Chef and writer, Edward Lee traveled across America for two years, meeting the people and savoring the delights of our nation’s vast, ever changing and diverse culinary landscape.

In his new book, Buttermilk Graffiti - A Chef’s Journey to Discover America’s New Melting-Pot Cuisine, Lee focuses on the foods of the immigrants he met all over the country and in doing so he challenges the notion of what many may think of as traditional American cooking.

As part of The Takeaway’s weeklong series, Lee, the son of Korean immigrants, explains why he believes that, “the story of American food is one of transformation.”

Lee is the chef and owner of 3 restaurants in Louisville, Kentucky and the culinary director of Succotash in Penn Quarter, Washington D.C., and National Harbor in Maryland.

Excerpted from Buttermilk Graffiti by Edward Lee (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2018.

 Amok Trey

This is a creamy and aromatic fish curry wrapped in a banana leaf. It is surprisingly easy to make at home. Wait until your guests are seated and open the banana leaf packets right in front of them; it’s impressive. The sauce is mild yet perfumed with flavor. I use catfish here, but another firm-fleshed fish such as halibut or cod would work equally well.

Serve with steamed rice and Asian-style pickles.

Serves 4 as a main course

Four 12-inch squares banana leaf

Spice paste

12 kaffir lime leaves,

chopped very fine

1 shallot, minced

2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer leaves removed

5 garlic cloves

1 lime

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

2 ½ tablespoons fish sauce

2 teaspoons pure chile powder

2 teaspoons shrimp paste

2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 ½ cups coconut milk

Four 4-ounce catfish fillets

Kosher salt

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add one or two of the banana leaves, and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened and pliable. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Repeat with the remaining leaves.

Pour off most of the water and set a steamer basket in the pot; the water should come to just below the steamer basket.

To make the spice paste: Put the lime leaves and shallot in a small bowl. Using a Microplane, grate the lemongrass and garlic into the bowl. Grate the zest of the lime into the bowl, then halve the lime and squeeze in the juice. Add the grated ginger, then add the fish sauce, chile powder, shrimp paste, brown sugar, turmeric, and salt. Transfer the mixture to a large mortar and pound it to a paste with the pestle. (If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can also do this by smashing the ingredients with the side of your knife against a cutting board.)

Transfer the paste to a medium saucepan, add the coconut milk, and bring to a simmer over low heat, then simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Season the catfish generously with salt. Place one banana leaf on a cutting board and scoop ⅓ cup of the coconut sauce onto the middle of the leaf. Place a catfish fillet on top and add another ⅓ cup of the sauce. Wrap the fish in the banana leaf, folding over the top and bottom and then the sides, and thread a wooden skewer through the leaf to keep the packet closed. Repeat with the remaining fillets and sauce.

Bring the water in the steamer to a low simmer. Transfer the fish packets to the steamer basket, cover the pot, and steam for 30 minutes.

Remove the packets from the steamer and carefully transfer to serving plates. Set the plates in front of your guests and allow them to open the packets themselves.

Lamb Arayes with Tahini Dressing and Pickled Sweet Peppers

I learned about so many new dishes during my trip to Dearborn. I’m including this one because not only was it one of the tastiest dishes I ate, it also translates easily to a home kitchen. No special oven needed or long cooking times. This is basically a lamb sandwich in pita bread, but the lamb filling is aromatic and vibrant. And making the pita from scratch can be a transformative experience. I always make extra pita to enjoy with hummus the next day. Or crisp the leftovers in the oven and cut them into pieces to use in salads for a garnish.

Makes 4 sandwiches

lamb filling

One 1-pound piece lamb loin, finely chopped

1 cup chopped tomatoes

½ onion, finely diced

⅓ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

½ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

4 Rye Pitas (recipe follows)

Olive oil, for brushing

Salt

1 small onion, sliced

½ cup arugula

¼ cup Pickled Sweet Peppers (recipe follows)

½ cup Tahini Dressing (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

To make the lamb filling: In a large bowl, combine the lamb, tomatoes, onion, parsley, allspice, cinnamon, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and molasses and mix well.

Split the pitas in half. Spread a thin layer of one-quarter of the lamb mixture on the bottom half of one pita and replace the top half. Repeat with the remaining pitas and filling. Carefully brush both sides of the pitas with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt.

 Arrange the pitas on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the lamb is cooked through.

Remove the pitas from the oven, lift the top of each one, and layer with the onion, arugula, and pickled peppers. Drizzle a little tahini dressing over the top and put the top back on the sandwich. Serve immediately.

Rye Pitas | Makes 8 pitas

1 cup warm water (about 112°F)

2 tablespoons active dry yeast

½ teaspoon sugar

¼ cup rye flour

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus ½ cup for dusting

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

In a large bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, sugar, rye flour, and ¼ cup of the all-purpose flour and mix well. Let stand for 10 minutes, or until foamy.

Add the salt, olive oil, and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour and gently stir with a wooden spoon for 1 minute to combine. You may need to add a little of the remaining all-purpose flour; the dough should be wet but pull away easily from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead until it is smooth and holds its shape, just a few minutes, adding more flour if necessary. Put the kneaded dough in a large oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rest in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Put a baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 475°F.

Punch down the dough and divide it into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a ball, arrange on a floured work surface, and cover with a damp towel. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

Remove one dough ball, leaving the others covered to prevent the dough from developing a skin, and, using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to a ⅛-inch thickness, about 5 inches in diameter. Set aside and roll out the remaining dough balls. You can stack them between sheets of parchment. Carefully remove the preheated baking sheet from the oven and place as many dough pieces on it as you can fit. Return the baking sheet to the oven. Once the pitas puff, after about 2 minutes, flip with a spatula or tongs and cook for an additional minute or so. The pitas should remain pale, with hints of brown spots. Remove from the oven and set aside on a plate.

Repeat with the remaining dough. If not using right away, store the remaining pitas by letting them cool to room temperature, wrapping them individually in plastic wrap, and storing in the freezer for up to a month. When ready to use, place in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes to warm up.

Pickled Sweet Peppers | Makes ½ quart

10 small sweet peppers, seeded and thinly sliced, any mix of bell, cherry, or Italian sweets

1 cup rice vinegar

½ cup water

⅓ cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 whole star anise pod

½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 large strip lemon peel

Thinly slice the sweet peppers and pack them into a jar. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, star anise, and peppercorns and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the lemon peel, remove from the heat, and let cool to room temperature.

Pour the pickling liquid into the jar, close the lid tightly, and refrigerate overnight. Discard any excess liquid. The peppers will keep in the fridge for up to a month.

Tahini Dressing | Makes 1 cup

½ cup labneh or Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

¼ cup water

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon paprika

In a small bowl, combine the labneh, tahini, sesame oil, water, vinegar, lemon juice, and paprika and whisk to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. The dressing will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

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