The Expat Life: Cooking At Home

Posted on 17. Mar, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Home
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As we all know, the topic of food is central to many an expat conversation. These days, it seems like cooking at home is very much on people’s minds. It is no secret that I love cooking, so maybe that is why I have been getting so many questions recently about how to cook at home when a) your food budget might be shrinking and b) you cannot find the brands and convenience foods you are used to buying in your home country.

Here is what I suggest:

- Buy local and in season
Yes, this may mean you have to go without tomatoes or peaches during the colder months. Let’s face it: out-of-season produce is likely to be expensive and often does not taste that great anyway. The local selection will be slimmer in more extreme climates but you might find some inspiration online thanks to produce calendars such as this one.

- Buy “real food”
I was tempted to insert Michael Pollan’s famous quote “Don’t eat anything your grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food” here, but the fact is that if you live far, far away from home, she may not recognize most of what is on offer at your local market! So, more to the point: cut down on processed and packaged foods and cook from scratch as much as possible. Your pocketbook and your health will thank you.

- Add local or regional recipes to your repertoire
What better way to showcase local ingredients and vary your menus? To put a different twist on the same ingredients, you can also experiment with the cuisines of neighbouring countries, or countries with similar climates. If you live in Italy, do not limit yourself to Italian food – try some Greek, Moroccan or Lebanese recipes. Just moved to Russia? You may want to look up a few Swedish recipes.

Here are three cookbooks that I find wonderfully inspiring. They bridge the gap between cookbook and travelogue, combining fascinating cultural insight with beautiful pictures- and of course, delicious food.

- Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid.
I have been cooking from this book for several weeks and I still cannot get enough of Thai salads and Vietnamese noodle dishes. A lovely break from the heavier winter fare I had been cooking up to now.

- Saha: A Chef’s Journey Through Lebanon and Syria by Greg and Lucy Malouf.
I love Lebanese cuisine, so flavourful and versatile! Saha also explores lesser-known Syrian and Armenian recipes. If you enjoy Mediterranean flavours, this cookbook is a must-have.

- Olive Trees And Honey: A Treasury Of Vegetarian Recipes From Jewish Communities Around The World by Gil Marks.
Note that there is no need to be either Jewish or vegetarian to enjoy the recipes in this cookbook, which cover an amazing range of culinary traditions from Yemen to Georgia to Spain. This book was recommended by Havi Brooks over at The Fluent Self and I have been cooking from it for months. Love it!

Bon appetit !

Emmanuelle