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The local dishes here.

A couple really... actually make that more than a couple!

Let me see.
> Yakiniku : Actually, I think this originally came from Korea, and you can get more Korean style Yakiniku places as well. Basically, cook at your table, BBQ style. When served with Korean Kimchi extras, lush!!!

> Okonomiyaki : Umm, how do I explain. Sort of like a thick, non-sweet, pancake

> Sushi : Hey, this is Japan after all!

> Soba Noodles : Love this hot in the winter. Usually served in a simple broth type liquid, together with a little beef and Leek/Onion. Simple, but tasty. In the summer, cold soba is great.

> Ramen Noodles : Not instant pot type!!!  Proper real ramen in a raman stand/stall. Lush. Can be heavy, so not great in the hot summer. Good post-drinking session food!

OK, fast food time!
If lazy, Yoshinoya's "Butta-kimchi-don" is great. Basically, bowl of rice, topped with pork/onion/sauce. The kimchi is an optional extra topping. I then have a 'han-juku-tamago" (or half cooked egg), to stick on top. Ohh, and a little bit of Ginger. Very cheap, but filling if you are in a rush.

Also, the Mos Burger chain is FAR superior to that so-called food from McDonalds!

Hmm, I'm bloody hungry too now

Let's see here....I'm in the US.  Ok, I'd say Beef Stroganoff.  Of course I also fix my own.  So go figure!  Let's see here, what else is there?  Hmmm....
Cheeseburgers are nice!  Pizza, rib eye steak with baked potato, etc.

As for "other" meals, I like the seaweed soup that a fella got from a relative in Japan.  I really loved it and the "ramen noodle-style" seaweed dry noodle packs (I'd love to get some more of those!).    Greek Gyro sandwiches are awesome!  Has to be made properly though.  Chicken Quisadillas are good, as are chicken enchiladas (Mexico).  And Mutton sandwiches (Navajo) are absolutely killer!

So basically if it's edible, I love it! 

Olive oil is a staple for cooking here in Greece too (and I'd suspect most of Europe).

As for favorites, I tend to be a picky eater, and I have never been one for "foreign" foods aside from Mexican, Italian, and Chinese now and then.  The thing that gets me about Greek cooking is how rich it is.  Everything my mother-in-law cooks is really, really delicious, but it is too rich for my stomach to eat much of it.

Favorites:

Tzatziki - this is really a condiment (Greeks call it a salad) which is basically yoghurt with garlic and shredded cucumber and who knows what else that gives it the delicious flavor.  I used to be a ketchup girl but I have forsaken it for Tzatziki.

Spanikopita - well, there is one place here that makes really kick ass pitas of all kinds, spinach, cheese, squash, eggplant.  I am picky about this though, there are some pitas I don't like how they are done.

Souvlaki - well, basically this is just grilled meat with whatever spices each person uses, but its good.

Tsoureki - a sweet bread type thing, again, it depends on the place that makes it whether I like it or not

Profiterole - a dessert, kind of chocolate pudding with cream filled balls of dough in it.  Yummy!

Mel, I think the profiterolles are an Italian dish ... hmm I love profiterolles!

Julien wrote:

Mel, I think the profiterolles are an Italian dish ... hmm I love profiterolles!

Strange, I always assumed they were French
What I did know though is that they certainly weren't British!

Ahh Mel. About the use of Olive Oil. Olive Oil is traditionally a staple ingredient in the South of Europe only (the Latin countries), as it's hot enough to grow Olives there. Though I can't speak 100% for say Northern France, the lowlands, Germany, Scandanvia countries etc, I can speak for Britain. Traditionally we have never used Olive Oil. Lots of animal fat though, with dairy produce (cooking with butter). Of course, thats not too healthy, so we've started using Olive Oil a lot.
I for one used to cook with it all the time, plus Sesame Oil if I was doing some form of oriental food.

Now I'm in Japan, I only use Olive Oil (bloody expensive here, as it has to be shipped from all the way over there in Europe), because my job is to cook the 'Western' food Ìý  Wife does the Japanese food, which I'm not so good at cooking (I tend to over-season the food. Japanese food is meant to be very simple tastes).



Dammit, I'm hungry again now!

Yea, I guess Britain is/was a lot like America.  Not much olive oil usage, but people are getting smart to it.  I like it a lot better than the oils and shortenings I used in America.  And olive oil was crazy expensive in America too.  A tiny bottle of it for $6.  Here you get a big huge bucket for next to nothing.  Well, here people make their own olive oil and give it to you!

Well, just had a nice picnic dinner in the moutains.  Fried chicken, real cow's milk (not that garbage you buy from the supermarket), a couple ears of fresh sweet corn, and water.  While viewing the valley from a small mountain that overlooks it.  Ahhhh!  I loved it!

I'm so lucky I'm living in Greece since I'm a vegetarian...and no, I don't eat fish or chicken either. LOL Greeks have wonderful veggie dishes. Here are some of my favourites:

Fassolakia: green bean stew with tomatoes and potatoes

Fakes: lentil soup with onions and tomatoes

Imam Bayildi: It's actually Turkish but the Greeks have absorbed it into their already rich cuisines. It's got a lots of veggies in it including eggplants.

I never knew vegetables could taste so good until I moved here.

Sousoukakia- Greek meatballs made with lots of garlic and cumin served with a tomato sauce.

Love Gazpacho! When I first made it here in SA people were agog! Now they know what  it is. Adelaide has a very special dish called the "Pie Floater" which you get from the pie cart in town. It's a hot meat pie  drowned in special green pea mush. You either like it or you hate it. We also have yabbies, which are black, like prawns, and you catch them in the river. Delicious!! We also have frog cakes...petits fours of vanilla sponge, covered in pale green icing, with whipped cream under the top of the icing and then a blob of chocolate on top. All kids (and kids at heart) love them. Truth is, in Adelaide, we are big on Italian, Indian and Thai!! Then, in summer, it's straight over to the BBQs with crayfish, prawns, steak, sausages , lots of salad and crunchy bread...oh, and sauce. Tomato sauce. Lunch time it's just as likely to be a salad sandwich or yoghurt and kiwi fruit.

In the part of Papua New Guinea that I live, they cook everything in coconut milk. Basically, they scrape the white meat, and squeeze out the juices. Traditionally, it was cooked mostly with taro, sweet potatos or unripe bananas (sort of like plantains) along with some leafy greens. It's delicious, even though there aren't a lot of spices. Now they also cook rice in coconut milk, and since eating it this way, I don't really like rice without it!

There's another dish where they grate cassava/yucca (it's a root vegetable - sort of like a potato, but still quite a bit different) and mix it with coconut milk. Sometimes they also mash up some ripe bananas. Then they cook it in banana leaves, and it comes out kind of like a bread. It's excellent.

And I've found that the most refreshing thing in the world to drink is the liquid from a young coconut - not really a dish, as such, but it's incredible!

But the best, by far, is the mumu. Usually it's taro, maybe some bananas, chicken or pork, cooked in coconut milk, wrapped in banana leaves, and traditionally cooked in an underground oven, with heated rocks. Now they usually just put a sheet of corrogated iron overtop to keep the heat in instead of digging a pit. It's then left overnight to cook. It is so good! I think it's pretty much the same way of cooking all over Melanesia/Polynesia, with some variations. If you're interested, I posted a description of the process, along with some pictures on my blog awhile back.



Reading all these posts makes me hungry! That's one of the things that's so nice about living in Melbourne. It's a really multicultural city, and it's supposed to have the best restaurants in Australia. You can find just about anything here. I'd highly recommend it, if you like multicultural dining!

I loved the dumplings you could get for breakfast in China.  I was going to type out the name, but remembered that the name I was typing out was for rice wine.  Which, granted, was good too.

I have had haggis, but not good haggis, so I can't tell you if I like it.

I really enjoyed the street food in China.  I was lucky - it never made me sick, but a friend of mine from New Zealand got sick more than once on it.

Hmm... I guess my favorite thing to eat here so far has been Indian take out! *laugh*

Köttbullar (soft meatballs) + blueberry marmelade +brown sauce + potatoes salad.... Yummee !  It is lunchtime here too ...

During a trip in Vancouver Island ... I staid a night in Nanaimo ... and I discovered the Nanaimo Bar. Actually I didn't test it there because I did not have time ... but I kept the recipe.
Once coming back in France, I tried it ... and what a beautiful surprise ... it is very good.

Since this day, this is my favorite dessert ... and it is now called Nanaimo Bar - the best dessert of the world.

In some words, there are three layers : bottom layer with coconut, chocolate, butter and graham cracker crumbs - then middle layer with butter and ice sugar and with different possibility cherries or mint - then a top layer with just chocolate and butter.

Fabulous !! :p

I love salad Olivier!  it is a Russian favorite and easy to make!

Since I am now Dominican I guess what I miss most when I am not here is the Rice and Beans!

Actually my maid cooks for me and I have taught her to spice it up and everything she makes is great!

Escott

Escott, I agree... Rice and beans have become a daily way of living here!
Although my son, almost 15, still needs a pizza every now and then!!

I have a new favorite... I just learned how to make borsht-Kuban style.  It is great!!!!!!

Kiss the French Cook
what is not good about French cuisine?
Trading in my bite of hamburger, with fries and chocolate malt years ago for
Baguette, cheese and wine.
They have a cheese for everyday of the year!
and a pastries too!
The aroma of lunch hits teh streets about 12ish, it makes me swoon.
Then there is the sauces, their vegetables variety, and mushrooms!
Though the best thing about food in France, is the ritual and traditions that dance around it!

It's probably unfair to start with dessert, but here in Austria the baking, especially the sweet stuff, is INCREDIBLE. It's a good thing we burn so many calories just trying to stay warm because otherwise, we'd be big as houses. The bread here is first rate also, and almost any of the dairy, even the supermarket brand yogurt is a million times better than the expensive yogurt in the US. Oh so yummy.

Also, I never thought I would go for it, but there's something called a putenkasekrainer, a turkey sausage  that also has cheese in it, that, when grilled and served with sauerkraut, good mustard, and some nice bread, really makes you warm on a winter day.

We also get incredible smoked fish - trout and some other lake fish - that is deeelicious.

When I first came to Austria, I thought it would all be meat and potatoes, but I have learned that the Austrians are quite the continental gourmets! I love, love, love the food in this country.

OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH This one is soooo easy! Beef!!!

Argentina has, hands down, has the best beef I've ever tasted. Even better than the taureau that I had in the Camarague in the South of France (sorry ) but that was really good too.

It's possible to go to a really good quality parilla (where meat is grilled over a wood fire) and have tender, juicy, and flavorful steak, that you can almost cut with a fork.


p.s. For the vegetarians out there, Buenos Aires has LOTS of vegetarian options as well, including pastas and a variety of different salads.

About the local dishes, it's essntially american dishes. My favourites things ?
Some hamburger restaurants (don't even think about McDonald's or Carl's Jr), where the burgers are juicy, very big, and taste really good. I enjoy the ribs, too (we have made a fantastic ribs with tequila recipe), and the beef in general, which is very good.

But, to know what we like, it's easier to take look at our culinary blog : restoblog.com (lots of recipes and some critics on local restaurants, in french only).

Lobster on New Years!

lemon pie whenever i want!!!

It's more about the ingredients here, not so much about specific recipes or cooking techniques, but I can't get enough of our wonderful seafood - salmon, halibut, mussels, crab, yum!

The produce from the nearby Okanagan Valley is delicious, especially stone fruit like cherries, peaches, apricots, and tonnes of berries.

BC wine is excellent too, and we have local micro-breweries, coffee roasters and artisan chocolatiers that more than hold their own.

Sadly, our only First Nations (aboriginal) restaurant shut down several years ago - their food was excellent, and unlike anything else in the city.

I'm in Norway and I think Scandinavian cuisines are more or less the same....I like the delicatessen /snacks here like Smørrebrød (Open sandwiches)

I also like chocolate croissants, but doubt its a very local pastry though u do get pasties that are local to Scandinavia.

Here in Iceland, the lamb is the best I've ever tasted, and the seafood is generally incredible (especially the tiny Icelandic lobster). I also love anything that manages to grow outdoors here, such as rhubarb, currants, wild blueberries and crowberries, and the new potatoes in the summertime. The variety of dairy products is also delicious- the butter here makes for excellent baking results, then there's skyr and loads of local yogurts that are tasty.

to answer an earlier comment, there's plenty of olive oil here and at least I use it regularly when cooking. It's certainly not a traditional thing though.

The local dishes In Egypt is fool & falafel  the both are Beans in addtion to molokia"Corchorus" and Mahshey "Cabbage" Stuffed Grape Leaves and kosharey(A mixture of rice, lentils and pasta and chickpeas  and onions)

Well I've just been in Canada since three months but I've tried some really good things here.
First you have to try the pancakes with mapple syrop. Ok, everybody knows pancakes but thoses that I have didn't taste the same (be sure they're made by a Canadian )
Then I tried their pumpkin pie and blueberry pie for thanksgiving hmmmm If you lile blueberries you'll be happy there, you can find them everywhere. I advise you the blueberry muffin of Tim Hortons, they're really good. If you're lucky enough to go to Tim Hortons. This is definitely something to do. It's just food but it is a canadian thing.
The next step is the moose meat. I've never had that before but I was told it was good so I'll try and tell you.
Bon appétit !

These are my Belgian favorites:

stoofvlees: a beef stew with Belgian beer

fries: they are not French, but Belgian, at least when you put them in the oil twice.

witloof: chicory or Belgian endive
spruiten: Brussels sprouts, horrible to most people but I grew up on them so...

pralines: the famous Belgian chocolates

wafels: waffles with powdered sugar

pannenkoeken: pancakes (flat and as round as a plate) with soft brown cane sugar)

and my absolute favorite:

speculaas: a short crust biscuit with pepper, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom and nutmeg.

some of my fave local dishes from the Phils

>Pork Sinigang or Sour Pork Soup with Vegetables - a typical Filipino comfort food, can be made with either beef, pork or fish and it is always served with rice.

>Bistek - usually lean-cut beef marinated in calamansi or lemon juice and soysauce, pan fried and the marinade added at the end.

and I guess every expat who have once been to Manila have tasted this and would agree that this dish tastes delicious - Adobo!

>Pork and Chicken Adobo - Pork and Chicken in Vinegar, Soy Sauce and Garlic

In Greece:

In Turkey:

Italian delights!

My Italian mother-in-law is from Ischia (near Capri) and makes a real mean Pasta con fagioli e cozze (beans and muscles). Its a heavy dish and it takes a really long time to make but its oh so delicious and the perfect dish after a day of playing v ball on the beach and swimming in the sea.

Another really good but simple dish is pasta with smoked salmon and a bit of cream. Really simple and easy to make and delish!

If anyone's in Rome and wants to try really good Italian food, the restaurant Casetta di Trastevere is in a great medieval part of historic Rome and I was surprised to pay only 5-7 euro per pasta dish that they heap on. Delicious traditional dishes. I wrote about my experience there on my blog

Although the area has become quite touristy I was surprised that they didn't water down the taste for tourists, nor have they hiked up the prices. There were several Italians there and my husband who is Italian has given his seal of approval- so you know its authentic!

I just had lunch but now I'm hungry again!

Neeya

I still don't know the names of anything - I just point to what I want - but there are some fantastic soups that I can eat every day.

This is easy:

Potato soup served with smoked sausage and pork loin;
Farmer's breakfast - fried potato with scrambled eggs, bacon and pickled cucumber;
Asparagus with grilled meat and sauce hollandaise;
Fried plaice with crispy bacon.

I could go on and on and on...

In Northern China, I love sweet and sour pork,eggs with sugar and loads of fresh tomatoes.I love the Mongolian tea too.Got so many fave dishes but forgot the name.
In Vietnam, I enjoy eating chicken pho(Vietnamese noodles, and banh xeom(Vietnamese pancake with veges and shrimps)

I recommend all of you to try 'Pad Thai' if you come to Thailand

The best Paelia I had was in a place called Panorama in Majorca and best local meal in a village called Petra(Majorca again)was Conejo con Ayoli Grilled.

Pilau > it's a spice dry meat and rice dish. lovely.

Chapati

and coastal cooking cz a lot of it is spicy and cooked in coconut!