April 26, 2021

Variety Is the Spice of Great Britain’s Cuisine

This region offers a variety of diverse cuisines as it includes Scotland, England, and Wales.
April 13, 2021

Spices of the World: Ikaria, Greece

Over the past year, FoodTrients has been exploring foods and flavors from around the globe. This week, we introduce a new series on the world of herbs, spices and ingredients that help create some of distinctive dishes we have featured and the age-defying benefits they deliver. Ikaria is a beautiful Greek island located in the Aegean Sea and is known as a ‘blue zone’ due to many residents living well into their 90s. Cases of dementia almost non-existent. Often relying on only what can be grown at home, Ikarians consume diets high in fruits and vegetables, drink goat milk and […]
March 1, 2021

Spices Are an Integral Part of Lebanese Cuisine

I met chef Mike Elmachtoub when someone recommended his catering company to me. I called Urban Crunch Meal Prep & Catering and ordered some pistachio-crusted salmon and filet mignon for my staff. The food was well received, so I began to order more and more from Urban Crunch. Chef and owner Mike and I got to talking about his upbringing in Lebanon and how his father owned multiple restaurants all over the world. Mike knew he wanted to be in the restaurant business himself, so he studied culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena. (He’s lived in the U.S. […]
November 17, 2020

Oregano Is a Spice for All Seasons

Oregano is a common spice you likely have in your kitchen for seasoning savory Italian or Mediterranean recipes. The oregano plant is native to warm climates in southwestern Europe and the Mediterranean and currently Greece, Israel and Turkey are main producers of both the spice and essential oregano oils. Oregano is closely related to other spices like mint, thyme, marjoram, basil, sage, and lavender and goes well with these flavors in food. This common spice is used in the culinary setting for a variety of savory baked goods, vegetables, pizza and pasta sauces, and protein like chicken and fish. Like […]
November 2, 2020

Kitchen Herbs And Spices Are Powerful Antioxidants

Like most of my patients, you’ve probably heard or read about the importance of getting enough antioxidants
May 5, 2020

Add a World of Flavor with International Spice Blends

I just love to travel! I’m endlessly curious about other cultures and have been fortunate to travel throughout Asia, Europe and North America on a pretty regular basis. Eating and exploring the food in each country or region really gives me insight into their history and how the people live. Spice blends are an easy way to bring international flavor to the most common of foods, like vegetables or chicken breasts. A few shakes of curry powder in an otherwise predicable tuna salad takes it to a new dimension. Following are some spice blends from around the world that are […]
February 17, 2020

Spice It Up with Top 35 Anti-Aging Flavorings

I like my food to be very flavorful. And I’ve learned that my spice chest can also be my medicine cabinet. So when I begin to create a recipe, I reach for the oils, herbs, spices, and sweeteners that will do my body good. I’ve picked out my Top 35 flavorings so that you, too, can defy aging while you cook. Fats are a very controversial subject. Butter, in particular, has gone in and out of favor with nutritionists over the last 20 years. Today the consensus is that butter, in moderation, is actually better for your arteries than margarine, […]
January 21, 2020

Garam Masala: A Spice Blend with Benefits

Traditional spice blends like garam masala contain a variety of health properties in addition to being a seasoning for many dishes. There’s likely a reason beyond the wonderful flavor combination that these blends were created. Garam masala is a blend made of cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and fennel and this is a spice combination that you should include in your diet for health benefits in addition to flavoring recipes. This herb and spice mixture likely originated from northern India and is used around the world today. A masala is a spice blend so garam masala means “hot spice” […]
December 10, 2019

Add Life To the Menu With Spice Mixes

As you probably know from history, North America was discovered by Columbus’ expedition in the 15th century because Europe wanted to find a shortcut to India, with whom they had been trading in valuable spices. Back then, spices were mostly used to help preserve food in the days before refrigeration and to mask the off flavor of food starting to spoil. In general, herbs are the fresh leaves of a plant, such as sage, oregano and basil. Spices are usually considered the seed, berry, bark, root or rhizome (creeping root) of a plant. In common practice, once fresh herbs are […]