Off Challenge What makes a good guacamole? You know it almost as soon as you see it. It’s fresh, vibrant and green. There’s no hint of stale brownness to it yet. Chunks of fresh avocado are mixed into a creamy base with an unmistakable seasoning that makes it so good. A great guacamole is worth traveling for. It’s worth searching out the perfect restaurant. It’s worth waiting for. What makes a particular guacamole so good? Let’s go over what goes into making some of Sorrento Valley’s Best Guacamole. Use Only Fresh Ingredients The best guacamole starts with the freshest ingredients. Avocados ne ..read more

Olives are one of the most important ingredients in Mediterranean cuisine. They’re pressed into the olive oil, used as a garnish, and showcased all on their own as well. This mighty ingredient is packed with flavor and nutritional power, but it didn’t get that way all on its own. Here’s how your olive gets to you from grove to plate. The Harvest A quality harvest starts with a quality tree. Olives are grown on olive trees. Olive trees are tropical, and require warm temperatures, dry temperatures, and cool but not cold winters. This means olive trees can’t be grown just anywhere. Turkey, Spain ..read more

The Mediterranean is a diverse region filled with people with a passion for food. Over the course of thousands of years, they have crafted unique and flavorful foods that are both healthy and delicious. There’s more to Mediterranean cuisine than just the food though. Mediterranean cuisine also centers around a series of customs that are associated with their food. It’s not just eating, it’s a way of eating—and studies show the way people in the Mediterranean eat may have an impact on how long they live. In this article we will take a look at three of those additional habits. They Eat Together ..read more

There are few Mediterranean dishes as impressive as shawarma. Shawarma is made by stacking meat and fat alternately on a vertical rotisserie, often very high. The meat is cooked slowly this way, and then thin shavings are sliced off for customers to enjoy. This traditional food has been enjoyed as far back as the 18th century Ottoman empire. Early shawarma was cooked over an open fire, but today a machine is used as well as an even heating source for food safety. What hasn’t changed at all are the spices used to make shawarma what it is. Most shawarma is made with coriander, turmeric and ginge ..read more

It’s impossible to discuss Mediterranean cuisine without discussing olives. This ubiquitous part of Mediterranean culture is part of nearly every meal, whether it is pressed into olive oil or served in a dish. Although no one can say for sure, it is rumored that Anatolia is the birthplace of the olive tree itself. Beyond their delicious flavor and the sheer variety of dishes that can be made from them, olives are an important part of Mediterranean food for good reason. They are a powerhouse of nutrition. Amazing Antioxidants Olives are packed with antioxidants. These are an important part of n ..read more

Turkey has a rich history in its cuisine. With a wide range of ingredients at hand, the Turkish culinary art has developed a wide range of incredibly delicious dishes. Here are our 5 favorite traditional Turkish dishes. Yaprak Dolma Dolma is food wrapped up in a grape leaf. Grape leaves are edible and have a mild flavor to them, which combines nicely with the rich filling. In the case of Yaprak dolma, the filling usually consists of rice, parsley, tomatoes, olive oil, onions, and various seasonings. The result is a delicious, yet surprisingly healthy dish. If you’re looking for something with ..read more

The Ketogenic diet has been around since the 1920s, originally used as medical treatment for patients with seizures. Although it was originally used for a very narrow scope of the population, many people have now adopted the diet for weight loss. The keto diet is high in fat, moderate in protein, and low in carbs. The body normally burns carbs first, turning it into glucose. Only after all carbohydrates have been burned will the body burn fat stores. When the body has exhausted all glucose in the body and is prepared to burn fat, the liver starts producing ketones. These ketones are what allow ..read more

Gyros are a delicious food that sends people flocking to their favorite Mediterranean restaurants to eat them. The soft bread, juicy meat, and authentic flavors of the Gyro are one of the most delicious foods in the world. Like many foods with a long history, no one knows for sure where the Gyro originated from. Although it most likely came from Greece, during the time they popped up immigrants from many different countries were passing through. The Gyro popped up in one of many hole-in-the-wall shops immigrants were selling food in, and quickly spread. It was considered one of the first origi ..read more

When you think of health food, what comes to mind usually isn’t delicious. Words like Arugula and Kale are trending, words like steak and potato chip are not. Yet when most of us are thinking of a tasty treat, we’re usually not snapping a leaf off a plant for snacking, we’re usually looking for something that tastes—well—good. Mediterranean food is one of those few cross roads where tasty and healthy meet. When you tuck into some Baba Ganoush with it’s slightly smokey flavor, you are also getting vegetables like eggplant, citrus with its antioxidant effects, and spices that promote good health ..read more

The Mediterranean Diet has long ranked as one of the top diets recommended by doctors and nutritionists. It’s often ranked this way not only because it’s easy to stick to, but also because of how healthy most of the ingredients are. In particular, two ingredients show up over and over again in Mediterranean recipes. Olive oil and lemons are used liberally in Mediterranean cuisine, and both of them pack a huge nutrition boost. Here’s why. Some Fats are Good Fats Fats were once considered the enemy of dieters everywhere. The idea was that fats made you fat, since they have so many calories. The ..read more