My desire for international cuisine didn’t just appear out of thin air. It might have materialized from a mix of Italian scents in my Nonna’s kitchen [pictured right weighing homemade pasta], from meaty German aroma’s escaping my grandmother’s oven or a hint of adventurous spirit developed after years of watching relatives eat every part of the pig—blood pudding included.
I quickly learned that, although my relatives didn’t have recipes written in cookbooks, they had them ingrained in their memories…where I couldn’t print out a copy or save it to my Pinterest board. Woe was me, right? Not to mention, there was still that desire to create, taste and share the cuisine from non-ancestral cultures.
So, I went through a “MacGyver stage” if you will, pretending I could produce international cooking skills out of nothing, until giving into a variety of cookbooks. Yet, I still found step-by-step instructions for authentic international cuisine aren’t easy to come by. A cookbook that brings international flavors into my kitchen sans the cursing, stomping and fire alarms is holy grail material in my opinion. David Joachim’s Global Kitchen is my latest and greatest holy grail.
As a New York Times best-selling cookbook author and food writer, David Joachim has teamed up with Cooking Light, the nation’s leading epicurean brand to celebrate global cuisine and a world of flavors for the home cook. Available March 4, Global Kitchen features 150 out-of-this-world recipes made with every-day ingredients found in local supermarkets. Always feeling my tastebuds draw toward Middle Eastern food, I immediately tackled the Falafel-Stuffed Eggplant with Tahini Sauce and Tomato Relish; the Spicy Red Lentil Stew (Mesir Wat) [recipe below]; and the Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca with full intent on continuing through the entire book. The meals were not only tasty, but they’re very “feel-good” as comfort foods with healthy ingredients.
I also found myself deeply involved with the fascinating stories that David shares about the world’s most loved dishes as well as techniques and ingredient tips from chefs known for their mastery of global cuisines including Chicago’s Rick Bayless and Philadelphia’s Marc Vetri and Michael Solomonov.
“When Cooking Light invited me to showcase the world’s most iconic dishes, I jumped at the chance,” says David Joachim. “It’s an exciting time to be in the kitchen with so many incredible, flavorful ingredients from around the globe in our local supermarkets. We can thank globalization for stimulating our taste buds–and for making it easier to eat healthy.”
I am thrilled that David jumped at the opportunity to share his passion, especially for chaotic cooks like myself. It has allowed me to follow closer in my ancestors’ footsteps, expand my culinary horizons and cut down on my frustration in the kitchen. Now, if anything inappropriate slips from these lips, it’s only in praise of the final product. Make sure you grab a copy of your own come March 4 and see for yourself.
Explore a Sneak Peek of Global Kitchen via the recipe below:
Spicy Red Lentil Stew (Mesir Wat)
Hands-On Time: 22 min. Total Time: 1 hr. 10 min.
Berbere, Ethiopia’s signature spice blend, often includes garlic, ginger, coriander, fenugreek, and allspice in addition to a big pinch of ground chiles. Look for it at well-stocked supermarkets. For a change of pace, skip the rice and serve the wat with Teff Injera Flatbread (page 122).
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 2 cups chopped red onion
- 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 11/2 tablespoons berbere spice
- 3 cups organic vegetable broth
- 1 cup dried small red lentils
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 cups hot cooked basmati rice
Method:
1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 15 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add ginger and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in tomato paste and berbere spice; cook 1 minute, stirring to combine. Gradually add broth, stirring with a whisk until blended. Increase heat to medium-high; bring to a simmer.
2. Rinse lentils until cold water; drain. Add lentils to broth mixture; simmer, partially covered, 35 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in salt. Sprinkle with cilantro; serve over rice. Serves 4 (serving size: 1 cup lentils and 1 cup rice)
Disclaimer: For research of this article, the reviewer received a complimentary cookbook.
