Tag: iconic

Sayadieh: the iconic dish of the Gaza Strip – Italian Cuisine

On the Gaza Strip, an exquisite dish based on local fish has always been prepared, a symbol of the seafaring tradition of fishermen in Palestine

The only Palestinian part left facing the sea is the Gaza Strip. Here there is a great seafaring tradition of fishermen, which over time, for obvious and well-known reasons, has increasingly weakened. But what instead cannot be canceled or occupied is the habit in the homes of Gazans, the inhabitants of Gaza, of preparing sayadieh, one of the few fish-based dishes in Palestine, given that it is a predominantly agricultural and therefore of a more meat and vegetable oriented cuisine.

The seafaring tradition of the Gaza Strip

The Gaza Strip, which takes its name from its main city, is a coastal region of Palestine overlooking the Mediterranean Sea: 360 km² of surface, bordering Egypt, and an ancient maritime tradition linked to fishing. A tradition that over the years, due to the Israeli occupation, has been increasingly limited. As is well known, in fact, Israel controls any movement that enters or leaves Gaza (and Palestine in general); and the fishing sector is just one of many. Thus the Gazan fishermen have decreased over time, also because the restrictions on access to the sea have become increasingly strict, until the final blow last August, when Israel completely closed the fishing area. First, the commercial transit of Kerem Shalom, one of Gaza's three main passages to Israel and Egypt, was blocked, preventing the crossing of any goods, except for essential humanitarian aid and fuel. Then the fishing area available for fishermen was reduced from 15 to 8 nautical miles away; and finally everything was stopped, including the passage of fuel. And the sea is not the only problem with water in Palestine: it is enough to be there on a rainy day to notice the disastrous conditions in which the drainage systems are pouring. Yet this hasn't stopped Gazans from continuing to prepare sayadieh, a simple and popular fish-based dish.

What is sayadieh

Sayadieh is the symbolic dish of Gaza's seafaring tradition, the one that has always been prepared in the homes of fishermen and, in general, of the Palestinians who live in this small piece of coast that has remained to them. This is the sea version of the maqloubeh, since also in this case, after having cooked all the ingredients together, you have to turn the rice pot over onto the serving tray. In sayadieh, however, instead of meat and vegetables, fresh local fish is used that is available, usually white, such as cod, hake or monkfish. As a condiment, however, there is never a shortage of spices, including zaatar, which in Palestine is considered the herb of the soul. The name derives from a variety of thyme that grows wild in fields, but indicates a set with sumac, sesame seeds and other variables depending on the mix. But even this plant is now at risk of extinction, as Israel has begun to ban the harvest. For this reason, the zaatar has become a sort of symbol of resistance, the emblem of controversies and resilience. "You will never give up, we will resist salt and zaatar," they say. In fact, it is one of the most used ingredients in Palestinian cuisine, especially for marinating meat and fish, just like in sayadieh. For this reason, if you decide to prepare this dish at home, do not absolutely miss the zaatar, also because now it is practically everywhere.

The sayadieh recipe

To prepare this dish, you can use any white, hard-boiled fish. For rice, on the other hand, ribe is perfect, but also carnaroli; or, if you prefer, you can also use basmati. Someone accompanies the sayadieh with a sauce based on tahini, water, parsley, lemon and chilli, but it remains a variant to taste. And, I recommend, as in the case of the maqloubeh, always pay close attention to the moment of overturning the rice!

Ingredients

1 kg of fish fillets
1/2 kg rice
1 onion
2 tomatoes
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of ginger
½ tablespoon of cinnamon
to taste black pepper
chili pepper to taste
garlic to taste
to taste zaatar
salt to taste
to taste water
flour to taste
to taste a glass of olive oil

Method

1. Soak the fish filleted and cut into pieces with garlic, cumin, salt, lemon and zaatar for about half an hour (the longer the better).
2. Sauté onion cut into strips; then drain it and leave the oil in the pan.
3. Bread the fish with flour and fry it in that oil.
4. In the meantime, rinse the rice with hot water to remove some of the starch, then put it in a pot.
5. Put the previously browned onion, sliced tomatoes and a layer of fish in a large saucepan. Add the rice and cook over high heat while continuing to add boiling water (some also use broth) in varying quantities depending on the variety of rice chosen.
6. When the rice is ready, let it rest. Then turn the pot over onto a serving tray, just like you did with the maqloubeh.
7. Decorate to taste with cherry tomatoes and parsley, if you want to accompany with the tahini sauce and finally serve to your guests. You will see how happy they will be!

10 interesting facts about the iconic American donuts – Italian Cuisine

10 curiosities on the colorful and delicious donuts donuts, always the favorite breakfast and one of the comfort food par excellence of the American people

The greedy ones "Donut", the famous fried and glazed American donuts, can be considered one of the iconic foods par excellence of American culture and cuisine, especially in terms of desserts and pastries. Yet, incredible but true, these colorful and low-calorie donuts are actually of Dutch origin. This is just one of the many curiosities that lie behind this American comfort food: From the origin of the name to the most bizarre variants, up to the extraordinary world records won by voracious donut eaters.

1. The Dutch origin of American donuts

Although Americans are proud of their donuts, the origin of the donuts must be attributed to the Dutch. Since the mid-nineteenth century, what could be considered the ancestor of donuts, or a local sweet called olykoek, spread in the Netherlands: small fritters fried in pork fat. The Dutch immigrants exported this cake to America, giving way to what would be the evolution of the American donut to the present day.

2. Why do donuts have holes?

Often these "donuts without holes" were stuffed with dried fruit or other, also to facilitate the difficult cooking of the internal part of the dough. To solve this problem even more effectively, in 1847 the naval captain Hansen Gregory of New England had theintuition to pierce the center of the dough before frying it, giving life to what would have been the first real donut in history.

3. The first machine to make donuts

To consolidate the ring shape of the donuts, as well as its diffusion and its success at national level, was the invention, in 1920, the first automatic machine, by the Russian immigrant Adolph Levitt. The official presentation of this machine happened at the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1934, during which the donuts were called “the food of the century of progress”.

4. The origin of the word "donut"

THE'origin of the name "ciambella" (donut) is much discussed. Some say it refers to nuts that were placed inside the dough ball, while others say it refers to "knots of dough", which is another popular form of olykoek. The first written record of the word "donut" dates back to an 1809 publication by Washington Irving, A History of New York.

5. The "Donut Day"

Donut Day (National Donut Day) is celebrated every year from afar 1938 and even has an official website. This festival was created to celebrate the Salvation Army which provided donuts to American troops abroad free of charge during the First World War.

6. The numbers of the Dunkin 'Donuts empire

Today Dunkin ’Donuts is the most famous and largest donut shop chain, with over 10 thousand stores in 33 countries serving more than 5 million customers a day. The first Dunkin ’Donuts was opened in 1950.

7. The most expensive donut in the world (for a good cause)

Krispy Kreme Donuts, Inc., the most famous American donut brand, realized in 2014 the most expensive donut in the world, at the price of 1000 pounds. The precious donut in question, prepared with Belgian chocolate and covered with golden leaves and a sprinkling of edible diamonds, was presented at the Selfridges department store in the United Kingdom during the National Donut Week for a fundraiser for the UK Children's charity Trust.

8. The most bizarre donuts in the world

Although the classic American donut is fried and glazed, there are also imaginative variations, with all kinds of sweet or savory ingredients. Between most bizarre proposals who made the news in the United States there are the savory pizzas donut, the tasty donut mac and cheese, the oriental sushi donut, the candy-pink Bubblegum donuts and finally the alcoholic Shot Glass Donuts, placed on shot glasses and filled with liquor.

9. Competition donut eaters

As with any traditional US food, there is also a section dedicated to world records. It dates back to 2014 the one for the donut eaten faster, moreover without hands and without licking lips; the record is 11.41 seconds, and was reached by Philip Joseph Santoro (USA), in San Francisco, California. In 2017, instead, the American YouTube star and professional eater Kevin "LA Beast" Strahle managed to swallow six donuts in three minutes, all without licking each other's lips.

10. The real donuts of Homer Simpson

Impossible not to associate the American donuts with the cartoon character Homer Simpson, which made us laugh so much and dream with his own gluttonous donuts covered with pink icing. Well, to the delight of the many fans of America's most popular cartoon, in 2018 Krispi Kremenel released a special edition of the two “Homer style” donuts, made with a creamy white strawberry chocolate and a layer of colored sugar ; assured commercial success.

Photo: ciambella americana_Flickr_m01229.jpg
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Photo: donuts various donut_Pixabay.jpg

The iconic New York foods immortalized in the ice – Italian Cuisine

Hungry Boy immortalized the iconic New York foods contained in blocks of ice to shed light on the problem of gentrification in Manhattan and the consequences on local catering

For years now, that of gentrification it is a hot topic and there are many capitals and metropolises in the world subject to this phenomenon. With the transformation of entire historical and popular neighborhoods in a tourist and consumerist perspective and their loss of identity, the world of restaurants and in particular small businesses, those with family management, are also paying the price. In the city of New York, for example, commercial gentrification is hopelessly transforming Manhattan, district known for its wide range of premises and for the impressive multicultural offer. The photographer knows it well Aaron Bernstein, that in order to save its memory and gastronomic culture, he created a photographic project with the name Manhattan Meltdown.

A food photography project to honor Manhattan

The idea for Manhattan Meltdown Aaron Bernstein, aka Hungry Boy, has had it after the recent disappearance of some of his favorite clubs, food, places and memories that have shaped his New York life experience and made him question what will remain in the coming years of the most authentic Manhattan. It is he himself who tells it, on his website, within a long essay that traces the history and changes of the city and highlights the cultural beauties that deserve to be disclosed and saved. The ten photos of Manhattan Meltdown in fact they represent the ten most representative foods of the New York neighborhood, each enclosed, albeit not completely, in a ice block. The project, through these beautiful and stimulating images, wants to stimulate the observer's curiosity and above all make him reflect on the concept of storage.

The 10 iconic foods of New York City

Among the foods selected by Hungry Boy there are both culinary inventions made in New York and foreign foods but coming from typical and characteristic places of Manhattan.
1. Pizza (Patsy’s Pizzeria). It is a particular pizza with a thin crust, proudly invented by the pizzeria Patsy's Pizzeria in East Harlem, a historical local that has been active since 1933.
2. Bagels (H & H). Bagels, of Polish origin, landed in New York at the end of the nineteenth century with the arrival of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. Of the historic New York bagel store H&H, only one was left out of 3 outlets due to gentrification.
3. The Pretzels, one of the classic street food in New York City, a soft and salty snack whose recipe has remained unchanged for almost two centuries
4. I Dim Sum (Nom Wah Tea Parlor). This southern Chinese finger food has become a famous New York brunch thanks to the historic Nom Wah Tea Parlor restaurant.
5. Pay me (Katz’s Delicatessen). Pastrami, a Romanian specialty invented in the nineteenth century as a method of preserving meat and arrived in New York thanks to Jewish immigrants, is now a typical food of the American city. Local tradition wants it to be served in the form of a sandwich, between two slices of rye bread covered with yellow mustard and with pickles.
6. Hot Dog (Papaya King). How not to associate New York with hot dogs? At the famous Papaya King, on the Upper East Side, the sandwich is served along with a delicious fresh tropical fruit juice.
7. Egg custard (Eisenberg's). Egg cream was born in New York in the late nineteenth century, quickly becoming a staple food for citizens. Strangely, this drink does not contain eggs or cream, the recipe calls for chocolate syrup, soda and milk. Today it is possible to find this classic in places like the Eisenberg sandwich shop, open since 1929.
8. Coffee (Various). Greek take away coffee, served in typical blue and white glasses with an unmistakable design and invented in 1963 (and then modified in recent years), is a symbol of everyday life in Manhattan, served by many street vendors.
9. Cheesecake (Eileen's). This tasty cheese cake was invented in New York in 1872 and the original recipe, served in this SoHo pastry since 1975, includes eggs, vanilla, sugar and sour cream, all on a graham cracker crust.
10. Black & White Cookies (dessert of William Greenberg). These cookies, vanilla and chocolate and covered with icing, were invented in the Glaser pastry shop in Yorkville, opened in 1902 and recently closed. They are currently still available in several New York stores.

Photo: caffè greco iconic foods new york manhattan_ © hungry boy.jpg
Photo: Manhattan-Meltdown _iconic foods new york manhattan_ © hungry boy_6SQFT.png