Creative in the Kitchen: Ethnic Cuisine Recipes at Barnard

Your first months back to New York City has probably left you scrambling to put together a food budget. This means no more sushi, no more Indian food, no more exotic foreign foods, no more Sunday brunches. This means the unoriginal staple of chicken and salad every night. This means—shudder—dining hall food. But don’t fear! There is a solution, (well, many solutions) to your gastronomical crisis.
Our campus is incredibly diverse with students and faculty from varied cultural backgrounds. For these students, their ethnic food is an important part of their identity. Students can be found in their kitchens, whipping up a variation of their favorite traditional dishes. Not only is their food just as good as the dishes you get in restaurants, but students are more than willing to share their recipes.
The following recipes are only a handful of recipes that can be found on campus. You may alter them to whatever your taste buds prefer. Bon appetit!
*Each recipe serves 4 people.
 
SHAKSHUKA

This Middle Eastern dish of poached eggs in tomato sauce is popular among all eaters, including vegetarians and those who follow Kosher and Halaal rules. Serve to your friends with a variety of food restrictions, or when you simply have no food in the fridge.
 
Ingredients
1 jar Tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Olive oil
4-6 Eggs
½ cup Feta Cheese
1 small Yellow Onion
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
3 Jalapeños (optional)
Pita Bread (optional)
 
Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a large sauté skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté. Add garlic and jalapenos and sauté until light brown.
2. Add tomato sauce and heat up.
3. When the sauce begins to boil, crack eggs over sauce evenly across the pan. Turn heat to medium high. Cover pan and cook until yolks are nearly set, approx. 5-10 minutes.
4. Turn off heat and ladle into 4 small serving bowls. Serve with warm pita bread.
 
 
STEAMED EGG
This dish of fluffy, steamed eggs can be found in multiple forms across Asia. Serve with rice or just as a side dish to any meal.

 
Ingredients
3 eggs
1 cup water
½ tablespoon salt
½ stalk Green Onions
 
Directions
1. In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk the eggs and the water and salt.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil. While waiting for the water to boil, chop the green onions into small slices.
3. When the water is boiling, place the bowl into the boiling water and bring down the heat to a medium high. Cover with a lid. Make sure the water level always stays below ¾ of the height of the bowl. Cook for approx. 5 minutes.
4. When the surface begins to harden, throw the green onions into the bowl. Cover and cook for another 15-20 minutes.
5. When the edges start to boil up on the sides, turn off the heat and remove the bowl from the pot. Eat immediately after or save covered in the fridge for up to two days.
 
SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN
This Southern dish is recommended for cooks who crave food they left behind at home or those who have lots of time to cook. Enjoy – and don’t forget to save some for the next day!

Seasoning Salt
Ingredients
1/3 cup fine kosher salt
4 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 tablespoon celery salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
 
Directions
1. Mix ingredients together. Save any extra salt to season fried fish and pork chops.
 
Southern Fried Chicken
 
Ingredients
3 pounds of your favorite chicken parts (ie. Breast, legs, thigh)
1 ¼ cups self rising flour
1 ¾ tablespoon seasoned salt
½ teaspoon black salt
2 cups buttermilk
16 cups water
½ cups fine kosher salt
1 lemon, juiced and split in half (optional)
Canola oil
 
Directions
1. Place water and fine kosher salt into a large bowl. Mix well and let cool.
2. Wash chicken thoroughly and place in large bowl of salt water. Put the lemon juice and rinds in the water, if desired. Set aside for an hour.
3. Rinse chicken and bowl from the salt water and pour buttermilk over the chicken. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but no more than 12 hours.
4. Combine flour, seasoned salt, and pepper. Mix well.
5. Take each piece of chicken out of the buttermilk individually and dredge through the flour.
6. Pour at least an inch of canola oil and heat in a deep skillet or cast iron pan until oil starts to bubble. Place chicken gently into the hot oil and make sure the pieces are not touching each other so you have room to gently turn them over without breaking off the batter.
7. Fry at medium to high temperature until one side is browned.
8. Turn over the chicken pieces and cover pan, reducing the heat to low-medium. Cook chicken covered for 15-20 minutes, or until they are almost browned.
9. Take the cover off and increase temperature until chicken is done to deserved crispiness on both sides.
10. Place chicken pieces on paper towels to absorb the oil. Serve hot or at room temperature or cold!
 
ZWETSCHGENKNOEDEL (PLUM PUDDING)
This Austrian dish is perfect for the fall – and also for ambitious cooks who have a good chunk of free time. Serve as a snack with tea or coffee.

Ingredients
2 Russet potatoes
½ cup and 3 tablespoons butter
Pinch of salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup flour
12 plums, preferably Italian Prune
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup bread crumbs
 
1. Boil 2 russet potatoes until soft (at least ½ hour)
2. Peel off skin and add 1/3 stick butter sliced. Mash potatoes and butter until smooth. Add dash of salt and mix again. Let cool.
3. Melt ½ C butter in a 12 inch saucepan. Add sugar, cinnamon, and bread crumbs, and heat until breadcrumbs are slightly browned. Set aside and cool.
4. Mix one whole egg and one yolk into the potatoes, along with flour. Mix well and knead until dough is smooth (you may need a little more flour). Shape the dough into a 4” by 6” rectangle.
5. Wash and dry plums.
6. Cut approx.. ½ inch of dough (depending on the size of plums) and flatten into round shape in the palm of your hand (dough should be about an 1/8 of an inch thick when flattened out).
7. Wrap dough around plum, making sure to cover it completely. Repeat until all the plums are wrapped.
8. Fill a large pot two-thirds of the way with lightly salted water. Place the dumplings gently in the water and let come to a boil again.
9. Reduce to a simmer and cook until you can see the juice “bleeding” inside the dumplings. Remove with a slotted spoon and roll into the bread crumb mixture
10. Let cool 15 minutes and serve.
 
FLAN
This Mexican tart is a light dessert that can be served alone or topped with fruits. Serve after any heavy meal or as a snack.

5 eggs
1 can Evaporated Milk
1 can Sweetened Milk
1 tablespoon butter
 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the eggs, evaporated milk, and sweetened milk until well mixed.
2. Coat the pan with butter.
3. Pour the mix into the pan. Place the pan into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.
4. Take the pan out of the oven and place into the refrigerator until cool, approximately 60 minutes.
5. Serve from pan or in small chunks. Let the caramel from the sweetened milk run.
 
 
 
This is only a fraction of the diverse recipes wandering the kitchens of Barnard. Do not be afraid to ask for recipes from friends and to give a hand at cooking dishes that you might have never tried otherwise.
You never know what your inner foodie will fall in love with!
 
*Credits to Nina Kretzmer (BC ’14), Gabrielle Siegel (BC ’14), and Stephanie Fernandez (BC ’14) for the recipes and photos.