There’s something about experiencing the tastes of cuisines from all over the world. What makes each one of these international delights so enjoyable to me is the unique way each country approaches the recipe. For example, I love chicken and rice. Wait now, before you go saying, ‘Well, that’s boring and predictable. Give us a little depth when revealing your culinary tastes, won’t you?’ LoL. Maybe you’re not saying that, but there’s a reason I chose to focus on chicken and rice.

American Chicken and Rice, aka Chikin’ n Rice (with a drawl on the word ‘rice’ if you’re from the Carolinas) 😀

Like the Italians, we here in America fix the chicken and rice dish a million different ways. You’ve got southern style, northern style, chinese, japanese … a medley of variations on what of the most popular dishes in the world. You choose!

http://normalcooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/dijon-chicken.jpg

Mexican Chicken and Rice, aka Arroz con Pollo

http://www.rovinggastronome.com/cookinginrealtime/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/010.jpg

My favorite of ALL the chicken and rice dishes. Yes! Yes! There’s just something about the combination of ingredients with this one that when done right creates something heavenly. Unfortunately, eating this dish at lunchtime at times triggers a small bout of daydreaming near the end of the day, that is, if you overindulge. LOL

Russian Chicken and Rice, aka Pelmeni

This tasty little morsel consists of taking the equivalent of a dumpling (no, not the thick ones used in most southern recipes) and wrapping the chicken or beef inside a thin layer of unleavened dough before inserting it into the dumpling. Best served with a nice bowl of fluffy, Russian grown rice … what else? 😀

Greek Chicken and Rice, aka Kottopoulo Me Pilafi

Took me a quick minute to “aquire” the taste (and the stomach power) that goes along with learning to enjoy Greek food. The first time I tried it at George’s Garage, I was like: “Hm. I don’t know about this stuff.” By the second time, I was willing to venture beyond my safety zone (yep, that would be chicken and rice … lol) and be a little more bold, less reserved, even daring. Well, fast forward fifteen years later and I’m posting this tempting pic of Kottopoulo Me Pilafi because a) I had no idea what it was when I first tried it and b) this dish creates the perfect way for you to begin enjoying the uniqueness found in foods of the Mediterranean (Yes, that’s another one I’m reserving for a future post).

http://greek.food.com/recipe/greek-chicken-and-rice-1857

Italian Chicken and Rice, aka Penne

I know, there isn’t any rice in the pic. But that’s because Italian recipes are the most versatile as far as substituting the grain or pasta of your choice with the item featured in the recipe. The Italians have thousands of ways to fix chicken and rice. I chose this one because it’s a favorite dish of mine and I was actually able to find a link to a recipe that details the steps for you to try out for yourself.

http://www.runsforcookies.com/2012/10/italian-chicken-penne.html

Morroccan Chicken and Rice

This one’s new to me, so I’m looking forward to exploring the recipe and learning more about it. Looks delicious though, doesn’t it? Will post update later on.

I bet your mouth’s a’ watering over there, isn’t it? Well, it’s first thing in the morning here and I’m enjoying a cup of my infamous chocolate glazed donut coffee from Dunkin Donuts; and let me just tell you, I don’t think I’ll make it to lunchtime after posting all these mouth-watering pics. What do you think?