Weekend Dinners That Bring The Holiday Home

Part of the joy of going on holiday is definitely the chance to get stuck into some foreign cuisine. Across the world, the meals that locals take for granted become exotic camera worthy works of art, as curious and appealing as they are utterly appetising.

Restaurants and takeaways help to bring those flavours to us, saving us the expense of constantly hopping on a plane for holidays galore (although that admittedly sounds lovely). But for me, there’s something about bringing those flavours home that often feels almost… victorious! What’s more, cooking meals from abroad is often easier than you think.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the different world food favourites currently tickling my taste buds.
Spanish flavours

While I might not be always able to enjoy the Spanish sun, I can definitely confess to having a soft spot for tapas. And I admit, although I’ve been doing my reading into the more broad range of Spanish cuisine, it’s those little morsels I keep coming back to time and time again.

Spinach and mushroom empanadas and juicy olives skewered onto soft bread with cocktail sticks, to say nothing of patatas bravas and croquetas… truly mouth-watering! I find also that, although we associate tapas with nights out on the town, kids really take to tapas. Having a big table of food where you can pick and choose what you want as you go makes mealtimes a little more fun.

Mexican tortilla wraps

The beaches of Cancun are inviting, but a quick look in your supermarket for veggie wraps shows how Mexican food has come home. Mexico and Spain might share a language, but their dishes couldn’t be more different, and the brilliant thing about tortillas is how versatile they are. I’ve actually got fond of chucking leftovers in them with some spices to make sure we make the most of every meal, although there’s something to be said for some fresh bean chilli or some cheesy mixed veg in one too. In fact, I’m challenging myself to start making tortillas of my own as well.

Caribbean cuisine

I know, I know. I’m leaning pretty hard on those sunny climates, right? That said, I was fascinated to discover just how rich and diverse Caribbean cooking is, as well as how easy a lot of those recipes are to put together.

While many of us have already tried some of the spicy fried shrimp or the tangy plantain and rice curries that make Caribbean cuisine so well loved, a few other treats caught my eye. Puerto Rican water-bread or Antigua raisin buns keep the sweet flavours coming without overloading the little ones on sugar, and there are so many sauces and dips to try. A papaya and milk smoothie always goes down a treat too.

Bonkers for bao

Ah, Chinese food. Everyone loves a takeaway, and the apps that bring you the good stuff to your door are just the most constant temptation.

However, to keep up with my drive to bring world food home without the caveat of a pricey takeout bill, I’ve been looking into the Chinese staple that is bao. Light, steamed fluffy buns that are prepared in cute baskets, bao gets filled with all kinds of goodness. While shredded roast pork is the most well-known, vegan and veggie options like mushroom and beansprouts are popular too. It’s definitely something to experiment with, made all the better for the fact that these fluffy little buns are more filling than they seem.

Each of these ideas feels perfect for budding young appetites, but I’m keen to keep expanding the idea. What foreign cuisine are you opting to take into your kitchens at home?