A Mediterranean Repast

italian meatballs are generally served with pasta and tomato sauce, what makes it extra special is that it is mixed with parmesan among other spices. the pinoy meatball is similar to italian meatball in the sense that we both use bread as an extender - though at times, i have this distinct impression that we use sweetened bread. pinoy meatballs are generally fried then re-served in a sweet and sour sauce. no wonder, a lot of filipinos are candidates for diabetes.

my favorite though is the mediterranean meatball, kofta.

kofta is made from finely ground beef, onions, parsley, salt and pepper. you can always add cilantro or cumin to give it that tangy zest. it doesn't have extenders and it is usually grilled or shaped like a tube in a skewer then served with pita bread. the trick is to double-grind the beef to make it extra fine and it becomes a sticky mass that doesn't need egg to bind the dish.

try the one in Cafe Mediterranean (greenbelt 1, makati) where they shaped it into balls or for a local version, head off to persian palate here in cebu :)

if you're in cafe mediterranean, might as well grab their chicken gyro and tear up the pita together with the chicken for a side salad. garnish with a lot of their creamy garlic sauce.


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