Fusion Cuisine

In my constant search for new and exciting kitchen conquests, I have begun to experiment with the idea of fusing two cuisines in one dish. A common and exciting, yet relatively recent development in the big city restaurant scene.

Asian-Mexican is a wonderful combination. While trying out lots of new experiments, I stumbled across the idea of making "noodles" out of corn tortillas. I've often used baked tortilla chips and strips in traditional Mexican recipes. However, I had never tried just sauteeing them in a bit of oil. Especially, with the flavor of sesame oil, tortilla "noodles" make a wonderful, quick, and simple dish for lunch. The earthy whole grain corn flavor melds wonderfully with warmth of sesame oil. They can also be topped with a variety of stir fries or added to a soup as a noodle replacement.

The idea, at least in my mind, is to take complimentary flavors from different cuisines or culinary traditions and marry them in a way that brings out a totally new taste sensation. The same idea behind Tex-Mex cooking: take European style open pit barbecue grilled over regional woods; add traditional Central American and Southwestern Indian ingredients like dried chiles, fresh jalapenos, corn tortillas, and avocados; throw in some beans and rice for extra starch and you've got yourself something uniquely American (norteno)-a cuisine all its own.

In the same way, fusion cooking seeks to create something entirely new. While combining ingredients from other cuisines is hardly a new idea, I'm seeking compositions that are new and bring a surprise to the tongue.

Try this: saute sliced baby bella mushrooms, sliced onions, and minced garlic in butter, salt, and cracked pepper until darkened and tender, about 7". Add a dash of sesame oil and corn tortilla strips, stir frequently until strips are tender, adding oil if needed to keep from sticking; deglaze the skillet or wok with rice wine vinegar or other vinegar, scraping the bottom of the skillet vigorously. Add some drained bamboo shoots and salt and pepper to taste. Cook about 5" more. Add a few dashes of soy sauce and crushed red pepper. Serve piping hot.