"What happiness! Everyone is going to the table!" (Italian Proverb)Nowadays 70% of Italians (who were recently declared the healthiest people in Europe) still gather for a communal meal with their families on Sundays weach week. The ritual is both important and anticipated by many. Sharing meals with others and physical activity are considered to be the base of the Mediterranean diet.
Regardless of the particular culture in the region, people go out of their way to plan meals together - which has been linked to increasingly longevity, eating and digesting better, and eating less. I love hearing stories from readers who maintain these traditions all over the world. together, and family life is valued greatly. Throughout the region’s history, eating alone was frowned upon. Even today, most people in the Mediterranean find it unpleasant to eat alone. Fortunately, in many places, work and school schedules revolve around mealtimes. When they do not, families change their schedules in order to be able to eat together—at least for one meal per day. For those of you who haven't reaped the benefits of this lifestyle, I highly recommend seeking out family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors with whom you can enjoy meals with more often.
Every country and culture around the Mediterranean has its own way of encouraging people to eat
Residents on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia are ten times more
likely to live past 100 than people in the United States. Researchers
who studied this remarkable longevity found that daily communal
(family-style) eating was commonplace and attributed it to the overall
well-being of residents. The researchers concluded that there is
something extremely satisfying and comforting about knowing that, no
matter how difficult life gets, at lunchtime you will be surrounded by
loved ones. This adds a deep sense of psychological security, which, in
turn, has a positive effect on health and happiness.It can be difficult given our demanding work schedules, but the benefits are truly worth the effort. Even when it isn't possible to be with someone else (in my case when I am writing at home and am alone), I will send a message to a loved one and arrange to call them when I'm eating. It has become a "thing" with my family and writer friends - and it makes me feel great that I can both catch up with others and my work at the same time. Another helpful tip is to make it a point to schedule both meals with others and physical activity into your weekly planning.
Ground Rules for Rewarding Communal Meals
1. No television or electronics
2. No off-limits or unpleasant topics
3. Dress for the meal
4. Set as attractive a table as possible
5. Discuss pleasant topics and good news
A few of my favorite recipes to enjoy with others include:
Sicilian Swordfish Bundles/
Involtini di Pesce Spade
Recipe from The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook. Swordfish is one of the most traditional fish in the southern Italian diet. Although it can be eaten at any time of year, it is often a part of the Feast of the Seven Fishes custom celebrated on Christmas Eve (see Mediterranean Tradition).
4 tablespoons (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (226 g) chopped boxed tomatoes, such as Pomi brand
1 cup (226 g) strained boxed tomatoes, such as Pomi brand
4 tablespoons (36 g) toasted pine nuts, divided
2 tablespoons (5 g) freshly chopped basil
1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt or salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of crushed dried red chili flakes
2 boneless swordfish fillets (3/4 pound or 340 g), placed in freezer for 30 minutes for easier slicing
2 tablespoons Fresh Bread Crumbs (see page XXX)
2 tablespoons (15 g) grated Pecorino Romano
2 tablespoons (18 g) raisins, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes and drained
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped fresh, flat-leaf Italian parsley, divided
¼ cup (22 g) finely chopped fennel
2 anchovy fillets, chopped
Heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it releases its aroma, 30 to 60 seconds—do not let garlic turn brown.
Stir in the chopped and strained tomatoes, 2 tablespoons (18 g) pine nuts, basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, and chili flakes, stir, and cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
With a filleting knife, carefully and neatly slice the swordfish fillets crosswise once into about 1/8-inch thick slices. Cut each piece in half to make 4 pieces.
Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil, bread crumbs, Pecorino, raisins, remaining pine nuts, onion, parsley, fennel, and anchovies in a small bowl, and mix well to combine.
Place the fish pieces on a work surface covered with waxed paper or on a large plastic cutting board, and spread one tablespoon of the bread crumb mixture on each piece of fish. Press down firmly with your hands, so that the filling sticks.
Carefully tuck in the sides of fish. The sides must be firmly tucked in so that the filling doesn’t escape. Starting at the wide end, roll up the fish, completely encasing the filling. Use toothpicks or skewers to secure the rolls.
Slowly remove lid from tomato sauce and add the rolls into simmering sauce. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, or until fish is cooked through.
Transfer the fish to a serving platter, remove skewers, and top with the remaining sauce.
Yield: 4 servings
Crema di ceci con gamberi
Recipe from The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook. The combination of homemade stock, chickpeas, and shrimp with herbs make this soup sing! Chickpeas are a good source of protein, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, and magnesium. Consider adding them to salads, soups, pastas, rice, and couscous dishes the way people in the Mediterranean region do to take advantage of their health benefits.
For Stock:
1/2 pound (225 g) shrimp, peels reserved and deveined
1 carrot
1 onion, peeled and halved
1 rib celery
Unrefined sea salt or salt
5 black peppercorns or ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
For Shrimp and Soup:
1 cup (171 g) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, rinsed, and drained well, or 1 can (15 ounces or 425 g), drained and rinsed
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Unrefined sea salt or salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To Make Shrimp Stock: (This step can be done 1 day ahead)
Place the shrimp peels in a large stockpot with 8 cups (2 L) water, carrot, onion, and celery. Bring to a boil over high heat. Skim scum off the top of the pot and carefully discard. Add 1 tablespoon (18 g) salt, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes and strain.
To Make Chickpea Soup:
Place the chickpeas in a large saucepan or stockpot with 6 cups (1.4 L) of seafood stock and onion. Simmer, covered, on medium-low until the chickpeas are tender (1 hour for dried chickpeas or about 5 minutes for canned).
Take off the heat and drain, reserving cooking liquid. Place the chickpeas and the reserved liquid in blender. Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Blend well until a purée is formed.
Return the mixture to the pot. Taste, and adjust salt if necessary. If the soup is too thick, stir in a few tablespoons of water. Stir and simmer on low heat until ready to serve.
To make Shrimp:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the olive oil begins to release its aroma, add the shrimp and rosemary, and salt to taste. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or just until the shrimp lose their gray color, begin to turn bright pink and are cooked through.
Garnish soup with shrimp on top.
If you don’t have time to make homemade shrimp stock, you can substitute water or seafood stock in this recipe. You can also freeze the shrimp shells to make stock at a later time. The stock can also be made ahead of time and frozen in a plastic container for up to 1 month. To defrost, place in a bowl in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Yield: 4 Servings
Corsican-Style Garlic-Laced Beef Stew with Peppers/
Boeuf à la
mode de Corse
Recipe from The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook. Although meat and pasta dishes are generally served as separate
courses in Italy, there are a handful of hearty, rustic dishes like this one
which fuse the first and second courses in one glorious plate. The incredibly
beautiful Mediterranean island of Corsica was ruled by Italy until the mid-nineteenth
century, when it became part of France. By combining both Italian and French
country-style cooking with local specialties, Corsica developed a cuisine as
awe inspiring as its scenery. In this recipe, lamb, or goat meat could be
substituted.
1 pound (455 g) beef stew cubes (2-inch or 5 cm pieces)
10 cloves garlic, sliced into thin slivers
11/2 teaspoons unrefined sea salt or salt, divided
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
3 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
½ cup (120 ml) dry red wine
2 whole green bell peppers, cut into 4-inch (10 cm) strips
2 cups (452 g) diced tomatoes
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 pound (455 g) large tubular pasta such as maccheroni or quinoa pasta macaroni, prepared according to package directions
2/3 cup (79 g) freshly grated Pecorino Romano
With a sharp knife, make slits into each piece of beef and stuff
with a few of the garlic slivers. Season the meat with 1 teaspoon salt and ½
teaspoon pepper.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium
heat. Working in batches, brown the meat on all sides. Transfer to a plate. Add
the sliced onions to the pan and sauté until lightly golden and soft, about 5
minutes.
Pour the wine into the pan, and stir in the meat. Increase heat to high and
cook, stirring often, until wine almost disappears, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the
peppers and any remaining garlic to the pan and turn to coat. Add the tomatoes,
cinnamon, bay leaf, paprika, remaining salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 2 to 2½ hours, or until the
meat is extremely tender, stirring every half hour, and adding water ½ cup (120
ml) at a time if sauce seems too dry. Remove the bay leaf.
To serve, stir a little bit of the sauce into the pasta. Spoon the pasta
onto a large serving platter, and ladle the remaining meat and sauce over the
top. Garnish with the Pecorino Romano.
Yield: 4 servings
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