Around the World in 30 Days: A Culinary Adventure

Tired of meatloaf on Mondays, tacos on Tuesdays, and whatever's on hand on Wednesdays? If the same old meals have you in a culinary rut, it's time to get out of the kitchen and head around the world for inspiration! Don't worry; this adventure won't cost a fortune and you will still spend plenty of time in the kitchen. You'll enjoy new tastes, learn new cooking techniques, and add numerous new favorite meals to your menu rotation. If you have children, get them involved in this 30-day cooking adventure. They'll learn about other cultures and, perhaps, become more sophisticated eaters in the process.

Because this is an ambitious 30-day plan, you'll need to make a few crucial decisions from the beginning. First, what countries or regional cooking styles interest you the most? Do you want to focus on entrees only or would you like to try breakfasts, lunches, appetizers, and desserts as well? Do you want to do your own cooking or would you prefer to find ethnic restaurants and bakeries? How about a blend?

Depending on how many culinary styles have captured your imagination, you will also need to figure out how many days to spend exploring each one. For example, if you're interested in Mediterranean, Asian, French, and Russian cuisines, you can spend a full week learning about and preparing meals from each region. On the other hand, if you want to cover the cuisines of France, Greece, Italy, Australia, Russia, Mexico, China, India, Bermuda, and New Orleans, then you'll only have three days per region.





Buy at AllPosters.com



Let's say that you like the idea of spending three days at a time on each of ten different regions. Work together with your family to select the ten countries or culinary regions and then use a notebook or a spreadsheet to break down your 30 days into Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 for each region.

For example:

• France - Day 1


• France - Day 2


• France - Day 3


• Greece - Day 1


• Greece - Day 2


• Greece - Day 3

Next, devise a specific plan for Days 1, 2, and 3 - regardless of cuisine type. For instance, you may want to focus on breakfasts on Day 1, lunches and specialty drinks on Day 2, and dinners and desserts on Day 3. This gives your culinary adventure structure and provides you with a basic plan. In this case, you now know that on Day 1 for each region, you'll need to whip up a regional breakfast. Your list is starting to take shape:

France - Day 1: Breakfast or "petite dejeuner" - Café au Lait with a toasted baguette with goat cheese and "les oeufs" (eggs)

France - Day 2: Lunch - Ratatouille

France - Day 3: Dinner - Beef Bourguignon, French wine, and Crème Brulee

Greece - Day 1: Breakfast - Greek omelet and Turkish coffee

Greece - Day 2: Lunch - Avgolemono soup, Greek salad, gyro sandwich

Greece - Day 3: Dinner - Roast Lamb - Greek Style, Mythos beer, and Baklava for dessert

Use the Internet to find out about the different cuisines of the world along with customs, traditions, favored ingredients, cooking techniques, and recipes. Doing this at the beginning of your adventure is not recommended as doing so will soon overwhelm you. Instead, keep the cooking on Day 1 simple (such as simple regional breakfasts or dining out at a regional café or restaurant). That same day, do your research, menu planning, and grocery shopping for the region. You may need to plan the next region's first meal as well, especially if that meal will be breakfast.

Meanwhile, have your children research regional customs, symbols, and other items of interest on Day 1. Put the kids in charge of printing out flags or creating festive regional table decorations. Other activities include learning basic phrases such as "good morning" and then greeting each other each morning with "Bonjour," "Kalimera," or "Jo San."

This 30-day culinary adventure is yours to make. It is loose by design so that you can create your own culinary itinerary and learn about the cuisines that interest you the most. As you work your way around the world on your first 30 days, you'll get a taste of the many flavors of the world and may even want to repeat the trip, the next time focusing on different countries or exploring a favorite cuisine in greater depth. Use these ideas as a basic framework for your own adventure and use them month after month if so inclined. Don't forget to keep it fun and enjoy the journey!

Okay, not everyone's up for an around-the-world cooking adventure, but what about a weekend getaway? Pick one weekend per month and sample the cuisines of the world over time. For example, pick the final weekend of the month and twelve regional cuisines that you'd like to experience. By the end of the year, you will have enjoyed the flavors of the world!

Here's a sample plan to get you started. Feel free to choose your own countries and foods.

GGreek food is an excellent choice for the first month because you can start out simple, using familiar, yet exotic, foods like cheese and olives (feta and kalamata). Greek food is also a healthy choice with heart-healthy olive oil, bountiful produce, lean cuts of meat, and food fresh from the sea. What better way to kick off the new year than with a healthy, and delicious, cuisine?

French food is romantic, no doubt about it, with fine pastries, rich sauces, exotic names, and the finest wines and cheeses available - perfect for the month of love. Whether you go simple or all out is up to you. Either way, you're sure to set your heart - and taste buds - afire as you take a French food weekend getaway!

Hawaiian food is as unique as the islands are beautiful. After all, where else is spam held in such high regard? Experience the tastes and treats of Hawaii this month from fresh pineapple to Kona coffee and a few bites of spam thrown in for good measure. A heavy Japanese influence is present in Hawaiian cooking, so this will prepare you for your Japanese cooking adventure next month.

Japanese cooking is an art form, but don't be discouraged. You don't need to tackle sushi on your first attempt. From miso soup and bento boxes to tempura and teriyaki, you'll find plenty of healthy and easy Japanese recipes to try out. An all-tiime favorite is yakisoba, a simple, flavorful noodle dish. Eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner - it's that good!

Mexican food is ideal for May as Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on May 5th.




Buy at AllPosters.com
LIke the U.S., Mexican cooking styles vary from region to region. Instead of the standard Mexican fare of tacos and enchiladas, why not explore Yucatan recipes or try Baja fish tacos for a fresh change? And don't forget a good Mexican cerveza while you're at it (and adding the lime is just an advertising gimmick, so it's okay to skip it).

Australia is an exotic land with equally exotic foods. From vegemite sandwiches to shrimp on the barbie and bush cooking, you're in for an adventure!

We all know what shimp is but what is vegemite? This thick, yeasty paste is typically slathered on bread or crackers, just as Americans do with peanut butter. It tastes a bit like soy sauce, only saltier and yeastier, with the texture of peanut butter. Order a jar of vegemite and give it a try. You might like it!

Thai food blends hot and spicy with bitter, sweet, sour, and salty flavors for a distinctive, and delicious, culinary experience. Fresh herbs, fish sauce, rice, curries, and cocunut milk are used in abundance. Try a dish of Pad Thai (rice noodles with poultry, seafood, or tofu and a delicious sauce featuring fish sauce, peanuts, tamarind, and egg) or Khao Pad (fried rice with pork, chicken, beef, crab, or shrimp sweetened with coconut or pineapple).

Sweden has a unique culinary tradition that takes place each August: Kraftskiva (crayfish parties). This 500-year tradition is rowdy and messy. What better way to spend a summer afternoon?

Crayfish not your thing? You can't go wrong with Swedish meatballs or pastries and coffee. Here's a website to get you started:Swedish Cuisine

Brazil is a colorful nation with foods featuring Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, Asian, African, Middle Eastern, and native Indian influences. Sampling these foods is an International adventure in itself. As part of your Brazilian cooking adventure, set up a festive "carnival" atmosphere, play some Brazilian music, and dance the night away.

Italians are known for their appreciation of the finer things, food included. Adventure beyond the standard Italian fare and experience the taste and beauty of Italian cooking.






Buy at AllPosters.com


In Italy, the philosophy of La Bella Figura rules the land, especially in the south. Bella Figura means "the beautiful figure" but is actually a way of life emphasizing beauty, good image, aesthetics and proper behavior. Read more about this philosophy here:
The Italian Philosophy of La Bella Figura

Russian cooking is a topic as vast as Russia itself with regional and ethnic favorites galore. In the mood for pieroghi (small pies filled with vegetable fillings), pelmeni (Russian meat dumplings), or goulash? How about beef stroganoff? Here's a Web site dedicated to Russian Cuisine

Great Britain has some great food though its culinary reputation is a bit bland. From Yorkshire pudding, bangers, and mash to Indian influences dating back to colonial India, the cuisine of Great Britain is varied indeed. Whether you prefer to fill up a pint and fry up some fish and chips or want a Sunday roast beef dinner is up to you. Let the British food invasion begin!