Snack Time Inspiration: Spiced Up Popcorn

Whether I am craving Mexican spices or something more exotic, popcorn is a simple way to satisfy my snack-tooth.  Using different spices to create a popcorn sampler is a fun way to introduce the family to international flavors.  For the recipes, head over to my other blog, Swirls and Spice.

Also, Spiced Up Popcorn can be turned into a ranking activity, where each person chooses their favorites.  Or you could make it into a guessing game, for more advanced palates.  Placing the popcorn in cut-off paper bags is not only convenient for serving, you can write labels or numbers on each bag.  I hope you enjoy these fresh new flavors as much as we did!

Passport Party Activity with International Foods

We celebrated another birthday this month, and I added another twist at the last minute.  One might even call it a theme.  But I'm not usually a theme kind of party thrower, so bear with me.

Since we like to eat Asian foods around here, I thought I would serve some of our favorite internationally inspired dishes.  Plus, since we were expecting a dozen children, we would serve hot dogs frankfurters.

So here was what I came up with for our global tour dinner:

1.  Frankfurters (Germany)
2.  French Bread (France)
3.  Steamed Sticky Rice (Vietnam)
4.  Potstickers / "Jiaozi" (China)
5.  Dried Mango and Pineapple Slices (Thailand)


Not having any veggies was regrettable, but I was trying to keep things simple.

Of course, making a pinata and passports on the same day as the party does not qualify as keeping things simple.  Anyway, here are the passports:

Guests were instructed to eat and sample the different dishes first and then come back to collect "stamps" for their passports.  The stamps we used were obtained from free resources at the LCMS website.  My daughter cut them out.   We provided glue sticks and school glue for the adhesive, though printing the images on sticker paper would be a great time saving option.

Time constraints limited us to six country stamps, which turned out to be plenty.  However, for more stamp opportunities I thought of adding:

• a pinata for Mexico
• some origami shapes for Japan
  
• some South African rooibos tea

This passport activity could be used at a variety of occasions, from an educational meal with family and friends, to a potluck event, or even as part of a geography lesson.

Have you ever sampled cuisines from multiple countries in one meal?  

What was the occasion?

How to Steam Sticky Rice in a Rice Cooker

After returning to the U.S. several years ago, my hankerings for Thai sticky rice with mango or Vietnamese "xoi" usually ended in despair.  Making steamed sticky rice just seemed too complicated, as it involved specialized bamboo steaming baskets or cheesecloth.  This meant I was not getting my sweet rice fix.  And that was sad, since I love sticky rice so.

But now I have found an easier way to make it!  All you need is a rice cooker with a steaming basket and a few other simple supplies.  You could also try this steaming method on the stove top with a stainless steel steaming basket; I think it would work just as well.  The one drawback to using a coffee filter is that it can affect the taste of the rice, which is why I recommend using unbleached filters and bamboo for best better results.

*UPDATE* (10/29/2010): For best results, try layering sweet corn husks in the steaming basket instead of a coffee filter. The husks let the pure sweetness of the rice radiate, untainted by paper flavors.                                         
            

Supplies Needed:

• Corn husks (recommended) or coffee filter (preferably unbleached)
• A rice cooker with a steaming basket insert
• An empty mason jar or medium mixing bowl
• 1 and 1/2 cups raw "sweet rice" from Thailand or Vietnam (not sushi rice)
• Bamboo skewers, optional

Steps:

Dry sweet rice

1.  Measure 1 and 1/2 cups of raw sweet rice and pour into a jar or bowl.  Add enough water to cover the rice, plus three inches on top.  Let soak for 3 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.

Wet sweet rice before soaking

After hours of soaking, grains have expanded.

2.  Fill the bowl of the rice cooker with 1 and 1/2 inches of water. Then spread corn husks or a coffee filter out inside the steaming basket insert, making sure all of the holes are covered.  Place the steaming basket into the rice cooker.  Add some broken bamboo skewers if available (they will add a slight essence of bamboo to the steamed rice).
                                                                                  

3.  Dump the soaked rice onto the middle of the filter in the basket.  Pat the mound down a little if necessary, so that the lid of the rice cooker does not touch it when closed.

Using corn husks instead of a paper filter gives rice a better flavor.

4. Turn on the rice cooker to the "Cook" setting.  Allow to steam for about 30 minutes.  Serve sticky rice hot or at room temperature.  Keep rice covered until ready to serve.

Sticky rice becomes slightly translucent after cooking.

  

As for toppings, we often add peanuts and/or sesame seeds and coconut.   In Vietnam, we often ate it with shredded cooked chicken and soy sauce.  If you'd like some other authentic recipes for Thai sticky rice or Vietnamese "xoi," I recommend these:

• Sticky Rice with Coconut
• Black Rice
• Mango on Sticky Rice