We sincerely hope you enjoy it!

If you have a suggestion, an idea or a request, you can ask me, John Krontiras, by simply clicking here. Periodically we will have a drawing from the email addresses in our system and we will offer various gifts, i.e. free dinner, items from Nabeel's® Market, and from our new Café Capri.

Congratulations to gsarris@scott.net!

Note: In most cases we have not kept the actual name/address of an individual to mail the winning Gift Certificate and as a result we mail the winner, the Certificate to their e-mail address. When you receive the e-mail, it will have a subject: Nabeel's Gift Certificate You need to open the file and save it in Microsoft Word under "My Documents". Print the document, tear the Gift Certificate out, and bring to Nabeel's to redeem it. If you live outside of the Birmingham area, please forward this e-mail (gift certificate) to nabeels@nabeels.com and a gift will be mailed to you.

Email >> John@nabeels.com

AS OF OCTOBER 14, 2002, FETA IS OFFICIALLY A GREEK-ONLY CHEESE!

Throughout Europe there is an enormous range of great foods. However, when a product acquires a reputation extending beyond national borders it can find itself in competition with products which pass themselves off as the genuine article and take the same name. This unfair competition not only discourages producers but also misleads consumers.

That's why in 1992, the European Union created a system known as PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), PGI (Protected Geographical Indication), and TSG (Traditional Specialty Guaranteed) to promote and protect food products.

PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) Covers the term used to describe foodstuffs which are produced, processed, and prepared in a given geographical area using recognized know-how.

PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) The Geographical link must occur in at least one of the stages of production, processing or preparation.

TSG (Traditional Specialty Guaranteed) This does not refer to the origin but highlights traditional character, either in the composition or means of production.

Why have a European systems for developing and protecting foodstuffs?

• To protect product names from misuse and imitation
• To help consumers by giving them information concerning the specific character of the products.

Producers in other member states (France, Germany, Denmark) have been given a time frame in which they must change the name from Feta to another name or to stop production.

The EU legislation concerning this is (Council Regulation (EEC) 2081/92 of July 1992) and Regulation 1107/96/EU. To date about 600 agricultural and food products have been protected under this regulation.

Feta , which can be produced only in certain regions of Greece, joins a list of hundreds of protected gourmet products, including cheeses like Italy's Gorgonzola, Regiano Parmeziano and French Brie de Meaux.

What is Feta cheese anyway?

Feta is the oldest cheese in the world. It is mentioned in Homer's Odyssey when Polyphymus fed Ulysses cheese from his sheep. Feta belongs to the category of soft cheese. It is usually made of sheep milk or a blend of sheep and goat milk up to a proportion of 70:30%. Feta cheese is also made with cow's milk.

How does it taste?

Sheep's Feta is strong and rich, while goat Feta makes for a strong game flavor product and cow's Feta has a milder flavor profile. Before being available for consumption, Feta goes through a two month maturation at least, this being the period of development of all its organoleptic and qualitative characteristics, which make the difference from other soft cheeses of the same category.

Feta is a brined matured cheese, packaged in wooden barrels or tin vessels. It is solid mass cheese with no rind and few holes. It is white colored, pleasant in flavor, lightly sour and rich in aroma.

Greek Feta has particular production requirements that differentiate it from other Feta-like cheeses. IT MUST BE MADE WITH EWES MILK or a mix of ewe and goat milk. The animals providing the milk have been hardened by rugged conditions and graze on natural flora.

Feta made by other European countries is often made with cow's milk and then WHITENED to avoid the yellow color that results from cow's milk aging.

Greece produces 115,000 tons/year. The other three major Feta-producers, whose production was originally intended in many cases for Greek immigrants and later shifted to third country exports, include: Denmark (28,000 tons/year), France (8,000 to 20,000 tons/year), and Germany (20,000 to 40,000 tons/years).

Each year Greeks consume an average of 10.5 kg of Feta each, a whopping 85.64% of EU Feta consumption. Like other nations eat a particular bread, Greeks eat Feta.

At Nabeel's® Market we offer Greek Feta DODONIS, the best feta in the world. We also have French Feta and Bulgarian Feta. French is softer and less salty. Bulgarian is similar but saltier than both the Greek and the French.

In conclusion, after 2-3 years you will be not be able to buy cheese that is called Feta unless it is produced in Greece's specific geographical locations. So, the next time you shop for Feta, ask for the Authentic Feta! Just the word Feta does not guarantee that you are getting the real thing.

While we're on the subject of eating and great taste, why not take a look at our menu and our catering selections!

It's really no coincidence that the one of the first cookbooks ever written was by a Roman, Apicius, in the first century AD. Italian cuisine is one of the oldest in Europe, BUT it is tracing its ancestry back to the gourmets of ancient Greece.

(( Giullio and Zio Cosmo pay attention to this!! ))

As in Greece, the success of Italian cooking is largely to do with the fact that ingredients are used while they are in peak condition. Dishes are traditional but always have the individual cook's personal touch. Even today, Italians cook seasonally using only the freshest ingredients.

The cuisine of the north, characterized by its use of butter, cow's milk cheeses, meat, and rice was completely separate from that of the south, known for its olives, olive oil, and pasta. Pizza moved north and polenta moved south.

Regional cuisine still dominates Italy even though Italy has been a unified country for over 150 years. (There was a time where the north wanted to separate from the south.) But, even today Italians think of themselves as Calabrians, Lombards, Sicilians, and Tuscans etc.

Piedmont - Located in the north-west, is bordering France and Switzerland. The food is substantial including polenta, gnocchi, and it is very famous for its white truffles. The Consorzio Gorgonzola, which protects the quality of Gorgonzola cheese, as well as the use of the name, is located in Novara in Piedmont. Also, Piedmont is very well known for wines Barolo and Asti Spumante.

Lombardy - The rice bowl of Italy and boasts at least 50 variations of risotto. Veal is featured in many recipes and includes stews, pot roasts and vegetable soups.

Liguria- Its said that it produces the best basil in Italy and it is there that pesto sauce was invented.

Veneto and Fruili - A large area in the north-east, is mainly farm land, producing cereals and almost 20 percent of all of Italy's wine. Risotto, gnocchi and polenta is the specialty of this region but, also is very well known for its fish and seafood dishes.

Emiglia-Romana - Known as la grassa, the fat city, and home of some of the best restaurants outside Rome. Bologna, is the home of Mortadella, Parma produces both Parmesan cheese and Parma ham and Modena is famous for its balsamic vinegar.

Tuscany - Its cuisine reflects the cattle farming region, with steaks and veal dishes. Tripe is a specialty dish of the region.

Umbria - They are know for the simplicity of their cuisine and are noted for lamb, pork, and freshwater fish. Umbria is the home of Orvieto, one of Italy's best wines. The olive from this region is exceptional. Also its black truffles are outstanding!

Latium - The capital of this region is Rome. Specialties from all over the country have been drawn into the city which is famous for lamb, veal dishes and saltimbocca.

Abruzzi and Molise - They used to be separate regions but now they form one region. The cuisine here is traditional making the most of local hams, cheeses, fish, lamb and herbs.

Campagna - Pasta is so important here that Neapolitans are called macaroni eaters. Some others specialties are tomato sauces, fried fish and seafood.

Apuglia - My wife is from this region. They are renowned for the vegetable dishes. Even though this region is very stony it produces excellent olives, olive oil, herbs, and fruit. Calzone, a kind of pizza turnover was invented in Apuglia.

Basilicata - A rugged mountainous cold region and therefore its cuisine is robust, warm and filling. Lamb, pork, salamis, cured meats, thick soups and fresh water fish are typical of this region.

Calabria is the toe of Italy and it is one of the most dramatic regions of Italy, with rugged craggy mountains, abrupt cliffs, and sun-soaked beaches. Calabria is famous for its eggplants. Fish is abundant and particular favorites are tuna and swordfish.

Sicily - Black olives, pistachios, almonds, and citrus fruit grow abundantly. Sicily is perhaps best known for its self indulgent cakes, desserts and ice cream. Fresh seafood, swordfish and mussels makes superb soups, stews and salads.

Sardinia - The national dish here is the suckling pig, spit-roasted over an open fire. Sea bass, red mullet lobster, tuna, eels, and mussels are the everyday treats in this beautiful island.

Health has become a major concern for Americans who are obsessed with staying young, thin and disease free. So, we understand that a healthy diet leads to a healthy lifestyle. This diet is the Mediterranean diet* and the Mediterranean Pyramid* which boasts fresh ingredients, olive oil, and red wine. Really by embracing this diet we actually revert back to the old ways and adopt the types of cooking which developed hundreds and hundreds of years ago around the Mediterranean basin. The Mediterranean dietary pyramid was recently endorsed by the WHO (World Health Organization). This diet existed for centuries in Greece, Italy and Spain as a way of life. Their cuisine is as much a matter of culture and society as it is of food and wine. Olive oil, bread, fish, cheese, vegetables, pasta and fruits are the elements of Greek/ Italian tradition.

PRESS RELEASE, June 25, 2003
Harvard School of Public Health

"Boston, MA.- Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Athens, Greece, have assessed the dietary habits of study participants from all regions of Greece and found that those who strongly adhered to a Mediterranean diet had improved longevity compared to those that did not follow that diet closely."

In the June 26th issue of The NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL of MEDICINE this eleven page study is published, describing the details of this research. It is broken down in four areas: Background, Methods, Results and Conclusions. Background: Adherence to the Mediterranean diet may improve longevity.

Methods: "We conducted a population-based, prospective investigation involving 22,043 adults in Greece who completed an extensive, validated, food -frequency questionnaire at base line. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was assessed by a 10-point Mediterranean-diet scale that incorporated the salient characteristics of this diet (range) of scores, 0 to 9 with higher scores indicates higher adherence).

Results: "During a median 44 months of follow-up, there were 275 deaths. A higher degree of adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with reduction in total mortality…."

Conclusions: "Greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with significant reduction in total mortality.

* No warranty is expressed or implied by Nabeel's about the beneficial qualities of the Mediterranean diet.

5OO ml for $5.95 750 ml for $7.95 3-liter for $18.95

Greeks consume more olive oil per person than anyone else on earth. The Crete and Peloponnese are not only the largest oil producers but also produce the best olive oil in the world! That is where TSITALIA extra virgin olive oil comes from. From the olive tree groves of the island of Crete. Consumers, particularly those of us in the U.S.A, are in difficult position, in selecting the correct extra virgin olive oil.

What you want is an oil that gives you pleasure, that you can use with abandon, instead of an expensive luxury that you are afraid to dispense each drop. Olive oil is a commodity meant to be generously poured over salads, cooking meats, fish, poultry, etc. Therefore, you need an oil that is reasonably priced and that is excellent in taste and aroma. TSITALIA® Oil gives you all of that; the aroma, the taste and a price that you can't beat. It is a product you can trust because it is brought to you by George Sarris of the Fish Market Restaurant and is available at Nabeel's International Market.

George Sarris imports this oil directly from Greece and specifically from the island of Crete, where the first olive tree was planted some 4,500 years ago. George named the oil TSITALIA to honor his birthplace, a town in the eastern part of Peloponnese, called Tsitalia.

Click here to order now!

A dictionary of Greek coffee:

Coffee: Greek coffee is made from beans ground very fine, to the consistency of, almost, powder

Briki : (pronounced bri ki) briki is the coffee pot for Greek coffee.

Kaimak: (pronounced kaema ki) this is the thick layer froth which forms on top of the coffee as it nears the boil. It should not be disturbed when pouring the coffee.

Katakathi: (pronounced kataka the) There will always be thick sediment at the bottom of the cup. Greek coffee is served with the grounds that settle at the bottom of the cup, so, the whole cup can not be drunk.

Flytzanaki: (pronounced fletzana ki) this the traditional coffee cup very similar to the cup that espresso is served in.

Greek coffee pot, available at Nabeel's International Market, $6.59

Bravo Greek coffee, 1 lb, $7.69

Loumidis Greek coffee, 1 lb, $7.69

Venizelos Greek coffee, 1 lb, $7.69

Recipes for Greek Coffee

Heavy Coffee (kafe vare glyko) Ingredients: 1 small cup water 1½ teaspoons of sugar 1 teaspoon of Greek coffee Preparation: Put the hot water in the briki to heat. While its getting hot, add the sugar and coffee and stir. As soon as the mix starts boiling it starts rising. As soon as it rises to the rim of the pot, remove immediately so as not to spoil the froth and coffee and stir.

Medium Coffee (kafe me trios) Ingredients: 1 small cup water 1½ teaspoons of sugar 1 teaspoon of Greek coffee Preparation: Same as the heavy coffee

After an enjoyable cup of coffee, why not visit the recipes section of our website for ideas!

If you'd prefer that we do the cooking, why not take a look at our menu and our catering selections!

• 7 oz canned tuna, drained
• 3 oz anchovies, drained
• 10 fluid ounces TSITALIA(*) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

[ * these items are available at Nabeel's^® International Market ]

Over 1,500 Ethnic and gourmet items from the far corners of the world are available at Nabeel's Market, enabling you to make the most tantalizing recipes. So, visit Nabeel's Cafe & Market for a tour of the world! Soon selected items will be available on our web site for ordering!

Preparation
Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling water. Add olive oil. When tender and firm to the bite (al dente) drain in a colander. Add the butter and toss thoroughly, keep warm. Remove any bones from the tuna and flake the flesh. Put it into a blender with the anchovies, olive oil and parsley and process until the sauce is smooth. Pour on the sauce on the pasta and toss quickly using 2 forks. Transfer to warm plates, sprinkle parmesan cheese and garnish with the olives and serve warm, with Italian crusty bread.

Enjoy many other fine Nabeel's recipes here!