Hi. is this a tad weird in the culinary world ?!
I returned the complement by inviting them to my place one night.
I was a tad worried that my knowledge of Brit cooking could be a bit funny to them.
However, I made a massive shepherds pie using local goat meat, and Heinz beanz on the side
This was preceded by 70's style local prawns in a mayo & ketchup pink thing with shredded lettuce.
Followed by bananas and custard.
Well, everone thankfully tucked in and seemed to honestly like it. A sigh of releif !
But when cooking for folks from a different country, would you try & replicate their national dishes, or go out on a bit of a limb & a prayer ?
Or is it a lamb ?
TKS,
Bob
Answers: I spend a lot of time in the Mid-East, through work, and have many good freinds that invite me to their homes for fine Arabic cooking.
I returned the complement by inviting them to my place one night.
I was a tad worried that my knowledge of Brit cooking could be a bit funny to them.
However, I made a massive shepherds pie using local goat meat, and Heinz beanz on the side
This was preceded by 70's style local prawns in a mayo & ketchup pink thing with shredded lettuce.
Followed by bananas and custard.
Well, everone thankfully tucked in and seemed to honestly like it. A sigh of releif !
But when cooking for folks from a different country, would you try & replicate their national dishes, or go out on a bit of a limb & a prayer ?
Or is it a lamb ?
TKS,
Bob
Hi Bob,
I think that if you were cooking a meal (dinner party) for a crowd that was of a different culture, that they would appreciate a deviance from the "norm" of their regular eating routines. We all do this don't we? (that's why we see Greek, Italian, French, Indian on every block). We get bored of our own food and like to try new things.
I can see you respected their imparticular eating restrictions and created a meal that was a combination of Brit and Arabic. Hence the ground goat meat rather than beef. I think you did a fine job and I'm sure your friends would be delighted to attend another one of your dinner's.
I think a good dish that (as far as I know) is simple and well liked by all nationalities is pasta. You could be entirely creative with it, and served with a nice salad and bread and wine makes a delightful meal for anyone.
I like that you made them something different than what they know. I would do the same, just keeping in mind any religious or cultural issues like maybe not eating some meats.
When I go to a foreign country, I like to eat their food, not mine. That's half the fun and good for you for making British food. It would be a treat for them!
No! I think it's great! Not many people would have the bravery (nearly typed something else) to cook pure British food because they're scared of disappointment, but if they liked it then you're fine!
I would never try to replicate their cultural dishes, as I'm scared if they might be over-critical as they are the experts and I'm just a novice. Still, if any of my friends were foreign and cooked me their national dish, it would only be polite to give them a taste of the old British culinary delight.
years ago my parents invited round some japanese people to ours for a kind of xmas dinner.
they seemed ok about the usual stuff (turkey,veg etc) but were most fascinated by trifle and spent most of the rest of the evening photographing and even video-ing it (not them actually eating it) !!!
now that was a bit strange.....
When people are coming to your home, do what you do best---just like they did!
Great question! Personally, when someone of a different culture from me invites me over for authentic cuisine, I am delighted to try new things. When inviting them over, I of course would ensure that I am not serving anything to them that would be taboo in their culture, but I would stick to what I know. I would hope that they would want to try something different too.
I would've made what I knew, I met a wonderful black couple from the "North" (lol) and I made them some good old fashioned southern food, deep fried and smothered in onions, and at first I thought they wouldn't like it, you know salads and tofu lovers (lol) but, they thought it was great and the wife even asked me for a recipe for my greens!
no, unless your a very proficient chef your attempts at replicating their national dishes wont impress.... they know what they're meant to be like.... their mother probably used to cook it for them.
cook what you know and love otherwise how will they learn about different cuisines (and if all you ate in the the middle east was roast beef how would you of learnt about and appreciate their cuisine ?)
just make sure if any guets have any dietry or cultural requirements eg halal, kosha etc that you use appropriate ingrediants, or this could cause offence or embarrasment.
I say cook what you know. Everyone will enjoy a well prepared meal from your own culture.
you should ask the person before inviting over or
you could choose what you are comfortable in cooking
As i have friends over and they like our cousine very much
I think you did well, considering the reputation that British cuisine around the world.
Just a tip, next time do a traditional English trifle (minus the alcohol if your friends are muslim). A layer of broken cake with jam, a layer of custard and a last layer of whipped cream. You can always elaborate a bit, but please don't use jelly, that's not traditional.
Unless I was Very skilled & well versed in the prep of the cuisines of their culture, I wouldn't try to emulate anything major they could find locally. However, I'm sure they'd truly appreciate the gesture of you cooking something (an appetizer?) that displays your respect and enjoyment of their different foods.
I think if you are a guest in someone elses country and you meet people who care enough to invite you into their home to share their food and culture, not only would they be intrigued by a meal you prepare that represents your own personal culture, but they also might feel closer to you for sharing that much of youself with them. Get creative! But, again, be mindful of their specific traditions (meat restrictions etc...)
Good luck & happy entertaining!
I would not try to replicate their authentic cuisine however I would try to incorporate foods from their culture that are also used in your culture's food. Simply because some people are not adventurous eaters but if they recognize an ingredant or two they may be more likely to try something new. I love to try new things but I also like to see some of my old favorites prepared in new ways or adapted into other kinds of food.