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CELEBRATION WEEKEND BRINGS THE PAGES OF SUNSET MAGAZINE TO LIFE JUNE 6TH & 7TH IN MENLO PARK, CA
Restaurant and institutions magazine
The Official Magazine of the Research Chefs Association
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Mediterranean Inspirations
Rachel Zemser
03/03/2009
Continued from page 1
FLAVOR RETENTION, DISH REINVENTION
Chain restaurants can benefit by analyzing the components of complex
Mediterranean dishes and reshaping them into mainstream-friendly
dishes. For example, Burak Epir, chef-owner, Pilita Grill, an
authentic Turkish restaurant in San Carlos, CA, features a grilled and
dehydrated eggplant roll stuffed with feta cheese, fresh tomato, basil
and spicy tomato sauce. This can be simplified by layering thin slices
of grilled eggplant with cheese and tomato to create a healthy,
vegetarian, Mediterranean-style lasagna, or by serving deep-fried
rounds of eggplant with whipped feta cheese or tomato-basil dipping
sauce.
In Spain and Greece, the rich flavor and thickening power of almonds
result in the nut-based sauces
picada,
romesco and
skordalia. Joyce
Goldstein, Mediterranean cookbook author and consultant, suggests
combining
romesco with mayonnaise to create
Photo: Vernon Lee
a more customer-friendly aioli-style dipping sauce that can be served
with deep-fried potatoes or vegetables. Add some vinegar to the aioli,
and it becomes a rich salad dressing.
Often a dish will be readily accepted when described to a customer in
a more-familiar way. At the 2008 Worlds of Flavor conference, the
Mushroom Council, San Jose, CA, featured portabella and mushroom cap
sliders filled with a tomato “
harissa jam” and marinated in
chermoula.
Prepared Mediterranean flavors, such as those from Morocco like
harissa and
chermoula, can maximize the “culinary degrees of freedom”
available to foodservice operators. Jason Dumo, director of marketing,
Griffith Laboratories, Alsip, IL, describes “culinary degrees of
freedom” as “the amount of creative license available to the target
consumer within a given food space.” For example, he notes some
restaurant chain customers will be more accepting of the word
“
chermoula” as a flavor descriptor on a menu, while other chain
customers might respond better to “hot and spicy.” In both cases, the
same seasoning blend can be used.
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