18th century American macaroni and cheese
When macaroni and cheese landed in America, Bechamel sauce wasn’t part of it. The dish consisted of layers of butter, pasta and cheese, and nothing more. Simple. Pure.
Side Dishes
As good as the main course is, sometimes, it's even better when enjoyed with at least one side dish. The side dish can be anything, really. So long as the serving is small and it is not the main dish, it qualifies as a side dish. But, often, a side dish refers to a small portion of a vegetable salad or it can be starch in the form of rice, noodles or bread. My personal favorites include mango and tomato salsa, mashed roasted squash and Japanese cucumber salad.
Egg fried rice
Day-old rice is briefly stir fried with salt and pepper, beaten eggs are poured in and everything is tossed together until the eggs are cooked.
Crispy stuffed lotus root (renkon hasami-age)
A mixture of seasoned ground pork and vegetables is sandwiched between thin slices of fresh lotus root, dredged in starch and fried until golden and crisp.
Spicy tuna tartare
The natural brininess of fresh tuna joins a creamy and spicy sauce in this quick recipe for your next appetizer or side dish. Ten minutes to prep with no cooking …
Eggplant garam masala
Sliced eggplants are dipped in batter spiced with garam masala and fried on both sides until a crispy crust forms on the surface.
Malaysian butterfly pea flower rice (nasi kerabu)
Rice cooked with butterfly pea flower brew results in blue rice. The rice can be a homogenous blue but you may give it a marbled look just for fun.
Pesto rice
Want tasty rice that's not Asian-style fried rice? Try this. Fry garlic in olive oil, toss in cooked rice, stir in pesto then drizzle in lime or lemon juice before …