Salim Ben Mami is head chef and owner of Café Collage restaurant in Oregon House. Contact him at 692-2555 or ccollage@succeed.net. His Web site is www.cafecollage.net.
Culinary Odyssey
- Persian duck is festive for holiday dinner
- Comments | Recommend
- This Mediterranean dish is Café Collage's recipe. It originates from Persia and is an exotic sweet-sour dish. Like the duck confit, it is slow cooked, and as the fat is released, the duck bakes in its own fat. The fat is then used to preserve... Full story
- Savory pie is specialty of Moroccan cuisine
- Comments | Recommend
- This dish is a specialty of the imperial cities of Morocco, often served for formal occasions. It is a sweet and salty pie, of the most refined Moroccan cuisine. For centuries, Morocco has been the crossroads of many civilizations. Phoenicians,... Full story
- Traditional Moroccan soup is also noted for its healing properties
- Comments | Recommend
- Harira is the most popular and traditional soup in Morocco. It is usually served during the holy month of Ramadan to break the fast at sunset. It is also served the morning after a wedding. In Morocco, restaurants serve it as a starter to welcome... Full story
- Greek word for chocolate means 'food of the gods'
- Comments | Recommend
- Chocolate is made from the seeds of the tropical cacao tree. In the Mayan language, it is pronounced "kakaw," and in Greek, it is called "Theobroma," which means "food of the gods." The cacao plant originates in the Amazon and is widely planted in... Full story
- Try this traditional French beef stew
- Comments | Recommend
- Beef Bourguignon — also called beef burgundy — is a traditional French beef stew. In Burgundy, the meat used is of a high quality from Charolais cattle. This particular white cattle is common in southern France and in Charolles.... Full story
- Risotto is a traditional Italian rice dish
- Comments | Recommend
- Risotto is a traditional Italian rice dish, yet it is unclear how rice initially made its way to northern Italy in the 14th century. One theory is that the Arabs brought rice first to Andalusia and Sicily. From there, it made its way north to the Po... Full story
- Origins of Caesar salad dressing shrouded in flavorful myth
- Comments | Recommend
- The origins of Caesar salad has spawned many myths. One of them is that Caesar Cardini, an Italian-born Mexican, invented this dish on the July 4, 1924, when his restaurant got a rush of diners that depleted his kitchen of ingredients. He and his... Full story
- Baba Ganoush is a versatile appetizer
- Comments | Recommend
- Baba Ganoush is a Mediterranean appetizer used frequently as a starter, side dish or a salad. It is made from mashed eggplant and mixed with various ingredients according to the culture. Frequently the eggplant is baked, broiled or grilled before it... Full story
- Tortilla Espanola a Spanish-style omelet
- Comments | Recommend
- Tortilla Espanola, or Tortilla de Patatas, is a Spanish omelet, consisting of eggs, potatoes and onions. It is one of the most common tapas throughout Spain and is usually eaten at room temperature. The first reference to the tortilla is found in a... Full story
- Sample an Italian tradition: Gnocchi
- Comments | Recommend
- Gnocchi is a traditional Italian dumpling made from semolina, ordinary wheat flour, potato or bread crumbs. The smaller ones are called gnocchetti. In Roman times, gnocchi was made from a semolina porridge mixture with eggs and is still prepared in... Full story
