In the early years of western traditional cooking, there were many varieties of corn and other grain products, as well as honey, which were used in sweetening. For sweetening purposes, a lot of the sweet breads and cakes that we have today got their start in western traditional cooking. Western’s breads and cakes were mostly savory, and used cornmeal as the main sweetening agent. When I think of western traditional cooking, the first thing that comes to my mind are the succotash or soul food style cakes. These are simple, very sweet cakes with plenty of flavor, and they have been a mainstay of southern food for a long time.
Soul food has evolved over the years to where you can get any kind of dish you would like – traditional, spicy, sweet, or even vegan. This was of course not always the case, as in times past people of the lower class would have to forage for what they needed by roasting corn on the side over an open fire, making wild greens into salads and soups. It was a difficult and labor-intensive process. Black overripe breads were a staple of diets in some areas of the south.
There is a bit of controversy about the origins of western traditional cooking. One school of thought is that it developed out of a need to make better-tasting sweet dishes for white settlers in the south. Others suggest that although the preparation techniques were similar, the source of corn and the ingredients did not change much from the early days. Regardless, of which camp you fall into, the basic ingredients for any dish are flour, sugar, water, yeast, and salt, which can be purchased at any grocery store.
The basic ingredients can be further broken down into several groups. Fruits and vegetables are the primary source of carbohydrates and are the basis for many breads, such as western wheat bread or corn bread. Other ingredients include rice, salt, and different types of herbs, such as thyme, Rosemary, sage, marjoram, and oregano. Flour is also used and in many cases mixed with salt or other spices.
Because flour is so important to Western cooking, you should be careful when selecting ingredients. While potatoes are always welcome, you should also be choosy about how you use them. Too many potatoes in one dish may cause an overpowering taste. Using onions and garlic sparingly also helps the flavor to be more balanced.
Breading is also an important part of the diet. There are two breads available in Western’s food selection, and each has its own unique style. The breads are both wheat breads but not the same. While the wheat bread contains more carbs than any other bread, the buckwheat bread contains twice as much fiber as the other type.
Many of the dishes also contain a variety of vegetables. Of course, meat is always an option, but most of the dishes contain vegetables anyway. Greens are very common in this cuisine, especially onions and carrots. Carrots also have a light flavor, which complement the meats, egg whites, and cheese extremely well. Celery is also very common, and it complements many of the other ingredients very nicely.
For some people, Western cookbook recipes can be a perfect way to learn to cook the food that they are used to eating. This includes dishes that they have often eaten at home but may not have tried in a restaurant. While this may not be a great way to learn how to cook, it can be a fun way to learn something new, and to find that you have some new recipes to try out. And if you ever decide to move onto the different stages of the Western diet, you will have a wealth of information at your disposal at all times.