
An Introduction To Mediterranean Cuisine For The Epicures
- Mediterranean Cuisines
- chef, chef marc navailles, des moines, greek, iowa, marc navailles des moines, master chef blog, Mediterranean chef, mediterranean cuisines, usa
- January 17, 2022
If you are someone who loves exploring new cuisines, you will definitely find Mediterranean cuisine palate-worthy.
What are some of the dishes that come to mind when you think of Mediterranean delicacies? Moussaka or pita bread, the popular Greek dishes? Or baba ghanoush, hummus, or tabbouleh? You must have relished one of these dishes.
Some basic ingredients used in Mediterranean cuisines are bread, olive oil, dried spices, and wine, and each lends that exotic flavor to the dishes. If you are craving a hearty Mediterranean meal, how about having the Mediterranean buffet for one of your dinner parties during the upcoming holiday season?
Marc Navailles is a renowned Mediterranean cuisine personal chef in the Des Moines area. You can check out his Greek and Spanish menus.
But first, let’s explore a few mouthwatering dishes from the Mediterranean basin!
1. Domates Yemistes – Greek
Domates Yemistes is a common Greek delicacy. It is basically stuffed vegetables. Baked red tomatoes are filled with herb-seasoned stuffing. If you want a vegetarian delight, zucchini is a great stuffing choice. For meat lovers, ground beef or lamb will make a palatable filling.
2. Gyro – Greek
A popular Greek dish in the United States, the gyro is an appetizing meat dish, prepared with meat cooked on a rotisserie spit (vertical). Do taste chicken and pork gyro when you vacation in Greece.
3. Menemen – Turkish
It is an egg-based dish cooked with tomatoes, green peppers, and ground pepper. Often, a blend of fresh herbs is also added to elevate the taste.
Menemen is a common breakfast dish in Turkey and is served alongside bread.
4. Baklava – Turkey and Greece
Baklava is a delectable Mediterranean dessert said to have origins in Turkey during the Ottoman Empire. The dish was then modified in Greece.
The dessert contains a hearty filling of walnuts, pistachios, and sometimes almonds in phyllo dough with honey. In some variants, fresh cream or milk replaces honey.
A Mediterranean buffet is incomplete without the palatable confection.
5. Meze with Dips – Syria
When relishing Syrian cuisine, you start with meze, which translates to appetizers. It typically includes bread served with dips or spreads, like hummus and baba ghanoush.
Hummus is a preparation of ground chickpeas, fresh lemon, and tahini. Tahini is a Middle Eastern condiment that brings out the unique hummus flavor.
Baba ghanoush has a mashed eggplant base with lemon juice, olive oil, and a variety of seasonings.
Ready For Treating Your Taste Buds To Mediterranean Cuisine?
Whether it is a holiday party or just another weekend gathering of friends and family, if you want to enjoy delectable Mediterranean dishes, hire a Mediterranean cuisine personal chef in the Des Moines area.
You can contact Chef Marc Navailles at 786-368-7988 to check his availability.