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Making Waves with Mediterranean Cuisine
Mediterranean cuisine embraces the ingredients of the 15 countries that hug the Mediterranean Sea. Tapping into this cuisine is a beautiful thing because you’re not tied to one country’s specific tradition or methodology. Instead, you can pick and choose from the bounty of fresh flavors from sun-splashed locales like Italy, Morocco, Greece, Spain, France and Turkey.
Mediterranean cooking favors simple flavor combinations and fresh ingredients. It also eschews large portions, preferring to showcase its riches through meze, or small plates.
Perhaps the best way to infuse your menu with the Mediterranean is to approach the food from an ingredient perspective. Here are a few favorites:
- Grains such as couscous, rice and pasta
- Fresh and dried fruits such as dates and apricots
- Nuts such as almonds
- Grilled lean meats and fish – perhaps paired with grilled eggplant and zucchini
- Heart-healthy olive oil – the main fat in Mediterranean cooking
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Inspiration
Our team of chefs has drawn inspiration from the ingredients of the Mediterranean. Their recipes, which are featured in this issue, reflect the bounty of fresh and delicious flavors – while making the cuisine work for your operation.
“Drawing ideas and flavors from the Mediterranean is an easy way to cook healthy food because of the freshness,” says Aliza Katz, a corporate chef from the Kraft Culinary Centre. “People today are much savvier about ethnic cuisine, and the Mediterranean gives you so many options on ingredients.”
Chef Jeff Basalik, executive corporate chef from the Kraft Culinary Centre, agrees. “It’s exciting to work with these fresh, healthy ingredients to create delicious food that works in so many different styles of operation,” he says. “The key is to pick and choose from this region, incorporating ingredients and taking the idea from the Mediterranean that simplicity is best.”
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Behind the recipes
With the Mediterranean Spanakopita recipe, our Kraft chefs have taken the popular savory Greek pie and given it a modern, approachable twist. Traditional spinach is replaced with arugula. Toasted almonds, dried dates and orange zest are also added. It’s also much creamier than traditional spanakopita because Philadelphia Cream Cheese is used instead of the usual feta. It gives the dish a decadent, well-rounded flavor.
To add a communal element that reflects the meze feel, a dipping sauce of Kraft Signature Sundried Tomato & Oregano Dressing accompanies it.
The sweet side of the menu perks up with a bit of Mediterranean infusion, too. Our Date-and-Honey Cheesecake reflects the region’s love of citrus, adding a beautiful orange-marmalade glaze to the finished dessert.
Our Kraft chefs also twist the Mediterranean concept of antipasti into a delicious Antipasti Roulade, which layers cured meats with arugula and Kraft Bistro Sauce, all housed in flaky puff pastry. “It’s our take on the traditional pairing of charcuterie with Dijon. The Bistro Sauce adds a lot of flavor and tang,” says Katz.
And, our Mediterranean interpretation of popular rice pudding yields the Creamy Fruit-and-Nut Couscous. Sweet Israeli couscous is used, which provides a silky texture similar to tapioca. The creaminess comes from the milk and Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
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