Text 1157, 105 rader
Skriven 2013-06-04 07:50:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av NANCY BACKUS
Ärende: Asian food 654
======================
 ML> Maybe not. Asians are pretty good at adapting, and when they
 ML> (we) don't have a tack up our bottom about fusion and creativity,
 ML> we can make as good a steak or lasagne or chocolate souffle as
 ML> anyone. 
 NB> Never said it wouldn't be good.

Put it slightly differently. We can make as American a steak or as
Italian lasagne or as French a chocolate souffle as anyone.

Attribution of authenticity of cooking based on the ethnic
background of the cook is way overrated, as has been noted.

   Our "high standard" for Asian buffet
 NB> (now, sadly, long gone) had some "western" food on the buffet, but the
 NB> pizza and the mac&cheese (for example) had some subtle but definite
 NB> Asian touches to them

Too bad about the buffet disappearing. I wonder what Asian
touches there were in the pizza and mac & cheese. To my
palate, the pizza I made was about as textbook as you could
get, and the mac & cheese (which I still make occasionally)
was just pasta, cream sauce, and Cheddar. Okay, once or twice
I emulated my mother and put a spoonful of canned tomatoes
in, but that touch wasn't particularly Asian.

 ML> I never figured out why the big deal about having someone
 ML> of the matching ethnicity cook a particular cuisine. Look in any
 ML> swanky restaurant in an east coast big city, and though there may
 ML> be a CIA grad on the marquee, back doing the kitchen work will be a
 ML> bunch of central Americans - Mexicans, Salvadorans, what have you.
 NB> Sometimes it doesn't make any difference, sometimes it does...  A
 NB> favorite neighborhood Chinese restaurant got sold to some Hispanics,
 NB> and the food was never the same, and nowhere as good... it didn't last
 NB> long. 

When you described this, it sounded like a deliberate change,
though, plus a cheapifying of raw materials, not good for business.

MAC AND CHEESE PULLED PORK CASSEROLE
cat: southern fusion, pasta, main
Servings: 8

1 ts smoked paprika
1 ts ground cumin
1/2 ts chili powder
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
2 md sweet potatoes
2 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 2" chunks
13 1/2-oz bottle barbecue sauce
1 to 2 Tb cider vinegar, to taste
8 oz elbow pasta
1/4 c creme fraiche
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c grated Gruyere cheese
Hot sauce, to taste
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 c panko breadcrumbs
1/4 c (1/2 stick) butter, melted

Heat the oven to 425 F. Coat a 9" springform baking pan
with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, cumin, chili
powder and 1 ts kosher salt and 1/2 ts pepper.

Slice the sweet potatoes as thinly as possible. A
mandoline or food processor is best, but careful slicing
with a knife works, too. Arrange a single layer of the
slices in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with a bit of the
spice blend, then spritz with cooking spray. Repeat with
additional layers of sweet potatoes and seasonings until
you have used all of the slices and seasoning mixture.

Bake 15 min or until tender and lightly browned at the
edges. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a simmer.
Add the pork and cook for 1 hr. Remove the pork from pan.
Using 2 forks, tear and shred the pork into bite-sized
pieces. Discard the water from the pan, then return the
pork to it. Add the barbecue sauce and vinegar, then mix
well. Set aside.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add
the pasta and cook until al dente according to package
directions. Reserve 1/4 c of the cooking water, then
drain the pasta and return to the saucepan. Return the
pasta to medium heat and add the creme fraiche, cheddar
and Gruyere. Stir until melted, then add a splash of
hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread the pulled pork in an even layer over the roasted
sweet potatoes. Spread the mac and cheese over the pork.

In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan, panko and
butter. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the
mac and cheese, then bake 15 min or until the breadcrumbs
are lightly toasted and the center of the casserole is hot.

Source: J.M. Hirsch


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