Glasses filled with wine, bursts of laughter, plenty of food to nibble on - this, to me, is the Mediterranean way of life. Even though there is no way in hell I can convince my boss to let me take a siesta in the middle of the day, I can still lead a Med lifestyle vicariously through the food I make. This month I’m entering Jenn’s popular Royal Foodie Joust, where bloggers have to strategically incorporate three featured ingredients into their entries. Kittie, last month’s winner, chose to feature whole grains, ginger and citrus. YUM!

I decided to make a traditional Middle Eastern salad called Tabbouleh (تبولة) alongside citrus-marinated swordfish spedini (Italian word for skewers).  I snuck some grated ginger into the swordfish marinade, used bulgur wheat in the salad and incorporated citrus into both dishes.

In order to get most of the leaves from the parsley (and not a lot of the tough stems) you want to bundle little bouquets of parsley and mince the leaves ultra fine with your sharpest knife. I remember for large social events and holidays, all the women in my family would gather in the kitchen to chop mountains of parsley and exchange juicy gossip. 

Now that we’re on the subject of Tabbouleh, I want clear up the common misconception that Tabbouleh should have only a tiny bit of parsley and a TON of bulgur wheat - NO! The only reason many (not-authentic) restaurants go heavy on the bulgur is because it’s a lot cheaper and quicker than chopping up all that parsley. And don’t try to whip out your fancy food processor here… nope, it’ll only make parsley pesto and that’s a totally different post.

When it comes to fish, I don’t like to overdo it with too many harsh herbs and spices. I purposefully chose a combo of clean flavors - specifically, basil, mint, lemon & orange zest, ginger, olive oil, salt & pepper. Let them all mingle in the fridge for a couple hours before throwing the fish on the grill. 

Whenever I’m entertaining, I like to join my guests for the occasion. I never make more than a few dishes from scratch and take help from the store whenever I can.  Here, I paired the swordfish spedini and Tabbouleh cups with some store-bought niçoise olives and Greek green olives.

Next time you want to take a break from life and jet off to the Mediterranean, invite friends over for some tapas, mezze, antipasti, whatever you want to call it (small food?) and open a nice bottle of wine. It’s lots of fun and definitely my preferred way to host. Spread the Med LOVE!

While in Italy, I noticed a great deal of attention was given to the palate and the way in which food was perfectly orchestrated from preparation to consumption. Meals had an order to them; appetizers actually opened up my appetite (shocking, right?). Chicken wings swimming in a puddle of sauce or a mountain of nachos forgotten under a cap of plastic-like cheese was simply unheard of. I loved how food made sense there.

Breakfast was usually small and quick – un caffè accompanied by a biscotti was delicious and typical. Ordering a “decaf grande, half-soy, half-low fat, double-shot, marble mocha macchiato, no foam, 2 Sweet-n’-low, extra hot” was grounds for excommunication with a side of public humiliation. Lunches were equally enjoyable, and I can continue to rant about how fabulous the al fresco dinners were, but that’s not what this entry is really about. This entry is my little tribute to the Sicilian classic, Fennel and Orange Salad.

On my trip I learned that salads are not to be eaten as entrees nor are they served as preludes to a meal. A salad should be enjoyed after the main course as a palate cleanser for the sweet finale. The moment I tasted this traditional Sicilian winter salad, I knew it was worth blogging about. The fresh anise flavor that charges through each bite literally douses your taste buds with the most memorable refreshing sensation. The anise flavor is then coupled with the sweet tartness from the juice of the blood oranges, striking that perfect note in your mouth. Add a few olives for some extra tang and your fruitiest extra virgin olive oil for some balance and you’ve got yourself a phenomenal salad!

Regular salads can get blah after a couple of bites, and it’s unfortunate because green is in these days. Whether you drive a hybrid car, compost daily or live off mounds of dry greens and humdrum vegetables; you’re part of, what I would call, the exclusive green niche. There’s nothing wrong with being green; I might not sport a hybrid, or compile my organic trash, but I recycle… that must land me somewhere within the niche, right? Back to my original point; boring and dry salads shouldn’t be the sole culinary gateway into this green paradise.

Tabbouleh is a traditional Middle Eastern salad that has recently received popular acclaim in the League of Greens. Tiny beads of fine bulgur wheat give body to the festive green flakes of parsley that make up the salad. It’s then tossed with an assortment of fresh vegetables, fragrant herbs and exotic spices that help give it its unique taste. And unlike the usual salad dressings that are saturated with hydrogenated oils and masked with indistinguishable flavors, tabbouleh is simply dressed with fruity extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.
Enjoy!