Active Seasonings – The Flavor Of Life

The active seasonings enhance the flavors. They are undoubtedly connected to herbs and spices, but they taste quite separately from them. They are appreciated by many cooks and chefs not only for their distinctive flavor and aroma, but also for their ability to enhance foods’ color and flavor.

Many of us are familiar with the use of herbs and spices to color and flavor foods. We may have come across curry powder or paprika in our spice rack and used them in various foods. However, did you know that herbs and spices were originally very different from each other? The differences can be traced back to the early days of Europe when the Roman Empire was founded.

Unlike its neighboring lands, Italy was an autocratic state and wholesale unlike the rest of its neighbors the Mediterranean area was entirely under the control of the Roman Empire. differ from their neighbors on a number of counts. The most prominent difference was the political status of the two continents. Italy was a partially self-governing regional union and enjoyed limited self-government except for certain regions administered by the emperor. For this reason, the curries and the foods prepared were very much influenced by the political atmosphere rather than the cultural mores of the two regions.

The other difference between the two versions is that Italy featured more spices and herbs than any of its neighbors. This included not only basil and individual spices, but also oregano, ginger, coriander, mace, rosemary, and thyme. These spices and herbs, which are now known as Italian seasonings, not onlycovered all of the Italian recipes, but also spilled over to the neighboring regions which added to the already extensive Italian influence on the new world.

The Mediterranean kitchen combine with the trends on the international scene, which is growing more and more international, giving birth to new cuisines on a regular basis. Moroccan food, Greek food, Turkish foods, bidahmed food, and even African foods aredominated by this ancient cuisines combined with the newer innovations on spices and herbs, which continue to be the most important component of Greek and Turkish foods, as well as the African ones.

The appearance of Greek food has continued to change, becoming more and more international, as it becomes more widely understood andExplored. Not only has it been influenced by the nations across the width and thousands of miles, but it has also been influenced by the newer ingredients and cooking techniques, which are forming the base of the Mediterranean diet.

Today, Greek cuisine is still growing, as it is always changing, and there are invitations from more and more countries, paying visit to Greece not only for the beauty of the past but for the quality and the freshness of the food. Greek menus include mosttradition and contemporary cooking techniques, traditional Greek flavors, and a lot of fun! You will savor the best of Greece, at its best!

The challenge of course is to balance all these traditional and contemporary influences, in order to create a modern standardized diet, that will suit the specific conditions of each region. In each area they have local specialties, traditional Greek foods, and influences from other regions.

One morning I went to lunch with a Greek family instrumentskape. It might be the only time I ever visited their country…

The adults in the family were all potbellied with long hair. They sat on an old, battered, old fashioned style cart. The only decoration on the cart was a large washed-out picnic basket, already filled with corn-based relish, cheese and baby vegetables, and topped with half an apple.

The waiting staff brought two large water glasses of water. The family ate together, didn’t speak with each other. I was finally introduced to this culture through the eyes of the adults.

It was like I was in France, or Italy, or Spain. The food was the same, the food was different, but the hospitality was familiar. The kids were excited to try anything that was offered. In Greece, getting to the grocery store is almost an experience. You gauge your budget, figure out what’s needed, shop, and then make a decision. à la carte is usually cheapest, and best to order½ kilos of garlic cheeseor a chicken dish. Everything else is usually per person.

The biggest hurdle for most international families is figuring out how to cook for themselves and not have food poisoning.

First of all, you have to learn how to cook. About 5 years ago our church put in a waist-down dinner. That was not unusual, everyone seemed to be there. Theware was basic, and the colors were bright. There were only seven of us, and I was one of only seven paying five dollars for dinner. I gave up my prepared dinner and asked what I could get. Everyone looked at me like I was insane.