Gaelen
06-06-2006, 09:42 PM
Earlier today, JamesL posted a challenge asking how we'd go about convincing another culture (the Sardinians) to adopt Protein Power eating strategies. James' post made me think--maybe we should trade secrets of which elements of various cuisines work best within Protein Power menu choices.
I know that some people choose to seldom/never eat out, because they don't know what's being prepared outside their own kitchens. They may have allergies or food sensitivities or are just choosing to avoid things they can't be sure won't be included in restaurant food. But I have to admit, I enjoy exploring new cuisines and new restaurants, and I've seldom been in a restaurant situation where I couldn't order something that worked on plan.
For instance, one popular cuisine in my brother's NYC neighborhood is Mexican. There must be a dozen Mexican and Central American-oriented restaurants within a 15 block radius--some simple, some high-brow, some cheap eats and some very pricey.
One of my favorites is Zocalo--a little pricey--but it serves one of the most inventive seviche tasting plates I've ever eaten. It's a FULL serving of protein (scallops, shrimp and thinly sliced carpaccio of beef) with three seviche sauces that add in avocado, limes, chiles, roasted tomatoes and jicama. They also serve an amazing pollo de negro mole (chicken in dark mole sauce), with jicama slaw and guacamole sides. At Zocalo, while you can get some amazing beans and rice dishes, and while the homemade corn tortillas come to the table freshly made, you don't HAVE to get these things--or you can ask for one tortilla, rather than a plateful. The mahi mahi taco is terrific, and it comes with a side of one of the house's variations on guacamole (they serve at least seven homemade guacamole variations.)
On the low priced end is a crazy joint called Samalita's Tortilla Factory--far better food at the restaurant than when delivered, but they make an enchilada platter that is terrific (one to three enchiladas--you choose.) The chicken and queso blanco chile enchiladas are terrific, and they come with nopalitas, or a mixed greens salad, or both. They also serve a mean fish taco.
Outside of the 'neighborhood,' we often eat Spanish or Mexican because my brother spent a lot of time in Puerto Rico, south Florida and Houston, and he really enjoys those tastes. One day we were walking down to Midtown, and stumbled into a Central American restaurant called Cabana, where I had chiccarones de pollo (chicken thighs fried with sweet green chiles and served with roasted tomato and avocado dipping sauce) and he had pork sausages baked with green chiles and queso fresco. Both dishes were served with a fresh tomato salsa, fried cheese strings and fried plaintains. My brother also ordered black beans and rice; I had a terrific guacamole with celery.
During Summer Restaurant Week, we treated ourselves to lunch at Bolo, Bobby Flay's Spanish restaurant. I had chicken stuffed with spinach and olives and smothered in manchego cheese and roasted chiles; my brother had snapper baked escobeche (in tomatoes, chiles and onions.) He had mesclun greens salad with olives and chile viniagrette, and I had a sopa de ajo (an almond-grape gazpacho). We both had flan drizzled with orange sauce (about a half-cup of custard) for dessert...a splurge, but nothing that derailed my entire day. ;) Other choices in our prixe fixe lunch were appetizers of chile-mussels, an entree of baked soft-shell crab with chipotle aioli, and cinnamon twist shortbreads for dessert. There was also a selection of Spanish flavored coffees for dessert, and Flay's trademark white peach sangria--the coffees would have been a great dessert if you didn't want to have the flan, but I didn't really enjoy my taste of my brother's white peach sangria...too sweet!
The cuisines of Mexico, Central and South America and the Spanish/Mexican influenced islands in the Carribbean can be hard to hold to PP guidelines--if you only consider the traditional tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, chips 'n salsa route. But if you explore other traditionally prepared protein-based entrees, and hold the beans-and-rice side dishes, you can enjoy traditional Mexican and Spanish cuisines without straying from PP guidelines. And you can have guacamole, without guilt. ;)
What choices do YOU make in your favorite ethnic cuisine that are PP-friendly?
I know that some people choose to seldom/never eat out, because they don't know what's being prepared outside their own kitchens. They may have allergies or food sensitivities or are just choosing to avoid things they can't be sure won't be included in restaurant food. But I have to admit, I enjoy exploring new cuisines and new restaurants, and I've seldom been in a restaurant situation where I couldn't order something that worked on plan.
For instance, one popular cuisine in my brother's NYC neighborhood is Mexican. There must be a dozen Mexican and Central American-oriented restaurants within a 15 block radius--some simple, some high-brow, some cheap eats and some very pricey.
One of my favorites is Zocalo--a little pricey--but it serves one of the most inventive seviche tasting plates I've ever eaten. It's a FULL serving of protein (scallops, shrimp and thinly sliced carpaccio of beef) with three seviche sauces that add in avocado, limes, chiles, roasted tomatoes and jicama. They also serve an amazing pollo de negro mole (chicken in dark mole sauce), with jicama slaw and guacamole sides. At Zocalo, while you can get some amazing beans and rice dishes, and while the homemade corn tortillas come to the table freshly made, you don't HAVE to get these things--or you can ask for one tortilla, rather than a plateful. The mahi mahi taco is terrific, and it comes with a side of one of the house's variations on guacamole (they serve at least seven homemade guacamole variations.)
On the low priced end is a crazy joint called Samalita's Tortilla Factory--far better food at the restaurant than when delivered, but they make an enchilada platter that is terrific (one to three enchiladas--you choose.) The chicken and queso blanco chile enchiladas are terrific, and they come with nopalitas, or a mixed greens salad, or both. They also serve a mean fish taco.
Outside of the 'neighborhood,' we often eat Spanish or Mexican because my brother spent a lot of time in Puerto Rico, south Florida and Houston, and he really enjoys those tastes. One day we were walking down to Midtown, and stumbled into a Central American restaurant called Cabana, where I had chiccarones de pollo (chicken thighs fried with sweet green chiles and served with roasted tomato and avocado dipping sauce) and he had pork sausages baked with green chiles and queso fresco. Both dishes were served with a fresh tomato salsa, fried cheese strings and fried plaintains. My brother also ordered black beans and rice; I had a terrific guacamole with celery.
During Summer Restaurant Week, we treated ourselves to lunch at Bolo, Bobby Flay's Spanish restaurant. I had chicken stuffed with spinach and olives and smothered in manchego cheese and roasted chiles; my brother had snapper baked escobeche (in tomatoes, chiles and onions.) He had mesclun greens salad with olives and chile viniagrette, and I had a sopa de ajo (an almond-grape gazpacho). We both had flan drizzled with orange sauce (about a half-cup of custard) for dessert...a splurge, but nothing that derailed my entire day. ;) Other choices in our prixe fixe lunch were appetizers of chile-mussels, an entree of baked soft-shell crab with chipotle aioli, and cinnamon twist shortbreads for dessert. There was also a selection of Spanish flavored coffees for dessert, and Flay's trademark white peach sangria--the coffees would have been a great dessert if you didn't want to have the flan, but I didn't really enjoy my taste of my brother's white peach sangria...too sweet!
The cuisines of Mexico, Central and South America and the Spanish/Mexican influenced islands in the Carribbean can be hard to hold to PP guidelines--if you only consider the traditional tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, chips 'n salsa route. But if you explore other traditionally prepared protein-based entrees, and hold the beans-and-rice side dishes, you can enjoy traditional Mexican and Spanish cuisines without straying from PP guidelines. And you can have guacamole, without guilt. ;)
What choices do YOU make in your favorite ethnic cuisine that are PP-friendly?