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Mediterranean Regional Cuisine Healthy and Delicious

While there's been a good deal of attention focused on Mediterranean cuisine thanks to the health benefits discovered by research, there's been far less written on one simple fact about the Mediterranean diet. It is, quite simply, delicious.

According to a study released by the Harvard Medical School back in the 1990s, older adults living in 'Mediterranean' countries - the southern parts of Italy, Sardinia and Greece, Northern Africa and the Middle East, mostly - had a notably low incidence of heart disease and other age-related diseases. After evaluating all the various factors, researchers concluded that it was diet and activity level that made the difference in health.

There was no room in their findings to discuss the tang of a fresh tomato topped with a slice of fresh goat cheese and drizzled with basil steeped in olive oil. But the pure fact of the matter is that the Mediterranean diet, with its focus on fresh vegetables, fresh pasta and bread, olive oil and spices, is far more than a way to combat the effects of aging. It's a step toward healthy gourmet eating - the kind of meals that leave you not only full, but completely satisfied.

So how do the nutritional findings translate to one of the most delightful treats for the taste buds ever created? The findings, as quoted by the American Heart Association are:

· high consumption of fruits, vegetables, bread and other cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds

· olive oil is an important monounsaturated fat source

· dairy products, fish and poultry are consumed in low to moderate amounts, and little red meat is eaten

· eggs are consumed zero to four times a week

· wine is consumed in low to moderate amounts

Allow me to translate, piece by piece:

For breakfast one day, slice a fresh peach over kasha or oatmeal, drizzle with honey or stir in a tablespoon of yogurt. Another day, slice fresh berries into a small dish of yogurt and sprinkle with wheat germ or crushed walnuts or almonds. Slice polenta (leftover from last night) and grill, then top with syrup made from fresh fruit and serve with a slice of cheese.

At lunch, try bouillabaisse, rich with seafood and potatoes, or a thick slice of bread topped with sliced tomatoes and olives and a thin slice of goat cheese. Sprinkle with sesame seeds for crunch and added flavor.

Fresh spinach and onions, barely wilted in olive oil over a high fire, topped with a tablespoon of yogurt blends acrid, sweet and creamy flavors and textures into a side dish that cools the palate even as it warms the heart. It's the spark of the unusual that makes Mediterranean cuisine so deliciously different than what we imagine. We think pasta - yet there is couscous, bulgur, rice and brown rice, and kasha, polenta and hummus. Grapes and strawberries, figs and dates, olives and tomatoes - all these are delicacies to us - but staples of the Mediterranean diet.

If you've decided that your health is important, and the Mediterranean diet is right for you, step beyond the pasta pages of your cookbook and look into the cuisine of nearby countries. You'll find a whole new world of flavor to savor along with the knowledge that it's all good for you.

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