Get Cookin': The Other Mediterranean

Ask a typical health food enthusiast how to spell Mediterranean, as in healthy diet, and they’ll recite ITALY. But the Greeks cook with the healthiest ingredients on the planet—olive oil, grains, vegetables, and fruits.

And don’t forget fish. Not to knock pasta, but in the rush to embrace all things Italian, we have forgotten that Ancel Keyes, the first scientist to examine the relationship between diet and health more than 50 years ago, praised the food of the entire Mediterranean region. That includes the Greek Isles.

With a culinary traditions stretching back to Alexander the Great, influences from invasions by the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires, and the distinction of inventing the toque, or tall chef’s hat, Greek cooking bears a closer look. Feast on spinach-swathed fish, buttery leek-flecked rice, and honey-scented apricots. You’ll be calling for bouzouki music before the night is done.

A Word About Cooking With Herbs

Mint, oregano, and dill enliven Middle Eastern and Greek cooking, a low-fat, low-calorie way of adding distinctive flavors and aromas to a dish. Unlike hot peppers, they don’t bite back if you go overboard. Used haphazardly, though, these herbs can overpower a dish, especially when used in combination. Experienced cooks learn how to use them to balance the other elements in a recipe by adding sparingly and tasting frequently. That’s a good rule of thumb when you are using any unfamiliar ingredient.