Welcome to mezze & tapas – a new blog focused on Mediterranean cuisine!
In Granada, Spain, you will find the Alhambra, a Moorish Palace of amazing beauty. Throughout the Alhambra, there are complex and stunning mosaics in most every room. Made from individual tiles, they are Vibrant, active, and jaw-droppingly beautiful. The color helps to make the Alhambra one of the most alluring buildings you will ever see. Dispite the range of different patterns, there is a common color palette. This creates a harmony in the similarities between each of the mosaics.
A culinary mosaic
So it is with the food of the Mediterranean Region. There is a culinary mosaic of flavors, aromas, colors, and textures. Together they create a very sensual experience when taking in the riches the Mediterranean has to offer. And yet there are common, underlying principles and ingredients found throughout the region which create a harmonious similarity. The tension between the similarities and the differences make Mediterranean cuisines vibrant. They are at once some of the most exotic and yet most approachable food around.
Welcome to my new blog, mezze & tapas. Taking its name from the small plates shared communally among friends, mezze & tapas is my communal platform. It is web home to share and explore with you the Food and Cultures around the Mediterranean. It will explore the similarities and differences in the cuisines of this vibrant region. From time to time, I’ll also cover some of my other passions as well. Travel, art and music are just a few. Such diversion will be done as much as possible with an eye towards their relationships to the Mediterranean.
A rich legacy
There are twenty one modern day countries that border the Mediterranean. But the history runs so very deep. Romans, Carthaginians, Berbers, Ottomans, Moors, Byzantines, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, and Phoenicians. All have ruled parts or all of the Mediterranean over the millennia. As a result, the food roots run deep, and are firmly latched onto the many blessings of the region. From bounty brought from the sea, to citrus grown on the shores. With herbs and spices cultivated locally, the Mediterranean offers a rich heritage. And collectively, these are the cultures that shape our modern world, and so there is a rich vein of material to mine for cultural influences and cues.
The offerings here on mezze & tapas owe a debt of inspiration to all the wonderful foods of this region. However, I will not pretend that they would pass the “grandma test”. That is as good as someone’s grandmother from “the old country” would make. I will adapt foods to the modern kitchen. Recipes will use (mostly) what is commonly available at a modern grocery store or farmers market. The tour around the culture will never be disrespectful of the unique cultures they represent. It is my sincere hope that mezze &tapas will become your home on the internet for exploring Mediterranean food culture!
Thank you for checking out mezze & tapas. I hope you come back often to check out the offerings at our communal table!
