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International
Food
FRENCH
"The pleasures of the table belong to all times and
all ages, to every country and every day; they go hand
and hand with all other pleasures, outlast them and
remain to console us for their loss."
- Brillat-Savarin, the great 19th-century French gourmand
and author of The Physiology of Taste
The warm, eternal pleasures of the table-pleasures the
French culinary great Brillat-Savarin was certainly
no stranger to-can be experienced on a daily basis by
anyone and everyone, whether they're about the act of
cooking, the joy of eating or even the fulfillment of
good nutrition. Although French food typically starts
and ends with butter, there are many ways to enjoy French
food healthfully. In fact, the French approach to eating
is quite admirable: Statistics show that, when compared
to people in the United States, the French are less
prone to heart disease, diabetes and other degenerative
diseases. The overall wellness of the French people
is in large part due to their penchant for eating fresh-cooked,
well-balanced meals on a daily basis.
WOK
COOKING
The genius behind wok cooking is that the stir-fry technique
can cook a gigantic variety of foods quickly and efficiently.
Stir-Fry cooking was created in an attempt to cook the
largest amount of food using the least amount of fuel.
In addition to cooking quickly, stir-frying also yields
deliciously vibrant colored dishes! Another excellent
thing about stir-frying is that even the most inexperienced
cook will have great results.
MEDITERRANEAN
The Mediterranean people are an extremely healthy bunch;
incidences of heart disease and diabetes (among other
common Western diseases) are few and far between compared
to the commonality of these diseases in America. It
is possible that the good health Mediterranean people
enjoy is due in part to a healthy diet consisting primarily
of fruits and vegetables, hearty grains, and olive oil.
The principle source of fat in the Mediterranean is
olive oil, beating out saturated fats and meat.
MEXICAN
CHILE
If you're running out of ways to keep those light summer
meals satisfying, turn to the chile pepper, whose heat,
flavor and nutrients can't be beat. Originally cultivated
in what is now known as Mexico, the chile pepper has
become the most popular flavoring throughout the world.
Well over 100 varieties of chile are grown in Mexico
alone, and several other varieties thrive in the American
Southwest, Southeast Asia, China, India, North Africa,
Spain and South America.
SALSA
Some people call it a condiment, but the salsa devotees
of the world would most definitely call it a food. Condiment
or food, though, everybody can agree that, besides giving
tortilla chips a reason to live, salsa adds a fresh
and invigorating punch of eye-opening, palate-pleasing
flavor to Mexican meals, grilled meats and beyond!
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