Ideas and input in mediterranean cuisine, please help?

Question

I'm researching Mediterranean cuisine, in hopes of devising my own makeshift, yet realistic menu for a freshman integrated project. I need support in researching, preferably top notch, recipies and dishes for Mediterranean cuisine. I need ideas and inputs for: main courses, vegetarian, meat, soups, appetizers, cheese, drinks and desserts.

My main focus is tradtional, and ancient Greek/Mediterranean recipies and food. I also plan to incorporate creative and contemporary recipies into my menu.

Answer 1

Since you are looking for ancient greek food i say. Grapes,figs,fish,foul,bread,olive oil, dates.

not many foods were vegetarian . not many sou[ps either. cheeese was mostly goat cheese with different types of herbs in it. drinks was mostly wine and water not much else. and not many deserts either.

hope this helps:)

Answer 2

The foods of ancient Greece were varied, with a concentration on vegetables, legumes, fruits, and fish - although meat was also eaten. Meats were roasted on spits, cooked in ovens, and boiled. Fish was often cooked with cheese. Wine was watered down and sometimes garlic was added. The technique to make the very thin phyllo dough had been discovered sometime around the 4th century B.C.E., so it's likely that sweets like baklava were also eaten - but no sugar! Honey was the traditional sweetener, as were figs and products made from naturally sweet grapes.

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Ancient Bean soup -  (Fasolada)

INGREDIENTS

    * 2 cups white beans

    * 1/2 liter water

    * 200 gr. lard

    * 3 onions finely chopped

    * 1/2 liter beef broth

    * 2 garlic cloves

    * 2 tablespoons olive oil

    * 1 tablespoon honey

    * 1/2 teaspoon coriander

    * 1 bunch parsley

    * 2 bay leafs

    * salt and pepper

METHOD

Soak the beans in water over night. Then boil them in a little water for 5 minutes. Take the pressure cooker off the heat and cover for 1 hour. Pour the beans and bay leaf into the beef broth and slowly boil for 2 hours. Sauti the onion in the lard and then add the parsley, the coriander, the salt and pepper. Add this to the beans. Add the honey and allow to boil slowly for a few more minutes. Before serving, add the garlic cloves that have been passed through a garlic press and mixed with the oil.

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Ancient Greek Fish with coriander

INGREDIENTS

    * 2 spoons of coriander seeds

    * 1 tea spoon salt

    * 2 steaks cod

    * Vinegar, made from white wine.

METHOD

Preheat the oven in 190 C. Place the coriander seeds in a baking pan and bake them for 10 minutes. Let them coo for some minutes. Mash them with a mortar together with the salt. Drain the fish steaks and remove any tiny bones you can find. Sift them with the coriander mixture and place them in a baking pan (baste the baking pan with oil). Cover the pan and place it in the oven. Bake the fish for 20 – 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with vinegar and serve hot.

Note: Do not forget to sprinkle with vinegar.

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Ancient Version of Baklava

INGREDIENTS:

    * For the dough: (you can use Filo dough)

    * 4 cups of all-purpose flour

    * 1 teaspoon of salt

    * 1/4 cup of olive oil

    * juice of 1 lemon

    * 3 1/2 ounces of toasted sesame seeds (a little over 2/3 cup), ground

    * -----------

    * For the filling:

    * 2/3 pounds of chopped hazelnuts, unsalted

    * 2/3 pounds of chopped almonds, unsalted

    * 2/3 pounds of chopped walnuts

    * 1/5 pound of sesame seeds

    * 1/5 pound of poppy seeds

    * 1 teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper

    * 3/4 cup of honey

    * ----------

    * For the syrup:

    * 2 cups of sugar

    * 1 cup of water

    * 3/4 cup of honey

PREPARATION:

Combine the dough ingredients and knead to form the dough. Roll out into 3 equal-sized sheets about 1/8 inch thick, large enough to cover a medium baking pan.

Combine all filling ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

Place one sheet of dough in the bottom of a lightly oiled baking pan.

Cover with half the filling. Add the second sheet of dough and the remaining filling. Place the third sheet of dough on top. Cut into squares and then diagonally to form trianges. Sprinkle with a little water and sesame seeds.

Bake on the rack just below the middle of the oven at 350°F (180°C) for about 30 minutes.

When the pastry is cool, combine all syrup ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Pour the hot syrup over the cooled pastry and let sit until syrup is absorbed (about 3-4 hours).

Good Luck!!!

Answer 3

I don't know about ancient Greek food it's not something you hear much about, but in the modern Greek cuisine there are a lot of great recipes such as mousaka, stifado and fasolada, various lentil soups etc

Answer 4

Since I love mediterranean dishes, I think I could input some of my idea's. I really enjoy having delish pasta's. I usually use seasoned chicken, cherry tomatos, cucumber, asparagus, onion, penne pasta, and I mix it all up with olive oil, and garlic. After I put it on the plate, I usually sprinkle shredded cheese!

:)

Answer 5

try foodnetwork.com