A Reborn Pastafarian! :)

Being a follower of the much loved 'Church Of The Flying Spaghetti Monster', I figured it was time to make a beautiful pasta dish to honour 'His Noodliness'. :P... (Thanks A!)

I had a dish in mind that I had seen on the Food Network which won the first prize in the Ultimate Recipe Showdown; The 'French Onion "Soup" Mac & Cheese'. Being a lover of both these classics, I figured a combination of the two could only be the next step to culinary heaven.

Here is the link to the amazing recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ultimate-recipe-showdown/french-onion-soup-mac-and-cheese-recipe/index.html

Having gone through all the ingredients (a must!), I confidently set off to the Oysterbay deli with my shopping list, only to find that they were closed for the holidays! Drat and double drat! I asked a tourist for alternatives (lol) and headed off to Seacliff supermarket, which though expensively priced should stock everything required.

I had to make a few modifications with the ingredients as some were not available; instead of Gruyere, I bough mature cheddar and double gloucestershire cheese to add texture and depth of flavour to the dish.

(NB: For cheese nerds, here's some extra info: There are two types of Gloucester cheese: Single and Double; Single Gloucester is made from milk from Gloucestershire breed cows farmed within the English county of Gloucestershire.

Both types have a natural rind and a hard texture, but Single Gloucester is more crumbly, lighter in texture and lower in fat. Double Gloucester is allowed to age for longer periods than Single, and it has a stronger and more savoury flavour.

It is also slightly firmer. Both types are produced in round shapes, but Double Gloucester rounds are larger. Traditionally whereas the Double Gloucester was a prized cheese comparable in quality to the best Cheddar or Cheshire, and was exported out of the County, Single Gloucester tended to be consumed within the County.)

So back to the important stuff: 

Have any of you ever noticed that no matter how much cheese you add to a bechamel sauce, it will not get that lovely deep flavour you find in great pasta dishes in great restaurants? Yes? Well, let me share the secret with you here. You need a strong cheese with a more complex flavour than your basic mellow cheddar. Gruyere is traditionally used in French Onion Soup, but I found that a mature cheddar worked well too. Combining two cheeses also adds to the depth and complexity of the sauce. I will be trying an aged gouda or a smoked cheese next time. Let me know if another cheese works for you!

The second secret to making a great bechamel sauce is that you must whisk the milk gradually into the flour and butter mix (see recipe for instructions). You must continue whisking until the sauce gradually thickens, and then add in the cheese(s), whilst continuing to gently whisk/stir the mixture until all the cheese is melted in. Trust me, you will get the most scrumptious sauce this way!

This recipe is really delicious and the addition of the caramelized onions takes it to another level altogether! Try it and see if you decide to become a reborn Pastafarian too! :)

For more information about the many many different types of pasta available, check out this link:

http://www.aglioolioepeperoncino.com/2010/09/la-pasta.html

A Visit To Alexander's

Tucked away at the end of a long lonely road and almost impossible to locate, we finally found ourselves on the doorstep of the well hidden Alexander's. There was no one at the entrance and we cautiously made our way upstairs to the rooftop restaurant, appreciating the beautiful room decors on the way. Having heard that this place had great food, my friend and I were looking forward to a delicious finger licking, lip smacking evening.

We were greeted at the restaurant entrance by a very polite waiter who first asked if we had reservations. I had reservations about the needed reservations when I looked around at the many empty tables, but understood that as a hotel, they possibly cater mainly to their guests. Luckily though, this did not prevent us from being comfortably seated and politely reminded that we would need to make reservations for the future. :) Upon looking around, I quickly realized that there would be no (literal) lip smacking or finger licking taking place that evening! The restaurant is beautifully appointed but has a bit of a froufrou feeling to it.

After being served drinks and settled in, we looked at the menus. The menu itself was not very extensive but had a good selection of dishes. Personally I prefer quality to quantity any day. I could not resist ordering the starter of crab pate, since that is a favourite and hardly found in Dar! I followed that with a main course of Thai prawn curry served with fragrant jasmine rice. My friend opted for the chicken breast stuffed with cheese and spinach.

The starter arrived in good time and we tucked into the most delicious crab pate spread onto thin bread slices. The pate had a good texture, was not mushy or slimy and the seasonings were subtle allowing the crab to be the star of the show! A little lemon on the side would have been a good addition, but overall a great start to the meal!

We didn't have long to wait for the mains after completing our 

starter. With as little intrusion as possible, our excellent waiter (Victor) cleared the plates, brought in new cutlery and served up the main course.

My Thai prawn curry had a good numbers of prawns nestled within a thick aromatic sauce. The side of rice and vegetables was also substantial and well presented. I turned to see my friend’s course which was also a good portion, consisting of a big chicken breast and a large side of thick cut seasoned chips.

The prawn curry was delicately seasoned and the flavours played around delightfully in the mouth at each bite. The prawns themselves were not overcooked and the thickness of the sauce was well balanced. The rice could have done with some more jasmine flavour since I did not catch that lovely aroma at all. But it was well cooked and complemented the prawns perfectly. In my opinion, the vegetables were a waste of space!

I tried a bite of my friend’s meal. The cheese had melted into the tender chicken flesh and the spinach was well seasoned. Unlike many other places, the chicken had not been overcooked leaving it dry and tasteless. We were two well filled, well satisfied diners at the end of a delightful evening and have no reservations about making reservations here in the future!

Close Saves

You know one of the things I like best is when a dish you have completely given up on takes a turn for the better and transforms into an awesome surprise! I usually cook by instinct and this has been a saving grace many a times.......See the last two episodes in 'Close Saves!'

I was pretty confident about baking a delicious chocolate cake for my staff on the last day of work and got to work nice and early in the morning. It all started out perfectly using a new recipe which was chock a block full with scrumptious ingredients!

Everything was going well and I started getting a little cocky about how good this cake was going to be.... when I suddenly smelt something burning! No, it wasn't anyone turning green with jealousy over my cake, it was the cake itself!

I rushed to take it out from the oven and though the damage was minimal, it left the cake pretty dry. Hmmm..... now what? I thought to myself that chocolate and coffee make a great combination, so how about a coffee glaze? I found a great quick recipe on the net.....

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,183,159184-241200,00.html

Mmmmm.... this smelt gorgeous and I liberally poured the glaze over the cake, catching the access in a plate and pouring it on again and again and again..... I really let the syrup soak into the cake before serving and it turned into a soft moist delight for the senses! I highly recommend this simple glaze recipe whether you've dried out your cake or not! 

The second incident took place today.....

I am one of those people who can cook Italian, Mexican, Thai... you name it and I can make it. But ask me to make a good basic omelette or make the perfect fluffy rice, and I fall to pieces! Today was no exception. 

I had a gorgeous vegetable concoction simmering on the stove ready to be layered with the rice and baked for lunch... when I realised that my rice had overcooked and was now a soft mushy mess! Too little water and it was too hard, too much water and it's too soft! See what I mean???

Having decided there was nothing for it but to layer it and pray for the best, I suddenly had a brainwave! How about adding that mushy rice to the vegetables and creating a sort of risotto? Mmmm... I mixed the rice and vegetables together and it looked lovely... but something was missing..... aha! It was the cheese! I added a healthy handful of cheddar, some fresh herbs, stirred it all well, put it in a tray and baked it.... voila! Risotto Ala Close Save! :P

I got plenty of compliments on my 'risotto' so..... all's well that ends well. On a last note, it is important to remember that wonderful Julia Child's words if things don't go as planned..... 'NEVER APOLOGIZE'! :)

Salad Soulmate :P

After a wonderful soul nourishing morning at the Africafe Coffee shop at Seacliff Village, I turned my attention to their lunch menu. Being a food lover (and critic), I am always on the lookout for new exciting cuisine offerings and naturally also something to blog about!

I had already enjoyed a delicately flavoured mocha and was debating whether the food offerings would be just as good. My eye was caught by the tempting spicy beef /or chicken salad. Now those of you who have been following my blog know that I haven't had much luck with salads in Dar. It may be the Haven Of Peace, but it is far from being the Haven Of Health!

Trying to stay gluten free and fill up the hollow in my stomach has been a consistent disappointing challenge. I decided to tempt fate, trust the Universe and try the salad! Having confirmed with the waiter that the salad was filling enough to be a meal and did not consist of just lettuce, I took a deep breathe and ordered it. As always, this was accompanied by that jittery 'will it, won't it meet the high standards of my discerning tastebuds' concern.

I was engrossed in my Kindle and was surprised to find that my meal was before me within 20 minutes. My first impression was 'yummmmm...'. I could see a lovely substantial masterpiece of colours, freshness and textures before me! More importantly, the lettuce was definitely a side actor (as it is meant to be) and not the star of the show!

I dove right into that salad and ...... hold your breathe........ was not disappointed! Far from it, my whole mind, body and soul were singing in delight! The dish consisted of an exquisite mix of tender stir fried juicy chicken pieces, fresh crunchy vegetables like cucumbers, onions & tomatoes and the whole creation was beautifully served up on crisp lettuce leaves. The salad was perfectly clothed (refer to my 'never serve a salad naked!' post ...lol) with a well seasoned dressing offering the right balance of spice, sweet, salty and tanginess. What I truly loved was the tiny pieces of bird's eye chilli (pilipili mbuzi) which were playing hide & seek in the salad and suddenly filled your mouth with an unexpected hot bite! 

Many a times, chefs add fresh herbs & spices without considering the balance of a dish... not so here! The fresh herbs kept each mouthful interesting and fully engaged the tastebuds in a cheeky game of 'guess who I am?'. The parsley brought in a slight bitterness, the mint a breathe of freshness and the cilantro that lovely earthiness that reminds us why good food is music for the body and soul. I have found my new salad soul mate! Kudos to the Africafe chef!!!

Love your pilipili mbuzi? Want to be a fan? Then join this hot facebook community of mbuzi lovers! J

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2562466915

Here are some general chilli facts:

http://www.chillisgalore.co.uk/pages/chilli_facts.html

Want to make your own spicy chicken salad? Try this link, though I make no promises that it will be as good as the one I just had! :P

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spicy-Chicken-Salad-with-Bell-Pepper-and-Cilantro-4333

http://www.evernewrecipes.com/salads-recipes/spicy-chicken-salad-recipe.html

A Minestrone Miss & Mess!

Do you all remember my extremely disappointing, inadequate third rate food experience at Coral Rock Hotel in Jambiani a few weeks back? Well during my food review here, one of the things that I had promised then was a post on the humble minestrone soup. Someone just reminded me that I had yet to write about that, so here goes.....

The word 'Minestrone' means 'big soup' to Italians ... this translates to a large hearty portion of delicious soup with lots of goodies in it such as beans, fresh vegetables and naturally.... pasta! Unluckily the minestrone that we sent back uneaten at Coral Rock Hotel appeared to be on a low fat, low nutrition, low taste & low self-esteem diet and consisted of a bowl of bland boiled spaghetti sadly floating about in a tablespoon of water with some bits of boiled carrots and peppers, with the trademark 'no seasoning!'. The so called 'soup' masquerading as a minestrone must have put the entire rich history of Italian food to shame!

We can trace back the origin of the word 'minestrone' in the Latin word 'minus' (minor or less) which referred to servants as they were considered  inferior from the masters of the house. Therefore, one can see that the word 'minestrone' originates from the word 'minestrare' ie. 'that which is served'.

For more information on this, please visit the link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minestrone

Luckily this rich and hearty soup (a real minestrone, not the fake Coral Rock Hotel version!) is not that hard to make as it does not have a fixed recipe and you can use a range of different vegetables (and even meats) and herbs that you may have lying around the house needing to be used up. The various soup versions span the entire range from thick and dense with a heavy vegetable base to a more broth like mix of lightly cooked vegetables that may include meats.

Whichever version you decide to make, remember to pay homage to the long and lush history of this humble soup! Enjoy :)

Here are a few different versions for you to try... Please come back and share your favorite!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robin-miller/minestrone-soup-with-pasta-beans-and-vegetables-recipe/index.html

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/best-darn-minestrone-soup-around/Detail.aspx

http://www.food.com/recipe/copycat-olive-garden-minestrone-soup-by-todd-wilbur-77585

Mango Magic

So you all know that moment when you suddenly have guests arriving and have no idea what to do for dessert? I faced that tonight and found the perfect solution! Make my version of a scrumptious mango and banana pudding which can be prepared in just 20 minutes.


The only ingredients you need are:


Fresh mango
Sweet condensed milk
Ricotta cheese 
Lemon
Bananas and milk (my addition)


Peel and slice the mangoes, add sliced bananas, ricotta cheese, lemon (lots of it!) and sweet condensed milk. I found that the mixture was difficult to blend in my Vitamix, so I added some milk. This helped the consistency and made it easier to blend the mixture.


For exact measurements, you can use the recipe below. I don't use measurements but just keep tasting the mixture until it seems to have the right balance of flavors. I added a lot more lemon than in the recipe as I felt the tang of the lemon balanced out the sweetness of the mango beautifully.


The bananas helped to reduce the strong taste of ricotta. I guess this would probably depend on the kind of ricotta cheese available to you and whether you personally like a more cheesy taste.


Just blend the mixture for about 3-4 minutes until it is smooth and has no lumps. Spoon it into pretty glasses and decorate with a sprig of mint!


That's it. All you need to do now is chill it for about 2 hours and you're all set! :)


The original recipe is here:


http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/Dessert/Cheese/recipe.html?dishid=11028

This was my first time using ricotta cheese in a recipe and I am amazed at how easy it is to make yummy desserts! I guess one could try several variations using ricotta such as coffee and chocolate pudding, other fruit puddings (I'm thinking strawberry?) ..... Let me know if any of you try variations and how they turned out!

Menu Moans At The Movenpick

Dilly Tartar Sauce

My famous food forays found me at Movenpick for lunch today. I ordered the grilled tuna with spicy pineapple and tomato salsa with a side of steamed rice and veggies.

As I waited I looked upon the beautiful green expanse of grass and found myself relaxing and unwinding after all the stress and head aches caused by the crazy management of Coral Rock Hotel in Zanzibar recently. A light rain accompanied the general feeling of well being and I looked forward to a delicious meal to round off the perfect afternoon.

My meal arrived in good time and the tuna looked inviting and tempting. It had been grilled to perfection and there was a generous portion on the plate. It was one of the better plates of grilled fish I have had in Tanzania. I looked around for the pineapple and tomato salsa.... Was it playing hide and seek under the tuna? Or had it been misplaced under the slices of dry grilled eggplant?

Nope, the pineapple and tomato salsa was nowhere to be found. There was a small portion of a tomato, onion and green pepper mix on the tuna, which I had taken for additional topping. The ball now dropped! This was the promised spicy salsa! Hmmm.... A small portion of a bland mix of vegetables with salt and lemon?

Well naturally this would never do! I asked for the menu and invited the very kind food and beverage manager to come over and read the description of my promised meal in the menu. I explained that I had been looking forward to the salsa as the sweetness of the pineapple and the spiciness of the chilli would have balanced out the grilled fish beautifully and given it the freshness and oomph it was clearly lacking. The addition of fresh herbs such as cilantro and mint would also have been greatly welcomed!

Furthermore, the plate was accompanied by a side of tartar sauce which added nothing whatsoever to the overall completeness of the meal. Food lovers are normally aware that tartar sauce is an accompaniment to fried sea food dishes certainly not grilled ones.

What is not that well known is that the tartar sauce was originally developed by the French as a sauce for 'steak tartare', a famous French dish with thinly chopped raw steak, and at some point the name was changed to 'tartar'. In any case, tartar sauce appears to date to the 1800s, although similar sauces have been made as far back as the 1600s. A sauce with such a proud history would certainly not appreciate being treated in this manner!

As I mentioned before, the tuna was very good, but the balance of the dish was sadly missing. The veggies consisted of two slices of grilled courgette and two slices of dried out eggplant. The rice which is a popular accompaniment to grilled fish was also too bland and dry. It is interesting to see how one missing component of a dish throws the rest of the plate out of balance.

To give my afternoon a sweet ending, I decided to order a dessert and after some thought settled on the warm apple tart tatin with homemade vanilla icecream. It was not to be so! The restaurant was out of that dessert and nothing else really caught my fancy. Just out of curiosity, I asked whether the ice cream was really home made of whether it was the store bought kind.

Little surprise when I was informed that it was good ole Azam ice cream! The manager explained that the shipment of the famous trademark Movenpick ice cream had not yet arrived from Switzerland. I clearly recall that the last time I had that delicious chocolate belgian Movenpick ice cream was about two years ago. Every visit following that memorable one, I have been informed that the hotel only has Azam ice cream (though at the same exorbitant prices!). Those shipments take pretty long to get to Tanzania........

Try and make your own tartar sauce (only for fried seafood!):

http://whatscookingamerica.net/TartarSauce.htm

http://www.mygourmetconnection.com/recipes/side-dishes/sauces-condiments/dilly-tartar-sauce.php

If you want to make your own sweet ending, here is a recipe for apple tart tatin:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/apple-tart-tatin-recipe/index.html

Dar Foodie In ZNZ! - Coral Rock Hotel

I was very excited about this weekend as we headed to Coral Rock Hotel in Jambiani, Zanzibar. I have been a fan on their facebook page for a while now and recently they put up a link to their very promising sounding new menu. On paper, it had all the ingredients that promised a feast for the senses; freshly caught seafood, delicious sauces and a good variety on the menu. So I packed myself and my discerning tastebuds and prepared for an overload of sensual pleasures (strictly of the gastronomical kind!).


We arrived at about 11.15am at the hotel and having missed breakfast, immediately ordered brunch. My sister asked for penne arrabbiata and after much agonizing, I settled on the grilled kingfish on a bed of red mash and a side of delicious coconut sauce. The food took more than an hour in arriving but as I assured my sister, that meant it was likely to be freshly cooked and scrumptious!


When the long awaited food finally arrived, my sister took one bite and spat it out immediately! It was practically drowning in chilli powder! Now I am well aware that arrabbiata is the italian word for angry, but if you're going to be red hot furious, you do need to warn your customers! Ideally, as in many other places, the menu needs to have a heat rating. Generally in european and continental establishments, one just does not expect this level of heat! The manager did not charge us for the uneaten meal and at my sister's request it was replaced with a much more palatable cheese and vegetable sandwich, which was charged. :P


Turning my attention to my food, which was stone cold, I was dissapointed to find that the fish had been overcooked and neither the fish nor red potato mash had a hint of seasoning (including salt)! For those of you who read my earlier post on naked salads, you can imagine that this was akin to a sacreligious insult for me! To have an undressed salad is bad enough, but to have unseasoned food is like poking me with red hot knives and slowly turning me on a spit! To add further insult to injury, the promised coconut sauce was nowhere to be seen!


Forcing down the bland boring food somehow due to hunger, we headed to our rooms and were gloomily contemplating the meals in the days to come and also sorely regretting the fact that we had not carried any snacks!


Come dinner, I spoke to one of the managers about the quality of the food, but he was of the opinion that it was better to add seasonings at the table so that people could choose how much they wanted .... the quality and the taste of the food also apparently depended on which chef was on duty that night....hmmm... someone get Gordon Ramsey here on the double!!!


After having confirmed that the 'good' chef was on duty that night and having received something like a recommendation for the seafood pancakes, I took a deep breathe and decided to order them. Surprisingly, the seafood filling in the coconut sauce was delicious! The pancakes themselves were too thick, but the portion was generous, the sauce subtly seasoned and the delicious creamy taste of coconut pervaded my senses. That with the sound of the crashing waves nearby, the palm trees in the distance and the balmy evening air was near perfection...


Good things do come in small portions, we sadly realized, as the next morning breakfast was a mishmash of overly sour fruit juice, unripe bananas, tasteless watermelon and a finale of burnt cheese and bacon omlette! Offering a selection of seasonal ripe fruits would go a long way in establishing a more pleasing start to the day!


The afternoon continued in this vein as we were presented with soggy nachos (though real nachos and not Doritos as you find at Spurs... so kudos for that!), watery salsa and an oily mess which was meant to pass as an oriental vegetable stirfry! The food and beverage manager was sincerely apologetic and immediately asked if we would like something else on the house, since the food was practically untouched. But all that oil had left a rather unpleasant taste in the mouth, so we declined.


Am I guilty of presenting an overly well seasoned argument? For my last meal here tonight I ordered the seafood special; fish and prawn curry on yellow rice. The oversalted curry came with two prawns and two pieces of fish and tasted strongly of tumeric, which had been added liberally, thereby losing all the other delicate flavours in the sauce. If one looks at the importance of food and sees the main components as the chef, the seasonings can only be seen as the sous chef.... both fulfilling an equally important part and needing to work together beautifully in tandem in order to create magic..... After all good cooking is magical....


My sister's final order of minestrone soup was so bad, (a bowl of boiled spaghetti and boiled pieces of carrots & peppers floating about in a tablespoon of plain water) that I have decided to dedicate a whole post on the subject and also discuss what a real minestrone is.... so watch the next post!


I believe what is further highlighting the substandard bland food here is also the fact that I am fully engrossed at present in reading 'My Life In France' by Julia Child, a passionate lover of good food and the author of many renowned cook books based on french fare.


The book is alive with the sights, sounds, colours and most importantly the tastes of Paris and nearby regions! Each description leaves the reader drooling and is a real smorgasbord for the senses! Ah, la belle France.......

“Zuane Uppp, Zuane Downnnn”

A rant from the past ;)


Most of you remember that nursery rhyme with the girl with a curl in the middle of her forehead? Well if one could apply the same sentiment to restaurants, Zuane would be the clear winner. When ze food iz good, eet iz very very good, and when ze food is bad, eet iz terrible!

The food at Zuane swings from one extreme to another, and all this I'm talking about in a week. I was introduced to Zuane when I had a real craving for Italian food (just the way mother makes it ;) ).... I went with a group of friends and the food was delish!

We ordered the pasta, pizza and to end with; the rather dubious sounding sweet chocolate ravioli, which turned out to be divine. Everything was perfect and the pleasure of finding real Italian food in Dar put us on cloud nine.

Well.... I was bitten by the Italian food bug, and a few days later saw me heading back there for take away. (same spinach ricotta ravioli and pizza) The place was rather crowded but I got my food and headed home. This time the food was slightly below the first great impression the place had on me; for one thing a lot less cheese!

No matter. Everyone is allowed a bad day. So two days later, once more I took a guest and we headed back to Zuane. The food took quite a while in arriving and when it finally did, my guest took one bite and spat out the spinach ricotta ravioli (the same one ordered twice before in a week)! I was shocked. I leaned over to try a bite and to my dismay the savory dish was as sweet as a desert! 

We asked for the manager and he took some 20 minutes in arriving, in a foul mood. (Neither of us had eaten more than a bite). When we explained what the problem was he gave us a condescending look and proceeded to enlighten us that yes, the ravioli did call for honey and zometimes it had less and zometimes eet had more honey, but the taste was always the same... umm yeah right and I fell off the Christmas tree yesterday!

After spending some 10 minutes or more in this vein with no sign of an apology or other food in view, we decided to end this farce, asked for the bill (which we paid in full), and headed off to good ole Spurs for some real food.

I find it a shame that we had this experience, since it is difficult at the best of times to find consistently good quality food in Dar and I thought we had a winner. More than anything, it was the attitude that really put us off. Has no one here ever heard of 'the customer is always right'? Or it could just be that my taste buds went through a massive makeover in a week and I can't tell good food from bad any more.... ..and outside pink pigs with silver wings are flying in a green sky ;)


NB: For those brave enough, here are recipes for chocolate ravioli:


http://www.yummly.com/recipes/chocolate-ravioli


http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chocolate-hazelnut-ravioli-recipe/index.html

DON'T SERVE THE SALAD NAKED!

I visited Fish Mongers at Sea Cliff Village last night looking forward to a delicious meal of tender baby Portugese chicken and a large plate of salad.


Well, that's what I looked forward to ... but what I received was a different matter altogether. Our chicken arrived (a whole baby chicken cut in two as requested) dry, hard and completely lacking in seasoning or taste. I was really surprised as on my last visit here I had fallen in love with this dish....But unluckily I have come to accept that it is easier to find the proverbial needle in the haystack than consistency in Dar restaurants.....


Chewing on the hard tasteless meat, we finally sent it back asking that the chef add some more sauce and seasonings to the meal and turned our attention to the Greek Salad.


Now, food historians tell us salads (generally defined as mixed greens with dressing) were enjoyed by ancient Romans and Greeks. As time progressed, salads became more complicated.....(in some countries at least!)  http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodsalads.html


Lucky Romans & Greeks! It's little wonder they never turned an eye to Tanzania because the lack of dressings on salads would surely have sent them scuttling back home! Our tiny plate of Greek Salad (which cost a hefty Tshs 8,000) consisted of lettuce, tomatoes cut in quarters, thin slivers of green pepper, cucumbers, 6 olives, 6 small pieces of feta cheese..... and NO dressing!


I am a firm believer that serving a salad without dressing it is like serving a naked salad... a real shame! When I spoke to the manager about this, she informed me that not all the customers preferred their salads dressed which is why they had the same generic (boring) salad dressing on the side which could be used on all the salads. (Surely if this is part of the menu, then others can ask for it to left off?)


This unluckily means you receive an untossed undressed salad which is lacking in flavour, finesse or any yummy saladiness....Furthermore, as I was informed you most certainly shouldn't expect this as your main course! Luckily we had a terrific waiter who was very helpful and accommodating, so this made up slightly for an unpleasant unappetizing evening.


Upon my return home, I found it hard to believe that the Greeks who are well known for their love of colours, tastes and textures in their foods would create such an unappetizing dish... so I decided to do some research....


Not surprisingly, all the best recipes for Greek salads contain dressings (seen as an essential), some of which the salads are marinated in before being tossed and served with warm bread and olive oil. Naturally being invented in Greece, their portions are also very large!


If you would like to make your own big delicious Greek Salad bursting with flavours, textures and goodness, try one from the following...... and remember: DON'T SERVE THE SALAD NAKED!


http://www.food.com/recipe/kittencals-famous-greek-salad-66596


http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/absolutely-fabulous-greekhouse-dressing/Detail.aspx


http://www.food.com/recipe/the-ultimate-greek-salad-90975