Asian Fast Food

This title might be a bit deceiving. I’m not referring to fast food as in junk food, but to food that is cooked fast and served in small portions. I specifically thought of Asian food that is served in small portions for everyone to share. If you’ve ever had Dim Sum or been invited to dinner at an Asian person’s home, you know what I mean. There are several dishes laid out offering different types of vegetables, meat and starches and it’s kind of like a buffet where everyone helps themselves to whatever. Love that kind of eating since you get to sample a bunch of different things and not be stuck with one dish you might not like.

Other cultures enjoy this communal eating as well such as the Spanish with their tapas. The Greeks fall into the same category I found although they do a bit of both (small dishes to share or you can order large individual ones). Trying to think of who else does that…Not speaking from personal experience but saw on Travel Channel a few episodes of Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern going to the Middle East and they apply the same concept. Many small dishes spread out on one table or blanket to be shared by all.

If any of you have enjoyed this type of communal eating, feel free to let me know what your experience was like. I get inspired of course and oftentimes want to try cooking some of those dishes myself at home. The good thing about cooking that way is that you are cooking small portions so you don’t have to slave away in the kitchen all day. That is as long as you don’t decide to cook enough dishes to feed an army. I usually make about 3-4 for my husband and I, so for example a bowl of sautéed chicken bites, a separate plate of sautéed vegetables, stir-fried rice and maybe a plate of pickled vegetables (pickles, cabbage, bell peppers or tomatoes). Of course if you put all those things onto one plate, you pretty much have a normal dinner plate but I guess it differentiates itself by the way you present it. Take for example the pictures below. You’ve got soup, vegetables and tofu in one picture and rice, vegetables and clams/mussels in another. Put all those things together and that’s a good meal but they are served separately so everyone can decide what they want to eat and how much. Love the concept of people helping themselves. It makes for a much more relaxed and fun eating atmosphere where your guests are involved as opposed to sitting stiffly at the table waiting to be waited on. Think about serving dinner or lunch or even breakfast this way next time you entertain or just cook for your fam.