Spain, Bulgaria, and In-Between: Culinary Morsels from Southern Europe

Many of us are already familiar with the joys of cooking. A successful dish delights the senses, leaving us satisfied and in a positive state of mind. Cooking is a relaxing and simultaneously exciting process that entertains our creativity and has rewarding results. We enjoy sharing recipes and experiences, cooking together or cooking for one another. It’s no wonder people just love to cook!

The most unique aspect of the culinary arts is that there is no limit to the combinations and types of ingredients that can be used to create a tantalizing dish. One of the best ways to explore new ideas in the kitchen is by venturing into the realm of foreign cuisine; there is so much to be discovered by sampling foods from other parts of the world. We can broaden our horizons and our menus by incorporating these “exotic” recipes and ingredients into the already familiar ones. You’ll be surprised at what you can create!

So, put on your apron, get your grocery list ready, dust off your cooking pans, and dive into the tantalizing cuisine of the culinary Mecca that is Southern Europe.  Here you’ll find a quick overview and a few authentic, exotic, and time-tested recipes from the region.

Attempting to describe the cuisine of Southern Europe – the hearty Portuguese steaks, the succulent Catalan seafood soups, the intricate Italian prosciuttos, the refined Greek spanakopitas, the rich Cypriot ‘mezes’, the aromatic Serbian barbeques, the mouth-watering Bulgarian stews, the oozing Turkish delights – may seem to be a fool’s errand. While we might think of Southern European countries as a frozen salad mix of distinct cultures and disparate cuisines, they in fact resemble more a delicious stew, slow-cooked and infused with the carefully-selected aromas of freshly-picked garden herbs.

Southern Europe has functioned as a civilization ‘melting pot’ for millennia, serving as the seat of numerous empires: from the Minoans and Phoenicians to the ancient Macedonians, from the Romans to the Moors, from the Byzantines to the Ottomans and Venetians. As a result, contemporary Southern Europe, in spite of having been sliced, cubed, and shredded into a variety of countries, shares common agricultural practices, culinary attitudes, and a simple, yet savory gastronomic palette.

The taste of Southern Europe is strong, uncomplicated, aromatic and enticing. It showcases the natural quality of the region’s bountiful produce: the fruits and vegetables (tomatoes, onions, garlic, cucumbers, greens, eggplants, and okra, to name a few) are as fresh and organic as they can get; the herbs (parsley, dill, mint, fennel, oregano, basil) are strong, but never overpowering; the dairy comprises of rich, thick yogurts and cheeses; the breads come in a wide assortment and numerous flavors; the luscious meadows and many seas provide a wide variety of fish and meat. The numerous ingredients and recipes, however, cannot fully describe the cuisine of a region where hospitality is paramount and the simplest dish is easily turned into a feast. In order to truly savor Southern European cooking, you need fresh ingredients, traditional recipes, a never-ending supply of local spirits, and a loud group of friends and family who will add the final touch of authenticity to any meal.

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