Scottish Cuisine

Scotland is home to the haggis and famed for it's salmon but Scotland has never really been known for it's cuisine.
Like many other countires, Scotland's traditional recipes were a result of the food available and it is for this reason that many of the Scottish recipes are closely relatated to a specific area of Scotland. Scotland's, rather unique, climate, landscape and coastline have led to an amazing variety natural foods; superb beef (Aberdeen-Angus), venison and lamb, freshly caught salmon, trout and shellfish, vegetables and fruit. All have contributed greatly to Scottish cooking.
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Iranian or Persian Cuisine

Persian Recipes

Iranian or Persian Cuisine, one of the oldest cuisines in the world Iran was known as Persia until 1935 but still today the cuisine is generally known as Persian rather than Iranian. It sounds far more exotic in my humble opinion. The ruler at that time was , Reza Shah, but in 1953, Mohammad Reza Shah (the son of Reza Shah) stated that the names of Iran and Persia were equally acceptable. This is an amazing country which I have visited on many occasions and the food is fantastic.




Persian cuisine is really well known for its delicate use of mixed spices, the variety of side plates ("mokhalafat") used to enhance meals, the serving of rice as an accompaniment with many dishes, and the popularity of tea ("chai").

This Iranian tea or Chai is drank with any meals, and throughout the day generally as with many other cultures I guess.

Mokhalafat are side plates used to accompany meals. There are many such side plates that may be used, and they are generally consider to be an important, even essential part of the meal. Really popular mokhalafat include khiyarshur (pickles), naan (Iranian flat unleavened bread), panir (Iranian cheese similar to feta), sabzi (a plate of mixed herbs), and torshi (relishes).
Rice is also really popular in Persian Cuisine and it is eaten with most meals and is prepared in a variety of ways.

Persian Recipes

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Greek Food / Cuisine

Greek Food

What distinguishes traditional Greek cuisine is a combination of the following factors: unique ingredients, the Greek philosophy regarding eating and sharing meals, as well as the country itself and the atmosphere in general.


Greek Recipes



Greek cuisine has four secrets: fresh ingredients of good quality, proper use of herbs and spices, the famous Greek olive oil and its basic simplicity. Greek olive oil also really does deserves a special mention. Present in almost all Greek dishes, and in most of them in abundant quantities, it is of excellent quality and very good for health.

Greek Recipes

Then there are the vegetables and herbs. Due to the mild Greek climate, greenhouse cultivation of vegetables is not widespread. Therefore, most vegetables are grown outdoors and are very tasty and full of aroma. You will be delighted with the taste of Greek tomatoes, lettuces, carrots, onions, parsley and garlic, not to mention the rich flavour and aroma of fresh
fruit: grapes, apricots, peaches, cherries, melons, watermelons, to name but a few. The herbs collected by most Greeks on the mountains and in the countryside are renowned for their taste, scent and healing properties. When eating one of the many different Greek dishes, the aroma of oregano, thyme, spearmint or rosemary will inebriate you.

Do not forget also to try the Greek cheeses and particularly feta. As lambs and goats in Greece are free-grazing and pastures are very rich in herbs, meats have a unique taste not to be found anywhere else in the world. Seafood from the Mediterranean Sea is far more tasty than that from the oceans. In the Aegean and the Ionian Seas, the waters are crystal clear and abound with fish. Charbroiled fresh fish is considered a treat.


The time of day when the Greeks gather around a table to enjoy a meal, or some appetizers (mezedes) with ouzo, is a time held in reverence by all the inhabitants of this country. For the Greeks, sharing a meal with friends, either at home, at a restaurant or a taverna, is a deeply rooted social affair. The Greek word symposium, a word as ancient as the country itself, if translated literally, means drinking with company. The atmosphere in typically Greek restaurants and tavernas is very relaxed, informal and unpretentious.


Food preparation, on the other hand, has its own sacred rules. Good amateur cooks are held in great esteem in their social circles. A good housewife, in Greece, means a good cook. And a good cook can spend days preparing a meal for his or her friends.

Try having a glass of ouzo or wine, accompanied by barbecued octopus or any other Greek dish, while sitting beneath the shadow of a tree, at a small tavern by the sea, on one of the
Aegean islands. Then, when you go back home, try repeating that experience by preparing the same dish and serving the same drink. No matter where you decide to have it, you will soon discover that it does not taste the same. Do not try again. There is nothing wrong with the delicacy of your palate or your cooking skills. The Greek meal experience, namely the combination of what you eat and where you eat it, cannot be repeated, exported or duplicated. It is something you can only find, taste and enjoy in Greece, like the blue of the Aegean Sea

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Mexican Food

Mexican Food Mexican Recipe's

Mexican food really is one of the most popular cuisines in the world today. Mexico is very much still considered a third world country and it struggles at times to produce enough fresh food for its population of around 87 million people. What most of us tend to eat if we live outside of Mexico is more than likely Tex Mex. Mexican food in Mexico, as with other countries like China and India , only bears a slight resemblance to its more bastardised form outside of it's borders.


Mexican Recipes


Most of today's Mexican food is based on ancient traditions, such as the Aztecs and Maya, combined with culinary trends introduced by Spanish colonists. When Spanish conquistadors arrived in the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan (Mexico City) they found that the people's diet consisted largely of corn-based dishes with chillies and herbs, usually complemented with beans and tomatoes. The conquistadors eventually combined their imported diet of rice, beef, pork, chicken, wine, garlic and onions with the native indigenous foods of pre-Columbian Mexico.


The French occupation of Mexico influenced Mexican cuisine with baked goods such as sweet breads and the bolillo, a Mexican take on the French roll. There is also a minor Asian influence due to the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade, which lasted from 1565 to 1815.

Mexican food varies by region, because of local climate and geography and ethnic differences among the indigenous inhabitants and because these different populations were influenced by the Spaniards in varying degrees. The north of Mexico is known for its beef and goat meat dishes, in particular the well-known Arrachera cut. Central Mexico's cuisine is largely made up of influences from the rest of the country, but also has its authentic dishes, such as barbacoa, pozole, menudo and carnitas.

South eastern Mexico, on the other hand, is known for its spicy vegetable and chicken-based dishes. Seafood is commonly prepared in the states that border the Pacific Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico, the latter having a famous reputation for its fish dishes a la veracruzana.
There are many health benefits when it comes to Mexican foods. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, with low fat and calories. You are not really eating authentic Mexican food if you eat at Taco Bell but Taco Bell actually came from Mexico!

It started life as a fast food stand and first appeared in 1962. They sold tacos to hungry street diners.America has added many fats to the foods, which does not contain all the nutrients you would eat if you ate in Mexico.

Mexican dishes contain many fresh ingredients that you may not be able to find in other types of cuisine. Regardless of the foreign elements present in Mexico's nouvelle cuisine, the main ingredients remain the same recipe after recipe. The most common ingredient used in Mexican food is corn. Like the ancient civilizations that lived in the region, Mexicans have learned how to cook almost every meal with corn. Corn flour is the main component involved in the preparation of the Mexican food, and corn is also used in many forms for a wide variety of meals, including candy.

Corn is the main food crop grown in Mexico. It is grown on half of the cultivated land. The Indians living in what is now central or southern Mexico ate corn from wild plants about 10,000 years ago. About 5000 B. C. the Indians learned how to grow corn themselves. Corn is used to make flat pancakes called tortillas. They are sometimes folded and stuffed with different foods to make tacos.


TEX MEX


The Mexican cuisine eventually met the cuisine from the north, and Tex-Mex food was created. Tex-Mex food is a blend of flavours and recipes from the Mexican, Texan and American culture. Today we can find several different kinds of foods Mexicans eat, from enchiladas, tacos and burritos to award-winning gourmet creations.

Tex-Mex food is a name used to describe dishes that are found in the state of Texas that is primarily American. It blends available foods in the United States with traditional Mexican cuisine. Some of the Tex-Mex foods may differ from actual Mexican dishes, but are still referred to Mexican dishes in Texas. People who live outside of Texas sometimes refer to Tex-Mex as Southwestern food.
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Another difference that separates Tex-Mex dishes is the way the foods are prepared. The use of spices and sauces are different from Mexico. Also the dishes usually have more meat and fewer beans. The dishes are influenced by the southern state of Chihuahua, which is also known for their dishes having more meat. The foods are usually named the same as the dishes in Mexico. Burritos, chimichangas, tacos, and others consist of the same ingredients. The reason it is different is by the green chilli and other small details. You may also find different items on the menus such as fish tacos and shrimp enchiladas.

Some Mexican dishes that have a different taste in Tex-Mex include chorizo. It is a sausage that is spicy, being seasoned with red chilli and garlic. It is a food that can be served at breakfast. The Tex-Mex chorizo is said to taste different by its spice blend. Tortillas in Tex-Mex cuisine are also different. The tortillas are usually more thick and less chewy then tortillas found in other places. Posole is a stew that Tex-Mex has put their twist into. Tex-Mex style has many green chiles added to it, which makes it a lot different than the traditional dish. Tex-Mex cuisine contains large amounts of beef, spices, and beans. Texas-style chili, crispy chalupas, and fajitas are all Tex-Mex originals.

A serving of tortillas with hot sauce or salsa is another Texas invention. Other tasty creations include seven-layer dip, and tamale pie. Mango margaritas are a modern drink in the Tex-Mex menu. Many of these recipes are simple and require little skill, but there are some foods that involve preparation of another recipe to complete the main dish.

Even the salsa is a bit different in the Tex-Mex style. Typical salsa will include tomatoes, chiles, onions, and other spices. In Tex-Mex food, the salsa has a large amount of cilantro added. Whatever restaurant you go to, you are likely to have chilli sauce on top of your dish.
Mexican Recipes

Philippines Cooking

Philippine cooking is surprisingly simple; no special utensils are needed. Even a wok, which is commonly used in the Philippines and is almost essential for Chinese cooking, can be done without for most Philippines dishes.

No special skills are needed, either. If you can prepare American dishes, you can prepare the food of the Philippines. In fact, most of the dishes that follow are either sauteed or stewed. Other dishes are boiled, braised or fried. Baked dishes are rare, which is perfectly sensible for a tropical cuisine.


Great Philippine Recipes





adobo - cooked in vinegar, soy sauce and garlic
guisado - sauteed
sinigang - boiled with a sour fruit or vegetable
paksiw - cooked in vinegar and garlic
estofado - prepared with a burnt-sugar sauce
ginataan - cooked in coconut milk
rellanado - stuffed
sarciado - a sauce

Although Filipino food is one of complexity with its varied origins of Malay, Chinese and Spanish, yet the cooking methods are rather simple. Basically, the four cooking methods that support the foundation of Filipino cookery are boiling (nilaga), grilling (ihaw), roasting and steaming (halabos). These cooking methods form the very basis of the modern-day demand of healthy cooking. It was not until the arrival of the Spanish that the method of sauteeing (guisado) was "Filipinized" and introduced into the Filipino kitchen, adding to the basic forms of Filipino cookery.




Two styles of preparing food in the Philippines are part of the cuisine not only because of their delicious taste but also because they keep well without refrigeration. Dishes cooked adobo or sinigang style are preserved because of the effect of vinegar or souring ingredient. In rural tropical areas, this makes storing leftovers possible. Dishes prepared in both these manners seem to improve when stored, so it is a good idea to prepare large amounts to ensure having leftovers.

In many of the recipes that follow, vegetable ingredients that are used may be difficult to locate in ordinary food stores or supermarkets. But most major metropolitan centers have "chinatowns" or Oriental neighborhoods where all the ingredients can be purchased. In small cities, "Oriental stores" can often be located by checking the local Yellow Pages under Oriental or Filipino stores.

One of the ingredients that may prove difficult to locate is patis. Patis is a very salty, thin, amber-color fish or shrimp sauce that is sold in bottles under various brand names. Nuoc mam is the Vietnamese equivalent, and nampla is the Thai equivalent.


Though patis is commonly used in many dishes in the Philippines, it is marked as an optional ingredient in all the recipes in this book because the flavor it imparts takes some getting used to. Its pungent odor and strong flavor put it into the category of "acquired tastes." Salt is its closest and best substitute.

Among the other ingredients commonly used in Meat Dishes that are not readily available in local food markets but that may be found in Oriental or Hispanic food stores are the following:

Coconut milk and coconut cream can be bought in 6- or 12-ounce cans.

Anatto seeds, commonly known in the Philippines as achuette or achiote, may be bought in 4- or 8-ounce bottles.


Banana blossoms or flowers are clusters of matchlike flowers found inside a banana pod. Dried banana blossoms are sold in most Oriental food stores.

Bagoong, or shrimp paste made from small salted and fermented shrimps, is sold in jars in Oriental food stores.

Chorizo de Bilbao, a Spanish sausage used in most Spanish influenced meat stews, is sold in most Hispanic stores; however, a good substitute is pepperoni or any other spicy sausage like the Polish kielbasa.

Dried Chinese mushrooms and Chinese sausages can be bought in most Oriental food stores. Salted black beans can be bought in cans or packages, also in Oriental food stores.

Other Oriental ingredients such as bean curd, Chinese cabbage, a Chinese vegetable called bak choy and even some Chinese egg and bean noodles are now available in local food markets in big cities on the East and West coasts of the United States.

Even though some of the more exotic vegetables called for in some dishes simply are not available in the United States, adequate substitute are everywhere. For the most part, all the ingredients and spices can be found in a well-stocked food market

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What can i do with Freijoa's?

What can i do with Freijoa's?

Feijoa's

So what exactly is a Feijoa and where did they come from?

It seems Feijoas were introduced into New Zealand during the 1920`s. In some countries the feijoa is also called "pineapple guava". The feijoa was first collected in southern Brazil by a German explorer Freidrich Sellow in 1815 and introduced to Europe by French botanist and horticulturist, Dr Edouard Andre, in 1890. It was named after Brazilian botanist, Joam da Silva Feijo.


.Feijoa Recipes


New Zealand has an ideal climate that produce's large fruit, and because it has few pests this enabled feijoa's to be grown organically (chemical sprays therefore are not applied to New Zealand fruit, making NZ feijoa's some of the most natural fruit available).

The New Zealand season runs from late March to June but don't fret as the fruit can be easily frozen without loss of quality. The fruit has a very distinctive, aromatic flavour with
tropical overtones including pineapple and guava hence if you live in the USA you may know this fruit as Pineapple Guava.

When are the fruit ready to eat?

Feijoas are prime and ready to eat when they are slightly soft and when the inner jellied sections in the centre of the fruit are clear. Depending on the variety this may happen on the tree or within 2 -5 days of natural fruit drop. The fruit is unripe when the jellied sections are white and past it's best when they are browning. (Unpleasant flavours develop when browning occurs and the fruit should be discarded.) Handle the feijoas very gently - as you would ripe peaches. If you have a tree be ready for the drop as it happens very quickly and all at once you can be flooded with ripe fruit. Usually if you have a
friend with a feijoa tree they are more than happy to give away much fruit as it is really hard to use that much fruit all at once. Making jams and chutneys is the best way to use excess and they are great for the ensuing winter months.

There are reasonable amounts of vitamin C in a standard sized fruit, around 100gm of vitamin C and around 45calories. Great fibre content and they are naturally full of good winter antioxidants.

If you want to buy a tree they are usually easy to find in the plant nursery's of New Zealand and the western states of the USA.

Storage

If you've bought fruit that are not quite ripe, just leave them at room temperature and they'll ripen in a day or two; speed up the process by putting them in a paper bag with an apple if you need to. Ripe feijoas are best stored in the fridge.
Feijoas are incredibly versatile: use them in muffins, loaves, desserts, cakes, jams, chutneys, sorbets, smoothies... you name it! Ginger and pineapple are both great with fejoas, so try combos like feijoa and ginger bran muffins or feijoa and pineapple sorbet. Here are some more ideas:

Eat them just as they are, straight from the skin with a spoon. Look for pale-coloured, soft-textured centres.

Add chopped feijoas to salads. Not only a taste sensation, the vitamin C will enhance your absorption of iron from cereals and plant foods in the meal.

Use in a fresh salsa: try chopped celery, tomatoes, red onion, avocado and feijoa. Add chilli flakes, mint, coriander and a generous squeeze of lemon.

Use your favourite banana cake recipe to make banana and feijoa cake – or feijoa and ginger cake.

Scoop out the centres and pack into plastic bags with a squeeze of lemon juice, and freeze for later baking.

Add to apple for a delicious pie filling.

Use in muffins with other fruit. They go very well with apple and almonds.

Poach in a little sugar syrup with a knob of ginger.
Spoon over cereal with yoghurt.

Add to juices and smoothies – try banana, feijoas, vanilla yoghurt and honey.

Mix into fruit salad with fresh and canned fruit. Especially nice with pineapple.

Make a feijoa crumble: top fruit with a mix of rolled oats, sliced almonds, brown sugar and coconut flakes. Or try our Feijoa crumble recipe.

Purée in a blender with lemon juice, vanilla and a little sugar. Use in baking instead of half the sugar.

Feijoa Recipes