Tasting the World: Some of My Top Ethnic Dishes
Hi There,
Growing up in Queens, I have had an array of cuisines. From Italian to Greek, Chinese, Japanese, Indian and of course, West Indian. Here are SOME of my favs in no particular order:
Chicken Parmigiana (Italian-American)
Chicken Parmigiana is a classic, a reminder of what real love is; simple, inviting and makes you feel all warm inside. The richness of the marinara sauce poured of a crispy seasoned chicken cutlet and finished in the oven with fresh mozzarella cheese. My FAVORITE place to get it in Queens, is at La Villa in Howard Beach. I would venture to say it is THE best chicken parm I’ve ever had!
Lamb Biriyani (Indian)
If you haven't tried this, you're missing out. This is one of the most flavorful things I have ever tasted. All of the spices and layers of flavor from salty, sweet, sour, it's like a Bollywood dance scene in your mouth.
Side bar- After living in Paris for a while I moved into a new apartment and didn’t have cookware or a microwave yet, so I had to eat takeout every day. That’s how I discovered a great place called “Kurry Up,” an Indian street food fast casual restaurant. Their Lamb Biriyani is super good!
Curry Goat (Jamaica)
As an honorary Guyanese, courtesy of my mom, I am probably going to get some heat for this but Jamaican curry goat is slammin'! The depth of flavor in the goat meat that is so tender, it falls off the bone. The right amount of spice, heat and salt. Pile it up high on my plate with a side of white rice and I'm good!
Chicken Pad Thai (Thailand)
For a long-time, I was weird about peanuts in food but it’s not WHAT you use but HOW you use it that matters. That's what I found out when I tried Pad Thai for the first time. That's all it took to hook me. Not to mention that little squeeze of lime to really set it off. A few months after I moved to Paris, I found the BEST Thai place called Eathai in an area called Les Halles, where you can get great Chicken Pad Thai for about 10 euros or $11 bucks.
Stew Lamb (Guyanese)
I have been eating this dish since my first teeth came in. There is something so comforting about all of the spices and decadence of this hearty meal. The meat is so succulent! I love it with white rice BUT with roti it's the BOMB dot com. I discovered that "happy accident" one day while picking up food from my uncle's restaurant. I ordered the curry lamb and roti but they gave me stew lamb instead and I haven't looked back. Don't knock it till you try it.
Stew Lamb
What are some of your favorite ethnic dishes? I’d love to hear all about them.