it's not all pasta and pizza....!

http://www.mediterrasian.com/cuisine_of_month_italian.htm
The link above will help you to find out not only about Italian food or Mediterranean food, but Asian food as well! It's called 'the Med Diat' and is well known for the fact that people who live in these areas tend to live longer, due to what they eat.
Although very similar to French or Greek diats, the extensive use of olive oil is a determining factor....of course the price is a deterrent for many in the Northern countries.  In fact, olives in general are used frequently in Italian, Greek and French cookery as oil, in sauces, as 'nibbles' amongst other preparations, they are prepared in hundreds of versions, some slightly 'bitter', others not. Their efficacity against cholesterine is well known. 'Olives a la Grecque'are almost always immersed in oil, and are the ripened fruit (black)....In fact, olives can be green, rose or black, depending on the ripeness of the fruit.
They are sold stuffed with red peppers, anchovy filets or natural and other things! Almost an obligation for apéros....!
They are sliced, served whole on top of pizzas and many other dishes, and an olive tree can take many years before producing, but can and often does live hundreds of years...!there are olive trees still alive and producing olives which were planted before Jesus was born!
The olive is probably the star of the Italian cookery together with the tomatoe!
There are so many fruits and vegetables in Italian food that I would recommend using the link above!
 Once again, for almost all cookery, the simpler you keep it, the more natural - the better! So long as the ingredients are the real thing, there can't be better.....
I'm not even going into this product-there are so many- try the link!
http://www.authentic-italian-pasta-recipes.com/italian-pasta-shapes.html

  They are delicious, but I found personally, in Italy, that the bread suffered because it wasn't as good as the pasta!They make lots  of types, but coming (as I did) from France, I guess I was spoilt. Since then, I have discovered this variety  which is very nice, and now available in France as well.
 I'm sure all of you know what this is, so - I'm not going into this subject either, except to say that without doubt there are more pizzas eaten outside of Italy than inside!
There have been suggestions that the word came from (or went to) 'pie', but an open form!

Could be, but in the USA there should be drug clinics for those poor people who eat literally only these or McDo or Hotdogs.....in certain areas it is a definate illness!
They come in various shapes, sizes and with just about anything on top! Thick and thin, shallow or deep.....always (or nearly) with the usual tomatoe sauce.
Even France is becoming affected....!
Mon Dieu.....!
Thank goodness the fish is still available, normally very fresh and so tasty - prepared as it should be!  So is the 'charcuterie'and cheese....
just as in Spain and France.
The meat is enjoyable, even if the 'escalopes' are rather thin, unlike this.  Grilled and served with a wine reduction, the pan being rinsed with the wine (a wine like marsala or madeira is ideal) and poured over the meat. There are many similar dishes in Italy
This is an American site, I have no idea how they ate what they did!
http://www.thepurpledoll.net/2013/02/napa-restaurant-bar-american-italian-dining.html
Meanwhile - back in Italy, and for much less, we have a choice of many excellent wines, from Champagne 'similar' to Dessert wines, all excellent.
My own favourite is the 'Soave Classico'or the 'Valpolicello'..dry white wines, very much chilled!
Once agai, as in my articles about Spain or France, this is only scratching the surface, but they make me hungry so I have to go to table....

Italian cuisine #3 (Photo credit: Edward Dalmulder)

Bonne Appétit!

Related articles

• Long overdue post for foodies: Zoe Pasta & Pizza (Kaohsiung, Taiwan)(mashanesenic.wordpress.com)

  ---

• Rome(felixandanna.wordpress.com)

  ---

small and strong........start and end!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digestif
It is not my intention to turn your head to things alcoholical, but.....starting a meal without an aperitif is, for me, not nice!
I'm not talking about the things many people like, 'French' or Greek or Italian, made mainly from anis (which I hate) and tasting horrible, but rather of those special, subtle concoctions made basically from wine and herbs. From this .........(with Crème de Cassis called 'A Kir'.....  to these...   generally classed as 'vermouths' Personally, I find the 'vermouths natural' to be the best, although the famous 'Gin and Tonic' is nice too.

The French have a bad habit of taking not one 'apero' but up to 5 or 6, and Pastis kills the taste buds. Strange - they prepare and offer wonderful food you can't taste because your mouth is frozen or numbed from the pastis!

Bottle of pastis with two filled glasses. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Wikipaedia tells us..... 'An apéritif is an alcoholic beverage usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite, and is therefore usually dry rather than sweet. Common choices for an apéritif are vermouth; champagne; pastis; gin; rakı;fino, amontillado or other styles of dry sherry (but not usually cream sherry, which is very sweet and rich); and any still, dry, light white wine.'
Never mind, the French often think otherwise!

Digestifs

That was the start, now we come to the end....! 

Many centuries ago, when coolers were not available, our ancestors were not dumb! 
They realised that strong alcohol (and vinegar as well as smoking etc) could arrange most 'digestive' problems, either by putting it in with the product or simply drinking it AFTER eating the product! 
I personally have been forced to stop taking these delicious things, except if and when I feel a slight 'queasiness' after eating something, normally if I've been out somewhere! 
A simple 'slug/shot' direct from the bottle does the job. 
An hour or so later - all is 'paletti'....!

I learnt, in Germany, so many stories of little old ladies who drank, every evening, before going to bed, their 'keep me safe tonight' stuff.......
http://make-a-drink.info/what-to-make-from-j----germeister 
I detested them, they belong to the 'bitters' group, are very strong in alcohol, which explained why the old ladies slept so well!
Again - you still have your wine to choose for the meal, and all that can make a lot of alcohol, so watch out!
And....again, Wikipaedia tells us.....

Digestifs[edit]

A digestif is an alcoholic beverage served after a meal, in theory to aid digestion. When served after a coffee course, it may be called pousse-café. Digestifs are usually taken straight. Common kinds of digestif include:

• Brandy (Cognac, Armagnac, alambric)
  • Eaux de vie (fruit brandies, Schnapps, Calvados)
  • Pomace brandy (grappa)
• Fortified wines (sherry (usually cream sherry), vermouth, port, and madeira)
• Liqueurs bitter or sweet (drambuie, amari, herbal liqueur, chartreuse, Grand Marnier, Irish Mist,Kahlua, limoncello)
• Distilled liquors (ouzo, tequila, whisky or akvavit)
• Liquor cocktails (Black Russian, Rusty Nail, etc.)

In certain areas it is not uncommon for a digestif to be taken before a main course. One example is thetrou normand, a glass of Calvados taken before the main course of a meal.

Bitter digestifs typically contain carminative herbs, which are thought to aid digestion.^[3]

In many countries, people drink alcoholic beverages at lunch and dinner. Studies have found that when food is eaten before drinking alcohol, alcohol absorption is reduced^[4] and the rate at which alcohol is eliminated from the blood is increased. The mechanism for the faster alcohol elimination appears to be unrelated to the type of food. The likely mechanism is food-induced increases in alcohol-metabolizing enzymes and liver blood flow.^[4]

Choose your menus and your drinks and the guests will definately come back......!

Bonne Appétit   

Related articles

• Dry Vermouths- a Survey(canberramartini.com)

  ---

• Making Sense of Sherry(mensjournal.com)

  ---

• Italian Aperitivi and Digestivi Drinks(menuism.com)

  ---

• That's Amari - Aperitifs (Apertivos) and Digestifs (Digestivos) that make Great Drinking and Cocktails(manoavino.com)

  ---

• Cocktails - Aperitifs Italian Style - Cocktails - Aperitivi - Stile Italiano Sono Molto Buoni(manoavino.com)

  ---

Spain - Espagne - Hispanol.........

'Tapas' bar

 When I first went to Spain, these places, 'Tapas bars' were exceptional - you bought a glass of something to drink, and the 'nibbles' (tapas) were free. Small, light meals were available as well, low priced, good, fresh and with tapas available you only needed to order and pay the drinks and the main course!
A place for a Scotsman!

paella

Saffron is a national seasoning, being needed, in quantity, for the famous 'Paella' of which there are at least a dozen varieties, my favourites being the 'fishy' varieties http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paella
Although Spain is only 70 miles away, we don't go as often as we maybe should!
After all, prices there are much lower, stuff like cigarettes, wine and spirits and much more are way down on those in France, but you're not supposed to smoke and drink anyhow!
Spain is an important European food and drink place, with many extra specialities. 
It supplies the rest of Europe out of season, with tomatoes, grapes, avocados, lettuce and many other things. Spanish strawberries and asparagus are on the market well i advance of the Italian or French, and are cheaper. Oranges all year round, lemons too....the list goes on and on. Try this - full of other bloggers and what they think......http://www.lolaespana.com/blog/food-blogger-reviews
Lots of stuff you can order here too (UK only) .... http://www.lolaespana.com/ - but they can be found all over the world, just go and ask!
Spain produces wines and spirits as well, of course, from still red, white, rose through to sparkling ones and fortified ones.....(Jerez - known in English as 'sherry' because the English couldn't pronounce the word correctly....!) and many others, all from 16vol alcohol to 18+ vol.....good for drinking, but good for cooking too. They tend to be sweetish, but VERY full bodied- delicious!
Spanish cheeses are well known, world wide........   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Spanish_cheeses and as we have already said Spanis fruit and vegetables are special both from availability and quality...... and...don't forget the olives......!
Spain, like Italy and France are full of good things.....just got to go and get them.....

Bonne Appétit!

Related articles

• Top 10 Things to do in Jerez - Other than Enjoy Sherry!(catavino.net)

  ---

• [eat] Tapas increíbles - review of La Republicana @ Zaragoza, Spain(lacrymamosa.wordpress.com)

  ---

• Five Simple Spanish Tapas(momdecuisine.net)

  ---

• Black paella(luffymoogan.wordpress.com)

  ---

• How to make Spanish Paella and Sangria 101(thesweetadventure.wordpress.com)

  ---

• Obsessed With Tapas(meganeatsabroad.wordpress.com)

  ---

• Travelling Adventures in the stone age..!(marquisdugalipot.blogspot.com)

  ---

A trip through Germany.

Sunday, 2 March 2014-updated 12 March.

A trip through Germany.

 Germany isn't a large country, but geographically it covers all sorts of places, regions, cultures, religions, therefore all sorts of cooking and recipes.
Here is an exhaustive list of well known German dishes, and I'm going to try to add or explain others in this article.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_German_dishes
One of my favourites, and unlike 'Steak Tartare' elsewhere in the world, readily available is this mettwurst! A delice......

and  handl brathanchen in some places) Of course there are the famous Bockwurst mit kartoffelsalat or the pasta style dishes 'maultaschen' or 'spatzle' 

maultaschen

  maultaschen and the places who sell them cheaply . Not to forget the famous bratwurst, grillwurst, currywurst etc

Cheap, good and marry themselves with the German bier so well!Schnellimbiss.

Of course, Germany also has quite a few different wines, thousands of biers (beers) and I'll be trying to describe these as well, maybe not here so many are they.  The winebergs are generally on very steep slopes, a very ardous task to plant and harvest....   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_wine -  and bier.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_in_Germany - but first, back to the food!
Now this could be a monumental task, but I'm not going into the fine detail, just some examples from all over (you can find deeper explanations in the link above) like bratkartoffeln, kartoffelsalat, bratwurst, currywurst........ The Germans are widely known as 'sausage eaters' and in fact - by themselves as 'Schnitzel land' (due to the large selection of schnitzels available, mainly from pork, served with a sauce or breadcrumbed with a slice of lemon (the famous Wienerschnitzel). On this link you can find a lot of 'how to' (like make sausages, potato salad, chicken, schnitzel etc......in video form):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrrnJrj9zNM
'Sausage eaters' - yes indeed, but with such a wide variety that it isn't really fair to brand mark them. My personal favourites, because of their enormous variety and usefulness are 'Aufschnitts' - there are literally HUNDREDS .........usable on bread as a starter, on pizzas- to bump up the meat content...as meals, such as 'Vespers' (lighter evening meals) 
here are some 'Vespers' they may give you some ideas for lighter (or not) evening meals.........
Vespers are most often served on square, rectangular or round wooden platters, generally served with bier. The name comes, obviously, from the monastery and the monks evening meal of 'vespers'.
http://www.bavariangrill.com/menus/the-taste-of-bavaria/abend-karte-dinner
The Germans have at least one variety of just about everything known, worldwide, from cheesecake to fish/smoked fish, vegetable and pasta, passing by meats and all the other things.

Bread rolls in a basket (deutsch: Brötchen im Korb) (Photo credit:Wikipedia)

During my long stay (30 years) I always found the simpler things the best. Bread and bread rolls, I've eaten the best potatoes of my life (pellkartoffeln) the best smoked eel ever, different pasta dishes than the Italian ones, but similar to them, like 'maultaschen' or 'spaetzle' - you can find them all in the first link to this article. Here it is again:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_German_dishes
I'm NOT going to even start talking about German beers, it makes me 'homesick' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_beer and there are so many biers in Germany that an encyclopaedia could be written!   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_in_Germany
So far as German wine is concerned, although a little on the sweetish side for me, it is very fruity, very varied and generally very enjoyable and lots can be drunk! Look here for some ideas......http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/germanys-wines-and-wine-regions.html
Maybe sometime in the future I'll come back on the bier and wine, schnapps (liqueurs) and other things of German origin.....but - to do that, I'll have to go back again for a longish holiday!
Until then,
Bonne Appétit or 'Guten Appetit!'

Related articles

• World Flavor Wednesday: Germany(youvegottotastethis.myrecipes.com)

  ---

• German Sausages Are The Wurst(followmyfork.wordpress.com)

  ---

• Serious Entertaining: A Bavarian-Style Alpine Feast(seriouseats.com)

  ---

• Send in the clowns (German Karneval)(threedandelions.wordpress.com)

  ---

• BierBeisl Brings Austria to California(kcet.org)

  ---

• Breaded Chicken Schnitzel(relishhealth.wordpress.com)

  ---

• Everything You Need To Know About Living In Germany(geekmadel.com)

  ---

• Best Beers in the World: Drink Your Way Through Belgium and Germany(roomertravel.com)

  ---