Whether or not you believe it was Christopher Columbus who discovered America, there is one thing we can all agree on, the only thing fresh on the menu while at sea was likely caught off the side of the boat. The pantry necessary for Christopher Columbus’ journey had to feed a hungry crew for several weeks and endure extreme weather conditions.

Just for fun, we did a little research and figured a boat leaving the Spanish port of Palos de la Frontera in 1492 might be stocked with these delicious staples:

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Categories:	Holiday • Mediterranean • Spanish • Travel	2 Comments
Tags:	1942 • Christopher Columbus • Christopher Columbus food

My Aunt Dolores always makes this wonderful pasta salad for her barbecues and I’m adding it to my repertoire this summer as well. It doesn’t really have a name, so I’ll call it Mediterranean Pasta Salad, as it contains a lot of the yummy goodness from that region: Kalamata olives, Roma tomatoes, fresh basil, Balsamic vinegar… It’s slightly different each time, depending on what ingredients you happen to have around. The shape of the pasta can change too, though it’s best to use a variety that can “hold” the dressing otherwise it will dry out too quickly.

In this case, I happened to have some nice broccoli flourets on hand, some lovely ripe tomatoes, fresh tarragon, and a beautiful red onion. For the dressing, mix in a bit of aioli (mayonnaise can be used) to coat but not drench the noodles. This will give it a nice creaminess. Then add Balsamic vinegar, some sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, and mix well. Adjust to your personal tastes: if you want it creamier, add more aioli; richer, add more Balsamic. Toss in a bit of extra virgin olive oil before serving for added flavor.

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Categories:	Italian • Mediterranean • Salads • Sauces	Leave a Comment
Tags:	Italian • Mediterranean • pasta salad • salad • side dishes

Tabouleh salad always leads to licked clean plates in our house; basically if we want leftovers for another meal I have to hide some. The dish is typically made with bulgur as the staple grain, but we prefer a lighter version made with couscous instead. The other advantage of couscous is the quick cooking time: a couple of minutes in the microwave and a few minutes cooling and the dish is ready to compose.

Also spelled tabbouleh or tabouli, this Mediterranean salad is a vegetarian’s delight, and consists of a cooked grain tossed with olive oil, onion or green onion, mint, tomatoes, parsley, and lemon juice. Or add any other vegetable you have on hand. I had some orange and yellow peppers so added a few of those. Chopped vine leaves, garlic, and cucumber are often seen additions as well. I have been known to toss in a bit of basil, OK, a lot of basil, which is probably not kosher but is tasty. If it makes you feel better, lower the blinds first and/or call it “couscous salad” rather than tabouleh, so as not to offend the purists. I won’t even tell you about my version with feta cheese…

The proportions vary wildly with “store bought” tabouleh – we have purchased some that was 95% parsley, with a sprinkling of grain making a cameo appearance. We like a more balanced version with plenty of grain, but the choice is yours. Assemble the basic chopped ingredients and mix with the grain until you like the results, then drizzle in the olive oil and finally add lemon juice, salt & pepper to your taste. I was lucky enough to have Meyer lemons on hand which have a sunny robust flavor and less acidity than regular lemons, but any lemon will do. The salad is supposed to taste lemony!

Here’s a suggested starting point re how much of what to incorporate, but feel free to make it your own.

Ingredients:

2 cups couscous or bulgur, cooked and cooled
2-4 green onions, or one medium onion, chopped
3/4 cup chopped parsley, flat or curly
1/2- 1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes, seeded and peeled
1/2 cup chopped red, green or yellow sweet peppers – optional
4-5 T olive oil
3-5 T lemon or Meyer lemon juice

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Categories:	Cooking tips • Mediterranean • Pasta & Grains • Salads • Veggies	3 Comments
Tags:	bulgar • bulgur • caprese salad • grains • Mediterranean • salad • tabbouleh • tabouleh • tabouli

 

Photo: rfarmer

Members of the herring family, anchovies are tiny silver fish that are most frequently packed in olive oil and salt.  My love of this small fish began when I lived in Rome.  I simply could not stop eating anchovies on a simple pizza of tomato and mozzarella.   I have since expanded my use of anchovies, using them to add salt and depth to a variety of recipes.  Here are a few of my favorite uses of the anchovy – some are mine, some are dishes I admire, all are examples of the versatility of this flavor packed little beauty.

A.  Anchovy-Cauliflower Spread at Tom Douglas’ Seattle restaurant Lola.  No recipe here – but I highly recommend a visit if you’re in Seattle. 

B.  Added to tomato sauces – I add anchovy to many of my tomato sauces in place of salt.  I particularly like it when I am adding italian sausage to my sauce.  

C.  Pasta alla Vongole –  I like to add a little anchovy paste to the broth in place of salt.  Anchovy paste is often a mix of ground anchovies, vinegar, spices and water.  Its strong, salty flavor goes a long way, adding richness rather than fishyness.  

D.  Anchovy Butter – in a food processor blend 1 stick of softened unsalted butter with 2 tablespoons lemon, 3 anchovy fillets (or to taste), and 2-3 cloves of garlic.  Capers can also be added to this mixture for extra tartness.  This rich, salty butter is great on steaks and on hot toasts.  A little goes a long way.  There are many variations of this compound butter – experiment.  Enjoy.

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Categories:	Fish & Seafood • Italian • Latin • Mediterranean • Restaurants • Sauces • Uncategorized	3 Comments
Tags:	Anchovies • anchovy • fish • herring • salt

Opa!

I love spinach, but sometimes just sautéing it or making a salad can be boring and tiresome. We still want those nutrients though, don’t we? If you want to mix it up a bit and serve spinach in a different way, try making spanakopita triangles. I lived on these delicious little packets while island hopping in Greece years ago. Now whenever I make them I’m nostalgic for Santorini, Naxos, Paros…

I’ve adapted the following recipe and cut out the butter. I find that using olive oil spray is faster, easier and healthier.

Spanakopita

Olive oil spray
2 packages baby spinach
1 cup feta, crumbled
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Fresh ground pepper
6 phyllo sheets, thawed

In a skillet over moderate heat, wilt the spinach with a bit of water. Remove from heat and cool, about 10 minutes. Squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove as much liquid as possible, then coarsely chop. Transfer to a bowl and stir in feta, nutmeg, and pepper.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cover phyllo stack with plastic wrap and then a dampened kitchen towel.

Take 1 phyllo sheet from stack and arrange on a work surface with the longest side nearest you and lightly spray the surface with olive oil. Keep remaining phyllo sheets covered.

Put a heaping teaspoon of filling near one corner nearest you, then fold corner of phyllo over to enclose filling and form a triangle. Fold away from you towards the top edge. There will be about 1″ extra phyllo, simply fold that edge in to continue your triangular folding. Continue folding (like a flag), maintaining a triangle shape. Put triangle, seam side down, on a baking sheet sprayed with olive oil. Continue with remaining phyllo sheets, then lightly spray olive oil again on top.

Bake triangles in middle of oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool slightly.

Makes 6 triangles.

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Categories:	Baked Goods • Mediterranean • Veggies	8 Comments
Tags:	feta • Food • foodista • Greece • Greek • spanakopita • spinach

Croquettes, or in Spanish croquetas, are small, lightly breaded fritters that are deep fried. A common variety in Spain is the potato and ham croquette, or croquetas de patatas y jamon. Fluffy and smooth mashed potatoes mixed with small bits of ham make these a perfect appetizer, side dish, or your own at-home tapa. A delicious comfort food any time of year.

Potato Croquettes with Ham
Recipe adapted from 1080 Recipes

1 cup finely chopped Black Forest ham, prosciutto, or other dry cured ham
3 1/2 lbs red potatoes, unpeeled
2 eggs, separated
1 clove garlic
Sunflower oil, for deep-frying
Salt

Place potatoes in a large stock pot, fill with cold water, cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, then continue to cook for 20-30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Drain, peel, and mash the potatoes before they cool. Mix the diced ham with the mashed potatoes and beat in the egg yolk.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small skillet. Add the clove of garlic and cook until slightly browned. Remove from oil and, in a mortar or on a cutting board, mash with a pinch of salt to create a paste. Add the garlic paste to the potato mixture.

Whisk the egg whites and a pinch of salt in a bowl until they form soft peaks. Fold into the potato mixture.

With damp hands, shape the mixture into croquettes (cylinders or small patties). Heat the remaining oil in a deep-fryer or deep saucepan to 350-375 degrees. Add the croquettes in batches of about 6 and cook until golden brown.

Drain well and serve immediately. Delicious with garlic mayonnaise!

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Categories:	Cooking tips • Latin • Meat & Poultry • Mediterranean • Spanish • Veggies	6 Comments
Tags:	croquetas • croquettes • Food • foodista • ham • jamon • potato • Spanish • tapas

Irish girl here loves her potatoes, so whenever I go to a tapas restaurant I am sure to order a traditional Spanish tortilla. Other than its name, the Spanish tortilla has nothing in common with the Mexican corn or flour tortilla. It’s more like a thick potato-filled omelet. Layer upon tender layer of potato with fluffy egg to hold it all together. Slice it like pie and serve it plain, with a little dollop of aioli (garlic mayo), or with a bit of carmelized onions.

Put me in a dark corner of a tapas restaurant and I could eat the whole skillet-full myself.

Tortilla Española
Spanish Potato Omelet

2 1/4 cups sunflower oil
2 1/2 pounds potatoes, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
8 eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt

Serves 6

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the potato slices and cook until softened and lightly browned. Season with salt, remove from the skillet, and drain well.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and a pinch of salt for about 1 minute. Add the potatoes and gently sir with a fork.

Heat the olive oil in the same large skillet. Pour in the egg and potato mixture into the skillet and spread the potatoes out evenly. Cook until the underside is set and lightly brown. Occasionally give the skillet a gentle shake to move the tortilla around. Invert the tortilla onto a plate, then gently slide back into the skillet. Cook until the underside is also set and browned, also occasionally shaking the skillet.

Serve immediately.

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Categories:	Cooking tips • Latin • Mediterranean • Veggies	2 Comments
Tags:	egg • Food • foodista • omelet • potato • Spain • spanish omelet • tortilla

Have you ever gotten disapproving looks at parties for eagerly scooping up too much of the caviar? That’s never happened to me per se (I’m much too sneaky to get caught), but if you have then you will enjoy this scoop-worthy roe.

Tarama is cod or carp roe that is salted, dried and sometimes smoked. When combined with olive oil, lemon and soaked bread a classic Greek meze, often referred to as the “common man’s caviar,” is created: taramosalata. Creamy, lemony, and with just the right amount of that fishy-saltiness, taramosalata is good and cheap enough to make you unapologetically snarf it down like a hungry Greek fisherman.

And I do.

Taramosalata
Prep time: 10 minutes

• 3 1/2 ounces of cod or carp roe (plain or smoked)
• 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 slices of bread, crust removed
• juice of 2 lemons
• warm water

Run the bread under water, then squeeze dry. Put roe and bread in a food processor and blend (setting 2) until mixed. Add the olive oil and lemon juice slowly and pulse until creamy and thick. If it gets too thick use a bit of warm water to thin it out. Cover and place in the refrigerator until well chilled.

Personal experience note: unless you like the taste of a fish monger’s floor, then do not lick the tarama spoon <gag!>. Patiently wait until the recipe has been completed.

In a hurry? You can also find pre-made taramosalata in Mediterranean markets or on Amazon.com.

Thank you SunSirrah for your nice photo!

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Categories:	Fish & Seafood • Mediterranean • Salads • Travel	3 Comments
Tags:	appetizers • caviar • Food • foodista • Greek • Mediterranean • meze • recipe • recipes • roe • tarama • taramosalata