Fusion of Flavor

“Fusion” describes the merging of distinct elements to create a unified whole. Fusion cuisine combines aspects of contrasting culinary traditions from different countries, regions, or subcultures to produce something entirely new. Not belonging to one particular cuisine, these recipes innovatively fuse different flavors and culinary techniques together into unique dishes.

Our Asian Street Fries combine an infamous French snack, fries, with the classic flavors of East Asian cuisine—soy sauce, sesame seeds, and sambal oelek, among others. The chicken tandoori tacos masterfully integrate two distinct yet complementary dishes from two vastly different cultures. The Indian spices pair well with the cooling yogurt sauce and refreshing “salsa.” These distinct flavors are enveloped by a tortilla, which embodies the dish’s Mexican heritage and introduces a wonderful textural contrast. The tahini blondies expertly incorporate a Middle Eastern and Meditteranean ground sesame seed paste into a delicious American dessert. The tahini adds a richness and nutty taste, complementing the brown sugar in the blondies. Finally, the Jamaican Sorrel (Hibiscus) Moscow Mule combines hibiscus, an edible flower commonly used in West African and Caribbean cuisines, with a classic American drink, the Moscow Mule.

Jamaican Sorrel (Hibiscus) Moscow Mule

Ingredients:

Hibiscus Syrup

½ cup granulated sugar ½ cup water ¼ cup dried hibiscus flowers

Moscow Mule

¼ cup ginger beer 3 tablespoons vodka ¼ cup hibiscus syrup 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 lemon slices

Instructions:

Begin by making the hibiscus syrup. Combine the sugar, water, and hibiscus flowers together in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Remove the mixture from heat and allow it to cool. Once cool, strain the mixture to remove the hibiscus flowers and pour into a container and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Once ready to serve, add the ginger beer, vodka, hibiscus syrup, and lemon juice to a small bowl or cocktail shaker. Shake or whisk the mixture, then pour into an ice-filled glass. Garnish with lemon slices. Cheers!

Recipe adapted from Hibiscus Moscow Mule

Asian Street Fries

Ingredients: Instructions:

Begin by submerging the potato slices into a large bowl filled with iced water for about 30 minutes. This necessary step removes the excess starch from the potato wedges.

While the potatoes soak, prepare the sauce. Combine the sauce ingredients in a pan over medium heat and cook until the mixture begins to boil. Let the sauce simmer until it reduces by half.

Heat a heavy-bottomed pot with the oil until it reaches about 325 °F. Remove potatoes from water and pat dry. Carefully add two handfuls of potato slices to the hot oil, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon and place on a rack to remove excess oil. Repeat this with the remaining potato slices until all of them are par-cooked.

Then, heat the oil to 350°F. Add two handfuls of par-cooked potato slices, and cook for two more minutes, or until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes from the oil, and shake off excess oil before transferring into a serving bowl. Repeat this method until all potatoes are fully fried.

Season the potatoes with salt and pepper. Before serving, drizzle the sauce over the fries and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Recipe adapted from Guy Fieri’s Asian Street Fries

Fries

4 russet potatoes, cut into ¼ to ½ inch slices 2 quarts (64 ounces) canola oil Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce

2 tablespoons sambal oelek 3 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon white vinegar 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 3 green onions, finely chopped 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon garlic, minced ½ teaspoon ginger, minced

Garnish

1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted 1 green onion, finely chopped

Yields 6 Servings

Chicken Tandoori Tacos

Ingredients:

6 mini tortilla taco shells

Chicken

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces 2-3 tablespoons tandoori spice blend 2 tablespoons plain yogurt ½ tablespoon lemon juice 3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil Salt to taste

Yogurt Sauce

½ cup plain yogurt ½ yellow onion, finely chopped ½ cucumber, shredded Cilantro or mint, finely chopped Salt and pepper to taste

Cucumber and Tomato “Salsa”

½ cucumber, diced 1 tomato, diced 1 tablespoon lemon juice Cilantro, finely chopped Salt and pepper to taste

Additional Toppings

Romaine or iceberg lettuce, shredded Cilantro

Instructions:

Begin by marinating the chicken. Add the tandoori spice blend and lemon juice to the yogurt in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and mix, ensuring that every piece of chicken is coated. Let the chicken marinate for at least two hours, preferably overnight.

Before cooking the chicken, prepare the toppings. To make the cucumber and tomato salsa, mix the cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon juice, and cilantro together in a bowl. Add salt and pepper as needed.

To make the yogurt sauce, add the onion, shredded cucumber, and mint or cilantro to the yogurt in a mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix until well combined.

Half an hour before serving the tacos, cook the chicken. Heat one tablespoon vegetable oil on medium-high heat. When the oil begins to sizzle, add a few pieces of the chicken to the pan. Cook each side for around 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly charred. Repeat this step until all chicken pieces are cooked, replacing the oil each time. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken pieces.

Now, it’s time to assemble the tacos! Heat the tortillas on mediumhigh heat for roughly 30 seconds on each side. Add a few chicken pieces, a spoonful of the yogurt sauce, a little bit of the salsa, and some shredded lettuce to the tortillas. Feel free to add as much or as little of each or to add additional toppings, like shredded cheese or carrots. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Tandoori Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Cole Slaw

Tahini Blondies

Instructions: Ingredients:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square pan. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and sesame seeds until thoroughly combined. In a different medium-sized bowl, whisk the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well incorporated. Then, fold in the tahini paste until the mixture is smooth.

Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the edges are golden and the center does not jiggle. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Once cool, cut into equal squares and serve.

Recipe adapted from Chewy Tahini Blondies ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour ¾ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 4 tablespoons white sesame seeds, toasted 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup tahini paste

Words By: Valeria Gutierrez & Prashanti Kodali Photos By: Eileen Shelton & Ngan Tran