Ethnic Foods Cooking Class

Have you ever wanted to try to cook like the street vendors of Vietnam or the great chefs of Bombay? Join us as we look into the culture, history, and food of some of the most fascinating world cultures in 'Introduction to World Cuisine'.

Take a virtual tour of an ethnic food market and learn where and how to shop for exotic ingredients found in Asian, Indian and Latin cooking. Learn about the fundamental herbs and spices used in Thai, Indian, African and Middle-Eastern dishes. Learn the history and philosophy behind traditional Chinese cooking. Understand how to identify the tools and supplies of traditional ethnic kitchens. Last but not least, learn to cook delicious Asian street food, Caribbean cuisine and Indian favorites.

Registration for this class is $20.00 and includes class, supplies and take home materials. Class is 8:00 am to 12:00 pm March 31, 2011 at Jackson State Community College.


You may register through Jackson State Continuing Education at http://registration.xenegrade.com/jscc/courseDisplay.cfm?schID=12348

Feast in the Middle East

One of things missing from many chain restaurants is the element of 'atmosphere'. Sure they may have peanuts on the floor but the Toby Keith soundtrack is so loud the waiter has to hold their hand up to their mouth 'yodeling style' to take your order. Or maybe there is decor but it is cookie cutter pre-fabed street signs and sports memorabilia. Somewhere there's gotta be a sweatshop that does nothing but pump out restaurant props." I want you kids to bang out two-hundred of these John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe cutouts by the end of the day or the beatings will continue!"

Much like the 'set' in a theater production can set the mood for an audience, the atmosphere of a dining establishment can sometimes make even the tastiest food unappealing. So with that being said, the atmosphere at Memphis' Al-Rayan takes one into a world of dining pleasure. Colorful handmade rugs and pillows decorate a large area of the restaurant. Exotic lamps, pipes and art from the Middle East give the restaurant a feel of dining in a desert cafe. The alluring smell of lamb roasting on the spit calls the senses. Al-Rayan brings Middle East cuisine to the Mid-South.



Chef Hndi Nahwi serves traditional cuisine from Lebanon and various regions of the Middle East. Meals can be served in a traditional style starting with small appetizer plates known as 'Meze' that are best enjoyed communally. Some of the appetizers include homemade hummus and stuffed grape leaves. For the health conscious there is delightful treat that combines fried white cheese and homemade butter. Yeah...feel em' cloggin....

Soups made from lentils and Arabic spices as well as the refreshing Tabouleh salad made from chopped parsley, fresh mint, wheat, olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice. One tasty lentil soup is made of lentils, vermicelli and spices.

 As delicious as these starters may be, let's get into the meat of it. I enjoyed some of the Tandoori Chicken and rice cooked in East African style with fresh herbs. The chicken was smoky and rich and served with fresh warm pita bread and a citrus based salad. I also enjoyed some chickpea croquettes.

Marinated shish kabobs of grilled lamb are also an amazing treat here. Grilled robust shwarma is available wrapped in pita bread with a minty yogurt sauce. One of the most notable items on the menu is a traditional stew from Yemen of lamb, potatoes and herbs. This rich savory stew is served in a traditional clay pot.

My favorite part of the meal was this steaming cup of goodness that the waitress served me. Hot, sweet Arabic tea made from cardamom and cloves served with a golden nugget of sweetbread cookie.



When you are looking for delicious Middle Eastern cuisine you should pay a visit to the folks at Al-Rayan. Pull up a pillow on the carpet and order communally. Great tastes in a great atmosphere.

Al Rayan

288 North Cleveland St.

Memphis TN 38104

Comfort Food Honduran Style

Throughout Jackson Tennessee there is an steady growing number of Mexican restaurants.  Many of them selling the same three usual suspects: meat, cheese and rice. It seems like every 'Los Something', 'El Sew and Sew' and 'La This and That' serve the same cookie cutter Americanized Mexican dishes like tacos, burritos and fajitas.  Much of what passes as Mexican cuisine is about as authentic Mexican as 'Chef Boyardee' is Italian. There are those few local Taquerias that serve authentic dishes like Al Pastor, Barbacoa and Mole Poblano. 

Every now and then something special comes down the culinary pike. Enter 'Los Amigos'…

As the cold weather has began to set in, I am driving down 45 bypass in Jackson and I peer over to see a lighted sign that says 'Los Amigos'. I must admit that with a name like 'Los Amigos', I was not expecting much. (Too Vanilla!) I immediately pulled in and proceeded to go inside just to humor myself.  I was a little leery sensing the same three suspects of meat, cheese and rice would be hiding inside. Maybe I could get a 'McTaco' or a 9 piece box of Salsa Nuggets…As I entered, I noticed a Honduran flag hanging in the front window. Interesting. No images of sombreros, burros or the typical kitch Mexi deco….

I picked up a menu and began scanning. 'Plantains', 'Pupusas' 'Molcajete'…What was this? This was not the same old Mexican fare that could be found all over town. Just then a delightful young lady greeted me and tells me that they serve Honduran foods. Sweet! Without hesitating I took my seat for what would prove to be some delicious fare!

Los Amigos features some wonderful Honduran dishes that many West Tennesseans may have never encountered. Lets start with one of my favorites, the 'Pupusas'. Pupusas are hand made corn tortillas stuffed with pork, cheese and covered in shredded vinegar laden cabbage. Think warm cornbread cakes stuffed with slow cooked pork. Man are these good!

You must try the 'Pastelitos' which are golden fried tortillas stuffed with seasoned beef and potatoes and are covered with a savory Honduran salsa called 'Salsina'. The 'La Marinera' is fresh fried talapia with Honduran salsa served with sweet green bananas and avocado. 

Other dishes include Honduran fried pork chops fried sweet or salty plantains and Honduran fried chicken and salsa. Los Amigo's 'Carnitas' are slow cooked pork tips marinated in citrus juices and seasonings. Los Amigos serves their carnitas with beans, rice and warm tortillas. 

The featured crown jewel of Los Amigos is the creation known as  'Molcajete' (Mole-ka-he-tay). The word 'molcajete' refers to a stone bowl used to grind spices. This amazing dish is served in an actual molcajete. The bowl is filled with a delicious stew made from slow braised steak, caramelized onions, stewed tomatoes and peppers and seasoned with Honduran spices. It is topped with cheese and served piping hot with warm tortillas.   

I don't easily admit this but this food was so good that I came back a second day and ate their cooking again. It was so fresh, so different and so delicious I just had to have more.

'Los Amigos' is operated by the Villeda family from Brownsville Tennessee. Head chef Maria Villeda has been cooking Honduran favorites for years. Come taste some of her amazing Honduran comfort food!  

Los Amigos

1869 Hwy 45 Bypass

Jackson TN

Middle Eastern Treats

Fans of middle eastern cuisine in the Hub City now have a place to get their fix. 'Al Houda International Food Market' is serving up some delicious foods prepared daily. The market is an oasis itself where Jacksonians can find a number of hard to find products including meats, cheeses and a variety of spices.

Al Houda features a huge assortment of spices and herbs ranging from Tumeric and Sumac to Aniseed. There's also an assortment of dried ingredients like lentils, Garam Masala and tea leaves. Foodies can enjoy sodas from Holland and fresh pita bread.

There's a killer selection of cheeses from Syria and homemade butter from the middle east. Cooks can find filo dough and falafal mix to make their own dishes at home!

For those seeking a true Middle Eastern experience, Al Houda sells authentic herbal teas along with Shisha pipes and tobaccos. (Affectionately known in the west as 'Hookahs')

The crown jewel of Al Houda is their fresh cooked meals. Classic foods include lamb gyros and roasted shwarma. A wonderful marinated chicken dish called 'Shish Tawook' is a big seller. Owner and cook Alex Hanson serves roasted kabobs of beef, lamb and chicken alongside tasty bits like falafel and tabbouleh.  Vegans can try their cool and flavorful Mediterranean Salad served with garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. The rich eggplant dip Baba Ghanoosh and Hummus is also available eat in or carry out.

Al Houda International Market 

903 Hollywood

Jackson Tennessee 38301

Cheeseburger in Paradise

" But at night I'd had these wonderful dreams
Some kind of sensuous treat
Not zucchini, fettucini or Bulgar wheat
but a big warm bun and a huge hunk of meat"


The great poet James Buffet truly spoke to the heart of many of us who yearn for that big warm bun and a huge hunk of meat. Cheeseburgers...is there a more perfect food? The quintessential combination of meat, cheese and bread. And while it seems very difficult to mess up this kind of combination, there are some that  find a way to do so.

The quest for the ideal cheeseburger can lead you into a number of diners and eateries. Want it served 'fast food' style in a value meal at your favorite 'Mc-Indigestion'? How about as the main star at a more formal burger joint that dries it out but serves it with a bottomless barrel of fries to compensate?

Yes the quest for the ideal burger can be rather daunting. But there is hope my fellow foodies...

Jennifer Boals has thrown down the gauntlet in the world of cheeseburgers. She and her staff operate Ruben's Drive Thru in Humboldt Tennessee and their weapon of choice is a delicious dish known as the 'Cheeseburger in Paradise'. Patted and cooked from real ground beef, the CIP is an 8 oz. patty of 100% ground beef served dripping with ooey-gooey American cheese on a buttery golden bun. Topped with fresh green lettuce and a ruby red tomato slice, the burger is amazing!

Jennifer shares that while it takes her staff a little longer to create a burger while not using a pre-made patty, it is definitely worth it.  Her customers come from miles around to get her famous burger. The Cheeseburger in Paradise is but one of their stars. Customers can try the jumbo size Double Corral Burger made from a 12oz. ground beef patty or truly step up to the plate and get a 16oz. Double Paradise Burger. All of their burgers can be custom built with toppings like chili, jalapenos, bacons or mushrooms.

'Ruben's Drive Thru' also serves a variety of dishes including Philly Cheese Steaks, Patty Melts and Chicken Sandwiches. They also offer dishes that no one else in the city offers including deep-fried green beans, deep-fried squash and sweet potato fries. When the winter months hit, Ruben's offers a variety of bread bowl soups. Summer months bring out a wide variety of salads to give customers a 'lighter' menu of items. 

On Saturday's Ruben's offers customers a taste of southern barbecue as they serve full and half orders of smoked baby back ribs. And while I must admit that I usually don't care for pizza from a restaurant that doesn't specialize solely in pizza, the pizza at Rubens is actually pretty dang good. I had a slice of the cheese which was a stringy, gooey, cheesy experience on a very tasty golden crust. 

Have a sweet tooth? Ruben's serves up a delicious array of deserts including chocolate chip cookies made from real butter, pizza desserts covered in Oreo crumbles and old-fashioned milkshakes.

Ruben's is a breath of fresh air in the world of chain restaurants. Remember folks: EAT LOCAL!

Rubens's Drive Thru

2216 East End Drive

Humboldt Tennessee 38343

Mexican Coke: No Drugs just Soda

A few years ago I was in a little Mexican grocery where I spotted a beautiful tall slender glass bottle of Coca-Cola. The fact that it was in a glass bottle and even better a 'tall' green glass bottle made it stand out. These types of bottles used to be standard fare in the little country grocery stores found throughout West Tennessee. I can remember sliding open a freezer's glass door and gripping a metal lid and pulling out an almost painfully cold soda pop.The little stars on a green Sprite glass bottle seemed to sparkle to my young eyes. I remember sodas being a treat, not simply an accompaniment that you downed with every meal. The whole 'ceremony' of using a soda machine seemed to build the excitement. The clunking sound of your change hitting rock bottom as you swung open a glass door and gazed upon this amazing gallery of colored bottles.

For those of you under the age of thirty, soda machines weren't always bright colored buttons distributing automated refreshment. At one time Coca Cola even released a machine that 'talked' with a robotic synthesized voice that amazed us wide-eyed kids in the Eighties! But there is a deeper thing that is missing in our world that goes deeper than the mechanics of soda machines...The soda.

Yes young Americans, there was a time when you could pop the top off of a bottle of Coca-Cola and the smell of lavender would immediately steal your senses. The first swallow of the cold dark syrupy treat would glide down your throat and immediately make your eyes widen. The burst of carbonated goodness was almost over bearing. Unfortunately, there are two wonderful elements that the illustrious Coca-Cola company sought to remove from their wonderful product that have left a generation of us wanting....lavender oil and real sugar.

Lavender oil used to provide Coca-Cola with a wonderful flowery perfume scent while real sugar gave the soda it's signature sweetness. Back in the Eighties Coca-Coal decided that it was to expensive to use real sugar and switched to high-fructose corn syrup to make the soda sweet.

For those seek the Coca-Cola of days gone by, the promises of this taste can be found again in what many are terming 'Mexi-Coke'. Found on the shelves of Mexican grocery stores and in some restaurants, the Mexican formula for Coke includes the inclusion of the much coveted cane sugar sweetener. The taste is a 'cleaner' taste that goes down smooth. Some have noted that it tastes more 'natural' than U.S. sodas.

 Newspapers have reported that the U.S. based Coca-Cola has expressed disapproval with the imported soda being brought into the U.S. The fear is that consumers will eventually demand the American based soda to be produced with actual sugar which the company feels is too expensive to make. (However Coca-Cola has made some exceptions such as the production of a sugar based 'kosher' Coca-Cola product called  'Passover Coke' around Jewish holidays. )

Here in the U.S. the Mexican drink has gained such a following that some have termed it the 'Cult of Mexican Coke' while there is even a Facebook page called 'Gringos who love Mexican Coke'. The popularity of the product has even caused some U.S. based businesses like Costco to carry the sweet Latin alternative.


So if your feeling a little nostalgic for the taste of sodas gone by, drop into your local Mexican grocery and grab up a bottle of Mexi-Coke. It will certainly take you back!

When barbecue was barbecue...

Many of you know that southern barbecue is a passion of mine. The iconic Southern barbecue joint that is the temple where this favorite dish is served is disappearing before our very eyes. Given place to the chain pre-fab barbecue merchants that sit like soulless halls of shame that taunt us with people in pig suits, neo-blues music and faux smoke from electric smokers...

One of the last few 'real' barbecue joints in West Tennessee is 'Sam's BBQ' in Humboldt Tennessee.  Sam's was originally started by local barbecue veteran Sam Donald. Sam and his brother in law began cooking barbecue back in the nineteen forties. Today Sam's daughter Seressa and her husband Jon run the pit and serve up some of West Tennessee's best old school barbecue.

 Jon still cooks barbecue the way his father in law did back in the forties. Jon slow smokes his meat over hickory wood . The process can take anywhere from 14 to 18 hours. The patience and discipline that it takes to cook using real southern techniques creates flavors that cannot be reproduced by liquid smoke or electric smokers.

Sam's serves pork and beef. Brisket is a unique addition to the southern barbecue scene, typically reserved for Texas and Oklahoma bbq joints. But Sam's serves up smoky beef brisket sandwiches drizzled in the house sweet smoky barbecue sauce. Another customer favorite is Jon's barbecue bologna. John takes a thick slice of beef bologna seasons it with his secret dry rub and slow smokes over wood.  John then cuts a generous slice of the meat and tops it with a helping of his homemade tangy vinegar coleslaw for an unbelievable taste.

Sundays at Sam's BBQ are a special treat. Sam's features a plate lunch with selections like homemade turkey and dressing, fried chicken, sweet potatoes and assorted side items. It's like eating at your favorite grandmother's house!

When dining at Sam’s, be sure to save room for dessert! The Ivory family has also become famous for their delectable sweets  like their many delicious homemade pies. Many of Sam’s customers have fallen in love with their signature ‘buttermilk pie’, a cool, sweet refreshing treat.

If your looking for the remnants of the great southern barbecue joint culture, look no further than Sam's BBQ in Humboldt Tennessee!

Sam's BBQ is located at 500 West Main Street in Humboldt Tennessee.