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Moroccan food is one of the most cleverly balanced cuisines on earth – spices are used to enhance the flavour of dishes & there is nothing like the warm waft of beautiful spices that seduce you when you open the lid of a tajine. The essence of Moroccan food is a communal style of eating, with many dishes shared by the family. The meal time is very social & eaten at a leisurely pace with much laughter & talking.When entering a Moroccan home, you would be offered food & usually tea within a heartbeat. Hospitality is a very important part of Moroccan culture & making guests welcome is also part of the Islamic teaching.
Malaysian food is heavily influenced by the food of other countries including Chinese, & Indian as well as the native Malay or Peranakan style of cooking. These influences extend from the use of the wok as the main cooking pan, to a combination of a number of spices in many of the dishes. Malaysian food uses an amazing blend of flavours aimed at making your 'tastebuds jump up & down' & the thing that raises it to an art form is the combination of textures, tastes & colour. & nothing is more colourful than the cleverly layered riceflour & coconut sweets called Kueh.
Portuguese cuisine is born from the earth - hearty peasant fare full of strong flavours, many charting the culinary history of the country. For instance, the famous dried salt cod or bacalhau changed the course of Portuguese history - when it was discovered the beautiful white fish caught in the cold Scandinavian waters could be dried & kept for long periods, sailors were able to go on long voyages of discovery to new lands, which then opened up trade routes. So loved is bacalhau that there are recipe books enirely devoted to it, with a range of recipes from around the country. Paprika, bay leaves, garlic & wine feature largely in many dishes, olive oil is adored & used to cook food as well as finish dishes. Pork is a favourite meat & is used in the famous chorizo sausage, smoked over wood with heady aromas of garlic & paprika. Also cooked over charcoal is the now familiar Portuguese chicken which has been a huge hit in Australia - we all love the flattened marinated chicken served with chilli spiked piri piri sauce - a recipe developed in Angola when it was a Portuguese colony. Desserts rely heavily on eggs - think creme caramel, rice pudding & the famous custard tarts or pasteis de nata.
Vietnamese dishes are fresh, have a depth of flavour & seem to have amazing health properties at the same time. Have you ever eaten a bowl of pho with all the accompaniments when you’re feeling less than 100 %? One chef friend calls pho the Vietnamese equivalent of Jewish chicken soup – it's good for the body & the soul. Or have you had a few mouthfuls of green papaya salad when your palate is feeling jaded? Instant zing! More than any other cuisine, Vietnamese food centres on herbs & uses an amazing array along with salad greens in many dishes. These are eaten for their healing properties as well as for their taste.
The vibrant, intensely colourful world of Indian food in Australia found an ever increasing fan base when Australians began to travel through India during the 1960s & 70s. Each region of India has its own style of cooking & distinct flavours – North is known for Tandoori & Korma dishes, South is famous for hot & spicy foods, the East specialises in chilli curries, the West uses coconut & seafood & the Central part of India is a blend of all.
In Greek culture, food is so much more than sustenance – it’s everything – culture, comfort, family, life. “If you grow up Greek, you grow up with your mother chasing you around the house with a spoon”, jokes Greek Australian chef Peter Conistis. From one of the ancient civilisations on earth comes simply prepared food that uses the best of what’s in season & adds just a little magic to help it sing off the plate. From some of the best lamb dishes on earth to fresh seafood, vegetables, beans & pulses & of course good olive oil, Greek food is simple, colourful & incredibly good for you.When Greeks taste something delicious, they have a lovely phrase “Yia Sta Heria Stas” which translates as “I kiss your hands”, celebrating the skill of the cook.
Chinese cuisine is familiar to Australians & a recent survey found that two thirds of Australian households own a wok & use it regularly, but not everyone knows how to use it properly. With authentic ingredients now being more widely available it is possible to cook recipes that once were only available in restaurants. The spread of traditional Chinese food began with Cantonese style cooking from the south of China & includes instantly recognisable dishes such as stir-fries, sweet & sour & chop suey. In recent years Northern style & spicier food from Szechuan & Shanghai have followed.
Ever since Italians migrated to Australia and introduced us to spaghetti bolognese and pizza, Australians have embraced this wonderful, satisfying cuisine. Spaghetti Bolognese is now so popular that it could almost be classed as an adopted national dish. Italians were among the first to show us how to appreciate good coffee, use olive oil and understand the joy of fresh pasta. Antipasto is another Italian introduction. The literal translation is 'before the meal'. Small morsels are offered to guests as they arrive and these might include zucchini fritters, carciofi (artichokes), olives, stuffed peppers, tuna carpaccio. Remember not too much so that your guests don't get full before the main meal.
Thai food has been a huge hit in Australia with Thai restaurants in many suburbs and parts of our cities serving a range of curry puffs, soups, curries and stir fries. At its best, the flavours of sweet, sour, salty and tangy are balanced and when used cleverly, you feel your taste buds dance. Eating Thai style is to be served all the dishes at the same time in the centre of the table – no entrée/maincourse/dessert here. Rice is an integral part of every meal, along with soup, a couple of curries and side dishes. Thai people eat with a spoon and fork and use the fork to push the food onto the spoon; the fork is never used to actually eat with.
“Sahteyn” is a word you will often hear in a Lebanese home – loosely translated it means “twice your health” – a form of welcome to join a family and share delicious food. And this is some of the most exquisite food in the world. Lebanese cuisine is generous and abundant. The reason is the age-old tradition of hospitality which exists – your host will never believe you don’t have just a bit more room for something utterly delicious that’s been prepared with love. In a Lebanese household, food is life and sharing it is one of the great joys of being alive. And even for simple dinners at home, there are a variety of dishes on the table, the meal starting with small portions known as mezza which centres around dips and salads. As well as having great variety, Lebanese food is one of the freshest and most delicious on the planet. Lamb is the meat of choice and appears in many dishes including kafta in which minced lamb is rolled into sausage shapes and cooked on the barbecue or in the oven. Sweets are pure artwork, as a visit to one of the palaces of Lebanese sweets will attest – there are many variations of filo pastry combined with nuts and syrup; there are creamy sweets filled with a clotted cream called ashta plus melting shortbread sometimes filled with a date paste or nuts and much more. Sweets are generally served separately to a meal with black coffee or tea. So, Sahteyn – welcome to a great cuisine.
Mexican cuisine is one of the most ancient and developed on earth but is little known outside its borders and too many restaurants are more “Tex” than “Mex” according to the small number of Mexican expatriates in Australia Authentic Mexican food is vibrant, delicious and fun and varies according to which region its from. It is also colourful, spicy and uses an amazing array of chillies, both fresh and dried. Many ingredients are available everywhere – tomatoes, limes, coriander, red onion, avocado, corn…and its easy to cook. Some people think Mexican food is too spicy – but true Mexican food has a depth of flavour with its combination of savoury and earthy flavours, and use of fresh herbs.
What a wonderful mixture of cooking styles exists within Turkish cuisine. Due to its geographical location nestled between Asia and Europe, Turkish food is a unique and exotic fusion with influences from many countries. Since the days of the powerful Ottoman empire, Turkey has also been at the centre of trade, especially in spice, and the Ottoman chefs borrowed, adapted and perfected dishes from many other cuisines. The results of this distillation spread far beyond its borders with Turkish style pastries using filo and nuts being used in many neighbouring countries plus the use of spices in many dishes and the popular method of grilling food , particularly meat, over charcoal. In Australia we are gradually learning that true Turkish food extends far beyond colourful vegetable dips, delicious pide bread and kebabs – however it’s a great way to start! In the past 10 years we’ve seen Turkish bread become a staple in many homes and loved in sandwich shops and cafes across the country. Becoming popular is the Turkish answer to sliced ham or pastrami – bastourma – air dried beef coated and cured in a mixture of dried ground spices. And how could we go past a locally made authentic Turkish delight with traditional coffee to finish a meal.
Spanish food is incredibly varied, the first recipes were written in the fourteenth century and the cuisine was enriched by the Moors, Arabs, Sephardic Jews, French and Italians as well as the voyages of discovery to the New World which resulted in a huge range of new ingredients. With its very different regions – the long coastline, rugged mountains, baking plains and rich farming land, there are a vast range of dishes but they all have one thing in common – they’re all simple, unpretentious and use beautifully fresh seasonal ingredients. Eating is more than simply looking after hunger pangs – food is savoured and enjoyed communally and many traditions have evolved over the years including the famous tapas – the series of small snacks eaten with a drink as the prelude to a meal. In Australia we’re familiar with some of the main culinary exports like paella, and sangria and still coming up to speed with the lesser known zarzuela (seafood stew) and fino - the dry sherry that makes for a great aperitif and goes so well with the strong flavours of some of the tapas dishes. Its worth seeking out the best ingredients – a good Spanish paprika, saffron, olive oil, being generous with garlic and wine and having a go at making some of the simple Spanish recipes here. Enjoy.
