Asian

I'll be honest, my exposure to Asian recipes has blossomed since my daughter went to live in China and Vietnam. Don't get me wrong, I loved our local Thai restaurant and going out for curry. I even made a few DIY asian fusion recipe attempts that didn't go so great until I had an insiders peek into healthy Asian food.

The key with Asian flavors is a balance of flavors versus other cuisines that place emphasis on one. There is also the element of representing a palette of colors on the table and eating family style from little plates. Yes, it's preferred to have red, orange, yellow, and green on the table at all the meals. If you find yourself in Vietnam, that will also include a small bowl of fish sauce.

There are also little rules I never would have known about. It's rude to plunge your chopsticks straight up in the bowl of rice, really, don't do it. They believe it represents a grave, which is bad luck. If you're dining with a family, don't finish your full drink or bowl when you're full. Leave a few pieces in the dish or your host will certainly refill it. I can't vouch for this in all situations, but my daughter did tell me of getting "overfed" on multiple occasions until she used this little trick.

If you're curious about the marriage of cuisine and culture, read more of the posts. I try to add little pearls of wisdom to each one!