The Proven Platter – April 2021, India
11
Mar, 2021

The Proven Platter – April 2021, India

The joke goes that an astronaut getting out of the space shuttle and setting foot on the newly discovered planet gets greeted with chai and samosa by the friendly Indian chaiwallah (tea shopkeeper) who wonders what took the rest of humanity so long to get there. As with most jokes, there’s a kernel of truth there. Setting aside fast-food chains of the kind that offer pizzas or burgers, Indian cuisine is one of the few cuisines that are available no matter which part of the globe you travel to (or universe, apparently). Details

10
Nov, 2020

The Proven Platter – December 2020, Haiti

This month’s featured dish is Lambi, a spicy conch stew that was once considered the national dish of Haiti. It is made with a pepper and herb blend known as epis, which is a common addition to many Haitian dishes. On the side is pikliz, a spicy, cabbage-based vegetable blend fermented in vinegar. Overfishing has threatened conch fisheries and made it a less suitable choice for consumption, so I tried a few vegetarian alternatives. I made a batch with plant-based faux scallops in place of the conch and one with button mushroom tops in place on the conch. Both were delicious options with sustainable products. Details

9
Sep, 2019

The Proven Platter – October 2019

The craft of preserving foods by pickling them is such an important technique in so many of the world’s food cultures. In Nepal, the country of origin of October’s featured grantee, Street Child US, pickles are called achaar. They’re often served alongside the dal and rice dishes of Nepal, in order to provide flavor and texture contrast to all of those warming, earthy, savory flavors. Details