tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82011939653318275032024-03-05T17:09:23.179-08:00An Ancient Mediterranean Meal: Foods from the First Century A.D.SubheadingZacki Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453074352931137017noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201193965331827503.post-5064944393334792422016-07-07T08:30:00.000-07:002016-07-07T08:30:56.762-07:00Investigating the Jerusalem Artichoke<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>First Impressions<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<i>A steak sandwich. This
would be amazing on a steak sandwich.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaQe-Ru8YsOccswrSL3_ZD3fnVTRzdwlmtQNeBDuflxs0DDcJ0U53kD5izUgJWstEaU2OxUD1EAbHUiIQ6JmVrmysby1cbxMvnwkBuDDQ-isqI8CVJvJU8kdBUNsjNRs6rFxvsYPrHBxg/s1600/artichoke+pic+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaQe-Ru8YsOccswrSL3_ZD3fnVTRzdwlmtQNeBDuflxs0DDcJ0U53kD5izUgJWstEaU2OxUD1EAbHUiIQ6JmVrmysby1cbxMvnwkBuDDQ-isqI8CVJvJU8kdBUNsjNRs6rFxvsYPrHBxg/s320/artichoke+pic+3.jpg" width="180" /></a>This thought ran through my head as I tasted my first bite
of Ms. Zacki’s Jerusalem artichoke relish. The relish was crunchy, sweet, and
unlike anything else I had ever eaten. My previous idea of relish was the soggy
green topping on a hot dog at an Orioles’ game; this Jerusalem artichoke relish
bore no resemblance to its pickle-based cousin. I could have eaten Ms. Zacki’s
relish with a spoon for lunch, it was that good. I could imagine it slathered
on top of thinly-sliced, peppered steak, jammed between two slices of toasted
whole wheat bread. </div>
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But perhaps it tasted so delicious because I had been
waiting so long for a Jerusalem artichoke. When I was first assigned to write
this blog article, I bounced between grocery stores, searching for the tuber.
Trips to Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, Trader Joe’s, and a farmer’s market proved
fruitless. These frustrated ventures led me to Google: Was the Jerusalem
artichoke even in season? And from there I discovered the fascinating history
of the tuber.</div>
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<b>What’s in a Name?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Have you ever played the game Telephone? Perhaps when you
were younger -- at a birthday party, maybe – a friend would whisper a phrase
into the ear of the person to her left, who would then whisper it to the next
person, and the cycle would repeat until the phrase reached the last person. At
this point the phrase would be contorted as each person misheard the phrase; by
the end of the game it was nothing like the original sentence. This is similar
to how the Jerusalem artichoke earned its name. The tuber is neither an
artichoke nor from Jerusalem – so how did it acquire such a misleading moniker?
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfYbrtbyE1AHFQ3ro5P-1-lc1yoFPj9nFDVT_hQEJ8dNjnIYFrV8oKzhQP-2wLJBHRhN24o1fnTvYfo4xV5IN7_7mwFCDTEylun3HqbbdSUqtZZZzHyNSefRRzyR238LRj0cf4i-b8VEP/s1600/artichoke+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfYbrtbyE1AHFQ3ro5P-1-lc1yoFPj9nFDVT_hQEJ8dNjnIYFrV8oKzhQP-2wLJBHRhN24o1fnTvYfo4xV5IN7_7mwFCDTEylun3HqbbdSUqtZZZzHyNSefRRzyR238LRj0cf4i-b8VEP/s320/artichoke+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a>Samuel de Champlain, an explorer in the Americas, began the
game of Telephone. He first tasted the Jerusalem artichoke (also known as the
sunchoke) in Massachusetts and compared the taste to artichokes he ate in his
native France. When the French began growing the tubers themselves, they agreed
with de Champlain that the tubers resembled artichokes. They continued to call
them artichokes, even though they are actually a member of the sunflower
family. </div>
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Furthermore, the sunchokes do not originate from Jerusalem.
The tubers were first cultivated in eastern North America and traded between
tribes. European exploration in the New World brought the tubers over to Europe
in the 1600s. Here they became a popular crop because they are inexpensive,
easy to grow, and nutritious. </div>
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The Italian settlers in North America helped bring the
sunchoke to Europe, but also helped it earn the “Jerusalem” part of its name.
The Italians called the tuber <i>girasole, </i>the
Italian word for sunflower, because the top of the plant resembled a sunflower.
In another game of Telephone, <i>girasole </i>was
corrupted into <i>Jerusalem</i>. Henceforth,
the tuber became known as the Jerusalem artichoke. </div>
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<b>Delicious and
Nutritious<i><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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The Jerusalem artichoke is highly nutritious. Despite
frequent comparisons to potatoes, the sunchoke contains little starch. The
carbohydrates it does contain come in the form of inulin. Inulin is a polymer
that can be converted into fructose, giving the sunchoke a sweeter taste than
the potato and making it a great choice for diabetics. (People suffering from
type 2 diabetes tolerate fructose better than sucrose or other forms of sugar.)
The sunchoke is as versatile as it is nutritious. A quick scour of the Internet
revealed numerous recipes for preparing the tuber.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2MpGIvbFJH4Ii5C5m6HnWaJeXMTNCTwCnYfLcud_Kmya7ROnR5EEE31EpOnNIAvtNrexPFYmO8KWG7e-zghtpCtx2xxv4kwgC41plvpdhJLIGjNFaa9QL3ZX6KqpLbkPQefEPqwjLmaC/s1600/artichoke+pic+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2MpGIvbFJH4Ii5C5m6HnWaJeXMTNCTwCnYfLcud_Kmya7ROnR5EEE31EpOnNIAvtNrexPFYmO8KWG7e-zghtpCtx2xxv4kwgC41plvpdhJLIGjNFaa9QL3ZX6KqpLbkPQefEPqwjLmaC/s200/artichoke+pic+2.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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I wish the grocery stores around me currently carried
Jerusalem artichokes so I could try roasting, stir-frying, blending, and making
Paleo “fries” out of them. Many recipes simply involve dicing the tuber,
tossing it with olive oil, shaking with a series of spices, and roasting for
about half an hour. This method is a classic for all manners of vegetables; the
Jerusalem artichoke is no exception.</div>
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<b>Sowing the Seeds of
Your Sunchokes</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VmMa2x7hvc0VifhA2tXgOsWxHRGEYHMVf6IVFd5IeII7BkaoVd_u7im1b_FK6xIbwyjOja9nKoRu-Z6XJo0kSGLxMZihPitMZyyZaYOHwcyxg_gOIuk0xGiYUpXnj663UZ8dPzckfQSC/s1600/artichoke+pic+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VmMa2x7hvc0VifhA2tXgOsWxHRGEYHMVf6IVFd5IeII7BkaoVd_u7im1b_FK6xIbwyjOja9nKoRu-Z6XJo0kSGLxMZihPitMZyyZaYOHwcyxg_gOIuk0xGiYUpXnj663UZ8dPzckfQSC/s200/artichoke+pic+4.JPG" width="156" /></a><b><br /></b></div>
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For a rewarding experience, grow your own Jerusalem
artichokes! Grab your trellis and sunhat and make your way to the garden. Dig
small holes about three or four inches deep. Drop small tubers into the holes
and bury them; keep them watered and prepare to reap the rewards. Plant them in
the spring. According to Ms. Zacki’s gardening expertise, the tubers will
sprout upwards first, toward the sun, as the Italians first noticed when they
named the plant <i>girasole. </i>The top of
the plant will bloom into a sunflower as the tubers grow sideways underground.
Harvest the sprouted tubers in fall and early winter. I helped Ms. Zacki plant
some Jerusalem artichokes in Ms. Zacki’s garden; I can’t wait to reap the
rewards this fall. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a></div>
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Zacki Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453074352931137017noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201193965331827503.post-70532915876162521002015-05-27T12:19:00.000-07:002015-05-27T12:19:21.740-07:00An Introduction to Ancient Mediterranean Food: Foods from the Time of Jesus<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyuj5RJBKoLgRmw8Chk_hxk5bROvs0kbfmAVVGv4qQ0n9-JI-3-JXh73jv5zhE7zmYHcPAemRmDuB7XgW8ZtFyq9jNnZ-4cPHh8knyBXWKRCKFtJibYWWonqg2mgk-fau0EQkRbg78Ijwr/s1600/Zackis+Hand+in+Dirt-Garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyuj5RJBKoLgRmw8Chk_hxk5bROvs0kbfmAVVGv4qQ0n9-JI-3-JXh73jv5zhE7zmYHcPAemRmDuB7XgW8ZtFyq9jNnZ-4cPHh8knyBXWKRCKFtJibYWWonqg2mgk-fau0EQkRbg78Ijwr/s320/Zackis+Hand+in+Dirt-Garden.jpg" width="218" /></a>I have always been a digger of dirt, and as a child participated in gardening from planting to reaping. From a young age I caught onto the enjoyment of preparing and presenting food, the gift of hospitality was practically in my DNA. Always curious, I wondered where things came from, how the seed sprouted and produced, and how the grain and the gift of our daily bread was created.<br /><br />
But, why would I want to write about something of such an ancient nature, about a country I have never traveled, and narrow the niche by using the name of Jesus?<br />
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As a Christian woman, the symbol of bread as the body of Christ in Communion was of essence. So, why not delve into the world of ancient Mediterranean foods from the time of Jesus? The "curious child" in me craved more information, and the personal chef in me wanted to imagine, study, recreate, and offer others the opportunity to break bread and share the wine from the days of Christ.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12QBnb-Nrf-xKONSZwqhcir6c8drWiT_Gb19yL53LuFAcsdrlDPka64hMqWbDS8Qxlc4IObOabXUhA-7GGwqjTAV625goSapvV_OeuJeXrBiZ1t-tQ4L7cAA1N7sgyni5UPvjAgPweoQt/s1600/Zacki+at+favorite+farm+stand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12QBnb-Nrf-xKONSZwqhcir6c8drWiT_Gb19yL53LuFAcsdrlDPka64hMqWbDS8Qxlc4IObOabXUhA-7GGwqjTAV625goSapvV_OeuJeXrBiZ1t-tQ4L7cAA1N7sgyni5UPvjAgPweoQt/s320/Zacki+at+favorite+farm+stand.JPG" width="288" /></a></div>
I found few books on the subject matter, and those I did offered little to my taste. I did my own research and put recipes together that reflected what would have been consumed in ancient mediterranean times.<br />
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I started this blog to try to keep as true as I know to what existed. To keep the Kosher rules of not mixing dairy with meat, but I also have taken the liberty of adding some current items. Such examples as lime juice, instead of citron, canola oil for baking sweets, instead of olive oil, and a few other things to make your senses perk. These recipes were designed for you to enjoy the wonderful world of foods from 2000 years ago in Israel. So come, bring your curious nature, and bake bread beside me, while we share the feast of our Lord.<br />
<br />Zacki Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01453074352931137017noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201193965331827503.post-27773715068197263822015-05-26T17:40:00.004-07:002015-06-02T11:11:42.132-07:00Ancient Mediterranean Seasoning <h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Parsley,
sage, rosemary, and thyme. These are all biblical herbs that have longevity, from medieval times to the 60's with Simon and Garfunkel's
"Scarborough Fair." Today, these herbs are an essential part of any kitchen.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Parsley, good for indigestion (and the breath!), was also thought of as a healing agent for a broken heart. Sage was known for
strength. Rosemary represented faithfulness, love and remembrance. And
thyme gave courage. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">For
me, all the spices and herbs that existed during biblical times were flavor
enhancers. You can used this recipe for </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Ancient Mediterranean Seasoning</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"> to spice up many different recipes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ancient Mediterranean Seasoning</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
Ingredients:</span></span></h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup sea salt 2 tbsp onion powder</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 tbsp dried parsley 2 tbsp cumin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 tbsp dried rosemary 1 tbsp dill</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 tbsp dried thyme 1 tbsp ground pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 tbsp dried basil 1 tbsp mustard seeds</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 tbsp dried oregano 1 tbsp dried sage</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 tbsp garlic powder</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MIF7C7zdFr8/VWURnOefEMI/AAAAAAAAADM/eZNFZF-yZ5s/s1600/WP_20150526_029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MIF7C7zdFr8/VWURnOefEMI/AAAAAAAAADM/eZNFZF-yZ5s/s400/WP_20150526_029.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
Directions:</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Combine all ingredients except for salt into a blender and pulse until finely ground.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Once ground, add salt then store in an airtight container.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524489214366335574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8201193965331827503.post-46381555697676743312015-05-22T17:46:00.001-07:002015-05-27T09:49:40.121-07:00Homemade Hummus<h2 style="text-align: center;">
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
Ingredients:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4 garlic cloves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 cups canned chickpeas, drained (reserve liquid)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 ½ teaspoons salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 teaspoon pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste, can be found in most large grocery stores)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">6 tablespoons lemon or lime juice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 tablespoons chickpea liquid</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/3 cup of olive oil </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NxXXpubpZgQ/VWUS9x_YozI/AAAAAAAAADc/iZgqnfuYajg/s1600/WP_20150522_011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NxXXpubpZgQ/VWUS9x_YozI/AAAAAAAAADc/iZgqnfuYajg/s400/WP_20150522_011.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
Directions: </span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Place all ingredients into food processor and blend until smooth. Season to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.</span><br />
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