Like in every other type of cooking in the cuisine of the Mediterranean, people really utilize Mediterranean seasoning. Evidently, the food of the areas surrounding the Mediterranean sea is the Mediterranean cuisine. The fact is that the Mediterranean cuisine contains foods from varied cultures. Given the geography of the Mediterranean, these nation-states have influenced each other in time and the cooking process evolved into sharing common rules. Mediterranean cuisine is characterized by flexibility, a wide range of ingredients and numerous regional variations. The area has tended to favor the rearing of goats and sheep.

Although currently much of the fish is shipped from the outside since the fisheries of the Mediterranean sea are no longer what they used to be, fish dishes are still very popular. In many of the standard Mediterranean dish recipes, seafood is still regular. It is quite clear that certain sorts of fruits and meats or vegetables, which is the case in Mediterranean cuisine, ask for specific and typical seasoning, and in this case Mediterranean seasoning. Mediterranean foods and dishes include barbecue or grilled meats, pita bread, hummus and falafel which normally ask for special seasonings which are to be found in the area of Mediterranean seasoning obviously.

Talking of Mediterranean seasoning you must know though not necessarily a flavorer, that olive oi is made in the Mediterranean countries like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Portugal and Spain among others. An outstanding ingredient in Mediterranean seasoning is represented by garlic, which is used a lot throughout Mediterranean cuisine. Both the olive oil and the garlic applied in Mediterranean seasoning and cuisine in general, add to the peculiar taste of food. Besides, it is unanimously believed that the ingredients in this kind of cooking and in Mediterranean seasoning, and we have in mind particularly the olive oil, are a major contributor to the longevity and good health state of the Mediterranean people.

In case you are interested in making Mediterranean dishes, you will surely need Mediterranean seasoning for them, or you will not get sure Mediterranean food. You can merely buy different products which are labeled Mediterranean seasoning, from the stores across the country. All the same, my advice is for you to try to make your own Mediterranean seasoning as it is not trying at all.

You only need the right ingredients and a true Mediterranean seasoning recipe in order to attain a good Mediterranean seasoning. I call this combo Mediterranean seasoning. How much you utilize does not matter, all you require to do is to combine the ingredients in the following proportions in a bowl, whisk, and then pour into a shaker. Put it in a container and place it in the fridge, and there it is when you want to utilize it for a quick dusting on grilled meat or for a marinade: 1 part coriander, one part cinnamon, 1 part cumin, one part dried mint, and one part Italian seasoning or oregano. Besides, add 1 part onion powder and 1 part garlic powder.

Tags : Cooking

Are you a bizarre sandwich lover? Even though you might not make them or eat them, you can still be a sandwich lover and it’s nice to know that there are people like us, who simply love sandwiches.

Let’s take for example the “St. Paul”, ever heard of it? It is usually found in St. Louis, Missouri in certain old time Chinese restaurants. It is a egg foo young, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and sometimes a slice of American cheese all on white bread. How about the “chow mein sandwich” a common menu option in Southern Massachusetts on Route 195. Other bizzare sandwiches include the peanut butter and onion sandwich, the peanut butter and pickle sandwich, the peanut butter, jelly and crushed potato chips sandwich and many more. There are no shortages of bizarre sandwiches out there!

Adding to the long sandwich list is the “Avraham Karadi” Sandwich. This sandwich is also called the “Avi Karadi” in some areas. It appears that this sandwich was someone’s idea of a faux gourmet item. I say this because it involves a bit of work in only gathering the ingredients, then ther is preparing them. While I cannot imagine enjoying the sandwich after the resulting mix of flavors, I am sure there are those that love it. In fact I have heard some talk about it being pretty popular in certain areas. Anyway here is the list of ingredients, so you can judge for yourself:

Passum, an ancient Roman sweet wine sauce, made by boiling the must (that is, newly-pressed whole fruits, including seeds, stems, and even leaves) and then adding honey to further thicken it.

Garum, a salty fish sauce from ancient Rome, approximated today by combining passum, oregano and fish paste.

An ancient Roman standby, Pine nut sauce, is made by mixing in vinegar, honey and pine nuts as well as a bit of pepper and lovage.

To finish it off, add spinach, onions, lettuce, and tomatoes as desired. Rye bread would be the usual choice, but black Russian bread comes in at a distant second. As found in egg salad, “Egg Paste” is sometimes also added. Now the meat, Roast Beef or Pastrami are some of the favored meats to use. Of course, as will all recipes, there are some variations but they all appear to stick to these main ingredients. Oddly, I was unable to find where the sandwiches nickname “Avraham Karadi” or “Avi Karadi” had come from.

Step One:  The Passum: Reducing it to one-tenth its volume, start by cooking the grape juice. Feel free to add honey to taste.

Step Two:  Making the Garum: Take the Passum and add two tablespoons of fish paste and a pinch of oregano.

Step Three:  Making the pine nut sauce. You will need to soak the pine nuts for three hours in vinegar. Once completed you then want to blend it with honey and a few dashes of lovage and pepper.

Step Four:  Building the sandwich. Spread egg paste on your rye bread (or your black Russian bread if that was your choice). Now add on the meat (Pastrami or Roast Beef) and add vegetables. Pour on the Passum, Garum, and Pine Nut Sauce as desired.

There you go, an “Avraham Karadi” A.K.A. the “Avi Karadi” sandwich.

Tags : Recipes

A well-seasoned and cured cooking pan will ensure cooking is more fun, faster to clean, and it will craft tastier food. Nothing is more frustrating than cooking a delicious meal only to have it stick to the cooking pan. There is a saying in the cooking business; Hot Pan, Cold Oil.

What this is telling you is never to put oil into a cold pan and then heat it. You should heat up the pan, then add your oil, and immediately place your food into the pan. If you follow this order you can be sure you will experience far less sticking. If you have seasoned your pan before cooking with it the results are far superior.

Stainless Steel Cooking Pans – Unfortunately stainless steel is unable to be seasoned since the metal is too hard. Personally I do not know of any restaurants that are using stainless steel pans for this reason. Stainless steel is excellent for storing food since your food will not taste like the metal, however they are terrible for cooking. My advice would be to avoid stainless steel cooking pans.

Aluminum – Make sure that first you wash the cooking pan with soap and water using a sponge or cloth. Rinse and dry your cooking pan thoroughly. Heat up the cooking pan until its hot to the touch then add two ounces of oil to the cooking pan. Swirl the cooking pan so that the oil coats every place on the cooking pan. Let the cooking pan cool off. Then remove the oil and repeat the process once more. After this point, you should never use soap to clean it again. When you need to wash it, use warm water and a dry paper towel. If you find that some food does stick that is fine, it will ad some extra flavor to your next dish.

By making the effort to season your cooking pans, you will experience a much more amazing cooking results, and increase the life of your investment. I would spend a bit more money and buy good quality cooking pans then take care of them, in the long run you will be significantly happier.

Tags : Cooking

With the summer finally here for another year (at least by here, I mean where I am), it is usually the time where you can go outside and experience the smells and sights of barbecuing. Nothing is better than enjoying a nice barbeque with friends and family.

Barbecuing can be a bit tricky at first but with some practice and a bit of knowledge, you will soon become quite a barbecue chef.

The first and probably the most important thing has to be to remember to keep everything as clean as possible. Keeping things like your BBQ tools, grill and everything else clean will not only keep you from getting sick, but will also make sure nothing affects the taste of your food.

Cross contamination is also a factor. Make sure to never let raw meat touch anything else that may stay raw when you eat it. This includes any utensils that may touch the raw meat and then come in contact with something like salad or raw veggies. This is the number one way to get sick.

When choosing barbecues, it is basically just a matter of preference. Gas or propane are a bit more convenient since you do not have to wait for charcoal to heat up before using it. However, I find that charcoal has a bit better taste from the burning coal. Both types can be found in just about any hardware or department store.

So these are just a few things to remember in the summer time with barbeque season. Invite a few friends or your entire family for fun in the sun and an enjoyable meal on the barbeque. And remember, even in the winter, you can get some good barbecuing going as well — just have to dress a heck of a lot warmer!

Tags : Cooking

Pasta is one of your finest choices for a fast and uncomplicated mealtime. The pasta simply has to be placed in boiling water and can be ready in under 15 minutes. And at the same time as the pasta is cooking you can prepare your preferred sauce. Whether you prefer a tomato based sauce, pesto or a creamy topping, you will be done in an instant. Here are several guidelines for a quick and easy pasta meal.

Don’t add the pasta to the water before it reaches a full boil. This will help prevent the noodles from getting limp and sticky. In addition, keep the water at a boil at all times. You can help the pasta remain firmer if you put in some salt to the water. Note that you should not cover the pot after you add the pasta. You will need to test every so often to see if the noodles are done. Pasta cooks quite rapidly and leaving it too long can give rise to mushy noodles. When the pasta is done, remove it from the water as soon as possible. It is going to continue to cook if you leave it there.

With that, half of your work is finished. The other half is preparing the sauce. The great feature about pasta is that there are countless choices for adding to it. If you’re a pasta lover then having a few types of sauces stored up in your pantry is the perfect route to go.

Pesto makes a quick and easy sauce. Add some garlic, mushrooms or perhaps a bit of Italian sausage, top it with a handful of grated cheese, and you have a yummy meal in a flash. Bottled or canned sun-dried tomatoes also go well with pasta and let you take pleasure in tomato based pasta without the conventional topping. Cover with shredded parmesan and accompany it with some garlic bread for a nourishing repast. If you feel like a creamy sauce, simply mix some cream, oregano and sliced black olives. Top it with a handful of grated parmesan cheese. It’s a simple sauce but quite tasty.

Olive oil is also ideal with pasta and can be rather simple to make use of as well. Try combining olive oil with some sliced sausage or canned seafood. You can throw in some basil for flavor and don’t forget the grated cheese. If you want to be daring, try including some highly spiced meat such as pepperoni.

With pasta, you’ll have a meal served in a flash. In a span of 15 to 20 minutes you can make a filling dinner of pasta blanketed with a selection of tasty toppings. With all the possible variations, it’s a fast and easy cooking meal that you won’t ever get tired of.

Tags : Cooking