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Cretan Cuisine
Cretan cuisine ( el, Κρητική κουζίνα) is the traditional cuisine of the Mediterranean island of Crete. Background The core of the Cretan cuisine consists of food derived from plants, whereas food of animal origin was more peripheral in nature. In general, people consumed seasonal products, available in the wider local area, which underwent minimal processing or none at all. The traditional cuisine was widespread in the island until the 1960s when, with improving living standards, alimentary patterns changed towards more meat and other animal-derived produce. Fresh fruit and dried fruits, pulses, endemic wild herbs and aromatic plants, and rough cereals, whose cultivation was favored by the regional climate, were consumed in great amounts and constituted the base of the Cretan cuisine during that period. Dairy products were consumed on a daily basis in low to moderate quantities. Poultry and fish were consumed on a weekly basis in moderate quantities, whereas red ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and Corsica. Crete rests about south of the Greek mainland, and about southwest of Anatolia. Crete has an area of and a coastline of 1,046 km (650 mi). It bounds the southern border of the Aegean Sea, with the Sea of Crete (or North Cretan Sea) to the north and the Libyan Sea (or South Cretan Sea) to the south. Crete and a number of islands and islets that surround it constitute the Region of Crete ( el, Περιφέρεια Κρήτης, links=no), which is the southernmost of the 13 top-level administrative units of Greece, and the fifth most populous of Greece's regions. Its capital and largest city is Heraklion, on the north shore of the island. , the region had a population of 636,504. The Dodecanese are located to the no ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zucchini Flower
Squash blossoms (called courgette flowers in Great Britain) are the edible flowers of ''Cucurbita'' species, particularly ''Cucurbita pepo'', the species that produces zucchini (courgette), marrow, spaghetti squash, and many other types of squash. Availability Squash blossoms are highly perishable, and as such are rarely stocked in supermarkets. Male and female squash blossoms can be used interchangeably, but picking only male flowers (leaving some for pollination) allows the plant to also produce some fruit (squash). Culinary uses Squash blossoms may be stuffed, battered and fried, or made into soup. The flowers have a subtle flavor, reminiscent of young zucchinis, and can be eaten raw. Stuffed blossoms The squash blossoms are frequently stuffed and cooked in some Southeast European and Middle Eastern cuisines. The dish is called ''Kolokythoanthoi'' in Greek and ' in Turkish language and such dishes belong to a family of stuffed vegetable dishes, dolma, in the cuisine ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orzo (pasta)
Orzo (, ; from , from Latin ), also known as risoni (; 'large rains ofrice'), is a form of short-cut pasta, shaped like a large grain of rice. Orzo is traditionally made from flour, but it can also be made of whole grain. It is often made with semolina, a type of flour made from durum wheat. The name ''orzo'' is common for this pasta shape in North America, but less so in Italy, where the word means ''barley''. Uses There are many different ways to serve orzo. Orzo can be served alone; in soup, especially for children; as part of a salad, a pilaf, or giouvetsi; or baked in a casserole. Orzo can be colored by saffron, chilies, and black beans to yield yellow, orange, or black pasta. Similar products Orzo is essentially identical to the (''kritharáki'', little barley, or ''manestra'' when in soup) in Greek cuisine, ' ("barley noodle") in Turkish cooking, and (''lisān al-ʿaṣfūr'', "sparrow tongue") in Egyptian cooking. In Spain, the equivalent pasta is called '. Confu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lamb Meat
Lamb, hogget, and mutton, generically sheep meat, are the meat of domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries''. A sheep in its first year is a lamb and its meat is also lamb. The meat from sheep in their second year is hogget. Older sheep meat is mutton. Generally, "hogget" and "sheep meat" are not used by consumers outside Norway, New Zealand, South Africa, Scotland and Australia. Hogget has become more common in England, particularly in the North (Lancashire and Yorkshire) often in association with rare breed and organic farming. In South Asian and Caribbean cuisine, "mutton" often means goat meat.''Oxford English Dictionary'', 3rd edition, June 2003''s.v.'',_definition_1b_At_various_times_and_places,_"mutton"_or_"goat_mutton"_has_occasionally_been_used_to_mean_goat_meat. Lamb_is_the_most_expensive_of_the_three_types_and_in_recent_decades_sheep_meat_is_increasingly_only_retailed_as_"lamb",_sometimes_stretching_the_accepted_distinctions_given_above._The_stronger-tasting_mutton_is_now_hard_t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cnicus
''Cnicus benedictus'', known by the common names St. Benedict's thistle, blessed thistle, holy thistle and spotted thistle, is a thistle-like plant in the family Asteraceae, native to the Mediterranean region, from Portugal north to southern France and east to Iran. It is known in other parts of the world, including parts of North America, as an introduced species and often a noxious weed. It is the sole species in the monotypic genus ''Cnicus''. Other species once included in the genus have largely been reclassified to ''Cirsium'', '' Carduus'', and ''Centaurea''. The related genus ''Notobasis'' is included in ''Cnicus'' by some botanists; it differs in slender, much spinier leaves, and purple flowers. Growth It is an annual plant growing to 60 cm tall, with leathery, hairy leaves up to 30 cm long and 8 cm broad, with small spines on the margins. The flowers are yellow, produced in a dense flowerhead (capitulum) 3–4 cm diameter, surrounded by numerous ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xynomizithra
Xynomizithra or xynomyzithra () is a Greek whey cheese with some added milk; it is a sour variant of Mizithra, and made from ewes' and/or goats' milk. The proportion of full-cream milk is about 15%. It is mainly produced on the island of Crete but other areas in Greece also produce it. ''Xynomyzithra Kritis'' (xynomizithra of Crete) is a European protected designation of origin. Production Xynomizithra is made from strained ewe and/or goat whey which is heated and stirred. A small amount of full-cream milk (up to 15% for Xynomyzithra Kritis) is then added. The resulting curd stands for 30 minutes and is then put into molds to drain. It is then pressed and ripened for not less than 2 months. Serving It comes in various sizes and its shape is usually truncated cone or ball. The cheese is soft, snow-white, creamy, and moist, with a sour taste. It is commonly served with honey as a dessert. It is also used as a table cheese, in salads, and in baked goods, notably in small c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Graviera
Graviera ( el, γραβιέρα ) is a cheese from Greece produced in various parts of Greece, the main of which are: Crete, Lesbos, Naxos and Amfilochia. It resembles gruyère, a Swiss cheese from whose name "graviera" is derived. Graviera is Greece's second most popular cheese after feta. Made in wheels, the rind of the hard cheese is marked with the characteristic crisscross pattern of its draining cloth. There are various types of Graviera produced in Greece. Graviera of Crete is made from sheep's milk and ripened for at least five months. It is slightly sweet, with a pleasant burnt caramel flavor. The graviera of Naxos, in contrast, is mostly made of cow's milk (80–100%). Graviera can be sliced and eaten, fried as saganaki and eaten as a snack, grated and served over pasta dishes, baked in a casserole or used in salads (in cubes or shavings). It is widely available outside Greece, where it can be purchased at large grocery stores, Greek or ethnic markets, and specialty che ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roux
Roux () is a mixture of flour and fat cooked together and used to thicken sauces. Roux is typically made from equal parts of flour and fat by weight. The flour is added to the melted fat or oil on the stove top, blended until smooth, and cooked to the desired level of brownness. A roux can be white, blond (darker) or brown. Butter, bacon drippings or lard are commonly used fats. Roux is used as a thickening agent for gravy, sauces, soups and stews. It provides the base for a dish, and other ingredients are added after the roux is complete. Uses The fat is most often butter in French cuisine, but may be lard or vegetable oil in other cuisines. Roux is used in three of the five mother sauces of classic French cooking: béchamel sauce, velouté sauce, and espagnole sauce. In Cajun cuisine, roux is made with lard, oil, or meat, poultry, or bacon drippings instead of butter. It is often cooked to a medium or dark brown color, which lends much richness of flavor, but makes it th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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