During weekend I was in a mood for pasta. These past few months with the lockdown and everything I have managed to do a bunch of jobs at home that I was unable or too tired to do during normal days. I cleaned my kitchen pantries from useless gadgets and items, I organized my utensils...
In all probability the dumpling is the first form of pasta used by man. In fact, it is spontaneous to mix a little flour, with little water, make small balls and cook them in boiling water. Gnocco is a Longobard term (knohha, meaning knot, knot), from the Middle Ages, it defines any dough with a...
Zucchini, like all squash, has its ancestry in the Americas. However, the varieties of green, cylindrical squash harvested immature and typically called “zucchini” were developed in northern Italy, long after the introduction of cucurbits from the Americas. It appears that this occurred in the second half of the 19th century, though the first description of...
Rosemary or Rosmarinus officinalis comes from the words ros which means coolness and marinus which means marine. So, basically is the sea coolness. It probably took its name because it bobbed up with Aphrodite from under the water at the island of Cyprus. Aphrodite touched the plant and gave it the distinct aroma it has...
Cyprus is a small island with a long history and a rich culture that spans 10,000 years, making it one of the oldest civilizations in the Mediterranean. Situated at the crossroads of three continents – Europe, Asia and Africa – the island’s unique geographic position has played an important part in its turbulent past since...
Surrounded by sea, Greece is the place to have fresh, straight from water, seafood and fish. The country is full of tavernas serving all kinds of seafood and a vast range of fish that are available in Greek sea. From small to large fish, shrimps, crawfish, mussels and several other edible seafood are the contents...
The name basil is derived from Greek basileus “king”, because of the royal fragrance of this herb. Basileus “king” means essentially “people’s leader. Basil belongs to the family of Lamiaceae. Its leaves show an intense green color on the upper side and a green-gray color in the bottom side. Today, basil is cultivated in many...
Sun dried tomatoes are made from a variety of tomatoes that is very usual to several Aegean islands and looks very much alike the Italian pomodori. The tomatoes are dried under the sun until the water they contain evaporates. Usually, they lose between 88% to 93% of their weight depending on their shape, i.e. 88...
Agrippina the Younger was the great-granddaughter of Augustus, the first Roman Emperor. Her parents were general, Germanicus, and Agrippina the Elder. Her brother was Emperor Caligula, and her sisters were Drusilla and Livilla. She was born at Ara Ubiorum (modern-day Cologne) on 6 November 15 C.E. In 28. A.D. at the age of 13, she...
The story of thyme goes back to Sumerians some 5,500 years ago. As far as we know, they were the first to use it as a condiment and medicine. In ancient Egypt it was among the ingredients they used to mummify the dead. In ancient Greece, since Homer years thyme apart from condiment it was...
