ISO: Recipes from Around the World

[Misty Cato]

This summer I am going to do a 'trip around the world' with my kids (all from the comfort of home). Each week we will read folktales, play music, learn about the animals and customs in a different region of the world. Once a week I hope to do a meal using recipes from the region.

So I'm just getting organized, but I need some yummy recipes from all over the world. They need to use ingredients I can pick up here in the US grocery stores and I'd love it if I can get the kids involved in the preparation/cooking on some level.

Thanks in advance for helping me out!

[litabells]

What a fantastic idea! I love it!

Australia is such a melting pot of cultures, that it's hard to pinpoint a national dish. But a couple of snacks/desserts coem to mind

Lamingtons (http://www.joyofbaking.com/Lamingtons.html) & Pavlova (http://www.joyofbaking.com/Pavlova.html)....mmmmm

[Misty Cato]

Oh my those look delicious! Thx!

[DeepGirl]

Well, I think you won't be able to find special Slovak sheep cheese in the U.S., so there is another recipe...

Potato pancakes:
Smoothly grate the potatoes. Add salt, pepper, marjoram (or oregano can substitute it if you won't get it) and mashed garlic for flavour and smooth flour and egg to make a dough.

Put an oil (traditionally it would be pork fat - it is said that human body accepts better pork fat than vegetable oils as pigs are very close to human - that's why pig spleen or heart valves are often transplantated to people) into a frying pan and then spread on a thin layer of the dough. Fry from both sides until they are golden. They can be eaten separately or even as a sidedish to steaks.

http://www.bfrost.sk/zemiakove-placky.jpg

Another possibility is to use the same dough as a batter for meat steaks (pork, chicken). Beat the steaks until they get thinner, then put them into smooth flour (so the batter sticks to them) and cover one site with the batter. Put into a fried oir (or portk fat) with the covered side down and spread the batter on the top side. Fry from both sides, when they are still hot, put a razed cheese on them, serve with boiled potatoes, rice, french fries... and a lot of vegetables.

http://varenie.nadhlad.sk/minifoto.php?f=2_1214686561.jpg

And here is the link with the step-by-step photos:
http://varenie.nadhlad.sk/recept.php?r=243_cernohorsky_rezen_pre_lenivych
(it is written in Slovak, so just seek four photos below)

[xboxmom]

I love making indian food. I started out just making Chicken Tikka Masala and to this day I still use this recipe when I make it.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Tikka-Masala/Detail.aspx

If you don't want the spice just omit the Jalapeno and only use 1 tsp. of salt when you make the sauce and 2 tsps. the marinade I made that mistake when I first made it and I was like OMG too much salt!!!

[Gabbina]

What a great idea!!! You're going to have tons of fun. I'll be' posting some italian receipes for sure :)
and btw, maccheroni and cheese and spaghetti Alfredo are NOT italian at all :D

[jacinda]

What a fantastic idea! I love it!

Australia is such a melting pot of cultures, that it's hard to pinpoint a national dish. But a couple of snacks/desserts coem to mind

Lamingtons (http://www.joyofbaking.com/Lamingtons.html) & Pavlova (http://www.joyofbaking.com/Pavlova.html)....mmmmm

Lita, pavlovas are a New Zealand dish :p

[KirstieGai]

Lita, pavlovas are a New Zealand dish :p

well there's an argument that could go on for ages :D

[Darcy Baldwin]

Misty - I don't know if you have checked, but if your library carries this book - it's great:

http://www.amazon.com/Kids-Around-World-Cook-Recipes/dp/0471352519

Also - here's a great set of pictures books (http://simplehomeschool.net/around-the-world-one-picture-book-at-a-time/)for around the world that may be available at your library.

We do something like this each summer, and it's always great fun!

Here's a book that we loved in our preK days!
Children Like Me (http://www.amazon.com/Children-Just-Like-Anabel-Kindersley/dp/0789402017)

[sprauncey1]

We have the taste of NATO lunch here at Sheppard Air Force Base and the ladies provided us recipes of their dishes that they made for us:
http://sheppardosc.org/Main.php?Page=social

So yummy and they all were here in the USA so the ingredients are found here!

[litabells]

Lita, pavlovas are a New Zealand dish :p

I knew that was coming from someone...and I do hate to burst your bubble, but it's totally ours! All the good things are :p

[SmallMoments]

What a fun idea! I may steal it. :)

Here are a couple I brought home with me from Ecuador:
http://i47.tinypic.com/j62web.jpg
http://i46.tinypic.com/24lu6ah.jpg

And a couple from Sweden... these are family recipes- my grandma is 100% Swedish. :) I could get you a recipe for potatiskorv (potato sausage) if you want it... but it's a lot of work (stuffing your own sausage) and it's kind of gross. lol

http://i48.tinypic.com/2cyqvqx.jpg
http://i46.tinypic.com/aovvv5.jpg

[Milmomma]

Well we just came from mexico border and tacos, with refried beans and spanish rice was the common meal there.

We are currently stationed in S. Korea and sushi is hugeeeee here. There is also Kimchi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimchi).

[SmallMoments]

Well we just came from mexico border and tacos, with refried beans and spanish rice was the common meal there.

We are currently stationed in S. Korea and sushi is hugeeeee here. There is also Kimchi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimchi).

Yes, this! We went to a 1st birthday party of some Korean friends and they served Kimchi. It's really yummy!

[Misty Cato]

Wow thanks everyone. These all look so great. I just have to decide where to start. :)

Thanks for the book ideas Darcy. I'll check with our library. Those books sound perfect.

[Andrea Gourley]

Misty if you PM me your address I shall send something (probably not food related because of customs) to your kids from England. There seems to be an abundance of flags and all sorts of things connected to flags in our shops. Ooh I can send you some 'proper' English chocolate as well, it tastes much nicer than your American stuff :p

[Milmomma]

Misty if you PM me your address I shall send something (probably not food related because of customs) to your kids from England. There seems to be an abundance of flags and all sorts of things connected to flags in our shops. Ooh I can send you some 'proper' English chocolate as well, it tastes much nicer than your American stuff :p

If ya want I can send ya something from S. Korea as well :) Not sure how you feel about passing your address out though.

[nesser1981]

Yakisoba was a favorite of ours when we lived in Japan.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/yakisoba-chicken/detail.aspx

This recipe is pretty similar to how I make it. Minus the chili paste.

[lovely1m]

I can help you with how to make Kolaches (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolache) if you want. My grandma makes these all the time and they are so, so yummy. They are Czech.

Here's a picture from Wiki, but the way I make them is a lot easier (oh, yeah, and apricot flavored might be more kid friendly than poppyseed).
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Kolaches.JPG/800px-Kolaches.JPG

[NeverendingJen]

I can look and see if I can get some of the recipes from Italy for you. I miss real italian food that I don't have to make...fresh mozzarella di bufala, gnocchi, penne alla sorrentina, spaghetti alla carbonara, capriciosa pizza....yum *whimper*

[Kat Stokes]

This thread is inspiring me to try foods I would never have thought of trying! :thumbup:

[Giseli Freitas]

Since you're in Summer time I suggest to you to try different tropical fruit juices. The city I live in is famous for its 24/7 "juice/smoothies bars" where you can drink pretty much ANY kind of fruit juice. Brazil is the country in the world with the most variety of fruits. Need I say more? no, but I will LOL
I live here and don't think I'll manage to try them all in my lifetime! Take a look:
Pitanga
http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/720/pitangas23278683.jpg
Looks like a pepper but it's a fruit! Very tangy. Sweet, juicy, tart and marvellous. Some name it as Surinam cherry.

Fruta do Conde
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/2884/frutasdoconde3285574.jpg
Extremely sweet and soft. I think in English it's called Sugar-apple

Jaboticaba:
http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/5082/jaboticaba13300811.jpg
One of the Brazilian Berries. Anti-cancer compounds have been isolated from this fruit.

Carambola:
http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/8299/carambolas3619344.jpg
Citric. Star Fruit b/c when you cut it into slices they're shaped as a star. Beautiful.

Graviola:
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/3089/graviolas3296994.jpg
This is what happens when a Strawberry marries a Pineapple. LOL No kidding Tastes like a mix of strawberry and pineapple. I think it's name in English is Soursop

And there's the Açaí (Ah-sigh-ee) - another Brazilian berry
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/3941/categ413950034.jpg
I particularly don't like it, but it's a fever here. It's kinda a super food or something. You can learn more about it here on this link -> http://articles.directorym.com/Acai_Berries_Washington969710-Washington.html

All you have to do is to put some tropical fruit like pineapples, mango, cashew, passion fruit, etc. you find where you live on the blender w/ water and make a juice.

[Kara]

What a great idea, Misty! You've inspired me to do the same thing with my kids.

[Misty Cato]

Andrea and Brittney, what a kind and generous offer! I'll pm you both my addy.

Giseli - All those fruits look amazing. Drool!

Thanks again everyone. I'm going to have fun putting this together.

[eranslow]

What a fun idea! I may steal it. :)

And a couple from Sweden... these are family recipes- my grandma is 100% Swedish. :) I could get you a recipe for potatiskorv (potato sausage) if you want it... but it's a lot of work (stuffing your own sausage) and it's kind of gross. lol

http://i48.tinypic.com/2cyqvqx.jpg
http://i46.tinypic.com/aovvv5.jpg

yummy!!!! LOVE those cookies (you can also find Anna's Cookies that are just like these at Ikea - in case you don't want to bake any :) )

And I LOVE swedish meatballs!!!! Gotta have them with boiled potatoes...perfection :)

edited to add - I think we'll be doing this this summer too! last summer we just did random themes - dinos, bugs, camping, etc. lots of work prepping but totally worth it in the end!

[sarahbhb]

This is such a timely thread for me...one of the things DD is going to do for 4th grade is a biweekly country study culminating with a meal that we prepare together. I know a lot of libraries have a book series called Cooking the (Japanese, French, Australian, etc.) Way and I'm hoping to use those on as many countries as I can. I've looked at them and the recipes seem to be pretty easy to follow. What a great idea to do a summer study...I think y'all will have a blast with this.

[arenee]

I have to agree that the pavlova
http://www.joyofbaking.com/Pavlova.html
Super recipe....but it is a New Zealand recipe....It has kiwi fruit...
Kiwi recipe...;) ;);) ;) ;)

[ccouch]

Man, great minds totally think alike! We're actually doing an entire year of world geography next year & I've been getting some lesson planning done early this summer. I'm using Galloping the Globe, and there are a few recipes there, but I love hearing from people who actually live/ have lived in the country! :thumbup:

Misty, I ordered a pretend passport for us and am using flag stickers to "stamp" my daughter's passport as we go from country to country. I found a printable one that someone may be interested in:
Passport:
https://www.donnaward.net/news.php?cat_id=6&article_id=77
Country Stickers:
http://www.stickersandcharts.com/places.php

Also, I use homeschoolshare.com for a lot of lesson planning. They have a great geography index for children's books here:
http://www.homeschoolshare.com/master_geography_index.php

I'll definitely be watching this thread! Thanks, everyone, for the awesome recipes!!

[Sarah8914]

Soooo fun! If you do an African study, I can have my hubby make a list of some food ideas. He lived in Kenya and Uganda for 2 years. He makes us some yummy, easy stuff. Definitely nothing "gourmet" over there, but we like it... it's basically beans and peppers served on a tortilla like thing. I'm sure the kids could help mix and roll out the dough!

[ccouch]

We'll be "visiting" several countries in Africa. I'd love to hear his suggestions :D

[Misty Cato]

Love the passport idea thanks!

Sarah, I'd appreciate you dh's favorite recipes from Kenya and Uganda. We will be doing somewhere in Africa in about three weeks, I haven't decided where yet.

For anyone interested we started today with Australia.

http://jaminandmya.wordpress.com/2010/06/14/a-package-from-australia/

And making Pavlova which was a huge hit.

http://jaminandmya.wordpress.com/2010/06/14/pavlova/

[msteiner99]

One of our favorite recipes from South Korea is Bulgogi. It is SO yummy!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bulgogi-Korean-BBQ/Detail.aspx

Here's another recipe:

Bulgogi:

1 pound rib-eye

Marinade:

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 Korean pear or Asian pear, grated with juices

2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

1/2 small white onion, grated or sliced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon ground red pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 (20-ounce) bottle lemon-lime soda, optional (recommended: Sprite or 7-Up)

Place rib-eye in freezer for about 30 minutes so that it is easier to thinly slice. When partially frozen, remove from freezer and thinly slice. Set aside.

Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a large baking dish. Add the thinly sliced beef and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight; it is best if marinated overnight.

Heat grill to high. Remove beef from marinade and grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side.

[Milmomma]

Misty, I've got the perfect thing, I just have to get it in the mail tomorrow :) [I meant to today]

[litabells]

Oh yay - loved that you started with Australia! Looks like they had a wonderful time with it :)

[Jengerbread88]

I'm not sure if you want to go to the trouble of this, but in Germany there is a common bonfire treat called Stockbrot, or Stick Bread. Rather than smores or something, they make a bread, and they wrap it around a stick and roast it over the flames, baking it. I have to ask my brother for the recipe- his mom has an excellent one.

Otherwise, let me email some friends of mine for recipes... my mom works for a foreign exchange organization, so I'm certain she can get you a lot of great ones!

[Jengerbread88]

Okay, I emailed people from the following countries:

Pakistan, Hong Kong, Germany, Norway, Brasil, Kuwait, Vietnam, Moldova, and Denmark. I'm not sure who will email me back, but I will send you recipes as I get them.

____

Update! My brother who is from Germany sent me this link which he says has many many accurate German recipes, all in English. http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/europe/german/index1.html

He says particularly the Apple Pancakes, Bratwurst, and Schnitzel are popular in his part of Germany. And I can attest to the fact that apple pancakes and schnitzel are fantastic!

___

My sister Sabine recommends Bienenstich, which is a German pastry. I think mostly she just recommends it because her nickname is "bee" and it's traditional German "bee-sting" cake.

http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/europe/german/00/rec0019.html

____

And from a friend from Norway, he sends this link with recipes.

http://www.sofn.com/norwegian_culture/recipe_index.jsp

It also has the Norwegian Table Prayer, in both Norwegian and English, and some cultural information, if you click around.

____

My friend Lasse from Denmark says that this recipe is common for them, the Danish meatballs...

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1726,155190-252207,00.html

He suggests serving them with boiled potatoes, brown gravy, and pickles.

____

[Candice]

super easy stri fry we make at home..
You can use any veggies you like.. I just use broccoli most because it's cheap lol and it taste like beef & broccoli like in the Chinese restaurant :)

serves 2-3 (can be multiplied to make more)
meat:
2 chicken breast OR 2 pork chops OR 1/2 a shirt steak
(cut very thin.. cut across grain)
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons corn starch
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 TB soy sauce

cut mean thin, across grain, put in bowl or plate
put oil, soy sauces, and corn starch over and mix with hand
Let marinate in fridge for a 5-15 mins..


4-6 cup's veggies
(most the time I use broccoli & carrots(what we have on hand and what is cheap :) ) you can use anything you like in your stir fry!)

cut florette's off broccoli, if you use stem you need to peal first then chop
julienne carrots

Steam veggies about 3-5 mins
quickly put veggies in cold water and set aside


6 cloves of garlic
small slice of fresh ginger

chop garlic and ginger very fine.. set aside


sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
3/4 cup cold water
1 TB corn starch

in a bowl or cup, poor soy sauces, cold water then stir in the cornstarch.. mix until combined. set aside ( you will need to mix right before pouring in pan too to get it all mixed up again)

Get pan or wok hot
put in enough oil to coat the bottom, not too much though or else you start deep frying lol I would say about 1/4 cup

put meat in, and fry till 1/2 way done, add garlic & ginger, cook till done.. usually only takes 1-3 mins to get the meat cooked
add veggies, cooked till warmed up, about 3-4 mins
then poor over you sauce, let cook till thickened.

serve over jasmine rice

[scrapmonkey]

One of my favorite things to make from China is jiao-zi - dumplings which can be steamed or fried. I'll have to look up the recipe I have for it, but it would be fun (and a bit messy) for kids since it is a very hands-on recipe for the most part. There's also xiao-mei (which literally translates to "little pretty") - very similar, but they are only steamed.