Oh sweet basil, it’s pesto time again! Some say pesto has been around since the 1860’s, others say some version of it has been filling up Italians since the 16th century, but one thing is for sure, it’s been around long before the invention of food processors or blenders. This “old fashioned” recipe uses only […]
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Stuffed Grape Leaves (with video)
Koula Barydakis shows us how to make vegetarian grape leaves on the island of Crete.
The Power of Olive Oil. Benefits, Myths, and French Fries
In this podcast, we interview Dr. Artemis Morris, a naturopathic physician about the health benefits and myths of olive oil. One of the myths of olive oil is that you cannot use it for frying or deep-frying, because of its low smoking point.
Sofrito in Mediterranean Cooking
Sofrito is a traditional Spanish vegetable base that is a foundation for many other dishes. It has a long a long history and has been referenced in cookbooks as early as the 1300’s.
Sofrito is highly flavorful and makes an excellent base for sauces, stews and other dishes. The elevated flavors are the result of the way the ingredients are prepared; they are cooked in fat (olive oil) to release the flavors. Many cuisines around the world use this technique: In India, dishes like curry and dal (beans) are covered with “tempering” which is a selection of aromatic spices that have been cooked in ghee (clarified butter) to release their flavors. In Thailand, a curry paste is cooked with coconut milk and the flavor of the spices and ingredients are released.
Different Mediterranean cuisines have their own variations of sofrito.
How to Cook a Moroccan Tagine Dish without a Tagine
You don’t have to own a tagine to make an incredible tagine recipe. Here are some tips on cooking tagine recipes using other types of pots!
Tapas Party! 4 Tapas Recipes – 1 Pan!
Thrill your friends by cooking 4 tapas dishes right in front of them all in one pan!
Foods of Crete Cookbook
"The scientifically acclaimed “Mediterranean Diet” is presented at its best here, with the liberal use of olive oil and plenty of vegetable and fish dishes in addition to mezedes (appetizers), meat dishes, desserts, and pretty much every Cretan dish you can think of."
