If You Were Planning to Make a NA Feast, What Would You Serve?

Whether you are intentional or not, most snacks and full meals will include some food that is indigenous to North and South America.  That food was domesticated, located, and sampled by Native Americans who created unique dishes and used local spices, too.  If you are planning a "Feast," here are some ideas.

The word "Barbecue" is Arawak - that is, the idea that you rub seasoning on meat and smoke it over a fire pit (not the slathering of spicy sauce it has come to be known as).

Cassava is a traditional bread, and cassava is also known as arrowroot and tapioca.  Pineapples are a traditional welcoming gift - and that tradition survives.

My suggestion would be to go a little more general in the Native American category:
*  Corn, beans, squash, coffee, chocolate, potatoes, and tomatoes are all Native American in origin.
*  Nuts and berries (plus most grapes) - 60% of what the world knows as edible - is Native American in origin.

Specific dishes might include:
* A bean chili with corn chips
* A succotash (corn and bean stew) with wild rice
* Guacamole (Central American) with corn chips or another flat cassava or corn bread
* GORP - good old raisin and peanuts - a trail mix
* Venison, turtle, or other North American wild game animal
* Buffalo (it is domesticated and available as a ground meat in a cryovac package in most grocery stores now)
* Shell fish from the local area (mussels, clams, lobster, etc)
* Cod fish, of course, (Cape Cod is named for their past abundance)

Enjoy!

Native American Recipes and Foods

Here are some of my favorite Native American cooking sites.

General information about Native Foods and Food Gathering

RECIPES
Cookin' with Three Sisters
Basic Tortillas and other Breads
Cherokee Fry Bread
Fry Bread History/Bannock

ARAWAK RECIPES
Barbecue Sauce
Pepperpot
Cassava Bread
Chicken Spice Rub 
Jerk Chicken 
BBQ Chicken

HISTORY
Soul Food - African and Indian influence on Caribbean food
Pineapple - Origin history and social history

OTHER THINGS
Planning a "Feast"? - What should you think about?

Cherokee Fry Bread

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Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water

Directions:
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Add warm water in small amounts and knead dough until soft but not sticky. Adjust flour or water as needed. Cover bowl and let stand about 15 minutes.

Pull off large egg-sized balls of dough and roll out into fairly thin rounds. Fry rounds in hot oil until bubbles appear on the dough, turn over and fry on the other side until golden.

Serve hot. Try brushing on honey, or making into an Indian Taco.

Alternative:
Buttermilk Fry Bread
Substitute buttermilk for water. Follow the same recipe.

From: blue_panther@otelco.net