#mediterranean-cuisine

#mediterranean-cuisine

Everyone loves Hanukkah - the colorful candles, the traditional songs, the gifts, and, of course, the potato latkes. Yet holiday cooking often means excess - all that frying, high carbs, and lots of sour cream. Interestingly, the Hanukkah miracle highlights olive oil, which originated in the eastern Mediterranean, and not potatoes. They were unknown in the Holy Land until long after the discovery of the New World. Making potato latkes for Hanukkah became popular through the influence of European Jews.

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... It's been more than two years in the making, from concept to construction. The long-awaited restaurant from renowned chef Jose Andres will open in early December at Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto. Called Zaytinya, the contemporary Mediterranean venture from Andres and concept chef Michael Costa will focus on the flavors of Turkey, Greece and Lebanon.

The Galvin brothers, Chris and Jeff, have been synonymous with the London restaurant scene since 2005, when they opened Galvin Bistrot de Luxe on London's Baker Street. With its sophisticated, intimate and urbane high-quality French bistrot, the restaurant changed the London scene, which had been in thrall to the super-brasseries of the 1990s such as Quaglino's, Mezzo and The Bank. Successive restaurants were established: Galvin Windows at the Hilton on Park Lane gave us rooftop glamour, and Galvin at The Athenaeum brought the brothers' classic dishes into the West End's hotel scene.

Named after the Mesopotamian goddess of love and war, Inanna features a patio and indoor poolside dining space on the 1920s Beaux-Arts building's 11th floor rooftop. The decor includes high tables and couches in the open air lounge with olive trees and other plants, and the more formal enclosed dining room decorated with marble-top tables. "We just really wanted to play with that Mediterranean feel and atmosphere," he said. "It feels like the Mediterranean with the backdrop of beautiful downtown L.A."

If you're a fan of Gold Notting Hill, or you're partial to a riverside view, you'll want to get Tower House on your radar. Taking over a mid-19th century riverside home, complete with a clock tower that pays homage to Queen Victoria's coastal residence Osborne House, Tower House sounds like it's going to be a real Richmond highlight. Inside there'll be heirloom collectables and outside, a riverside garden offering views of the Thames, Richmond Bridge and Twickenham Bridge.

When Mark Barak, a former corporate executive, became a restaurateur, he decided to take better care of his employees in terms of financial benefits and health care, in order to help them, lessen its turnover rate and boost profits. That strategy is paying off at his six La Pecora Bianca's and one Mama Mezze, all in Manhattan. For a dozen years, Barak held several senior executive positions including a three-year stint from 2009-2012 as senior vice-president of international development at the NBA.

Grandmother Latifa poured a soul-firing chickpea stew atop days' old bread husks, topping it with kicky harissa and a boiled egg to create a lablebi - a worker's lunch that is both filling and comforting in equal measure. I ate this in Latifa's chaotic kitchen surrounded by various family members, arms crisscrossing over a retro print tablecloth to seek out favourite toppings (capers, spicy chilli, harissa, eggs, tuna) for their lablebi.

Grandmother Latifa poured a soul-firing chickpea stew atop days' old bread husks, topping it with kicky harissa and a boiled egg to create a lablebi-a worker's lunch that is both filling and comforting in equal measure. I ate this in Latifa's chaotic kitchen surrounded by various family members, arms crisscrossing over a retro print table cloth to seek out favorite toppings (capers, spicy chili, harissa, eggs, tuna) for their lablebi.

Ray states that she "never make[s] a classic recipe" because mayonnaise obscures the umami-rich flavor of canned tuna. Instead, she opts to "only dress tuna with lemon juice and olive oil so you can taste the product." Whereas a creamy mayonnaise will mask the fishiness of tuna, Ray believes that olive oil and lemon juice are complementary flavors that showcase tuna's distinct flavor.

"Bringing Cafe Landwer to Boca Raton is a meaningful step for us. This community values great food, strong connections and a welcoming atmosphere, which is everything our brand stands for."

I'll admit-when Alex first suggested pan-fried cod for dinner, I wasn't exactly thrilled. "Fried cod" doesn't sound particularly exciting, right? But man, was I wrong! Here's what makes this recipe a game changer: No coating needed: Skip the flour, breading, and batter-the spice blend does all the work.

The Donatella Boutique Hotel & Restaurant, opening May 9 in Miami Beach, contrasts the surrounding Art Deco atmosphere with its unique Mediterranean vibe and personalized service.

Join us for Divine Sips: A Roots Divino Tasting Experience on April 29th from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at our Hayes Valley location.