Food bucket list…

Do you have a bucket list? Places you want to visit or activities you want to do before you kick the bucket? I have a food bucket list… that may sound strange, but I want to try different culinary options. Whether it is location dining (France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, etc.) or glamorous dining like the French Laundry (http://www.frenchlaundry.com/). I think it would be exciting to eat food that is famous for being the place where it all started like a philly in Philadelphia, Wings in Buffalo, Kansas City BBQ, Gumbo in New Orleans, and the list goes on.

I am so surprised by the food myths that are prolific in this country… Olive Garden is delicious, but is it really how they make Italian food in Italy (styles varies from region to region), Tacos in the U.S. are not like the myriad of taco types in Mexico and across Latin America, and do you really think that the Irish all stay home on St. Paddy’s day and have corned beef and cabbage?

This is an excerpt from the History Channel’s website:

So how did pork and potatoes become corned beef and cabbage? Irish immigrants to America lived alongside other “undesirable” European ethnic groups that often faced discrimination in their new home, including Jews and Italians. Members of the Irish working class in New York City frequented Jewish delis and lunch carts, and it was there that they first tasted corned beef. Cured and cooked much like Irish bacon, it was seen as a tasty and cheaper alternative to pork. And while potatoes were certainly available in the United States, cabbage offered a more cost-effective alternative to cash-strapped Irish families. Cooked in the same pot, the spiced, salty beef flavored the plain cabbage, creating a simple, hearty dish that couldn’t be easier to prepare.

http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/corned-beef-and-cabbage-as-irish-as-spaghetti-and-meatballs

Now that you are in on the secret… does that change your menu? Nope, not for me. I have a corned beef in the fridge and a couple heads of cabbage. It will be deliciously not original, but maybe we can elevate our notions and try something new. 

Here is what I am working on…

Corned Beef and Cabbage rolls (Rueben style) http://www.primallyinspired.com/cabbage-rolls-reuben-style-st-patricks-day/

And I will have a few beers (Irish or not) to celebrate on March 17^th. Let me know what you are doing for the holiday at www.cookingwithtrace.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cookingwithtrace

Erin go Braugh