Quarantine Cookbook: Travel the World Without Leaving Your Kitchen
Are your weekly dinners starting to feel repetitive? Spaghetti & meatballs don’t excite you the way they used to & street tacos are just blah? Don’t get me wrong - I’m a huge fan of both these meals, but I am also an advocate for trying something new.
The other week, I decided to prepare this chicken alfredo broccoli bake that I’ve never tried before. My boyfriend and I were wanting something different, and we already had all the ingredients at home, so it was the perfect chance! As I set the table, lit a candle, & dimmed the lights, my boyfriend requested Italian music. I found an Apple Playlist titled “Italian Restaurant Music,” and suddenly we were not in our apartment anymore. We were in Italy, sipping on wine and enjoying a live band perform the most soothing Italian tunes.
This got us thinking.
We came to the conclusion that we should start a culture-kitchen night. Early in the week, we randomly choose a country (using this generator), find a meal that intrigues us, and do our best to make the environment feel authentic. Not only is this a little escape from the cold winter and daily tasks of life, it’s also a chance for us to try new recipes and hopefully find a favorite that we will carry with us for a long time!
Our first country: Haiti
While researching recipes, we came across this Haitian chicken one and decided to give it a shot. It seemed simple enough, and we already had all the ingredients in our cupboards...SCORE! My boyfriend is also up for any excuse to use his cast iron skillet.
Even better, this recipe calls for white wine, which we always have on hand ;) To start, all you have to do is cut up your chicken, put it in a bowl covered with all the other ingredients, marinate for about half an hour, then boil it in the cast iron! Once it’s boiled, you reduce the heat & let it simmer until it’s cooked through.
What you’ll need:
1 lb cut up chicken (we used breasts)
1 32 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
1 6 oz can of tomato paste
2 onions cut into chunks
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp seasoned salt
½ tbsp cayenne
½ cup dry white wine
You can find the full recipe here. As suggested, we paired it with brown rice and our favorite Caesar salad. YUM!
Once dinner is ready, set the table. Get out your fanciest dishes and light your favorite candle. Dim the lights, grab your speaker, and put it in another room. Head to whatever you use to stream your music and find a playlist that fits the occasion. Press play and enjoy your little vacay while exciting your tastebuds and appreciating other cultures.