A Look at the Gastronomic Delicacies of the Ancient World

Food science, gastronomic appreciation, cookery shows, culinary experimentation, etc., all seem modern concepts, which make us wonder how things were in the past. In fact, history tells us that an environment of food culture existed even in ancient times. Food was an important aspect of the culture of the great civilizations of the past. 

The cuisine of ancient civilizations was amazingly diverse. One of the reasons for that were the conquests they embarked on. As civilizations conquered and explored other towns, villages and kingdoms, they absorbed the cuisine and culinary traits of those people. So a successful kingdom had a wide palette to choose from. 

Rome’s Rich Culinary Ideas

Take Rome, for example. Rome’s culinary ideas largely came from the kingdoms it was exposed to through its trade routes, explorations and conquests at the height of its glory. The staple food of Rome consisted of sausage, cheese, olive oil and bread with honey. Many herbs and vegetables were used, such as thyme, rosemary, basil, bay leaf, shallots, garlic, onions, cabbage, radishes, turnips, etc. Many of these were imported from Africa and Asia where they were grown. Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) also contributed to the Roman palette with beets, cucumbers, mustard, cumin, marjoram, and fennel.  

The Romans also had a sauce that had fish and salt as its main ingredients. It was called “garum”. Dormice were quite common in the Roman, Gaul and Etruscan civilizations. They were consumed, stuffed and roasted – dormice stuffed with minced pork and pine nuts, pepper and herbs, and cooked in an oven could be considered an example of how experimentation prevailed even in those days.      

       

The Pottage Tradition

Pottage was a staple food even from Biblical times, and was made not just from fish and vegetables, but also meat. It was part of the staple food, particularly in Britain. Supper in Britain included mutton and wild game along with bread. The Romans had a kind of porridge for breakfast that was consumed with honey, dates and pancakes. 

Wide Choice of Meat

Quail and other such small birds were eaten by the Romans after they were decorated with herbs, eggs and asparagus. Wild birds were also part of the diet of Egyptians. They consumed quail, pigeon, heron, duck and goose. The Egyptians were also the first to domesticate cattle and wild pigs. The meat was reportedly consumed by the elite.   

The Aztecs are also known to have consumed beans, avocados, pepper, squash and corn maize. One of their prominent dishes was atole, a maize porridge containing tortillas, tamales, chilies and other vegetables.  Meat was also part of their diet, and included wild game, turkeys, dogs and ducks.   

Desserts and Chocolate

Desserts were well known too back then. Apricots, apples, grapes, cherries, dates, melons, pomegranates, plums, pears and figs were among those consumed as dessert in Rome, Egypt, Greece, China and Mesopotamia. Chocolate was consumed by the Aztecs, but it was reserved for the nobility and warrior classes. 

Rice and Noodles

In China, rice was the staple food along with which they consumed cabbage, beans, peas, wheat and millet. Of course, the one dish that comes to mind when you think of the Chinese is rice noodles. The Chinese consumed these with fish, poultry, eggs, vegetable and pickles.     

As you’ve just seen, the ancient civilizations had plenty of stuff to munch on. Many cooking methods and techniques evolved over the centuries. By the turn of the 19^th century, the celebrity chef concept started gaining popularity and the centuries of tradition was enriched by new innovations. 

About Peter Theodorou

A chef par excellence, Peter Theodorou spends a lot of time studying the culinary styles of the various civilizations and loves innovating on established dishes.     

Balancing the Dining Space and the Kitchen in a Restaurant

Running a restaurant requires dedication, persistence and a deep sense for aesthetics. But before all that comes the planning part. How do you plan a restaurant? 

Dining Space and the Kitchen Area Very Important

Both the dining room and kitchen are the most important physical spaces making up a restaurant. But does that mean they should occupy similar square feet of area? The dining area is where the guests come in. It’s not just good food they need, but also the right ambience that makes them feel relaxed. It depends on what kind of restaurant you run. So the focus should be on the area that your customers see, and that’s certainly the dining area, not the kitchen.

The kitchen is important too, since customer satisfaction would depend on the gastronomic delicacies coming from there. But the focus for the kitchen is in the areas of practicality, efficiency and regulatory compliance – it must be conducive to producing food quickly, efficiently and hygienically. But aesthetics don’t play a role there. If you’re expecting a great number of guests at a given time, you may need more space in your kitchen. In that case, the area of your kitchen needs to be reasonably large. Not only are you managing people in the kitchen, but you also have equipment for which you need space.     

                  

The Kitchen to Dining Area Ratio

There is a standard ratio for designing, or setting up space for, the kitchen and the dining area. But that depends a lot on how much land you’ve had to build your restaurant. The ratio could be altered accordingly. The ratio accepted as standard is 60 to 40 in favor of the dining room. Again, that varies depending on the kind of restaurant you’re run. 

·      Fine food requires twice or thrice the area of a banquet service kitchen.

·      Fast-service restaurants can have kitchens that are smaller and dining rooms that are much larger. Only then can they make profit by welcoming more guests and securing greater sales volumes. 

·      Fine dining restaurants are not dependent on volume, but on the quality of experience. They would not only need tastefully designed dining areas that ooze exclusivity, but also larger kitchens to ensure that they not only make food with the highest quality, but also arrange it the right way before presenting to the guests. In such restaurants, the dining space can be lesser than usual.

As an experienced chef, Peter Theodorou has expressed his opinion on various aspects of restaurant design, apart from his culinary exploits. He believes the right ratio of the dining space to the kitchen area depends on the practical considerations of the restaurant. But the ratio certainly does make a difference to the performance of the restaurant.   

                

How Celebrity Chefs Share their Culinary Insights

The art of cuisine is probably as old as civilization itself. But it wasn’t until the late 19th century and the early 20th century, with the proliferation of journalistic media, that celebrity chefs started rising. When television came along, cookery shows displayed the talent of these chefs and live shows further enhanced their appeal. They became household names and people like me started dreaming of their kind of work and living their kind of life. So let’s take a look at two of the most famous celebrity chefs in history and find out what we can learn from them.     

Auguste Escoffier

Let’s start with Frenchman Auguste Escoffier who lived from 1846 to 1935. Ranked among the most influential cooks ever, Escoffier brought the conventional French cooking techniques to modern standards. Escoffier’s techniques were actually built on the style of Marie-Antoine Carem, another famous chef who is credited with codifying haute cuisine. All Escoffier did was simplify Careme’s elaborate style. But, being a restaurateur as well as a culinary writer, Escoffier was among the earliest celebrity chefs. There were also five mother sauces for which Escoffier codified recipes.

Escoffier’s book “Le Guide Culinaire” is still used as a reference as a guide for cooking and as a cookbook. His techniques continue to influence chefs across the world. But arguably, Escoffier’s greatest contribution was making cooking a respectable profession by bringing in discipline and order. He was given the title“King of chefs and chef of kings” -- earlier bestowed on Careme -- making him France’s most prominent chef in the early 20^th century. He was the secret behind the success of the Paris Ritz and London’s erstwhile Carlton Hotel, both originally part of the Ritz-Carlton group.

 

Anthony Bourdain

From the past let’s come to a more recent period, the time of American Anthony Bourdain (1956-2018). As much as Bourdain was known for his cuisines, he was also a major media figure. He has written many bestselling books on food including “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly”, and also essays and articles that have appeared in various leading newspapers and publications.

But Bourdain really became a household name with his TV shows, primarily “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations” that ran from 2005 to 2012. It all started with “The Cook’s Tour” (2002-2003), which combined his culinary adventures with travels to various destinations of the world. His final TV show was “Parts Unknown”, where he focused on the politics and cultures of exotic regions along with the cuisine. One episode even featured the then US President Barack Obama. Apart from his own TV programs, he also appeared in other shows including reality shows such as Top Chef, and created YouTube videos as well.  

These two chefs were of two different eras, but their competencies were more than just culinary talent. They shared their culinary insights with the world. That’s what made them celebrity chefs. And that’s the quest of Peter Theodorou as well, looking to make the world a better place with good food.

Why Peter Theodorou Recommends Natural Food

Natural food has the advantage of being free from artificial ingredients. You are one with nature and, as a result, your body stands to gain a lot.

Traits that Differentiate a Chef from a Cook

Ever wondered what distinguishes a cook from a chef? There is one basic principle at work here – the cook cooks, but the chef puts imagination to work. The chef doesn’t just cook, he/she brings culinary ideas to life, draws inspiration from cuisines around the world as well as trends beyond the world of cuisine, and takes great effort in presenting the cuisine in an inspiring manner. In other words, the chef adds art and life to an otherwise mechanical task. While chefs learn a lot through hotel management and gastronomic schools, they need to have an innate desire to learn new things, and the ability to imagine and think outside the box.  

Going Beyond Where a Cook Treads 

The word “chef” compulsorily implies an individual’s role in a professional environment, unlike a cook who could be performing his/her task event at home or in some kind of domestic environment and not necessarily a restaurant kitchen. A chef usually has an experience of somewhere from two to four years of serving in a professional environment. Anyone can be a great cook but not necessarily a great chef. That title is reserved only for the best of the best cooks who look to satisfy not just the taste buds of their guests but also give them an experience permeating to their inner mind. 

Distinguishing Between a Chef and a Cook

• The word “chef” originates from the French language, a term called “chef de cuisine” or “chief of the kitchen”. And that kitchen is usually one of a palace or a high-end restaurant. The term “cook” doesn’t necessarily convey that professionalism.
• Another important distinction is that a chef usually has a team of cooks under him/her. Each member of the team has a specific task to perform, as directed by the chef. This delegation is necessary because of the expansiveness of the setting and also the requirement to create culinary masterpieces that are perfect in every way and satisfying the highest standard.
• A cook usually works in an environment where the focus is on food that tastes good and not necessarily satisfying a particular kind of palate, and where presentation isn’t necessarily as important as it is for the guests of a chef. There can be several cooks serving under a chef, but in domestic settings and less professional environments the chef usually handles all aspects of cooking and preparation of the meal.    
• A chef often plays an integral part in designing the menu at major restaurants. The entire reputation of the restaurant hinges on the capability of the chef. Chefs who conquer hearts with their cuisine end up becoming celebrities. 

If you’re a cook but have the imagination and talent to go beyond what you’re doing now, all you need is the required education and training. Everything else comes from inside, as celebrity chef Peter Theodorou realized on his road to the top.