Moosewood Collective - Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant: Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant

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THE CUISINES

Heartfelt thanks to Michael Aman for his unbelievable patience, skill, flexibility, and humor. To the Moosewood employees, without whom we couldnt have pulled this off. To Carole Lalli, our editor, for her willingness to work with an author with nineteen heads without ever losing her own. To Kerri Conan for her enthusiasm, diplomacy, and meticulous attentiveness. Finally, to our agents, Elise and Arnold Goodman, for being vigilant and enthusiastic advocates and conscientious supporters.

Thanks to Thabo Raphoto and to Judy Barringer for talking to me about Africa and African foods, giving me both information and inspiration. And warm thanks to Rick, because he is steadfast and generous.

Nancy Lazarus

Thanks to Anas Salibian, whose eloquent compassion inspired and sustained me, and to my wonderful family for their good company.

Laura Ward Branca

I want to acknowledge Colette Rector Walls for her participation in searching out and creating recipes.

Tom Walls

I would like to thank Ahdi, Ruby, Andi, Scott, Nana, and Juda, whose child care made it possible for me to do research and cook, Robin Lee for her wonderful books, and Jimmy for taking me to the tropics.

Ned Asta

I would like to thank my husband, Jano, for his support and for always loving my cooking.

Eliana Parra

I would like to thank David Deutsch for his loving support and enthusiastic recipe tasting.

David Hirsch

Nan Salamon deserves much thanks for her companionship as a fellow dancer and traveler through the Balkans, and I would also like to thank all those family and friends who have cooked, danced, laughed, cried, and eaten with me over the years.

Maureen Vivino

These generous people shared Finnish hospitality and gave other much appreciated help: Salli and Ray Matta, Toini and Onni Kaartinen, Mary Kuhlman, Michael Aman, and Tony Del Plato.

Susan Harville

Acknowledgments to Artie, who gave me my first Indian cookbook, and to Ira, who has been eating my cooking ever since.

Linda Dickinson

Grazie di Zia Maria, Cugina Anna, Luna, Aunt Blanche e Mama. Grazie specialmente per Susan.

Anthony Del Plato

I would like to thank my mother, whose wonderful cooking has always inspired me, and my father for truly loving Japanese food even before it became popular. Also thanks to my many astute tasters: Ashley, Gene, Allan, Tazio, Ned, Ruby, Juda, Therese, and Jody. Thank you to Yvonne Fisher for being so supportive and funny. And I would especially like to thank Junco Tsunashima for all those many hysterical hours in my kitchen teaching me so much about Japanese cooking.

Andi Gladstone

Thanks to my mother, Davina Stein, who spent hours compiling her favorite recipesher last gift to me. And thanks to my father, Milt Stein, whose gift of laughter endures. Special thanks to Tom and Aaron for sharing love and baseball with me.

Wynelle Stein

A special thanks to Robin, Noah, and Fouad for their support and for being such willing and enthusiastic tasters, and to my mom, whose example influenced my love of cooking.

Lisa Wichman

Thanks to my mom, Olga, and my cousin, Ann, and thanks also to Jrg Butler for his sweet-hearted encouragement.

Maggie Pitkin

I wish to thank Lisa Wichman for her enthusiastic and enduring support, Robin and Noah Wichman for their helpful suggestions and comments, and all members of my family for all the pleasant memories stirred up during work on my chapter.

Fouad Makki

I would like to thank my children, Danica and Brendan, for their courage and enthusiasm in tasting new and unusual dishes.

Kip Wilcox

Thanks first and foremost to Sally for tasting and good criticism, to Keith and Marty, Ward and Leslie for their criticisms and contributions, and to my mother who taught me about discrimination and balance. Apologies to Tony, my son. You cant have macaroni and cheese every night.

Bob Love

Thanks to my mother for inspiring me to present the food of the South; any and all of the aunts, uncles, and cousins of the Wade family who ever cooked a meal; and to fellow Moosewood chef and friend, Penny Condon, for creating a delicious jambalaya one Sunday night.

Sara Wade Robbins

Thanks to my mom, Rose Adler, for a passion for food; to my friend, Cindy Anderson, for knowing poetry from pedantry; and to my brother Sam, for reading, writing, editing, and eatingvoraciously.

Joan Adler

Moosewood is a small, casual, collectively owned and operated restaurant in downtown Ithaca, a small city in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. Our town is more international than most communities of its size, perhaps because Cornell University and Ithaca College are here. At Moosewood, weve never been interested in following stylish trends; our focus has always been on carefully prepared, artfully presented foods with a healthful, vegetarian emphasis. Since our opening in 1973, Moosewood has offered a different menu at each meal. We draw from our established repertoire of dishes, most of which are a blend of familiar and exotic influences, and we also continually develop new recipes.

Sundays at Moosewood are different from the rest of the week. Sunday night is ethnic night, when we serve foods from one particular ethnic, national, or regional cuisine. On Sundays we stretch a little. We experiment and take chances. Sometimes we venture into relatively unknown territory. Its fun for us. Occasionally we ask a friend who knows the cuisine well to act as a consultant, answering questions, offering hints and suggestions, and helping us keep within the tradition of the culinary style were trying.

We have seen a growing interest in international cooking. We regularly get calls for food advice. A couple of years ago, most questions were about tofu, tempeh, yogurt, and even whole wheat flour. More recently, weve been hearing questions about such things as how to use okra, where to get specific fresh chiles, can a food processor be used instead of a mortar and pestle to mash plantains, and what would be good chutney ingredients to accompany an eggplant curry. Couscous, goat cheese, porcini mushrooms, and cilantro are increasingly easy to find in our supermarkets. There are more foreign food restaurants in small cities and towns in the U.S., and it is evident to us that lots of people want to try something exciting at home, too. It used to be that we could take obscure cookbooks right off the shelf at our public library; now we usually have to reserve them.

Previously unfamiliar foods are now readily available, and more and more exotic flavors are becoming commonplace. This is part of an age-old, evolutionary process. Foodstuffs, styles, and techniques unknown in some part of the world were introduced by newcomers, often through migration or conquest, and then adapted and incorporated. Often within a generation, the new food became an integral part of the traditional cuisine. Incredible networks of culinary exchanges have formed. Today, cuisines are changing faster and faster, and at Moosewood were happy to be a part of that process.