First report on cultural attitudes to
the gluten-free diet
The Mediterranean Network for Celiac Disease
V Progress Meeting - Istanbul, June 30th 2012
GREECE
Greek cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine, sharing characteristics with the
cuisines of Italy, the Balkans, Turkey, and the Levant. Contemporary Greek
cookery makes wide use of olive oil, vegetables and herbs, grains and bread,
wine, fish, and various meats, including poultry, rabbit and pork. Also important
are olives, cheese, eggplant (aubergine), courgette, and yogurt. Greek desserts
are characterized by the dominant use of nuts and honey. Some dishes use filo
pastry.
FISH SOUP
(Soupa Kakavia)
About 1,5 kilo of fish (Use large variety of
fish for more taste)
Olive oil,
2 - 3 onions,
3 - 4 tomatoes,
cellery,
salt, pepper
Cooking Instructions:
Scrape the scales of the fish and gut them. Put the salt, pepper, olive oil, the sliced onions,
the celery and the sliced tomatoes and boil them. Strain the vegetables well and put them
on a plate. Put the fish on the same water and boil them. After boiling them for about 1
hour, strain them through a strainer, making sure the meat of the fish is well pressed in
order all the fish juice to come out. Serve the soup hot with lemon. Serve the vegetables
and
the fish on a plate seperately. If you use a larg variety of fish the fish soup will be more
tasty
Stuffed cabbage leaves with rice
1 big cabbage
900 gr onions
200 gr rice for the stuffing
70 gr raisins
70 gr pinecones (if available)
1-3 tea spoons cinamon
1 tea spoon salt
150 gr lemon juice
100 gr wine
150 gr dill
450 gr olive oil
1 chicken stock cube
Cooking Instructions:
Wash the cabbage and remove the root. In a large saucepan boil water and heat the
cabbage. Carefully separate each leaf and drain. Remove, if possible, the hard stem from
each leaf. Be careful not to damage them.
Chop the onions and the dill finely and roast in the olive oil. Add the raisins, pinecones,
the rice and stir the mixture. Finish roasting with wine. Add salt and pepper. The stuffing is
ready!
Use a tea spoon to count the appropriate portion of rice for each leaf. Place on each leaf
the mixture and then fold to make a little parcel. At the bottom of a large saucepan place a
few of the outer cabbage leaves and on top of them place the stuffed ones. Pour the
chicken stock and cover with a plate in order not to open. Pour the lemon juice and boil
in low heat for 1 1/2 hour.
GREEK SHRIMP WITH FETA
(Garides saganaki)
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh
parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. sugar
3 cups chopped fresh plum
tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
1 cup dry white wine, preferably
retsina (Greek resinated wine)
1 1/2 lbs. shrimp, peeled and
deveined
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Cooking Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Warm the oil in a nonreactive large skillet over med. heat. Add
the onions and saute until a light golden brown, 7 min. Add the parsley, garlic and sugar
and stir to mix. Add the tomatoes and cook until they soften and the liquid is absorbed,
about 20 min. Add the wine to the skillet and cook until the liquid is absorbed. Add the
shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat. Pour the
shrimp and sauce into a 2 qt. casserole. Top with the feta cheese. Bake until the cheese
melts, 5 min.
GREEK SALAD WITH FETA
(xoriatiki)
olive oil
onions
olives
feta cheese
Tomatoes,
cucumber,
peppers
oregano,
caper,
salt
Cooking Instructions:
Cut the tomatoes, slice the cucumber, the onion and the peppers. Put them all
in a deep plate or a salad bowl
and then add salt, then we add the caper the olive oil and the feta cheese
oregano. Finally we add the oregano
and it is ready to be served.
CROATIA
Croatian cuisine is heterogeneous and is known as a cuisine of the regions since
every region has its own distinct culinary traditions. Mainland cuisine is more
characterized by the earlier Slavic and the more recent contacts with neighboring
cultures - Hungarian, Austrian and Turkish, using lard for cooking, and spices such
as black pepper, paprika, and garlic. The coastal region bears the influences of the
Greek, Roman and Illyrian, as well as of the later Mediterranean cuisine - Italian
(especially Venetian) and French, using olive oil, and herbs and spices such as
rosemary, sage, bayleaf, oregano, marjoram, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, lemon and
orange rind. Peasant cooking traditions are based on imaginative variations of
several basic ingredients (cereals, dairy products, meat, fish, vegetables) Charcuterie
is part of Croatian tradition in all regions.
POLENTA WITH YOGHURT
(Palenta s jogurtom)
1 portion:
40 g cornmeal
200 ml water
5g butter
Pinch of salt
200 ml yoghurt
FRIED CHICKEN BREAST WITH MASHED
POTATOES AND VEGETABLES
(Piletina s pire krumpirom i povrćem)
1 portion:
150g of chicken (or turkey) breast
7g sunflower oil
Mashed potatoes:
250g of cocked potato
5g of butter; 10ml of cow milk
180g cocked vegetables (carrot,
broccoli)
Pinch of salt , pepper, parsley
Salad:
100g cabbage
30g sweet pepper
Pinch of salt and pepper
5g olive oil
5ml vinegar
FISH (MERLUCCIUS) RISOTTO
(Riblji rižoto)
1 portion:
150g cooked white fish
7g olive oil
150g cocked rice
15g onion
15g carrot
50ml fish soup (bullion)
Pinch of salt , pepper, parsley
Salad:
50g fresh tomato
FISH BRUDETTO
(Riblji brudet)
1 portion:
150g cooked white fish
7g olive oil
25g tomato
15g onion; 5g garlic
15g carrot
10ml white vine
50ml fish soup (bullion)
200g cooked polenta
Pinch of salt , pepper, parsley
Salad:
100g lettuce
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
5g olive oil
5ml vinegar
BOSNIA
Bosnian cuisine uses many spices, but usually in moderate quantities. Most dishes
are light, as they are cooked in lots of water; the sauces are fully natural, consisting
of little more than the natural juices of the vegetables in the dish. Typical ingredients
include tomatoes, potatoes, onions, garlic, bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots,
cabbage, mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, dried and fresh beans, plums, milk, paprika
and cream called pavlaka and kajmak. Typical meat dishes include primarily beef
and lamb. Some local specialties are ćevapi, burek, dolma, sarma, pilav (pilaf), gulaš
(goulash), ajvar and a whole range of Eastern sweets. The best local wines come
from Herzegovina where the climate is suitable for growing grapes. Plum or apple
rakija, is produced in Bosnia.
Razlyevusha with cheese
3 boxes of corn flour
1 1/4 sticks of butter, melted
1 1/4 c yogurt
1 small package of cream cheese
(cubed small)
3 eggs
16 oz large curd cottage cheese
1 c crumbled feta cheese
Cooking Instructions:
1.Mix cottage cheese, eggs and cubed cream cheese in large bowl; this will used as a
filling.
2.Grease 9x13 baking pan and evenly sprinkle 1/2 box of corn meal into bottom of
pan. Drizzle some melted butter and then sprinkle with some milk. Repeat two more
layers as above
3.Evenly spread filling over 3rd layer and add crumbled feta cheese
Repeat 3 layers as above (cornbread mix, butter, and milk) over filling.
Dribble some extra melted butter evenly over top layer
4.Bake at 350F for 55 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on rack and cut into
squares - best served warm.
Bosnian Pot
1/2 cup chopped celery root
1 cup green beans, cut into 1" pieces
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into
squares
2 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeded and
quartered
3 cups potatoes, cut into cubes
2 leeks, cleaned and cut into 1/2" slices
1 cup coarsely chopped cabbage
1/2 tsp. hot paprika or cayenne, or to taste
6 cups water
1/4 cup vinegar
Cooking Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Rinse the meat and
put in a sieve to drain. Combine the onion,
garlic, parsley, celery leaves, salt, pepper, and
bay leaves. Melt the butter in a large, ovenproof stew pot, then put alternate layers of
vegetables and meat, sprinkling some of the
onion/garlic/parsley combination on top of each
layer. Combine the water and vinegar, and pour
it into the pot. Cover the pot with a lid or
aluminum foil, and bake until everything is
tender, about 3 hours.
3 lbs. lamb or beef, cut into cubes
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1 cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped celery leaves
1 tbsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup chopped kohlrabi
1/2 cup chopped parsley root
MONTENEGRO
The traditional dishes of Montenegro's heartland, and its Adriatic coast have a
distinctively Italian flavour which shows in the bread-making style, the way meat is
cured and dried, cheese-making, wine, and spirits, the soup and stew (čorba)
making style, polenta, stuffed peppers, meatballs, priganice, raštan, etc.
The second large influence came from the Levant and Turkey, largely via Serbia:
sarma, musaka, pilav, pita, gibanica, burek, ćevapi, kebab, and Turkish sweets like
baklava and tulumba, etc.
CHICKEN SOUP WITH RED PEPPER
(Kokosja Supa )
2 Large Onion -- Chopped
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Paprika -- To Taste
1 Quart Chicken Stock
1 Medium Chicken -- In 8 Pieces
2 Large Red Bell Pepper -- Chopped
1 Can Tomatoes -- Chopped
1 Pound Cauliflower -- Chopped
1 Pound Potatoes -- Chopped
Cooking Instructions:
Saute onions in oil. Sprinkle with paprika. Add stock, bring to a boil. Add
chicken and simmer for 10 minutes. Add peppers, tomatoes and cauliflower,
simmer for 10 minutes. Add potatoes and simmer for 25 minutes. Add more
stock if necessary. Serve.
Polenta
(Kacamak)
Water
Potatoes
corn meal
Cooking Instructions:
Once the flour is cooked in steam (around 40min – 1h depending on amounts
used), everything is mashed. Cheese, butter, kajmak are melted in another dish
and added to the mashed flour and potaotes and mixed well to make it
'zasmocani kacamak'.
Some versions are done with wheat flour and some without potatoes. Served
with yoghurt.
ALBANIA
Albanian cuisine is characterized by the use of various mediterranean herbs such as
Oregano, Black Pepper, Mint, Basil, Rosemary and more in cooking meat and fish.
Olive oil and butter is also a main ingredient in different dishes.
In Albania, meat (lamb, cow, rabbit and chicken) is used heavily in various dishes in
most of the country. Seafood specialties are also common in the coastal areas such
as Durrës, Vlorë, Shkoder, Lezhe and Sarandë.
Vegetables are used in almost every dish.
The main meal of the Albanians is lunch, which usually consists of gjellë, the main
dish of slowly cooked meat, and a salad of fresh vegetables, such as tomatoes,
cucumbers, green peppers, and olives. The salad is dressed with olive oil, vinegar,
and salt.
FRIED EGGPLANTS, ZUCCHINI AND GREEN
PEPPERS WITH PLAIN YOGURT
(Tarator)
1250 gr. eggplants
1500 gr. zucchini
salt
a piece of cucumber finely chopped
250 gr. yogurt
2 tablespoons salt
4 cloves of garlic
salt
Cooking Instructions:
Peel the eggplants in lengthwise strips at 1 1/2 cm intervals, then cut either in circles or in
long slices. Sprinkle salt over and place the eggplants in salted water for half an hour to
drain off their bitter juices. Squeeze each eggplant before putting into hot oil. Fry both
sides, drain away excess oil and place on a serving plate.
Scrape the skin of the zucchinis until their green parts can be seen, sprinkle with salt and
leave aside for 1.5 hours. Put flour and water into a bowl and blend together. First place
the zucchini in flour-water mixture and then into the hot oil. Fry until both sides are golden.
Place them with the eggplants and peppers.
Mix cucumber and yogurt, pour over the fried vegetables (if desired, crushed garlic can be
added to the yogurt).
BAKED LEEKS
(Tave me presh )
100 ml olive oil
1.8 kg leeks, green parts removed and cut
into 2.5 cm diagonal slices
225 g onions, chopped
450 g minced lamb, beef or chicken
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 red peppers, chopped
Seasoning
Hot meat stock
Cooking Instructions:
Heat 60 ml oil in a deep saucepan and sauté the leeks until soft.
Place the leeks in a baking dish.
Heat the remaining 40 ml of oil in the pan and fry the onions and the meat.
Add the tomato sauce, red pepper, seasoning and enough meat stock to cover and bring
to the boil.
Pour the meat mixture over the leeks and bake for 1 hour at 190° C (375° F - gas 5).
TURKEY
Turkish cuisine varies across the country. The cooking of Istanbul, Bursa, Izmir, and
rest of the Aegean region inherits many elements of Ottoman court cuisine, with a
lighter use of spices, a preference for rice over bulgur, and a wider use of seafoods.
The cuisine of the Black Sea Region uses fish extensively, especially the Black Sea
anchovy (hamsi), has been influenced by Balkan and Slavic cuisine, and includes
maize dishes. The cuisine of the southeast — Urfa, Gaziantep and Adana — is
famous for its kebabs and dough-based desserts such as baklava, kadayıf and
künefe (kanafeh).
STUFFED VEGETABLES WİTH MEAT
(Dolma)
400 gr ground meat
2 medium onions (finely chopped)
1/3 glass rice
1 bunch chopped parsley and dill
1 tablespoon tomatoe paste
½ tablespoon red pepper paste
Salt-black pepper
Cooking Instructions:
Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix them with your hands
Stuff inside of the vegetables with this mixture
Place them in a pan,add 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil,and add
enogh water
Cook for 40-60 minutes on stove on moderate heat
Serve hot with yogurt on top
MEAT BALLS
(Köfte)
750 gr ground meat
Potato flakes
1 whole egg
2 grated small onions
Black pepper-cumin-salt
½ cup water
½ tablespoon tomatoe paste
Cooking Instructions:
Placepotato flakes in a bowl,add the others and mix them with hands
Roll in the palm and shape of a finger
Roll each köfte in flour
Fry them in a pan in vegetable oil for 5 minutes
Serve hot
COUS COUS
2 cups rice couscous
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup raisins
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons cumin; 2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground ginger; 2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup red pepper, diced
1/4 cup green onion, sliced
2 cups chick peas, rinsed
2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint, parsley and
cilantro
Cooking Instructions:
Soak the raisins and apricots in 1/2 cup boiling water for 1 hour.
Drain and add to the couscous.
Pour 2 cups boiling water over the mixture, over and allow water to be
absorbed. Cool and fluff with a fork.
Make a dressing with the oil, lemon juice and spices and mix well.
In a large bowl combine the rice couscous with the red pepper, green onions
and chickpeas.
Add the dressing and mix well.
Toss in the mint, parsley and cilantro.
ISRAEL
Israeli cuisine has adopted, and continues to adapt, elements of various styles
of Jewish cuisine, particularly the Mizrahi, Sephardic, and Ashkenazi styles of
cooking.It incorporates many foods traditionally eaten in Middle Eastern and
Mediterranean cuisines, and foods such as falafel, hummus, shakshouka,
couscous, and za'atar are now thought to be synonymous with Israeli cuisine.
Other influences on cuisine are the availability of foods common to the
Mediterranean region, especially certain kinds of fruits and vegetables, dairy
products and fish; the distinctive traditional dishes prepared at holiday times;
New dishes based on agricultural products such as oranges, avocados, dairy
products and fish, and others based on world trends have been introduced
over the years
ISREALI SALAD
3 cucumbers
3 tomatoes
1 green or red pepper
3 green onions
olive oil
lemon juice
salt
zaatar (hyssop spice)
Cooking Instructions:
Chop the vegetables in small pieces. The secret to a really good Israeli salad is
finely chopped vegetables. Immediately before serving, season lightly with
oliv. Prep Time: 10 minutes
HUMMUS
1 cup dry chick peas (garbanzo beans)
1 tsp salt
4 Tbs tahini
Juice from one lemon (about 2 Tbs)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp cumin (optional)
Optional toppings:
Olive oil
Paprika
Zatar (a middle-Eastern spice blend)
Parsley
Whole cooked chick peas
Cooking Instructions:
1. Soak the chick peas in plenty of cold water for a few hours or overnight. (The chick peas will just about cover the
bottom of a medium saucepan. Fill water about half way up the saucepan.)
2. Generously salt the water (I take a few large pinches of kosher salt-- be generous because this is what will salt the
hummus itself) and simmer the chick peas for a few hours, until soft. While the chick peas are still warm, spoon them
into a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients. Using the food processor blade, blend to a smooth paste,
adding enough of the liquid from the chick peas to make a smooth paste. (One of the great things about using warm,
freshly-cooked chick peas is that the paste will get a bit more solid as it cools. So add plenty of water so that you get
an easily-blended paste, about the consistency of mashed potatoes.)
3. Transfer the hummus to a serving or storage container. Add topings if you wish. The easiest topping is a bit of
drizzled olive oil and a sprinkling of paprika. You could also drizzle olive oil and sprinkle a different spice or herb,
such as cumin or zatar. Or, you could chop up some parsley and whole chick peas, set on top, and drizzle with olive
oil. Chopped olives would be good too. Use your creativity! This recipe makes about a pint of hummus.
Discussion
If we look on the web about free gluten food, what do we see?
1) Many websites, tips and advertising in any country are related with
farmacy products
BUT…
Discussion
If we look on the web about free gluten food, what do we see?
We are not alone!
2) A lot of forums, travel books and patients who are looking for natural
gluten-free food!
Discussion
What shall we do?
Spread the idea that a natural free gluten diet is not only possible, but
also healthier, cheaper and very tasty!
It is a very long way but the first step could be:
Celiacs
We could write a huge database with many recipes, not only natural but
also certified by leading experts of CD in Europe