Middle East Feast

Middle Eastern food is something that (I think) is terribly underrated in the United States. While pretty much everyone's had pita chips and hummus, there's a myriad of other foods- tabbouli,  baba ganoush, tahini- that are still relatively unknown.

At Trader Joe's, I picked up a little pre-made snack pack called "A Mideast Feast". It contained two pieces of pita, three falafel, tabbouli, tahini, and hummus.

Before I go any further, let me give you some descriptions of my favorite Middle Eastern foods:

• Baba Ganoush: is kind of like hummus except made from eggplant instead of chickpeas. The eggplants are mashed with olive oil and seasoned with salt, garlic, and tahini. It can contain other spices (like chile powder or parsley) but it depends on where you buy it (or how you make it!).
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• Falafel: are deep-fried balls of ground chickpeas, often spiced with garlic, onions, parsley, hot peppers, and cumin.
  
  
  
• Tahini: is a ground sesame paste that is often used in hummus or baba ganoush. However it tastes great on its own!
  
  
  
• Tabbouli: is a kind of salad made from couscous and freshly chopped herbs. It is traditionally made with bulgur (which is like couscous made from durum wheat), but many store-bought tabboulis are made with couscous. Chopped parsley and tomatoes are found in almost all tabbouli varieties, but it also can contain garlic, lemon, onion, and mint. 
  
  
  
• Turkish Coffee: refers to a method of preparing coffee. Coffee beans are ground extremely finely- even finer than espresso. The grounds are then boiled (often with sugar), and then served in a cup without being filtered. Beware- this coffee is not for the faint of heart. Turkish coffee is traditionally served black; and because the coffee beans are ground finer than espresso, the finished result is an extremely strong cup of coffee.
  

All of these foods are delicious on their own, but I made two power combos with my Mideast Feast that I would definitely recommend trying:

1. Tabbouli-stuffed Pita dipped in Hummus
   
2. Falafel dipped in Tahini
   

A lot of people like to put falafel in their pita pockets and eat them like that. Personally, I like the way falafel tastes on its own, especially dipped in Tahini.

The problem with Middle Eastern food is that it's hard to find pre-made (other than hummus). However, Whole Foods has delicious falafel in their food court. I also tried baba ganoush at a Whole Foods in California and it was addicting. 

However, most of these foods are really easy to make. Couscous, chickpeas, herbs, and vegetables are easy to find at any grocery store. The other day I made a delicious tabbouli with Israeli couscous (a larger-grained variety), and it only took about 20 minutes to make. 

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The thing I love about food is that it connects people. In America, there are definitely some negative stereotypes about the Middle East. But the great thing about food is that it allows you to experience another culture no matter where you are. Learning about other cultures does not only expand your worldview, but it's also delicious!

Happy Eating!

Olive Oil

While my boyfriend is in Florence (the capitol of Tuscany), I thought I'd do some research on the local cuisine there so I can make authentic Florentine dishes when he gets back.

Inevitably, I came across olive oil in my search. Olive oil is a ubiquitous ingredient in Italian cooking, with different olive cultivars specific to different regions. Personally, I love olive oil. I will be the first one to admit that I am an absolute olive oil snob- I would rather spend $20 on a bottle of high quality EVOO than buy what Bertolli attempts to pass off as "olive oil".

But what does "Extra Virgin" Olive Oil mean? The term "extra virgin" refers to the processed used to make the olive oil. In other places around the world, the IOC (International Olive Council) creates and enforces the standard of "extra virgin". However, there is no such body in the US to regulate the production of Olive Oil. When you see "extra virgin" on your bottle of olive oil, you can only hope that the producer has used fresh olives, pressed the olives at the right temperature, and has not added any additives or other oils.

The only real way to tell if an olive oil is good or not is to taste it. This is why I like to buy olive oil at places where you can taste it before you buy it. My favorite olive oil store in the world is called Gustare- an olive oil and balsamic vinegar merchandiser located in Chatham, Cape Cod. Not only do they sell olive oils from various regions around the world, they sell delicious infused oils- such as Tuscan Herbs, Chipotle, and Porcini mushroom olive oils.

Stores where you can taste olive oil before you buy are popping up everywhere- I'd definitely recommend checking one out. In the meantime, if you want to buy a good olive oil, I would recommend the following retailers:

• Whole Foods
• Trader Joe's
• Williams-Sonoma
• Dean & DeLuca

Also, here are some brands I recommend trying out:

• Colavita
• California Olive Ranch
• Nuñez de Prado Extra Virgin
• Trader Joe's California Estate