TRAVEL WITHOUT A PASSPORT October 20, 2004 Susan Noble Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent

It's hard for me to concentrate on plain ol' American food for this column when my mind is in Italy. I will be visiting Italy next month, and I'm already planning what I want to sample. Prosciutto, pesto, and Parmigiano-Reggiano top my list. Lots of pasta is a given. Then there's a little vino . . . a taste of antipasto . . . and this noncoffee drinker might even try cappuccino.

So, needless to say, when I began searching through my recipe drawer for recipes to try for this week's column, my taste buds were tasting Italy. Thus, the first recipe to strike my fancy was Chinese Pasta Salad.

You may be thinking my geography is a little confused, but actually I am not lost. Some food historians believe that noodles or pasta originated in ancient China. Marco Polo discovered such noodles when he visited China and took the idea back to Italy where the Italians made magic with this simple food.

The Chinese Pasta Salad calls for dark sesame oil. If you do not have any on hand, go purchase some. Do not be tempted to substitute the vegetable oil you probably do have in the pantry. You just will not get that Chinese flavor without the sesame oil.

Once you try sesame oil, I think you'll be hooked on it for Oriental cooking. In addition to its distinctive flavor, sesame oil has a great fragrance; I've been tempted to wear it as perfume. But don't over use - it is strong.

The list of ingredients for the salad may look long, but the dish goes together quickly. Because the salad can be served warm or chilled, it's versatile. Eat it warm for a quick supper after work (add a little chopped cooked chicken if you must have meat) and take chilled leftovers to work for lunch the next day.

The second recipe I selected - Cabbage and Kielbasa - is German in nature. Italy, China, and Germany? -- Now you're really thinking I'm geographically challenged, but give me a food dictionary and I can explain almost anything.

Traditionally, this dish is made with sauerkraut. While we think of sauerkraut as a German invention, Chinese laborers building the Great Wall of China over 2,000 years ago ate it on a regular basis. The Chinese version of sauerkraut was shredded cabbage fermented in rice wine. The idea made its way to Europe where the Germans adopted it and put sauerkraut "on the map."

Today's sauerkraut is made by combining shredded cabbage, salt, and sometimes spices and letting the mixture ferment. The salt content can make sauerkraut a "problem" dish for those with high blood pressure.

This version of the dish uses fresh cabbage with a little Italian salad dressing added to create the twangy taste of fermentation. The salad dressing does add some sodium, but minimal in comparison. Depending on the brand, canned sauerkraut has 100 milligrams of sodium in just one tablespoon. This recipe has about the same amount of sodium per serving of cabbage.

The cabbage recipe calls for caraway seeds. This is another ingredient you may be tempted to skip, because you don't see much use for it in the rest of your cooking. A great way to use very German caraway seeds is in meatless Italian spaghetti sauce. Grind up some caraway seeds and add them to the sauce to get the meaty flavor of Italian sausage without the fat.

While I'm away, give these recipes a try. You can visit Europe and Asia without a passport.

Cook noodles or pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse noodles/pasta with cold water and drain again. Place in large bowl. Add broccoli, tomatoes, onions, carrots, and water chestnuts. Toss to mix. Combine rest of ingredients in small jar; cover with lid and shake well to make dressing. Pour dressing over noodle/pasta mixture; toss gently. Serve warm or chilled.

Yields 4 servings.

Combine all ingredients in a large deep microwave-safe dish or large glass mixing bowl. Cover with heavy-duty plastic wrap leaving a corner of wrap open for venting steam. Microwave on high for 12 minutes or till cabbage is tender, stirring once. Drain and serve.

Yields 4-5 servings.

The use of brand names in this column does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service of the products or services named or criticism of similar ones not mentioned.

E-mail address: Susan_Noble@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 10/20/04