One of my color pencil drawings of vegetables

[flotsam]

70. My actual first chili was a shock

as served by a friend's father in Colorado-I come from Connecticut where beans and tomatoes rule in a "con carne" amalgam that was the norm-a serving of flame charred naked chili peppers was quite a wake up. I don't truly know Mexican food because making a pizza or a chicken Marsala here never truly informs either Italian or French cuisine and what I know of a taco or tamale as delivered in New Hampshire may be tasty without being close to a truth.

Here's the thing. If you can buy the hype that the things you buy are "Korean" or "Indian" or "Thai" or whatever you can get just a tiny bit of what their spice ethic is...what you get will most likely contain more meat than the cuisine favors and also substitution of more available local vegetables, but in their own ridiculous way they give a hint.

Food is a wonderful world. Umami is important. Cumin and sazon rule.It's hard to screw up chicken.

Authentic is both important and hard to come by. Striving for new flavors is important. I rest my rant