. Less common, but perhaps, offering
an even more lively party for your taste buds would be Chinese-Indian
dishes. How about Portuguese, Dutch and
British combinations?
Many of us have grown up eating Fusion Cuisine without
giving it a second thought. Personally, I
love my family’s back-story of Italian and Puerto Rican presentations at the
dinner table. I would never think of
preparing a Thanksgiving meal without a side dish of lasagna or other pasta
wedged in between roasted Brussels sprouts, smashed potatoes, stuffing and
cranberry relish!
My cookbook, One 4-Ounce Serving – A Collection Of Food
Stories And Recipes, has several dishes that combine cultures, old family
recipes prepared with a few twists as well as adventures into a terrain of ingredients.
The book is a culmination of my supper club gatherings with the Friends
Amid Food, where we pulled together meals that will interest and delight
everyone at your home table.
One such example is my Cinnamon And Chicken With
Plantains. A savory, one-pot dish,
infusing savory, garlicky chicken, embraced by an earthy sauce of broth,
seasonings and cinnamon. The plantains
offer a starchy alternative to potatoes, while adding colour with upbeat
consequences. The mixture of sweet with
savory and the ease of this comfort-food, dish makes it one of my
favourites. Perfect for this time of
year.
I’m not going to share the recipe you this time. Rather I urge you to take a look and view my
book on Amazon or visit my website: www.cosmicmuffincafe.com
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