So before I begin, I'd like to set the record straight, this is not some steamy, romantic, erotic adventure through the Mediterranean I may or may not have had; but then again, maybe it could be.. just not the type you may be thinking of. No my friends, my Mediterranean love affair began at birth, from the minute I was pulled out of the womb and my mother cradeled in me in her arms.
Growing up in a Greek household, I experienced tastes, smells and sites that my American school friends never heard of, let alone ate. At a young age I remember watching my mother in the kitchen, cooking up traditional Greek meals for the family, simple meals like okra with tomatoes and onions in the oven, or string beans and potatoes on the stove top, or even a traditional pastichio (what I refer to as Greek lasagna). Till this day, as we all probably do, I compare other people's cooking abilities to my mothers... yup, as you imagined... no one can come close to her! OK, maybe the woman who taught her, my grandmother, but no one else. My fondest memory was watching my father take a whiting, wrap it in a newspaper and set it on fire to give the fish a smoked flavor. After which, he pulled the whiting apart, drizzled it with extra virgin olive oil (yes, we were eating EVOO before it became a mainstream item in the supermarkets) and lemon juice. It was amazing! What 6,7,8 year old child can say that they have eaten sweetbreads or other innards of a lamb and loved it?!?
It was my Greek heritage that opened the door for me to where later on in life, I could begin to branch out beyond that of our cusine. Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Lebanese; you name it, I've tried it, the list goes on and on. And while all cusines are beautiful and tasteful, in their own right, for me, none can hold up to that of the Mediterranean. In an episode of No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain refered to the food he sampled in Crete as being "the story of invasion, occupation and deprivation that resulted in some really good stuff". You hit the nail on the head Mr. Bourdain but let's go beyond that and say it holds true for ALL of the Meditterranean. It is a cusine that ranges in difficulty and complexity yet at times simple, explosive and mouthwatering. This my friends, is My Meditterranean Love Affair!!!!
Now you may be asking yourself, what the hell is this guy rambling on about? What is his point? Well, I'm getting to that as we speak.....
My second love affair is that of cooking. I grew up in the kitchen... both at home and in the family restaurant (yeah I know, Greek/diner jokes about to be hurled my way). In the kitchen is where I feel my best, my safest, my best moments of feeling at peace and one with the universe. "ok, but where are you going with this Dino?", you may be asking yourself.... it get's better guys, be patient..... I also have this extraordinary cookbook in my library with over 300 recipes from the Meditteranean.... (I think I just sensed dozens of eyeballs rolling).... and yes, after seeing "Julie & Julia" over a dozen times..... (you guys still reading or have you moved on to the next blog?) ..... so, as I was saying, after seeing "Julie & Julia" over a dozen times, I decided that I'll follow suit and like Julie Powell, who cooked her way through Julia Child's cookbook, I am going to cook my way through the Mediterranean.
So let the adventure begin.....
Growing up in a Greek household, I experienced tastes, smells and sites that my American school friends never heard of, let alone ate. At a young age I remember watching my mother in the kitchen, cooking up traditional Greek meals for the family, simple meals like okra with tomatoes and onions in the oven, or string beans and potatoes on the stove top, or even a traditional pastichio (what I refer to as Greek lasagna). Till this day, as we all probably do, I compare other people's cooking abilities to my mothers... yup, as you imagined... no one can come close to her! OK, maybe the woman who taught her, my grandmother, but no one else. My fondest memory was watching my father take a whiting, wrap it in a newspaper and set it on fire to give the fish a smoked flavor. After which, he pulled the whiting apart, drizzled it with extra virgin olive oil (yes, we were eating EVOO before it became a mainstream item in the supermarkets) and lemon juice. It was amazing! What 6,7,8 year old child can say that they have eaten sweetbreads or other innards of a lamb and loved it?!?
It was my Greek heritage that opened the door for me to where later on in life, I could begin to branch out beyond that of our cusine. Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Lebanese; you name it, I've tried it, the list goes on and on. And while all cusines are beautiful and tasteful, in their own right, for me, none can hold up to that of the Mediterranean. In an episode of No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain refered to the food he sampled in Crete as being "the story of invasion, occupation and deprivation that resulted in some really good stuff". You hit the nail on the head Mr. Bourdain but let's go beyond that and say it holds true for ALL of the Meditterranean. It is a cusine that ranges in difficulty and complexity yet at times simple, explosive and mouthwatering. This my friends, is My Meditterranean Love Affair!!!!
Now you may be asking yourself, what the hell is this guy rambling on about? What is his point? Well, I'm getting to that as we speak.....
My second love affair is that of cooking. I grew up in the kitchen... both at home and in the family restaurant (yeah I know, Greek/diner jokes about to be hurled my way). In the kitchen is where I feel my best, my safest, my best moments of feeling at peace and one with the universe. "ok, but where are you going with this Dino?", you may be asking yourself.... it get's better guys, be patient..... I also have this extraordinary cookbook in my library with over 300 recipes from the Meditteranean.... (I think I just sensed dozens of eyeballs rolling).... and yes, after seeing "Julie & Julia" over a dozen times..... (you guys still reading or have you moved on to the next blog?) ..... so, as I was saying, after seeing "Julie & Julia" over a dozen times, I decided that I'll follow suit and like Julie Powell, who cooked her way through Julia Child's cookbook, I am going to cook my way through the Mediterranean.
So let the adventure begin.....
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