When I was 19, I went to cooking school at La Varenne in Paris, where I was trained in classic regional French cuisine. So when it came to cooking vegetables, I was all about adding flavor with butter or cream. Then two things happened: I worked in Boston for the Tunisian-born chef Moncef Meddeb, and I traveled extensively throughout the eastern Mediterranean. Moncef pushed me to a deeper understanding of food and flavors, which was reinforced by my time away. While visiting Turkey, I discovered that not only does food there feel rich, exciting, and flavorful, but it also left me energized. After a big meal, I didn’t want to go to bed—I wanted to go dancing! Thanks to the abundant use of spices, herbs, and fats (in the form of nuts, olive oil, and yogurt), the food felt healthful but also seductive and, yes, exotic.
When I opened my restaurant Oleana in Cambridge, Massachusetts, I decided to focus primarily on the entrancing flavors of the Arabic Mediterranean. Though there’s no shortage of meat on the menu, I think it’s our exciting ways with vegetables that keep our customers coming back for more. What follows are some of these very recipes plus a look at the flavorings that make them so special. So put away the butter, pull open the spice drawer, and revel in bold flavors. After dinner, who knows? You might just feel like dancing.
The Recipes
Snap Peas with Turkish Tarator SauceNuts are a favorite Mediterranean staple. They add a richness much like butter but without all the heavy fat. Here, almonds are ground to make tarator, a garlicky sauce that has the texture of mayonnaise but no egg.
Persian-Style Carrots and Black-Eyed PeasSpices give vegetables big flavors without making them heavy. Advieh, an aromatic, ever-so-sweet Persian mix that’s reminiscent of Chinese five spice and even American pumpkin-pie spice, adds its personality to this dish. Use leftover spice mix to flavor rice pilaf, season roasted squash, or even sprinkle over French toast.
Shredded Romaine and Cucumber Salad with Yogurt DressingIn the Mediterranean, yogurt adds a creamy factor but in a lighter, more healthful way than actual cream. In fact, even though I still use cream now and again, I’ve come to prefer the tang of a good Greek yogurt.
Crispy Potatoes with Lemon and Lots of OreganoMost dried herbs are mere ghosts of fresh, but not so oregano. When dried, it becomes more robust, earthy, and peppery. Mint and thyme-like za’atar also benefit from drying.
Roasted Beet MuhammaraA reduction of pomegranate juice and sugar, pomegranate molasses is thick, syrupy, and more tart than sweet. Widely used in Middle Eastern cooking, it adds a bright acidity to vegetable dishes.
Imam Bayaldi (Stuffed Eggplant)Stuffing vegetables with more vegetables is common in the Mediterranean; think stuffed peppers. Here, a salsa-like mixture of tomato, onion, and cauliflower finds a home in tender roasted eggplant.
This quick take on eggs Benedict eschews Hollandaise sauce and ham in favor of tangy beurre blanc and fresh asparagus. It takes slightly more than 10 minutes, but it looks…
Comments
Leave a Comment
Comments