Discover the traditions and culture of food from across the world. Learn the ingredients and how each is different according to region and how to stock your very own cuisine oriented pantry. You will soon be on to making your favorite restaurant dishes in your own kitchen!

‘The land of fast food’ is the common terminology used to define the American Cuisine. From the easy potatoe chips to the scrumptious fried chicken, from the mouthwatering cheeseburger to the delectable apple pie, the cooking and cuisine of the United States of America defies easy categorization. While well known for the mass production and global uniformity of fast food outlets, the USA is actually home to wide-ranging regional cuisine and the influence of immigrant groups past and present.

 

 

To unveil the Sri Lankan take on the American Cuisine, We made reservations at the Soho Bistro located at 20 Park Street, Colombo 2. The restaurant eludes the easy going understated yet sophisticated vibe of a Soho New York Bistro.

We were greeted by its Head Chef Christopher Kodituwakku, the first Sri Lankan to obtain a gold medal overseas,  to peek into the Soho Bistro delights.

 

 

On the Menu

•        Maryland Crab Cake
•        Club Sandwich
•        Shrimp Cocktail
•        Open Beef Burger
•        Mixed Grilled Seafood Platter
•        Apple Crumble
•        Baked Cheesecake
•        Ice cream Sundae

 

Crab Cake

About : Crab cakes originated in the Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland in the USA. They have evolved into a delectable seafood delight with regional variations depending upon the region of the United States in which they are being cooked.

 

Maryland Crab Cakes at Soho Bistro

 

Ingredients

·         125g Crab Meat

·         10g Chopped onions

·         10g Chopped Garlic

·         Salt & Pepper to taste

·         Lime juice

·         White wine

·         Fresh Cream

·         1 beaten Egg

·         Panco (Chinese Breadcrumbs)

 

Directions

Mix together all ingredients except crabmeat. Then stir in crabmeat , make a patty and dip into Panko breadcrumbs. Fry in cooking oil until golden brown.

Serve with Sweet Chille Sauce, Fresh Garden Salad & Baked Potatoe with sour cream

 

 

Club Sandwich

About : The club sandwich or the ‘double decker’  is popular around the world in restaurants, hotels and private clubs, where it probably acquired its name. It is speculated that the sandwich — with its layers of chicken, tomatoes and bacon — was originally made at the Saratoga Club House in Saratoga Springs, New York, the same place that invented potato chips. The original version had only two slices of bread.

Club Sandwich at Soho Bistro

Ingredients

• 4 slices white toasted bread
• Mayonnaise
• Butter
• 2 romaine lettuce leaves
• 2 slices tomatoes
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 slices cooked bacon
• 2 slices of roasted chicken breast
• 4 wooden picks

Directions

Spread mayonnaise over 1 side and butter on the other of each slice of toast. Place 1 lettuce leaf and 1 slice chicken on each of the toasts. Cover with second slice of toast. Top with lettuce leaf, 2 slices tomato and 2 slices bacon. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with third slice of toast: secure with wooden picks. To serve, cut diagonally into triangles.

Serve with Cole Slaw with Raisins

 

Shrimp Cocktail

About : The earliest reference to Shrimp Cocktail appears to be from the late 1920s, but predecessors of the dish seem to have originated by the turn of the previous century at the latest. The Original Boston Cooking-School Cook Book of 1896 states that "Shrimps are...generally used for salads". By the 60s, the traditional Shrimp Cocktail was far and away the most common appetizer found in restaurants throughout the USA

Shrimp Cocktail at Soho Bistro

Ingredients

120g Cooked Shrimp

Cilantro Sauce

·         Coriander

·         Mayonnaise

·         White Pepper & Salt to taste

·         Sugar

·         Few drops of Lime juice

Blend all the ingredients together.

Cocktail Sauce

·         Mayonnaise

·         Tomatoe Ketchup

·         Celery

Directions

Blend all ingredients together

To serve, place shrimp in a cocktail glass, and serve with cilantro & cocktail sauce.

 

Burger

About : The origin of hamburger is unknown, but the hamburger patty and sandwich were evidently brought by 19th-century German immigrants to the United States, where in a matter of decades it came to be considered an archetypal American food.

Open Beef Burger at Soho Bistro

Beef Patty

Ingredients

• 150 g beef mince
• ½  egg (lightly beaten)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Chopped onion
• Chopped Garlic
• Chopped Pickled Gherkin
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Bell Pepper ( Green )

Directions

Combine all ingredients and shape into a patty and grill until golden.

Herb Sauce                      Fresh Oregano

·         Tarragon

·         Mayonnaise

·         Directions

·         Mix all and pour over grilled beef patty.

Burger

·         1 Burger Bun

·         Chinese cabbage

·         Red cabbage

·         Slice of tomatoe,

·         Slice of cucumber

·         Chopped parsley

Cut the burger bun in half and place Chinese cabbage, red cabbage, slice of tomatoe, slice of cucumber and garnish with chopped parsley on one side and the beef patty topped with herb sauce on the other .

Serve with Mixed Pickle.

 

 

Seafood Platter

About : Rumour has it, Saltwater fish was eaten by the American Indians on all American shores , consequently making it a much loved dish over time across the  country , in delectable presentations.

Mixed Grilled Seafood Platter at Soho Bistro

Ingredients

·         120g well marinated and grilled dane of seer fish

·         1 marinated and grilled Jumbo Prawn

·         60g Squid

·         60g Seafood Satey

Seafood Satey

·         Ground Fish, shrimp and squid

·         Chopped Onion

·         Chopped Garlic

·         Chopped Ginger

·         Lemongrass

·         Salt & Pepper to taste

·         Lemon Juice

·         ½  egg beaten

Directions

Mix all the ingredients and shape into a service spoon, scoop out and grill.

Dish the seafood and the Satey , serve with Peanut Sauce, Hot Garlic Sauce & BBQ Sauce.

 

Deserts

 

Apple Crisp or Apple Crumble

ABOUT : Despite its relatively recent invention, apple crisp or crumble has become an American and British tradition especially during the fall season or Autumn when apples are plentiful. The dish is also very popular in Canada.

Apple Crumble at Soho Bistro

Ingredients

500g Apple

500g White sugar

Cinnamon to taste

Directions

Blanche the ingredients.

Crumble

Ingredients

300g Flour,

120g Butter

150g Sugar

Sliced almonds

Directions

Mix all the ingredients and bake at 120 c top & bottom, for 25 minutes.

 

 

Cheesecake

The traditional Greek delight was brought in by the Europeans to the US ,where Cream cheese was an American addition to the cake, and has since become a staple ingredient in the United States. In 1872, a New York dairy farmer was attempting to replicate the French cheese Neufchatel. Instead, he accidentally discovered a process which resulted in the creation of cream cheese. Three years later, cream cheese was packaged in foil and distributed to local stores under a Cream Cheese brand.

Baked Cheesecake at Soho Bistro

Ingredients

500g Cream Cheese

400g Icing Sugar

6 eggs

17g corn flour

100g fresh cream

Directions

Mix cream cheese with egg yolk, add icing sugar and egg whites. Add corn flour & fresh cream.

Mix well.

Biscuit Crust

Ingredients

400g crushed biscuits

Butter

Directions

Mix Crushed biscuits with cooked butter oil.

Place the biscuit mixture on a baking tray wrapped in foil. Add the cheese mix. Cook at 150 c for 1 hour.

 

Ice cream sundae

About : In the midwestern parts of US, laws were once passed that prohibited the selling of soda water on a Sunday. The town of Evanston, Illinois was one of the first towns to pass such a law around the year 1890. As an alternative on Sundays, local soda fountains started selling ice cream sodas minus the soda, which left only the ice cream and syrup. That became the recipe of what was to become known as the ice cream sundae.

Ice Cream Sundae at Soho Bistro

Ingredients

1 scoop Strawberry ice cream

1 scoop Chocolota Ice Cream

1 scoop Vanilla Ice Cream

Whipped Cream

Strawberry jam/ Mixed berries

Directions

Top the ice cream with whipped cream and strawberry jam/mixed berries.