02-INGREDIENTS WE USE

At EVOO, our favorite form of hospitality is to cook with local Northwest ingredients prepared in the style of the Mediterranean cuisines, where olive oil is dominant to butter, and vegetables, fruits, and grains are a given status on the plate. While seafood and poultry are frequent menu stars, other animal products such as red meats, pork and lamb are not emphasized. The regular use of herbs, aromatics (onion, garlic, etc) and spices is essential, and some of our favorites of these are coriander, fennel, mushrooms, garlic, lentils, nuts, tomato, basil, peppers, cilantro, cumin, and saffron. We strive to inspire our guests to enjoy cooking in the flavorful, healthy style of the Mediterranean. It becomes evident to anyone traveling throughout the Mediterranean that besides their recipes and meals of healthy ingredients, their lifestyle includes gathering around their tables with family and friends, just as we do at EVOO.

Listed in this chapter are the ingredients we use the most and why.