Dishes from Around the World

 Dishes from Around the World Shawarma (Dubai) Shawarma is a dish that originated during the Ottoman Empire era. It consists of thinly sliced meat, stacked on top of each other on a stick and roasted while slowly rotating. It is a dish that traditionally doesn't use pork, but substitutes it with lamb, beef, chicken, etc. When serving it is sliced thinly off of the stick and into whatever it may be, a gyro, a sandwich, or just a rice bowl. You can also add fruit like pineapple or veggies like carrots. It is essentially just a thicker and bigger kebab but mostly meat. Going back to the types of meat, you can use pork if you are doing it, but it usually isn't used traditionally since they don't eat pork. Customization  Now as I explained in the first paragraph, it is usually served with beef, lamb, or chicken along with other items and can be used for many different dishes. My personal favorite is when it is shaved into a gyro and served with pickled onions and feta cheese; I ...

 Dishes from Around the World Baklava (Turkish) Now Baklava isn't something I am too familiar with, but I am doing this blog to understand it more with you all. Baklava is a layered Turkish dessert, usually consisting of chopped nuts and a syrup or honey. Some of the nuts that are commonly used are walnuts, pistachios, or almonds. It is a sweet treat that was considered royalty up until the nineteenth century. From what I can see it is somewhat a tradition still to this day; the people with not a lot of money can't buy it every day, which in turn acts as if you are not rich. Creativity/Customization Baklava is a layered dessert pastry, but it doesn't have to be just a dessert. It can be a meal, an appetizer, or a snack because of its simplicity and how easy it is to change. You can do savory, sweet, or tart and you can pretty much do anything with Baklava. I haven't made Baklava, but I have tried my great grandmother's pot pie Baklava. She essentially made a beef po...

 Dishes from Around the World Curry (Indian) Curry is an interesting dish full of flavor and with usually a vibrant color and overall, a delicious and amazing dish. I have only had Indian curry about three times in my life, but each time I have it, I want it more and more. Indian curry is like a buttery and creamy soup with thick chunks of meat, usually consisting of pork or chicken and also has coconut milk and cream added to it to make it more flavorful and thick.  Story A story of the time I had curry was when my sister still lived with me and my mother. I come home to the smell of something delicious, something I have never smelled before up until that point. It was like heaven when I walked into the house. I then walked into the kitchen and see this pan full of this orange like soup. I asked my sister what she had made, she tells me it is Indian curry. I have never heard of Indian curry up until my sister said something about it. She let me try a spoon full of it before l...

 Dishes From Around the World Soup Dumplings (Asian) Soup dumplings are one of those foods where they are so delicious but also very risky at the same time. If you eat them while they are still hot, be careful because, as the name suggests, the soup in the dumplings is extremely hot usually. I have had incidents where I would burn my entire mouth because of the hot soup exploding into my mouth and scalding it. I also have many friends that have scalded their mouths because of soup dumplings. Story  One of the stories is a couple of my friends and I went to a local Chinese place in my town. We ordered the beef soup dumplings as a sort of appetizer for our meals. It doesn't take long for them to come in a steam basket, and you could just tell they were fresh off the steamer. So my friend had the bright idea to grab it with his bare hand and just sucks it into his mouth. Once he did that, he instantly regretted it. The super hot dumpling popped into his mouth as he sucked it into...

 Dishes from Around the World Sheppard's/Cottage Pie (British and French) Have you ever come home after a long day of school or work and wanted a nice and warm meal but didn't want to work too hard to make it? Well Sheppard's Pie is one of the better dishes that is easy to make and doesn't require much skill to do so! Sheppard's Pie isn't really a pie, but more of a casserole. It is a casserole that is pretty much either ground lamb or mutton mixed with a tomato-based slurry, most commonly tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and a broth with additional seasonings. It is then topped with a mashed potatoes and baked until crispy; can also top the potatoes with a puff pastry or cheese. Sheppard's Pie vs. Cottage Pie Sheppard's pie and Cottage pie are almost identical. The only difference is that Sheppard's pie is filled with leftover roast, lamb or mutton, while Cottage pie is filled with ground beef. Cottage pie is actually the mother dish to Sheppar...

 Dishes from Around the World Sushi (Japanese) Sushi is one of my favorite dishes in the whole world! The vibrant colors, the tasty combinations of flavors, the delicacy and careful handling is what makes sushi so appetizing. Sushi is a roll of seaweed usually filled with rice and whatever else you would like, most commonly fish or a different protein along with vegetables or fruit. My personal favorite sushi roll is a fried sushi roll with avocado, crab, and jalapenos.  Creativity and Appearance The sushi roll is another one of those dishes that can be experimented with. It offers you so much to combine along with giving you the chance to be creative. Some ways you can do it is by cutting it and putting caviar (fish eggs) on top or with a vegetable garnish like cucumber or carrots. A roll of sushi should always be packed tight, and each cut should be about an inch in thickness, any bigger and you will have a hard time fitting it all in your mouth at once.  Assembly/Proce...