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'COOKING UP CULTURE' INITIATIVE LOOKS AT MEXICAN INFLUENCES ON AMERICAN CUISINE CHICAGO, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Throughout our country's history, the foods we enjoy in America incorporate a melting pot of various cultural influences. By far, the Hispanic culture is one of the strongest influences on the types of foods we love in this country. From the enormous selection of Hispanic foods in grocery stores and restaurants to the Hispanic dishes offered on mainstream American menus, Hispanic cuisine has evolved to become a staple in American culture. And with the celebration of National Hispanic-American Month, it is the perfect time to celebrate the Hispanic foods and ingredients that have shaped American cooking and dining. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080903/AQW568) "Mexican food, in particular, has become one of the most popular types of cuisine in America. Some longstanding, traditional dishes in America have roots in Mexican cuisine," said B. Smith, national spokesperson for the Lawry's "Cooking Up Culture" campaign, a yearlong celebration of the global influences on American cuisine. "Tacos, tamales and enchiladas, to name a few, are traditional Mexican dishes that can be found at any given time on American dinner tables. But, you don't have to limit yourself to those traditional favorites when cooking at home. It's easy to add the essence of Mexico to any meal. With marinades such as Lawry's Mexican Chile and Lime Marinade, the zesty flavors of Mexico can liven up your poultry, seafood, meat or vegetables by marinating no longer than 30 minutes," said Smith. Although many American favorites such as chili, fajitas, salsa, corn chips, chimichangas, quesadillas, burritos, and nachos were influenced by Mexican cuisine, they are home-grown American inventions that are not considered "authentic" Mexican. Even dishes that exist in Mexico like enchiladas, tacos, and tamales are cooked and served differently in the United States. True Mexican dishes are not cooked to be as spicy as their American versions. Authentic Mexican food also tends to use much less melted cheese. Of all dishes enjoyed in America and Mexico, guacamole may be the most consistent recipe of all Mexican-inspired recipes. Although there are some variances in American versus Mexican preparations, this Mexican staple dish almost always combines avocado, chiles, cilantro, onions and lime juice and is enjoyed by most fans of Mexican cuisine. "It's also important to recognize that when we enjoy Mexican cuisine, we're also enjoying global flavors from other cultural cuisines such as the European and Native American cultures," said Smith. "No cuisine is purely indigenous to one country. The discovery of new lands and new people always brought with it new traditions from around the globe." "Mexican cuisine is such a melting pot of flavors and delicious ingredients, that it's easy to be creative when preparing meals," added Smith. Get creative with your next family meal by trying these culturally-inspired recipes from Lawry's this Hispanic-American Heritage Month. Also, visit http://www.lawrys.com/ for different, delicious cultural recipes each month throughout the year. GRILLED SKIRT STEAK TOSTADAS 6 servings Prep Time: 45 minutes Marinate Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 8 minutes 1/4 cup PLUS 1 Tbsp. Lawry's(R) Mexican Chile & Lime Marinade With Lime Juice 3/4 lb. skirt steak, trimmed 4 Tbsp. mayonnaise, divided 1 bag (4 oz.) baby watercress or baby spinach (about 6 cups loosely packed) 1 cup quartered grape or cherry tomatoes 3 large radishes, julienned (1/8- x 1/8- x 1-inch strips) 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained 1/2 tsp. Lawry's(R) Garlic Salt 6 (5-in.) corn tostadas* 1/2 cup shredded queso fresco or Monterrey Jack cheese (about 2 oz.) In large resealable plastic bag, pour 1/4 cup Lawry's(R) Mexican Chile & Lime Marinade With Lime Juice over steak; turn to coat. Close bag and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons mayonnaise with remaining 1 tablespoon Marinade; set aside. In large bowl, combine watercress, tomatoes, radishes and onion; set aside. Remove steak from Marinade, discarding Marinade. Grill steak, turning once, 8 minutes or to desired doneness; thinly slice and keep warm. In medium microwave-safe bowl, coarsely mash black beans with remaining mayonnaise and Garlic Salt. Microwave at HIGH 30 seconds or until warm. Evenly spread bean mixture on tostadas, then top with steak. Toss watercress mixture with mayonnaise mixture, then mound on tostadas. Sprinkle with cheese. *SUBSTITUTION: To make your own tostadas, in small skillet, fry corn tortillas in oil, one at a time, turning once, until crisp; drain on paper towels. SUCCULENT SHORT RIBS IN CHILE-LIME SAUCE 4 servings Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 3 hours 20 minutes 3 lbs. bone-in beef short ribs, trimmed 1 tsp. Lawry's(R) Garlic Salt 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 large onion, thinly sliced 2 cups beef broth 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained 1/2 cup Lawry's(R) Baja Chipotle Marinade With Lime Juice 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves, crushed 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Season ribs with Garlic Salt; set aside. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and brown ribs. Remove ribs to 13 x 9-inch roasting pan and set aside; reserve 1 tablespoon drippings. In reserved drippings, cook onion over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients except flour. Bring just to a boil over high heat; pour over ribs. Bake covered 3 hours or until ribs are tender. Remove ribs and onion to serving platter and keep warm; reserve sauce. In small bowl, combine flour with 2 tablespoons water. Stir flour mixture into sauce. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes or until thickened. Pour gravy over ribs and serve, if desired, with hot cooked rice. SHRIMP CHILES RELLENOS 4 servings Prep Time: 1 hour Marinate Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 50 minutes 1/2 cup Lawry's(R) Baja Chipotle Marinade With Lime Juice, divided 1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled deveined and tails removed 2 cups prepared mashed potatoes 1-1/2 cups shredded queso fresco or Monterey Jack cheese (about 6 oz.), divided 1/4 tsp. Lawry's(R) Garlic Salt 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided 1 large onion, chopped 1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce 2/3 cup crema Mexicana or sour cream 8 large poblano peppers, roasted and peeled In large resealable plastic bag, pour 1/4 cup Lawry's(R) Baja Chipotle Marinade With Lime Juice over shrimp; turn to coat. Close bag and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine mashed potatoes, 1 cup cheese and Garlic Salt; set aside. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat and cook onion, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes or until tender. Remove 1/2 of the onion and stir into mashed potato mixture. Into same skillet, stir in tomato sauce and remaining 1/4 cup Marinade. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in crema Mexicana. In 13 x 9-inch baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, spread 1/2 cup tomato mixture; set aside. In medium bowl, add remaining tomato mixture; set aside. Wipe skillet with paper towels. In same skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat and cook shrimp with Marinade, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Remove shrimp and coarsely chop; set aside. Make lengthwise slit in each pepper and remove seeds, keeping pepper intact. Stir shrimp into potatoes, then evenly divide mashed potatoes into eighths; shape into oval patties. Stuff peppers with patties. In prepared baking dish, arrange stuffed peppers, seam-side-down, then top with remaining sauce. Bake covered 20 minutes. Remove cover, then sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake uncovered 15 minutes or until heated through. Garnish, if desired, with chopped fresh cilantro. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. About Unilever Unilever (NYSE:ULNYSE:UN), one of the world's largest consumer products companies, aims to add vitality to life by meeting everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care. Each day, around the world, consumers make 160 million decisions to purchase Unilever products. The company has a portfolio of brands that make people feel good, look good and get more out of life. In the United States these brands include recognized names such as: Axe, "all," Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann's, Knorr, Lawry's, Lipton, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Snuggle, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever in the United States employs approximately 13,000 people in more than 60 office and manufacturing sites in 24 states and Puerto Rico -- generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2006. For more information, visit http://www.unileverusa.com/. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080903/AQW568 http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Lawry's CONTACT: Ronald E. Childs, +1-312-228-8807, , or Thelma A. Walker, +1-312-228-8808, , both of Flowers Communications Group for Lawry's Web site: http://www.lawrys.com/ http://www.unileverusa.com/

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