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Rendang is a “dry” meat curry that originated in the Padang cuisine of west-central Sumatra., Indonesia. It has become popular throughout the Indonesian archipelago, as well as in Malaysia and Singapore. Rendang is an intensely flavorful dish often served on special occasions. The ingredients used to season it vary widely from region to region. Pick and choose as you have available.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1kg skirt steak, cut into 3cm pieces
• 1 brown onion, thinly sliced
• 50g packet rendang curry paste
• 400ml can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• 2 tablespoons kecap manis(Indonesia sweet soy sauce)
  
• steamed cabbage wedges and rice, to serve

Spaghetti and meatballs is a dish unknown in Italy, but probably had its origin in several baked Neapolitan pasta dishes served at religious festivals such as Carnival and Christmas. (Naples is the capital of Campania.) Remembering that meat in Italy is costly, these dishes used meatballs the size of walnuts—unlike the American version that used meatballs the size of eggs—and also included other ingredients as ham and boiled eggs. The large portions served, and heavy seasonings of garlic, oregano and hot pepper flakes, are American developments.

Ingredients

2 tbsp (25 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 egg

1/2 cup (125 mL) ricotta cheese

2 tsp (10 mL ) fennel seeds, lightly crushed

1-1/4 tsp (6 mL)  salt

3/4 tsp (4 mL) pepper

1/4 tsp (1 mL ) each ground cinnamon,  cloves and nutmeg

1 cup (250 mL ) coarse fresh bread crumbs

1/4 cup (50 mL) minced fresh parsley

1/4 cup (50 mL) grated Romano or  parmesan cheese

8 oz (250 g) lean   ground beef

8 oz (250 g) lean ground pork

1/2 cup 125 mL ) dry red or white wine  or chicken stock

1 can (28 oz/796 mL) diced tomatoes

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) crushed canned tomatoes

1/2 cup (125 mL) coarsely chopped  fresh basil (or 2 tsp/10 mL dried)

1/4 tsp (1 mL) granulated sugar

1-1/2 lb (750 g) spaghetti

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Chicken cordon bleu as a dish unto itself  first appeared on restaurant menus in the United States in the early 1960s. According to the Food Time Line website, it is clearly an American recipe innovation. This specific combination and name did not originate in Europe. It was considered a trendy dish at the time and served at fashionable, high-class restaurants.

There are many regional dishes from Europe that share characteristics with Chicken Cordon Bleu. Some of the countries that include roulades, or roll ups of meat, in their cuisine are Germany, France and Italy. Almost all of them are based on veal or chicken wrapped around stuffing, another meat, cheese or a combination of any of these. Many of them are then breaded and fried. The names and recipes vary widely, but their connection to the dish is apparent.

In its simplest form, Chicken Cordon Bleu is a tasty combination of chicken, ham and swiss cheese, rolled together and usually fried. This recipe also includes a creamy wine sauce to accompany the chicken.

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The salad’s history is unclear. It probably was created by Caesar Cardini (an Italian-born Mexican).

Cardini was living in San Diego but also working in Tijuana where he avoided the restrictions of Prohibition.

As his daughter Rosa 1928–2003) reported, her father invented the dish when a Fourth of July 1924 rush depleted the kitchen’s supplies. Cardini made do with what he had, adding the dramatic flair of the table-side tossing “by the chef”.

Another story is that the salad was created for Hollywood stars after a weekend party. Others suggest Caesar’s brother Alex created it as “Aviator’s salad” for San Diego aviator comrades who were in a hurry, and the dish was renamed later, when Alex was a partner of his brother. A few fellows among Cardini’s personnel claimed the authorship, but without success.

But please don’t think much about the history. Let’s try to make it as our lunch appetizer

This Caesar salad is heavy on fresh garlic and red and black pepper and will leave you feeling full for quite some time. The dressing is easy to prepare and you might just have all the ingredients lying around the kitchen already.

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The 4th Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu (1718 – 1792) is said to have eaten salted meat and bread during his distinguished naval career and according to food historian Solomon Katz, may have first coined the term. The first written reference was in Edward Gibbon’s London Journal of 1762 in which he observed sandwiches on the supper menu of the stylish restaurants of the day. Montagu also enjoyed a good game of cribbage and it is said that the use of bread in this way prevented the cards from getting greasy. On the other hand, he was a busy man and may have simply preferred to eat lunch at his desk like the rest of us.

In 1827, Miss Leslie’s Directions for Cookery, a popular early cookbook, includes a recipe for ham sandwiches and officially gives them the designation of main dish which garnered public approval of the sandwich to be used as such in the early U.S. In 1900, unsliced, soft, white bread loaves begin to be sold in local general stores and grocery stores. As early as the 1920s, children begin to carry sandwiches in their lunch pails, the most popular fillings of that time were eggs and ham. In the 1930s, sliced, soft, white bread is first sold by Wonder Bread.

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