I was honored to spend a few hours at the Huffington Post Oasis at the RNC and DNC these past two weeks, talking about how to eat globally to eat better. I couldn't have asked for a better response from both those who came up to me at the conventions and those who commented on my recent blog on this topic, but the one thing almost everyone asked me for is for some more ideas for incorporating this idea into their daily lives! So with some help of my friends at FoodRepublic.com and MarcusSamuelsson.com, here are 10 of my favorite recipes that highlight dishes that are so full of flavor you don't have to eat a lot. Some are quick and easy and some take a bit more time, but I guarantee all of them will make you feel better from the inside-out.
Follow Marcus Samuelsson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MarcusCooks
As a side note, have you ever noticed that American "foodie" types, while often deeply subversive of their own food culture, can be respectful, to the point of downright conservatism, when it comes to anyone else's? It's almost like some kind of national inferiority complex. Americans are suppposedly so "insular" that they can't imagine eating anything but American food; but believe me, I've been to Italy and France, and the Italians don't seem to have much interest in eating anything other than Italian food, and the French don't seem to care much for anything but French food. Of course, with them, it's "quaint"; but with us, it's "ignorant" and "provincial".
For all of our other, very bad food traditions--fast food, highly processed food, etc.--American food is diverse and interesting, in my opinion. The regional variations, the traditional foods and ingredients of native peoples, the flourishing of cuisines from immigrants, and so on all reflect a vast culinary heritage. It's a shame, for instance, that Thanksgiving has become so focused on the turkey, dressing, and mashed potatoes. The history of the meal shows a much more creative take on harvest foods.