Whilst its quite easy to get caught up in exotic cuisine from the far East or Southern America, there is plenty of excellent and surprising cuisine that can be made right here in Europe.
European cuisine has many advantages. First of all, it uses many similar ingredients, so the recipes aren’t too challenging; providing fun and creative opportunities in any kitchen. Secondly, the tastes aren’t too drastic, instead building upon similar tastes and textures found in traditional cooking. Again, this is thanks to using similar ingredients. Unlike spicy food, rich sauces aren’t used to bury the ingredients in overloading flavours.
To this end, here are a couple of examples of European cuisine. These national cuisines often have certain dishes associated with them but there is often further variety and experimentation available when you delve further.
Italian cuisine
More than pizza, Italian cuisine has a rich range of flavours and ingredients. This is helped by the varying landscape of the country itself. So, whether you want simple pasta dishes such as Spaghetti Bolognese or want to try something with seafood, there is a wide diversity available in Italian cooking.
Even then, the simplest dishes can be tuned and refined to suit your tastes. Whilst spaghetti Bolognese uses a simple combination of mince meat, sauce and pasta (with additional tomatoes, onions and other vegetables to suit your needs) you can easily adapt this.
Removing the sauce and adding parmesan cheese can make a suitable spaghetti carbonara dish. Further additions can include onions, garlic, various herbs and bacon. Italian dishes, if anything, are highly adaptable with whatever ingredients you have available.
Greek cuisine
Another cuisine that’s rich in variety and diversification is the Greek cuisine. Again, one can look at kebabs and other simple images of Greek food but this a far cry from traditional Greek meals. Whether its traditional kebabs or other dishes, a strong use of meats such as lamb, with various Mediterranean seasoning, can produce a surprisingly rich and exotic taste.
A more unique example of this would be Moussaka. A traditional dish originally from the Mediterranean, found in countries such as Romania, Serbia and the Balkans, it is the Greek variant that is commonly well known. Again, this dish utilises lamb for strong flavour. With additional potatoes, seasoning and vegetables, this dish can have a surprising Mediterranean taste considering its traditional food components.
Similar to Italy, there is also a strong use of seafood in Greek cuisine. Unlike traditional cooking here, Greek cuisine likes to grill seafood, adding herbs and spices for an exotic taste. This can be done with any seafood, so whatever fish or shrimp you have available can be readily adapted into a rich dish.
In summary, whether it’s Italian, Greek or further afield, there is plenty of diversity to be found in European cuisine. With a little research and a few simple recipes, you can easily explore this diverse continent from the comfort of your own kitchen and recipe ideas from recognised brands like Schwartz are sure to help.
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