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Marie Torio is a NY based |
| The beauty about preparing food from other countries is that we can somewhat immerse ourselves into this particular part of the world without buying a plane ticket. Today I will share with you a few recipes I tried out and enjoyed preparing. Looking back, I appreciate exploring the different varieties of seasoning and ingredients used to compose a dish and of course photographing them. Latin: I made a pastelon (sweet plantain lasagna). At first thought, you might not know what to make of the combination amongst sweet plantain, savory chopped meat mixture and cheese but let me assure you, it is fantastic. This dish is a Puerto Rican specialty and perfect for a well rounded casserole option. The key is the sweet plantain and the way you achieve the sweetest pastelon is by picking the spotty or almost black plantains. The bold latin flavors come through in the meat mix because it is seasoned with adobo, cumin, salt, pepper and mixed with onions, chopped peppers, raisins, olives and simmered with bay leaves and a bit of tomato sauce. The flavor profile is smokey because of the cumin, sweet because of the raisin and the umami is hidden with the bits of olives. Delicious dish! Thai: I stumbled upon a tofu pad thai recipe and was curious of how it would turn out or if it would hold up being that I usually prefer chicken pad thai. I’m happy I attempted to make this and was pleased with the results. I like that this is a vegetarian option and the tofu is seared so it gets a nice, golden crust on the outside, soft on the inside and takes on the flavor of the noodles. The combination of tamari, sesame oil seasoning for the noodles mixed with carrots, cilantro, chopped peanuts and a splash of lime was comforting and zesty. Each bite was packed with flavor and texture. Love this recipe! Mediterrenean: Chicken shawarma quinoa platter. This is another dish that is packed with flavor. The chicken is cooked with turmeric, cumin, salt and pepper. That being said, the rest of the plate is really simple so the pairing of the robust seasoned chicken, simple quinoa, cut cucumbers and tomatoes alongside the lemony tzatziki sauce is a delightful bite! It is well rounded and healthy and makes you feel connected to the mediterrenean culture. I am super proud with the results of each of these recipes. The dishes were absolutely delicious and something I would prepare again. Hope this will encourage you to try something different when it comes to your cooking and take advantage to photograph them as well. Have fun cooking and styling them on the plate. Happy cooking and happy shooting!! |
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